Do you notice how the days get shorter and the dewdrops shining on the grass in the morning? From yang, we move slowly to yin. The season that Chinese medicine calls the late summer has come. How do you keep your balance in this season?
There is still clearly tangible yang energy in the air, the sun's rays give their warmth to the earth. But at the same time, you can feel a downward movement: the branches of plants and trees hang under the weight of the fruit. The gravity of the earth attracts everything.
The late summer belongs to the Earth element. In addition to the late summer, the transition periods between seasons are also called Earth periods. During these transition phases, the body tunes in to the new vibration of the season. Through acupressure on the meridians that belong to the element of Earth - the Stomach Meridian and the Spleen Meridian - you can help your body to tune in to the transition from yang to yin in a simple way. This makes you feel nourished, charged and stable, with both feet firmly on the earth.
In this and the next two following blogs, I discuss in total three acupoints that you can massage yourself or apply as a Do-In or Yoga teacher in your classes. They are acupoints of the meridians that belong to the Earth element, the element of the transition phases that you can associate with picking the fruits (also figuratively), nutrition, stability, support, strength and calmness. When you massage these points regularly, you give yourself and others a relaxed late summer in a very simple way.
Physically it strengthens digestion, so you get more energy. It also gives strength to the muscles and gives energy when your limbs feel too heavy to start moving.
As the Earth point of the Stomachmeridian, Stomach 36 optimally strengthens the Earth qualities, also emotionally. A massage of this acupoint gives a sense of stability and centering.
Spiritually this point gives strength to keep moving or to get moving. Certainly when you experience stagnation in your life or have trouble getting into motion and therefore get stuck in situations that don't feel right, regular massage of Stomach 36 is worth it. The name "Leg three miles" is often explained by the story that in the Chinese army this point was treated by tired soldiers: this gave them energy to march three miles further. Similarly, the Stomach energy gives you the power to continue when you experience stagnation and to recharge with intense fatigue that prevents you from continuing your life path.
Location of Stomach 36: 3 thumb widths (cun) below the patella, 1 cun to the side from the shinbone.
Application: Massage the tsubo on both lower legs for 2 minutes, or until you sigh. You can also hold the point during Do-In exercises: for example, hold it when you roll over your back, so you combine two exercises that provide energy and movement at all levels.
Contraindication: Stomach 36 is not recommended for pregnant women. It moves the energy so strongly that it could initiate the birth. For pregnant women who are past their 40 weeks, Stomach 36 is therefore used in combination with other tsubos to initiate birth.
