Yesterday, February 4th, marked the beginning of autumn in the southern hemisphere. “What?” I hear you protest, “yesterday was practically the hottest day of summer!” Indeed, it was 39 degrees celsius in Adelaide. So how do we explain the difference between the start of the season and its apparent arrival?
The calendar of the seasons is a mathematical division of the year where the four seasons/Elements straddle the two solstices and the two equinoxes, with the fifth Earth season divided into four and sandwiched between them. Why does autumn start so early when it is still so hot? Well, the first energy of the new season comes early, before it is manifest in nature. It is like a wave forming in the ocean, a swell that slowly builds before it seen as a breaking wave.
If we look at the way the length of daylight changes, we can get a sense of this early manifestation of the season. On the summer solstice, December 22, the daylight was 14 hours and 30 minutes (data for Adelaide). Yesterday, February 4th, it was 13 hours and 44 minutes. It took 6 weeks for the day to shorten by 46 minutes. If we look forward 6 weeks to the autumn equinox on March 21st, the daylight will be 12 hours and 5 minutes. In that time the daylight will shrink by 99 minutes. From the beginning of autumn on February 4th, there is a gathering acceleration, similar to the building of the wave. This acceleration continues to the beginning of winter on May 6, when it slows on its way to winter solstice on June 21st. And so the years go, ever contracting and expanding. It is as if the Earth is breathing. Slow contraction at first, then more rapid, then slower, before slowly expanding, then more quickly, then slower again. The start of each season is the point where this this momentum changes.
As I think of this pattern in nature, I can feel the rhythm of it in my body and soul. How many years have you lived? That is how many “breaths” you have taken with the annual rhythm of our planet around the sun. I find this kind of cosmic meditation allows me to see my life in the context of something far greater and grander. It reminds me that my small ego-self is set within the infinity of True Nature. As when a camera zooms out from a scene, revealing more and more, and the original point of focus becomes smaller and smaller, so too a zooming out from our ego-self shows it to shrink in size and significance.
With this wider view and understanding, we can go back to the seasonal rhythm of day-to-day life, holding each precious moment within the framework of the vastness of the universe and the infinity of our True Nature.
For readers in the northern hemisphere, simply reverse the seasons from summer to winter, autumn to spring etc.
In Australia we are deep into Late Summer, season of mellow fruitfulness, when nature offers up its abundant produce. It’s a time to enjoy and savour the bounty. The Late Summer season of the Earth Element is represented by the 18 days that are sandwiched between summer and autumn. How appropriate is the word sandwich, evocative of the sights, smells and flavours of food; for the Earth Element is very much about digestion. Northern hemispherical readers will be in the Late Winter, also a period of Earth orientation. (See seasonal dates here.)
Last time I wrote about a treatment pattern for the diaphragm. The feedback was such that I thought to share some other patterns that I use often in clinic. While single points are beneficial, patterns of point combinations are far more powerful. Here we will look at a treatment for the Stomach channel, the yang organ/meridian of the Earth Element, and one which is frequently congested.
This treatment works to encourage the flow of Qi down the body by using some of the most important Stomach acupoints. In doing so, it can address conditions where the Qi is not flowing freely down the channel, and may even be flowing upwards, something known as Rebellious Stomach Qi. This may result in digestive disorders such as nausea, reflux, vomiting, bloating.
A second use of this treatment is for people who spend a lot of time worrying and overthinking. Even a lot of study can produce an excess of Qi in the head. These mental gymnastics are draining of the Earth energies. By drawing this excess away from the head and down the body to the feet, it is as if the worry is digested and metabolised.
A third way this pattern can be useful is for those who are ungrounded. Maybe there is a greater amount of Qi in the upper body than in the lower body. Perhaps the person is not in touch with their legs and feet and there is a sense of not having their feet on the ground. This can be helpful for anyone whose centre of gravity is higher than the navel.
THE POINTS
Let’s look at the acupressure points I’ve chosen. This list is not exhaustive, and practitioners can choose other Stomach channel points if it seems Qi is blocked elsewhere.
Qihu ~ Stomach 13 ~ Qi Door
As the name suggests, this is a doorway or opening that allows the Qi to flow down from the head into the body. If this point is blocked, spend plenty of time opening the door.
ST 13: Immediately below the clavicle, 4 cun lateral to the midline, in line with the nipple
Tianshu ~ Stomach 25 ~ Heavenly Pivot
A pivotal point indeed, for it marks the midway point between the upper and lower body, between Heaven and Earth. Some authorities regard this as the most useful point for any abdominal condition.
ST 25: 2 cun lateral to the centre of the navel, halfway between the midline and the nipple line
Susanli ~ Stomach 36 ~ Leg Three Miles
This point needs no introduction as it is one of the best known and most versatile points of all. It was the very first blog I wrote back in 2014. Treats any ailments of the Stomach and is very energising and grounding.
ST 36: 4 fingers width (3 cun) below the base of the patella, and one finger width lateral to the crest of the tibia
Fenglong ~ Stomach 40 ~ Abundant Splendour
Interestingly, this was part of the diaphragm release from last posting. Here it is used in its capacity as the luo-connecting point of Stomach, which balances Qi between it and its partner Spleen. And as a point in the lower leg, it encourages the flow of Qi down to the feet.
ST 40: halfway between the knee crease and ankle, 2 fingers width (1.5 cun) lateral to the crest of the tibia
Chongyang ~ Stomach 42 ~ Rushing Yang
This is a really important Stomach point. It is both the source point and the exit point of Stomach channel. Source points treat and balance the organ directly, while exit points ensure that Qi moves smoothly out of a channel and into the next in the Qi system, in this case, into Spleen. If this point is blocked, there is a strong chance that Stomach Qi is backing up along the channel and not moving through.
ST 42: on the top of the foot, in a slight hollow 2 fingers width (1.5 cun) distal to the middle of the ankle crease
Gongsun ~ Spleen 4 ~ Grandfather Grandson
While this is not a Stomach point, I’ve chosen it in its capacity as the luo-connecting point which balances the yin-yang pair of meridians. It is especially good at drawing excess Qi from Stomach to Spleen. Also, as the master point of the Extraordinary Vessel Chong Mai, it has a powerful influence over all the organs of the abdomen.
SP 4: in the arch of the foot, in a depression at the base of the first metatarsal bone
METHOD
OK those are the ingredients. Here is the recipe.
Start on the left side. Hold ST 13 + ST 25 for 2-3 minutes. Then decide which of the points is more reluctant to open and stay with it, while moving the other hand to ST 36. Work down the body in a kind of leapfrog pattern, bringing balance between the pairs. Move next to include ST 36, then ST 40. It is conceivable that if ST 13 didn’t release, that you’d be holding it with all the other points, but that is rare. Finally, finish with ST 42 + SP 4.
Then repeat on the right side of the body. The order may well be different on this side, but again work from upper to lower.
This treatment will take around 30-45 minutes. It can be a stand-alone treatment or it could be incorporated with other work.
This week will be a great time to use this treatment as well as at other times of the year when the seasons are changing, when the Earth Element comes to the fore. However, it will be helpful at any time.
