Tag Archives: Water Element

In the Flow

Achilles tendon, Detoxification, Kidney, Menstrual disorders, Oedema, Reproductive, Urination, Water Element, , , , ,

Fuliu – Returning Current – Kidney 7

Today, some hot-off-the-press content, an acupoint not included in my books.

FloodI woke this morning to find that yesterday was Adelaide’s wettest July day in 75 years. Water, water everywhere: puddles in the street, bulging dams, squelching lawns, the earth bloated with wetness. Even the air is filled with moisture, mist hanging in the trees. A perfect day to talk about a Water acupoint that is the master of fluid management.

One of the responsibilities of the Kidney Official is to keep the body fluids in balance. Fuliu Returning Current is a point that supports the Kidney in this task. When fluids are flooding the tissues, pooling in the low places and unable to be expelled from the body, this powerful Kidney point can serve.

Let’s look at some of the conditions that this point addresses.

Oedema is the accumulation of fluid in the body which causes tissues to become swollen. It occurs most commonly in the feet, ankles and lower legs. But it can also affect the brain, the eyes and lungs. Oedema can even occur throughout the body. Fuliu promotes the expelling of excess fluid in all these cases.

Urinary problems such as difficult urination, dark urine and blood in the urine can be treated with this point. Moreover, it controls other kinds of bleeding, from blood in the stool, from haemorrhoids, and uterine bleeding.

What we see is that K 7 brings balance to fluid flow, increasing flow where it is stagnant, and constricting flow where it is in excess. This can be observed in its capacity to bring balance whether there is excessive perspiration or lack of perspiration. It treats night sweats, spontaneous sweating, ceaseless sweating and fever with absence of sweating. Some people have a hard time working up a sweat, even with vigorous activity. This means that toxins normally expelled by perspiration are retained in the body. Returning Current can help rectify this dysfunction.

Not least of Fuliu’s talents is that of tonifying the Kidneys. It is the Metal point on a Water meridian, meaning that it draws Qi from the mother (Lung) to the son (Kidney). This process of tonification strengthens the Kidney Qi, so long as the Lung contains sufficient Qi to pass it on. This can be best ascertained from the pulse. If you don’t have access to this information, then I suggest you hold the source point K 3 at the same time. (Click here for article on K 3.) By using this combination, you will avoid draining the Lung since the source point neutralises an incorrect treatment.

When there is depletion, exhaustion, weakness from overtaxing the body and draining of one’s resources, Fuliu can help restore vitality. But use this point sparingly. Don’t use it as you might reach for a cup of coffee to jolt you into action. Conserve your resources during the remainder of the winter. Rest, recuperate and strengthen your Water within.

Location of Kidney 7

K 7

 

On the inside of the lower leg, in the hollow between the bone of the  tibia and the Achilles tendon, and 2 cun (body inches) above the inner ankle and K 3. Use moderate, direct pressure.

Deep Water – The Midwinter Solstice

Meditation, Water Element, Winter Solstice, Yin, ,

deep waterToday marks the Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere. It is the shortest day of the year; how short depends on how far you are from the Equator. Where I live near Adelaide there are 9 hours 48 minutes of daylight and 14 hours 12 minutes of darkness. From tomorrow the days begin to get longer and the nights shorter.

In the northern hemisphere, the Winter Solstice coincides with the celebration of Christmas which became conflated with previous pagan festivals that commemorated the depths of winter. Ancient stone circles such as Stonehenge were aligned to mark the winter and summer solstices, indicating the profound significance of these days. And in the Scandinavian and Germanic cultures the midwinter festival of Yule honoured the gods in order to protect the people from starvation through the depth of winter to come.

These days there are few at risk of starvation, but the observance of the deep winter continues strongly in the northern hemisphere where Christmastide contains within it the Yuletide of old. There is a celebration of the light within the darkness in the Yule log and  Christmas tree lights. There is an echo of the winter slaughter of animals and brewing of ale in the form of Christmas feasting. And there is the tribute to the power of the tribe in the gathering of friends and family on Christmas Day.

Yet here in the Australia, we are bereft of a celebration of winter. Our Christmas Day comes at the opposite end of the year, when the days are long and the temperatures high. How can we celebrate the depth of winter? Some people have inaugurated their own ‘Christmas in July’ as a way of reconnecting to this winter spirit.

In the Five Element model, the Winter Solstice is the seasonal manifestation of the Water Element. Water represents the deepest yin: dark, cold, moist, withdrawing, self-reflective. If we can align ourselves with these qualities at this time of year, we connect with the power of yin. The more we can go to these deep places within, the more we have access the gifts of Water: Knowing, Potential, Power, Stillness, Trust, Wisdom and Will.

Our culture is not very supportive of yin. And here in the southern hemisphere we don’t have a festival to celebrate the aspects of yin. So we need to create or own personal commemoration of the Winter Solstice. Over the next days, I invite you to spend more time resting, meditating, contemplating. Sit quietly by the fire; light the  room with candles; take solitary walks in nature; tuck up in bed early. Plumb the depths of your own Water within. Cultivating your yin qualities at this time of year will provide you with the resources and the resilience to sustain you through the yang half of the year which begins in spring.

winter solstice