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Okay, onward!
So... I know I asked this last episode, but... did you find out who you are?
If you've accepted my holistic invitation to meet yourself, I'm curious what you found out! Maybe you have a Melancholic digestion, but a Sanguine personality. Or, maybe you have a Choleric metabolism, but Phlegmatic features and Sanguine eating habits.
So many of us are a hodge-podge of temperaments, but there's usually one or two poking their heads out a little more than the others. So I'm curious, which temperament(s) did you find yourself going back to?
If you have no idea what the heck I'm talking about, basically, it turns out our ancient ancestors knew what the hell was up when it came to maintaining health, so I've been recappin' their wisdom.
In previous episodes, we talked about traditional holistic healing systems, particularly Traditional Western Medicine and how it’s rooted in the understanding of how we as humans as a whole relate and respond to the environment around us, as well as how we function to ensure health and well-being.
We're currently diving into the Seven Natural Things that constitute the nature of human beings, to which all need to be in balance in order for health and prosperity.
The first of the Seven Natural Things is the basic makeup of all that is the universe: the Four Elements.
Air
Fire
Earth
Water
The second of the Seven Natural Things are the primary components of the human body in reflection of the four elements.
These are the Four Humors, or the four vital fluids:
The Sanguine humor, or Blood, in reflection of Air
The Choleric humor, or Yellow Bile, in reflection of Fire
The Melancholic humor, or Black Bile, in reflection of Earth
The Phlegmatic humor, or Phlegm, in reflection of Water
The third of the Seven Natural Things is the basic nature of a human being, aka the Four Temperaments. The Four Temperaments are named after a particular humor and is characterized by prevalence of that humor and its associated qualities. Each of us has our own unique balance of humors and qualities that make up our temperament.
The Four Temperaments are:
Sanguine Temperament - characterized by its dominate humor, Blood, which has hot and moist Primary Qualities, and reflects the Air element
Choleric Temperament - characterized by its dominate humor, Yellow Bile, which has hot and dry Primary Qualities, and reflects the Fire element
Melancholic Temperament - characterized by its dominate humor, Black Bile, which has cold and dry Primary Qualities, and reflects the Earth element
Phlegmatic Temperament - characterized by its dominate humor, Phlegm, which has cold and moist Primary Qualities, and reflects the Water element
Last episode we took a deep dive into the physical, physiological, and psychological characteristics that are associated with each temperament.
This episode, we're going to take a pause from going down the list of the Seven Natural Things, and get into what exactly I mean when I say knowing your temperament will help you know how to eat, live, and heal yourself properly to ensure health, vitality, and disease prevention.
Before I start, let me just get this little warning out of the way: none of this is medical advice, I am merely educating you and myself on the traditional practices of healing.
Alrighty!
So, for each temperament, we're going to go a bit deeper into their differing characteristics, what they're predisposed to, and what therapeutic techniques are helpful to keep them in balance.
But before we dive in, I've been thinking...
We need to add a little modern flair to these temperaments. I'm someone who's Sanguine dominant, but I also have a lot of Melancholic tendencies; like, my appetite absolutely depends on my mental state, and I've struggled with anxiety and depression. But... do I really want to be out here calling myself Melancholic?
That sounds so shitty!
"Hi, yeah, I'm Eboni, and I'm Melancholic."
LAME!
For me, it makes more sense to name each temperament based on the element it embodies. Take the Melancholic temperament for example: it embodies Earth, beautiful beautiful Earth. Earth isn't "melancholic", Earth is a master of its craft! What a cool superpower... Earth Master.
I think that's how I'm going to describe them... all of us have certain superpowers we're inherently born with; some superpowers are more dominant than others, but they all come with their kryptonites and strength management instructions.
Let's start with the Sanguine temperament, aka the Air Bender superpower.
Air Benders are Hot and Moist in Primary Qualities (refer back to episode six for a basic knowledge of Primary Qualities), and like I said before, reflect the Air element. Their dominant humor is Blood, which is the very essence of life and vitality as its chief functions are to give life and power cellular metabolism. Because of their Hot and Moist constitution, Air Benders are naturally outgoing, cheerful, and tend to brighten the world around them with their positive energy.
However, because Blood is extremely important to life, Blood is their kryptonite. They tend towards excessiveness and an imbalance of Blood, leading to issues such as stagnancy and poor circulation, congestion, skin disorders from toxins in Blood, diabetes, and clotting. Due to their airy, fast moving energy, Air Benders also tend towards nervousness, obsessive thinking, and scatterbrainedness (yes I just made that term up).
With Traditional Holistic Medicine, strength and vitality are maintained through diet, lifestyle, and herbs. For Air Benders, with their hearty-ass appetite (which I can attest to), they tend to eat and eat and eat if something is delicious, especially food that's fatty, rich, and/or sweet. Unfortunately, this leads to overeating and inevitable weight gain, as well as toxic residue overload in the blood. To mitigate this, it's best to consume tasty, yet healthful and light meals, lots of dark berries and dark, leafy vegetables, and a shit ton of spices. This will help keep the blood toned and free of undigested byproducts.
As far as lifestyle, exercise and movement are important no matter what your dominant superpower is. For Air Benders, as they're naturally social and enjoy pleasant things, group-oriented exercise like sports, barre, or yoga are great; as well as hikes and walks through Nature to indulge the senses. Regular movement helps enhance the circulation and cleanliness of Blood. Laughing and music are also great for their over-worked nervous systems. I'm a huge music lover, and will say music is one of my main go-tos when I'm all in my head and overthinking, so if that's you, throw on your favorite pair of headphones, go for a walk, and see how clearer your mind is afterwards.
