My Mom was an incredible human being. She was overflowing with compassion... for everyone except herself. I am not here to tell her story, yet it is one that I think about often. My Mom’s life and how she lived it have left a major impression on me.  Looking through the previous blog posts, I realized the last post I created was shortly after she transitioned out of her physical body. I also made note of the fact that the next post I intended to share would be about the Lung Function energy. This is interesting on so many levels. In hindsight, I see the correlation between this intention and the now-infamous pandemic. I also acknowledge a profound personal connection for me as I was struggling to find the space I needed to grieve the passing of my Mom in the midst of Covid. It is curious that it took me four years to pick up where I left off. 

From the time I was a little girl, I had challenges connecting with my Mom. Did I love her? Absolutely! With all my heart. Was it a strained relationship at times? Yes, and now I see that it can be easier to understand situations like this once we can step away from them. I believe we choose our family, especially our parents, before we come into these physical bodies. I am just now recognizing that I chose her to teach me about receiving unconditional love in the face of heartache and loss.  She was teaching me that I was worthy of LOVE, no matter what. She was teaching me that I AM LOVE, and that to separate me from LOVE would be impossible. Pretty big lessons...

So here we are today, coming together to BE in this space where the notion of Lung Function energy has so much more to do with the Breath of Life than we could ever imagine. When we are born, we receive the first breath outside of the mother’s womb. We are receiving consciousness incarnate. This energy of physical consciousness, of LOVE, is required to sustain life. It will be with us until we exhale our final breath and leave our physical body.  In this light, we can begin to understand why the Lung Function energy is referred to as “I AM”. It is associated with Aries, the planet Venus, movement, beginnings, our deep skin, and relationships. When it is harmonized, Lung Function energy is all about happiness and joy. 

Physically, our lungs are feeding the rest of the system: bringing oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide (as well as some trace amounts of other elements) to every single cell in our body. For the average adult female, that’s about 28 trillion cells. I don’t know about you, but for me that number is practically incomprehensible. Let’s just say the lungs have an extremely important role to play in keeping us alive. 

We have discussed in previous posts how interconnected everything is. The energetic self, physical self, mental self, spiritual self are all in direct relationship with each other and everything in existence all the time. Here’s an analogy to consider: we can look at a ray of sunshine and agree that it seems to be a separate thing. Yet, without the sun, it would not exist, and without the ray of sunshine many other things on planet Earth would be impacted (people, plants, animals, weather patterns, etc.) To really get into the substance of the Lung Function energy, we need to embrace these concepts. As we are sharing the Breath with All that Is, we ARE All that Is. “I AM”, LOVE, JOY: all very powerful healers. 

In sharp contrast to her loving nature, there was an underlying sadness to my Mom’s life. The attitude of sadness and grief are inextricably joined to the Lung Function energy. She was a gentle human, and in this space where the “outside” world meets the “inside” world there was imbalance for her. You do not need me to tell you that the world we are living in is ripe with conflict and less than positive experiences. This can be energetically crushing to somebody like my Mom. Several years before she died, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I am not a doctor, but what I can tell you about this project is that a side-effect of this condition is that the lungs can fill with fluid.

As the energetic Lung Function imbalance progresses, we may experience things like chest congestion, chronic coughing, and shortness of breath. Literally, the lungs are refusing to receive the energy of the “outside” world. The project, however, sits with the fact that the Breath of Life is mixed in with the challenges we inhale from the “outside” world, and that contrast is necessary for our spiritual growth. Our lungs and the Lung Function energy are the foundation for the energy of the entire system, body/mind/spirit. As the breath becomes chronically shallow and labored, the deep-seated grief and sadness could become energetically heavier than the Breath of Life, tipping the scales. If left unchecked, the soul will leave the body. That foundation we just talked about will not be stable enough to support life.  

It is with immense heart-felt gratitude that I share this story. Without experiencing life through the lens of my Mom’s reality, I would not be here today writing these words. She was a perfect teacher, and listener.  Thankfully, we have some options when it comes to the desire to BE in harmony with our Lung Function energy. Our ring fingers have a lovely link to our attitudes of happiness and joy. As such, any time we need a boost in those areas, we can simply hold them. Check out my previous post that specifically highlights the amazing ring fingers. Another way to support balancing this foundational energy is through what we call the “Lung Flow Anchor Step”; we hold the same side SEL 14 + opposite side SEL 22.  

