When we come into this world, we integrate with one huge inspiration of air - our first breath, an introduction to our new environment. It is sometimes called THE ENTRY POINT OF LIFE.
This alone gives importance to the Lung meridian's first point.
Let's find it first: bring your right elbow to the side of your ribcage and without thinking too hard, swing your arm across your chest so it lands under your collarbone, about 2 thumb widths. From here 'feel around' a bit with your middle finger: you'll find this point in one of two ways (or both): (a) it might be a bit tender - it's a 'busy' point that can gather energetic debris which in tern generates pain.
(b) it's a key acupuncture point and your finger will seem to sink into it. There is less electrical resistance on the skin over acupuncture points, especially the key and master points.
Do the same on the other side.
Not sure if you've found it? Don't worry, you are in the general area of the point, relax, the technique I'm going to share will still work, you are not inserting needles so don't need that pinpoint accuracy.
YOU'VE FOUND THEM - WHAT DO YOU DO?
Cross your arms over your chest and hold both points at the same time and massage with whatever pressure suits you, you might even prefer to work slightly off the body and connect to the energy that way.
We are all different, so experiment to see which seems to give you the best connection.
You may just hold the points, close your eyes and smile, possibly repeating a positive statement aligned with Lung energy. e.g.
It is now safe for me to truly feel inspired by life
It is now safe for me to let go of the deep grief and sadness I feel
It is now safe for me to cry the tears I never cried at the time
It is now safe for me to breathe in deeply and feel love and connection with those around me
It is now safe for me to let go on a breath of anything that no longer serves me
It's the Mu point for the Lung meridian and if there is any dysfunction on the energy pathway, the point/s will be sore, it's your body sending a message, a quiet alarm - massaging in a circular direction can switch off the alarm and begin to regulate the pathway and prepare it for any work you may choose to do (I'll be sharing what I do in subsequent blogs).
Why would you work Lung 1?
To alleviate coughing or wheezing, bronchitis, pneumonia, COPD and any weakness in the lungs
When you seem to have lost your inspiration in life and disconnect from the reason why you are here
When grief is locked in the body or if it's fresh and overwhelming
When an inner void, emptiness and loneliness is a feature in your life - even if you cover it well to others.
Possibly experiencing depression
The name Central Treasure refers to your 'inner worth' are the lungs bringing quality to your inner landscape, are you flourishing richly within?
Their function is to draw in that which gives us life and surrender on exhalation that which no longer serves us. Such is the rhythm of life that we strive for. In Chinese medicine the Lung is the "Official of Rhythmic Order" and rules the ongoing interaction between our interior and exterior worlds.
If this rhythm weakens the body can become sluggish and sluggish, fresh oxygen is vital to all our organs and systems.
It can also reflect our emotional ability to hold on and leg go, to be flexible, to 'go with the flow'.
Breath can connect us to our ancestral wisdom, our Wise One Within so that those qualities and that wisdom can be an inspiration in our life.
Lonny S Jarrett describes working Lung 1 as being like "taking someone up to the top of a mountain where the air is clear and the finest most refined qi is available to inspire him. For here we are closest to the sun, embodied in the upper jiao as the human heart"
You may consider massaging Large Intestine 4 before holding Lung 1, to open up energy in the upper body - click on this blog-link for more information -
Here's a great technique called LETTING GO ON A BREATH to help blow away that which no longer serves you ..... I use it to blow out grief sometimes .....
Watch out for the next blog that will feature on how to increase the flow of energy on the Lung pathway.
If GRIEF is a feature in your life you might find this little online class useful:
With thanks to A MANUAL OF ACUPUNCTURE - Deadman
(they also do an online version)
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