For the Choleric temperament, their superpower is Fire Breathing.
Fire Breathers are Hot and Dry in Primary Qualities and reflect the Fire element. Their dominant humor is Yellow Bile, which powers digestion, metabolizes and transforms nutrients into energy, cleanses the bowels, and stimulates defecation. Because of their Hot and Dry constitution, Fire Breathers are naturally passionate, quick-witted, and tend to inspire others with their bold actions and courageous leadership.
But, as Fire is so intensive and transforming, their own Fire is their kryptonite. With Fire and Yellow Bile being so hot and stimulating, Fire Breathers are prone to quick anger, high stress levels, and intense lifestyles, leading to overheating and adrenal and cardiovascular dysfunction. The corruption or imbalance of Yellow Bile can also lead to digestive issues such as hyperacidity, indigestion, and inflammation.
Because Fire Breathers have a ravenous appetite and love hot, spicy food that tantalizes their taste buds, they tend to eat a ton of the very foods that aggravate Yellow Bile and their digestive system. Minimal consumption of these foods, plus adding more anti-inflammatory foods such as cooling fruits, fresh vegetables, and yogurt are wonderful for keeping their fiery digestion calm and balanced. As Fire Breathers are rather active and constantly moving, exercise and playing sports comes easy for them; what's more needed for Fire Breathers are stress-reducing remedies and anger management techniques. Meditation, swimming, and massages are great to help them relax, while setting realistic goals helps keep them motivated and their energy properly channeled.
For the Melancholic temperament, they are the Earth Masters.
They are Cold and Dry in Primary Qualities and reflect the Earth element. Their dominant humor is Black Bile, which helps stimulate the appetite, solidify stool, strengthen the stomach to hold onto food until properly digested, and govern the formation and repairment of bones, tissues and nerves in the body. With their Cold and Dry constitution, Earth Masters are naturally detail-oriented, highly intellectual, and have excellent memories that make them wise beyond their years.
However, with Black Bile basically being the opposite of Blood and its life-giving properties, Earth Masters have a more delicate state of being as they're prone to quite a bit of ailments: constipation, anemia, anxiety, arthritis, depression, digestive disorders, tics and spasms, poor immunity, and more. Not to mention, their Earthy nature makes them more serious, nervous, and withdrawn.
When it comes to appetite, Earth Masters are highly influenced by their mood and mental state. Their delicate nature also makes them more prone to food sensitivities, so it's very important they eat a balanced, nutrition-rich diet. A moderate amount of meat, aromatic herbs and spices, and fiber-rich foods are great to keep their digestive systems happy and sound. Beans, nuts, nightshades, and hydrogenated food like fried, fast food, margarine, packaged snacks, and coffee creamers are best avoided and minimally consumed as possible (both for Earth Masters and us all).
Exercise and movement tends to come easy for Earth Masters as well, but sometimes they don't know when to stop and tend to overdo it, causing a massive drain of energy. Moderate, regular exercise, especially with warm-up stretches, helps loosen stiff muscles, joints, and tendons, and helps regulate delicate appetite and digestion. Group exercise is better for the occasional depressive bout, but solo exercise really helps ground Earth Masters. As a partial Earth Master, solo walks with the doggo truly does help ground me.
Alright... let's take a breather for a sec cause I know this is a lot information.
(breathe, for real)
(another deep breath here)
Okay! Onward!
Phlegmatic Temperament, aka the Water Bearers.
They are Cold and Moist in Primary Qualities, and reflect the Water element. Their dominant humor is Phlegm, which helps cleanse and nourish the body by flushing out toxins and impurities, moisten and lubricate moving parts, and cool down excessive heat. Because of their Cold and Moist constitution, they are naturally calm, kind, and tend to take life nice and easy.
However, because they're naturally Cold and Moist, their physiological systems and processes tend to run on the slower side, leading to issues like poor circulation, water retention, chronic respiratory disorders, obesity, and hypothyroidism. They also tend towards sluggishness, passivity, and can be over-emotional.
Water Bearers may have a slower-working appetite, digestion and metabolism, but that doesn't stop them from eating their favorite sweets, fatty snacks, and dairy products - the very foods that tend to slow them down even more. These foods should be minimally consumed to avoid sluggishness, obesity, diabetes, and the over-generation of phlegm. Foods that stimulate digestion and circulation like herbs and spices, garlic, and peppers, along with high-fiber and nutrient-rich foods work wonders for Water Bearers.
One thing about Water Bearers... they prefer not to exercise, because why bother? Well, my Phlegmatic friends, movement is exactly what's needed to keep circulation moving and grooving, digestion regulated, and congestion and anabolic disorders at bay. Even light exercise such as walking is better than staying sedentary, so get out your best walking shoes and hit the pavement my guy!
Phew…
Is your head hurting like mine? I know that was so much, but I'd rather you have more information to help maintain your health than less, so... you're welcome.
To all my Air Benders, Fire Breathers, Earth Masters, and Water Bearers, go explore your superpower, nurture it, and let it free. Every single one of us is needed in this beautiful universe of creation. My holistic health platform that helps you officially calculate what your dominating superpower is, is coming real soon. I'm battling my scatterbrainedness and perfectionist attitude, but we're marching forward with progress, one day at a time.
Stay tuned!
Until then, what can you do today to positively affect your tomorrow?
Tune I feel jives well with this episode:
Podcast Playlist featuring all episode tunes:
we all have superpowers