What on earth does that mean? Haha... if you are not familiar with Safety Energy Locks (SELs), have no fear! I’ll break it down here. Maybe you’ve heard of chakras, or acupuncture points? SELs are similar in that they are areas of concentrated energy. They are the size of your palm (or the size of a paw or foot; it is proportional to the individual), 3-dimensional, spherical, and always moving. We have 26 SEL pairs throughout the body, and each pair has a specific “job” assigned to them. 

The area where we find our collar bones on the physical body is lovingly referred to as SEL 22. There are two of them, one on the right and one on the left. The vibration of this SEL is one pertaining to “I AM happy and content wherever I AM”. By gently placing the hands on this area, we are helping to balance the energy being expressed by this SEL.  

SEL 14 is found at the area around the base of the front of the rib cage. The right and left SEL 14s are supporting our equilibrium and our sustenance. Balance: every cell in the body must decide what to allow in and what to keep out. Together SEL 22 and SEL 14 support balancing the Lung Function energy. Now, we said “hold same side SEL 14 + opposite side SEL 22”. What that means is you will hold, for example, your right SEL 14 (bottom of rib cage) with your right hand while at the same time holding your right SEL 22 (collar bone) with your left hand. You will cross your left hand over your body to the “opposite side” collar bone.  

The next part is super important! If you want this to work, you absolutely must do this: breathe. That’s it! Ideally, you can take a moment and relax someplace quiet while you slow your breathing down, but even a quicky has the power to reset the flow pattern. In a perfect world, you would have 20 minutes to relax like this; exhaling fully to make space for a beautiful and rich inhale of the Breath of Life. This is your soul’s joyous outcry of “I AM” and it is marvelous! 

With love and gratitude,
Amy & Tait
Exquisite Healing​

​I am pear shaped and act like a little pouch. I love liver, and am sometimes removed. What am I?

The gallbladder function energy is supporting our vascular and blood systems, while preparing and storing bile until the liver is ready to use it in the process of digesting. It is balancing the attitudes of anger and frustration, as well as the body, mind, and spirit when those scratchy feelings are invited in, and it is relaxing the mind, head, and brain as well as our nerves.

It is not uncommon for us to hear our clients saying they are having “trouble” with their gallbladder, or the gall- bladder has already been removed. As a practitioner, it is relatively clear when these are the projects a client is working with. To have a better understanding of this energy, we can look towards the heavens.

There are two planets governing the gallbladder function energy: Saturn (tradition, boundaries, limits, discipline), and Uranus (sudden change, revolution, shock, awakenings, originality, individuality). From these descriptions, the natural friction of the gallbladder function energy is apparent. Friction is necessary for a lot of processes. Often times, the emotion of anger has the capacity to bring us into a position of seeing a situation in a new light, more realistically. Anger and frustration can be viewed as more powerful and seemingly more empowering expressions of sorrow on the soul level.

Physically and physiologically, the gallbladder function energy is offering the friction that is essential for breaking down foods higher in fat, grease, and fiber. When the physical organ is removed, the liver is continuing to produce bile, but when it needs more for breaking down these heavier foods, there is no longer a storage space for that bile. The liver is continually producing and then secreting generally the same amount of bile regardless of what the digestion is calling for. When there is no gallbladder and the bile is used up, there is no more until the liver produces more. This leads to physical discomforts because the digestion along with the filtration system (liver and kidneys) are having to work overtime when compensating for the physical gallbladder being gone or not working properly.
Since the kidneys are responsible for cleaning the blood as it is circulating through the body, it is important that they not be burdened by imbalances in the gallbladder functions. It is no surprise that when Lumbar 4 is speaking to us, we can use gallbladder quickies described below to harmonize that energy of the spine in that location.

Additionally, blood is the key (chi, ki) to our physical existence. It is the binding element of our life force energy found in the breath. Our blood is supplying every single cell in the body with life supporting oxygen, balancing the pH, and supporting the release of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. This is then taken up by plants through photosynthesis, processed, and released once again into the atmosphere as oxygen for all animals to breath, including humans.

