Category Archives: Confusion

Shen – The Spirit of Fire

Anxiety, Confusion, Depression, Five Elements, Heart problems, Insomnia, Joy, Psycho-emotional, , , , , , ,

In the final posting about Fire points for this summer, we look more deeply into the nature of this Element by looking at the spirit of Fire.

sun on hand gestureShen is the spirit of the Fire Element. As the most yang of the spirits is the one closest to heaven. Indeed it is the heavenly light of awareness and consciousness residing in the heart of each one of us. When the heart is healthy, it provides a place for the shen to rest. But when the heart is unhealthy, disturbed and unsettled, the shen flies away like a flock of birds startled by a commotion.

In the classical literature, shen is used in two ways. In the first, it refers collectively to all five spirits (wu shen), five individual aspects of consciousness, each expressing the nature of its corresponding Element. In the second sense, shen refers particularly to the spirit of the Fire Element. This spirit is responsible for thought, feeling, emotions, perceptions and cognition. The Heart and the mind are so inextricably linked that the shen of the Heart is often translated as mind or heart-mind. The shen of Fire resides in the Heart during our lifetime; upon our death, the spirit returns to the heavenly realm from whence it originated.

The shen is not directly visible, but it is reflected in a person’s eyes as a sparkle, a point of contact, a “thereness”. This inner radiance, called shen ming, is what gives each person his personal uniqueness. It is that which makes each of us like no other.

The shen is reflected also in a settled mind and clear thinking. When it is disturbed, has flown away, the eyes become dull and there is a sense that the person is not quite there. Shock, trauma and abuse are common reasons for the shen to fly. People who have experienced war, imprisonment or torture, or refugees who are fleeing persecution are often likely to have shen disturbance and therefore Heart imbalance.

The spirit of the Heart is responsible for settled sleep, settled emotions, and cognitive functions such as concentration, short-term memory and the ability to think clearly. Shen disturbance can therefore appear as difficulty getting to sleep, dream disturbance, volatile emotions, anxiety, panic, depression and feelings of rejection. Since shen is the mind of the heart, any disturbance will result in disturbances of the mind. Indeed, all mental illness can be viewed as an imbalance in the shen.

A healthy and balanced Heart shen enables the capacity to form and maintain healthy and meaningful relationships. Heart boundaries are clear but also able to adapt appropriately to different relationships. Conversely, emotional problems that stem from relationships such as abandonment and betrayal, weaken the Heart and hurt the shen.

What does shen look like when it is in perfect balance? Such a person is settled, calm and not easily distracted. She sleeps peacefully, undisturbed by dreams. She has an inner light that infuses her with a glow that can be seen in the eyes. She makes eye contact that shows her depth. Her speech is coherent, reflecting a balanced mind. The way she lives her life is congruent with who she is as a person. She gives and receives love with ease. In a way she lives a life of love. She may well be intuitive, her consciousness in open communication with universal consciousness.

A point that strongly influences the shen is Shentang – Spirit Hall. It is the outer shu point of the Heart and lies on the Bladder meridian. Shentang makes direct contact with the heart-mind and has the capacity to restore the shen to the Heart. It brings us back to the centre of who we are in our uniqueness as a drop of the Tao.

When the shen is disturbed and there is anxiety, depression or heartbreak, or when we are resigned, in a state of shock, or without the capacity to act, then Spirit Hall can restore the spirit and encourage participation once more in the richness of life.

Location of Bladder 44

BL 44Shentang is located between the shoulder blades. It is 3 body inches lateral to the midline at the level of the junction of T5 and T6 and at the medial border of the scapula. This point is best held by someone else. To treat yourself, lie on a tennis ball or golf ball pressing into this point. It is best if you can be relaxed so that you can tune into the subtle influences that this point can bring.

Choosing Wisely

Anxiety, Arm pain, Confusion, Depression, Heart problems, Neck pain, Shoulder pain, , , ,

ChoosingWe have seen in recent blogs that the Heart is protected by three “ministers” of the Fire Element. The Small Intestine official, sometimes referred to as the Sorter, is the minister who is closest to the sovereign, the Heart. His job description includes the functions of personal assistant, liaison officer, food taster, adviser and friend. Just as the organ of small intestine sorts the pure from the impure in the food we eat, so too the Small Intestine official is responsible for sorting out what is good for the Heart and what is not. This sorting includes the transformation of food and the absorption of nutrients, but also operates more widely at the level of mind and spirit.

Small Intestine is the paired partner of the Heart. It is yang to the Heart’s yin. This official listens attentively to the needs of the Heart and is in constant, direct contact with it. This close attention facilitates the communication from the Heart to the outside world and from the world back to the Heart.

An imbalance in Small Intestine can cause a breakdown in the attentiveness to the Heart’s needs. This might result in making poor food choices, taking in food that is not good for the body. It may also extend to choosing relationships that are harmful, situations that are toxic, and failing to engage in activities that nourish the spirit. In our busy modern world we have so many choices to make, so much information to filter and sort, that the Small Intestine official can become overwhelmed and fail to adequately protect his friend the king.

When the Small Intestine is not listening to the Heart, it tends also not to listen to the world. There can be confusion in communicating with others, misunderstanding what others are saying and being misunderstood by them.

A point to support the healthy relationship between Small Intestine and Heart is Zhizheng – Branch of the Upright. This is the luo connecting point of the meridian which supports balance between the yin and yang meridians. The upright referred to here is the Heart itself, while the branch is the connecting channel.

Zhizheng helps to resolve ambivalence and confusion by conveying faithfully the intent of the Heart. It calms and balances the Heart when its sprit (shen), is disrupted by restlessness, fluctuating moods, fright, anxiety, depression or mania.

At the physical level, Branch of the Upright is used to treat problems of the forearm and elbow, painful fingers and difficulty gripping. As with most Small Intestine points, it treats problems in the shoulder and neck through which the meridian passes. It also reduces fever, visual dizziness and blurred vision.

If you have trouble sorting the sheep from the goats, get confused about the choices in your life, or have lost touch with what your heart is telling you, Zhizheng can help restore connection with the purity of your Heart.

Location of Small Intestine 7

SI 7The point is on the little finger (ulnar) side of the forearm, five-twelfths of the distance between the wrist and the point of the elbow (5 cun). Locate with your arm bent as shown. The point lies in the hollow between the ulna bone and the muscle next to it on the front of the arm (carpi ulnaris).