Newsletter Archives: 2004
July 2004 issue |
Gallbladder
The Gallbladder meridian is responsible for decision-making, being located on the sides of the body. (Do I go this way, or that way?) In order to make decisions we must have clear vision and the ability to discern with impartiality, and these are also aspects of a healthy Gallbladder. Flexibility is related to this meridian as well, and tendons and ligaments may be affected if the Gallbladder is out of balance. Headaches, and neck and shoulder tension are also common symptoms of imbalance in the Gallbladder. Spending time in nature can be very helpful in restoring harmony to the Gallbladder. The Gallbladder’s partner in the Wood element is Liver.
The correspondences for the Wood element and the Gallbladder meridian are:
Partner: Liver |
Sound: Shouting |
The Gallbladder channel begins at the outside corner of the eye, and zigzags across the side of the head before traveling down the side of the body, and ending on the fourth toe. There are a total of 44 points on the Gallbladder meridian.
GB 21 (Shoulder Well or Jian Jing) is a great point for pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders, as well as difficult labor and insufficient lactation. It should not be used during pregnancy. It is located about halfway between the base of the neck and the outside edge of the shoulder, right on the highest point of the shoulder line. Use your fingertip to press the point on the opposite shoulder, keeping your arms relaxed.
Stretching – Side stretch
Begin by sitting on your knees, with your feet tucked underneath you. Reach your arms up overhead and grab your right wrist with your left hand. Shift your hips to the right so that your right hip is resting on the floor. Use your left arm to pull your right arm so that you feel the stretch along the right side of your torso and up your arm.
Book of the Month
Bag of Jewels, by Susan Hayward & Malcolm Cohan
This book is filled with inspirational and thought-provoking quotes from a wide range of people. Each one is laid out on the page in calligraphy, and includes the name of the person who said it. Includes are quotes from Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, Woody Allen, Shakti Gawain, and many more.
This Month’s Quote
Flowing with the Universe
Being a channel for its energy.
Not judging another’s path.
Celebrating this gift of life.
Doing only what you love and
Taking the risk to do it
Owning your reality.
Knowing life is fleeting
And must be lived now!
—From the Foreword of Bag of Jewels
Triple Heater
The Triple Heater, also known as the Triple Warmer or Triple Burner, is probably the most abstract of the meridians since it doesn’t relate to a physical organ in the body. Its main functions are circulation, protection, and regulation of body temperature. As the distributor of Source Qi throughout the body, it provides connection and communication among the organs. The Triple Heater is closely tied to the immune system, and an imbalance in this meridian may result in allergies or frequent illness. Connection and protection can also be viewed from an emotional standpoint, as Triple Heater is related to our ability to connect with others and maintain boundaries. The Triple Heater’s partner in Supplemental Fire is Heart Protector.
The correspondences for the Fire element and the Triple Heater meridian are:
Partner: Heart Protector |
Sound: Laughing |
The Triple Heater begins on the fourth finger, and travels along the back of the arm and over the shoulder to the head, where it curves around the ear and ends at the outside corner of the eyebrow. There are a total of 23 points on the Triple Heater meridian.
TH 5 (Outer Gate or Wai Guan) is useful for fever, headache, neck strain, tinnitus, and hand tremors. It is located on the outside of the arm, two finger-widths above the wrist crease. This point is directly on the opposite side of the arm from last month’s point HP 6, and both points can be held simultaneously (with thumb and finger) for added benefit.
Stretching – Supplemental Fire Makko-ho
Begin in a sitting position on the floor. Cross your right leg over your left, so that your right foot is on your left thigh, and your right thigh is on your left foot. Cross your right arm over your left arm, and bend forward at the waist, letting the backs of your arms slide away from each other across your legs or the floor. Repeat with your arms and legs crossed in the other direction.
Book of the Month
The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff
If you like Winnie-the-Pooh, and you are curious about Taoist philosophy, this is the book for you. The author defines Taoism and relates its concepts to the personalities of the various Pooh characters, quoting liberally from both Taoist and Pooh sources. This is a fun and thought-provoking book, and a quick read.
