Establishing and Maintaining Boundaries and Exchange
In this chapter we explore the Lung and Large Intestine channels and their function in body, heartmind, and spirit. Note that these lines constitute Tai Yin and Yang Ming as aspects of the Metal elemental force, located in the arms on the front of the body.
Lung Meridian
Hand Tai Yin
The original name for this channel of energy, “Hand Tai Yin” describes the nature of the energy of this channel and where it lies on the body. This is the greater yin energy as it expresses out through the hands, particularly as it flows from the upper torso, down the arm, and out through the thumb. The Lung channel is the Hand Tai Yin organ network of the body.
Metal
Metal is the term given to the elemental quality of exchange and connectivity. It is also attributed to whatever is considered treasure. The Lung organ network is in charge of the inflow and outflow of treasured substances. On a basic level, it is the very air we breathe. Metaphorically, it relates to life’s gains and losses through our interrelationship with the environment around us. Metal interconnects our world.
3 to 5 am
There are twenty-four hours in a day and twelve meridians. The ancients discovered that each meridian channel had a peak time that correlated the energy of the time of day with the energy flowing in the channel. The hours of 3 to 5 am are considered the beginning of the energetic day. The Lung organ network is correlated to the beginning of our energetic life with the first breath at birth.
Key Functions
Intake of qi, gaseous exchange with environment
Affirmation
I breathe in the pure qi of the universe, nourishing every cell of my being.
The Lung channel of Hand Tai Yin is the yin aspect of the Metal element in the body, and it runs a course from the torso to the hands. The Lungs govern respiration, the primary fundamental rhythm of life’s in-breath and out-breath. As such we can consider it a vessel of exchange with the environment, especially on the gaseous level. On the simplest level, oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide is eliminated through the lungs. Beyond the internal organ system associated with air exchange, the Lung channel also includes the skin. Considered the largest single organ in the body, the skin represents the borders or boundaries of our physical body. Like the internal lung organs, the skin also breathes the air around us through our many pores. If all our pores were to be sealed off, we would die of asphyxiation.
Taking these basic functions as metaphors for intake and elimination on all levels, we see the Lung channel’s sphere of functional influence expanded to include any income or outflow in our lives on all levels—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
With its function and metaphorical understanding in consideration, grasp the image of the Lungs as the manifestation of personal borders. These borders both set us apart from and connect us to the world around us. Let’s spell out in some detail the functions governed and animated by the Lung channel of life energy.
Key Characteristics of Functional Range of the
Lung Channel
Physical
The physical range of functions for the Lung channel all relate to the respiratory organ system and functions; breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide is its most direct life sustaining function. The scientists who lived in Biosphere II learned very well that the carbon they breathed out, became the food they would eat, and the plants that lived in the Biosphere needed to produce enough oxygen in return for them to be able to survive.1 This balance is taken for granted in the greater experience of the climate zones and life across the surface of the earth. But in Biosphere II, a sealed enclosure, it became immediately clear how delicate and necessary it is that this be a balanced exchange. So, inhalation, exhalation, bringing the necessary in and letting the necessary out, is a key physical function of Lung channel energy.
Beyond this respiratory system, the Lung channel also has physical expression in the skin. The skin has actually been proven to be the largest organ in the body. Skin tissue, lung tissue, and the gut’s lining tissue are all made of the same “stuff,” epithelial tissue. This marvelous tissue interfaces between internal and external environments, serving as a “boundary” layer. You might think of it like the borders of a country: at the border, the vital work of commerce and exchange takes place. So the skin becomes somewhat of a customs agent for the body. It is semi-permeable in nature. It lets some things in and some things it keeps out. If you sit in a bathtub you won’t become bloated with water, but you will absorb minerals from the bath. The skin allows the minerals through, but keeps the water out.
The semi-permeable quality possesses a protective quality by extension. The Chinese call this wei qi (“protective qi”) and the Lung channel governs its management. It is the first line of defense against pathogenic influences from the outside world. Healthy functioning of wei qi does indeed keep us healthy in our many common interactions with the world around us.
