The Essence of Who You Are
In Shiatsu the essence of who you are is contained in your Jing. When the Yin of your Mother and the Yang of your Father came together and sparked you into life the potentiality of what your life experience could be was imprinted onto you and this imprint is in your Jing. Your Jing is a deep energy and is stored in the lower back at the location of the energetic kidneys.
The Jing is what controls your life cycles and each cycle is the foundation for the next. Women’s lives run in 7 year energy cycles and men in 8. For example (in girls), the first 7 years are when most of the physical development occurs. By the end of the next 7 year cycle they are likely to have experienced their first period. In the following 7 years (age 14-21) there is more physical maturity and a build up to more fertile energy. In the 4th lot of 7 years there is an emotional maturing and this is the peak of the reproduction years. The 5th cycle is when the Jing begins to decline but this decline is dependent on how you have taken care of your body in the previous cycles. By the 7th 7 year cycle women are moving into peri-menopause - 7x7 = 49 (I just love how oriental medicine matches western medicine).
Jing can never be increased and the quality of your Jing is affected by your interaction with your environment. To support your Jing you need to eat a broad range of good nutritious food (best kept in tune with what is available each season). You need to move your body ensuring there is regular physical activity that increases your heart rate and breathing. All activity should be balanced with purposeful relaxation eg meditation, yoga nidra, breathing practices, shiatsu not just zoning out in front of the TV. Utilising therapies that help you process emotional experiences and develop self awareness are also good for supporting the Jing.
A supplement I have used in the past that can help to nourish the Jing is Royal Jelly. It’s one of the ‘superfoods’ that may assist with adrenal fatigue. Something that can happen to your body when you’re stressed over a long period of time or burning the candle at both ends. Stress can drain your Jing so be mindful of keeping some balance through the above tips. You can easily buy Royal Jelly online in Australia.
When I think of Jing or visualise it in my body I imagine a big honey pot sitting somewhere between my abdomen and spine (behind my navel). I imagine the smooth, golden and viscous nature of the honey. Just like honey runs off a spoon I imagine the Jing drizzling through my energy system - initially through the Extraordinary Vessels (more on that in another blog) and then the meridians. The energy flowing through my body is the energy that enables me to be who I am. And just like honey comes from bees so does Royal Jelly !
Having had a child recently I have been through a process of questioning who I am. My daughter has turned my life upside down in a way I did not expect and I have had to make internal adjustments to accept my new life as a mother. It has felt like tapping into something deeper, potentially I have been tapping into my the energy of my Jing. During pregnancy I was aware of some internal changes happening but it has been the act of holding my daughter and looking after her for several months now that has really brought them to light.
I hope my own experience of my Jing can help me nurture other women as they make the transition to motherhood. It is an evolution that starts during pregnancy and draws deeply on the essence of who you are.
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*Please note: I do earn commission from any products I link up in my blog. In this case it’s Blackmores Royal Jelly. You can buy Royal Jelly by clicking on the link.