Liver and Gallbladder
This week we flow from our water (winter) element to our wood (spring) element. Just as in nature right now, the body naturally wants to wash away and cleanse any stagnation or toxicity from our months of cold and stillness and comes back into balance.
When the liver is not balanced and healthy, we may experience problems with finger and toenails and have blurry vision. Emotionally, blocked liver Qi may cause intense feelings of anger (including rage), frustration and irritation, jealousy, and depression.
When the gallbladder is not balanced and healthy, we may experience early morning insomnia, problems with the eyes, including night blindness, a stiff neck, dizziness, or ringing in the ears or head. Emotionally, we may experience indecision, resentment, or become easily discouraged.
A balanced liver allows us to experience the energies and expressions of kindness, compassion, and generosity. A balanced gallbladder and liver allow us to experience sound sleep; good planning, decision-making, and judgement; and healthy expression of creativity.
To help our body and energy we will use the best Qi self-massage acupoints for cleansing and detoxifying. In our qigong class we’ll practice the wonderful Earth Qigong, which balances the wood element; the tree stance, since the liver in Qigong philosophy is the tree of life; and we’ll begin to work with the dragon, the shamanic animal of the liver. In our Dao Yoga class we’ll also work with the dragon and move deeply into stretches for the side body to open the flow of Qi in the liver and gallbladder meridians.
Spring is a powerful time to practice qigong—to work with life force Qi as nature’s energy ascends and returns rested from the winter’s stillness.
Namaste,
Sandra
© Sandra Tonn