It is a beautiful symbiotic relationship, one that must not be taken for granted. The gallbladder function is also representing Aquarius energy, or the air carrying the water back to the earth so that new seeds can grow. This is infinity, eternity, the everlasting life force energy that cannot be destroyed, but rather transforms into what is most needed for the greatest good of all BEings.

As we move further into this discussion, it can be helpful to know where the energy of gallbladder function is flowing in the body. It comes up the back of the neck, over the head, and does some zigzagging around the skull above the ear area before crossing into the front of the face, just below the eyes. As such, when gallbladder function energy is disharmonized, we can experience migraine pain and headaches, trouble concentrating, or hearing projects. The color associated with gallbladder energy is green, just like its energetic partner, the liver. So when somebody says something like they are green with envy, or they are experiencing greed, jealousy, or excessive amounts of green mucus coming out, these can all be indicators of an imbalance in the gallbladder function energy.

A wonderful way to invite the harmony back in is by simply holding the middle fingers. If you want to know more about that, go to our website and scroll through the blogposts until reaching the one on the middle finger holds: www.exquisitehealing.com.

As we are all unique in our life experiences, some may discover another option more pleasing for their situation. We can find a comfortable place to relax, take a few nice, even, slow, thoughtful breaths and begin to calm our mind. Placing the left hand on the left center of the neck (where the neck bends when we nod “yes”), while placing the right hand on the right side of the forehead just above the eye can allow the body, mind, and spirit to settle into a harmonious rhythm, bringing balance back into the flow of gallbladder function energy. Receive the breath. Feel the body and mind relaxing.
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After a few moments, or longer, switch to the other side, and place the right hand on the right back side of the neck with the left hand on the left side of the forehead. Continue receiving the breath, and being aware of what your body, mind, and spirit are saying in this now moment. Many thanks to Mary Burmeister and her teacher, Master Jiro Murai for sharing this profound Art of Living, and helping us all to Know Myself.

With love and gratitude,
Amy & Tait
Exquisite Healing

What do you know about your liver? Have you ever thought about the way it is spelled: LIVE-R? Liver function energy is just that, it is how we live, and the binding force, the key or chi keeping everything else moving smoothly. It is governing the fluids in our body; not just the water but also the blood, secretions of the digestive system, oil on our skin, and any other fluid you can imagine. It acts as the lubrication for our entire being holistically speaking; physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically.

The liver has the highest capacity for regeneration of any internal organ. As such, when we want to regenerate something in our life, we can come to the liver function energy. This energy is connected to our ability to filter out toxins (again physically, emotionally, mentally, and energetically) by way of our circulatory system. Liver function energy works with the vascular system: the circulation of the blood, as well as the distribution of our hormones, and anything related to reproduction (regeneration). The energy that we get from the food and water we consume is transported by the blood to every single cell of our body. According to Wonderopolis at https://www.wonderopolis.org/.../how-many-cells-are-in..., we have on average, as adults, “approximately 37.2 trillion cells”. Can you even begin to comprehend that number?

We previously discussed the middle finger as being connected to the liver function energy (go to our blog and scroll down to the post on the middle finger if you missed it: www.exquisitehealing.com). It is associated with anger and frustration, or things that are green: envy or mucus. This is the liver function energy expressing itself when it is out of harmony. Think about things that can be scratchy: experiences, thoughts, or inflammation in the body. This scratchy feeling is speaking to a need for lubrication. Whether we are “inflamed” about an argument, or our joints are inflamed, we can work with the liver function energy to bring that back to a state of balance.

We are also dealing with flexibility (in body, mind, emotion, spirit), changing our perspective, or our position; maybe that is referring to our position in life, or simply our position on the couch. This is also about projects of abundance. Any time there is too much or too little of anything the liver function energy can help to harmonize that energy. Some examples to consider:
-Tumors are an abundance of rogue cells.
-Being overweight or under weight: too many cells or not enough cells.
-High blood pressure and low blood pressure.
-Addictions: too many toxins in the system (toxic substances, thoughts, habits, etc).
-Dry skin: not enough oil.
To bring it all back: liver function energy is about the vascular system, which literally touches every single cell in our body. It is delivering nutrients, oxygen, and energy while clearing out the trash, removing the carbon dioxide, carrying away anything that is not serving the greatest good of the system anymore. In this way it is also protecting our system, and strengthening our ability to function properly.

In addition to holding the middle finger, we can help balance the liver function energy by placing one hand one the back of the neck at the base of the occipital bone, right where the head and neck join. (Place your hands there, and nod your head “yes”. You will feel the hinging motion of the head as it moves back and forth over the very top of the neck.) Your other hand will be resting just below the collar bone, on the front of the body. Ideally, we begin with the hands touching these areas on the left side of the body, while receiving at least three full and relaxed breaths. Then switch sides, and place the hands on these areas on the right side of the body while again receiving three full and relaxed breaths. Exhale fully, and make space for the inhale to come in. Smile, and drop the shoulders.
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With gratitude and love from Exquisite Healing,
Amy & Tait
www.exquisitehealing.com

​Umbilicus and Diaphragm function energy
 
We could say that this is the final piece to our puzzle, but really it is the first.  Without the palms of our hands, we would not have any fingers.  The palms are the key to it all.  Here, we find the energy that is connecting us to our Source.  This is how we “plug into the wall” and charge our battery.  Without a source of life/power, our battery/body eventually stops running.  What is the connection between the diaphragm muscle and our breath? 
 
According to www.healthline.com, the diaphragm “contracts and flattens when you inhale.  This creates a vacuum effect that pulls air into the lungs.  When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and the air is pushed out of the lungs.”
 
On the level of energy creating and sustaining the body, this is a bridge between the seen and the unseen.  Aside from when it’s cold out, we generally don’t actually see our breath, but it is there nonetheless.  It is this breathing function that connects us all: people, animals, and plants.  It is the binding ingredient necessary for sustaining all life.  If we remove the diaphragm energy from the equation, we are making it practically impossible to be alive.
 
In our previous conversations about the fingers, we didn’t really talk about the natural flow pattern of our energy.  As we are inhaling, the energy is moving up the back of the body (including the arms and legs, fingers and toes), and then during the exhale, the energy is moving down the front.  This is continuous, and cyclic.  Up the back, and down the front; which, in and of itself is a beautifully simple meditation.  Each of the organ functions mentioned in the earlier posts are paired up, and their energy flows are either moving up the back or down the front of the body.  It is the same here.  Along with the diaphragm function energy, we have the umbilicus function energy.
 
What does the umbilical chord do for a fetus inside of the mother?

• Cleans
• Nourished
• Protects
• Sustains life 
• Cultivates growth

 
Because the breath is all-encompassing, every aspect of the body/mind/spirit is supported by balancing the umbilicus function energy.  Indeed, for people who are very shy, and introverted, we can support them shining their light in the world by harmonizing the umbilicus flow.  When there is somebody having a difficult time “leaving the nest”, that is an expression of the umbilicus energy.  Due to the specific pathway that this energy flow uses in the body, we can also come here to support any ear and/or hearing projects.    
 

• Umbilicus = Up (helping the energy to move up, especially anything “stuck” below the waist)
• Diaphragm = Down (helping the energy to move down, especially anything “stuck” above the waist)

 
To harmonize the diaphragm and umbilicus function energy, we hold the palms, front and back.  This is a cumulative practice.  The more time we give to this, the better, but every little bit counts.  It’s like putting change in your change jar.  Once you have a hold of your hand, take at least 3 nice full, relaxed breaths, beginning with the exhale to make space for the new breath.  (Again, thinking about a newly born baby: they must exhale the amniotic fluid before taking their first breath of pure air.)  I like to focus on my left hand first (energy of our ancestors, our DNA, that which we inherited), before moving to my right hand (the energy of the “now”, how am I playing the cards that were dealt to me?), and taking 3 additional breaths.  This is a beautiful way to begin the day, deal with whatever critical moments are happening during the day, as well as shut down when it is time for sleep.
 
Sending you love and gratitude from Exquisite Healing,
Amy & Tait

​The little fingers are anything but small.  They are directly connected to our habits of “trying” verses allowing.  Here in the US, we use the word “try” A LOT, but what does it really mean?
 
