how we adapt to the present
and is this the best name?
How about Yin and Yang Motility Vessels?
I love these Vessels because they offer one of the most simplest and powerful ways of enabling us to stay present. This is essential in today’s world. We are often ruminating on our past or projecting into our future and not fully in the present moment, especially at this time of year.
Starting in our feet, they help us to anchor to the earth, to slow down, to feel safe. They also help us mobilise our energies to move away from situations or simply to move our body. They help us shift from one situation to another. Each time we meet a new person, or go into a new room the Yang becomes more activated. As places and people become more familiar we can calm down and can be more Yin. The Yin Vessel helps us to rest and sleep. Both Yin and Yang end at the inside corner of our eyes, BL1 showing how rapidly we can shift from Yin to Yang. Closing our eyes can help us to slow down, reflect and rest and opening our eyes shifts us into activity.
I have created a full video but you may prefer to carry on reading too.
I have also put up a movement practice. This focuses on the resting aspect of the Vessels, since I already have a walking video. In the new one I explore the movements with make as babies and how these support the development of the Stepping Vessels.
Supporting us to stand in the power of who we are, we can stand our ground, regardless of what is happening. It is interesting that the Yin point in the throat ST9 is called “Welcome Human”. We can move between our inner reality of what is important to us, but respond appropriately to the demands of the outer world. Our eyes regulate our sleep/wake cycle (circadian rhythms) and influence our whole body – digestion, elimination of toxins, blood pressure, cortisol activity and changing cycles. When we stop stepping, we may sleep and close our eyes, but our internal systems are still active. This shows that the Chinese understood that our eye is not only an organ of sight but of time, adjusting to light and the time of day and helping to regulate our relationship between our inner and outer worlds.
In order to be fully present, we need to make moment to moment adjustments to our environment. The connection between our eyes, brain and feet expresses the link with our different nervous system responses. Our feet gather information from the outer world and respond to signals from the brain. This will engage our different responses – freeze (dorsal vagus: parasympathetic reptilian), fight or flight (sympathetic: mammal) or the social engagement response (ventral vagus: parasympathetic human). When we rest we are also processing information through our dream and deep rest states as well as supporting all the different systems in our body to rest.
The fastest moving of the Vessels, they act as our first line of response to changes in the outer world. They are the most intimately linked with the 24-hour flow of the 12 channels and their connection to the present.
There is a constant exchange between the Yin and Yang Vessels.
Yin – night-time, sleep, rest, reflection, closing eyes, feet being still, calming and parasympathetic response
Yang – daytime, activity, reaction, opening eyes, feet moving or exploring, mobilisation response, adrenal and sympathetic response
These Vessels are part of what I call the outer family – sometimes known as the “macrocosmic orbit”. I have made a visualisation so you can experience it.
They emerge out of the Inner Family, (our midline Governing and Conception Vessels along with Penetrating and Girdle) as our limb buds start to develop from 4 weeks after conception. The Stepping Vessels relate more to our legs and feet and the Linking Vessels more to our arms and hands. They overlap in our pelvis, GB29, where they join up with the Girdle Vessel and Palaces and Kidneys, and in our shoulders (SI) where they connect to our heart and at the base of our skull (GB20) where they connect with our Brain.
In the womb, they are not as active as the Inner Family. They take on their role more after birth as we start to stretch out our limbs and explore the outer world. When, around age one, we are able to stand on our own and walk, our world opens up. A young child lives very much in the present, not having the same concept of past and future as older children and adults. They are in awe of the world they are discovering and everything is new and fresh. The ancient Chinese liked to say, that if as we age, we can retain the sense of awe, wonder, aliveness, alertness and playfulness and flexibility of a young child, we are truly wise.
Meaning of their Chinese name – Qiao
The left part of the character for Qiao means foot. The two Qiao Mai (Vessels) begin at the feet and connect with the lower limbs. The right part indicates a strong movement rising up from the feet connecting to something delicate at the top. This is the connection between our head/Brain and arms moving as we walk. The character also expresses a sense of rapidity (walking) as well as something rooted.
Affirmation
I am fully present in each moment
I am in a constant state of adaptation (motility) so I can act appropriately in each situation
Mudra
It uses the same fingers as the CV/GV mudra because its paired points are the CV/GV regulating points. If we see our feet reflecting our hands, the little finger is like the little toe (BL) , the thumb is like our big toe which is an earth point Spleen. They are the inner and outer parts of our hands, like our Yin and Yang responding and communicating so we can constantly adapt to changes. By drawing the middle fingers in we touch the HP8 point which is very much like KD1 on the foot. Make a fist and then extend your thumb (L -outer) and little finger (BL). Have your palm facing down to earth.
Activity
Balancing the in breath with the outbreath, balancing rest with action. If you always rush, try slowing down. If you tend towards slowness, try walking at a brisk pace. Practice presence – observing and sensing what is around you.
My resources
I connect you to the daily rhythms of the sun and moon, night and day.
I am the ends of the roots of the tree – sensing and responding to immediate changes in the earth, communicating with other trees and sending information back to the centre.
I am the playful child who has just learnt to walk – I can speed up or slow down depending on the situation. Everything is new and I am fully present in each moment.
I walk on the earth and draw upon her support. I am fully present in my body and aware of the immediate changes in the outer world. With each new step I enter a new reality and adjust my stance accordingly. With each step I transition to new activities or people or places.
I see what is happening in the current moment and I can step forward to meet a new situation or back to get some distance.
My arms move as I walk – helping me to balance, adjust and adapt to each moment.
In moving and stepping I am using my bones to support me: I feel things in my bones. I help to nourish your bones and keep them strong and healthy.
I know when I need to stop walking on the earth and lie down to rest or sleep, and find it easy to make this transition.
I know when I need to wake and be present to the outer world.
Common patterns
There tend to be overactive Yang with underactive Yin and vice versa
Overactive Yang with Underactive Yin
I am constantly on the alert and reacting to changes without having assessed the situation. I find it hard to stand back and to slow down. It is likely that the earth does not feel safe or nourishing for me. I find it hard to go to sleep.
I tend to addictive patterns.
Underactive Yang with Overactive Yin
I am slow to respond to what is happening outside me. I often enter unsafe situations without realising until too late. I find it hard to wake up.
Insert diagrams – in process
Pathways and areas of influence
They start in our heels and travel up through the whole of the legs, pelvis, hips and shoulders to end at the inside corner of our eyes. Most of their points are clustered around the ankles and the head.
Bones, joints and ligaments
Many of their points are on or close to bones. They connect with the joints and ligaments of our heels, legs, hips, shoulders, arms and skull and regulate our tendons which connect the muscles with the bones.
Concentration of points in the feet and the head
This shows the link with our connection to the outer world and the responses of our brain.
Intricately linked pair
Their pathways are interconnected, and they share some points. The Yin has many Kidney points, and the Yang has many Bladder points: Kidney and Bladder are paired in the 12-channel system.
Both end at our eyes and connect with our Brain at BL1. BL1 is at the inside corner of our eye close to the bridge of our nose and our pituitary and pineal glands. The pituitary is a master hormone gland linked with our adrenal and reproductive systems. Our pineal gland produces melatonin which regulates sleep cycles. BL 1(Jing Ming :Bright Eyes) has a strong impact on the hormonal and nervous systems. Both Vessels connect at the throat (ST9 – Welcome Human) and Yang Stepping shares the points ST 1, 3, 4 with the Penetrating Vessel. Through our voice we express our Heart and our connection to the Earth, the present.
I hope you have enjoyed learning about this pair of Vessels with me. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. And if you have any thoughts on the name, I’d love to hear them.
