June 20th marked the beginning of Summer, the season of joy. Summer’s fire spreads warmth, fosters growth, and expresses itself as life in full bloom. The fire element, in our bodies, governs the heart, small intestine, pericardium, and triple burner. In balance, fire manifests as joy and purpose; while out of balance, it manifests as hatred and coldness. 

The triple burner includes the heart and lungs (upper burner), spleen and stomach (middle burner), and liver, kidneys, intestines and bladder (lower burner). Each section of the triple burner is associated with the movement of water. Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine) described connection each burner has in relation to water as follows: “The upper burner acts like a mist. The middle burner acts like foam. The lower burner acts like a swamp.”

While we aim to control dampness in our lungs, removing unnecessary phlegm it should come as no surprise that “mist” is the water term associated with the upper burner. The upper burner moves qi, blood and bodily fluids throughout the body. The middle burner gets its association to foam because of the churning action that takes place in the stomach as part of digestion. Just as a swamp is gassy and breaks down and decomposes materials and removes impurities, the organs in the lower burner are the final stop for much of our body’s waste.

With a strong connection to the water and fluids in our body, it is understandable how an imbalance in the triple burner can lead to edema or troubles with urination. For this reason, many of the triple burner meridians center around treating the lungs, spleen, or kidneys.

Over the summer wellness tips as they relate to the fire season and the triple burner.

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