Do a quick experiment for me: 

• I want you to put a pen, pencil, or something else, on the counter. 
• Now I want you to “try” picking it up. 
• What happens? 
• You either did or you did not pick it up.   

 
We are saying we are going to do something and then not doing it, or it can be an indication that we are “pushing” to make something happen as opposed to being open, and allowing it to unfold naturally.  Our “trying to” attitude has to do with our heart and small intestine function energy.  How many of us have said, “My heart just isn’t in it”, or “I’m not really feeling it”?  We are verbalizing an imbalance in the heart and small intestine energy flows. 
 
What about being challenged when it comes to making decisions?  Our little fingers are speaking to us.  Do you hear folks around you saying, “Everybody’s getting sick”?  If you want to stay well, balance the heart and small intestine function energy, and help the body in deciding what gets assimilated into the system and what gets released.  On the level of spirit, this is working with balancing out our judgments of self and others.    
 
These organ function energies are also responsible for the structural aspect of our bodies:  the bones.  If it has to do with our bones, it can be harmonized with the little fingers. Indeed, this is also working to balance our circulatory system; think blood pressure, Renault’s syndrome, or high cholesterol.  When we wake up in the middle of the night, and cannot get back to sleep?  You guessed it: the little fingers.    
 
Anything to do with the heart is connected to the little fingers.

• A broken heart/heart ache
• Heart disease
• Heart murmurs/issues with the valves/irregular beat
• Congestive heart failure
• Heart attack
• Heart surgery (pre and post op)

 
The next time we need support opening our heart during a challenging situation, we can hold our little fingers.  In the previous posts we talked about holding each of the other fingers, left side first, then right side, and taking three nice full breaths for each one.  Again, more breaths are always better.  It is the same here, with these little fingers.    
 
With love and gratitude from Exquisite Healing,
Amy & Tait

​Today is all about the ring finger, our lungs, and large intestine.  If you’ve spent time in our office, you probably have heard Tait and I talking about the hierarchy of importance for food, water, and the breath.  For those of you who have yet to grace us with your presence:  I ask you three questions: 

• How long can you survive without food? 
• How long will you live without water? 
• Can you hold your breath for more than a minute? 

 
Of these three life supporting things, the breath is clearly, without a doubt, the key to existence.  Our lungs are speaking to us about relationship: how am I meeting the world?  How is my internal self relating to my external self?  How are my red blood cells working with the white ones?  How am I getting along with my partner?  How am I communicating with my team?  And anything else you can imagine having to do with relationships. 
 
The air we breathe in mingles with every aspect of our internal system.  Each breath takes approximately 20 minutes to circulate through the entire body before being released in the form of an exhalation.  In those 20 minutes, that breath is making the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide, and carrying a ton of impurities out of the body from literally every single cell that creates the physical self; on average humans have 37.2 trillion cells!!!  By simply breathing, we are helping our system to “take out the garbage”, we are cleaning our “house”. 
 
Here’s the really cool part: our large intestine is doing a very similar thing!  It’s deciding what gets to stay in, and what needs to be released in the form of solid waste.  Any time we let go of something (the exhale, old habits, old relationships, an old house, old ways of relating to others, digested food, etc), there will be a grieving process.  Maybe you aren’t necessarily sad about leaving that job that you didn’t like, but the change in your routine inspires the expression of grief on an energetic level. 
 
This imbalance, when left unchecked, can lead to disharmonies on the physical level.  How many of you get constipated or have diarrhea when you travel?  Energetically, the body is processing “sadness” and “grief” resulting from changes in the environment.  This doesn’t mean we are sad about being on vacation, but rather, our bodies are grieving the loss of the familiar (foods, time zones, routines, thoughts, habits, people, etc). 
 
Thankfully, we have our ring fingers to reestablish balance, and harmonize the lung and large intestine energy.  Holding the left ring finger first will clear/clean the past.  Like we discussed in the previous posts, take at least 3 nice full deep breaths (more is better), before moving on to the right ring finger (the present moment) for three more breaths.  Exhale fully.  Imagine you are wringing out a sponge, and really push it all out.  Mary Burmeister said, “We are never in disharmony because of what we lack, but because of what we have not let go of.” 
 
With love and gratitude from Exquisite Healing,
Amy & Tait