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Make space for the lungs To fully inflate during an inhale, the lungs need room to expand. The rib cage lifts and opens a bit upon inhalation, while the diaphragm moves down toward the abdomen. When we breathe, these two actions create space for the lungs to inflate. There is always room for more air!…
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The nose is the sense organ of the Lungs. Every organ system has an associated sense organ. Classical Chinese medicine is more poetic, and writes that these sense organs are the “flowers” of the associated organ system. Since the lungs are all about breathing, it is easy to understand that the nose is the flower of the…
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The Lung and Large Intestine Meridians The Lung and Large Intestine are paired Yin and Yang meridians. The Lung meridian is Yin, it’s Yang partner is the Large Intestine meridian. These two meridians are also categorized within the Metal Element. For any given pairing, the Yang meridian is more often used to clear things out of the…
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Meditation – let’s have some fun! It doesn’t look very fun from the outside – the closed eyes and expressionless faces. You’re sitting in an uncomfortable position, wondering what to do, and hoping not to break the silence with a fart. Add in the somber direction to let go of who you think you are, in order…
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I was thinking about cleaning my closet this morning. The same closet I’ve been thinking about cleaning for months now. My mind wandered to all of the other places I should be clearing out. I watched my mind explode with all of the other things I should be doing today. I felt my throat tighten,…
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Lately I’m lost in fast moving thoughts, agitated by endless “to do lists,” rushing through traffic to get to a yoga class. Catching up with myself this morning, bringing my attention to my breath, a familiar sense of settling slowly seeps into my cells. From stillness I begin familiar movements. But now I am present…
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The function of self healing is often overlooked and under appreciated. How did that cut on your knee heal without you paying any attention to it? What happened while you slept allowing you to wake up the next morning “feeling all better?” We all have a self healing mechanism. It is this mechanism that works…
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Qi is Energy Qi (“chee”) is not a western term. “Qi” comes from a culture vastly different than European based cultures. Although cultures differ, people everywhere in the world wonder about the same things: Why are we here? Where did we come from? What is life? What is death? One answer from Chinese culture is Qi. Qi…
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Normal is what most people are doing. Some of us were born so “not normal” that we were never able to learn how to join the normal crowd. Then we spent years feeling remorse, sorrow, doubt and more challenging emotions wondering why we couldn’t get in line. My path led me to philosophy and spiritual…
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The Metal element is active from 3am to 7am. The Lungs and Large Intestine are the organs associated with the Metal element. Many traditions practice meditation early in the morning during the Metal time. As the Lungs regulate our breath, we can see the wisdom of morning meditation. As we place our attention onto the…
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