Large Intestine Meridian, Affected by Taurus Full Moons

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Large Intestine or Colon is the Yang meridian of the Metal element, paired with the Lung meridian as its Yin counterpart. The two are interlinked, and issues in the colon can manifest in the lungs and vice versa. It’s said that that is why people who never smoked can get lung cancer or people who lived healthy lives can get colon cancer.

Beginning at the tip of the index finger, the Colon meridian runs between the thumb and forefinger and along the outside (lateral side) of the arm. It comes over the outside top of the shoulder and along the back of the shoulder blades to the spine. Here it branches, with one branch descending through the lungs, diaphragm, and the large intestines. The second branch ascends along the neck and the lower cheek, and enters the lower gum, circling the lower teeth. On the outside of the face, this line also circles the upper lips, crosses under the nose and rises up to join the Stomach meridian.

From an emotional viewpoint, problems with the colon point to problems with letting go. These issues aren’t necessarily about current life events, but often stem from the past. It is human nature to hold on to events because there is a belief that by never forgetting, we will not let it happen again. While it is helpful to learn from the past, there is a point where what we hold onto will hold us back from moving on. Resentment is an example of holding onto the past and the emotion can literally jam up the entire body. Many of us also have a strong tendency to identify with our stories and our past, we are very afraid of letting those identifications go and step into the unknown realm where we dare to ask: “Who am I?, if I’m not my past experiences?”

Taurus full moons influences challenge us to let go of what is old, without resentment, and to be steady without being stubborn and consistent without being rigid.

• negative attitude
• bowel disorders (colitis, constipation, diarrhea, bloating, smelly or bloody stool, colon cancer, …)
• problems in/with mouth, teeth, nose and throat
• gum problems
• nose bleeds
• toothache
• sore throat
• skin disorders, pimples, acne, sallow skin, age spots, …
• accumulated mucus
• slow metabolism
• aching shoulders
• aching neck
• acidity in the body (acidic ph levels)
• lack of energy
• inflammation
• weight gain
• oedema
• foul breath
• thinning hair or hair loss
• living in the past & holding on
• resentment
• guilt
• regret
• hanging on
• lack of generosity
• possessiveness
• stubbornness
• compulsiveness
• rigidity
• resisting change
• need for control
• confusion
• self-poisoning
• anal retentiveness
• contraction.

• All white foods – e.g. rice, cauliflower (gobhi), white horseradish (mooli), parsnip, the white of leeks and spring onions, and of course the three roots: onion, garlic & ginger. Organic, home-made yogurt and lassi.
• All hot vegetables.
• Whole fresh fruits and vegetables – but cooked/steamed/… , not cold. Bananas can help the colon greatly, as can baked apples.
• Wholegrains, especially (think white again) rice.
• Fiber-rich foods – be careful though if you suffer with IBD.
• Green vegetables
• Chlorophyll
• Lots of fresh water.

• Avoid dehydration.
• Avoid gulping down your meals and chewing poorly.
• Avoid irregular eating patterns
• Avoid sitting too much – move!
• This is an excellent time to cut down or eliminate eating refined sugar and products made from white flour, like bread, rotis, chapattis and pasta (yes, even though these are white…).
• Also avoid any other foods that you know don’t agree with you well or that cause inflammation to your body (acidic foods, foods that cause congestion, refined or processed foods, …)
• Avoid eating cold foods (craving them indicates an imbalance in this meridian): raw fruit, raw vegetables and mushrooms, cold beverages, ice cream, cold dairy foods, …
• Avoid greasy or spicy foods, alcohol or meat (again, you might be craving them, indicating an imbalance here).
• Avoid dairy, gluten, soy, corn, … especially if you (think you might) have leaky gut.

• Hold and massage the index fingers of each hand for 2 minutes throughout the day.
• Massage and move your lymph daily.
• Find a healthy expression for your emotions.
• Spend time in nature, and reflect on how it teaches us to let go.
• Remember you are connected to a higher consciousness.
• Use the mantra: “Let Go & Let God.”

• Archer pose is an excellent posture for balancing the large intestine meridian. Try 5 minutes on each side with breath of fire – if you want you can work up to 11 minutes.

• Work on both the large intestines and the neck/throat: Lying on your back, use your arms to pull your knees to your chest. Then lift your head with the nose between your knees. Hold the posture with breath of fire for 3-5 minutes, then relax.

Alternatively you can inhale as you lift the head up and pull the knees down with the arms, then exhale dropping the head down and relaxing the pull of the arms. Repeat this 25-100 times, then relax in corpse pose.