This is an edited version of an article that was commissioned and published some years ago now. It has an emphasis on anger.
However, the exercise is superb if you are a caring person and tend to take on everyone else’s problems, moods, anger and negativity.
You actually absorb it through your Central meridian (that runs up the midline of the torso at the front of the body) and it helps nobody, it does no good whatsoever for you to ‘take it all on’ – doing this exercise discharges negative energies that may have been accumulating in your body and offers you a protection against absorbing any more.
Ideally do this exercise every morning or evening [or both] and certainly before you go into any situation where you know your energies will be challenged and you are likely to take on energetic ‘gunk’ - e.g. a challenging business meeting, a hospital scenario.
DISCONNECTING THE WILD THUG WITHIN
[Anger management for beginners]
How many of us walk around priding ourselves on feeling, ‘enlightened’, civilised and in control? Not for us the explosive rage, angry outbursts, temper tantrums, irritated indignation or fits of frustration. Oh no, we have moved beyond all of that - or have we?
Anger is natural; there is nothing wrong in feeling the full force of this emotion. It does not make you a bad person. However, what is bad for you is when this anger gets stuck inside and you are unable to let it pass through, out and on; it begins to dig roots and fester, causing stress within the body.
So, whether you are furious with the guy that has just cut you up at the traffic lights, or seething at yourself for not saying ‘no’ and therefore allowing yourself to be put into a stressful situation: it is wise to face your anger, feel it and let it go – life really is too short, will you remember that guy in 5 years time? Will the world end if you say ‘no’?
The Chinese believe anger to be associated with Wood Element[1]. This Element also governs two key organs:
the Liver [associated with inwardly directed anger, impatience and frustration] and
the Gallbladder [associated with outwardly directed and ‘harboured’ anger, bottled up emotions, irritability and aggression].
In turn, both these organs are associated with rigidly in both mind and body – is your arthritis pent up anger? Has your gall turned into stones? Is your temper causing tight and stiff joints?
If anger has become an issue in your life recently, it could be caused by an imbalance in your Wood Element or; an imbalance in that Element could be causing your increased anger. Either way, it makes sense to attempt to balance and harmonise the two organs.
Before I start, let me share with you something personal: I am not a person who 'swears' BUT when my Wood Element is out of balance in this way ..... I cuss like a fishwife to myself .... when that happens I KNOW I need to do this exercise as irritation/frustration/anger is stuck in my body energetically.
Go out to your garden or terrace right now.
Stand tall, close your eyes and take some deep breaths, really expanding the ribcage. This in itself begins the balancing process.
Massage firmly the area beneath your right breast, exactly where the under-wire of a bra sits. Do this for 15 seconds, it will be tender but keep the pressure firm. This is a neurolymphatic reflex point that helps balance the Liver.
Now for the Gallbladder: let both arms hang down the side of the body in a relaxed way, directly under where the middle fingers hang on the outside of each thigh, are the points that you need to massage firmly to begin to balance Gallbladder.
You are now going to do one of my favourite exercises for about thirty seconds. Devised by Donna Eden, it is called ‘Empty out and Zip up’. It is ideal to rid yourself of anger, stress and the toxic energies of others, or the environment, which have accumulated inside you.
Place hands over your head, arms straight, fists clenched, wrists crossed. If that's uncomfortable for your shoulders - hold arms, bent, in front of you, fists clenched, palm side upwards.
Breathing out, bring hands down quickly and with force, uncrossing and taking them out to the side of the thighs with fingers now outstretched, not clenched.
While doing this, imagine a line that runs down the centre of the body, from mouth to the genital area. Imagine this line opening up, becoming ‘unzipped’ and any anger, rage, irritation, or negative energetic ‘gunk’ that has been lurking inside finally spilling out into the earth.
At the same time breathe out with a hissing sound and imagine all those angry toxic emotions, energies and thoughts spilling out on your breath into the earth.
Repeat 3 times
You are now ‘open’ and it is important to zip up that Central Meridian so that toxic energies that may be around you can no longer enter and cause disruption.
This zip up:
boosts confidence and positivity and clears your thoughts.
Offers a natural form of self-protection from negative energies.
Lifts your energies and your spirit
Simply place your hand at the bottom of the meridian [between your legs]. Take a deep in-breath and simultaneously move your hand up the centre of the body to your lower lip and ‘lock it’ by lightly tweaking the sides of your mouth.
[Or, as Donna Eden suggest, throw your arms out to the Universe – see diagram below.]
As you do this, think of calmness, forgiveness and .tranquillity being zipped up inside. Talk to your energies, asking that energy to depart and for calmness and serenity to return.
Do this 3 times and end by ‘sewing up’ i.e. tracing a horizontal Figure of 8 up the centre line, rather like an old fashioned Victorian corset.
This will give you a wonderfully effective extra layer of protection against external energies entering your body; against some of the stresses of life triggering unnecessary anger. It does not stifle you; you can still give out care, warmth, attention and love.
So any time something toxic wants to emerge, do a quick empty out and zip up. Put it in it’s place. Excellent for the health of any relationship, it will stop you saying something you might later regret.
[1] Traditional Chinese Medicine and philosophy is based upon the 5 Elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal.
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