Do you have feelings of sadness, depression, insomnia and anxiety?

According to the Chinese Five Element theory, the body is made up of the same five primary elements that exist in nature – Wood, Fire, Metal, Earth and Water. Each of these elements relates to different organs, and effects physical and psychological parts of our makeup.

In summer the fire element is strongest, & it has four meridians associated with it, the heart, small intestine, pericardium & triple heater. Activating these meridians provides us with endless expressions of power, strength, joy, love and compassion.

The heart

In Chinese, the word for 'heart' (hsin) is also used to denote 'mind'. When the heart is strong and steady, it controls the emotions; when it is weak the emotions take over and rattle the mind, which then loses its command over the body. Physiologically, the heart controls the circulation and distribution of blood, and therefore all the other organs depend upon it for sustenance. Internally, the heart is functionally associated with the thymus gland, which is located in the same cavity and forms a mainstay of the immune system.

Fire energy makes the heart the dominant organ of summer, during which season the heart must increase circulation to the surface in order to dissipate excess body heat.

Heart imbalance can cause symptoms like, sadness, absence of laughter, depression, shortness of breath, palpitations, inability to speak, memory failure, insomnia & anxiety.

Meridians for the heart

The heart meridian begins at the heart and emerges via the surrounding blood vessels to pass down through the diaphragm to the small intestine. Another internal branch extends through the throat to the eye, and connects to the tongue. A third branch goes to the lung and resurfaces at the armpit. From here it descends along the inner arm on the opposite side of the biceps to the lung channel, passing the inner end of the elbow crease. It then continues down to the tip of the little finger and ends by the corner of the nail on the thumb side. 

This is an excerpt out of the book, Summer Yoga: 20 Poses for the Heart and Small Intestine Meridians available on Amazon. This e-Book also contains many links to video clips so you can practice along with the teacher, guaranteeing you get the most out of this informative yoga book.

Books in the Yoga for the Seasons range:

Spring Yoga 
Summer Yoga
Autumn Yoga
Winter Yoga