So, I haven't written on here in a LONG time. But I am ready to start again, so I will be writing on here once a week. I will include articles about Reiki, Zen Shiatsu, Massage, health and wellness, etc. I am open to any suggestions, comments, questions for posts or articles. Thanks and I look forward to serving you!!
Nick Kidawski, CMT
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Life Cycle of the Amoeba - Stage Six
Stage Six - Choice of Direction
The final stage of the cycle is also the preparation for a new cycle. The amoeba has so far learned to exchange Ki with the Universe through it's border, to go forward to find nourishment and assimilate that nourishment, to save itself from danger, to adapt to changing environments and to live in community. The metabolic functions which which have evolved in parallel with these developments have ensured a reserve stock of nutrients and energy, but how to put them to best use?
It is the asking of the question, as much as the answer, which constitutes Stage Six. The Liver and Gall Bladder are the meridians involved, and they are at the sides of the body, enabling us to turn from one side to the other in order to weigh up the possibilities of different courses of action. It is easier to visualize the human body in this situation than the hypothetical amoeba embodying the horns of its dilemma as it wonders which way to turn.
The metabolic activities of the amoeba in its cycle so far have built up a store of nutrients in reserve for this moment, and according to Masunaga it is the Liver which stores them, and the Gall Bladder which distributes them. At lease in part, therefore, this theory accords with TCM, which has the Liver storing the Blood and ensuring the free-flowing of Ki, and with psychological fact, which is that the liver stores glycogen for energy, iron and vitamins, and that the gall bladder distributes bile. Thus in all three systems the combined activity of the Liver and Gall Bladder relates to storage and distribution of some kind. In Zen Shiatsu however, the principle energetic functions of these two meridians is to decide when to store and when to release these nutrients from storage for distribution around the body.
In Oriental medical tradition, the Liver is connected with planning, the Gall Bladder with decision making. If we use the military wording traditionally associated with these "resolute organs" to make an analogy; the Liver can be compared to a general, marshaling reserves according to long-term strategy, and the Gall Bladder to an officer in the field, making moment-to-moment decisions on the deployment of those reserves, based on the current situation.
The area of life in which these plans and decisions take effect is that of action, any action. The nature of the Liver and Gall Bladder energy is to decide upon action, ideally in order to express the life plan of the being at a given moment in time. The catchphrase for this stage in the cycle refers to the moment just before the decision to take action is made, while the options are still open; it is "irresolution".
The final stage of the cycle is also the preparation for a new cycle. The amoeba has so far learned to exchange Ki with the Universe through it's border, to go forward to find nourishment and assimilate that nourishment, to save itself from danger, to adapt to changing environments and to live in community. The metabolic functions which which have evolved in parallel with these developments have ensured a reserve stock of nutrients and energy, but how to put them to best use?
It is the asking of the question, as much as the answer, which constitutes Stage Six. The Liver and Gall Bladder are the meridians involved, and they are at the sides of the body, enabling us to turn from one side to the other in order to weigh up the possibilities of different courses of action. It is easier to visualize the human body in this situation than the hypothetical amoeba embodying the horns of its dilemma as it wonders which way to turn.
The metabolic activities of the amoeba in its cycle so far have built up a store of nutrients in reserve for this moment, and according to Masunaga it is the Liver which stores them, and the Gall Bladder which distributes them. At lease in part, therefore, this theory accords with TCM, which has the Liver storing the Blood and ensuring the free-flowing of Ki, and with psychological fact, which is that the liver stores glycogen for energy, iron and vitamins, and that the gall bladder distributes bile. Thus in all three systems the combined activity of the Liver and Gall Bladder relates to storage and distribution of some kind. In Zen Shiatsu however, the principle energetic functions of these two meridians is to decide when to store and when to release these nutrients from storage for distribution around the body.
In Oriental medical tradition, the Liver is connected with planning, the Gall Bladder with decision making. If we use the military wording traditionally associated with these "resolute organs" to make an analogy; the Liver can be compared to a general, marshaling reserves according to long-term strategy, and the Gall Bladder to an officer in the field, making moment-to-moment decisions on the deployment of those reserves, based on the current situation.
