The Fire Element lives in each person. To a large extent, it impacts all aspects of your well-being from relationships, to your energy levels, to how much stress you experience.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for the Fire Element to become unbalanced. Additionally, modern life doesn’t teach you how to identify such imbalances, or how to regain harmony within. However, Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong offer powerful insights to help you know when you’ve lost your equilibrium so you can quickly come back to your center.
In this blog, we share eight signs that indicate your Fire Element could be out of balance.
As you’ll learn, some imbalances are deficiencies, which means you don’t have enough Fire Element. Other imbalances happen when you have an excess, which is having too much Fire Element. If you’re interested in learning more about the qualities of the Fire Element, check out our previous blog on the topic.
1. Difficulty sleeping (excess)
Having difficulty sleeping is often an indication that you have an excess of Fire Element. The Fire tends to activate your body and make you want to engage with the world. While such qualities are wonderful during the day, they make it difficult to fall asleep at night.
If you’ve ever tried to sleep but can’t stop thinking, that could be a sign of excess Fire. Often, such an experience leads to constant tossing and turning beneath your covers without getting any rest.
2. Not motivated to engage with others (deficiency)
The Fire Element is all about connecting with others and celebrating joy. Therefore, if you feel like avoiding other people most of the time, it could mean that there’s a Fire deficiency.
Fire Element deficiencies can sometimes manifest by the tendency to only want to go inward. For example, someone who is Fire Element deficient might choose to pass up opportunities to see friends or family members even when they genuinely care about them. Of course, there could be other reasons to want to be alone, but a Fire Element deficiency is one possibility.
3. Uncomfortable being alone (excess)
On the contrary, people who aren’t comfortable being alone could have an excess of Fire. If someone constantly needs attention from others, including from strangers, that’s a sign of an excess of Fire.
The desire to connect with others is great, but it’s also important to be okay with alone time. In fact, spending time with just yourself is essential for returning to your center and cultivating peace. Everyone needs time alone, even those who love connecting with others.
4. Poor circulation (deficiency)
Poor circulation is a sign of Fire deficiency. Often, poor circulation manifests as feeling cold, even when it’s a reasonable temperature.
People with Fire deficiency sometimes feel chilly in warm weather when others feel comfortable. If you feel cold at the beach when it’s 85 degrees, that’s a clear indication of Fire deficiency.
5. Constant busyness (excess)
People who always need to be doing things often have an excess of Fire Element.
‘Doing things’ can take on many forms. Sometimes, a person with excess Fire might find themselves constantly busy even though there’s nothing they actually need to do. At other times, they may fill every unscheduled moment with spontaneous activities. Being engaged with the world is healthy, but it’s also important to be able to sit still at times. Someone who has excess Fire might find it difficult to not always be doing something.
6. Tired or fatigued (deficiency)
Chronic tiredness or fatigue is another sign of Fire Element deficiency. If you had a good night’s sleep but still have a hard time getting through the day, it could be an indication that your Fire is low.
People with a Fire Element deficiency often find themselves taking lots of naps throughout the day. Even then, they may not feel fully rested or charged up. This can lead to difficulty starting things or completing tasks. Not to mention, life is generally less enjoyable when you don’t have enough energy.
7. Easily agitated (either excess or deficiency)
Many signs of a Fire imbalance indicate either an excess or deficiency. However, some signs could indicate one or the other.
If you’re easily agitated, that could suggest that you have a Fire Element imbalance. For example, those with an excess or deficiency of the Fire may become overly frustrated by minor inconveniences. Not surprisingly, becoming easily irritated or frustrated can sometimes lead to disharmonies within relationships.
8. Stressed or anxious (either excess or deficiency)
Stress and anxiety is another sign of a Fire imbalance. Similar to being easily agitated, stress and anxiety can indicate either an excess or deficiency.
Stress and anxiety can manifest in many ways. Often, stress leads to persistent thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong, or everything you have to do. While certain situations are certainly more difficult to deal with than others, it’s your response to the situation that matters the most when it comes to experiencing stress. Fire Element imbalances can greatly contribute to heightened levels of stress or anxiety.
How to Balance Your Fire Element
If you feel that you might have an excess or deficiency of Fire, the next step is to regain harmony and balance. One of the most effective ways to do that is by doing Qi Gong exercises that focus on the Fire Element.
In our on-demand Qi Gong for Summer workshop, Lee teaches powerful practices designed to cultivate and balance Fire Energy within you. When you’re able to fully harmonize your Fire Element, it allows you to release stress, experience greater joy, and welcome all of life’s possibilities.
Because this is an on-demand workshop, you can enjoy these lessons online at any time from your own home. Click on the banner below to discover how balancing your Fire Element can help you thrive this summer season.