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Category: Healing

A frosty morning

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At the weekend we had the Winter Solstice and we’ve now moved into the really wintery weather. I’m sure you all felt the shift into a deeper level of cold last week. In Bendigo we can have some heavy frosts in Winter and with such cold weather we can go into a bit of hibernation. Winter is our time of renewal, for going within and readying ourselves for a new beginning in Spring.

So spend some time in your inner world, putting energy towards what you hope to create in Spring. You can read more about Winter and the meridians here. Stay warm, eat warming food and relax in front of the fire. This should be a time to nourish yourself deeply.

Throat Chakra and the Blue Ray

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In my work the throat chakra is overlaid by the blue ray – the ray of your social cause.  Blue is about what you are called to do spiritually with your life.

Blue aligns with the thyroid gland, so it supports our immune system and helps us to overcome viruses.  I’ve been working with Blue Ray because of the sore throat issues and also persistent swollen glands.  When I looked at the swollen glands using kinesiology I was taken back to distant relationships where I hadn’t spoken my truth – I’d suppressed anger, hurt and betrayal – I really didn’t know how to express these things at the time.

I started writing this post months ago, but never finished it because I’ve had unreliable internet since I was forced onto the NBN.  I could not resolve this issue with the company I was with –  they would not fix the line.  They  just sent me new modems, three in total.  I repeatedly told them that this was not a modem problem it was a line problem.  They wouldn’t listen.  And I could not make myself heard, they only responded to complaints if I yelled at them (very stressful) and even then wouldn’t investigate properly.  Anyway, I changed to another company and the problem was instantly resolved just by being connected to a different point at the node.

So I’ve been thinking more about the throat chakra, about feeling not heard and about pushing to get a result.  Being assertive did not resolve the internet problem, sidestepping the issue and taking another route did.  The change needed here was to find another way, not to fix the road I was on.  This chakra is also about creative expression, purification, rhythm and the media as a forum for communication.

The throat chakra operates at the level of Divine Will,  and aligns us with place and purpose.  A balanced throat chakra allows us to move into the flow of Divine Will.  By overcoming the demands of the childish small will we can move into a larger flow, we can stop pushing, trying, and allow things to materialise . “What many of us lack in our lives is this resonant rhythm, the integrating aspect that connects us from the very core of our being to the heartbeat of the universe.  Consequently, we are at odds with the world and with ourselves . we lack co-ordination, cohesiveness and grace.”(Wheels of Life, Anodea Judith)

I hope I’m moving into more co-ordination now.  It is such a relief to turn on my computer and instantly connect to the internet – a huge stress has been resolved.  I can even write this post  – an expression of my social cause and the blue ray.

Fog

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It’s a beautiful foggy morning in Bendigo today – I like the feeling of being blanketed in fog.  This wintery weather emphasises the yin nature of Winter, it’s time to sit, rest and reflect.  You can read more about the energy of Winter here.  I’d planned to do some gardening today, but feel more like reading a book in front of the fire…

 

Time to slow down…

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It’s almost mid winter and we should be taking some time out in front of the fire and slowing down.  My Winter post from last year can give you more information on the Water Element and the kidney and bladder meridians.  Nurture yourself with warming winter soups and stews.  Allow yourself to relax and regenerate, don’t keep pushing on when you are tired.  Resting now will enable you to be ready for action in Spring.

 

ESR – Emotional Stress Release

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ESR – Self help with kinesiology

This very simple technique is also very powerful and it’s something that you can easily learn to do for yourself and others.  Quite simply, the points in the picture below are gently held, either with the whole hand (easier than exactly locating the points) or with two fingers on each point.

For your own personal use you can hold these points while focusing of any situation that you are finding stressful.  Call the situation to mind, think of how it makes you feel, any colours, smells or sounds associated with the issue.  Remember to breathe while you are holding the points. You could also put an essential oil on your fingertips for greater relaxation.

You could now imagine how you would like the situation to be.  Continue holding the points until you lose focus on the issue.

Now revisit the original stressful situation and see how it feels.  Has it changed?  Has the emotional charge reduced?

I once did ESR for my small niece when she fell off a swing.  I held the points (whole hand over the forehead) and said to her “what happened”, she gave me a blubbery, incoherent answer.  I continued to hold the points saying “what happened” a few times, then she took a deep breath, calmed down and went back to playing.  The stress of the incident had been released.  It is great to use with stressed children.

