In Chinese medicine classics,
Our large intestine serves as both a physical and metaphorical pathway for eliminating waste and letting go of what no longer serves us.
The large intestine represents the ability to release not only physical toxins,
But also emotional baggage and negative thoughts.
It symbolises the importance of letting go of our old beliefs,
Attachments and patterns that hinder our spiritual growth.
Emotionally,
The large intestine is associated with the ability to process and release emotions effectively.
A balanced large intestine allows us to experience emotional well-being,
Clarity and an ability to adapt to change.
Mindfully,
The large intestine teaches us the necessity of discernment,
Knowing what we need to hold onto and what we need to let go of in order to live a life more fulfilled and purposeful.
It reminds us to be mindful of what we ingest,
Not only on a physical level,
But also on an emotional and energetic level,
As our minds and bodies are interconnected.
Ultimately,
Understanding the spiritual teaching of the large intestine and acupuncture leads us to cultivate a state of release,
Emotional balance and mindful awareness,
Allowing us to thrive in our spiritual journey.
Our large intestine is so much more than its anatomical part.
It is associated with the metal element and the season of autumn.
He,
As a yang channel,
Represents the transition phase,
Where impurities and toxins are efficiently eliminated from the body.
And just as trees shed their leaves during the autumn,
The large intestine's role is to release waste materials,
Allowing the body to remain in a state of optimal health.
The second or sacral chakra houses the large intestine.
Its colour is orange and essence an instinct,
One of sexuality,
Creativity and compassion.
If you have an amazonite,
A powerful ally for those who are difficulty setting necessary boundaries and assisting in releasing grief or eliminating aggression,
Place this gently on your second chakra now.
It is our bear that represents our large intestine.
He teaches you to trust your instincts and let go of all that blocks your path.
He provides us with strength in times when we feel weak or helpless.
Sometimes we may have to accept our authoritative role,
Not only directing our own lives but guiding others,
And it is our bear energy that is there to guide us.
He also reminds us the value of rest,
Quiet and privacy,
So we can truly listen to our higher selves and spirit.
So find a quiet place,
Sit or lay down,
Uncross your legs and allow your spine to go soft and take four deep cleansing breaths to supplement our large intestine chi.
Open your eyes behind your eyelids or gaze,
Soften your jaw and allow your tongue to go loose in the palate and imagine stepping into an energy shower.
From the crown of your head allow the energy to wash down your face and pool into your lower belly.
Notice the texture of that energy,
The colour,
The smell or the sound as it pools just below the belly button.
As it gathers a ball of energy and light intensifies and begins to rotate like a sphere or figure of eight,
Getting stronger and stronger as it rotates and feel your lower belly soften.
Visualise your bear sitting beside you or within you.
You might feel his fur brush against you,
His weight on the earth or even his breath.
He stands beside you giving you the assurance of renewed power and courage.
Whatever adversity you face your bear holds you and keeps you grounded until all hardships pass.
He won't leave you and reminds you when you need your cave time so that you can really listen to your heart instead of the outer noise.
He encourages you to find your truth then live it with the same humour and honour he does.
Allow the ball of energy to continue to grow,
Cleansing rotations.
The channel begins at the index finger,
Travels along the arm,
Passes through the elbow,
Forearm and upper arm and then ascends towards the shoulder,
Connects up over the neck into the cheek to come to a finish at the outer edge of the groove of the nose.
Visualise your bear,
Your symbol of ability to release what holds you back as he slowly accompanies you along your large intestine channel.
He may curl up or sit at each point resting as if he were in his cave.
Beginning at the index finger close to the corner of the nail is large intestine one,
Merchant Yang.
A good merchant knows the value of things.
Here we strengthen our virtue of understanding to let things go,
Our so-called treasures.
So we are left with the internal purity.
A Yang merchant is one who is vibrant and active.
There will be no accumulation of rubbish in this merchants shop.
What will be found will be of the highest quality,
Impeccably fresh and clean.
Many of us have accumulated so much rubbish,
Physically,
Mentally and spiritually.
We have lost touch with what is innately pure,
Incorruptible and eternal.
Move to the base of the index finger just before the knuckle and find large intestine two,
Second interval.
A water point that cools,
Soothes and tempers our metalness.
The water serves as an interface with the outside world,
The ability to smoothly and gracefully let go,
Even when we perhaps don't want to or are finding it hard to.
The presence of water here reminds us to not cling to things any longer and give those we love space to breathe.
Here is a space akin to washing layers of debris from a stone and revealing our dazzling diamond beneath.
Roll over the knuckle of the first finger and find large intestine three,
Third interval.
Interval translates as a pause or hiatus.
Take a self-reflective moment.
This point brings the power of wood to our large intestine,
A fresh vision,
New beginnings and the strength of rebirth.
The power of wood here is strong,
Vigorous and assertive,
To decisively let go of the old and when we need the strong kickstart to let go of the stuck patterns.
Large intestine four,
Joining of the valleys,
Is found in the web between the thumb and the index finger.
A master point associated with the activation of spiritual energy and empowering us to let go of impurity in all aspects of our being.
Here is where our lungs and large intestine are joined.
Valleys are low-lying places between hills or mountains,
Empty vast places that empower us to be receptive to just the essentials in nature or of life.
Standing strong with our bear,
We are empowered here to let down our emotional masks,
Breathe deeply and truly relax.
Hand over the patterns of ourselves that are unhealthily attached to suffering or those parts of ourselves that no longer have value.