The area of life in which these plans and decisions take effect is that of action, any action. The nature of the Liver and Gall Bladder energy is to decide upon action, ideally in order to express the life plan of the being at a given moment in time. The catchphrase for this stage in the cycle refers to the moment just before the decision to take action is made, while the options are still open; it is "irresolution".
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Life Cycle of the Amoeba - Stage Five
Stage Five - Circulation and Protection
Sudden attack is not the only danger threatening the amoeba; it has a day-to-day struggle to adapt to the environment, temperature changes, pollutants, and other outside influences. We to need to shield ourselves from the same factors as well as from unwelcome intrusions into our emotional space. Stage Four is the impetus that saves our backs; Stage Five is the provision of constant protection for the different layers of our being. Coexisting in a group is a form of protection, and yet this to requires adaptation. Each being in a group has it's own individual identity and function; and yet it also needs to extend its consciousness outwards to make contact with others and contribute to a group identity. We therefore need social and emotional mechanisms which can both extend the influence of the core self and withdraw it for greater protection when necessary. The Triple Heater and Heart Protector, currently not considered in TCM as having any major energetic identity, embody these mechanisms in Zen Shiatsu theory. The Triple Heater protects the surface from the hazards of the environment, including the influences of other personalities; the Heart Protector forms a "lining" so to protect our emotional core.
These two zones of our energetic being, mentioned in the Chinese classic the Nan Jing are physically embodied in the arrangement of the meridians. If we adapt an enclosed protective posture, sitting with our knees raised, our head lowered and our arms crossed over our knees. the extended meridian of the Triple Heater is visible in its entirety, protecting our whole body surface. The Heart Protector meridian, on the other hand is invisible to an observer, but visible to ourselves, since it forms the "lining" of the enclosed capsule formed by our protective body posture.
In TCM the main function of the Triple Heater is to distribute the Source Ki and circulate fluids and that of the Heart Protector to assist and protect the Heart.
The psychological system which best approximates to these functions is the circulatory system and Masunaga's catchphrase for this stage of the cycle is "circulation and protection".
Sudden attack is not the only danger threatening the amoeba; it has a day-to-day struggle to adapt to the environment, temperature changes, pollutants, and other outside influences. We to need to shield ourselves from the same factors as well as from unwelcome intrusions into our emotional space. Stage Four is the impetus that saves our backs; Stage Five is the provision of constant protection for the different layers of our being. Coexisting in a group is a form of protection, and yet this to requires adaptation. Each being in a group has it's own individual identity and function; and yet it also needs to extend its consciousness outwards to make contact with others and contribute to a group identity. We therefore need social and emotional mechanisms which can both extend the influence of the core self and withdraw it for greater protection when necessary. The Triple Heater and Heart Protector, currently not considered in TCM as having any major energetic identity, embody these mechanisms in Zen Shiatsu theory. The Triple Heater protects the surface from the hazards of the environment, including the influences of other personalities; the Heart Protector forms a "lining" so to protect our emotional core.
These two zones of our energetic being, mentioned in the Chinese classic the Nan Jing are physically embodied in the arrangement of the meridians. If we adapt an enclosed protective posture, sitting with our knees raised, our head lowered and our arms crossed over our knees. the extended meridian of the Triple Heater is visible in its entirety, protecting our whole body surface. The Heart Protector meridian, on the other hand is invisible to an observer, but visible to ourselves, since it forms the "lining" of the enclosed capsule formed by our protective body posture.
In TCM the main function of the Triple Heater is to distribute the Source Ki and circulate fluids and that of the Heart Protector to assist and protect the Heart.
The psychological system which best approximates to these functions is the circulatory system and Masunaga's catchphrase for this stage of the cycle is "circulation and protection".