The points we are working with here are Gall Bladder 14.  This is a neuro vascular point for many muscles in the body, including muscles that relate to the Central, Stomach and Bladder meridians.

 

Chakra Clearing and Balancing with Life Key Essences

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Over the last year I have been developing a chakra clearing and balancing technique for the major and minor chakras.  I work with the chakras that relate to my essences, clearing the front and rear of the chakra and supporting any work with essences, tinctures and colour.  This technique allows for greater groundedness, more connection to spirit and better flow of energy around the body.  It is nurturing and relaxing.

 

I am now offering these sessions to clients.  Please allow 1 1/2 hours for each session – we may not work for that long but I prefer to have ample time to work deeply and slowly.

Spring

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spring4After a time of withdrawal and rest in Winter, we enter Spring – a time of new growth.  In Spring, seedlings push up through the earth demonstrating the power of the Wood Element, its Yang energy giving us the vision, drive and initiative to change and grow.

The Wood Element corresponds to the colour green, the taste is sour, the sound is shouting and the emotion is anger.  Anger is often seen as a “negative” emotion, but the energy of anger is necessary to bring about change, it forces the Qi to rise, pushing us into activity.

Anger or frustration become a problem when they turn into either depression/apathy or rage, both of these extremes shut down the possibility of finding an alternative way to proceed.  Here we may slip into chronic patterns of overactive or underactive Qi.  “Balanced Wood, however, usually manifests with the ability to express frustration, assert one’s needs, consider alternative plans, go to higher ends, and not move too strongly towards rage or apathy.” (Hicks, Hicks & Mole, Five Element Acupuncture)

The Liver and Gall Bladder meridians sit in the Wood Element.  The Liver produces bile which is then stored and secreted by the Gall Bladder;   they are dependent on each other.  The Liver has the function of a military leader who excels in strategic planning;  the Gall Bladder occupies the position of an important and upright official who excels through his decisions and judgements. (Nei Jing) Any disruption to the flow of the Liver will affect how the Gall Bladder secretes bile. In terms of our activity in the world the Wood Element organs influence our ability to make decisions and will lead us towards either rash decisions or timidity and indecision.  As discussed above we need the ability to see alternatives paths of action in order to maintain flexibility.

The archetype of the Wood Element is The Pioneer.  “Metamorphosis is the organising principle for the Pioneer…Inexorably drawn to travel roads not yet mapped, she treks wild mountain ridges, explores star-clustered heavens in an astronaut’s suit, launches a business from scratch, or embarks upon research in yet unrecognised fields.” (Beinfield & Korngold, Between Heaven & Earth) The Pioneer reflects the drive inherent in the Wood Element.

Nutrition for the Wood Element includes eating liver and other vitamin A rich foods such as yellow and green vegetables, leafy greens, green pepper, carrots.  It is good to reduce or avoid fatty foods and alcohol – things that the liver has to work hard to process.

Spring is a great time for a cleanse.  You could drink green smoothies or green soups.  Get up and get active again, shift the sluggishness of Winter hibernation  and move into an energetic Spring.

Winter

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winterAs we enter Winter life slows down and nature rests.  Animals go into hibernation and seeds lie dormant, but beneath the surface is hidden activity that will bring renewal in Spring.  In Winter, if we live according to the seasons, we should go to bed early and reduce our activity.  By slowing down we preserve and conserve our Qi so that it is there when we become active again in Spring.

Winter brings us into the Water Element, the most Yin of all the Elements.  This is the realm of the personal and collective unconscious.  “It is the primeval ooze out of which form materialises as life.  It links our past and future, ancestor and descendant, and is the source of our inherited intelligence.”(Beinfield & Korngold, Between Heaven & Earth) Water is also the most prevalent Element in the human body.

The Water Element corresponds to the colour blue, the taste is salty, the sound is groaning and the emotion is fear.  While fear is mostly seen as a negative emotion it’s positive side is the caution and also the motivation that allows our survival.  Fear protects us from predators by keeping us aware and our fear of not being able to survive drives us to work and find ways to support ourselves.  Out of balance we may suppress our fears or become overly fearful.

The Kidney and Bladder meridians belong to the Water Element.  The Kidney meridian holds our essence or Jing, the source of reproduction, development and maturation.  Jing enables conception and growth to maturity.  It declines as we age.  The Kidneys sort fluids into clean and turbid, the clear part is sent upwards to the Lungs, while the impure goes to the Bladder and is excreted.

