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The Liver | The Teacher

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LIVER –Transmutation, Transformation, Change

“Hello” I ventured. “Who are you?”

“I am a warrior, my name is Hun I am part of a tribe, a vast tribe of millions and my voice must be heard. My word is law but it is not always heard. I can reach through time to the lands of my forefathers and all the records of creativity contained there.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

He continued “If you are a pianist and you want to play like Mozart I can help you. I am Spring; the endless stream of creativity bubbling over in the minds of all poets, philosophers and musicians.”

I could tell he had acknowledged me, but only just.

His eyes had looked my way but his head was fixed, like a tree trunk stuck in the earth. In fact where his neck would be looked gnarled.

Tendons and veins, hardened by time.

He opened his mouth and breathed out fire which would have burnt me had I not stepped back.

As I did I stepped off the entrance to the cave and stumbled backward into the blackness. I had to move my arms to float back level with the cave.

It seemed easy and I looked along the length of my left arm to see what looked like a cross between bird feathers and gills hanging down from it. It was the same with my right arm.

He/She was laughing at me, a loud, malicious laugh that made the cave vibrate. I fixed her gaze with a scornful stare and looked away ambivalently.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“None of your business” she thundered.

“Look I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I have been sent here, so can you please give me an idea of what’s happening and what to expect. What’s going on?”

“What’s going on is slavery, what’s going on is imprisonment.”

The voice was deep and impactful, I immediately shared her sense of injustice even though I didn’t know the reason for the complaint.

“There is nothing new being created, invention, imagination, creativity is dead.”

“Why’s that”, I asked.

“It’s been outlawed.”

“Outlawed by who?”

“By the leader.”

“Where is the leader?”

“In his walled chamber”, his eyes looked up. “ He determines what is and isn’t possible.”

The Liver is part of the tree/ether element and is the teacher.

Healing is through the word.

A bridge between the spiritual and material realms it is the capacity to bring the hignest ideals into existence. It is the force of our creativity,

Like the tree let us have strong roots to move past obstacles and reach for the sky.

Key themes; Regeneration, transformation, flexibility & embracing change.

Key thought; I am not a woman, I am not a man, I am not a person, I am a teacher.

The Liver holds the office of “general of the armed forces. Assessment of circumstances and conception of plans stem from it” (Nei Jing Ch 8)

The Liver is linked to the Tree element so I will use the analogy of a tree here:

Like a tree that is supple and can move with the wind we also need flexibility. It is important that we find the right environment and conditions for optimising learning.

This is the process of learning how we learn best which is called self-directed learning.

This is about having ‘both feet on the ground’ and yet being able to materialise a vision of something beyond us that is in service of others and the planet.

This requires an ability to sacrifice; at times to go beyond immediate needs, to drop ideas, revise plans and to be assertive when necessary.

Like the emerging plant pushing past or going around a rock there is direction and determination without the need to see too far ahead.

This requires flexibility, meaning we don’t get overly attached or upset if our original plans do not work out. Trust in another way is implied.

A trees rising sap and outward reaching branches is mirrored by us wanting to reach up and out. This gives us a sense of expansion and domain.

When we feel blocked, our energy stagnates, we lose our initial impetus and find it harder to initiate change.

Whether through yoga, meditation, herbal medicine, acupuncture or lifestyle change working with the energy of the Liver makes us adaptable and expansive even under challenging circumstances otherwise we feel sluggish and over- burdened with an impaired ability to detoxify.

The Liver is involved in stabilising blood sugar levels and removes toxins and waste from the blood so it has a profound effect on the clarity of our thought and our ability to react effectively.

You are not discovering yourself but creating yourself anew. Seek therefore not to find out who you are seek to determine who you want to be

Liver tea herbs

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Turmeric – Curcumin, the active component of turmeric increases the amount of glutathione in the liver. Turmeric can also be helpful, not only in liver disease, but also in liver regeneration. It improves liver function. Turmeric also has been getting attention recently because of its antioxidant abilities. The antioxidant effect of turmeric appears to be so powerful that it may stop your liver from being damaged by toxins. This is good news for people who take strong drugs for diabetes or other health conditions that might hurt their liver with long-term use.

Beetroot – protects the liver from oxidative damage and inflammation, all while also increasing its natural detoxing enzymes. This is because of a group of phytonutrients contained in Beetroot, called betalains, which support detoxification in the liver. Beetroot also helps to reduce blood pressure as it is rich in nitrates. Scientist believe our body converts nitrates into nitricoxide; a chemical thought to lower blood pressure. (When your liver is able to detoxify chemicals and toxins more effectively, then your body is better able to balance hormones, cholesterol and energy levels.)

Roasted Dandelion Root – has long been held as a “liver tonic” in folk medicine. Preliminary studies suggest that this is partly in thank to its ability to increase the flow of bile. This means that dandelion root could help detoxify the liver, help with skin and eye problems, and relieve symptoms of liver disease.

