Tag Archives: depression

Tears of Frustration

Anger, Depression, Flexibilty, Gall Bladder pain, Headache, Insomnia, Neck pain, Shoulder pain, , , , , ,

Apologies for the delay in this post. I’ve been busy getting the manuscript of  a second book ‘Seasons of Life’ to the publishers, extracts of which will soon be appearing in this space.

Zulinqi – Foot Above Tears – Gall Bladder 41

3.11Most of us have had the experience of becoming so frustrated with something or someone that we burst into tears. Anger and frustration become so pent up that they find a release through crying. Such an emotional state is usually an indication of an imbalance in Wood which can be treated by the Gall Bladder point Zulinqi – Foot Above Tears.

Wood that is healthy and moving freely aids us in finding a clear path around the apparent obstacles that life presents, like the plant that pushes its way through the cracks in the footpath. When Wood is not healthy, there are two polarised responses to obstacles: a repeated pushing against an immovable impediment resulting in frustration; or a collapse into inaction, defeat and giving up.

Zulinqi helps to resolve such polarised attitudes by strengthening all the resonances of Wood. It supports new ventures and putting your best foot forward as you move into action; provides a clear perspective of where you are and where you are headed; and helps with making good judgements and taking bold decisions. It treats Gall Bladder timidity where a person is fearful of taking action, and relieves depression caused by collapsed Wood. It helps to settle the person who is continually angry, frustrated and resentful.

Zulinqi supports the Wood in two ways. Firstly it smooths and clears the Gall Bladder channel, the complex pathway that begins at the outer corner of the eye and traverses the head, neck, shoulders, ribcage, hip, side of the leg and foot. Clearing this channel supports flexibility of the mind and body in negotiating a smooth path through life. Secondly, the point strongly supports the smooth spreading of Liver Qi, allowing it to ascend to fuel action and promote free respiration.

As the exit point of Gall Bladder meridian, it drains congested Qi from the upper reaches of the channel, especially from the head. Holding this point is like taking the plug out of a bath to drain it. Thus it can treat headaches, especially at the back and top of the head, visual distortion, dizziness and tinnitus.

As the Wood point of a Wood meridian, Foot Above Tears has an energising effect on the Element. It shakes the tree, rouses the Wood: Wake up, let’s go, it’s time to move! Element of the Element points such as this also function as horary points (from the Latin hora meaning hour). According to the Chinese meridian clock, the high tide of the Qi flow passes through Gall Bladder meridian between 11pm and 1am. Therefore the point has a greater influence during this time. People who have difficulty falling asleep at this time of night may find the point conducive.

Zulinqi has another role as the master point of the Dai Mai (Girdling Vessel), one of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, and the only one that does not have a longitudinal trajectory. It passes round the back at the waist, dropping lower towards the pelvis in front, like the low slung belts that were iconic fashion items in the 80s. This vessel binds the Penetrating and Conception Vessels, and the Liver, Spleen and Kidney meridians, all of which influence the menstrual cycle. This powerful master point therefore regulates menstruation and treats PMT which so often comes with tears. It also helps with infertility, vaginal discharge, abdominal fullness and lumbar pain. It relieves the low back and hip pain of pregnancy.

Locally, it treats pain and swelling on the top of the foot, and helps to heal the most common of foot fractures at the fifth metatarsal.

Some say that frustration is a motivating force that leads to success. I would suggest it is a sign that Wood is getting stuck. Zulinqi can help to unblock the logjam and free the energy for directed, purposeful action.

 

3.12Location of Gall Bladder 41

On the top of the foot, in the depression below the junction of the 4th and 5th metatarsals. Draw up between the fourth and fifth toes, cross over the tendon of extensor digitorum longus and drop into the hollow. Apply direct pressure. The point is often quite sensitive.

 

Cover

 

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. (76 days to go!)

Resurrecting Spirit

Breathing difficulty, Depression, Psycho-emotional, Spirit, , , ,

As we come to the end of a cold, wet winter in southern Australia, many minds are turning towards spring. Before we leave the winter and the Water Element, let’s have a look at a powerful spirit point of the Kidney meridian.

Lingxu – Spirit Burial Ground – Kidney 24

2.17The character Lingxu is made up of two parts, ling meaning spirit, and zu meaning an old burial ground or a wild wasteland. Ling depicts three shamans dancing, supplicating the spirits for rain.[i] The character for doctor or healer also contains the image of a shaman. All of this puts me in mind of Kaptchuk’s description of JR Worsley, father of the modern Five Element tradition, as the greatest shamanistic healer he had ever seen.[ii]

Worsley’s background predisposed him to regard healing as more than just working with the physical and emotional aspects of a person. His acupuncture work retained the aspects of spirit that were excised by the Chinese communists when they created what they called Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the 1950s and 60s.

Most texts of TCM pay little regard to the esoteric aspects of the Kidney points of the upper chest, utilising them simply for physical conditions related to respiration, chest pain and vomiting. In the Five Element tradition, these points can be used to deeply touch a person at the level of spirit. Perhaps the most powerful of these is Lingxu – Spirit Burial Ground.

Lingxu, K 24, lies in the middle of a string of points that begins with K 22 Walking on the Verandah and ends with K 27 Store House. These points lie in the region of the heart and are a reminder of the significant relationships between Kidney and Heart, Water and Fire, jing and shen. K 22 is the exit point of the Kidney channel, where Qi moves to Heart Protector in the Wei Qi cycle. The remaining points on the meridian represent a mysterious journey of spirit into the darker regions of the human spiritual experience. “The spirit burial ground can appear as a dark foreboding place to those who have not cultivated the virtues of faith, wisdom and reverence for the will of heaven.”[iii]

One of the most profound uses of this point is to treat what is known as a spirit block. This is when the person’s spirit had become disconnected in some way from the bodymind. When it appears that a person’s spirit has died; when his life appears as a dry and barren landscape, lacking in direction and meaning; when the structures of the ego-self have obscured the True Self to such a degree that connection to True Nature has been lost, Lingxu has the capacity to restore a person’s connection to source.

The struggles of the spirit described here recall the notion of the dark night of the soul, first stated in a poem by 16th century Christian mystic John of the Cross. The main idea of the poem can be seen as the painful experience that people endure as they seek to grow in spiritual maturity and union with God. This journey through darkness to the spiritual light can be seen as an explication of these Kidney points of the chest, and of K 24 in particular.

In treating this point, the intention of the practitioner will determine the level of the client’s being that is addressed. If the practitioner uses the point with the intention of clearing a cough and improving breathing, the effects will be restricted to the physical level. There will be a very different effect when the intention is to revive a person’s spirit and his connection with the Tao.

[i] Ellis A, Wiseman N & Boss K, Grasping the Wind, Paradigm 1989, p. 380
[ii] Eckman P, In the Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor, Cypress 1996, p.173
[iii] Jarrett L, The Clinical Practice of Chinese Medicine, Spirit Path 2003, p. 452

2.18Location of Kidney 24

Located in the chest at the side of the sternum, the point lies in the third intercostal space and 2 cun lateral to the midline. Note that in males it is one rib space above the level of the nipple. 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. (108 days to go!)