This is the third part of a three part blog I wrote for a French language website. If you want to read it in French, here is the link.
The first blog introduced you to the powerful energy channels known as the Extraordinary Vessels and discussed how to support our fertility.
The second blog dealt with puberty, supporting menstrual cycles and the quality of our ‘Essence’ or ‘Jing’ in Eastern terminology.
This third and final blog looks at Medically Assisted Reproduction, the difficulties associated with it and, finally, some suggestions of how to work with the Extraordinary Vessels.
Many women who are not able to conceive naturally turn to artificial reproductive technology (ART), which includes in vitro fertilisation (IVF) among its technologies. It is even more important to support women with shiatsu during assisted cycles because it is often a challenging journey. Repeated cycles, especially 4 or 5 without conceiving, lead to fatigue, grief, depression and artificial hormones in the system. Many treatments involve overstimulating the ovaries to mature more eggs than they naturally would. This depletes the Essence emotionally and physically. Shiatsu can help nourish the Essence which is important to nourish the baby and mother during pregnancy.
Shiatsu can also help both partners feel more connected with their bodies, emotions and the potential of their egg and sperm. Quantum physics helps us to understand the impact of our creative thoughts on physical matter. If they are open to it, I get my clients to connect with the fertilised egg when it is in the laboratory as well as when it is implanted back into the mother’s womb. Shiatsu can also help women with the side effects of drugs such as tension, bloating, hot flushes, sickness, tiredness.
What if I can’t conceive?
Some people go through years of trying to conceive naturally, then with ART, and still don’t conceive. Shiatsu can be helpful in supporting us to acknowledge our grief. It can give us the space to find our own rituals of letting go. Sometimes this may even involve letting go of the relationship we were in. I find the Linking Vessels, which regulate longer cycles, enabling us to release what we no longer need, can be particularly helpful. Then eventually the Vessels can support us to move onto dreaming of other projects without children and expressing our creative energy in other ways.
Ways to connect with the Extraordinary Vessels and support your Essence .
TCM works with the whole person and their unique expression of any condition. Although I have given some indications of patterns, each person will respond to them differently. Some of us prefer winter to summer! It is always helpful to work with at least one or more Extraordinary Vessels, however which one(s) will depend on each person.
I have lots of exercises to work with the Extraordinary Vessels and these can be relevant at any stage of life. The most simple is to put a hand over each of your core four organs in turn – your Heart, Kidneys, Palaces and Brain and tune into what they mean for you .
Affirmations to connect with the Essence of each vessel.
See which energy most appeals and do the exercises for those Vessels.
Stepping – I am fully present in each moment.
These are about our legs and how we connect with the earth. Explore standing still, walking, and running like a young child
Linking – I access the wisdom held in my memories and can release anything which no longer serves me.
These are more about our shoulders and arms and how we open up to the larger space around us.
Some wonderful points to hold if you want to conceive are to hold a point in the centre of the palm of your hand, (Heart Protector 8 – Palace of Labour) a point connected to your heart, and then hold a point five thumb widths above your ankle in the middle of your calf – Kidney 9 – the Guest room. This point helps invite new guests into your life – a baby or other creative energies.
Penetrating– I create a nourishing relationship with myself from which I can create nourishing relationships with others.
This helps us grow roots into the earth and find our stability. Focus on the sole of your feet and feel roots connecting to the centre of the Earth.
Girdle – I am stable, I contain, I release.
This is our Girdle – everything between our pelvic floor and our ribs. Move your hips and allow it to flow.
Governing and Conception: I am the source and I connect you to the Source.
They are about the midline of our body, our spine and our digestive system. Any spinal movements are helpful.
