Tag Archives: Yang Mound Spring

WinterSpring

I love words. I love playing with them and I love to explore their origins or etymologies. So when it came to writing once again about the season of Spring, which is beginning to burst around us in the southern hemisphere, I became curious about the origins of the word. The French word for spring is printemps which derives from Latin and means first time. Italians and Spanish call it primavera, meaning first spring, derived from the Latin primus ver. Germans use the word frühling meaning earlyness. All of these words are based on the view that spring is the first season of the year, a new beginning, a birth.

In medieval England the season was called Lent, the same as the Christian observance of the 40 days prior to Easter Sunday. Yet the word Lent is itself a shortened form of the Old English word lencten meaning spring season. It wasn’t until the 14th century that it began to be referred to as “springing time”, a reference to plants springing up from the soil. In the 15th century this became shortened to springtime and later simply spring. The word spring, both as a verb and a noun, is very descriptive of the conditions in nature in this first season of the year. It can refer to movements such as jumping, bounding and moving rapidly. It can also mean to originate as in where did you spring from? The bubbling up of water from the ground is a spring, and things can spring a leak. A coiled wire that powers mechanical devices is also a spring. All of these connotations evoke uprising power and movement.

These characteristics are the same as the resonances of Wood which is the Element of the spring season. Which brings us to the Chinese word for spring, chūn 春.

The Chinese language doesn’t have the same kind of etymology as the Indo-European languages but we can examine the nuances within the strokes of the character itself. The lower part of the character is the radical 日 which represents the sun, something that is vital for the photosynthesis that fuels plant growth. The upper portion chūn looks like sprouts growing into plants. The interpretation of the character is that spring is the season of increasing sunshine which makes crops grow.

Let’s take our word study further and look at some acupoint names that are imbued with these Woody characteristics. One of the most important qualities of the Wood Element is that it loves to move. Movement is inherent to it.

GB 9 Heavenly Rushing
GB 30 Jumping Circle
GB 34 Yang Mound Spring
LV 2 Moving Between
LV 3 Great Rushing

I’ve chosen points of the Gall Bladder and Liver channels which are those of the Wood Element. At this time of year when the deep, quiet energies of the Water Element are transitioning to the rapid upward-moving energies of the Wood Element, things can be a bit jerky. This might show up as strained tendons and ligaments in the body. Or it could be that you can’t get motivated and feel like you’re spinning your wheels. It might also emerge at the emotional level as frustration and even anger. Many people find they are more easily irritated in springtime, especially at the beginning when the energies of the new season first appear. Let’s look briefly at five points whose names imply movement and which can help to smooth the transition between winter and spring.

Gall Bladder 9 – Tianchong – Heavenly Rushing

Rising Wood energy can sometimes feel like a rush to the head which can produce headaches and visual distortions. Gall Bladder 9, located in a depression 1 cun above and 0.5 cun behind the apex of the ear can be useful in treating imbalances between the head and the body. It can encourage the excess Wood energy in the head to descend into the body.

Gall Bladder 30 – Huantiao – Jumping Circle

When this point in the hips is open, it allows for freedom of movement and provides the capacity to jump into action. If you have pelvic constriction, difficulty turning the body from side to side, or suffer from sciatica, Jumping Circle can be useful. Or if you are challenged in moving forward, this point can be helpful in taking that first step. You can read a fuller description of this point in an earlier article.

Gall Bladder 34 – Yanglingquan -Yang Mound Spring

This point at the knee is known as a master point for the tendons and ligaments which connect muscles and bones to produce movement. Yang Mound Spring treats tight tendons and ligament strains, or alternatively loose connective tissue that causes joints to slide out of alignment. As the Earth point on a Wood meridian, it helps us to move from a grounded place. See more on the point in this previous blogpost.

Liver 2 – Xingjian – Moving Between

Xingjian lies in the webbing between the first and second toes and the big toe plays a significant role in walking, implying that this point is a big mover. More than that, it is the Fire point of Liver which moves Qi from Wood to Fire, thereby sedating Liver when it is in excess. When Liver Qi is rising rapidly up the body it can produce symptoms in the head such as headaches, dizziness, dry eyes and throat, as well as difficulty breathing, and genital and menstrual disorders. Liver 2 smooths uncontrolled Liver Qi. See more on this point here.

Liver 3 – Taichong – Great Rushing

This is a classic tonic point of the body that supports the many functions of the Liver. It is located just superior to Liver 2 and like that point, it helps to smooth unruly Liver Qi. Taichong is also the source point of Liver and serves to balance conditions of both excess and deficiency. Therefore it can mobilise Qi and motivate us to action if there is deficiency. It helps with vision, both outer and inner, allowing us to see more clearly where we want to move to. For more detail see my original article on this Top Ten point.

As we move further into Spring, I suggest you pay attention to the uprising quality of the season and tap into that energy which is all around. If you catch this wave in early spring, it can empower your plans and fuel your forward movement.

How Flexible Are You?

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.