Controlled Burn

With this heat wave we’ve been living through in LA, I’ve been thinking a lot about fire.

We typically think of fire as destructive or scary. But fire can be very useful.

Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest would light controlled fires to burn away overgrown underbrush in forests and make space for new growth. They are even some seeds that will not germinate unless they have been licked by flames.

Notice how you have felt the last few days in the sweltering heat. For some of us, it makes us irritable, frustrated, impatient. For others, it motivates and builds energy.

Think about where you have let frustrations build up, where you have over-extended yourself, where you have not set boundaries. These are places in your life where fire can be useful. Sometimes we don’t know how much space we have until we clear away the underbrush.
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That doesn’t mean that we have to burn everything down. But we can allow for controlled burns in our lives. Giving ourselves space to feel angry or irritable, to get hot and sweaty in a movement practice, allowing ourselves expression of fire in a controlled environment often makes space inside of us for new things to grow and expand.