The 4th of Donna Eden’s 4 thumps is Spleen 21 – you’ll want to get thumping straight away, so here’s how …..
SP21 is located on the lateral side of the chest, approximately in the mid-axillary line (the line that runs vertically from the armpit) at the 6th or 7th intercostal space (the spaces between the ribs). The exact position can vary slightly depending on individual anatomy.
Here’s a simple way of finding it, don’t forget, we are not using needles, relax, thump the area with intention – that will be enough.
Avoid stimulating SP21 during pregnancy or in individuals with severe rib pain or chest trauma.
Clench your fists and with the circle formed with the thumb and index finger, thump underneath your armpit [a la monkey!] I sometimes call it monkey thumping.
Your hands will be over the area of the side of your bra [Spleen 21].
Tap over these meridian points for a few seconds (say 10-15), smile and don’t hold your breath!
I love these acupressure points, however Donna loves the Spleen Neurolymphatic points even more. So, a cunning way to stimulate them both is: after tapping the meridian points for a few seconds, keep tapping, change your hand position from a clenched fist to a triad [thumb and first two fingers straight and together] and tap around the ribs, under the breasts onto the Neurolymphatic Reflex Points– ouch! Probably it hurts, but then you know you need it!
Here’s a fun video showing Donna and her daughters tapping those Neurolymphatic Reflex Points -
TIP – thumping before and after ingesting substances, be it food, drink or supplements …. Will help you process with more ease.
This next video includes Spleen thumping – gosh, I can’t believe how long ago I filmed it!
Here’s a video a much younger Maddie made on Spleen 3 point technique. It's a different technique but really useful so I'm slipping it in here ….
Let’s look at the acupressure point itself:
Spleen 21 is also called THE GREAT EMBRACE or "Great Embracement", and is a key point on Spleen meridian which is involved in the transformation and transportation of energy, as well as the immune and lymphatic systems.
Think of an embrace, this point can help you feel you are embraced, enfolded by nourishment, warmth, calmness, strength and safety …. Just as you were in the womb.
Lonny Garrett: “Sp21 can empower us to experience life as though we were surrounded by unconditional nourishment and still in the womb, it can empower us to embrace life as a mother embraces her child – in this way we may truly nourish destiny”
SP21 is a significant "connecting point" in the body, (called the Great Luo vessel) linking the energy of the spleen meridian to all other meridians.
What’s a connecting point?
In acupuncture, a connecting point (also called a luo-connecting point) is one of a specific set of acupuncture points that connect paired channels or meridians in the body.
These points are part of the luo-connecting system, which involves smaller collateral channels that branch off from the primary meridians.
Each primary meridian has a corresponding luo-connecting point.
These points create energetic connections between paired meridians, such as the yin and yang counterparts.
They can address conditions where symptoms manifest in one channel but are linked to its paired channel.
Luo-connecting points are also believed to regulate emotional imbalances because the collateral channels are associated with connecting the external body and internal organ systems.
Why would you do it?
Because it will
Lift your overall energy level
Balance your blood chemistry and hormones
Synchronise your body’s rhythms
Help you not only metabolise food more efficiently but also the inevitable challenges that life presents!
It improves blood and lymphatic circulation, helping detoxify the body and strengthen immunity.
It can be stimulated to alleviate chest pain, tightness, or respiratory discomfort.
As the spleen is linked to worry and overthinking in TCM, SP21 can help calm anxiety and promote emotional stability.
A bit more about Spleen in general, which will spotlight just how important this energy is:
The Spleen’s main functions are to filter, clean and nourish your blood, create new blood cells and store platelets. It is also a key part of your body's immune system.
The spleen is found on the left side of your body, just behind the stomach. It is similar in structure to a lymph node, and is the largest lymphatic organ in the body.
Blood flows into the spleen. Here white blood cells called B and T cells screen the blood flowing through [discernment].
T cells help to recognise invading pathogens (germs, for example bacteria and viruses) that might cause illness and then attack them.
B cells make antibodies that help to stop infections [protection] from taking hold.
When the spleen is too weak to move blood [and energy] throughout the body, this can lead to tiredness, chronic fatigue, anaemia, menstrual disorders, infertility and more.
Another function is that old and damaged red blood cells are removed by the Spleen. Red blood cells have a lifespan of about 100-120 days. After this time they stop carrying oxygen effectively. Special cells called macrophages break down these old red blood cells for removal.
While the spleen performs a number of important functions it is not essential to life.
