Tag Archives: digestion

One for all, All for one

Detoxification, Digestion, Ear problems, Menstrual disorders, Reproductive, Tiredness, Urination, Vitality, , , , ,

Late Summer is upon us in the southern hemisphere, time to return once more to points of the Earth Element. We begin with Spleen 6, a really useful point as you will see.

Sanyinjiao ~ Three Yin Crossing ~ Spleen 6
* Forbidden during pregnancy

5.9The motto of the Three Musketeers could well be applied to Sanyinjiao – Three Yin Crossing where three meridians unite at a single point. While the point is given to the Spleen meridian because its primary influence is upon the Spleen, it is a meeting point with the Kidney and Liver meridians. Like a river that joins together with two other tributaries, producing a combined force, SP 6 is a powerful confluence of forces where the combined action is more than the sum of the parts.

The wide range of conditions addressed by this point makes it one of the most frequently selected points in treatment. As it influences the three yin meridians of the leg, it treats conditions of the digestive, urinary, lymphatic and reproductive systems, treats damp, tonifies Qi and Blood, and raises the Qi upwards.

As a Spleen point, it strengthens the Spleen, thereby treating all Spleen Qi deficiency symptoms: feelings of heaviness and fatigue, abdominal fullness, loss of appetite and loose bowels. It clears oedema by mobilising the Spleen’s capacity to move fluids. Similarly it has a strong influence on nourishing the Blood and clearing Blood stagnation.

Three Yin Crossing is a great point for resolving damp, a pathogenic factor to which the Spleen is particularly prone. Damp in the lower burner can manifest as infections of the bladder, vagina and prostate; damp in the middle burner can cause diarrhoea, poor digestion, abdominal pain and nausea.

In its role as a Kidney point it strengthens Kidney Qi which is the source of our vitality. It treats difficult and painful urination, tinnitus, night sweats, dry mouth and difficulty with hot weather.

As a Liver point, it promotes the smooth flow of Liver Qi, treats painful menstruation and abdominal pain generally. It also treats pain in the genitals, seminal emission and sexual hyperactivity in men, impotence and infertility, blurred vision and hypertension.

Sanyinjiao is one of the best points for regulating the uterus, and so is very useful for all menstrual irregularities. Its effect on the uterus makes it one of the best points for promoting labour, and is therefore forbidden during pregnancy except in the final stages.

Emotionally it soothes the spirit when a person is despairing, feeling weighed down by the burdens of life. It helps calm a worried mind and ease insomnia. Its influence over the Liver means it can calm irritability, especially when associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Spleen 6 combines well with Stomach 36 to strengthen the middle burner and balance the Earth Element. A nice little treatment is to combine SP 6 with the source points of the three associated meridians, namely Spleen 3, Kidney 3 and Liver 3. The quality of the Qi at these three points will tell you much about the health of these meridians and organs.

If you want to raise your game, raise your Qi with this triple crown winner of a point.

 

5.10Location of Spleen 6

 

Located 3 cun (four fingers width) above the crest of the inner ankle bone. Press towards the back of the tibia bone.

 

Cover

 

 

This is an extract from The Way of the Five Elements by John Kirkwood. Available now from your favourite bookseller.

Just Right

Digestion, Flexibilty, Immune system, Low back pain, Temperature regulation, Urination, , , , ,

 Sanjiaoshu – Triple Heater Shu – Bladder 22

Porridge 1To start the new year I thought I’d tell you a story about Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Actually you’ve probably heard it. It’s the one about the young girl who breaks into an unoccupied house in the woods, jumps all over the furniture and eats breakfast before being sprung by the ursine owners. Goldilocks was searching for everything that was just right. Not too hot or cold; not too hard or soft; and not too large or small. This notion of finding a balance between two extremes has become known as the Goldilocks principle.

In Chinese medicine, the “organ” that is most responsible for keeping the systems of the bodymind in the Goldilocks zone, or homeostasis, is the Sanjiao or Triple Heater. It does this by mobilising the Original Qi (Yuan Qi) and separating it into its different functions as it operates through the other 11 organ meridians. In this way it acts as a harmoniser of the whole energy body.

An important acupoint that can activate this mobilising and harmonising force is Sanjiaoshu, Bladder 22, the back shu point of Triple Heater. The back shu points, which relate to all the organ meridians, are hosted by the Bladder meridian. They lie on its inside track, 1.5 cun lateral to the midline of the spine, a line which follows the erector spinae muscle bundle. Massage therapists commonly perform a stroke which takes in all these points of the back, thereby influencing all of the organs.

Giovanni Maciocia, a leading authority on Chinese medicine, wrote about the back shu points in a recent blog. He strongly emphasised the importance of these points in treating chronic disease. The word shu means to transport. By treating a shu point, a wave of Qi is transported along the meridian until it reaches the corresponding organ.

In the case of Triple Heater, the “organ” is more of a function which harmonises all of the organs. If there is a location of this function it is in the three burning spaces of the torso where all the organs are located. The upper burner is the chest cavity above the diaphragm; the middle burner is between the diaphragm and the navel; and the lower burner lies below the navel. The Triple Heater harmonises these three areas and in doing so brings harmony to all the organs. (See previous blogpost for a Triple Heater visualisation practice.)

From all of this you can see that the acupoint Sanjiaoshu is really useful. It helps to redress any imbalance in heat and cold in the body so is good for things like fever, chills, heat stroke and cold extremities. It aids in cases of oedema and difficult urination because of Triple Heater’s capacity to move fluids. The point also treats digestive disorders because of its influence over the middle burner; and issues of the Bladder and Kidneys through its influence over the lower burner. Locally it helps with lower back pain and stiffness.

Bladder 22 can be used in conjunction with other shu points to support the transportation of Qi to other organs. It is also very effective when combined with points along the Triple Heater meridian, in particular TH 5.

So if you’re feeling too hot or too cold, too hard or too soft, try Sanjiaoshu and feel just right!

Porridge 2

 

 

BL 22Location of Bladder 22

In the lower back, 1.5 cun (4 fingers width) lateral to the spine at the level of the junction of the 1st and 2nd lumbar vertebrae. This is about 1 cun above the level of the navel. Use firm,  direct pressure with the thumb. If working on yourself, make fists and place your knuckles at the points, leaning back into a chair to increase the pressure.