November Self-Healing Tips

"Invest in Loss"

One of the simplest things we keep learning in our practice at Shakti's is that great physical, spiritual, and mental health comes from staying in the flow of life. Stagnation leads to pain and illness in the body, mind, and spirit. So how do we get our energy to really continue to flow - despite daily stress and difficulty, physical trauma and injury, personal losses and gains? It's a simple thing. We have to let go. Master Zi reminds us time and again to invest in loss.

Until we understand experientially how to do this, it seems terrifying, counter intuitive, and unappealing. It seems to infer great misery (loss=pain=no! I'm not going to do it!). The secret of this letting go and of staying in the flow is that after the initial discomfort and period of adjustment, we're in the flow. Big losses - still here. Bad childhood - still here. Stressful work day - still here. It's really just about letting go and restoring flow.

Restoring Flow - Lung 7, Lie Que

So how do we assist our bodies to ease the release of stagnation that's holding us back from being motive and present? The Luo vessels in Chinese medicine are of great assistance in this matter. Since it is Autumn, and the Metal element that rules fall is all about letting go, we will look at Lung 7 - the Luo point of the Lung channel, the Yin aspect of the Metal element. This point, as a Luo point, invigorates the flow of blood, which releases obstruction and moves old stagnant blood along the Lung channel and in the Lung organ.

To find it, follow the Lung channel as it traverses the line from the side of the thumb that isn't next to the pointer finger, up the inner forearm, through the crook of the elbow, up along the bicep, all the way to the outer part of the upper rib cage right next to the shoulder. Lung 7 is located on the thumb-side of the forearm, about 1-2 inches up from the wrist. It is felt as a little depression in the bone, so to find it trace the radius (bone) up the arm from the wrist and your finger will sink into it.

To invigorate the blood and activate the Luo point, rub vigorously 1 time every other day on the left Lung 7.

Sending Qi to the Interior - The Healing Energy of Olives

Olives are salty and help the energy to descend. For this reason they are very good to eat in the Autumn to help the body's natural energetic response to less daylight and cooler weather. Just as the trees send their fluids to their roots, so we need to allow our Yang energy to move deep within our cores for the Winter. Olives also help with this and they also invigorate the blood, which we as learned above, helps restore flow. Olive oil can be rubbed into the skin and tissues to quicken the healing of strains, bruises and sprains because of its blood moving nature.

Try adding black or dark olives, tapenades, and extra high-quality organic olive oils to your diet for the next month.