Living attuned to the seasons is a way to keep your energy in balance. As autumn approaches, trees begin to break down the green chlorophyll in their leaves and redistribute the nutrients contained there to their trunk and roots. The leaves, which they can no longer use at that moment, are released.
If you are sensitive, in autumn you will feel the need to turn inward, just like the trees. It is a time to let the experiences that you have gained in the lively spring and summer settle. From this silence, insights will come that will enrich you in the next cycle; the new year.
Through acupressure you can easily help your body adjust to the energy of autumn. This way you can help yourself to let go. This can affect larger themes, such as mourning. But also smaller themes, and simply help you to take more rest.
In the following article I discuss three acupoints that you can treat yourself, or apply as Do-In or Yoga teacher in your lessons. They are points of the meridian of the Lungs and of the Large intestine, which together belong to the element of Metal; the element of autumn, letting go, processing sorrow and regaining strength. When you treat these points regularly, you give yourself and others an (even more) flowing autumn in a very simple way.
Lung 1 is a tsubo that gives space to breath, personal power and the strenght to process emotions.
Physically, this tsubo gives breathing space. When you suffer from a cold and regularly massage Lung 1, you help to transform the mucus in the lungs, so that you cough less and recover more soon. When you open Lung 1 by massaging this area, you also allow the energy of the Livermeridian to flow through.
You'll notice this Emotionally. The meridian of the Liver ends just below the chest. From there, the energy flows to Lung 1. If you reinforce this flow by massaging Lung 1, you will find that you are less likely to get annoyed. In addition, Lung 1 helps to deal with grief. All emotions can linger in the body. You park them, as it were, when they are too intense to fully feel the mat once. Through acupressure you can help yourself to gradually experience and process emotions. Even if you feel melancholy because it is autumn, this point softens and relaxes.
Spiritually, you'll experience more inspiration when the energy flows without obstruction along Lung 1. This is due to the deepening of your breathing. Through your breath you take in "energy from heaven". This is a type of energy that is well known in Chinese medicine. When you absorb this energy adequately, you experience personal strength and self-confidence.
Location of Lung 1: Below the collarbone in the first space between the ribs. Near the shoulder head; 6 cun (the width of your thumb tip is called cun) from the centerline. Application: Massage this area until you inhale deeply.