This Month’s Quote
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -- "WOW -- What a Ride!" — author unknown
Heart Protector
The Heart Protector is also called Heart Constrictor, Pericardium, and a few other names. It functions as the Heart’s bodyguard, taking the brunt of an attack to spare the emperor. Because of Heart Protector’s connection to the Source of our Qi, it acts as a mediator between the Source and the other meridians. It relates to circulation of Qi and blood deep within our bodies, and therefore has an influence on the quality of energy being distributed throughout the body. As the name implies, this meridian is the protector of our emotional core, and imbalances may include feelings of vulnerability, hypersensitivity, and even absent-mindedness. Whereas Heart and Small Intestine are considered Greater Fire or Absolute Fire Element, Heart Protector and its partner, Triple Heater, are referred to as Lesser Fire or Supplemental Fire.
The correspondences for the Fire element and the Heart Protector meridian are:
Partner: Triple Heater |
Sound: Laughing |
The Heart Protector channel begins on the chest and travels along the middle of the inner arm to the middle finger. There are a total of 9 points on the Heart Protector meridian.
HP 6 (Inner Pass or Nei Guan) is an excellent point for nausea, motion sickness, stomachache, insomnia, migraine headache, and palpitations. It is located on the inner arm, two finger-widths above the wrist crease.
Stretching—Twisting stretch
You may not want to do this stretch if you have disc problems in your lower back. For everyone else, this is a great one for opening up the back and sides of the body. Start by lying on your back, with your arms out to the side. Bend your knees and bring your legs up towards your chest, so that your thighs are approximately vertical. Keeping both shoulders on the floor, and both knees together, let your legs fall to the right. You can add to the stretch by turning your head to look toward your left hand. Repeat for the other side.
Book of the Month
Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit by Gabriel Mojay
I took a workshop earlier this month based on the information in this book. It was fascinating to learn how the properties of certain essential oils affect the five elements, and how we can use them both in bodywork and in daily life to further enhance our health. Let me know if you would like to include Five Element Aromatherapy in your next appointment!
Touch of Radiance—Group Classes
I’m all settled into my new house! It’s great to have so much space for work and play. I’d like to schedule some events in my home – stretching groups, Self-Shiatsu workshops, Qi/energy exercises . . . I’ve got lots of ideas. Please let me know if you are interested in participating.
This Month’s Quote
The cloud does not insist upon its form,
The wave does not force its way over the ocean,
So why should you clutch so tightly your little map?
Follow your heart and know joy in all things.
The path of freedom has no markers,
Yet leads to fulfillment;
The path of confusion is crowded with signs,
Pointing in all directions.
The Great Way is a humble, solitary path leading home.
Follow it closely and be guided.
How do you know you are on the way?
When your map no longer serves you.
Kidney
The Kidney is the storehouse of our Essence, which comes from our parents when we are born. This Essence is the foundation of health and growth in our bodies, as well as our ability to reproduce. When the Essence is used up, our lifetime is over. We cannot change the quality or quantity of the Essence we received from our parents, but by keeping the Kidney meridian healthy we can protect what we have.
The adrenal glands sit anatomically on top of the kidneys, and hormones such as adrenaline are closely related to the Kidney meridian. Kidney energy is the impetus, the spark that gets the fire going, the seed germinating and ready to sprout. A person with a Kidney imbalance may feel sluggish, frequently use caffeine to get going, feel stressed out, or have prematurely graying hair. Kidney’s partner in the Water Element is Urinary Bladder.
The Kidney begins on the sole of the foot, travels through the inner ankle, and up the inside of the leg to the torso, where it ends just below the collarbones. There are a total of 27 points on the Kidney meridian.
The correspondences for the Water element and the Kidney meridian are:
Partner: Urinary Bladder |
Sound: Groaning |
KI 1 (Bubbling Spring or Yong Quan) is used for headache, blurred vision, dizziness, sore throat, and revival from loss of consciousness, as well as a feeling of groundedness and connection with the earth. It is located on the sole of the foot in the depression below the ball of the foot.
Stretching
Water Element Makko-ho
Start by sitting on the floor with your legs together and straight out in front of you, toes pointing up toward the ceiling. With your back straight, raise your arms up overhead, and then fold at the waist to bring your hands towards your feet. If you are fairly flexible, you may be able to hold Kidney 1 (on the sole of the foot) with your middle fingers during this stretch.
Book of the Month
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Have you ever dreamt of being more creative? This book describes a twelve-week program for unblocking creativity and finding the artist in you. Through writing and going on “artist dates”, the reader explores finding the safety and inspiration to express creativity. Many of the exercises can be done in groups, and the author highly recommends the support of a Creative Cluster of artists. Anyone want to join me?
Touch of Radiance – Moving at Last!
I plan to move into my new home around the first of May, right after I return from my trip to California. I look forward to working with each of you in my new home office! Please make sure you get my new address when you call for your appointments.
