Understanding Meridians - Part I

Meridians are pathways of positive and negative energy that flow throughout the body. In order to maintain health, it is essential that the body´s energy flows in a continuous and unobstructed manner.

Specific acupuncture points exist along the meridians, which are electro-magnetic and consist of small palpable spots that can be located by hand. These points are responsible for the connection between the positive and negative meridians and functions of the body, which include the internal organs and muscles.

Around 500 acupuncture points have been mapped and used for centuries to improve health and bring balance to one´s life.

Energy or Life Force is called "Chi" in Chinese, "Ki" in Japanese, "Prana" in India, and in the Christian tradition, the energy of life force is synonymous with the "Word of God" by which all things were made.

The Meridian System

The meridian system is formed of ten Organ Meridians, two Function Meridians and two Midline Meridians. They are named for the life function with which they are associated and in most cases, the meridian name is the same as that of the name of an organ with which we are familiar.

Function Meridians

• Triple Warmer - Yang - related to the thyroid, adrenals, temperature control, immune response, survival responses. When it is balanced, the person expresses strong vitality, is centred, focused, has high principles, has a regulated metabolism. The opposite expresses poor reasoning faculties, lack of commonsense, is lazy, unfocused, hopeless, panics, has burnouts and hysteria. 

•  Pericardium - Yin - related to circulation and hormones. When it is balanced, the person expresses emotional security, is able to defend himself, enthusiastic, harmonious, warm, protected, relaxed, calm, generous. The opposite expresses insecurity, feels defenceless, is defensive, despairing, gloomy, jealous, stubborn, surrenders to illness easily.

Midline Meridians

• Central Meridian or Conception Vessel - related to the brain. It is a storehouse for the Yin meridians and it houses the feminine energy of being. When it is balanced, the person expresses balanced pursuit of objectives, conception of new ideas, is focused, connected to the life path, serene, thinks clearly, speaks with authority, is comfortable with success, has high spirits. The opposite expresses obsession, depression, mania, unable to meet challenges, wounded inner child, perfectionist, agitated, relentless, workaholic.

•  Governing Meridian or Governing Vessel - related to Nervous System. It is a storehouse for the Yang meridians and it houses the masculine energy of doing.  When it is balanced, the person expresses strong will power, has regulated energy, intuitive hearing, inner authority, clear perception, has high trust in life´s processes. The opposite expresses lack of willpower, stubborness, vacillating energy, fatigue, indifference, recurrent negative habits, addictions, feels unsupported.

Organ Meridians

• Stomach Meridian - Yang. When it is balanced, the person is socially graceful, well-organized, coordinated, sticks at things, stable, productive, has faith, is relaxed, is satisfied, calm, self-reliant. The opposite expresses disorganization, incompletions, poor judgement, insecurity, dissatisfied, dependent, self-doubt. Physical signs of imbalance: eczema, arthritis, rashes, asthma, food reflux, gas, burping, acid digestion, stomach ulcers, hayfever.

• Spleen Meridian - Yin. When it is balanced, the person is responsible, has good humour, is fully presented, is grounded, receptive, caring, creative, supportive, stable, centred, has even distribution of energy. The opposite expresses depression, no sense of humour, needy, ungrounded, obsessive, selfish, tired, confused, over-protective, worrier, cynical, feels rejected, obsessive fixations. Physical signs of imbalance: middle ear infections, food allergies, fatigue, fluid retention, obesity, diabetes, poor fat digestion, craves sweet food.

• Heart Meridian - Yin. When it is balanced, the person feels prosperous, has good memory, is joyful, feels at one with all, passionate, confident, loving, secure, warm-hearted. The opposite expresses lack of joy, lack of vision, depression, anxiety, feels poor, low self-esteem, shy, lack of self-love, forgetful, insecure, forgiveness issues. Physical signs of imbalance: palpitations, dizziness, bleeding gums, high or low blood pressure, poor circulation, poor memory, heart attacks, insomnia.

• Small Intestine Meridian - Yang. When it is balanced, the person is calm, courageous, confident, good listener, decisive, wise, able to nurture oneself. The opposite expresses mental confusion, nervousness, unable to face fears, irritable, always agitated, sadness, restless, over committed, exhausted. Physical signs of imbalance: mouth ulcers, cold sores, constipation, diarrhoea, pre-menstrual tension, abdominal bloating, dark circles under eyes, indigestion.

• Bladder Meridian - Yang. When it is balanced, the person is able to release harmful emotions, sure of oneself, resourceful, definite, adaptable, peaceful, reflective, courageous, confident. The opposite expresses: deep depression, storage of toxic emotions, explosive emotional outbursts, crying spells, fearful, exhausted, impatient, frustated. Physical signs of imbalance: bladder infections, cystitis, urine retention, sciatica, bedwetting, prostate symptoms.

The next 5 Organ Meridians will be showed to you on the next posting.

I have to say thanks specially to Robbi Zeck for her beautiful work in the book The Blossoming Heart - Aromatherapy for Healing and Transformation, from which I took the above information!

