Bladder Constellation

Active Time: 3-5pm
Element: water
Fundamental Principle: yang
Season: winter

A bladder is constellating, what now? Remember, still working on knocking down those 12 major meridians accessed in my Inner Constellation work. This is the fourth installment. If you missed the others, go to the Meridian Pathways tab at the top of the blog and catch up so your system can hum this weekend.

Bladder meridian is in charge of storing and eliminating fluid waste. It's extra special because it's the longest meridian in the body, beginning at the inside edge of each eye (remember, meridians are bilateral) and traveling over the top of the head where it's generous enough to visit the brain before continuing to the back of the neck. Here it splits into two branches; the inner one travels to the base of the neck and moves down, parallel with the spine. The other branch moves across the back of the shoulders and then parallels the inner branch, where they both run through the buttocks and knees, continuing down the back of the calves, circling the outer ankles, and finally (geez!) ending at the tip of the little toes. Unless you're a contortionist this one can present challenges to trace, but certainly give it a crack and send me pictures:) It's a yang meridian (probably due to all the huffing and puffing) and most active between the hours of 3-5pm. Its element is water--lovely, liquid bladder.

A pathway for tracing bladder meridian can be found at You Tube. It's a quick, 27 second video of the pathway. To activate by tracing, begin at the inner eyebrow and trace back. In the areas you're unable to reach, connect with your intention, reach back and keep tracing. BL-2 is the acupuncture point accessed in meridian tapping algorithms. It's located on the inside edge of the eyebrow. I love BL-2 for headaches and/or sinus congestion. Weakness in Bladder Meridian may be indicative of urinary disorders, runny nose, neck tension, lower-body pain and stiffness, including the spine and hips, knees and calves. Remember, I want to see those BL tracing meridian moves!

Poetry: The Soul Making Tool

Happy Saturday, IC peeps. I've made a decision to give the meridian constellation articles their own separate blog page (you'll notice the tab at the top of the blog, coming soon:). That way the content rich information can be enjoyed at a more digestible pace as I keep installing new ones through March. For purely selfish reasons, I can then intersperse the blog with creative inspiration. I'm too much in my head these days and need to drop down, down, down, into my writing space. The decision to do a creative piece today was inspired by the late poet, May Sarton (thank you, dear friend, Penelope, for turning me onto her). Here are a few quotes I read this week that got me itching to write creatively again:

"Once more poetry is for me the soul-making tool." Amen, sister!

"...when I am in a state of grace, when the deep channels are open...when I am both profoundly stirred and balanced, then poetry comes as a gift from a power beyond my will."  Sigh and goosebumps.

"The delights of a poet as I jotted them down turned out to be light, solitude, the natural world, love, time, creation itself." I feel a poem coming on, thank you May Sarton, you are a Master....

Movement of the Masters
©Karla Johnston, Inner Constellation.com

Lift, sink,

ebb, flow,

swirl, scoop

the energy.

Watch, guard,

examine, sever,

deflect, absorb

the weakness.

Close, open,

merge, stretch,

draw in, release

the breath.

Life is a dance;

beautiful, effortless when in the current.

Be not fooled by grace.

Complete attention is necessary.

Small Intestine Constellation

Active Time: 1-3pm
Element: fire
Fundamental Principle: yang
Season: summer

This is the third installment on the meridians used in my Inner Constellation work. The first article was entitled Spleen Constellation and the second, Heart Constellation. Today I'll highlight Small Intestine (SI) meridian. The small intestine separates the pure from the impure in regards to food, liquids, thoughts and beliefs. When the small intestine is healthy it's said to recognize and extract goodness from even the nastiest of environments or situations. I think of the SI meridian as the alchemy stream, where one can gain insight on extracting gold from dross.

Imbalances in SI meridian show up as disorders of the ears, eyes, throat, digestive system, habits of over eating, as well as certain mental illnesses. As much as ninety-five percent of the brain's mood regulating chemical, serotonin, is contained in the small intestine. It makes sense that we tend to feel strong emotions like fear and excitement deep in our gut.

SI meridian outline from etouchforhealth.com

SI meridian is a yang meridian associated with the element of fire and most active during the hours of 1-3pm. For a quick boost during this prime time it can be tapped most easily at SI-3, located along the outside edge of your palm. Give this area a few solid thumps with the fingertips of your opposite hand. SI-3 is also referred to as the Karate Chop point. It's the meaty part of your palm where you might "hi-ya!" a board if you felt so inclined :) You can also trace the SI meridian as part of a daily routine, beginning on the outside of your pinky finger and proceeding staight up the arm to the shoulder, dropping back on the scapula, across your neck and up to the checkbone to end at the opening of the ear.

SI-3 (Karate Chop) is the point used whenever one begins a tapping algorithm and is the point tapped when stating the set-up statement which defines the target for treatment. It's a vital point for literally tapping into the gut, seat of emotions and storehouse for the "feel good" chemical. SI-3 is a wonderful emergency point when someone feels overwhelmed. I've seen this point produce an immediate tranquilizing effect.

You might be noticing a method to my meridian tracing madness: Spleen Constellation (9-11a), traces to armpit, where Heart Constellation (11a-1p) then begins and traces to the pinky finger which is where Small Intestine (1-3p) Constellation begins. Connect your beautiful dots back through the articles if you need a refresher. Also, if you wish to shoot ahead, here's a link to a wonderful example of a YouTube Meridian Trace, beginning with Spleen, proceeding to Heart and Small Intestine and tracing the remaining nine meridians. For now, however, we're half-way through the day; next, the evening hours. TTFN.

Heart Constellation

Active Time:  11am-1pm
Element: fire
Fundamental Principle: yin
Season: summer

This is the second installment on the meridians used in my Inner Constellation work. The first article was on the Spleen Meridian. The week celebrating Valentine's Day seems the perfect opportunity to highlight the Heart (HT) Meridian. Interestingly, HT meridian consists of three branches. One travels to the small intestine, another runs upward past the tongue to just under the eye and the third branch crosses the chest and travels down the arm to end at the inside nail bed of the pinky finger. The heart is called "king" of all the organs and governs blood and pulse in addition to mind and spirit. The heart contains its own intelligence, with an electromagnetic current 45-70 times the amplitude of the brain. Our heart rhythms influence the brain waves of those within 8 feet of our center. Imbalances in HT meridian can often present as heart problems and symptoms such as dry throat, heart pain, palpitations, excessive thirst, pain in chest and forearm, yellow eyes and insomnia.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Heart meridian is a yin meridian associated with the element of fire and most active during the hours of 11am-1pm. This is an optimal time to work on HT meridian as part of a daily maintenance routine. For a quick boost it can be accessed at its end point, HT-9, located at the inside nail bed of the pinky finger. Tap on HT-9 for about seven seconds or consider tracing the Heart meridian in its entirety. The Heart constellation is a very easy path to trace--start at your armpit and follow down the medial or inner arm and off your little finger (palm facing up).

I often include HT meridian in algorithms I design targeting physical pain, speech impediments, circulation, insomnia, anger, grief or when releasing and letting go of something that no longer serves. Consider giving Heart meridian a little extra love this week for an especially happy and healthy Valentine's Day.

Spleen Constellation

Active Time:  9-11 am
Element: earth
Fundamental Principle: yin
Season: late summer

For the months of February and March, I'm making a commitment to IC blog readers to offer clear, concise articles on each of the 12 major meridians that are accessed in my Inner Constellation work. We'll be starting with Spleen  meridian. Spleen is a vital immune organ and digestive meridian. It's responsible for transforming food and drink into body fluids, blood and Qi (life force). Spleen is also believed to govern the quality of our thoughts. Some symptoms of imbalance in the Spleen meridian include digestive problems, asthma, bleeding disorders, menstrual discomfort, stiff, swollen or weak limbs, allergies, extreme pensiveness and mental confusion.

