Do you have trouble receiving? A hug, a compliment, an invitation?

In the Five Element cycle the Earth phase is Late Summer, it represents support, holding, nurturing, nourishment, receiving and abundance. It gives us the ability to nurture ourselves and others. The Earth element comprises the Stomach and Spleen meridians and share the role of digestion. Just as the stomach accepts food and drink on a physical level, the same process is reflected on a mental and emotional level. The stomach also helps us decide what is good for us to consume and discerns what should be digested and what should be rejected.

Symptoms such as a dry mouth, stress and tension in the jaw muscles causing clenching and teeth grinding at night, bleeding gums, bad breath, indigestion can be due to a stomach imbalance. Other symptoms can be nausea, vomiting, headaches, hiccups and excessive burping caused by rebellious Qi or Qi flowing upwards. Healthy Stomach Qi needs to flow downwards but sometimes Stomach Qi can become rebellious when it starts to flow in the opposite direction and rejects the nourishment it needs.

Trust enough to receive…
On an emotional level, when we lack trust in the earth or in our ability to be nurtured, it can cause anxiety and worry. Due to this lack of trust it becomes difficult for us to receive and as a result we try to exert control or take care of everything on our own. It can affect those who didn't receive the nurturing they needed during childhood. The rejection of food or nurturing can also lead to eating disorders such as anorexia.

Try to reduce worry
The emotion of worry is associated with the Earth element, it tends to knot the Qi in the stomach. When we worry about things in the future, it changes your body chemistry. When you worry, your body sees you worrying and thinks this is the mode you're most comfortable in. The body co-operates with your thoughts so for example if you're worried or thinking about about a disease, that disease will come see you. If you worry about the worst things that might happen in the future, they're the things that often happen.

Try to reframe into positive affirmations by trusting that all is well and will work out in the best positive way works best for your body, health and wellbeing.

Helping your Stomach Qi

1. Eat small meals more often rather than big meals in big intervals.
2. Do not overeat, but don’t stay hungry either. Sometimes if you feel hungry you may be thirsty instead so drink some water.
3. Chew your food slowly to help the Stomach break down the food easier. Only focus on your meals so your focus is just on digestion and not watching the telly.
4. Connect to the earth by grounding. Feel your feet on the ground and breathe up the earth Qi into your body up through your legs into your lower belly. Then breathe out from your stomach, down your legs back into the earth. Again it's about trusting the earth to support and nurture you.

If you’re struggling with digestive issues or any of the symptoms above, Shiatsu is a wonderful treatment to receive and feel nurtured, supported and cared for to bring back balance in the Stomach and Spleen energies.

Book in with Sarah and get your digestion back into balance