mrtiger Posted September 18, 2012 Does anyone know any good resources that I could look at to help me balance my element? I'm thinking food choices, herbs etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spiraltao Posted September 18, 2012 I know watermelon is a very yin fruit, cooling. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted September 18, 2012 I am under the impression that Chidragon would suggest fighting fire with fire foodwise. but I dont personally go by that stuff. Emphasize protein fat and vegetables , reduce the carbs close to zero. If you must eat carbs eat beans. Stosh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted September 18, 2012 I am under the impression that Chidragon would suggest fighting fire with fire foodwise. but I dont personally go by that stuff. Emphasize protein fat and vegetables , reduce the carbs close to zero. If you must eat carbs eat beans. Stosh If you believe in the Five Elements, here is how they react with each other. You can follow the Opposing Cycle of the Five Elements. Metal opposes Wood Wood opposes Soil Soil opposes Water Water opposes Fire Fire opposes Metal. Based in the Opposing Cycle in the TCM theory, since Water is against Fire, you should find something that is in the Water attribute. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtiger Posted September 18, 2012 I am under the impression that Chidragon would suggest fighting fire with fire foodwise. but I dont personally go by that stuff. Emphasize protein fat and vegetables , reduce the carbs close to zero. If you must eat carbs eat beans. Stosh I wouldn't have thought of Watermelon as having fire properties either to be honest but then I am a complete novice. Would you say watermelon is a warming food then? How so? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted September 18, 2012 I wouldn't have thought of Watermelon as having fire properties either to be honest but then I am a complete novice. Would you say watermelon is a warming food then? How so? Guess what...??? Watermelon would be in the Water attribute..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aetherous Posted September 19, 2012 Asian pears have been recommended to me as a way of cooling and downward flow. They are related to the lungs (due to the color of the inside) and earth elements (due to the sweetness), I think. Benefiting the lungs has a byproduct of increasing the water element (in the generative cycle). In ayurveda, they say pears are balancing for the three doshas, and also help with cooling and moisturizing (or replenishing water element). They calm the heart. Green tea is also pretty good for calming...maybe pick up some dragon well. Esther Ting's "Total Health" book is pretty good for looking at your conditions and picking foods to remedy it. Maya Tiwari's "A Life of Balance" book is really good for an Ayurvedic perspective. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
healingtouch Posted September 19, 2012 You could also add music therapy to your fire fighting arsenal. http://www.windmusic.com.tw/en/pro_list.asp?LIB_ID=D&SET_NO=DX03&id=04 Also generally anything that adds more kidney yin is similar to adding water, such as YinVive http://www.activeherb.com/yinvive/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted September 19, 2012 Hey Now You guys are picking on me! Cd said once that a person should eat yang foods to stimulate yin in opposition to it. I asked Him to go on but he had said what he wanted at that point. ( I always cook my watermelons on an open fire anyway) Like I said , I dont go by that stuff , the natural food of humans is low in grains like corn wheat and rice. Pre-agricultural humans were healthier and even taller than post adoption of grains as a food staple. The only reasons why we eat that stuff AS STAPLES is that it preserves well , allowing for high population densities. Obesity , diabetes, heart disease, constipation, and grumpiness are the legacy. If Lao liked natural stuff , you should switch to a low carb diet too. So There! Stosh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yondaime109 Posted September 20, 2012 Does anyone know any good resources that I could look at to help me balance my element? I'm thinking food choices, herbs etc. I'm aries with alot of fire in his chart. Take cold showers, Meditate, and think before you act! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Posted September 20, 2012 (edited) Winter melon with mung beans soup is the most cooling food I ever ate. Also opo squash, chayote soups are cooling. Also bitter melon or bitter squash is very cooling due to the bitter taste. You can try also tofu soup (miso soup), tofu is yin metal (white), fire melts metal and becomes water, this is the reaction you would want to achieve. Usually those soups have the fire ingredient in the spices they add to the soup but you can skip those spices because you already have the fire inside you. Also you can replace all the bread and wheat pasta you eat with rice and mung beans vermicelli or pasta. For rice use long grain rice and put water to rice ratio 6:1, you can add water up to 8:1 ratio, this will moist your kidneys, this a really yin food. Edited September 20, 2012 by steam Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtiger Posted September 20, 2012 I'm aries with alot of fire in his chart. Take cold showers, Meditate, and think before you act! The cold shower is a good call. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtiger Posted September 20, 2012 Winter melon with mung beans soup is the most cooling food I ever ate. Also opo squash, chayote soups are cooling. Also bitter melon or bitter squash is very cooling due to the bitter taste. You can try also tofu soup (miso soup), tofu is yin metal (white), fire melts metal and becomes water, this is the reaction you would want to achieve. Usually those soups have the fire ingredient in the spices they add to the soup but you can skip those spices because you already have the fire inside you. Also you can replace all the bread and wheat pasta you eat with rice and mung beans vermicelli or pasta. For rice use long grain rice and put water to rice ratio 6:1, you can add water up to 8:1 ratio, this will moist your kidneys, this a really yin food. Winter melon sounds interesting. I've been having tofu and miso, no spices but a bit of spinach and a few mushrooms through in. What do you make of Rye bread? Is it suitable for Fire types? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted September 20, 2012 Is a cold shower a great call ? Stosh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted September 20, 2012 Probably not....!