How To Effectively Balance Your Metal Element This Autumn

Is your metal element out of balance?

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 5 element theory, metal is related to autumn. It’s considered the ideal time for releasing and cleansing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Releasing opens up space for creativity, joy and energy!

Lung and Large Intestine are the two organs that represent the Metal Element. The muscle correlations are as follows:

Lung: Anterior Serratus, Diaphragm, Middle Deltoid
Large Intestine: Hamstrings and Fascia Lata

Signs of imbalance can be characterized by energy blockages causing related muscles to weaken or ‘unlock’ when being tested. Various physical and emotional symptoms may also be experienced. See the emotion list below.

LARGE INTESTINE – Metal Element

LUNG – Metal Element

Physical signs of lung imbalance are characterized by respiratory challenges manifesting in colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma etc. Large Intestine imbalances are primarily related to digestion and intestinal issues. Fatigue is often present with Large Intestine imbalance.

Grief, guilt and regret are 3 main emotions associated metal. Not processing negative emotions lowers energy and affects our immune system. Getting sick can be one of the ways our body attempts to get our attention. Releasing negative emotions, enlarges our capacity to experience deeper love, joy and fulfillment.

Metal imbalance questions:

• Can you breathe and speak easily?
• Are you able to let things go in order to reach your goals?
• Do you feel inspired to enjoy life and reach your goals, or do you feel constricted?
• Are you holding on for dear life to things you no longer need?
• Are you feeling depressed, negative, or overly stubborn and rigid?
• Are you experiencing fatigue, coughing, colds, asthma, sore throat, constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal pain?
• Do you cry when it’s not appropriate?
• Does it feel like you are the one who has to do it yourself?

After pondering the above questions, you may want to try some of the techniques listed below. Balancing metal energy this autumn can help you feel courageous, determined, decisive, and organized! Physical and emotional symptoms may settle down or disappear all together!

Tips for self-balancing the metal element:

Environment:
Schedule time to de-cluttering your life. Purge your life of things you no longer need/use. Don’t be perfectionist and wait till you have a whole day. Take baby steps to get going. Set the timer and chip away in 30-60 minute increments. Give yourself credit and celebrate any progress you make.

Relationships:
Identify the people in your life that give you energy. Who drains you? Consider letting go of certain relationships or at least minimizing your exposure to the more challenging ones. You’re responsible for your choices. Your needs count too!

Emotional:
Tap acupuncture point Stomach 1 located directly under the eyes on the cheek bones while reading through the emotion lists. Some of the words will feel significant and others not. Repeat the significant words or while tapping until you feel the negative emotional charge defusing. Say “I release depression, I release indifference, I release grief, guilt, etc.” as you read down the list tapping. When you finish the negative list, do the same with the positive list except switch to “I choose….”. i.e. “I choose joy, I choose letting go, I choose self worth, enthusiasm etc.”

Emotional Stress Release (ESR): An alternative is lightly holding your frontal eminence points in the middle of your forehead performing the Touch for Health level I technique called Emotional Stress Release. Simply read through the word list in the same way as above. Ponder and release the negative list, then switch to choosing the positives. You can read more about Emotional Stress Release here.

Physical:
To focus on balancing the physical aspect of Lung and Large Intestine metal energy, rub the corresponding neurolymphatic points shown below. (shown in the diagrams below) 15 to 20 seconds or until the tenderness subsides is usually sufficient. The pressure to use should be comfortably uncomfortable. Imbalance is often characterized by tenderness.

Attending a Touch for Health workshop will teach you the skills to detect and correct imbalances throughout the body involving physical, nutritional and emotional aspects.

You can also schedule a professional Touch for Health energy balancing session with Terri. Mention this blog and receive ½ off a 90-minute session.