August 23, 2016: Yin Yoga Spleen Meridian

August 23, 2016:

My Wild Unknown Tarot card for today is the dreaded Three of Swords.  In this deck, the Three of Swords presents a somewhat unconventional yet equally unpleasant image: the three Swords are bound together by a long red ribbon, tangled and wrapped around the blades to the point that it seems they will never be freed.  And those red smudges . . . blood?  Is the ribbon red because of those smudges?  The red of the ribbon and the black hole of the background are frightening, and they suggest pain and isolation, and maybe even betrayal (someone had to sneak up on those blades and tangle them up with the ribbon).  But I’ve recently been looking at Swords stuck into the ground as offering the concept of ownership, and if that is so, these three Swords, pointing upward, hint that things have gone out of control here.  Yes, there may be pain, and isolation, and maybe even betrayal.  But these are Swords!  If I own them, if I accept that this is an uncomfortable situation, and then grab the Swords and take control, I can slice away the ribbon that binds, and wipe off the red smudges.  I still have pain and isolation and betrayal, but actively attempting to sort things out might be a good next step.

I’ve already talked about the Summer/Fire meridians when I first started working with the Great Work and Haftorang, so I guess I will talk about the Winter/Earth meridians here.  They are the spleen (the Yin meridian) and the stomach (the Yang meridian).  First, the spleen.

Besides the element of Earth and the Winter, the spleen is associated with stillness, damp, worry, overthinking, transition and balance, and the subconscious and conscious mind.  The spleen is connected to digestion and fermentation, the reproductive system, and rhythms of all kinds.  The spleen clots blood and creates tissues of all kinds, and is said to turn food into energy.  The meridian begins at the big toe and travels up the inside of the ankle, and continues up the inside of the calf, knee and thigh and into the body, passing through the stomach, heart and spleen, and ends up at the root of the tongue. 

An imbalance or blockage in this meridian can cause general stiffness, weakness or sluggishness, loss of appetite, or a distended abdomen.  Most of my favorite Yin poses help to keep this meridian in good working order, including all variations of Dragon, Sphinx and Seal, and my favorite, Cat Pulling Its Tail.  Yes, there is actually a Yin pose called Cat Pulling Its Tail!