Other organs such as the liver and bone marrow are able to take over many of its jobs. Your spleen may be removed (splenectomy) for various reasons. The organ itself may have been removed but the meridian and the energy is still flowing and can be worked with.
While the stomach receives the raw material so to speak, the spleen transforms it into useable forms and distributes where needed.
This distribution of nourishment and connection with all parts of the body gives us a clue as to the importance of Spleen.
So immediately we think of TRANSFORMATION, TRANSPORTATION and DISCERNMENT [in recognising what is nourishing and good for us and what could be toxic or harmful, the Small Intestine is also a great 'discerner'].
Spleen and pancreas together break things down into manageable parts – not just physically but emotionally too – so they are easier to process.
If you bloat after eating and feel lethargic – could be a poor Spleen function.
In TCM the Spleen is considered the source of life for other organs and call it “the foundation of existence of the five viscera”.
Spleen is integral to successful reproduction in women, look where the meridian flows and think of the womb as being like the soil [Earth element] where the foetus is planted and grows.
Spleen is a hybrid meridian, what I mean by that is that it also has Strangeflow properties: trouble-shooter extraordinaire, joy, change - life is so much better when it's fully activated.
NOTE - one way to activate it as a Strange flow is to 'scratch' the back. Did you do that when you were a child, most cultures do: kids love doing things that make them feel good and when these flows are flowing, you WILL feel good!
If you Spleen energy is in balance you will feel a sense of place, belonging, at home – grounded.
As we become a ‘global village’, over the years I have noted in my treatment room a lot of Spleen/Stomach [Earth] weakness; yes this is undoubtedly the result of the excessive stress of contemporary life but I suspect it is also that we are living in different countries, we are effectively ‘transplanting’ ourselves and in the process we lose our sense of tribal belonging, connection to our place.
We resonate with the vibration of the land of our origin .... for the majority of us it will be the optimum environment for us to thrive in. So what happens when we uproot and move thousands of miles away? If we are lucky, our energies will resonate with our new environment and all will be well. However sometimes our energies do not have this harmonious connection, we lose that feeling of stability and having a solid base and our energies begin to become stressed – especially stomach and spleen.
If you find your Spleen out of balance you will naturally think of your immunity being compromised, you could also consider on an emotional level:
The old Stevie Wonder song: “how sweet it is to be loved by you .... “ – is there enough sweetness in your life? [to help you remember, think of the association of the pancreas and sugar].
As I said above, Spleen and pancreas are about transformation are you having a problem making a transition, are you able to break things down into digestible segments?
Are you being a martyr because it makes you feel authentic and needed?
Are you defined by your role as carer? [sometimes when this role ceases, Spleen can go down, your immunity crashes and you get sick yourself].
Is your Earth Mother image a mask you hide behind?
Are you burdening and overworking yourself on any level, be it dietary, work, mental, chemical, emotional or spiritual ?
Sometimes we make all the right lifestyle choices, eat the right food, take the right supplements, do our energy exercises but we still don’t heal. It may be that Spleen energy is unable to receive, transform and transport the nourishment to the places required.
They say that Spleen gives us our capacity to THINK, STUDY,CONCENTRATE and MEMORIZE – so you definitely need healthy spleen energy if you are in the middle of exams, you need to nurture it to remain on the ball as you age. The Chinese strengthen Spleen to improve mental functioning.
It is the ‘root of post heaven energy’, i.e. the source of all energy produced by the body after birth [as opposed to Kidney energy which is a sacred reservoir of energy that we bring in with us].
Unbalanced Spleen energy can result in:
Feelings of being ungrounded
Insecurity
Neediness
Selfishness
Worry
Obsessions
Excessive thinking/pensiveness
Restless sleep
Being stuck
Trapped in negativity = ‘vent your spleen’
Mood swings
Self pity
Self doubt
Remorse and regret
Lack of direction
Difficulty with dealing with life’s problems
Over anxiety about the future
Sum it up in a paragraph [albeit a long one] – my personal v
Whereas Stomach [yang] is the controlling Mum, I view Spleen [Yin] as your inner caring Mum, a total pacifist, self-sacrificing she will heal, protect and defend you with selfless love and care.
Spleen to me is about not only processing/metabolising [transforming and transporting] food, drink and substances it is also about how well you handle the challenges and stress of everyday life.
OK, that's enough for now, I could go on about this amazing energy - but suffice to say, we should all be paying attention to monkey thumping !!!
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