Fire

One of my fondest memories of Eliot Cowan (shamanic healer, teacher and author of the book Plant Spirit Medicine) was when we were starting to argue about the relationship between the Gallbladder and the Kidney. Eliot saw it his way, and I saw it mine. In what was to become a memorable strategic move, I…

An important aspect of the Metal element is our capacity for healthy, heart-centered negativity. While New Age culture promotes the idea that relentless positivity is the key to health and happiness, relentless anything leads to imbalance. Negativity is realistic and healthy at times. What matters is whether we are able to be negative with heart. …

This blog is an excerpt from a class that I taught recently called Healing Microtrauma. The full length video is available here if you are interested, because I believe that this material can be life changing or life saving during these difficult times.  What is surrender? Surrender is admitting that you can’t stop this train,…

One of my teachers, Kaylynn Two Trees, who is half African American and half Lakota elder, talks about “times of making” and “times of unmaking” as equally important in the cycles of life. This is reflected in nature. From the winter solstice until the summer solstice, it’s a time of making. From the summer solstice…

This summer, I was asked to give the commencement address for Class 38, the newest graduates from Academy for Five Element Acupuncture. I was honored to address these truly vibrant humans at an important crossroads of their lives—and decided that the moment was valuable enough to share with all of you.  THE SECOND HALF OF…

In case you missed it or need a refresher, Cultivating a Healthy Mind Pt. 1 and Cultivating a Healthy Mind Pt 2. It’s not easy to have a healthy mind without having at least some imagination. Yes, the processing aspect of the mind, the mulling and pondering and digesting aspect, has to do with the Earth element….

In case you missed it or need a refresher, Cultivating a Healthy Mind Pt. 1.  In East Asian medicine, the Spleen is the organ of the YI or the intention. The character shows a musical note being sounded over the character for the heart. The intention is what the heart is humming, because Xin, the character…

Earth is the element of digestion, and digestion is not just a physical activity. It’s also a mental activity. Thought is a digestive process. It’s how we digest life. We have an experience, we bring it into us, and we ponder, “Well, what am I to think about what just happened?” It is necessary to…

Last summer, I made a blog post that has really been living with me. It was called Heart 7: Poetry or Chaos. I’ve watched it over and over, especially the end imagery (see video embedded at the end of this blog post). This summer, I feel as though I am living in a “part two”…

Summer is about the Fire element, and Fire is about joy and relationship. It’s the spark of connection. It’s the warmth of friendship. It’s the heat of passion, romance and intimacy. And it’s the alchemy of the flame.  That is what the upcoming Fire Re-Ignition workshop is about: the transformation from free-floating anxiety to the…