The Pericardium Meridian

Pericardium Meridian – Protector From Negative Emotions

The Heart: It regulates the blood in and out of the heart.

The Meridian: It protects the heart and houses the mind! The Pericardium Meridian is a protective sac that surrounds the heart and acts as a buffer to protect the heart physically from pathogens and psychologically from emotional disturbances. It is also linked to the emotional feelings of love and to the physical act of having sex.

Location: Starts in the middle of the chest. One branch descends to the diaphragm, while another runs along the center of the inner arm. Ends at the middle finger. 

Physical Imbalance: blood pressure problems, circulatory disorders, pain and pressure in the heart area

Emotional Imbalance: manic depression, outbursts of emotions, excessive emotions, withdrawal, perceived hurts

How To Balance: Accept that emotions can be allowed and lived, laugh a lot, experience warmth, expose yourself to things that bring you positive energy and joy,  open your heart, be expressive and vulnerable, tell and live your truth.

How to Balance

*Accept that emotions can be allowed and lived, laugh a lot, experience warmth, expose yourself to things that bring you positive energy and joy,  open your heart, be expressive and vulnerable, tell and live your truth.

The Pericardium does not house an organ; however, it is very important in Chinese medicine. The Pericardium is called the Heart Protector, because it wraps around the Heart and guards the heart muscle from shock or trauma.

Acupressure Point/Massage: *The are many pressure points in the body. This is one example.

The Pericardium 6 is an acupressure point located on the inside of the forearm, about two inches down from the wrist crease, in the middle of the forearm. While it is often used for nausea, it is also a great point to open the chest and the heart, counteracting the contracting energy of anxiety.

  • Press deeply yet gently on each acupoint.
  • hold for a few seconds.
  • Feel slight soreness or tightness at the point of acupressure.
  • Do so repeatedly for 1-2 minutes.

Herbal Therapy/Diet: Herbal remedies are commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of mental and emotional health conditions such as ginseng, St. John’s wort, and valerian root.

Meditation/Mind: Laughing yoga is a popular movement and breathing exercise that aims to cultivate joy, bring out your inner child, and help you let go of daily life stressors. Below is an example how you can do this on your own.

  1. Begin with some deep breathing exercises to relax your body and clear your mind.
  2. Warm up with clapping and chanting – Gently move your body and clap your hands rhythmically while saying “Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha.” Keep your palms flat as you clap, as this is thought to stimulate acupressure points on your hands.
  3. Simulate laughter – Begin with a soft chuckle, then build it up into a hearty belly laugh. Even if it feels a little awkward or forced at first, keep going.
  4. Try different laughter exercises. Playful exercises can help you laugh freely, and let go of any tension or self-consciousness. Examples: Lion laughter: Open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue, and roar with laughter. Silent laughter: Laugh without making any noise. This can often lead to even more giggles because of how funny it feels.
  1. Add gentle movements. To get your body more involved, pair your laughter with simple movements or yoga poses (warrior pose is a good one). Focus on moving your body in a way that feels good. This helps enhance the physical benefits of laughing yoga, increasing circulation and boosting energy.
  2. Wind down by ending with relaxation and breathing. Return to deep breathing, taking long, slow breaths in and out to help calm your body after the excitement of laughter and bring your mind back to a peaceful state.

Physical Exercise: Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from the thing you are anxious about. Choose an activity that you enjoy like walking, stair climbing, jogging, dancing, bicycling, yoga, tai chi, gardening, weightlifting or swimming.

Related Articles

Resources

  1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/alternative-and-integrative-health/two-mindfulness-meditation-exercises-to-try
  2. https://www.calm.com/blog/laughing-yoga
  3.  https://www.katokamassagetherapy.com/understanding-body-meridians
  4. https://www.meine-tcm.com/en/pericardium-meridian/
  5. https://acupuncturistseattle.com/the-12-meridians-of-acupuncture/
  6. https://www.myyogaessence.com.au/blog/yangshengpericardium
  7. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2C2UEVq-rdnepoM9th-GeCCiieXP-2SWghrKpaSkR4/edit
  8. https://creativesoultherapies.com/blog/2016/7/10/exploring-chinese-medicine-the-heahttps://www.wildloveyoga.com/post/the-pericardium-meridian-line#:~:text=The%20Pericardium%20meridian%20can%20be,desires%20of%20our%20true%20self.rt-meridian
  9. https://lieske.com/channels/5e-pericardium.htm