by Greg Dunn ([email protected])
Aus Acu & Liver Health
One of the most unique and wonderful parts of practicing Yoga is the realisation that you are essentially one and the same with the world, and the universe, around you. Our remarkable spirits, our memories, our physical bodies, our likes and dislikes, our suffering, our renewal – it is always perfect and always part of a greater plan. One of the most challenging parts of Yoga is stepping out of the closed mindedness which is infectious in modern society. The part of our minds which tries to conform to a certain look, or that tells us we should always be happy or we should always be fit and healthy. We were not designed to be controlled, we were designed to be free. Once we realise that to be human is to be imperfect, and to experience setbacks, heartbreak, pain and suffering is ultimately what teaches us and brings us closer to enlightenment, our Yoga journey truly begins.
Resistance to anything will undoubtedly bring frustration, pain and suffering. We even find ourselves resisting pain, rather than simply allowing it to move through us and noticing what we notice without judgement. Pain is intolerable when we begin to compare it to our minds idea of how we should feel. Our own size and shape is never good enough when we mentally compare ourselves to how we once looked, or how we should look. Once again, the burden of control does nothing but squash our inherent nature to self-love and we begin to feel unwell.
So why do we suffer when we are controlled? What is it about our own universe that requires constant change in order thrive? In Chinese Medicine, our body is viewed as a universe which loves movement. Like a river winding and curving through the jungle, our internal systems thrive when fresh, clean water or energy (Prana or Qi) is able to reach the places which require its supply. When this supply becomes interrupted – perhaps the river is dry, perhaps the water is murky and muddy, perhaps the river is blocked – many different systems become out of balance. Our body is forced to decide which system requires the most urgent supply, and which systems can be shut off in order to save what precious energy is left. And, ironically, when the supply is low and the river runs slowly or not at all, what is left becomes almost unusable. Without constant movement the water becomes stagnant, and loses its magical quality.
Humans are almost entirely made of water molecules – which means essentially we are constantly flowing and changing direction at a cellular level. And our own internal rivers, physically our blood and metaphysically our energy, must be kept topped up in order for us to be balanced and healthy. If we lose water, our blood quality suffers. If we have a physical, mental or emotional injury, our energy flow suffers.
As soon as our body loses all or part of its natural ability to flow and change, the organ which usually shows sign of illness first is our Liver. Chinese Medicine states that the Liver is the organ responsible for the free flow of Energy through our entire body, and when our energy becomes stuck, we feel frustrated. Whether it is from an injury preventing us from doing what we love, or someone cutting us off in traffic on the way to work, our body and our mind does not like being told to stop or to slow down. Frustration is almost always a sign that we should be on alert. We should slow down, replenish our energy, and try to let go of as much control as we can. When our Liver is under stress, our ability to metabolise substances such as medications and even alcohol is impaired, and the quality of our blood may not be substantial. The Liver will respond well to gentle movement such as Hatha practice, or even just Pranayama. Plenty of room temperature water with lemon will help soothe the liver and provide the right environment for our internal rivers to begin flowing again and for our frustration to subside.
In our modern lifestyles, frustration is one of the most commonly used words in our language. Many of us believe we are busy, or stressed, but in reality we are simply frustrated. As humans we simply were not nor ever will we be suited to working 9-5 in fluorescent lighting, sitting in front of a computer. Nor were we or will we ever be suited to living a life of constant hustle and bustle. We weren’t designed for shift work, for high speed travel through time zones, for the age of technology. Our human form thrives when we rise and retire with the light of the sun, when we eat from the Earth, and when we have plenty of time for rest and recovery. We require a balance of stress (de-stress and eu-stress), in order to be stimulated, and we require rest relaxation in order to be restored and healed on a regular basis. Frustration leads to physical or mental dis-ease when we are forced to repeat menial tasks day in and day out, or when we feel confined and controlled. Remember, the Liver does not like to be forced against its will and it is essentially the master or directing healthy energy through our entire channel network.
If you notice that you are constantly frustrated, it is quite easy to incorporate Liver-soothing practices into your life. Particularly if you live a busy life, if you work long hours in a still-position such as sitting at a desk or driving a car. Schedule at least 15-20 minutes every day for outdoor activities. If you have a dog, set your alarm a little earlier each morning and do a brisk 20-minute walk. This is called a “Liver walk” and will not only move your blood but also help circulate fresh energy through the meridians of your body to encourage the Liver to relax and let go of old and useless energy. If you take a lunch break each day, try to find at least 10 minutes to sit outside. Take headphones with you and listen to mediation or relaxation music if you work near a busy road. Look up – remember, regardless of where you are, if you are outside all you need to do is look up to find nature. Take long, slow breathes. Drink more water and less caffeine. These small tasks will each help when it comes to your overall level of frustration.
If you live month after month feeling frustrated, eventually the universe will find a way to force you to change paths. You may lose your job, come to the end of an important personal relationship, develop a sickness, or suffer an acute injury. And, the more you feel ‘committed’ to your job, your relationship, or your physical body, the angrier and more frustrated you will be when the universe interrupts your pattern. It is always better to listen to your heart and make your own choices – regardless of how difficult they seem – rather than just waiting and waiting and suffering in silence until the universe throws you a curveball that pulls you out of your rut. If it’s too late, if you have already had a brick wall appear in your path and you are now more frustrated than ever, remember this: the universe only ever directs you back onto your correct path if you have been blindly walking down the road for too long.
Perhaps one of the most effective ways to soothe our Liver is acupuncture. A visit to your acupuncturist will almost always result in two things: a balancing of your Liver energy to release excess frustration, and the opening of the Four Gates to allow the free flow of Qi through our main meridians which supply the Organs. The Four Gates are in fact four remarkable acupuncture points, and, when done together with the right intention and skill, they work the same way as a twenty-minute nature walk, or a thirty-minute Pranayama and Meditation. You will feel released of old emotional baggage, you will have let go of stagnant energy, your digestive system will be in harmony and you will feel energetically rested and refreshed.
For many patients of acupuncture, the Four Gates become one of the most important ways to continually release frustration from our Liver – that is, the Liver Organ (health of blood) and the Meridian (Yin energy which balances our entire Meridian network). Similar to opening a valve, if we regularly allow the Liver to ‘de-stress’, it can help prevent a backlog of stagnant energy and thus take the pressure of the systems that require fresh energy to thrive. When the Liver is tight and frustrated, it is unable to send a free flow of energy (Prana, Qi) to our digestive, reproductive, circulatory or nervous systems. And, we feel mentally fatigued or excessively ‘moody’.
In a world that can seem continually controlling – where we are fed messages and images each day on what we should look like, how we should act, how much we should earn, what we should do and where we should go – how freeing is it when we simply let go of control and let our body be free.
Visit your acupuncturist and enjoy a true surrender to the free flowing energy of a healthy, happy universe and let your Yoga practice thrive with the deep meditation that regular acupuncture treatments nurture.
Dr Gregory Dunn BHSc (Registered Acupuncturist)
Founder and Director Australian Acupuncture Clinics