The archetype for the Water Element is the Philosopher.  The Philosopher is on a search for truth and meaning, looking underneath the surface for hidden gems, dispelling ignorance.  The Philosopher is able to see what is possible and so may be disappointed with what is.  “The Philosopher yearns for meaning that transcends the rudderless  meandering of human affairs.”(Beinfield & Korngold, Between Heaven & Earth)

Nutrition for the Water Element includes salty, purple,black and blue foods. Vegies such as kale, mushrooms and seaweed; buckwheat; aduki, black and kidney beans; black sesame seeds, walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds; pomegranate, blueberry and mulberry to name a few.

This Winter try to find some time for sitting by the fire, going to bed early and just slowing down a little.  This will enable the Qi to be ready for the Spring.

 

 

Autumn

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Autumn leaves Autumn is the time of withering and decomposition, the life cycle is completed here.  Leaves fall, decompose and return to the earth, rotting down to fertilise the soil for crops the following year.  In Autumn we gather what we have grown, putting food aside for the coming Winter.  As we move into Autumn we enter the Metal Element.

The Metal Element corresponds to the colour white,  the taste is pungent,  the sound is weeping, the emotion is grief and also letting go.  If grief becomes stuck we may end up in a joyless, even anxious state. Too much control may need to be balanced with a little passion and spontaneity.

The Lung and Large Intestine meridians belong to the Metal Element.  These organs take in and let go – the Lung sucks in Qi and pushes it down through the body spreading nutrients, and on each out breath there is a release of toxins.  The Large Intestine lets go of waste from the body it is known as the “drainer of the dregs” extracting any remaining nourishment and then excreting the waste.

The Chinese character for the Metal Element “…suggests something small in quantity, but of great value, buried deep within the earth.” (Hicks, Hicks & Mole, Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture)  If we look at the action of breathing as inspiration – breathing in spirit we can have a different view of this element.  It is here that we may be able to uncover our own “nugget of gold,” our inspiration.

The archetype for Autumn is the Alchemist whose guiding principle is transmutation.  The Alchemist “seeks the perfection of form and function.  Through his power of discernment, he distills what is good and pure from what is coarse and primitive… providing the structure that enables people to apply the metaphysical to the mundane.” (Beinfield and Korngold, Between Heaven & Earth)

Nutirition for the Metal Element includes vitamin c rich foods for the Lung meridian and yoghurt, buttermilk, honey and carbohydrates for the Large Intestine meridian.  Pungent foods such as garlic, cinnamon and ginger can move energy in the lungs when “invaded”and can produce sweating to shift any pathogens present.

Autumn is also a good time for any sort of breathwork – getting the energy of the lungs moving, taking in a deep breath of spirit and perhaps finding that nugget of gold.

Late Summer

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late summer

After the peak of Summer and before Autumn sets in there is a space where time seems to stand still, a sort of suspension where crops ripen for harvest and we can savour the fruits of our labour.  This is Late Summer and here we move into the Earth Element.

“Earth is the pivot for all the other elements…it is a place of stability within the body, mind and spirit.  From this stable anchor, change and growth can take place.”(Hicks, Hicks & Mole, Five Element Constitutional  Acupuncture)

The Earth Element corresponds to the colour yellow, the taste is sweet, the  the sound is singing, the emotion is sympathy and it’s flip side is worry, over-thinking or obsessive rumination.

The Stomach and Spleen meridians sit in the Earth Element.  The stomach receives and ripens food and fluids.  Food begins to decompose in the stomach and sends part of this to the spleen for transformation into Qi and blood.  The rest is sent to the small intestine for further sorting.  An imbalanced Earth Element can result in digestive issues, nausea, or feeling heavy, tired and listless.  Nutrition for the Earth Element includes vitamin B as found in wheat germ, whole grains, liver, tripe and brewers yeast.  We should chew food well and avoid sugars and sweets.

The archetype is the Peacemaker, the guiding principle here is Unification.  “Through her power to establish and sustain relationships, she nurtures and promotes our connectedness with each other and our world…negotiating peace for its own sake, she tirelessly serves humanity as the great balancer and equaliser, the preserver of families and societies. ” (Beinfield and Korngold, Between Heaven and Earth)

Let yourself be sustained be the energy of the earth and sustain each other through acceptance and support.