This Month’s Quote
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk failure. But risks must be taken. Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. If you risk nothing and do nothing, you dull your spirit. You may avoid suffering and sorrow, But you cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, and live. Chained by your attitude, you are a slave. You have forfeited your freedom. Only if you risk are you free.
Urinary Bladder
The Bladder meridian is located on the back of the body, and is related to our “backbone”—the actual bones, the nervous system, and our will and determination. Our backs are our support, and so if we don’t feel supported by our loved ones, the Bladder meridian may suffer. We put our past behind us, and there are points on the Bladder meridian in the back that relate to each meridian’s long-standing condition.
As part of the Water element, Urinary Bladder relates to purification and fluids in the body. Water energy is like a seed—dormant, but ready to sprout into new life. Urinary Bladder’s partner in the Water element is Kidney.
The Urinary Bladder meridian begins at the inside corners of the eyes, travels up and over the head onto the back. Bladder splits into two lines on each side of the back, which merge together again on the back of the leg, to travel along the outside edge of the foot and end on the pinky toe. There are 67 points on the Urinary Bladder meridian.
The correspondences for the Water element and the Urinary Bladder meridian are:
Partner: Kidney |
Sound: Groaning |
UB 2 (Collecting Bamboo or Zan Zhu) is a great point for headaches, blurred vision and vertigo. It is found at the inside corner of the eyebrow, just under the bony ridge. Use your thumbs to press slightly upward into this point.
UB 10 (Heaven’s Pillar or Tian Zhu) is another good one for headaches, as well as stiff neck, dizziness, and nasal congestion. It is at the base of the skull, just to the outside of the neck vertebra, where the muscles attach to the bone. Press your thumbs upward into this point while leaning your head back a little.
Hamstring Stretch
Start by lying on your side near a wall, so that your seat is against the wall. Then roll onto your back so that your legs are pointed towards the ceiling and are supported by the wall. Your legs should be straight, and your heels will be touching the wall. Try to get your hips and the backs of your legs to touch the wall as well. If your hamstring muscles are especially tight, you may need to start with your hips away from the wall a bit. As you become more flexible, move your hips closer to the wall until they are touching it. For a deeper stretch, flex your toes towards your face during this stretch.
Book of the Month
The Sacred Kitchen by Robin & Jon Robertson
This book presents a different approach to cooking, focusing on mindfulness and the healing powers of food. It touches on kitchen layout, diet, and a wide range of spiritual and cultural traditions, with many intriguing vegetarian recipes sprinkled throughout. I just bought this book, so I haven’t had a chance to try any recipes yet, but they look great!
Touch of Radiance—Traveling Next Month
I’ll be in California from April 17 to April 27. I will be available by phone or email during that time. Bay Area clients—here I come! Let me know if you’d like to schedule an appointment during my trip.
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, Who would like this $20 bill? Hands started going up. He said, I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first let me do this. He proceeded to crumple the $20 dollar bill up. He then asked, Who still wants it? Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, What if I do this? And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. Now, who still wants it? Still the hands went into the air. My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what was done to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO love you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are special—Don't EVER forget it.
Small Intestine
Assimilation is the key word for the Small Intestine meridian. The physical organ is involved with absorbing nutrients from our food, so this meridian plays a role in digestion. In Eastern medicine, this is considered “separating the pure from the impure.” Just as we assimilate nutrition from the food we eat, so do we assimilate information from our experiences. Therefore, the Small Intestine meridian can become imbalanced during times of emotional overload or shock, resulting in nervousness and anxiety.
The correspondences for the Fire element and the Small Intestine meridian are:
| Partner: Heart | Sound: Laughing | |
| Time of Day: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. | Tissue: Blood Vessels | |
| Color: Red | Sense Organ/Sense: Tongue/Speech | |
| Season: Summer | Direction: South | |
| Climate: Heat | Life Process: Youth/Action | |
| Flavor: Bitter | Mental Quality: Willpower/Creativity | |
| Emotions: Joy | Energy Quality: Expansive |
The pathway for Small Intestine meridian begins on the outside tip of the pinky finger, and runs along the back of the arm, across the shoulder blade and onto the face, ending in front of the ear. There are 19 points on the Small Intestine meridian.
SI 19 (Hearing Palace or Ting Gong) is an excellent point for deafness, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), toothache, and TMJ (the joint of your jaw) problems. It is found in the depression just in front of your ear, when your mouth is slightly open.