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Life Cycle of the Amoeba - Stage Four
Stage Four - Flight from danger
The amoeba has now reached the stage where it is able to sustain itself and to respond to other stimuli in the environment. The most pressing of external stimuli is danger, and encountering danger is the next phase of development. Let us imagine that, an evolutionary aeon further in the primordial soup, an amoeba is under attack from a predator.
The urge for flight is perceived in the back; here we have a momentum away from a given source of stimulus, whereas in Stage Two, that of desire or appetite for something in the front of the amoeba, the movement was towards it. The Bladder and Kidney meridians embody the urge for flight, and these are the meridians of the back. This strong source of movement originating from the back provided Masunaga with the key word in his catchphrase describing the activity of this stage "impetus".
The amoeba has now reached the stage where it is able to sustain itself and to respond to other stimuli in the environment. The most pressing of external stimuli is danger, and encountering danger is the next phase of development. Let us imagine that, an evolutionary aeon further in the primordial soup, an amoeba is under attack from a predator.
The urge for flight is perceived in the back; here we have a momentum away from a given source of stimulus, whereas in Stage Two, that of desire or appetite for something in the front of the amoeba, the movement was towards it. The Bladder and Kidney meridians embody the urge for flight, and these are the meridians of the back. This strong source of movement originating from the back provided Masunaga with the key word in his catchphrase describing the activity of this stage "impetus".
The Life Cycle of the Amoeba - Stage Three
Stage Three - assimilating and integrating nourishment
At the end of Stage Two, the desired object has been drawn in and broken down into usable form, but it has not yet been assimilated. Stage Three is the absorption of the desired object into our own identity; it is the process by which a cheese sandwich, say, becomes Joe Everyman, or in this case Joe Amoeba.
The two meridians which represent this process are the Small Intestine and the Heart. The Small Intestine absorbs nutrients; it assimilates in order to nourish the core of our individual selves, our consciousness, which in Eastern tradition is housed in the Heart. By this means each being, whether amoeba, armadillo or human, is able to absorb what it needs from the environment in order to maintain presence, awareness, and function in the world. According to the needs of each being, it assimilates what is appropriate: food, sense impressions, information, belief systems, and emotional input. It cannot assimilate what has not been broken down and processed, which is why the Stomach and Spleen must accept and process everything beforehand.
The movement of energy in this plane is inwards, and the meridians involved are on the inner surfaces of the limbs, when we stand in the anatomical position. The catchphrase for this stage is "assimilation into the central core". The cycle of energy has now reached its central point, the Heart, the core of identity. The movement of energy in this first half of the cycle, since the amoeba first differentiated itself from its environment, has been directed towards bringing nourishment to the center.
At the end of Stage Two, the desired object has been drawn in and broken down into usable form, but it has not yet been assimilated. Stage Three is the absorption of the desired object into our own identity; it is the process by which a cheese sandwich, say, becomes Joe Everyman, or in this case Joe Amoeba.
The two meridians which represent this process are the Small Intestine and the Heart. The Small Intestine absorbs nutrients; it assimilates in order to nourish the core of our individual selves, our consciousness, which in Eastern tradition is housed in the Heart. By this means each being, whether amoeba, armadillo or human, is able to absorb what it needs from the environment in order to maintain presence, awareness, and function in the world. According to the needs of each being, it assimilates what is appropriate: food, sense impressions, information, belief systems, and emotional input. It cannot assimilate what has not been broken down and processed, which is why the Stomach and Spleen must accept and process everything beforehand.
The movement of energy in this plane is inwards, and the meridians involved are on the inner surfaces of the limbs, when we stand in the anatomical position. The catchphrase for this stage is "assimilation into the central core". The cycle of energy has now reached its central point, the Heart, the core of identity. The movement of energy in this first half of the cycle, since the amoeba first differentiated itself from its environment, has been directed towards bringing nourishment to the center.
The Life Cycle of the Amoeba - Stage Two
Stage Two - satisfying needs
In the first stage of the cycle, the amoeba is unaware of any particular needs. The functions involved - those of establishing ourselves as a separate entity and exchanging Ki with the universe - are so vital that we do not feel a craving to perform them; we simply cease to be, as a separate entity, if they stop.
