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I've been reading some articles by an acupuncturist named Neil Gumenick, in L.A.
He's discussing the five elements (fire, metal, wood, earth, and water) and how they affect the body, both when that type of elemental energy is in excess and when it is deficient. I particularly liked this snippet from his discussion on "Fire," and one of the important pressure points for that element -- the 16th point on the meridian for the Small Intestine.
Posted without permission -- for more info, go here.
Small Intestine 16, "Heavenly Window"
The small intestine in Chinese medicine is termed the sorter of the pure from the impure. Physically, this organ separates nutrients from the waste in the food we eat. Similarly, the enormous amount of mental and emotional input we absorb daily undergoes an "ordeal by fire" that separates what is useful from what is not. Sometimes mental pollution overwhelms us faster than we can process it, and we begin to view the world as negative and hopeless, a despair that then may affect the body. When the "Heavenly Window" is opened, light can enter and dispel that toxicity. We can begin to find within ourselves the clear space to expand into the joy present in every season - but especially so in the summer.
Ways to tend your inner Fire
Copyright 1997 by Neil Gumenick
He's discussing the five elements (fire, metal, wood, earth, and water) and how they affect the body, both when that type of elemental energy is in excess and when it is deficient. I particularly liked this snippet from his discussion on "Fire," and one of the important pressure points for that element -- the 16th point on the meridian for the Small Intestine.
Posted without permission -- for more info, go here.
Small Intestine 16, "Heavenly Window"
The small intestine in Chinese medicine is termed the sorter of the pure from the impure. Physically, this organ separates nutrients from the waste in the food we eat. Similarly, the enormous amount of mental and emotional input we absorb daily undergoes an "ordeal by fire" that separates what is useful from what is not. Sometimes mental pollution overwhelms us faster than we can process it, and we begin to view the world as negative and hopeless, a despair that then may affect the body. When the "Heavenly Window" is opened, light can enter and dispel that toxicity. We can begin to find within ourselves the clear space to expand into the joy present in every season - but especially so in the summer.
Ways to tend your inner Fire
- Have fun on a regular basis, even if you have to work at it at first. Make it a priority - schedule your fun, if that's what it takes. Don't compromise. Consider fun as important to your well-being as work or anything else you do.
- Give of yourself to others. Take the time to listen. Take the risk of dipping into your own heart and finding what you have to give to others unconditionally - then just do it.
- Live your passion, whether it be the church choir, rollerblading, preserving the environment, or writing poetry. If you don't know what your special passion is, be willing to admit that you don't. Meanwhile, stay amused and don't stop looking. When you find that great interest, dive into it wholeheartedly and enjoy!
- Get physical. Get into your body and out of your head. Love, exercise, dance, run, play. Get your circulation going.
Copyright 1997 by Neil Gumenick