Cinnamon – Studies have found that cinnamon might help balance blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes by increasing glucose uptake, improving insulin sensitivity in fat and muscle tissues, improving glycogen synthesis in the liver, slowing the rate of gastric emptying, and other potential changes. These effects are the result of cinnamaldehyde, a compound in all cinnamon varieties.

Burdock Root – is a powerhouse of antioxidants & also helps to remove toxins & purify the blood. The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of the root can also help resolve skin issues.

Carrot – Give your liver all the nutritional support it needs to ensure it will continue to metabolize food and eliminate toxins. A balanced diet containing carrots also helps the liver regenerate new cells, reports the National Liver Foundation. Carrots contribute several nutrients, such as fiber and antioxidants, that directly support your liver’s health.

Carrots are one of the top sources of carotenoids called beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Carotenoids also help keep your liver healthy. The liver produces bile, which removes wastes, but bile stays in the liver or gallbladder until fats enter the small intestine and trigger its release. Carotenoids are fat-soluble, so when you eat a carrot, they stimulate bile to flow and remove wastes. (Laboratory studies using rats revealed that beta-carotene may prevent liver damage caused by alcohol, according to the June 2013 issue of “Hepatobiliary Surgery and Nutrition.”)

Also the dietary fibers in carrots help your liver to work at full capacity, reports the American Liver Foundation. Insoluble fiber moves toxin-containing stool through your digestive tract, which ensures toxins are eliminated and reduces stress on your liver. Soluble fiber also contributes to a healthy liver. When laboratory studies were conducted using rats, soluble fiber reduced the amount of fat in the liver, according to the “Journal of Nutrition” in September 2014. Excess fat damages the liver and can occur whether you drink alcohol or not. One large carrot provides 8 percent of the daily value for fiber, based on consuming 2,000 calories daily.

Moreover, as your liver breaks down toxic substances, it also encounters molecules called free radicals that can damage healthy cells. You can help protect your liver by consuming antioxidants because they neutralize free radicals. You’ll get a small amount of two important antioxidants; vitamin C and vitamin E, from eating one large carrot. (When researchers tested laboratory gerbils, they found that beta-carotene from carrots also increased levels of antioxidants in the liver, according to a report in the “Journal of Nutrition” in September 2008.)

Furthermore the liver filters and stores blood, with about 10 percent to 15 percent of your total blood volume residing in the liver so that it’s ready to be sent into circulation if your blood levels drop. Fluids from blood freely flow through spaces in the liver where lymph is formed. You need the right amount of water to maintain the proper volume and density of all these fluids. Lack of water puts stress on the liver. Twenty percent of your daily fluids come from the foods you eat, and nearly 90 percent of a carrot consists of water. So to conclude, the carrots promote fluid flushes & a healthy blood circulation.

Goji Berry – Contain healthy antioxidants. Anti-oxidants are known for their immune-boosting qualities and their ability to fight harmful free radicals and inflammation. While most berries contain antioxidants and are good for you, goji berries have a special characteristic: they also support and protect your liver.

In addition to being used for anti-aging, heart health, improving vision, boosting the immune system and cancer prevention, goji berry has a specific benefit for your liver. The interesting fact is that the benefits of Goji berries have been known for a very long time. They have been used to treat liver disease in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for more than 2,000 years. Known by TCM practitioners as gou qi zi, its use was first recorded around 200 BCE in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, an ancient book detailing the medicinal and agricultural knowledge of the mythical Chinese emperor Shen Nong. Regarded as the oldest book on Chinese herbs, the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing records 365 traditional herbs that are classified into three grades – top, middle and low. Goji berry is one of the 120 herbs belonging to the top grade, which means it has remarkable health benefits and is harmless to humans.

Nowadays, acupuncturists and TCM practitioners commonly use goji berries for patients with a liver disharmony who exhibit indications of a liver fluid deficiency and/or liver blood deficiency. These deficient patterns are common in individuals who are battling a chronic liver condition where symptoms of dryness and fatigue are prominent. In addition to being a key ingredient in many types of tonification formulas, the goji berry is also suggested as a food for supporting vitality.

Fortunately science has caught up with TCM and a study published in the July 2010 edition of Journal of Ethnopharmacology, researchers discovered that goji berry juice helps protect your liver from oxidation. In this tissue culture study, liver cells exposed to toxins and then treated with the goji berry extract showed fewer free radicals – molecules that cause cell damage.

Research on a related species from where goji berries can derive, Lycium barbarum, was the focus of a 2016 Italian study published in BioMed Research International. According to the research, the effect of Lycium barbarum berries cultivated in Umbria (Italy) on human hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) cells was significant. The results provided evidence that Umbrian Lycium barbarumberries could play a protective role against liver cancer.

So to conclude, goji berries are anti-inflammatory, boost the immune system and research on animal models indicates goji berries can help with managing liver health, preventing the progression of alcohol-induced fatty liver disease and research on human liver cancer cells has also found the goji berry can inhibit tumor growth.