References:

1. Zeck, Robbi, The Blossoming Heart -Aromatherapy for Healing and Transformation, 2008 Australia: Superprint
2. Thie, John, Thie, Matthew, Touch for Health, 2007 California: DeVorss Publications

Understanding Meridian Energy Therapy

Meridian Energy Therapy started to gain so much attention after its huge success in the early 1980s.

It is a revolutionary healing therapy which uses the body´s energy system to treat psychological problems such as fear, anxiety, phobias, traumas, agression, guilt, shame, etc.

Meridian Energy Therapy works directly on the meridian system in the body and instead of using needles as in acupuncture, it stimulates the major meridian points by tapping on them or massaging them lightly.

Dr. Roger Callahan researched and created the original Meridian Energy Therapy, namely Thought Field Therapy.

According to his theory, a person who suffers from, lets say fear, has a disturbance on his thought field and his/her present emotion is not the result of a trauma lived in the past; and every mental disturbance is associated to one or more energy meridians. In order to release the negative emotion (fear) it is necessary to "repair" his/her thought field. Using Thought Field Therapy through tapping on the meridians, not only the thought field will be fixed, but the correspondent blockages on the meridians as well.

Variety of METs

In recent years, due to the extraordinary success of MET, therapists coming from different fields came up with different meridian energy techniques.

In the US, Gary Craig, a Stanford Engineer, designed and developed EFT or Emotional Freedom Techniques. He came up with the idea to just tap all the meridian points for every presenting problem, so whichever point or points were the correct ones, they would always be covered by default.
His protocol was known for its user friendly, easy design, which brought thousands of professionals and lay people to get to know the wonderful benefits of using Meridian Energy Therapy on their daily lives.

According to Craig, the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the bodys energy system.

In Germany, Rainer and Regina Franke developed MET according to Franke. According to their theory, "all negative emotions are caused by an energetic blockade in the energy system of the body and by smooth tapping of certain meridian points these blockades can be solved permanently. Harmony, relaxation, serenity are the result of a natural energy flow in the meridians".

References:

1. The AMT Online
2. Meridian-Energie-Techniken nach Franke - Klopfen Sie sich frei!
3. Franke, Rainer, Franke, Regina, Sorgenfrei in Minuten, München: Integral 2009

Meridian Energy Therapy - The beginning of Energy Psychology

 

How it all started

Meridian Energy Therapy was first developed by the US psychologist Dr. Roger Callahan in the early 1980s. Callahan was specially interested in treating the irrational fear found in diverse phobias, which turned people´s lives into a torment.

Since traditional Psychology was not bringing his patients the desired outcome, he started to learn Kinesiology, another method designed to relieve energy blockade developed by the US Chiropractor George Goodheart.

By that time, Callahan had a patient named Mary, who suffered since she was a child from water phobia. She was not able to take a shower or a bath, she could not see the rain or any picture of water on the TV without being in total panic. Symptoms like nausea, stomach pain and sweating were present even if she thought of water. Dr. Callahan´s progress on her treatment based on traditional Psychotherapy, was able to bring her to sit in front of the pool, but without looking at the water.

One day, knowing that Mary´s fobia brought her always severe stomach pain, he asked Mary to tap gently with her finger a point right under her eye. This point corresponds to the stomach meridian. And the result was almost unbelievable: Mary left the room, ran to the pool and started to play with the water and shout: It is gone, Dr. Callahan, it is gone!!!

This was the beginning of Meridian Therapy and after more than 20 years, Mary has no fear at all of water.

References: Franke, Rainer, Franke, Regina, Sorgenfrei in Minuten, München: Integral 2009

Bon Lloc - Vegetarian Restaurant in Palma de Mallorca

I am finally back to my blog and this time I would like to write about a fabulous vegetarian restaurant located in the heart of Palma de Mallorca.

Bon Lloc is owned by Juanjo Ramírez and it was opened in Palma in 1986, a time when vegetarian food was not so known by most people.

But things have changed since then, and today people are looking more after their health, choosing better what they eat and looking for natural and organic food whenever they can.

Bon Lloc offers fresh food from the local market only at lunch time, and Juanjo Ramírez sets one special and different menu every day. The visitor has two options to choose from and the menu, which consists of three dishes and a desert, costs 13.50 Euros per person.



This great vegetarian restaurant is opened Monday to Saturday, offering lunch from 13:00 to 16:00.

You will find Bon Lloc at Calle Sant Feliu 7, Palma, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. The telephone for contact and for reservations is +34 971 718 617.

If you are in Palma looking for a delicious, tasteful, natural and fresh meal, then you can not miss Bon Lloc. I was there once and I come back every single week.

And please, take a look at their beautiful website: Bon Lloc Vegetarian Restaurant in Palma.


Photos are property of Bon Lloc

Flor de Sal Mallorca

Flor de Sal Mallorca

Flor de Sal is also known as “the salt of the sea´s blossoms”.

