In a first session, it is wonderful to begin the session in a seated therapist-to-client format to have the opportunity to attune to each others' nervous systems and to introduce the Somatic Experiencing® stabilization tools and techniques. It is in this way that we can discover together what may be most helpful for your unique nervous system to feel more settled and be able to move into self-regulation. This creates the foundation for increasing capacity and building resiliency in the nervous system that allows us to go deeper into the work of healing trauma.

P'o corresponds with the Metal Element and the Lungs & Large Intestine organs in Five Element Theory. P'o influences our general life energy on a fundamental level. The extreme emotions of P'o are grief, sorrow, or anguish. The conceptual thought of this Metallic Land is to embrace our instincts, holding onto what feels good to us, and letting go of that which no longer serves a purpose. 
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The synergistic state of P'o, or the Lungs, is openness, receptivity, and non-attachment. The deficient, or hypoactive, state of P'o is hypersensitivity, deprivation, self-pity, dejection, despondency, and oppression. The excessive, or hyperactive state of P'o is stoicism, defensive pride, selfishness, greed, jealousy, and envy. Let's look at how these chronic emotional states create imbalances in these meridians according to Chinese medicine.

A hyperactive Spleen Meridian in Five Element Theory is characterized by over-thinking, brooding, worry, anxiety, obsessions, and obsessiveness. Chronic worry causes depletion of the body energy, physical weakness, and stagnation of the ch'i. With the Stomach as its yang partner meridian, Spleen meridian imbalance may present physical symptoms of indigestion, muscular tension, appetite imbalance, weight problems, abdominal pain, or menstrual difficulties. Worry can become an obsession or even a hobby for some.

In our most recent Five Element Theory blog Anxious Heart, Disturbed Shen, we discussed how anxiety and stage fright cause imbalance in the Heart Meridian. Here in the second series of Five Element Theory, we will be discussing the Earth Element, which corresponds with the Spleen-Pancreas meridian. Our focus will be on the hyperactive emotional state of over-thinking, worry, and obsession, its effects on our bodies, and how that translates in Chinese Medicine.