In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each of the meridians support the coherence and well-being of the Body/Mind – they are like Ministers who oversee and regulate the function of different aspects of our physical well-being.
Each year as we pass the summer solstice on June 21, we move into the season of the Fire element. Of all the five elements, only Fire has four meridians connected to it. One of these Fire meridians, Triple Burner, is distinct because it is connected not to one specific organ (like the Liver Meridian or Heart Meridian) but is in fact like a network of energy and information for the entire Body/Mind.
The Meridian of Balance and Harmony
Triple Burner (or sometimes called Triple Warmer) is in charge of maintaining balance and harmony. In ancient Chinese texts, the three ‘burners’ (jiaos) were depicted as three fires in the lower abdomen, solar plexus, and chest. They literally describe the physical energy required to reproduce and eliminate (the lower abdomen), to digest food and life experiences (the solar plexus), and to breathe and circulate life force via the lungs and heart (the chest).
We can see how this meridian is energetically connected to so many different organs – the heart and lungs in the chest, the liver, gall bladder, stomach and spleen in the middle, and the kidneys, bladder, and reproductive organs in the lower abdomen. Using the lens of Ayurvedic medicine, this meridian is also connected to three major chakras: the second (sex or sacral), third (solar plexus), and fourth (heart).
Whichever model you use, we can see how important it is to maintain balance and harmony among these centres. I have known at least two spiritual teachers who cultivated great compassion and had so much heart energy. However, their lower ‘fires’ (jiaos) were deficient. As a result, they experienced hypertension because the water in the lower burner was unable to control and moderate the fire in the upper burner.
Spiral Connection and Spiritual Renewal
More than just linking and maintaining balance among these three energy centres, I experience Triple Burner as a spiral connection between earth and heaven. In fact, many of the Essences that support this channel contain some aspect of the spiral in their signature. Most notable of these is Moon Snail (polinices lewisii). Its gift is to cleanse the mind and its message is:
“Let me guide you in the spiral dance,
the ever-expanding circles of life unfolding.
Let me take you into Light so that
you may appreciate the wonder of Life itself.”
Another of my favourite Triple Burner Essences is Poplar (populus tremuloides) whose gift is Innocence and whose message is:
“I offer you the ability to be moved in Spirit.
I offer you the healing energies of Spirit.
Let my ability to be moved by Spirit,
To be renewed in Spirit,
To channel Spirit be an inspiration to you.
Yield to the energy of Spirit
as it courses through your Body/Mind.
Flow with this energy and be connected to All That Is.”
Maintaining Balance During Transition
As an acupuncturist, I use many points in the Triple Burner channel to harmonize the flow of qi and regulate body temperature. Fluctuations in body temperature, in fact, are a key sign that Triple Burner is out of balance – after all, it is responsible for maintaining harmony and balance. Changes in body temperature often occur at the change of the seasons, but they may also be pronounced at other transitional points in life – starting a new career, ending a relationship, puberty, and menopause.
One of the Essences associated with the Triple Burner meridian that I use for both menopausal hot flashes and life transitions is Orange Honeysuckle. I love the energetic signature of this plant – bright orange fallopian tubes emerging from the centre of an ovary-like leaf. Indeed, this Essence alone has helped many women around the world cultivate a greater ability to deal with hot flashes, while directing that energy into productive, creative expression.
Reap the Benefits of a Healthy Triple Burner
If you want to go deeper into the importance of how this meridian keeps you healthy, you might appreciate this book by a British medical doctor and acupuncturist, Daniel Keown – The Spark in the Machine: How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine.
We also have many Essences that support a flourishing Triple Burner channel. I invite you to explore how these Essences might support you at this point in your life journey.
