Summer is here! Today is the longest day of the year, peak of yang, element Fire.

The summer season has hot weather, daylight is long, people connections are up, there is more fun, partying, laughter, and thunder and lightening cause the occasional forest fire. That’s how you know you’re in the Fire element.

When a person smells like Fire, laughs a lot when they speak, has a lightness about them that makes them approachable, we call them a Fire person. You can still be a Fire person if you’re sad and shy, you’re just not the firey kind (pun intended). It’s not easy being a Fire person, just like it’s not easy being anything. You have to deal with relationship issues, broken heart, not knowing if you should open up or protect yourself more, sometimes you retreat, sometimes you’re too forward.

There is an organ that is in charge of each of those issues, and each resides in the Fire element. The Heart is the main boss, El Jefe, not only within the Fire element, but over the entire body-mind-spirit governance that is you. It is in charge because it is wise, knows everything, and if you serve it well, you can have a long and happy life.

Be especially kind to your Heart in the summer, it can be taxed too much.

Because the Heart can be too vulnerable, it needs protection and trusted advisors. Small Intestine is the counterpart to the Heart, the closest advisor, the one in charge of figuring out what is heart-worthy vs what needs to be discharged. This job requires a lot of clarity and if this organ is not in prime shape, that will affect the Heart. Take dating, for example, if your Small Intestine is not able to filter out the good suitor from the bad, the Heart will say yes to someone who is not going to be a good match and will cause a lot of heartache in the long run. Bad diet, high-inflammation foods, as an example, could impair the physical function of this organ. Fasting gives the digestive organs less to process, and it could be why people report more clarity when they are going through a fast. So maybe next time you don’t know if someone is right for you, try a 10 day fast and it might become clear.

Happy Solstice everyone!