Po - The Corporeal Soul

Chinese character for 'metal'

The Po is the spirit of the metal element – most often referred to as the Corporeal Soul – representing our primal urges or animal instinct. The function of the Po is to receive what is of essential worth, and to let go of ideals and experiences that no longer serve us.

Metal imparts minerals to the earth, plants, and all beings. It is strong yet malleable; capable of being remoulded. If it is too rigid, however, it can be shattered. This imagery of metal can be applied to the individual – is their perception of reality fixed and unchanging? Are they open to new experiences, able to let go of the past and move forward according to their life experiences?

The organs of the metal element – the lungs and large intestine – form a connection between the internal and external world. With the lungs we breathe in life's experiences, retaining what nourishes us, and with the large intestine we understand the letting go, discharging what no longer serves us, letting go of past experiences and ideals that are no longer of use to us on our journey. The Po is the spirit in Taoist philosophy that upon death leaves the body and returns to the earth, becoming the fertiliser that encourages new growth.

Greif is the emotion associated with the metal element, the Po and the lungs. Those with a metal constitution which is out of balance may have an inability to let go of what is no longer of value, or may be unable to hold onto what is valuable. This imbalance may manifest itself as a strong presence of grief, or a sense of longing (understood as a grief focused towards the future) leading the individual to continually react inappropriately to loss or gain in their life.

This continual reaction to grief may see the individual become obsessed with a chosen path to the point where discipline, rigidity and emotional coldness towards others are seen as necessary to help them achieve. They may also be susceptible to isolation, a lack of self-worth and loneliness – leading them to seek to fill this void with material possessions or external successes, and not recognising the short-lived nature of such pursuits. Those with a propensity to this imbalance must learn to form a spiritual connection with themselves, and accept that the value placed on the material will inevitably fade and reliance upon these external experiences (whether this be possessions, careers, relationships) as the only source of happiness will only ever be transitory; learning that true contentment will come from within, and not from attachment to the material world.

When in balance the individual will have a healthy sense of self-worth and possess the ability to appreciate what is of value in their life. They are open to change and have an inner sense of knowing of when to let go of ideals that no longer serve them.

The symbol of the flower, often used in Buddhism to represent the transitory nature of all things, is helpful to contemplate when trying to understand the metal element. Representing a need to find balance between appreciating the inherent beauty in all things, yet understanding that this beauty will fade, the flower embodies mourning and letting go when necessary.

Japanese wild flower in Kamikochi, courtesy of my mum

References
* Jarrett, L, 2009, Nourishing Destiny
* Rossi, E, 2007, Shen: Psychoemotional aspects of Chinese Medicine

Yi - The Earth Spirit

Chinese character for 'earth'

Yi is the spirit of the earth element. The earth provides the centre around which the transformations of the other four elements take place. The earth element allows us to establish boundaries in regards to nourishing ourselves and nourishing others. When in balance it allows us to react with a balanced response to feelings of need. Earth constitutional types are prone to living life in terms of the continual fulfilment of needs, and may suffer from either a lack of centeredness (feeling lost, confused) or an excessive centeredness (selfishness). This may manifest as excessive thought, pensiveness and worry on an emotional level. This excessive worry can lead to people caring obsessively for themselves, or so much to the needs of others that their own resources are exhausted. With excessive worry the Yi is weakened, and we have less capacity to move forward and manifest our true path in life.

The Yi is responsible for the emotional digestion of thought, allowing us to process and transform our life experiences in a balanced way. When the earth element is unbalanced, obsessive thought patterns may result and the individual is unable to manifest productive action in their lives, unable to digest and be nourished by their life experiences.

Those with a balanced earth element and Yi are able to meet the needs of themselves and others in a balanced way, resulting in altruistic behaviour. The Confucian ideal of true altruism aligns itself with Buddhism where, expecting nothing in return, the individual is able to care for self and others without attachment to a result. To bring the earth element back into balance, self reflection and meditation to centre the individual brings about the most profound change. For those with an excessive centeredness, meditation that cultivates altruism, such as 'metta' or loving-kindess* will allow the individual a way to take focus off themselves and turn it outwards to others. For those who are exhausting their reserves by obsessively trying to meet the needs of others, guided breathing meditation techniques will help to calm the mind and excessive worry, and teach the individual to reflect upon their life experiences, digesting them in a balanced way that nourishes the self.

References
* Jarrett, L, 2009, Nourishing Destiny
* Rossi, E, 2007, Shen: Psychoemotional aspects of Chinese Medicine
* See Sharon Salzberg's website here

Autumn - Harvest the Spirit

One of our biggest challenges of modern day living is to live harmoniously with the seasons. Urban living often brings with it a disconnect from the energetic changes around us. With watermelon still available at woolies, when it should only be consumed in the height of a hot summer; a testament to how far removed we are from our changing environment. One of the most beautiful things about not only Chinese Medicine, but also other healing arts such as Ayurvedic medicine, is the observation of seasonal cycles and harmonising our own energy with our environment in order to avoid disease and cultivate health.

Autumn is a time to harvest the bounty we grew in summer, and to store and prepare for the winter ahead. Autumn is associated with the metal element, signifying contraction, as opposed to the upwards and outwards movement of summer. It is a time to reflect inwards to the center of our being, to receive what is of essential worth, and to let go of what is not useful to us. It is a time to avoid wind, not only the movement of air, but also any quick sudden changes in your life.

Autumn corresponds with the Lung (fei) system, which dominates the skin, fluid metabolism, respiration, immunity and the emotions of grief and sadness. The dry, crisp weather of autumn makes the lungs more susceptible to disharmony at this time, with symptoms such as a dry throat, dry nose, hair loss, dry and rough skin and dry stools. It is essential to keep warm, protect yourself from the wind, and to eat foods that nourish dryness and the yin aspects of the body.

It is important to transition into eating warmer, nourishing root vegetables, soups and stews. You can start including more pungent foods such as onions and ginger, as well as astringent natured foods such as grapefruit and lemon to prevent the loss of body fluids. I always recommend eating organic produce, not only to avoid harmful pesticides and support environmentally sound agriculture, but simply because you will only ever be able to eat what is in season. Visit your local organic market and see what appeals to your body.

Some foods that are available in autumn - Beetroot, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, kale, leeks, mushroom, potatoes, pumpkin, capsicum, pears, apples, persimmons.

Remember to care and nourish your body and spirit, and embrace the coming season!