On the last physical layer of Lung channel governance, we now examine the nasal cavity. The sinuses are entry-level access to the lungs, and we can see in their proper functioning that initial “scrubbing” of the air upon intake. The wei qi here in the sinuses is hard at work. If you’ve ever suffered a sinus infection, you’re acutely aware of what can sometimes be a battle zone between the body and the external world. An important fluid in that battle zone is mucous. Indeed mucous is the bodily fluid governed by Metal to include both the Lung channel and Large Intestine functions. With healthy mucous, wei qi is strong. Look for Lung channel in action any time your mucous membranes are inflamed or challenged.
Psychological, Emotional
As we enter into the psychological and emotional realms of life energy as governed and expressed through the qi channel system, we find ourselves simply in the process of using the physical layers as metaphor for these more ethereal functions. The classical Chinese system correlates the organ networks with emotions, and for the Lung channel we find the emotions of grief and sorrow. Take a moment to take a deep breath and consider your own experience of sorrow. You will notice perhaps quite quickly how strong an effect the feeling of sorrow has on your breathing. Choking, sighing, sobbing, crying, and producing copious amounts of mucous while in abject grief all correlate with one another.
You’ll note that grief is rooted in loss. Loss is a function of exchange with our environment. Someone or something that was once an integral part of the environment we live and breath in has been taken away, and we are left with a hole in our lining, if you will. The place we had come to rely on, lean on, or press up against is no longer there. Sorrow is the result. Our wei qi needs to be reorganized. Our borders, boundaries, sense of a separate and sovereign self, as well as our connection to all that is comes into question.
Here we enter the rich and profound realm of the psychological and emotional layers of the Lung channel function. As an example, a particularly poignant story arose in one of my classes. My students are all given an assignment early on called “Meridians in Daily Life.”
I will encourage you to undertake this assignment for yourself as this journey proceeds. In the assignment, the task is to take one experience from your life that involved some injury to your body and correlate how the injury happened along a given meridian channel as well as the experience you were going through at the time directly correlating to that meridian function.
In the case of the Lung meridian, I recall a direct experience of my own when I had just heard the news that one of my first inspirational teachers had passed away. I was in what I would call a mild level of mourning over the loss. At the time, I was fortunate to be able to receive a shiatsu treatment from a colleague.
As I was receiving the treatment, the practitioner came to the point Lung 6, Maximum Opening, on my forearm. The pressure was exquisite and began to open me up to deeper feelings of grief. I kept asking for more and more pressure on the point.
The practitioner was surprised but agreed. As the pressure sustained and deepened, it took me deeper and deeper into a full experience of the profound loss I was feeling.
Spiritual
We are now brought to the spiritual level of meridian function. At the spiritual level, the Lung channel is concerned with oneness, our connection to all that is, the maintenance of personal space in the midst of the vastness of all space in which we find ourselves, and ultimately the “rightness” or “suchness” of things.
So many times, loss and gain are simply mysterious functions of the universe. The best-laid plans oft go awry, and in such times we are left to surrender into what is so, just as it is no matter what.
This is the Lung channel’s high spiritual function. If you find yourself caught in a dilemma between what is so and what you wish were so, your Lung channel may be crying out for attention.
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1. Central Treasury |
7. Broken Sequence |
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2. Cloud Gate |
8. Channel Gutter |
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3. Palace of Heaven |
9. Great Abyss |
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4. Reaching White |
10. Fish Belly |
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5. Cubit Marsh |
11. Little Merchant |
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6. Maximum Opening |
The Lung Channel Trajectory
The Lung meridian begins at a point one inch below the collarbone (clavicle), just lateral to the second rib. From here it runs up to the clavicle and crosses laterally to the anterior deltoid. It proceeds down the bicep, into the forearm along the radius, and ends in the thumb.
To feel the entire flow of this meridian in one gesture, start with your hands at your sides, and turn them out. Leading with your thumbs, stretch your arms back, opening your chest and looking up with your head. Take a deep breath and fill your lungs with air while stretching the thumbs back and out.
The first point on the Lung meridian, Lung 1, is known by the name of Central Treasury, as we learned earlier, but it also has the alternate name Center of Gathering, a name that along with its significance reveals a deep insight into the place of the Lung in human life. While holding Lung 1 and rotating your arm in a great arc, you will notice that this is the centerpoint of the rotation. Looking closely at this action, it is important to understand that only humans and primates have the ability to move their arms in this way. It is this ability that allows us to gather things. We gather up our young and run from danger. We gather the grain and the foodstuffs. We gather all that is valuable to us, and sometimes even that which it not so valuable. It has been shown that the first invention of civilization was the vessel, or urn, a place to store whatever we have gathered. We gather things, and because we can do so, we can settle down and stay in one place. This is a major feature of civilization that has put us in a unique place among all the species of the earth.
When we look more literally at the physical aspect of the Lung meridian function, the lungs can be considered gatherers of the air we breathe, bringing it into our body/heartmind/spirit for life support. This point is therefore most auspicious; from here we begin our journey of exploring the human form. In the name, Central Treasury, we also see the connected
activity of gathering and dispersing our treasure in our income and expenses. Here, too, is a reflection of the lungs’ functions: inhalation and exhalation, intake and expenditure.
From Lung 1, the channel travels upward one inch to Lung 2, Cloud Gate, just inferior to the clavicle. (The anatomical term “inferior” is used as a point of reference to describe a location that is in the direction of downward or “toward the earth” from the referenced landmark, when the body is standing upright.) One of the major functions of Lung energy is to disperse moisture downward through the body. A long, slow, deep breath epitomizes this sense of downward energy flow the Lung governs. With such a breath we slow down and drop inward. The Cloud Gate opens and down comes the rain. Falling rain is often associated with down and introspective times, and it serves as an appropriate representation of the Lung’s emotional connection to grief.
From Cloud Gate, the Lung meridian turns out and crosses over the anterior deltoid (“anterior” refers to any thing that is in front; the deltoid is the superficial muscle of the shoulder, the one that shoulder pads accentuate) into the arm where it travels down to the thumb. On its way it passes along the lateral (toward the outside) edge of the bicep in a perceptible trough just anterior to the humerus (the upper arm bone). The bicep allows us to pull and hold things and also release and let things go, a function to which the Lung can be related, as we pull in the in-breath and let go of the out-breath. The first of two points along the bicep is Lung 3, Palace of Heaven. The name evokes images of the vital function of the lungs in gathering nourishment from the air around us. The point is also at the level of the breast, the storehouse of mother’s milk that can be used in the treatment of lactation disorders. We see here a relationship between the Lung function of energy intake of air and the intake of food for nourishment. The second point along the bicep is Lung 4, Reaching White. This name is a reference to the Lung meridian’s protective function and its place as the first line of contact with the world around us. The color in the name is also related to the Lung meridian. White evokes images of cleanliness, and the lungs best nourish the body with fresh, clean air.
At the elbow crease we find Lung 5, Cubit Marsh or In the Groove. This point can be seen in the action of snapping fingers. The rhythm of the breath is a most fundamental rhythm of human life. Snapping your fingers in a rhythm gets your breath moving in a rhythmic way as well, replenishing your lungs with fresh and pure qi with each breath.
In the forearm, the Lung channel runs from the elbow to the wrist along the edge where the fairer skin of the anterior surface meets the darker skin of the posterior surface. Often, this is also the hairline or freckle line, clearly marking a place of transition from one aspect of our body to another. The darker skin side of this line is associated with the yang or exterior aspects of our being and the fairer skin side with the yin. The Lung is a yin meridian and as such rides right along the edge of the yin aspect of the arm. Along this line we find Lung 6, Maximum Opening, whose name alludes to the Lung’s function of being an opening for the coming and going of life. Next we arrive at Lung 7, Broken Sequence, a reference to this point’s location, which is slightly deviated from the rest of the line. Interestingly, it is said that energy bursts forth at this point and leaps over to Large Intestine 4, on the next meridian after Lung, thus breaking the flow before the Lung meridian has runs its course.
The meridian resumes its course with Lung 8, Channel Gutter, lying along a stretch of fiber that resembles a narrow passage way. It has depth but is narrow, and therefore is used to treat challenges to the esophagus or windpipe. The name calls to mind the image of moving water effectively from one place to another. This narrow passageway through the wrist is analogous to the relatively narrow transporting passageway of the neck, and it highlights the Lung meridian’s job of transporting energy to the meridian system. The Japanese reflect this analogy in their language as well. The Japanese word kubi is the word for neck, and tekubi, which literally translates as “hand-neck,” is the word for wrist. From this analogy, we can see how points of the wrist may all be used to treat conditions of the neck.
At the point where the wrist meets the hand we find Lung 9, Great Abyss, resting in the hollow distal to the head of the radius, the thumb side bone of the forearm (distal means “further away from the center of the body”), and proximal to the carpal bones of the wrist (proximal means “closer to the center of the body”). This point is used to treat challenges to the thoracic cavity. Rather than a narrow passageway, it is more cavernous, thus the name. Its alternate name, Great Stagnation, speaks to how such pools can become clogged, and indeed this place is likely to experience an excess of stagnant energy. Simply call to mind the feelings in your chest when you have a chest cold or after you have received the heavy news of some great loss in your life, and you can see the range of usages for this point. Also of note is its relation to grip. In times of loss or respiratory distress, there can be an accompanying feeling of weakness.
The Lung meridian continues, crossing the wrist crease on its way into the thumb. If you make a hitchhiking gesture with the arm extended to the back, you get a sense for the overall pathway of Lung energy extending out from the upper chest down the arm to the thumb. And right in the middle of the belly of the thumb muscle is Lung 10, Fish Belly. Here we again observe the phenomenon of a color change line on the skin. The Lung channel rides along this border between the dark and the light, the yang and the yin aspects of the body’s exterior. This skin is stretched in the hitchhiking gesture. It is a gesture of a request for a ride, a connection with another human to gift you a lift and take you from one place to another.
It is characteristic of this gesture that the thumb is used and not the index finger. Indeed, the index finger is used to hail a taxi cab, a gesture that signifies the hiring of a driver to render a service for pay. As we will see as we move along into the next meridian, the Large Intestine, these two gestures are a perfect example of the yin and yang aspects of this life function. The hitchhike gesture with the thumb is yin, a request for assistance. The gesture for hailing a cab is yang, an order for service from a paid provider. In both cases we are getting a ride from one place to another, a task within the realm of influence of the Lung and its partner the Large Intestine having the obligation to connect us with our environment.
One final point remains on the Lung channel before we make our journey over to the Large Intestine. Resting at the base of the thumbnail is Lung 11, Little Merchant. This point just oozes with significance related to how we deal with our treasure. Its full significance is evident in relation to Large Intestine 1, Yang Merchant, found at the base of the nail of the index finger. The gesture of rubbing the index finger and thumb together is used to indicate a wish for pay or that something is quite expensive. And of course the opposing thumb and forefinger is a hallmark of the human form, giving us the ability of fine motor movements and attention to detail. It is also another aspect of the Lung and Large Intestine function, to be concerned with the details.
Large Intestine Meridian
Hand Yang Ming
The original name for the channel, Hand Yang Ming describes the energy of Sunlight Yang as it expresses in the front surface of the human form, specifically related to this energetic quality as it flows from the index finger to the nose. The Large Intestine energy is the physical expression of the Hand Yang Ming energy in the organ system.
Metal Element
As with Lung, Large Intestine is also related to the Metal element. It is the element of borders and boundaries, interconnections with our environment, and things of great value. Whereas the Lung is an expression of the yin aspect of Metal, the Large Intestine is an expression of its yang aspect. The main product of the Large Intestine function is generally regarded as the body’s solid waste, but it is also a valuable product for reproducing nutrients in soil.
5 to 7 am
This time of day is granted to Large Intestine energies; many will attest to this being the time of day when a bowel movement is expected and appreciated.
Key Functions
Elimination of stagnation of qi, material exchange with environment
Affirmation
I eliminate that which is no longer of use to me.
The Large Intestine channel of Hand Yang Ming is the yang channel of the Metal element and traces a trajectory from the hand to the face. It is named after the main organ in the body responsible for the elimination of solid waste. It is also the system responsible for water reclamation and the recycling of a few key nutrients such as good cholesterol. Taking this as metaphor, we can develop an understanding of the Large Intestine channel’s function on all levels of our being. Like it’s yin partner the Lung channel, the Large Intestine governs our boundaries and borders. It is particularly involved in the purging of that which is no longer of use. When it is healthy we see an easy, regular elimination of solid waste; when it is in distress we see signs of constipation or diarrhea. This property can manifest not just physically but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. Letting go and allowing things to pass is a major part of the Large Intestine’s functional range. When waste or whatever is in our life that is no longer useful is not being easily eliminated, it is a sign of imbalance in the Large Intestine function. Below we explore many of the basic functions related to the Large Intestine channel.
Key Characteristics of Functional Range of the
Large Intestine Channel
Physical
The obvious physical function of the Large Intestine meridian is the elimination of solid waste from the body on a regular and timely basis. In addition to the elimination of the solid waste, it’s important to note the as solid stool is forming in the Large Intestine, the Large Intestine is performing the important role reclaiming water from the digested material. In the absence of this healthy water reclamation we experience the watery stools of diarrhea. And if that continues for too long, we can experience dehydration.
Taking these two functions together, the elimination of solid waste and the intake of digestive water into the system, we can easily understand the organ’s relationship to the Lung channel. The inflow and outflow essential to life as conducted by these two channels is their primary physical function in the human being.
Psychological, Emotional
Considering this physical action as metaphor, let’s sketch a picture of the psychological and emotional functions of the Large Intestine channel as well. In doing so, we’ll find the myriad psychological and emotional reactions that contribute to monitoring ones’ environment. Consider the codes, covenants, and restrictions of any gated community or system of governance (to include law and order), and we observe an effort to keep things in order or watch over how affairs are conducted.
We get a sense of stability through the predictability of everyone in an environment following an agreed upon set of rules, standards, ethics, and moral considerations. This is the healthy realm of Large Intestine function in society.
And just like the Lung, the Large Intestine also has its part in grief. Consider the kind of grieving “constipation” or “paralysis” that can set in: the inability to move forward (or at all) due to the heavy and debilitating feeling of loss. Letting go of a major loss makes us feel as though some heavy hand forces the loss upon us, such as in the tragic or sudden death of a child. Experiences like these present themselves as manifestations of energies related to the Large Intestine channel, manifesting in the body as stiffness and lower back aches, pains that lay us low with grief’s heavy burden.
Lighter perhaps than such heavy grief, the Large Intestine also governs all the various daily occurrences of dissatisfaction and disappointment, as well as satisfactions and contentment. Indeed, there is no question that constipation is most unsatisfactory … and that a successful and easy bowel movement can bring a feeling of great relief.
The Large Intestine is very much at play in our state of mind, negative and positive. A happy Large Intestine functioning contributes to a feeling of general optimism whereas a recalcitrant bowel can lead to a deep sense of pessimism and negativity of mind. Keep your colon functioning well, and you may have found one of the key secrets to a happy life.
Spiritual
The spiritual level function of the Large Intestine is no less than the ability to surrender into release and acceptance of the ebb and flow of all conditions. The refrain, “let go and let God” speaks to the high function of Large Intestine at work.
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1. Yang Merchant |
11. Pool at the Bend |
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2. Second Space |
12. Elbow Crevice |
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3. Third Space |
13. Arm Five Miles |
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4. Meeting Valleys |
14. Upper Arm |
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5. Yang Stream (Snuffbox) |
15. Shoulder Bone |
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6. Veering Passage |
16. Great Bone |
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7. Warm Flow |
17. Heaven’s Tripod |
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8. Lower Angle |
18. Support Prominence |
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9. Upper Angle |
19. Mouth Crevice |
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10. Arm Three Miles |
20. Welcome Fragrance |
The Large Intestine Channel Trajectory
From its first point at the tip of the index finger, the Large Intestine makes its way up through the webbing between the thumb and index finger, crosses over and goes through the wrist, up through the elbow, shoulder, neck, and finally into the face ending at the side of the nose, just beside the edge of the nasal opening.
To trace this pathway on yourself, try this easy (if humorous) task: consider how you might wipe a runny nose if you have no handkerchief. You will find that you naturally use the soft, fleshy mound between the root of the forefinger and the thumb to wipe your nose. But you are kneading dough, and your hand is covered with flour so you can’t use it! Instead, you wipe your nose with your forearm (I won’t tell anyone.) Your nose naturally reaches the fleshy mound of the forearm along the brachio-radialis muscle. But wait, you are actually working under the hood of your car and are greasy up to your elbows! Your nose is itchy and beginning to really run, so you instinctively turn your nose to your shoulder, where it reaches the fleshy front corner.
