S2E12: “South Medicine: Fire, Adolescence, and the Art of Authentic Action”

Hosts: Alex Runolfson & John Cottrell

In this week's episode of The Rebel Clinicians Podcast, airing December 8th, Alex and John continue their Sacred Directions series by journeying into the South--the realm of fire, adolescence, creativity, and bold, messy, human aliveness.

Building on last episode's exploration of the East as a place of new beginnings and fresh perspective, this conversation asks: what happens when we stop contemplating change and actually start living it? The South becomes a map for that process--where heat, motion, and identity collide.

Alex and John weave together Indigenous, Andean, Celtic, Nordic, yogic, and Ayurvedic wisdom to explore the South as a direction of summer, midday sun, action, and life force. They talk about adolescence as a powerful metaphor for this phase of the journey: playful, impulsive, vulnerable, and hungry for authenticity. Along the way, they unpack how this fiery energy can either fuel our growth or burn us out when it's not held by healthy boundaries.

Listeners will hear about the medicine of Mouse, Coyote, Serpent, and even Queen Bee--animal allies of the South who embody detail, trickster wisdom, embodiment, community, and unapologetic leadership. Alex and John discuss how these energies show up in ceremony, yoga practice, and daily life, as well as what happens when we ignore natural cycles in favor of capitalist hyper-productivity.

From a clinical and healing perspective, the episode offers concrete ways therapists, yoga teachers, and space-holders can work with South energy:

- Using breathwork and pranayama (like bellows breath and alternate nostril breathing) to stoke or regulate inner fire.

- Inviting somatic awareness around heat and softness in the body, and gently encouraging energy to move rather than forcing it.

- Reframing anger and desire as powerful teachers for boundaries, truth-telling, and protection.

- Incorporating ritual and ceremony--candles, burning old narratives, color magic, and invoking elemental fire or animal spirits--to support transformation.

- Exploring how food, creativity, and community connection can nourish life force without pushing people into more burnout.

Throughout the episode, Alex and John also name the seasonal tension of recording in mid-November: feeling tired and hibernation-ready while talking about summer fire. They invite listeners to consider how to honor both--keeping a small, cozy flame going instead of forcing a blazing bonfire in the middle of emotional winter.

The episode closes with powerful reflection questions you can use for yourself or your clients, including: Where have you dimmed your fire to stay safe or acceptable? What needs to burn away for your authentic self to rise? And what would it actually look like to live with a little more heat, truth, and heart?

Listen to this episode on Spotify and be sure to download the audio so you can return to it as part of your own seasonal and spiritual practice. If you're new here, subscribe to The Rebel Clinicians Podcast so you never miss an episode--we release new shows every Monday.

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