Put your right elbow down against your ribcage, keep it there and while not thinking too much ‘throw’ the lower arm up to the opposite shoulder, just under the collarbone, keeping the elbow against your side. Your middle finger will land over an area that is on, or near to the first point on the Lung meridian. Same on both sides of the body. That's the area I want to spotlight today.
My lovely lungs are my ‘weak link’ and I work daily to give them support so they can, in turn, work to the best of their ability and support me.
In a series of blogs I want to share with you what I do every day for my lungs …. And it’s no ‘big deal’, takes a minute here or there, but makes a huge difference.
If you’d like to take a deeper dive into Lung health and the associated emotion of grief – I have a home study module: a pdf with video link embedded, that might interest you.
Click on the link.
or cut and paste me .....
But for now, why not spend the next few days making friends with your Central Treasury!
Another way of locating the area in which Lung 1 resides (also known as Middle Palace, Central Treasury) is to move 6 thumb widths from the centre line of the body, outwards towards the arm. Under the clavicle.
A thumb width is YOUR ‘body inch’ and is often referred to as a ‘cun’ (pronounced ‘soon’) in Oriental texts.
It is a Front ‘Mu’ (Alarm) point, so is an important area, rather like a 'receiving area' and, like a treasury, energy can be stored here before moving to where it’s needed, there should be a healthy flow. However, energy can accumulate there, sometimes leading to congestion on the point and diminished flow along the pathway. That translates as diminished energy to the lungs themselves which if goes on for too long reduces function.
Lonny S Jarrett in The Clinical practice of Chinese Medicine wrote a beautiful description of this point:
“Treating Lung 1 may be likened to 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”.
Go up to the top of that mountain right now! Let's do it together now .... locate the area and massage it firmly, then Figure 8 it, if you have a cut glass prism spin it over the point.
Repeat on the other side.
Is there a difference between the two? Is one more tender? do you feel more drawn to working on one side? Just observations that help you understand the subtle nuances of your body. So, for example if my left hand area was more tender, thus indicating more congestion, I might consider the possibility that left hand side of the body relates to the right hand side of the brain which in turn is more impacted by the emotions. In the case of lung, the primary emotion is grief, those unshed tears, the letting go and moving on. So that is where my inward attention might go.
If on the other hand the right hand side was more tender, that is more left brain perhaps more environmental, logical, physical. For example air quality where I work, live, sleep.
Anything that is going to open up this area physically and energetically is going to encourage the flow of energy, and that movement is want is needed for optimum function.
An added nuance is, at the same time hold the intention of connecting to fresh, refined, replenishing, restorative, nourishing and inspirational energy. Thoughts like this themselves carry an energy that the cells in your body respond to - yes, your body hears you and responds! Ensure you are not ‘mouth breathing’ – inhale and exhale through the nose, making full use of the diaphragm and expanding the belly with each inbreathe. A pulmonary physiotherapist once said to me:
“The mouth should only be used for eating or talking!”
A quick way to help disperse congestion in the lungs is to: twirl a cut glass prism over the point or simply tape a small piece of Frankincense resin (or diluted essential oil of Frankincense) or even a herb like Astragalus Root (it can be in capsule form), over the point and wear it for a few hours.
(the tape I use is the simple micropore white tape that doesn't stick too firmly)
or cut and paste me ..... https://youtu.be/5TwgBzsv0Mo
Working this area helps any shoulder and chest problems, to loosen up. It increases the flow of energy to the lungs and so, as one would expect, is important for all respiratory disorders, especially coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and congestion, difficulty in breathing, bronchitis and asthma. It can promote lung function.
If you are stuck, exhausted, sluggish, depressed, or despondent or holding onto emotional pain – Lung 1 can help you regain a joy in life and uplift you.
Clear the area and help clear those emotions and feelings and become inspired, lungs are all about 'inspiration' !
The ancients believed that this is the ‘entry point of life’. When you were born, the first thing you did was grab that first breath, your first contact with life on earth.
This point will always be a point to connect to your spirit.
It can help you reconnect to the heavenly chi too.
Lungs sit in Metal element which is all about your spiritual development and this is one of the master points.
When you feel ‘connected’ emptiness and loneliness begin to recede.
Remember that song:
‘let the sunshine in …. ‘?
well, Lung 1 does just that.
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