Category Archives: Tiredness

Master of the Seas

Constipation, Depression, Digestion, Insomnia, Menstrual disorders, Reproductive, Tiredness, Transitions, , , , , ,

You may be wondering why on earth I’m introducing an Earth point at the start of the southern summer. It is because the Earth Element makes an appearance at each change of  season, mediating the transition. In this case Earth eases us from spring to summer.

Gongsun – Grandfather Grandson  – Spleen 4

5.7In our demanding, fast-paced, modern world, stress can produce tension in the organs and tissues of the abdomen, affecting digestion and elimination as well as the reproductive organs.

In Gongsun – Grandfather Grandson we find a point that acts upon the abdomen in multiple ways. It is a powerful point of the Spleen channel and the luo-connecting point of that meridian. And it is the master point of the Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel) which influences the whole of the abdomen and all its organs.

Its name alone alerts us to its prominence in the pantheon of points. Gongsun was the family name of the legendary Yellow Emperor Huang Di whose conversations with his physicians form the basis of the Neijing, that towering classic of Taoism and Chinese medicine. The translation of Grandfather Grandson suggests continuity through the generations, while at a mundane level using the analogy of the grandson for the connecting channel, offshoot of its grandfather, the main Spleen channel.

Yellow is the colour of Earth and the Yellow Emperor was said to have ruled during the Earth phase of China’s history. His reign laid the foundations for Chinese civilization in the same way that the Earth Element is the base and orientation of all the other Elements.

Whichever explanation of the name we wish to take, Gongsun is a potent point for influencing the Earth Element and its organs of Stomach and Spleen. It is particularly effective in combination with ST 40, the luo-connecting point of Stomach meridian. By activating the Spleen it treats lethargy, fatigue, chronic tiredness and weakness.

Like other connecting points of the yin meridians, SP 4 exerts a pronounced influence over the emotions. Because of Spleen’s connection to the Heart, SP 4 can settle the spirit when there is restlessness, agitation, insomnia, mania and depression. The point also addresses an imbalance of sympathy, where a person suffers self-pity and feels unsupported by others and by the world at large, or relies too heavily on others to meet their needs.

Already we can see that Gongsun is an influential point. But there is more. Another of its roles is as master point of the Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel), one of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. The Vessels are fields of Qi as opposed to the rivers of Qi that are the meridians. Gongsun exerts an influence over the entire field of the Penetrating Vessel which extends throughout the torso from the pubis to the throat and includes the spinal column and the insides of the legs. The Penetrating Vessel is described as both the sea of blood and the sea of the meridians. It therefore exerts a strong regulating effect on Blood and Qi.

As the master point of the sea of blood, SP 4 regulates blood circulation, stops bleeding and addresses all menstrual irregularities. It has an influence on the uterus and treats gynaecological disorders such as endometriosis, fibroids and cysts.

As the master point of the sea of the meridians, it ensures good circulation of Qi throughout the 12 meridians. It addresses counter-flow Qi, for example where Stomach Qi is rising rather than descending and causing chest or gastric pain.

It is believed that the Extraordinary Vessels develop at conception and form the basis of the energy network of the body, well before the development of the 12 organ meridians. Treating the Vessels therefore treats the depth and foundation of who we are as humans

Spend some time with Gongsun and become master of your own inner seas.

 

5.8Location of Spleen 4

In the arch of the foot, in a depression at the base of the first metatarsal bone. Find Spleen 3 in a depression at the ball of the toe, then slide your finger up the shaft of the metatarsal until you are at the base of the bone. Apply firm pressure directed towards the ankle.

 

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This is an extract from John’s book ‘The Way of the Five Elements’ published by Singing Dragon Press and now available from discerning booksellers.

Bubbling Spring

Anger, Anxiety, Confusion, Headache, Hypertension, Insomnia, Menopause, Tiredness, , , , , , ,

Yongquan – Bubbling Spring – Kidney 1

2.13In 2009 I began publishing a newsletter about the Five Elements. The idea for this just bubbled up one day, like a spring suddenly appearing on a hillside. When casting about for a title for the publication, this too just sprang to mind in the most effortless way. I called it Bubbling Spring after the first point of the Kidney meridian. And like a perennial spring, this quinterly newsletter pushed its way up, insisting on its publication through four years and 19 issues until it began to morph into a book.*

This feeling of something bubbling up irrepressibly from within gave me a direct experience of the nature of the Water Element. Water is the most yin of the Elements but it is not passive. It offers us access to power that comes from true will, wisdom that is borne of stillness, knowing that arises from not knowing.

Yongquan – Bubbling Spring is the only acu-point on the sole of the foot, the lowest and most yin part of the body which is in continual contact with the yin energy of the earth.

It can therefore be used as a portal through which we can visualise drawing upon the energy of the earth as a tree’s roots draw nourishment from the soil. This image of the tree is quite appropriate here since this is the Wood point of the Kidney meridian, one which empowers growth and development to reach our fullest potential.

When a person lacks stamina, strength, will or perseverance, Yongquan can help him to draw on reserves in order to get a kick-start. It can restore consciousness and is called for when someone has fainted. On the other hand, it can be used when energy rises aggressively and unrestrainedly, producing conditions such as dizziness, headache at the top of the head, confusion, impaired vision, nosebleed and hypertension.

One of the most important relationships in the body is between the Kidneys and the Heart. The Kidneys nourish the Heart while the Heart warms the Kidneys. Harmony between the two is one of the main requirements for a peaceful spirit. Therefore imbalance between Kidneys and Heart is a cause of a range of emotional disorders including anxiety, mania, agitation, restlessness and surges of anger and rage. Yongquan treats these conditions by calming the mind and clearing the brain.

It is a very grounding point and can be massaged at bedtime in order to stave off insomnia. Putting your feet in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes is a wonderful way to bring on sleep.

Yongquan is good for disorders brought on by menopause, including hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety and headache. It also helps Water related issues such as oedema, infertility and poor memory.

As the Wood point on a Water meridian, this is the sedation point of Kidney and as such moves Qi from Water to Wood around the sheng cycle. This is what gives it its power of resurgence. However, the Kidney Qi is rarely, if ever, in excess, and so this point must not be overused lest the reserves of Kidney Qi be depleted.

If you want to put a spring in your step or draw strength from the well of the Water Element; or if you feel exhausted by effort and want to contact your true will, dip your cup in the Bubbling Spring.

2.14

 

Location of Kidney 1

On the sole of the foot, the point lies in the depression that appears when the toes are curled. Locate between the second and third metatarsals, about one third of the distance between the base of the second toe and the heel.

 

 

* Newsletters  are archived at http://www.acupressure.com.au/newsletter_archive.html

This is an extract from ‘The Way of the Five Elements’ by John Kirkwood, to be published by Singing Dragon Press (an imprint of Jessica Kingsley Publishing) in November 2015.