The idea of creating a gourmet and high quality salt came from Katja Wöhr, a German talent who was raised in Switzerland and is a Mallorcan of choice.

Once, Katja Wöhr saw farmers in southern France skimming salt crusts with meditative movements. That was it, the idea was born.

This incredible and tasteful salt is harvested from the salines of Es Trenc near Campos, Mallorca. These man-made salt lakes in the reserve nature are not accessible to the public and sea water is pumped up from the Es Trenc Bay, far from the swimming zone. The salt´s cleanliness is certified by the government, what makes Flor de Sal a high quality natural product.

Flor de Sal consists of highly concentrated salt crystals, which contain almost 20 times more magnesium, as well as higher concentrations of potassium, calcium and micronutrients. And the best about Flor de Sal is that spices are added to the salt giving dishes that gourmet and delicate touch. You will find Flor de Sal mixed to rosemary, blossoms of rose, thyme, blossoms of hibiscus, pulverized Greek calamata olives, and so on.




All Flor de Sal products are sold exclusively in delicatessens and used in gourmet gastronomy.

In Germany, you will be able to order them online through Gourmondo.de Flor de Sal.

On Mallorca, you can find all Flor de Sal specialities at gourmet stores, El Corte Inglés and also at Fet a Sóller.

I definitely recommend Flor de Sal to all people that love cooking and would like to add something original and delicate to their dishes.

References: ABC Mallorca - Katja Wöhr - Flor de Sal Mallorca

Rose Essential Oil

Rose otto (Rosa damascena) is also known as Summer damask rose, Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose, Attar of rose, Otto of rose.

Jennie Harding describes Rose Otto as delicate, enriching and encouraging.

Cultivation

Otto means “oil” in Bulgarian, and the city of Kazanlic in Bulgaria has been one of the most important sources of rose essential oil since the 20th century. Now Rose Otto is cultivated mainly in Bulgaria, Turkey and France, and similar types are grown in China, India and Russia.

Chemical components

Mainly citronellol (34-55 per cent), geraniol and nerol (30-40 per cent), stearopten (16-22 per cent), phenyl ethanol and farnesol (0.2-2 per cent), with many other trace constituents.

Safety data

Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing.

Therapeutic properties

Rose Otto has several therapeutic properties and indications:

• Antibacterial
• Antiinfeccious: acute and chronic bronchitis, asthma, mouth ulcers
• Antiinflammatory: blotchy skin, gingivitis, conjunctivitis
• Astringent
• Cicatrizant: mouth ulcers, skin problems, sprains, wounds
• Neurotonic: debility, depression
• Sexual tonic: frigidity, sexual debility

Plant characteristics and essential oil extraction

Small prickly shrub between 1 metre and 2 metres high, with pink, very fragrant blooms with thirty-six petals and whitish hairy leaves.

The pure oil is extracted by water or steam distillation from the fresh petals and the concrete and absolute are extracted by solvent from the fresh petals.

Oil characteristics: a pale yellow or olive yellow liquid with a very rich, deep, sweet-floral scent.

Personal notes on Rose Otto

Rose Otto is a very expensive oil, but it is money well spent. I would avoid the rose absolute (obtained by chemical extraction) since it is more likely to cause allergic reactions due to the presence of solvents.

In skin care, Rose Otto is largely used for dry, aging skin and it can help in many other dry skin conditions. Since it has anti-inflammatory properties, rose essential oil is also recommended for sensitive skin.

In Chinese medicine, Rose Otto is a slightly cool and yin oil and it is used to lift the spirits and relieve depression.

Rose Otto combines well with:

• Carrier oils: apricot kernel, avocado, borage, calendula, hazelnut, hypericum, lime blossom, argan oil (my favorite for skin care).

• Essential oils: clary sage, geranium, lavender, palmarosa, and/or cypress (for dry, aging skin), and with chamomile, lavender, patchouli, and sandalwood (for sensitive skin).

References:

• Price, Shirley, Price, Len 2007 Aromatherapy for Health Professionals UK: Elsevier
• Lawless, Julia 2002 The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils UK: Thorsons
• Jean Cousin, Pierre 1999 Facelift at your fingertips UK: Storey Publishing

The village of Deiá and La Residencia Hotel

I took some time off today and visited (again) one of the prettiest villages of Mallorca: Deiá.

Deiá is situated between the sea and the Tramuntan mountains and you can get there either through Sollér or Valldemossa.

Deiá was once residence of famous artists, poets and writers, as Robert Graves(1895-1985), and it has become today a well-stablished artist community.

The village has only 600 inhabitants, who are proud of their gorgeous home and of the beautiful hotels situated there.

One of the prettiest hotels I have ever visited (just for a coffee and cake!) is La Residencia. You will not find anywhere else something like La Residencia; it is charming, luxurious and yet relaxed, romantic, totally original and has a great service. If you can not afford staying at the hotel, just go for a coffee and cake. It is totally worth it and you will not regret any penny spent there!

Check out their website and just be inspired by the atmosphere. Have fun!