Imagine now holding your arm as if it were in a sling and points five to eleven follow up the inner edge of the arm in line from the index finger to the elbow crease.
Large intestine five,
Yang stream on the inner wrist crease.
Water in a stream is bounded by earth's mounds either side.
These two solid boundaries prevent excitation and uprising.
The yang fire aspect here adds the qualities of warmth,
Light and activity.
Fire controls metal by melting and softening making it malleable.
Like metal that has become cold and inert,
We too can become hard,
Immobile,
Unable to bend,
Unable to bend,
Attached to our past,
Holding on to shame,
Guilt and unworthiness.
We become unable to let go of what binds us.
This is the point to encourage release,
Direct,
Active and with a good measure of humour,
Love and compassion,
The warmth of fire.
Three finger widths up from the wrist is large intestine six,
Side passage.
At this point our large intestine joins with our lung,
Its paired metal partner and releases and harmonizes our repressed feelings which may be blocking our authentic selves unfolding into the world.
Here is a place to stop and return to our inner world,
Restore our rhythmic pulse like a long deep breath to calm any extremes we may be feeling,
Doing or believing.
Just under halfway up the arm is large intestine seven,
Warm current.
Elimination requires fluidity at the right temperature to allow for free and easy flow.
Warmth allows metal to soften and bend.
It allows for a comfortable physical release of negativity.
Mentally the internal chatter of old,
Stubborn,
Repetitive thoughts,
Concepts,
Grudges and judgments can be washed away in this current.
Warmth brings feelings of joy and good humour.
We can comfortably and joyfully enter the flow of life and interact with others from here.
Large intestine eight,
Nine and ten,
Inch closer to the elbow crease.
Large intestine eight,
Lower side.
There can be no higher reached without there also being a lower.
Often it is from the negative that we glean important lessons.
This is a lower place to pause with our bear,
Nourish and firm the earth beneath our feet,
A stable level foundation from which to ascend.
Large intestine nine,
Upper side.
As there is a lower,
There must also be an upper.
As there is earth below,
There is heaven above.
A connection to heaven which provides inspiration,
Purpose and value in our lives.
When our upper side is secure,
We have a spiritual roof over our heads from which we will not be led astray.
All our life experiences can be seen as purposeful opportunities to grow and evolve.
On the inner edge of the elbow crease,
Large intestine ten,
Arm three miles.
For our bear,
This is a super empowering place for both physical and emotional exhaustion.
When you have over harvested,
Eaten too much,
Accumulated too many things or material wealth,
Or are perhaps too exhausted to enjoy what you have sown,
Then you are ready to let go and enjoy.
This place will offer a little more energy to just take that next step.
The outer edge of the elbow crease,
Large intestine eleven,
Crooked pond.
This is the pond associated with purification and renewal.
Crooked implies the ability to bend and move in different directions.
All of the old waste must be cleansed in order to be All of the old waste must be cleansed in order to be mentally and spiritually free,
Not just what we are comfortable eliminating.
We cannot be truly free and still hold to those attachments to which we feel especially entitled or identified.
This crooked pond reaches those hard to reach places,
Smooths out sharp edges and helps ease the way to rediscover the beauty and clarity within us.
Travelling up the outer edge of the arm towards the shoulder are points twelve to sixteen.
Large intestine twelve,
Elbow bone.
Large intestine thirteen,
Arm five miles.
Both excellent places to consider anything you need to elbow out of your way.
Large intestine fourteen,
Upper arm and large intestine fifteen,
Shoulder bone.
And large intestine sixteen,
Great bone.
It is our arms that allow us to reach out and grasp what is of value to us in the world.
If you find you are holding on too tightly in an unconscious attempt to avoid losing what we value,
Or perhaps find our basic inability to grasp has been weakened by grief,
Loss or longing,
We can consider what we value in life can be lost in direct proportion to the eventual weakening of our grip.
So allow our bear to sit on our shoulders,
The plateau that serves as the interface between heaven,
The head,
And earth,
The body.
As before we can let go of any issue or emotion,
It must first reach the head,
Heaven.
Large intestine seventeen,
Heavenly vessel.
Located on the side of the neck,
Represents that transition from the shoulder up to the heavens.
A deeply spiritual place to reflect,
Empower the virtue of emptiness,
Openness,
And purity,
And diminish any feelings of being tainted or unworthy here.
Still on the side of the neck,
Large intestine eighteen,
Known as a window to the sky,
Support and rush out.
Any imbalance you may have of clinging to the past or longing for the future can be released here.
The neck,
Like a chimney upwards to spirit,
As we release upwards to the heavens,
We can address any dysfunction with our fathers or male role models here.
Forgiveness may be offered,
Whilst not holding on to any attachment of the need to re-establish any relationship.
Finally,
We come to rest at the last two points on the top of the head,
Finally we come to rest at the last two points on the channel.
Large intestine nineteen,
Grain,
Bone hole,
Between the nostrils and the mouth,
And large intestine twenty,
Welcome fragrance,
Located just by the side of the nostril.
The nose is an important connection to our limbic system.
What we smell and taste in life can become clear here.
To inhale deeply allows us to participate fully in life.
Reaching this point on the channel revitalises our capacity to inhale,
And reaching the end of the channel symbolises the end of one process,
And so allowing us to welcome something new.
Now smile the length of your large intestine channel,
Thank your bare spirit,
And remember he reminds us to bravely and courageously let go of anything that doesn't serve us right now.
Smile through the entire channel,
And have a lovely day.
You
