Day 35: Earth Element; Spleen and Stomach Meridians.
Earth grows our food. From that food we get nourishment. From that nourishment we grow. It is the name of the planet we live on, the ground beneath our feet and the connection we not only have to where we live but with the entire universe. Earth provides us with the electromagnetic fields that we need for cell regeneration (PEMF therapies — ask me how) and earth is replenished from the Sun (Fire) and from Lightening striking it about 800 million times a day. Earth is considered a living organism because of its ability to maintain homeostasis amidst chaotic activity. Einstein said, “Look deep into Nature and understand everything else better.”
The element of Earth gives us the primary structure and foundation for our bodies. It grows our food, and our foods are medicines. (Chinese herbal formulas are typically made up of different parts of plants, though sometimes they are minerals, and other things like insect parts. Yeah…). These foods DO NOT include the processed kinds, fried, sugared, etc. but the ones you pull out of the ground, or that eat from the foods in the ground (meats, etc.). But, our soils have been stripped of many nutrients, and that is making us sick. Add stress and worry (the Spleen emotion is over worry and over thinking), and we are wearing ourselves out. How many of you have sleep disorders? Insomnia, can’t stay asleep, tired when waking up…. that would include me and my family, for sure.
The Earth element is the source of all the elements. I stated in an earlier writing that sometimes the Earth element is placed in the center of the star, meaning that after each element passes on, it dips into Earth first — the last 10 or so days of the cycle. Being connected, having a center from which we operate, harmony inside vs chaotic energy, is a description of Earth. Not feeling secure in one’s self is an Earth imbalance and may show symptoms of disorders in equilibrium, equanimity, not feeling ‘grounded’, instability, flightiness, etc. Digestive problems will appear; over-eating, under eating, indigestion, vomiting, abdominal swelling (many people get this but it is my opinion that it happens more in women, especially those who have had babies and have weakened the abdominal muscles — women are constant worriers about their families in a different way than men. I think women produce cortisol more easily than men, and that gathers around the abdomen).
Women who have talked to me about fertility issues, and have checked out all physical possibilities, as have their partners, don’t understand why they can’t conceive. Sometimes the emotions can keep that from happening, such as, they really aren’t ready but feel they need to have a baby. Sometimes both are not on board with the idea. Sometimes it just means that the woman’s body may be under stress and as with the ground/soil, needs replenishing before the planted seed can grow. You just can’t throw a seed in the ground that is stripped of its nourishment and expect it to grow. And, if it DOES grow, it probably won’t be a healthy plant (or child).
I have stated before, we follow the Laws of Nature. Look to these Laws and you will understand that your little being, in the scheme of things, will do the same things as the elements. We may follow different patterns, like, I am prone to breathing issues when it is hot and humid. I have asthma and have had other lung issues as a child. The Spleen energy likes warm and dry. When Spleen energy is weak, it cannot pass nourishing energy to the Lungs; therefore, I can’t breathe properly, and if unchecked, it will produce phlegm in my Lungs. Phlegm is produced by the Spleen, but settles in the Lungs. NOTE: Because we are talking about the energies of the organs, and not so much the physical organs, in Chinese medicine, it means so much more. The Pancreas is associated with the Spleen.
The direction of the Earth is center. The other four elements are the “four corners of the earth”. All forms of meditation and prayer tell us to center ourselves, first. When we are not focused, we cannot even do the things we need to do. We are all over the place. All sorts of disharmonies begin to appear. We need to eat and drink, properly, and at proper times. I am SOOOO guilty of doing this the wrong way. I stay up late, my prayer life gets interrupted by my thoughts, I eat late ate night because I work late, and it is real easy to grab the wrong foods, it they are around. But, I also eat very well. I am a vegetable addict, and I eat a large amount everyday. I can’t get enough of them because I love them so well, but they take time to prepare. I’ve learned a shortcut, though, and that is to spend an evening dicing up many kinds of veggies and throwing them all mixed in a bag and freezing them. Then all I have to do when I am cooking is dump a couple of cups into my pan and I have many of my vitamins and minerals together. Yes, is raw better? Maybe, unless your Spleen energy is weak. It takes energy to breakdown foods, and raw foods take a fair amount of energy to break down. Juicing makes a highly concentrated drink and may not be good for those who are susceptible to diabetes. You have to figure out what works best for you and your life.
The Spleen Meridian begins at the medial side of the big toe, Sp1, and runs along the inside of the foot, turning at the ankle and up the inside of the leg, knee and thigh to enter the abdominal cavity. It connects with the Spleen organ and Stomach and continues on the surface of the abdomen into the chest where one internal branch passes through the diaphragm and on the mid-axillary line, 6 cun below the axilla in the intercostal space at the end of the 11th rib, Sp21, and also connects to the Heart. Another runs through the throat to the root of the tongue under which it “spreads its Qi and Blood”. Pathologies in the Spleen organ can show as abdominal distention, epigastric pain, vomiting and belching, loose stools and sometimes with undigested foods, fatigue, jaundice, stiffness and pain at the root of the tongue. The pathway issues can show as a swelling and a feeling of cold in the area medial to the knee. The legs may feel heavy.
The Stomach Meridian begins where the Large Intestine Meridian ends, by the nose, travels to the Bladder Meridian in the inner corner of the eye, but its’ first point is palpable in the space between the eyeball and the orbital bone, directly below the pupil when looking straight ahead, St1. There it descends to various areas of the face and forehead, and descends through the neck and down to the diaphragm, connects with its organ and down through the abdomen (not in a straight line) to reconnect with the external branch in the groin. Then it runs down over the front of the thigh and over the knee to the outer side and continues through the front of the leg through the top of the foot, and ends at the lateral side of the second toe, St45.
Stomach organ pathologies can be borborygmous, abdominal distention, edema, epigastric pain feeling of hunger, epistaxis, deviation of mouth and eyes, mental disturbances, congested and sore throat. Pathway issues can show as chest pain, pain in the abdominal region, and the lateral aspects of the lower limbs.
A fantastic and very safe herbal formula to replenish the Spleen and help with sleep disturbances is called Gui Pi Tang. You can get it in teapills at Asian grocery stores, or from a licensed acupuncturist. It can be taken long term with no problems unless you have an allergy to one of the herbs. It should not affect any medicines you are currently taking, but it is best to always check before hand. I’ve used it frequently, and was one of the first formulas I took while suffering from student burnout when I was studying Oriental Medicine for several years. Night classes, toddlers at home, etc., and trying to wrap my head around this new way of thinking about things and life.
