The Air Dance

Introduction

The Air Dance helps you release and let go of what no longer serves you.  Your body does this naturally, through the elimination process, letting go of waste through the breath (co2) and the Large Intestine.  In Chinese Medicine the Lungs and the Large Intestine are the organs and meridians connected to this process.

The Air element has a descending and dispersing quality.  In Wu Tao we embody this movement of energy as we reflect on the descent of spirit into matter, our first experience of letting go and the first time that grief may appear in the life-journey.

Grief is the emotion that is associated with this element.  Grief is the emotion we feel when we let go of something we have been attached to.  Grief arises constantly as we are letting go constantly.  With each in breath we take in life, with each out breath we let go of life, and this brings us to the present moment.

Grief is a natural expression of the process of letting go and loss.  When we are able to understand that in truth, there is no loss, then grief can be expressed, the process of letting go completed and we can move on with life.  Life is about change and movement, from energy, into form and structure, and back to energy.  Allowing this movement of energy will ensure that when grief  arises, it will move through our being as a natural emotional expression to change and growth.

When we are unable to let go fully and be open to the present moment, grief may not fully resolve, and we may suffer on-going grief in the form of tears, depression and isolation from others and the world.  Physically, we may experience imbalances in the Lung and Large Intestine channels, manifesting in symptoms such as constipation, sluggishness, susceptibility to colds and flu, coughs, respiratory problems etc.

The Meridians 

The Lung Meridian

The external pathway of the Lung meridian begins about 1 inch below, under the lateral end of the clavicle.  From here it travels down the lateral edge of the arm, through the elbow crease, down the lateral edge of the radius to the thumb.

In TCM, the Lungs include the whole respiratory system as well as the nasal passages and throat.  Their main function is the intake of Qi (Qi of heaven) through the process of respiration.  The Lungs are the most vulnerable to the external pernicious influences of Wind, Heat, Cold and Dampness.

After the Lungs take in the Qi through the breath, they then disperse it throughout the body, by sending it downwards and outwards.  The Lungs rule the skin and protect against external invasion and thereby keep our internal resources safe.

The Large Intestine Meridian

The Large Intestine meridian starts at the tip of the index finger.  It travels up the anterior lateral aspect of the arm to the shoulder.  It then crosses diagonally over the front of the neck and jaw to the corner of the nose before passing under the nose and ending at the side of the other nostril.

Energetically the Large Intestine is about elimination in all its aspects through the skin, bowels and breath.  At the beginning of an illness the meridian can be used to help ward off external pathogens.  The meridian has a dispersing effect and will disperse energy wherever it is blocked and not flowing.  In this way it helps to tonify the Qi.  The Large Intestine point 4 is good for this purpose and is called ‘The Great Eliminator’.