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted September 20, 2012 I didnt think so either, since I was under the impression that mtiger was originally asking about web resources or books discussing Taoist food choices. ( what do I know , about this stuff , heck I still think that if water opposes fire then fire opposes water ) So If Mtiger takes a cold shower anyway then what happens his pilot light goes out ? Stosh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted September 20, 2012 Here is the Generative Cycle of the Five Elements: Metal engenders Water Water engenders Wood Wood engenders Fire Fire engenders Soil Soil engenders Metal "So If Mtiger takes a cold shower anyway then what happens his pilot light goes out ?" What will happen will happen internally. Nothing is effective externally unless one has a cut. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtiger Posted September 20, 2012 Is a cold shower a great call ? Stosh Well it works for me. Koichi Tohei talks about taking about cold showers in 'Ki In Daily Life' which is a book I would really recommend to you all. Personally I take a warm shower followed by a cold one. The hot one opens the pores, the cold closes them. Hot/cold bathing goes as far back as the Romans and is still very popular in Japan today. Obviously a shower is a more economical and practical way to achieve the same end. You should try it Stosh and Chi Dragon. You might like it! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted September 20, 2012 "The hot one opens the pores, the cold closes them." I was told that was a fallacy in my high school health class. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted September 20, 2012 Thanks for that advice but I am way ahead of you there I take showers every day !! Stosh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtiger Posted September 20, 2012 What will happen will happen internally. Nothing is effective externally unless one has a cut. It's an interesting opinion. "The hot one opens the pores, the cold closes them." I was told that was a fallacy in my high school health class. Who knows the objective truth, if indeed there is one? Subjectively I find them beneficial and I would recommend them to anyone who wants to cool down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aetherous Posted September 21, 2012 Cold showers aren't very calming (although there is something like a rush and relaxation effect), but lukewarm kinda cool showers can be. Cold will increase your alertness, which may be the opposite of what you want...sometimes. It will cause your internal energy to rise (as blood is shunted to the core of the spine heart and brain, qi follows). It can shock your spirit out of your body a little, if it's really cold, and it might make you emotionally intense...which is like fire element. External cold causes internal warmth. External water causes internal fire. Our bodies compensate to harmonize between inner and outer. Sitting by a campfire can be relaxing (which is water element). This isn't alchemical theory necessarily...maybe it's totally wrong in terms of Taoism...just things I've noticed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtiger Posted September 21, 2012 Cold showers aren't very calming I think the caveat here should be "for you". If I'm emotionally charged, excited or nervous a cold shower calms me down and helps to bring me back to the centre. You've explained this in a good way but ultimately it's counter to my own experience. And I suspect I'm not the only one. I've openly considered what you've said and I'll bear it in mind as it's interesting and it way well hold truth for other fire types. But as long as cold showers help me calm my inner and outer fire the theory is of no importance. I think the thing I've taken from this is that the five element theory isn't rigid and it's certainly not a 'one size fits all'. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aetherous Posted September 21, 2012 If I'm emotionally charged, excited or nervous a cold shower calms me down and helps to bring me back to the centre. This is the rush and relaxation effect I was referring to...it's all good if you disagree with my experience. I am in agreement with 'use whatever works'. I was just cautioning you that with cold water therapy, it's a deceiving effect. There may be the 'rush and relaxation' but there is also increased alertness and risen internal energy (which are fire element). But it can be a good practice if used in the right way. As long as the results are good. Something else that will calm down fire types is developing compassion, and taking time to relax. I always recommend it, so I apologize if it's redundant, but the book in my signature is really helpful for this. Compassion is the direct antidote to anger, frustration, a judgmental attitude, and intensity (all fire promoting qualities). These qualities are similar to wind that's being compacted into a jar (your body and sense of self). Have you ever thrown a closed bottle into a campfire? The more compacted the wind inside, the more tightly closed the container, the stronger it is = the bigger the explosion when it heats up enough. Relaxing and having compassion is like opening the container and allowing the winds to not be so compacted, so they can leave the container...then your fire element will be more like a candle, rather than a forest fire or atomic bomb. Your emotions will be more like a breeze blowing through you, rather than constantly trying to contain an explosion. Just in my experience, and only offering my help in the best way I am capable... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtiger Posted September 21, 2012 This is the rush and relaxation effect I was referring to...it's all good if you disagree with my experience. I am in agreement with 'use whatever works'. I was just cautioning you that with cold water therapy, it's a deceiving effect. There may be the 'rush and relaxation' but there is also increased alertness and risen internal energy (which are fire element). But it can be a good practice if used in the right way. As long as the results are good. Something else that will calm down fire types is developing compassion, and taking time to relax. I always recommend it, so I apologize if it's redundant, but the book in my signature is really helpful for this. Compassion is the direct antidote to anger, frustration, a judgmental attitude, and intensity (all fire promoting qualities). These qualities are similar to wind that's being compacted into a jar (your body and sense of self). Have you ever thrown a closed bottle into a campfire? The more compacted the wind inside, the more tightly closed the container, the stronger it is = the bigger the explosion when it heats up enough. Relaxing and having compassion is like opening the container and allowing the winds to not be so compacted, so they can leave the container...then your fire element will be more like a candle, rather than a forest fire or atomic bomb. Your emotions will be more like a breeze blowing through you, rather than constantly trying to contain an explosion. Just in my experience, and only offering my help in the best way I am capable... . Thanks that's really good advice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites