MEDITATING ON THE METAL ELEMENT Cindy Black Founder of Big Tree School of Natural Healing
It s strange but true how meditation is possible - even for someone like me - busy mind, easily distracted, interested in everything, and prefer to move rather than sit. A little at a time - that s my motto. I was a complete failure at the 20 minutes of meditation. So I practiced sitting for shorter times - what a concept! No one would send a person who is new to running out on a 5 mile run for their first try. It s the same for meditation. I was too attached to the unrealistic goal I had set for myself. Failing over and over to get comfortable sitting and meditating supported my growing list of reasons not to meditate. I m not a consistent meditator, but I do my best. Each time that I meditate, I notice how much better I feel - even if it s not as long as I think it should be. Meditating on the Metal Element 1
Making friends with the Metal Element Limits, endings, letting go - no wonder the Metal Element can be a bit challenging! Growing up in the west I learned that growth, expansion, ambition, showing off, and being the best is more valuable than letting go, condensing, allowing, or just being (as in just sitting by a tree, alone, doing nothing ). The Lungs are the Yin Organ of the Metal Element. By focusing on our breath, we immediately contact the Metal Element. Focusing on the breath is a simple meditation that yields profound results. Here is a short audio clip of a guided meditation practice to get you started. Meditating on the Metal Element 2
The Five Elements From Taoism, the basis of Classical Chinese Medicine, I learned about the Five Elements, and the peace and flow that the balance of these Elements offers. The Metal Element correlates to Fall. Fall is opposite of Spring, the Wood Element. It is normal for humans to judge and discriminate. It takes effort to go beneath the judgements that we learn from our family, friends, and society. The reward for the effort of investigating the roots of our judgements is that we are opened up to the resources of all 5 Elements, rather than only the ones we judge as good. Meditating on the Metal Element 3
Without limits we lose focus Imagine all of the sentences in this report without periods or paragraph breaks. Visualize the out of control two-year old running around your house while the parent looks the other way. Imagine continuing to increase in size as an adult the way you did from birth to age 20. The Wood Element corresponds to Spring. In Spring, everything is growing and expanding. The Metal Element corresponds to Fall - the opposite of Spring. In Fall, everything is condensing and quieting down. These two seasons and Elements balance one another. Growth and expansion are captivating, yet these are only parts of the whole story. The Metal Element balances the expansion of Wood. When we witness balance, we witness the radiance of a person who is stabilized within themselves. We then see how they respond to and flow with the people and events around them. Meditating on the Metal Element 4
Acupoint Lung 2 - Yun Men, Cloud Gate Acupoints are areas on the body where we can contact the Qi (energy). By brining awareness to specific acupoints, we can amplify the effects of any endeavor. For meditation, let s add attention to the acupoint Lung 2, which is a key point to activate the Metal Element. LU 2 is used to nourish the Lungs. When we boost the Lungs, we boost the Metal Element, supporting our ability to let go, go within, and breathe. Many people contact the area of LU 2 by holding the shoulder rounded forward. Play around expanding your shoulders away from each other as you inhale deeply. These actions will help to activate LU 2, and keep the Qi flowing through this point. Meditating on the Metal Element 5
How to locate acupoint Lung 2 (LU 2) LU 2 is located on the chest, just below the collarbone (clavicle) at the outer end of the bone. You can see the little dip in the musculature on the picture below - that dip is where LU 2 is located. When contacting LU 2, be sure that your pressure is toward the rib cage and Lungs, rather than toward the arm/shoulder. Massage these points gently while encouraging your client to breathe a little more deeply. As we are able to increase the amount of oxygen and Qi we take in from the air, we will notice increased vitality and energy. Meditating on the Metal Element 6
Plus... Click here to watch a video on How to Locate Acupoint Lung 2 Connect with us! www.bigtreehealing.com