Late summer is a time to support your spleen and stomach with seasonal, ripe fruits and slowly cooked root vegetables. If we don’t, we can experience worry, overthinking, joint pain, abdominal swelling, hernias, varicose veins and haemorrhoids.
The Spleen in TCM is all about feeling comforted and supported. If the spleen is weak you will find many prolapse symptoms in the body.
The organ is linked to the Earth Element and Sweet Flavoured foods – so come and watch what foods to eat, which points to press and even practice a Bear Qi Gong move in the video below.
In my last post I shared Spleen 6 Acupressure point – here is Spleen 9 – Yin Mound Spring
Spleen 9 (SP 9) is a powerful point. Its main function in Chinese medicine is to resolve “dampness”.
To find the point put a finger at the inside of your ankle bone and trace it all the way up the midline of the inside of the leg until you meet resistance. Right below the inside of the knee, in that little depression is Spleen 9 and it is typically a bit tender when pressure is applied. The Spleen is associated with the flesh of the body so make sure you are on the fleshy part under and slightly behind the tibia, not on the bone itself.
Dampness is not a normal diagnostic term used in western medicine, but it is actually quite simple to understand.
When the Spleen and the Stomach channels are working together digestion runs smoothly, water and nutrients are well absorbed, and transported so the the body metabolizes food well, transporting nutrients around the body.
When these two organs are not working in harmony, “dampness” occurs. Excess water within the system doesn’t move well and you can experience symptoms such as oedema, swelling, bloating, gas, diarrhoea or constipation, brain fog, sluggishness, difficulty with urination, aching limbs and sore, stiff joints.
In the video above I talk all about the Spleen & Stomach – what strengthens and what weakens, so watch the video below, and you can find more recipes and info in the orange colour chapter in my books.
If you’d like to know more about how the seasons link to your emotions, your organs and the food you choose, enter your email for a free class at the end of the month