What are the Functions of the Liver Meridian?
The Liver stores blood and regulates blood volume. The Liver is responsible for planning, and oversees our path in life. The Liver relates to emotions. It generates anger, a clearing force, to keep things moving and flowing. When anger dissolves, this energy transforms into faith, optimism, and wisdom.
The Liver is responsible for spreading Qi smoothly in the blood, body, organs, and psyche. It controls the sinews and muscle tone. The Liver rules the health of nails, vision, and the eyes. Liver stagnation or hyper-activity can lead to extreme emotional states. A healthy Liver transforms potentially repressed emotions into true, reliable emotions.
The Liver’s emotion is Anger
The Liver is easily influenced by anger, frustration, and resentment. We want to clear away something as it disturbs us. Having emotions is perfectly healthy, however when we fixate or make a habit of any emotion, it will create disharmony and disease. We can utilize the clearing energy of anger by directing it into positive actions such as new creative projects, or making changes in the world with balance and wisdom. Excessive anger and resentment cause the Qi in the body to rise up quickly, causing headaches, ringing in the ears, high blood pressure or GERD. If the Qi stagnates it can lead to abdominal distention, more frustration, slow digestion and more. A good rule of thumb is to never eat when you are angry or upset. Do not eat with people you do not like.
The Liver is associated with the Wood element and the Spring season.
That’s because there’s a buzzing of excitement in the air and in our bodies. In the spring the energy is rising up and outward in powerful surges. It’s a time of enormous change and growth, especially underneath the surface. Hence the Wood element is associated with new ideas, inspiration, and nurturing new projects. In the Spring our energy moves up and outward. We want to move more, we have more energy within us and we want to do something with it.
The Source Point of the Liver Meridian is LV-3, Taichong on the top of the foot. A meridian source point is the point that most closely exemplifies the function of the entire meridian. Find LV-3 by tracing the two tendons of the big toe and second toe upwards a few inches. L-3 is in a hollow just before the arch bone.
Liver Consciousness Issues are: Planning, Organization, Processing, Synthesizing, Vision, Faith, Anger, Resentment, Strength, Protection, Memory, Benevolence, Destiny, Soul, Movement, Growth, Hope
The Liver System is quite vast, including the Liver, Gallbladder, Connective Tissue Tendons, Ligaments Sinews, Nails, Eyes, Eyesight, and Hands. The Liver also has an intimate relationship to the Heart.
Common patterns of Liver excess or deficiency may manifest as:
Depression, anger, irritability, moodiness, frequent sighing, lump in throat, poor or blurred vision, melancholy, violent emotional outbursts, tightness in chest, throbbing or violent headaches, fever, dark scant urine, dizziness, numbness in limbs, cravings for alcohol or greasy fried foods, long-standing resentment, painful periods, chronic fatigue, and shingles.
The Liver’s Worst Enemies can be described as simply the stress of modern life. This includes toxins in the environment, Toxins in food water air and cosmetics, Excessive computer work, Excessive oils, Too much salt, too many hot spices, sugars, refined foods, caffeine, overeating, eating when you’re angry, eating with people you don’t like, and especially stuffing emotions inside
Liver’s Best Friends can be described as a moderated and balanced lifestyle. This includes a regular bedtime of 10:00 PM, Eating leafy greens, Detox Cleanse periodically, Juicing, Qigong, using Liver herbs, Yoga stretch Badakonasana, and expressing emotions consciously rather than keeping them trapped inside.
To Balance the Liver Meridian:
Set a clear intention to build health. Start at the LV-1 point, on the inside of the big toe. Trace up the inside of the leg to the groin seam, around the genitals, back to the floating ribs, forward to finish at the lowest corner point of the ribs at LV-14. (You may optionally trace the internal pathway that continues up the front midline to the chin, up the sides of the face to the center of the eyes, eyebrows, and up the center forehead to GV-20 at the top of the head.) Do both sides at the same time, or one after the other.
To Clear the Liver Meridian:
Set a clear intention to build health. Trace the meridian backwards once, starting at GV-20 at the top of the head, down to the inside of the big toe. Do both sides together or one at a time. Then trace forward 3 times as above, both sides at the same time or one after the other.
“When the liver is harmonious, there is never stress or tension. People with vital livers are calm. They have unerring judgment, naturally effective as leaders and decision-makers.” Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods