Spring it in the air! It feels long overdue in the Midwest, where winters are both frigid and dark. With tulips and daffodils slowly making an appearance, the fragrance of apple blossoms and the trees moving quickly from bud to leaf, the seasonal energy is fresh, new and uplifting. Unfortunately, what makes spring so beautiful for many also leads to misery for those who suffer from symptoms of seasonal allergies. According to ACAII, seasonal allergies affect an estimated 40 to 60 million people each year.
When a person inhales the trigger allergen, the body’s immune system reacts with the following symptoms (ordered by frequency):
Stuffy nose due to blockage or congestion
Itching, usually in the nose, mouth, eyes, or throat·
Puffy, swollen eyelids
Sneezing
Cough
Record snowfall years are often associated with hightened springtime allergies; a good predictor to take into consideration. If spring is just hitting in your area, or if you are currently in the middle of the “pollenpocalypse,” these simple exercises will get your energy flowing, settle your overactive immune response and relieve symptoms including headaches, dizziness, congestion and insomnia.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Spring season is governed by the Wood element and arrives on the Wind. TCM has long held the belief that Wind is considered the primary disrupter of one’s health and the precursor to the “100 diseases”, being associated with acute diseases like colds, flus AND seasonal allergies.
“Diseases develop from Wind.”
~Huangdi Neijing, ancient Chinese medical text
The presence of a Wind weakens the system, making the body more susceptible. Given Wind is “light and airy”, the Huangdi Neijing notes “the damage inflicted by Wind affects primarily the top” [of the body], especially the face, skin, sweat glands and lungs. When the body’s defensive capabilities are weakened, a mismatch in the opening and the closing of the pores is created, resulting in the invasion of pathogenic factors causing disease(s) // symptom(s) such as headache, nasal obstruction, painful or itchy throat, facial edema, abnormal aversion to wind and/or perspiration.”1
Within TCM, this bodily influence from the environment is also referred to as Feng Xie, pernicious influence and (my personal favorite!) the 5 influence devils. External wind and Internal wind are the two pathological Winds. External wind is the focus of this post and is equated with the season of Spring, comes from outside and enters the body through unbalanced or vulnerable meridian acupoints. When the Wind comes in contact with these points, they become portals where your vital life energy flows out and the mischievous effects of the external environment flood in. Conditions arising from this state are acute and common, including: influenza, sinus infection, skin eruption(s), sore throat, rash, cough and eye disorders.
Along with introducing a topic that is quite unheard of in western medicine (that a force from the outdoor environment can carry various types of external energies into the body including, dampness, dryness, coldness and heat), TCM provides guidance on common Wind entry points. Fortunately, these points can be used within the Eden Method, allowing you to not only assess but also balance important points without the use of acupuncture needles! In addition, there are several acupoints that are well known for clearing energetic residue (liver, lung, large intestine), which are included in this acupoint protocol.
“When my son was young, we made annual trips to Florida to visit family. We always stopped at Miami Beach for a bit of sun and sand. It was usually quite windy and when we’d return to the house in the afternoon, my son would spike a fever and get colicky. Every. Single. Time.
His body was trying to communicate the energetic imbalance, but at the time I was unaware of the concept of Wind Points and was unable to interpret the message.”
Pause to Calm Flight-Flight-Freeze
Before addressing the Wind and clearing acupoints, it’s critical to STOP the runaway train! When the body is experiencing any type of invasion / symptoms, triple warmer (your body protector) gets over-activated and in turn, spleen becomes depleted.
First, calm triple warmer meridian, by releasing excess energy. Begin by tracing your fingers from the inside of the eyebrow, over the top of the eyebrow to the opening of the ear, up and over the ear and smooth down the neck to your shoulders. Give your shoulders a firm squeeze.
Second, strengthen spleen meridian by either rubbing the spleen neurolymphatic points on the sides of the body, located ~5 inches below the arm pit atop of the ribcage (see diagram below). Or, practicing the Triple Warmer Smoothie exercise.
If these techniques are new to you, take a look at this blog post to learn more.
Point Locations + Energy Balancing:
Governing meridian runs up the spine and therefore has just a single point (see points denoted in white on diagram). All other meridians in this protocol run on both sides of the body or bilaterally (see points denoted in black on diagram).
One by one, locate each point. Using firm pressure rub each point to stimulate the area for 4-5 seconds. Once the point is stimulated, slowly trace several figure 8’s over the point(s).
Lung 7 ‘Broken Sequence’ – Located in the inside of the arm, 2 finger widths above the wrist crease, over the radius bone and in line with the pointer finger
Large Intestine 4 ‘Union Valley‘ – Located in the webbing on the back of the hand, between the thumb and index finger. *DO NOT STIMULATE THIS POINT IF PREGNANT*
Governing 20 ‘Hundred Convergences’– Located at the top, center of the skull
Triple Warmer 17 ‘Shielding Wind’– Located bilaterally behind the ear lobes, on the mastoid bone
Governing 16 ‘Wind Palace’ – Located in the hallow where the top of the spine joins the skull
Gallbladder 20 ‘Wind Pool’– Located on each side of the spine, just below the occipital bone
Gallbladder 21 ‘Should Well’– Located bilaterally above the clavicle in the trapezius muscle (where the neck meets the shoulder)
Governing 14 ‘Great Hammer’ – Located in the base of the cervical spine (C7)
Bladder 12 ‘Wind Gate’ – Located on each side of the spine, at the top level of the thoracic spine (T1)
Bladder 40 ‘Bend Middle’ – Located bilaterally just behind the knees, in the leg crease
Liver 3 ‘Great Rushing’– Located bilaterally on the top of the foot, in the depression about one thumb-breadth from the edge of the webbing between the first and second toes
If you are familiar with energy testing you can energy localize each point and test to see if it shows up strong or weak. If you are unfamiliar with energy testing, a good indicator for assessing the health of any acupoint is tenderness or palpable congestion. Another indicator specific to Wind Points is when just being in the wind causes discomfort or immediate symptoms. When in doubt, simply rebalance all points! This 11-point sequence takes about a minute to complete and you can never “over-do” energy balancing! Continue correcting several times per day for 3-5 days or until any symptoms have resolved. And, once you’ve infused your body and Wind Points with greater energetic vitality, get outside (barefoot of course!) and enjoy having Spring in the air!
Own Your Wellness!
ENERGY BALANCING FOR SEASONAL ALLERGIES
