Every communication – from the first cry of a baby to the first declaration of love to the final realization of a “I believe” – is mediated by the energy of the phase of Fire.

In the Fire-Element we take care of our development. The Fire-Energy conducts the entire symphony, in which the positive, creative being is expressed in all its exuberance.

With the help of our creativity we can bring something new into being and thus can lead to change and transformation.

Fire is the only element represented by two pairs of meridians: Heart/Small Intestine and Pericardium/Triple Heater Meridian.

Here the Heart, in which the Shen is at home, takes over the central function of the Fire.

In medical texts from the East, various organs are compared with functionaries in a state.

The Heart takes the place of the Emperor, who in ancient China corresponded to the Son of Heaven and embodied divine authority on earth. By harboring the Shen (spirit/mind) in the Heart, it gives the divine part of our being a physical home.

Through its central position in our Body-Mind-System, all other Meridians of the Fire Element are protectors of the Heart in very different ways or even its messengers, which help to increase its influence.

The boundaries of the Meridians therefore overlap and to some extent all Fire-Meridians are extensions of the Heart-Energy.

More about the functions and relationships is described in the explanations of the individual Meridians.

By giving the Shen, the “divine spark” of consciousness, a home in the body, the heart unites heaven and earth in the human being.

In Chinese medicine, the so-called “five Shen” represent different aspects of consciousness; the Shen of the heart is the purest form of consciousness. The best way to translate Shen is with “mind”.

The presence of Shen is the prerequisite for health and a long life. The shine in our eyes is a reflection of the state of our Shen.

The concept of the Shen seems to correspond to the Buddhist idea of ​​mind as pure consciousness in a detached state.

According to the Buddhist teachings, enlightenment comes through knowledge and identification with this pure consciousness within ourselves.

However, the heart-Shen must remain anchored in reality and react to the demands of all physical conditions.

Correct and appropriate behavior is the result when pure awareness consciousness is committed to the concerns of physical existence.

In Nei Jing Su Wen it says: “Excessive Shen manifests itself in unceasing laughter, empty Shen in sadness. ” Sometimes a “lack of joy” indicates a problem in the Fire Element.

In the event of a disturbance in the Fire, one will be infected by the cheerfulness of others, but then fall back into a lack of joy.

But also, according to Chinese medicine, excessive joy/elation is considered to be a cause for illness.

Organ
Heart and small intestine

Sense Organ
Tongue

Orifices
Ears

Body Structures
Tendons and muscles

Body Parts
Blood vessel

External, Physical Expression
Complexion

Body Fluid
Sweat

Ability in Times of Change and Excitement
Ability to mourning and sorrow

Releated Chakras

Chakra 3 – Small Intestine Meridian

Chakra 4 – Heart- and Pericardium Meridian

In the “evolution of being”, the natural function of Fire-Energy consists in conscious awareness, in the intelligent, concrete implementation of creative visions and concepts.

Any kind of interpersonal communication, in its various forms of expression (e. g. verbal, musical, visual, etc. ), belongs to the functions of the Fire Element.

The Heart is the sovereign of all organs and represents the consciousness of one’s own being. It is responsible for intelligence, wisdom and spiritual transformation

– Huang Di Nei Jing-

As already described in the texts of the Fire Topics, the Heart Meridian is “the” Fire Meridian. Its main function is to offer Shen a home. Since Shen is “the divine spark” of consciousness, he unites heaven and earth in man.

To serve the Shen as a home, the Heart itself must be calm and free of stirring emotions. If our centre, our Heart, is unstable, our reactions are not appropriate.

If the Heart has enough blood at its disposal, it can anchor the Shen and offer it a peaceful resting place. With a prolonged emotional stress of the Shen, the function of the Heart suffers.

In Masunaga’s meridian cycle, the Heart and Small Intestine Meridians are placed “inside”, which provides information about their functions. They surround the emotional center of the body, just as the Water Meridians (Kidney/Bladder) outline the core of the will to survive.

The Heart and Small Intestine assimilate on an emotional, mental and spiritual level everything that has been absorbed and processed by the Stomach and Spleen.

The Heart inserts what the Small Intestine has previously adapted into our body-mind-structure and transforms it into a typical and emotional expression of the individual personality (transformation).

That’s how the Heart becomes the creator of our individuality.

the home of the Shen

Core of the emotional being – creator of our individuality

Generation of blood by conversion of food Ki

Merges information from the five senses and triggers an appropriate response

Ultimately responsible for the blood circulation (shares this function with the Pericardium)

Interpretation of feelings

Transformation

Language / communication

Inspiration, creativity

Chest pain with palpitations, tachycardia

Shortness of breath

Nervous stomach

Sweating, sweaty hands

Stutter

Lack of concentration and memory

Sleep disturbances, fatigue

Shock and coma

Unconsciousness

Neuroses, anxiety, paranoia

Depressions

Volatility, hypersensitivity, tension, restlessness

and others

In areas where the Heart is weak and vulnerable, the body develops physical tension and a kind of armour to protect it.

According to Masunaga, Heart-Symptoms such as stuttering are based on a lack of tongue mobility and a feeling of pressure in the area of the solar plexus. (Note on physical level)

Language: The Heart controls the flow of thoughts within the individual and the exchange of ideas between people

Sweating: all Heart-Syndromes can be accompanied by sweating, because sweat is the body fluid associated with the Fire Element

Dr. med. Leon Hammer on the Yin and Yang Aspect of the Heart

Heart-Yin
The energetic function of the Heart Yin is the inspiration that underlies every creative, original artistic formulation on both the intellectual and spiritual levels of being.

Through this energy people feel joy at the existence of other people and at the new life that their love brings forth. Love in its highest form is the fulfilment of Fire-Energy.

It symbolizes the spiritual being, the “divinely inspired Ki” and the spiritual quality of love that finds expression in the relationship with another person.

Heart-Yang
is responsible for the organized, conceptualized and usable communication of creative ideas.

It provides the energy for those ego functions that interpret an inspiration and reformulate it into articulated knowledge. (e. g. in philosophy)

Principle
Love

Emotional strains

Yearning

Emotional chaos

Sadness

All holistic natural healing methods, such as Acupuncture, Homeopathy or similar

Holistic body therapies such as Shiatsu, Chakra-Balance and others

Psychotherapeutic or life counselling procedures

Voice training or speech therapy

and others

Makko Ho Exercises

Yoga, Qi-Gong,

Meditation (!)

Hobbies like handicrafts, painting, knitting or chaffing

Canto

Dark chocolate(!)

and others

Affirmation

I live a happy, carefree, relaxed, creative life. I am in joyful expectation to all the wonderful things that still come into my life. Life gives itself to me in all its fullness. Always.