Education Series: "Why can't I think straight?!" - The Small Intestine Channel
Education Series: "Why can't I think straight?!" - The Small Intestine Channel
by Grace Ganel
Ever ask someone a question, have them begin to answer it, and then minutes later they’re still talking but you still haven’t heard the answer to your question? Do you do that yourself? You may have a Small Intestine channel that needs a little help.
The Small Intestine is energetically connected with the Heart, and part of the Fire element.. In the same way that it separates pure and impure in a very literal sense (absorbing the nutrients necessary to sustain us, and passing the rest on to the Large Intestine to be dried and eliminated), the Small Intestine also does this for the more emotional/energetic aspects of life on a conscious and unconscious level. Both incoming and outgoing information are evaluated by the Small Intestine on the basis of their necessity and propriety.
In this way, the Small Intestine serves as one of the main boundaries around the Heart, and is one of the officials that may be treated in lieu of working on the Heart itself. The Small Intestine helps to determine what information is important to enter the realm of the Heart (your consciousness), or to leave it (through speech and writing). Disorders of the Small Intestine manifest as intestinal distress, and they also result in issues speaking one’s mind with clarity and propriety. This is why when Small Intestine needs a little attention, the person may find themselves starting a sentence in one place, and ending it minutes later in a whole other place, or never ending it, or at least taking many twisty-turns around several irrelevant topics before finally getting to the point. They will also struggle to prioritize and will concern themselves with unimportant or inappropriate things.
When Small Intestine is in balance, the person will experience the gift of propriety, and they will be able to fluidly and fluently speak to what is true and important for them. A healthy Small Intestine is great at sifting through intellectual and emotional information quickly and accurately to determine what is important, or to chunk the information for learning.
Acupuncture can help people become more clear and sure of themselves by addressing this channel. Try massaging the side of your hand, in the deep trough between the bone in the hand that lines up with your pinky (the fifth metacarpal bone) and the muscles of the palm, before you give a presentation or interview to give your Small Intestine a little TLC.