Stretching—Fire Element Makko-ho
Sit with the soles of your feet together and your knees pointing out to the sides, bringing your heels close to your hips. Cross your hands to hold opposite feet, and bend forward at your hips to bring your chest close to your feet and your elbows out to the sides. Try to keep your back straight throughout the stretch.
Book of the Month
The Web That Has No Weaver by Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D.
In this book, Traditional Chinese Medicine is explained in terms that our Western culture can understand. Topics include meridians (energy channels), yin and yang, patterns of disharmony, and methods of diagnosis. This is a great resource for anyone who receives Shiatsu (or other Asian healing arts) and is interested in learning more about the theories behind it.
Touch of Radiance will be moving!
Cora just began the process of buying a house, and plans to move in the month of April. The new location will include a nice room set aside just for bodywork, plus plenty of space for all my craft projects. I'll still be in central Tucson, just a little south of where I am now. I'll let you know when I am ready to take appointments at the new house!
The Butterfly
A monk found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. Then the monk decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The monk continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. Although the monk took very good care of the butterfly for all of its days, it was never able to fly.
What the monk in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight could only come after a struggle.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in life. If we were allowed to go through our whole life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Not every struggle has a positive outcome, but many are better for us than we realize. Often, it is in the struggle and the striving that we become truly alive and are able to recognize and appreciate the beauty of this world and all the wonder around us.
Heart Meridian
The Heart is known as the emperor, or as the home of the Shen (spirit). When Heart meridian is out of balance, our spirit can't settle in for the night and we have trouble sleeping. Other signs of Heart imbalance can be mental disorders, addictions, epilepsy, and speech problems.
As part of the Fire element, Heart is related to communication and creativity. We can help balance the Heart meridian by doing something artistic, watching a funny movie, or having some heart-to-heart conversation with a close friend. Heart is a yin meridian, and its partner is Small Intestine.
The correspondences for the Fire element and the Heart meridian are:
| Partner: Small Intestine | Sound: Laughing | |
| Time of Day: 11 am to 1 pm |
Tissue: Blood Vessels | |
| Color: Red | Sense Organ/Sense: Tongue/Speech | |
| Season: Summer | Direction: South | |
| Climate: Heat | Life Process: Youth/Action | |
| Flavor: Bitter | Mental Quality: Willpower/Creativity | |
| Emotions: Joy/Hate | Energy Quality: Expansive |
The pathway for Heart begins in the armpit, travels along the inside of the arm and ends on the little finger. There are a total of 9 points on the Heart meridian.
HT 7 (Spirit Gate or Shen Men) has a wide variety of uses, including the treatment of irritability, headache, palpitation, amnesia, insomnia, and epilepsy. It is located on the inside of the wrist crease, just to the inside of the tendon on the little finger side.
Stretching
Is working at your computer causing some neck tension? Here are some easy stretches to help loosen up that tight neck.
Bend your neck to the side, so that your nose stays pointing straight in front of you and your right ear drops toward your right shoulder. 
Place your right hand on the top of your head, and let the weight of your arm put a gentle stretch on the left side of your neck. Hold, without pulling for a few deep, slow breaths. Repeat for the other side.
Turn your head towards the right, keeping your eyes level. Go just far enough to feel a gentle stretch and hold for a few slow, deep breaths. Repeat for the other side.
Know anyone who could use some bodywork?
Refer your friends and loved ones to Touch of Radiance and get a discount on your treatments! I build my practice primarily through word of mouth. If you appreciate what I do, please tell your friends about me. Each time I see a new client who says you referred them, you'll get $10 off your next session. And you can add the discounts together if you like, so refer a bunch of people and you can get free bodywork!
Book of the Month
Acupressure’s Potent Points by Michael Reed Gach
This is a self-care guide for many common conditions and discomforts. It is organized by specific ailments including headaches, allergies, memory and concentration, pain, and shoulder tension. Each chapter has specific acupressure points for relieving symptoms, with descriptions, photos, and diagrams.
Answers to Last Month's Anatomy Quiz
1. What is the largest organ in the body?
The skin. On average, we have about 22 square feet of skin, weighing 10 to 11 pounds.
2. How many tonsils do humans have?
Five. They form a ring in the back of the throat.
3. How many bones are in one leg (including the foot)?
Thirty. They are the femur, patella, tibia, fibula, 7 tarsals, 5 metatarsals, and 14 phalanges.
4. What is the vomer, and where is it located?
A cranial bone, that is, a bone in your head. It is located behind your nose, above the roof of your mouth.