In the second stage, once an individual identity has been established, needs arise. The most basic need of any life form is for nourishment. In the case of the amoeba, let us imagine that it espises some particularly tasty food molecule before it in the primordial soup. Its actions then are to bulge itself forward (in biological terms, to put out a pseudopodium) to reach what it desires, then to enfold it and begin to break it down into a digestible form.
The two parts of this phase of the cycle represent the activity of the Stomach and Spleen meridians. The Yang or active energy of the Stomach embodies the appetite factor, the perception of a need and the movement towards satisfying it. The Spleen performs the Yin function of drawing in and enfolding the object of our need; it also breaks it down into usable form. The object can be anything that we perceive as being necessary for our well-being, even our survival - anything, in other words, for which we hunger. It may be information, love, approval, possessions or status that we crave, as well as food. The Stomach hungers and pursues; the Spleen establishes possession, embraces and breaks down. The activity in this phase of energy is all at the front, the perception of an object of desire outside ourselves, which attracts us to move forward till we have grasped and enfolded it, is acted out by the Spleen and Stomach meridians, which are at the front of the body. The catchphrase for this stage in the cycle is "obtaining nourishment and digestion".
In the first stage of the cycle, the amoeba is unaware of any particular needs. The functions involved - those of establishing ourselves as a separate entity and exchanging Ki with the universe - are so vital that we do not feel a craving to perform them; we simply cease to be, as a separate entity, if they stop.
In the second stage, once an individual identity has been established, needs arise. The most basic need of any life form is for nourishment. In the case of the amoeba, let us imagine that it espises some particularly tasty food molecule before it in the primordial soup. Its actions then are to bulge itself forward (in biological terms, to put out a pseudopodium) to reach what it desires, then to enfold it and begin to break it down into a digestible form.
The two parts of this phase of the cycle represent the activity of the Stomach and Spleen meridians. The Yang or active energy of the Stomach embodies the appetite factor, the perception of a need and the movement towards satisfying it. The Spleen performs the Yin function of drawing in and enfolding the object of our need; it also breaks it down into usable form. The object can be anything that we perceive as being necessary for our well-being, even our survival - anything, in other words, for which we hunger. It may be information, love, approval, possessions or status that we crave, as well as food. The Stomach hungers and pursues; the Spleen establishes possession, embraces and breaks down. The activity in this phase of energy is all at the front, the perception of an object of desire outside ourselves, which attracts us to move forward till we have grasped and enfolded it, is acted out by the Spleen and Stomach meridians, which are at the front of the body. The catchphrase for this stage in the cycle is "obtaining nourishment and digestion".
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Life Cycle of the Amoeba
This is an excerpt from Shiatsu Theory and Practice by Carola Beresferd-Cook and tells the story of the principle movements of energy (through the meridians) present in all living things. She uses the example of an amoeba and how it goes through life. As a side note, the meridians are not where they are because the ancient texts say so; they are where they are because of their energetic function. So, without further adieu...
Stage One - making a border and initiating exchange
If we imagine the beginning of life on this Earth, as is it still conventionally taught, we much envisage what used to be called the primordial soup. In this rich brew of amino acids and life- supporting nutrients, life appeared, as we are told, perhaps through an electrical impulse from lighting. The simplest life form came into being, one cell, more or less primordial soup with a skin around it. This is the firs stage of existence, the establishing of an individual identity, separate from the rest of the universe, yet coexisting with it. Masunaga (the creator of Zen Shiatsu) called this energetic action "making a border"; we could also call it the establishment of an identity structure. The border is what separates the amoeba from the universe, and yet it must be a permeable border, allowing exchange of Ki (energy) with the universe; the amoeba will die if it is a sealed unit.
In the human organism according to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), the Lungs rule the skin, which is our permeable border. The Lung and Large Intestine meridians are on our anatomical, forming the "outside" of our outline if we stand with the palms facing forward in the anatomical position. The Lungs and Large Intestine represent the functions of intake and elimination through that border, bot equally necessary for the replenishing of our supplies of Ki; we cannot take in if we do not let go. The catchphrase for the stage in this cycle is "intake of Ki and elimination".
