Organ Balancing Meditation

© by Solala Towler

Sitting quietly, breathing gently and slowly, from the belly, eyes closed, seeing with the mind’s eye.

Imagine a cloud of light hovering just above your head. It can be a billowy, fluffy cloud, or a sparkling cloud of energy, or whatever other form feels right to you. Feel it floating there, just above your head, for a moment or two.

Then let it slowly sink down through the top of your head, down the right side of your body, to just below and underneath the rib cage, to the liver. Here it becomes a rich green, the green of spring, of new growth, of expansion and free-flowingness. The element is Wood, the wood of plants, grasses and trees. It is the season of spring, of new beginnings, and of outward expansion.

The liver, besides acting as a filter for the toxins in our system, regulates movement within the body. The ability for blood, qi and even emotions to move freely through the system is governed by our liver. So too it governs our ability to move freely through our emotions and our life.

As we meditate, we picture our liver being a rich green, supple and flexible, better able to help us move through the changes in our lives. We picture ourselves as the rich new growth of spring, resilient, strong and supple.

Now the energy cloud moves up to your chest, to your heart. Here it becomes a bright, vibrant red. Red is the color of summer, when all of life is at its peak. It is a joyous, creative time, when the bright sun shines mightily down upon us all. Feel this season in your heart as the red cloud pulses slowly in your chest. The element is Fire, the fire of controlled passion and creativity.

The heart’s job is to keep the blood moving freely throughout the body. It is also the home of the shen, or spirit. It is that which makes us human, that which gives us consciousness.

The negative emotion connected with the heart is hysteria. The positive, which we are emphasizing right now, is joy and creativity. So picture this vibrant red cloud lying lightly on your heart, filling it with joy and purpose, openness and creativity.

Sit and relax for a little bit and allow yourself to feel this deep within you. Remember, in Taoist practice, “qi follows yi,” or energy goes with the mind. Wherever you put your attention is where the energy will go, positively or negatively. This is why it is important to always keep our thoughts positive and supportive so this will be the kind of energy we will not only attract, but create within ourselves.

Next we move down to the left side of our abdomen to our spleen/stomach area. Here the cloud turns to a vibrant, earthy yellow. The spleen element is Earth, its season is harvest time or, as was observed in ancient times, the pause between seasons. It is the grounding force in our being.

The spleen helps our digestion, extracting the qi from what we eat. It also helps us digest our experiences. The negative emotion connected to the spleen is worry or self-absorption; the positive emotion is empathy.

Take a little time here and allow yourself to feel your empathy and connection to the earth and to all living things. Feel the groundedness of your being. Sink your roots deep within the earth; draw up the pure yin qi found there and let it fill you up—from the bottoms of your feet to the top of your head.

Now move the cloud up to your chest and into your lungs. When it reaches your lungs it turns bright white. It hovers there, within your lungs, filling them with vital, healing energy. The corresponding season is autumn, the time when growing things are beginning to close up shop for the long sleep of winter. The element is Metal or Gold (or what the Greeks referred to as Air).

The lungs rule the respiration, our ability to extract oxygen and other nutrients, as well as qi, from the air around us. And they govern our wei or protective qi, guarding us against outside evils or attacking forces like colds and flus. Picture then, your lungs becoming strong and healthy, expanding easily with each breath, sending out the protective qi to all parts of your body, each cell expanding and contracting as you breathe deeply through the belly.

The negative emotion connected with the lungs is grief. It is here we feel our sadness, our loss. And while we acknowledge the importance of connecting to that grief and not denying or suppressing it, at this time we would like to emphasize the positive emotions of courage and the ability to surrender deeply to each moment.

We picture and feel these attributes of courage and the ability to surrender as we see this bright white cloud of energy lying loosely upon our lungs.

Next we move to our lower back, to the kidneys. Here the cloud turns a deep blue/black, almost black. The element is Water, the season winter, the time when earth energy is dormant and deep. The kidney/adrenal area is the seat of our will. It also is the source of our day-to-day energy, the pilot light beneath our furnace.

Here we store our sense of will and determination, our “backbone.” The negative emotion associated with the kidneys is fear. The kidneys are a strong part of our “root” system; here we experience the fear and anxiety in our lives. But now we will instill willpower and the ability to deal with our lives in a positive and creative fashion.

At this point we can sit for a few moments and allow ourselves to breathe deeply into our kidneys, located in our lower back. Each breath fills them with powerful qi so they will be able to hold us up, both in our daily lives and in all our endeavors. Our kidneys are where we store our prenatal qi or jing, which is very important to our physical and mental development. It is also the repository of our generative or sexual energy. Because the very pulse of life starts here, it is important that we work on creating strong kidney energy and not dissipate it through a self-abusive lifestyle.

From here we can go back to the liver and cycle through again or let the energy cloud ascend back up through our head. What we have done here is pay some deep attention to the organ systems that work so well for us, moment to moment. We have thanked them for this wonderful work and we have instilled the positive qualities of courage, surrender, joy, free flowingness, empathy and groundedness and the will to face the changes and experiences in our life positively and creatively—certainly all valuable qualities!

Do this practice daily or whenever you feel a need to get in touch with those qualities that the organs represent. In time you will become sensitized to the health, the vitality and the inner integrity of not only your inner organs but your emotions as well.