World Health Organization
Standard Acupuncture Point

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Spleen meridian is a yin meridian, associated with the nurturing element of earth and most active between the hours of 9-11am. I like accessing Spleen meridian during these morning hours as part of daily Spleen hygiene. For a quick boost, it can be accessed at its end point, SP-21, about 2 hand widths from the concave of the armpit (sixth intercostal space--shown in picture). Tap this spot with finger tips or flat of hand or pressure SP-21 for about 7 seconds. If you have a few extra seconds, consider tracing the SP meridian. Imagine the paths I'm about to describe as invisible lines connecting constellation points in the night sky. Begin at your big toes (SP-1) and move up the insides of both feet and inner ankles. Continue to climb your inside calves and thighs to the pelvis and alongside the outer part of both breasts to end at the underarms (SP-21 mentioned above). Remember the meridians are bi-lateral and are best treated on both sides of the body.

I include SP meridian whenever I construct tailored algorithms for my clients in the following areas: trauma, physical pain, digestion, shame, phobias, anxiety, depression, frustration and addictions. SP-21 is the sole IC point when addressing peak performance and installing positive beliefs.

Hope the tips for working with Spleen meridian prove helpful. Consider tapping SP-21 or tracing the Spleen constellation in its entirety during the morning hours, or contact me regarding a tailored algorithm in the event SP meridian needs some extra attention. Happy tapping!

A Brave Young Woman is Cancer Free!!!

Hello Dear I.C. peeps. I heard the best possible news today--a friend's daughter is cancer free! After many months of treatment she has been given a clean bill of health. The story of this brave young woman correlates perfectly with a notion I've been tossing around of late: the act of transforming the hard knocks life presents. How do we take a devastating situation and turn it toward the good?

My friend's daughter is the perfect example of becoming a "transformer." As part of her Gold Award for Girl Scouts she spearheaded the purchase of over 60 teddy bears for kids receiving cancer treatments at her hospital. She wrapped each one, attached a personal note and delivered them during her most recent visit. She transformed her own cancer experience by bringing joy and hope in the form of  a cool bear for others to hang onto during their treatments. She became a light to others by giving voice to what she was in the process of overcoming.

I remember a dream I experienced, one time when I was going through a particularly hard time. Wise words were spoken to me, and I woke with renewed hope:

"Everything, no matter how devastating, has the ability to be transformed."

The above notion follows two of the Inner Constellation truths:

1) Everything is energy
2) Energy constantly changes form

What in our lives needs transformation? And then, once the areas are pinpointed, how do we do it? Use the young woman above as a model, perhaps do a significant act and become a "transformer"--change the energy, shift it, write a new story: A Brave Young Woman is Cancer Free!!!

Exercising Freedom as an Act of Resistance

Don’t know if you all have been keeping tabs on the protests in Egypt. This Wednesday, January 25, marked the one year start of the revolution that overthrew the country's president and his corrupt regime. Last year, the protesters marched with the slogan, “Down with, down with, Hosni Mubarek.” This week, they repeated a similar cadence but voiced a different demand, “Down with, down with military governance.”  Hundreds of thousands of marchers descended on Tahrir Square, in Cairo, a surprising majority women, who, just weeks before, had been beaten, violated and shamed by the current government’s army. They were back in an unprecedented display, demanding their voices be heard.  The women of the Middle East are my present metaphor for freedom beyond the physical, beyond what can be desecrated and even destroyed. When I watch the Egyptian people, I recognize their North Stars as "freedom", I see them Chart their Courses through their acts of protest and I acknowledge their Arrivals—all in spite of the atrocities they experience, for there is a more enduring Inner Constellation lighting the way. 

Joan of Arc (January’s Freedom Series Heroine) accessed this Inner Constellation as did all individuals highlighted in the Freedom Series posts. How might we be inspired this week to access a state of inner freedom in spite of outside limitations? Sometimes to protest, as the people of the Middle East so bravely do, is the equivalent of carrying a torch of hope. I think of the sonnet by Emma Lazarus (1849-1887), engraved on the Statue of Liberty:

"Liberty" by uploathe at DeviantArt.com

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles....
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"