Summer: the Season of Abundance and Fire

Hi Everyone,

Summer is the time of year that is equated with the Fire Element and the Heart, Small Intestine, Heart Protector and Triple Heater meridians. They have to do with the emotion of joy, the sound of laughter, the color red and the bitter taste.

The Heart meridian is the Supreme Controller and is a locus of control over the whole energetic system and having a clear and balanced system with the Heart meridian in control is vital to keeping the shen (spirit) flourishing and healthy. 

The Small Intestine meridian is the sorter; on a physical level the small intestine sorts pure from impure in the body,  the energetic small intestine sorts on an energetic/emotional level, it helps us decide how to disseminate incoming information and what to keep and what to discard (thought and otherwise).

The Heart Protector meridian is exactly  that, it is what opens and closes the gates to the heart, the right balance allows us to navigate relationships and how we deal with such challenges. The heart protector should be balanced and open and closed at appropriate times. On a physical level it relates to the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart. 

Triple Heater meridian mostly has to do with body temperature and hormone functions. 

Any of these meridians, being of the Fire Element, when lacking can present as lack of joy, so finding sources of joy to nourish the Fire Element is key to keeping it healthy. These can be, of course, external as well as internal sources of joy. We can make the choice to focus on joy even in times of distress. Heart and Small Intestine are the deeper aspects of joy, Heart Protector and Triple Heater being the lighter more passing feelings of joy. 

Happy Summer!

Lillian

Spring is Coming!

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Spring is coming and with it comes new beginnings and a time of rejuvenation. In Chinese Medicine, the spring is correlated with the liver and gallbladder meridians. The gallbladder meridian is associated with planning and the liver meridian is associated with carrying out those plans. They both relate to creating a vision for the future and taking steps to work towards making those goals happen. These two meridians are also associated with movement, creativity, and growth.

When the gallbladder pathway is stuck or not in balance one has trouble planning or making decisions or can be overly resentful; when the liver pathway is stuck or not in balance one has "stagnant qi" (or lack of qi) that can result in hopelessness, lack of a path forward, depression or anger.

Movement, planning, and creativity are ways to keep these meridians flowing, spring is a time of upward and outward movement in nature (plants shooting up and out of the ground, animals becoming more active), and using/mirroring these energies keeps things flowing preventing "stuckness". Detoxing (massage, acupuncture, herbs, detox baths, juicing, etc.) is also a good way to clean out stagnation and get things flowing again. I will talk about this more in the next mailing.

Happy spring!

Lillian,

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What's your favorite breathing technique?

10 breathing techniques to keep you grounded & centered!

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Humming bee breath (bhramari)

Delivered from the Sanskrit term for “bee” Bhramri is a calming breath practice that can be performed anywhere that you are free to make a humming sound. Exhaling makes the sound of the letter M, practically a humming sound, keep sustaining the sound until you need to inhale. Repeat the cycle then hum like a buzzing bee.

Deep breathing

Just like as it sounds, deep breathing can help as a natural painkiller, improves blood flow, improves immunity, calms down anxiety, helps you sleep better, increases energy levels, improves posture, and reduces inflammation.

Sitali breath or Taco Breath

Great for cooling the body, and adding moisture to the system. Think back to childhood when you would curl the sides of your tongue, do so and begin to breathe through in through your mouth. Then go back to regular breathing than do another three minutes of Sitali breath.

Resonant or coherent breathing

Is a way of regulating the autonomic nervous system and other key body systems like the circulatory system. The ratios to practice resonant breathing are

  1. Inhale for four seconds, exhale for six seconds.

  2. Inhale for five seconds, exhale for five seconds.

  3. Inhale for six seconds, exhale for six seconds (true resonance)

  4. Inhale for five seconds, exhale for seven seconds.

Equal breathing

Equal breathing is a breathing technique that focuses on making your inhales and exhales the same length. Smoothing out your breath can help bring about balance & equanimity.

Practice equal breathing for 5 minutes by counting how long you breathe out and emulating at the same time when you breathe in.

Alternate nostril breathing

Alternate nostril breathing affects the circulatory system by calming a person down through distraction and a sense of control. Practice breathing in through one nostril and then exhaling through the other than in through the one you just exhaled through and then out through the other. Your finger pinching one nostril helps quite well and continues for up to 5 minutes.

Lion’s breath

Lions breath can be practiced by exhaling forcefully carrying the breath across the rood of your tongue while exhaling making a ‘HA” sound that comes from deep within your abdomen.

Breath focus technique

Breath in your nose while counting to four slowly, hold your breath inside while counting slowly to four then begin to slowly exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat for 1-3 cycles.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Involves engaging the stomach, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm while breathing. Imagine actively pulling the diaphragm down with each inward breath. Diaphragmic breathing helps fill the lungs more efficiently.

Pursed lip breathing

Works by moving oxygen into your lungs and Co2 out of your lungs. This technique helps to keep airways open longer so that you can remove the air that is trapped in your lungs.

Breathe in through the nose for 2 seconds then purse the lips as if about to blow out the candles on a cake, breathe out very slowly through pursed lips for 4 to 6 seconds then repeat!

For more information on breathing techniques check out this article on Healthline.com