A Teacher in Every Room
When the Heart Heats Up (Even Indoors)
This week's teacher came through the story of someone whose experience spoke loudly.
A friend told me about a man who's been wearing a heart monitor.
He's been struggling with shortness of breath, panic attacks, dizziness, frequent urination, vivid dreams, and a deep thirst for cold drinks that won't go away.
Oddly enough, he hasn't been outside at all. No direct sun exposure. No intense activity. Just… existing. Inside.
Yet every symptom matched something deeper, something familiar.
And I recognized it right away.
The Shift: Energy Doesn't Need a Doorway
In Western thinking, we tend to believe symptoms must have an obvious cause:
Heatstroke comes from being in the heat.
Stress comes from too much work.
Heart strain comes from intense emotion or effort.
But Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a different lens—one rooted in rhythms and relationships.
Summer is the season of the Fire element, and the Heart is its corresponding organ.
That doesn't just mean more cardiac issues—it means the Heart becomes energetically more exposed, more sensitive, more vulnerable, and more reactive.
Even if you never step foot outside.
Why?
Because seasonal energy is not confined to weather.
It lives in the cycle of Heaven, Earth, and Man.
We are part of a living pattern, and the seasons move through us whether we feel them or not, highlighting the profound interconnectedness of our bodies and the environment.
The Lesson: The Heart in Summer
The Heart is called the Emperor of the body in TCM.
It governs blood flow, yes—but it also houses the Shen, the spirit, the mind, the emotional core of who we are.
In summer, the Fire rises. So does restlessness. Anxiety. Vivid dreaming. Dehydration. Agitation.
Even organs like the Kidneys and Spleen may feel the impact, manifesting as frequent urination, dizziness, digestive issues, and internal heat.
Symptoms are not just physical—they're messages.
Energy patterns speak when we slow down enough to listen.
And this man's story reminded me of how easily we forget this.
Our environment is not limited to walls.
That our bodies are in constant dialogue with what's unseen.
The Invisible Thread (and an Unexpected Connection)
This also brought me back to something my mentor—Skip, a retired chaplain and Air Force veteran—once shared.
Someone had asked him, "Do you believe in acupuncture?"
He smiled and replied,
"You're asking me that as if I don't believe in prayer."
At first, I didn't understand.
But now I do.
Acupuncture is invisible—but it works.
Prayer is invisible—but it moves things.
They are both about:
1) restoring balance
2) require trust in the unseen
3) create space for healing, alignment, and peace.
And in this way, the Heart in summer becomes not just a medical concern, but a powerful metaphor, inspiring us to tend to what's sacred, tender, and alive inside us.
The Invitation: Are You Listening to the Season Within?
So I ask you now:
Are you paying attention to how you feel this season?
Do you find yourself more restless, more emotionally charged, more spiritually thirsty?
What if those symptoms aren't problems…
But invitations to realign?
This week, I invite you to:
Rest deeply.
Limit overstimulation.
Drink fluids that nourish, not shock.
Avoid excess heat—from weather, tech, stress, or relationships.
And most of all, listen to your heart—literally and energetically.
You don't have to be outside to feel the fire.
But you can choose to care for yourself with wisdom, rhythm, and respect, empowering you to take control of your health and well-being.
Closing
In moments like these, I'm reminded again of Skip—whose phrase, "A Teacher in Every Room," gave this series its name.
He offered me the title, but more than that, he provided me with a lens.
And once again, I see the truth in it:
Sometimes the teacher is a body.
Sometimes it's a season.
Sometimes it's the silence behind the symptom.
And always—it's an invitation to return to balance.
With gratitude,
Dr. Pamela
👣 Student of every room, healer of what hides beneath the surface.
Acknowledgment
The title "A Teacher in Every Room" is used with the generous permission of its original creator, Ernest (Skip) J. Dalle Molle. I remain deeply grateful for his kindness, mentorship, and lifelong devotion to teaching in all its forms.
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