Tag Archives: flexibility

Summit Walk Early Spring

Anger, Flexibilty, Planning, Seasons, Spring, Vision, Wood Element, , , , ,

Monday 31st August 2026
Early Spring
Mount Barker Summit – Womma Mu Kurta

It is three months since I last drove up the rutted track to the summit. Time to see what has changed. Today is comfortably warm and sunny, prompting outer and inner smiles. In the spirit of the Wood Element of the season, I am on a mission. Armed with a printout from Green Adelaide’s ‘Common native orchids of the Adelaide Hills’, I’m on a private treasure hunt to find as many as I can.

First, I take the short trail to the trig point which gives a clear, panoramic view of the surrounding district. Mount Lofty to the north-west seems so close but the old metal plaque on the cairn reveals it is 21.5 miles away (34.6 km). To the south-east, further still, I can see the sun glinting on the waters of Lake Alexandrina and at the edge of vision, the dunes of the Coorong. Such wide vision engenders a sense of expansiveness, raising the spirits and imbuing me with optimism.

Tearing myself away from these views, I head back down to rejoin the main track around the summit that I trod in the winter. This time the sky is clear and blue, the sun warm on my skin, the ground dry underfoot. Last season I walked hurriedly huddled in my jacket; today I want to linger and savour everything the land has to offer. This suits my mission as I hunt for the elusive orchids.

Here is my first flower find: a pink-tinged white flower, but, hmm there are loads of them. I take a photo and identify it as kind of freesia. Or iris. It becomes clear that I am no botanist.

Ambling along the eastern edge of the ridge, scanning left and right, I find another candidate, a tall, pencil-like flower with small purple flowers with smaller yellow centres. It does not fit any of the images on my identification sheet. And again, there are many more examples. Another strike.

A gorgeous pink six-petalled flower turns out to be onion grass; a white beauty is completely unidentifiable; another purple one might be a kind of… I begin to realise that AI is not set up for plants in the Adelaide Hills. A subtle sense of disappointment and frustration creeps in: my mission has been unsuccessful. I recognise the feeling as a minor expression on the anger spectrum. And yet, I have seen an abundance of beautiful wildflowers! In not finding what I’ve been looking for, I haven’t really appreciated what I have seen. Bound by my tunnel-visioned mission, I have missed the wider picture. Such a lesson of the Wood Element.

Letting go, I continue in a lighter and more open frame of mind. I reach the northern end of the loop and turn onto the western slope. This was very cold and windy last time; today it is balmy and inviting. The tree canopy is denser on this side and I notice there are far fewer flowers. They peek out from open pockets of sunshine. Rounding a corner, there is a blaze of yellow bubbles from a wattle over-reaching the path. It is gorgeous, rich, bursting with yellowness. It doesn’t need a name or a label. Letting go of labelling somehow allows a fuller appreciation of its beauty. Reminds me of how we label people and thereby fail to see their uniqueness.

The last leg of the circuit is a steep climb up high steps strewn with rocks. Now I am hot and take off my sweatshirt which today is living up to its name. Just before I get back to the carpark, there is a profusion of wildflowers in the scrub by the path. Nameless and heart-liftingly beautiful.

Back home I do some research and discover that the orchids most likely to appear at Mount Barker Summit in September are Donkey Orchids, Pink Fingers, King Spider, Pink Fairies and Sun Orchids. I am advised to look closely at the damp, shaded soil patches beneath the open stringybark canopy and around exposed rock slabs. Maybe a little more planning would have helped, but such is the nature of Wood. When plan A doesn’t work, think again and try plan B.

I look forward to my next try.

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How Flexible Are You?

Acupressure Points, Flexibilty, Gall Bladder pain, Low back pain, Pain Relief, Tendons & Ligaments, , , , , ,

Bending treeThe sinews of the body, the tendons and ligaments, are the province of the Wood Element, and particularly of the Gall Bladder. When Wood is healthy, there is strength and flexibility in these tissues, joints move freely and the body moves smoothly in space. When Wood is wobbly, there can be stiffness in the joints and tightness in the tendons which make movement slow and painful. Sometimes the problem is the opposite, that the tendons and ligaments are too loose, the joints lose their structural integrity and bones do not hold their alignment.

The concept of flexibility extends beyond the physical structures to the psychological level. Inflexible attitudes and beliefs can also point to an imbalance in Wood. Healthy trees bend and sway with the wind; as humans we need to be able to adapt flexibly to changing conditions in our lives if we are to move smoothly through life. On the other hand, some people are so over-flexible and accommodating towards others that they lose sight of themselves. If you bend over backwards for people, you are likely to hurt your back!

Yang Mound Spring (Gall Bladder 34) is considered to be the master point for treating the tendons and ligaments and bringing smooth flexibility to them. The point nourishes the tendons, relieves spasms and cramps, especially along the pathway of Gall Bladder, i.e. head, neck, shoulders, sides of the ribcage, hips, and sides of the legs. It also treats sciatica which refers down the side of the leg.

There is a saying in Chinese, “He has a small gallbladder”, which refers to a person who is timid, shy, indecisive, anxious and wary. Yang Mound Spring is a wonderful point for strengthening the Mind and Spirit in this arena, supporting the person to be bold, confident and decisive in the world.

Gall Bladder 34 also supports the partner organ of Liver, treating nausea, vomiting, indigestion, jaundice and hepatitis. At the emotional level, it can move stagnant emotions which lodge in the Liver, such as depression, frustration, irritability, anger and confusion.

So if you want to maintain a flexible body and an adaptable mind this spring, treat yourself to a little Yang Mound Spring.

Location of Gall Bladder 34

GB34The point lies below the outside of the knee in a depression below (inferior) and in front of (anterior) to the head of the fibula. Slide your finger up the side of your lower leg until you find a bony prominence below the knee. Move one cun (body inch) diagonally forward and down until you feel a tender spot in the depression where the fibula meets the tibia. Hold for 2-3 minutes or until you feel the Qi move. Treat the left side, then the right.