Stage Two - satisfying needs
In the first stage of the cycle, the amoeba is unaware of any particular needs. The functions involved - those of establishing ourselves as a separate entity and exchanging Ki with the universe - are so vital that we do not feel a craving to perform them; we simply cease to be, as a separate entity, if they stop. In the second stage, once an individual identity has been established, needs arise. The most basic need of any life form is for nourishment. In the case of the amoeba, let us imagine that it espises some particularly tasty food molecule before it in the primordial soup. Its actions then are to bulge itself forward (in biological terms, to put out a pseudopodium) to reach what it desires, then to enfold it and begin to break it down into a digestible form.
The two parts of this phase of the cycle represent the activity of the Stomach and Spleen meridians. The Yang or active energy of the Stomach embodies the appetite factor, the perception of a need and the movement towards satisfying it. The Spleen performs the Yin function of drawing in and enfolding the object of our need; it also breaks it down into usable form. The object can be anything that we perceive as being necessary for our well-being, even our survival - anything, in other words, for which we hunger. It may be information, love, approval, possessions or status that we crave, as well as food. The Stomach hungers and pursues; the Spleen establishes possession, embraces and breaks down.
The activity in this phase of energy is all at the front, the perception of an object of desire outside ourselves, which attracts us to move forward till we have grasped and enfolded it, is acted out by the Spleen and Stomach meridians, which are at the front of the body. The catchphrase for this stage in the cycle is "obtaining nourishment and digestion".
Stage Three - assimilating and integrating nourishment
At the end of Stage Two, the desired object has been drawn in and broken down into usable form, but it has not yet been assimilated. Stage Three is the absorption of the desired object into our own identity; it is the process by which a cheese sandwich, say, becomes Joe Everyman, or in this case Joe Amoeba.
The two meridians which represent this process are the Small Intestine and the Heart. The Small Intestine absorbs nutrients; it assimilates in order to nourish the core of our individual selves, our consciousness, which in Eastern tradition is housed in the Heart. By this means each being, whether amoeba, armadillo or human, is able to absorb what it needs from the environment in order to maintain presence. , awareness and function in the world. According to the needs of each being, it assimilates what is appropriate: food, sense impressions, information, belief systems, and emotional input. It cannot assimilate what has not been broken down and processed, which is why the Stomach and Spleen must accept and process everything beforehand.
The movement of energy in this plane is inwards, and the meridians involved are on the inner surfaces of the limbs, when we stand in the anatomical position. The catchphrase for this stage is "assimilation into the central core". The cycle of energy has now reached its central point, the Heart, the core of identity. The movement of energy in this first half of the cycle, since the amoeba first differentiated itself from its environment, has been directed towards bringing nourishment to the center.
Stage Four - Flight from danger
The amoeba has now reached the stage where it is able to sustain itself and to respond to other stimuli in the environment. The most pressing of external stimuli is danger, and encountering danger is the next phase of development. Let us imagine that, an evolutionary aeon further in the primordial soup, an amoeba is under attack from a predator.
The urge for flight is perceived in the back; here we have a momentum away from a given source of stimulus, whereas in Stage Two, that of desire or appetite for something in the front of the amoeba, the movement was towards it. The Bladder and Kidney meridians embody the urge for flight, and these are the meridians of the back. This strong source of movement originating from the back provided Masunaga with the key word in his catchphrase describing the activity of this stage "impetus".
In TCM the kidneys provide the impetus for all of our actions, functions, and metabolic processes. If the impetus fails or slows, all body functions slow down; and as a result stagnation can set in, or residues build up. The Kidneys thus provide an impetus which purifies by maintaining the flow and movement. The Western physiology, the purification of the blood is the main function of the kidney organ, while the flight or fight resp once is the domain of the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys. The catchphrase for Stage Four, "purification and impetus", thus fits equally into both systems.
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