Category Archives: Flexibilty

Keep Your Shoulder Well

Anger, Flexibilty, Headache, Hypertension, Neck pain, Pain Relief, Shoulder pain, , , , ,

Spring is springing in South Australia, propelled by the rising energy of the Wood Element. Recently I’ve been waking up at 2 am and getting headaches, reminding me that my spring Wood treatment with my acupuncturist is due. Here’s the first Wood point of the season to help you navigate the rapids of the season.

Jianjing – Shoulder Well – Gall Bladder 21

                   (Caution during pregnancy)

3.5I had my first experience of acupressure 30 years ago when I attended a talk. As part of his demonstration, the teacher pressed his thumbs into the tops of my shoulders, causing a release of energy that bolted through my whole body. It really got my attention. I later discovered that he was working a point on the Gall Bladder meridian, Jianjing – Shoulder Well. The reason that it was such a powerful point for me was that I had spent the previous seven years teaching in high schools and had accumulated more than a little tension in my shoulders. Layers of frustration and anger had been tightly controlled by fear of prosecution should I let it out on my students.

Many of the stresses of modern living find their way into the shoulders. The responsibilities of life can seem to weigh on the shoulders like the straps of a heavy backpack. Most people have some tension in these points which is why a shoulder massage usually feels so good.

Tightness in the shoulders affects the smooth flow of Qi along the Gall Bladder meridian. It limits the range of neck movement and so constrains clear vision and perspective. Likewise it inhibits the free movement of the arms which are the means of taking action in the world.

The official of Gall Bladder is sometimes referred to as the Chief of Staff. While the Liver official, the General, is responsible for planning and strategy, the Gall Bladder official carries out the plans, riding hither and yon to oversee their implementation. If we live a busy life, we are constantly multitasking and keeping all the balls in the air. When we live a life of doing and lose touch with being, congestion in the Gall Bladder channel can result. The tops of the shoulders have a particular tendency to become congested.

Jianjing is a meeting point with the Stomach and Triple Heater meridians and the Yang Linking Vessel, making for a deep concentration of meridian Qi at this point. It has a strong descending action, drawing congested energy down the body. For this reason it is not recommended during pregnancy, though useful to assist labour and promote lactation. It is also supportive after a miscarriage.

When there is ongoing frustration, anger, resentment and rigidity, these emotions can become stuck in the neck and shoulders. The whole neck can become rigid from these bottled-up feelings. Shoulder Well can relieve such a bottleneck of energy, especially when combined with GB 20 at the top of the neck. It eases neck stiffness, treats shoulder and upper back pain, and helps to lower blood pressure.

When the tension in your life is creating boulders on your shoulders, take your bucket to the Shoulder Well.

 

Location of Gall Bladder 21

3.6The point is on the crest of the shoulder, midway between the base of the neck and the tip of the shoulder (acromion). Reach up and press your middle finger into the tightest part of the trapezius muscle on your opposite shoulder. It is difficult to apply deep pressure yourself, so get a friend to press his thumbs into the points while you are sitting or lying down. Apply firm, downward pressure. In cases of extreme tightness, you can rub or knead the muscle first before applying static pressure. For self-help, there are cane-shaped tools available which allow you to apply leveraged pressure.

This is an extract from the forthcoming book ‘The Way of the Five Elements’ by John Kirkwood, Singing Dragon Press. Publication date November 21st, 2015. You can now pre-order this book at Fishpond, Book Depository and other online booksellers. (94 days to go!)

 

Fire of the Gate of Life

Flexibilty, Low back pain, Pain Relief, Temperature regulation, Urination, , , , , , ,

Mingmen – Gate of Life – Governing Vessel 4

2.9There is surely no point name more exalted than Mingmen – Gate of Life. It goes to the very core of our existence on this plane, our life itself. It is a very powerful point which accesses the gate where we emerge from the void with our essence, our constitution and our destiny. This point can help us reach our full potential and fulfil our destiny.

Although according to the Five Elements the Kidneys belong to Water, they are also the source of Fire in the body, which is called mingmen, the “Fire of the Gate of Life”. This Fire is needed for our survival as warm blooded animals and fuels all activity. When the Gate of Life is open, it provides free access to this Fire and there is vitality, sparkle and zest for life. If the gate begins to close, there is diminishment and depletion.

Mingmen is a remarkable point for revitalisation. It can reconnect us with our essence, raise us to a new level of consciousness, and support the achievement of our highest potential. It is a point that helps us connect us with our original nature.

Lying as it does on the spine between the Kidney shu points (BL 23), Mingmen powerfully tonifies Kidney Qi and supports the Water Element. If there is timidity, it offers courage; if there is forgetfulness and disorientation, it clears the consciousness; if there is depression or emotional withdrawal, it coaxes the person to reengage with the world.

Gate of Life addresses the crucial Fire/Water balance in the body, and therefore treats both hot and cold conditions. It clears heat conditions such as a feeling of burning up as well as chills alternating with fever. More commonly it is used to treat cold conditions such as feeling cold all over the body, especially in the low back and belly, incontinence and abundant, clear urination.

It addresses reproductive disorders such as frigidity, impotence, infertility, irregular menstruation and menstrual pain caused by cold in the uterus. Other conditions include tinnitus, poor memory, haemorrhoids and prolapse of the rectum. It is an excellent point for stiffness, rigidity and pain in the low back and lumbar pain that radiates to the abdomen

This is an important point of focus in Qi Gong exercises and is known to be one of the places on the spine where it is more difficult to move energy, one of the three “tricky gates”. (The others are at the coccyx and the occiput.)

In people who have experienced a chronic, debilitating illness, this point is usually empty and needs considerable attention to persuade it to open. However it has the power to reconnect with the jing or essence and restore a person to health and vitality, a capacity reflected in its alternate name, Palace of Essence.

2.10

 

Location of Governing Vessel 4

 

On the spine, between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae, approximately at the level of the navel. Use direct, moderate pressure.

 

 

This is an extract from the forthcoming book ‘The Way of the Five Elements’ by John Kirkwood, Singing Dragon Press. Publication date November 21st 2015. You can now pre-order this book at Fishpond, Book Depository and other online booksellers. (123 days to go!)