Congratulations, you have just located your Large Intestine meridian line. All of these places along your arm are directly on the flow of the Large Intestine channel. Once you’ve done this exercise, you’ll never forget the location of the Large Intestine’s energy flow in the arm.
We have already been introduced to Large Intestine 1, Yang Merchant, at the end of the index finger. The merchant image helps us understand the place of this meridian in the management of exchange with the outer world. Lung and Large Intestine together make up our border. We need our border to know who we are as distinct from others; to survive we must also interact with others across this border. The border’s nature gives rise to the many transactions of our daily life. In this context, consider the many uses of the index finger, the Large Intestine meridian’s origin. This finger is the one we use when we are pointing something out to others and when we want to emphasize a detail. In this, we see the aspect of the Large Intestine that governs perfectionism: getting things correct down to the last detail. The index finger points the way.
The meridian continues up the index finger through two points at the knuckle and then we find a major point, 4, Meeting Valleys in the soft mound of flesh just before the root of the thumb. This could well be called the “facial tissue” point, however Meeting Valleys has many functions beyond simply wiping the nose. Among its many uses, it provides relief from the pain of toothache, sinus headache, constipation and diarrhea, and general well-being. The name is provocative and conjures images of the mountain pass where two valleys join, each leading down to opposite sides of the mountain. In order for there to be fair trade, the pass must remain functional and clear. This point is used to maintain clarity and facilitate smooth exchange.
If you should find yourself in the unfortunate position of being constipated, having a headache, or in the dentist’s chair, I encourage you to hold this point for a sense of relief. While you hold it, apply steady deep pressure to the point where you really feel the point, and breathe long, steady, slow, deep breaths. Once mastered, the art of accessing the qi flow in the meridian system will give you powerful tools for supporting well-being. This point is an excellent access point to help connect you with the pathway.
From Meeting Valleys, we travel over the thumb joint, up the forearm along the radius bone, and onto the brachio-radialis muscle, called the “carpenter’s muscle.” If you make the action of gripping a hammer and hammering, you will see this muscle bulge up. At a point on the belly of this muscle three finger-widths distal to the elbow crease, we find Large Intestine 10, Arm Three Miles. (This is likely the point you found earlier when your hands were covered with flour and you went to swipe your nose on your forearm.) As the name implies, Arm Three Miles is a point used for endurance and stamina. Working this point will help you maintain your grip and go that extra mile. Implicit in this definition are the functions of holding on to people and things or letting them go when the time is right. This is a major part of guiding the ship of your life in an artful and effective way.
Continuing on, the meridian flows through the elbow joint and up the arm along the humerus to the corner of the shoulder, where we find Large Intestine 15, Shoulder Bone. This location on the body evokes images of keeping your shoulder to the grindstone. Fortitude and perseverance are hallmarks of this point and this meridian. To have intestinal fortitude has long been noted as a virtue of those who have the guts to carry on even in the face of adversity. And this point, Shoulder Bone, speaks not just to the strength of the shoulder to bear burdens (there’s another meridian and shoulder point that has that responsibility), but the rather to the directionality with which we aim our shoulder accurately to cut through the obstacles on the way to our goals.
The meridian now crosses the shoulder at the clavicular-acromial joint, continues over the great trapezius, and through the neck, passing through the sterno-cleido mastoid muscle. It crosses the jaw at the angle of the mandible and ends at the corner of the nose, Large Intestine 20, Welcome Fragrance. To effectively stimulate this point, place the pad of any finger in the depression just lateral to the nostril and under the edge of the bone found there. Angle the finger away from the nose. Now lean your head forward, resting the natural weight of your head on your finger. You will feel an opening of the sinuses with this action. Take a deep breath and smell the roses. The point is the last point on the Large Intestine surface pathway and clearly relates this function to the olfactory sense. Here we can see the strong relationship between smell and our sense of place in the world, yet another example of the way in which we define ourselves in relation to the world around us, a key function of this channel.
1 Kara Rogers, Two Years Under Glass: The First Biosphere 2 Mission. Encyclopedia Britannica Blog, September 26, 2011.