Tag Archives: Water Element

Building for the Guest

Agitation, Anxiety, Depression, Kidney, Pregnancy, Psycho-emotional, Tiredness, Water Element, , , ,

 

Zhubin – Guest House – Kidney 9

PregnancyA recent seminar on Acupressure for Pregnancy puts me in mind of the importance of Zhubin – Guest House, a powerful point on the Kidney meridian. Kidney 9 helps to sustain the mother through her pregnancy, and there is a Japanese tradition of using this point to support the foetus in the womb, especially in the 3rd, 6th and 9th months. One of its names is Building for the Guest which envisions the creation of a welcoming, comfortable environment for the closely related being who inhabits the inner guest room for nine months.

This is one of a category of points known as the xi-cleft or Accumulation points. In this case, it is the xi-cleft point of the Yin Wei Mai, one of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. Xi-cleft points treat acute conditions, namely those of sudden and recent onset; in addition these points of the yin meridians and vessels are supportive of Blood. The Yin Wei Mai is very important because it unites all the yin meridians as well as the Conception Vessel (appropriate in this case), thereby making it tremendously supportive of overall yin. The condition of pregnancy is one that is emblematic of yin and so is well supported by Kidney 9.

Another of its merits is the treating of manic mental disorders such as bipolar. Among the evocatively descriptive conditions it can address are raving fury and cursing, vomiting of foamy saliva and tongue thrusting. While we may not often encounter such displays, we are often confronted with milder versions of this agitation. Zhubin is an excellent choice for profoundly calming the mind, clearing oppression of the chest, vague anxieties, depression, nightmares and palpitations.

This range of symptoms implies its usefulness when the Heart and Kidney are in disharmony, when shen and jing are disconnected. When the knowledge of how to be in the world is undermined by exhaustion, Zhubin can conjoin the shen of the Heart and the jing of the Kidney to empower the person to stabilise, settle and be nourished. Then the power of the Water Element can appropriately direct the energies to confront the problems of life.

While most of us are rarely in the state of pregnancy (and at least half of us never are!), we are continually conceiving of notions for our lives, gestating them in mind and heart, before birthing them into the world. Guest House is the perfect place to support the gestation of our creations.

Location of Kidney 9

Kidney 9

 

 

On the inside of the lower leg, 5 cun above the tip of the inner ankle bone and 1 cun behind the back of the tibia. It lies on a line drawn between Kidney 3 and Kidney 10.

In the Flow

Anxiety, BL 23, BL 28, Constipation, Ear problems, Hip pain, Low back pain, Psycho-emotional, Sciatica, Urination, Water Element, , , , , , ,

Pangguangshu – Bladder Shu – Bladder 28

River FlowWinter usually brings a wave of Water related conditions and issues into the  treatment room. As the high tide of the year moves through the Water Element, it puts pressure on any existing imbalances in Water. This can include lower back pain and stiffness, cold invading the body, urinary system dysfunction, problems with the bladder, kidneys, ears and bones, fears and phobias, and reduced perseverance.

As we age, the lifelong decline in our Kidney Qi begins to affect all of these resonances of the Water Element. And the cold of the winter creates added pressure on our declining resources. This inspires some to migrate to warmer climate zones such as Queensland.

An acupoint that offers support for conditions of the waterworks is Pangguangshu, Bladder 28. This is the shu point of Bladder and treats that organ directly. The shu points are particularly useful in treating chronic conditions, those that have become entrenched for some time.

Bladder shu is used to treat difficult, painful, hesitant and frequent urination. These symptoms are associated with an enlarged prostate, and so the point is very helpful for treating the prostate conditions which afflict many older men. It is also used to treat cystitis which is an inflammation of the urinary tract, usually caused by infection. The effect of Pangguangshu also extends to the genitals, treating such conditions as swelling, pain or itching of the external genitals.

Bladder 28 is also useful in treating lower back pain as well as pain or stiffness in the sacrum, coccyx and buttocks. It has an influence over the Kidneys and can be used in combination with the Kidney shu point, Bladder 23. (See article here.) Because of its influence over the lower burner, it can be used to treat lower abdominal pain and fullness, and constipation caused by Qi stagnation.

At the psycho-emotional level, stagnation in the Bladder expresses as difficulty managing one’s resources and reserves. This can produce a sense of urgency and anxiety about life, leading to a tendency to use effort and willpower to push through obstacles in the way. There is an apt expression for this, ‘pushing the river’, which suggests using draining effort rather than going with the flow.

Zhi is the spirit of Water. It is often translated as will. When our Water Element is in balance and harmony, the power that fuels action arises naturally and spontaneously from true will that is not dependent on a pushing, urgent, straining effort. Pangguangshu can help to keep us in the flow.


Location of Bladder 28

BL 28

 

The point is 1.5 cun lateral to the midline at the level of the second sacral foramen (hollow). Find the top of the sacrum and go two fingers width below this and two fingers width lateral to find the point.