Bridging Ayurveda and Chinese Wisdom: Yoga, Qigong & the Journey of Integration
Most of you know I’ve practiced yoga for over thirty years now—but what many of you may not know is that I’ve also spent a long time studying Qigong and Tai Chi on and off, especially during my years in California and now here in Tenerife.
Back then, two of my closest friends were deep into Chinese Medicine studies at the Santa Cruz Chinese Medical School (yes—the California Santa Cruz, not the one here in Tenerife 😉), while I was immersed in my Ayurvedic studies.
One of them used to boil her Chinese herbs in the kitchen while I suggested Ayurvedic alternatives—and with another, a Qigong master and direct student of Mantak Chia, I had a beautiful exchange: he would guide me in Qigong, and I would lead him through yoga.
At the same time, I took Tai Chi as an elective at Monterey Peninsula College and loved it. But honestly… my relationship with Qigong and Chinese Medicine wasn’t always easy.
Even though I later studied Yin Yoga with Sarah Powers—whose long-held postures touch the deeper fascia layers and connect with the meridian system—I still saw Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine as opposites.
Two Systems, One Truth
Why?
The elemental systems seemed so different: Chinese Medicine includes Wood, while Ayurveda does not. Ayurveda includes Ether (Space), which is absent in the Chinese model.
And then there were the lifestyle recommendations: Chinese Medicine often incorporates animal products, while Yoga and Ayurveda lean (mostly) vegetarian—though yes, Ayurveda does use meat medicinally when needed.
So for a long time, I kept them in separate boxes.
But over time—and especially in the past two years, where Qigong has become a daily part of both my own practice and my 1:1 teaching—I’ve come to see something deeper:
🌟 These ancient systems aren’t in conflict. They’re in conversation.
They may use different languages—but they speak about the same truths.
The same body. The same soul. The same elemental rhythms.
The Fire Element: Ayurveda & Chinese Medicine in Harmony
That’s why today I’d love to share a few beautiful teachings on the Fire Element, which connects to Summer, the Heart, and in a larger sense—the Shen or spirit.
In Chinese Medicine, when Fire is balanced, your true self can shine through with joyful radiance. In Ayurveda, we might speak of a clear Sattvic mind, a peaceful heart, a light and generous presence. Different terms—same glow.
Honoring Fire in Both Systems
Qigong is not separate from Chinese Medicine, but rather one of its oldest healing branches. Qigong is movement medicine—designed to nourish your energy (Qi), your body, your breath, your spirit.
In this ancient system, we honor five elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal.
Each one reflects a season, a set of organs, a mood, a rhythm of life. Very similar to Ayurveda, except that in Ayurveda we have Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.
And today—we’re bathing in the essence of Fire. 🔥 An element both Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine have in common.
Fire corresponds to the Heart and to Summer—that radiant, expansive season of warmth, light, and connection. In Ayurveda, it’s the Pitta season.
- Fire brings something we all need: illumination. Not just in the sky above, but inside us.
- Fire lights up consciousness. It stirs the spirit. It makes joy possible.
The Gayatri Mantra, which I teach my clients and students, is a beautiful example of this: it illuminates the intellect for higher knowledge and understanding.
When Fire Goes Out of Balance
But like any force of nature, Fire can tip out of balance. When that happens, we might feel that our mind is floating above the body—too much thinking, not enough grounding. We may feel unanchored, disconnected, even slightly dissociated.
In Ayurveda, we would say Vata (Air & Ether) has pushed Pitta (Fire) out of balance, bringing this feeling of disconnection or derealization.
This article is an invitation to gather the light of Fire and the excess of Air and Ether and draw it back into the body—to root Fire in the sacred home of the heart.
Summer as the Season of the Heart
🌞 This summer season is really about opening the heart.
- The Fire element is deeply relational.
It holds our capacity to connect—
… to ourselves,
… to one another,
… to the Earth beneath our feet and the sky above our heads. - The summer invites us to open to more joy, more fun, more freedom.
I often tell my clients:
- “Do something you wouldn’t normally do—just for fun. Go see a silly movie, eat popcorn and drink soda, even if that’s not your usual. Be free. Be playful. Be a little bit wild.”
But Don’t Burn Out…
So many of my clients work double during summer—covering for colleagues on vacation, overextending themselves, trying to keep it all together.
That’s not what this season is about.
The Fire & The Air Elements Need a Container
Because here’s the thing: Fire needs a container.
Otherwise, it burns out—or worse, burns through us.
The same is true for Air or Wind.
And in Ayurveda, the container is made out of the subtle form of Kapha, called Ojas—our subtle immune strength that is held in our heart.
🌿 So while Fire is about joy, passion, and connection, it’s also about discernment and boundaries.
Balanced Fire, Radiant Heart
Healthy Fire doesn’t rush to please others or spread itself thin.
It shines in its center. It knows how to say no.
When Fire is out of balance, we can feel it:
- As frantic energy—like a wildfire racing in all directions.
- Overwhelm. Anxiety. Restlessness.
- The kind of energy that pulls us out of ourselves and into a spin.
But when Fire is balanced… oh, it’s something entirely different.
It becomes a steady inner glow—like the sacred hearth our ancestors once tended—
- warm enough to gather around,
- strong enough to nourish,
- soft enough to comfort.
✨ That’s the kind of heart we want to cultivate.
- A heart that radiates truth and connection without burning itself out.
- A heart that knows when to open… and when to rest.
This balance nourishes not just our energy, but our very marrow.
It supports the Shen—the spirit of the Heart. In Yoga it is called the Atman, our individual soul. The part of us that shines our unique light into the world.
Summer Heart-Fire Tips from Ayurveda & Chinese Wisdom
- Don’t overdo joy. Make space for rest.
Yes—go to the party, enjoy the laughter, feel the sun on your skin. But don’t burn the candle at both ends. Joy needs recovery. Excitement needs grounding. - Fire needs a container. Create one.
Boundaries are sacred this season. If you’re always giving, helping, extending—your fire will eventually burn out. Choose when to say yes, and give yourself full permission to say no. - Connect with your Shen—your soul’s light.
This is a beautiful time to ask yourself:
What brings me joy?
What lights me up—not for anyone else, but for me?
Do something playful. Watch a movie you’d never normally choose. Eat popcorn with soda. Let go of “shoulds” for a day and just be free. - Nourish your Heart with beauty and simplicity.
This is particularly nourishing for Pitta: surrounding yourself with beauty and simplicity. Cook simple meals. Eat cooling, fresh foods. Rest in silence. Touch water. Bathe in water. Sit outside in the evening air. Journal. Pray. Sing. DANCE.
Final Words
Remember: The heart is not just an organ—it’s your inner flame.
The heart is the seat of your soul. ❤️
- The keeper of balance in your whole body-mind-spirit unity.
- Your joy.
- Your truth.
- Your connection to others and to yourself.
When you protect it, when you center it, when you feed it with presence—you begin to glow. Not from hype or hustle.
But from the quiet warmth of being fully alive. ❤️
May this article serve as a small reminder that your inner fire doesn’t need to burn out to shine. Whether through breath, movement, herbs, or rest—balance is always possible when we return to the rhythms of nature and the wisdom within.
If this spoke to something in your heart and you’d like to explore how these teachings can support your own journey, I’d love to hear from you.
🌿 Just reply reach out via www.verenaprimus.com—I read every message and am always happy to connect.
Wishing you a radiant summer,
with a steady heart and a joyful soul.
Verena Gayatri Primus
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