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The health of the will is a very big topic for this time of year. Stephen Cowan reminds me that the character for “will” could be translated as will, but it could more helpfully be translated as willingness. How’s your willingness? Let’s start with deceptively simple matters like, “Hi, you’re here. Are you willing to…
NOTE: This post definitely doesn’t work too well as a transcript, so I hope you watch the video. It is worth mentioning that I am not teaching from a chakra-based model. I’m teaching from an East Asian or Chinese medicine model, in which the Heart is considered the center. It’s not just another rung on…
Here’s a quick tonification for your Bladder meridian, into a degree of stateliness and containedness that will not necessarily help increase your energy level immediately like a quick fix, but it will increase your efficiency and your wisdom, such that especially if you are already tired, you will not be shredding yourself further. You will…
There is an important connection between Bladder 1 and your lower dantian, the place in your lower body where you feel your gut wisdom. Let’s take a moment put one hand on our low belly, and with the other hand doing that thing that you see people doing when they’re totally exhausted, with their fingers…
In early October, I gave a short overview of the Five Element sheng (nourishing) cycle and discussed the transition from late summer to autumn (see How Earth Feeds Metal). Now we are coming to the end of autumn when we can most clearly see Metal feeding Water. In nature, it is not always easy to…
In ancient China, autumn was the traditional time of year for the beheading of criminals. In each autumn, in each village, how many criminals were beheaded was relative to the counting up of the stores and calculating how much food we have to take us through the winter. Metal is poised between Earth and Water,…
Autumn is a time when the energy of the season supports us to hone, refine, and pare down—and yet like the loss of the leaves on the trees, this honing and paring down becomes an opening. For instance, I may lose a relationship that I cared about, a job opportunity, or an angora hat that…
Autumn and the Metal element do not exist independently of the other elements and seasons. In the Five Element tradition, each element is said to be the “child” of the preceding element, and the “parent” of the next element. This parent-child flow from season to season is referred to as the sheng (nourishing) cycle. This…
Earth is the element of the center. It is the web of ecology, because it is responsible for the integration of all elements. Thus, it is our capacity for integrity. Without integrity, who are we, and what are we capable of? Eh, not much. And yet integrity is developed as a result of a process…
There is a very big difference between seeking comfort and seeking healing. There’s nothing wrong with comfort; I want to be very clear about that. There is some level of comfort and feeling held that is very helpful for healing. Many times, feeling more comfortable can be a prelude to healing. It’s just that not…
