The Spirit of the Small Intestine Acupuncture Channel

"The Small Intestine is responsible for receiving and making things thrive. Transformed substances stem from it."

- Su Wen, Chapter 8

In Five Element theory, each of the five elements has a correlating season and organ system pair. For the Fire element, the season is Summer and the organ systems are the Heart and Small Intestine. All of the body's organs represent "Officials", and each play an important role in keeping us physically, mentally, and spiritually balanced. 

In the Summer, the Fire element organs are the most active and therefore need the most attention and care. Here, the spotlight is on the Small Intestine- one of my favorite channels to use for clearing summer-related heat and dampness, and improving mental clarity, calming the spirit, and supporting digestion and gut health. She is small but she is mighty!

The role of the Small Intestine is to sort the pure from impure. 

This Fire element organ is a bit of an alchemist! It receives material and transforms it, and through the process of separation, sorts what to keep and what to discard. Everything we eat and drink passes through the Small Intestine and is transformed and sorted out through the process of digestion. Nutrients are absorbed into the blood and waste is eliminated. 

The Small Intestine’s ability to separate pure from impure also works on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level. In our fast-paced world, our minds have a lot to sort out! With constant input from 24/7 headlines and social media feeds, we have to be able to sort out what serves us and what does not. We have endless decisions to make and a million ways our choices are being influenced. A healthy Small Intestine system gives us the ability to clearly see our choices and make decisions. It gives us the power to find a way to extract what's good and discard the rest. 

What do we take in and what do we leave out? What should we absorb, what to eliminate? Because the Small Intestine's job is to separate the pure from impure, it also has the important role of discrimination. But as we are constantly faced with so many choices and influences, this can become an overwhelming task for the Small Intestine to take on.

When overwhelmed, the job of the organ Officials become impaired. When the Small Intestine can no longer discriminate, people can become easily confused or indecisive. We can feel ambivalent, and not even be able to see what we are supposed to be choosing from. We can feel mentally foggy, unable to make decisions, or evaluating what to do next.
 

Similarly, the food we take in impacts the spirit of the Small Intestine. When overwhelmed with junk food and empty calories, the Small Intestine struggles to decipher what to keep as nourishment and what to let go of as waste. Our gut heath can become compromised, digestion impaired, and immune system out of whack. 

How can we support the spirit of the Small Intestine?

 The goal is not to go towards extreme purity (of food, exercise, water, spiritual practice, etc), as this also creates imbalances. The goal is to cultivate awareness, listen to our body, and strive for balance in our busy lives. Eating well, self-care, acupuncture, sleep, healthy boundaries, exercise, meditation… any of these practices will help support the spirit and health of the Small Intestine organ system.  

Here are some of our favorite acupuncture points to support the Small Intestine:

Small Intestine 4 (SI-4) “Wrist Bone”: Located on the wrist bone below the pinky finger, the Source Point of the Small Intestine is excellent for strengthening and calming all aspects of the organ. It improves a patient’s well-being and ability to separate pure from impure on all levels. It promotes peristalsis, supports a healthy gut lining, and stimulates the immune system.

Small intestine 5 (SI-5) “Yang Valley”: Located just below SI-4, the Fire point of the Small Intestine channel invigorates the Small Intestine and enables people to acquire greater mental clarity and calmness. It guides appropriate decision making, helping the Small Intestine to separate the pure from impure. This point also aids in digestion and nutrient absorption, and is effective for clearing heat and dampness from the body, 

Small Intestine 11 (SI-11) “Heavenly Ancestor”: Located on the center of the scapula (shoulder blade), this one of the most important spirit points on the Small Intestine channel. This point is used to help clear the internal mental and spiritual chaos of someone who has lost clarity and certainty. This point opens the chest and calms an anxious heart (the Yin organ pair of the Small Intestine). 

References:

Gumenick, Neil. "Spirit of the Points: The Small Intestine". Acupuncture Today, July 2019.

Hicks, Angela. "Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture". Elsevier Limited 2004.

Summer Self-Care from a Chinese Medical Perspective

Hello, 90 degree temps and long sunny days! Whether you thrive in the heat or want to melt away, self-care is essential this time of year.

The transition from Spring to Summer is represented by the wood element moving into the fire element. The new growth and budding energy of spring is now exploding into summer vibrance and abundance! The organ system related to the fire element is the heart, so our summer our self-care routine should support a healthy heart and circulatory system. Acupuncture, essential oils, herbs and nutrition will keep your body in balance during this seasonal transition.

As the Heat Turns Up, Here Are Our Favorite Ways To Stay Healthy:

1. ACUPUNCTURE. Acupuncture quickly and effectively invites change and balance in our body. No surprise here, that acupuncture is our #1 go-to for self-care, especially with regards to seasonal change. Points to balance the "fire element" and boost the health of its corresponding organ pair, the Heart and Small Intestine, become essential during these steamy summer days!

2. HERBAL TEA. The name of the game this time of year is to clear heat, nourish the fluids, and replenish depletion. The Chinese herbal tea blend, Dao Chi San, tackles all three! Herbal iced teas that are RED are also very beneficial. Red is the color of the fire element and red herbs tend to favor heart health! Some of these herbs include hibiscus, rooibos, and hawthorn.

3. ESSENTIAL OILS. As the temperature climbs, cooling oils like peppermint and geranium are excellent summer allies. A drop of peppermint on the back of your neck or chest will quickly clear summer heat and treat summer bugs or heat exhaustion. Geranium is cooling and also nourishes yin, keeping your body and skin hydrated and refreshed.

4. EATING WITH THE SEASON. In the warmer months, our diet should be light, cooling, brightly colored, and hydrating. Now is the time to include more raw food into the diet. Our absolute top favorite for beating the heat is watermelon!

5. STAY ACTIVE. The Wood Element of spring enjoyed some good stretches and lots of walks. Soon, our focus turns to the heart and the fire element. A healthy heart and circulatory system requires regular exercise. Get in some good cardiovascular exercise and try to build a sweat, which helps to cleanse toxins from the body.

6. ENJOY LIFE TO ITS FULLEST. The hot, sunny, long days of summer invite the Fire in us to come out and play. The emotion of the fire element is joy, and its sound is laughter. Hanging out with friends and family, throwing backyard bbq parties, going to the beach or to the ball game supports the social inclination of the Fire element and encourages a happy heart. A sense of humor, having fun, and a good laugh just might be the best medicine!

7. BALANCE FIRE WITH WATER. Not surprisingly, it becomes easy to push our Fire to its limits. Symptoms like fatigue, lethargy, dehydration, insomnia, and irritability are signs that the Fire element needs extra attention. The job of the five elements in Chinese Medicine is to keep each other balanced and in check. It’s important to balance the hot, active, yang energy of the fire element with its polar opposite: the cooling, nourishing, slow, yin energy of the water element. Take time to slow down with a nap, yoga or meditation. Or more literally, get in the water! Connecting with the water element is grounding and helps to keep your fire from flaring and burning out.