Heater Man

When I ran a chain of art galleries, I had a very talented, but extremely high strung employee. He had a quick, eruptive temper, that would flare up, seemingly out of nowhere. It was an interesting dynamic to work with, as one can imagine. High management even came up with a code word for these incidents "Dagmar (name changed) had a heater!!! Just the mere mention of his heaters in business meetings sent chills down my spine, and when one came my way it felt like hurricane gale force winds ripping thorugh my insides. Looking back, I don't know how I endured such high levels of stress without the assistance of a yoga practice. Perhaps that's one reason I burned right out.

Now, I don't know if Dagmar had issues with his Triple Heater Meridian or not, but I do. I stumbled upon this interesting piece of research during yin yoga training with Kira, who assigned meridian research day 2 of our sessions together. When I found the Triple Heater Meridian I laughed out loud in rememberance of my friend with the heaters. The name alone immediately drew me in. But as I looked closer at the map, I was looking at my own body.

For a few months I've had a tight spot in my neck just to the right side of my cervical spine. Sometimes I can feel another tight spot a few inches below, resting just above the tip of my shoulder blade, and every now and then on the outer edge of my tricept about half way between my shoulder and elbow. During my day it is barely noticable, but when I get to yoga class, its right there, clear as a bell. Seems I have a heater issue of my own these days.

It appears the Triple Heater is a function rather than a physical organ. It represents a group of energies and involves many organs. This meridian is the funtional relationship between the energy-transforming organs, and transports and transforms prana (chi) to all parts of the body. It is know as 'The Commander of all Energies", the "Official of Balance and Harmony", and described as 'the moat around the castle'.

Imbalance in this meridian is triggered by stress.

Which throws me for a loop. I am at a very interesting place in my life these days. I've never felt happier, and more connected in relationships to family, friends, and with myself. At first glance the data does not support the theory.

I have a few choices here. I can throw out the whole meridian system of medicine as hogwash. I can question my sanity, and ask myself if I am being delusionally happy, or I can reach into a deeper meaning. From direct experience I know there is wisdom in energy medicine, and I've been on the brink of insanity and know this space I'm in does not feel like that. What, then, if anything, is my triple heater meridian saying?

One thing about this new place of happiness is that it has taken a massive amount of energy to get here, everything I had over an almost five year period of intense self examination. Although I don't think I'm done, because life is a continuous unfolding, I am in a relative spot of ease and peace. I think of yoga sutra 2.46 "Posture is a balance of effort and ease", and am aligning to a recent interpretation passed on by Kira of posture as attitude.

For most my life I have guarded my castle with fericous waters in the moat. Today those waters are not nearly so hostile. And while this new architecture of my soul is more joyous and free, it is also slightly scary to love, trust, and live this big and be so vulnerable. It is a balance, and there is harmony, just as the healthy flow of the meridian promises. The integrity of the work required these days is subtle, so close to my heart that I barely even noticed.

Until it showed up in my yin pactice, in my neck, and in the homework for class today, It is accompanied with a clear message to keep going. Keep showing up, and keep relaxing once I've made the effort to show up.

I am incredibly grateful for all my teachers who help me in this path of opening to love, including Dagmar, the fiery-ist heater man I've even known, who has recircled back into my life in the most magical and healing way.