The Liver
The liver-gallbladder is attributed to wood. The liver is regarded as the Green Emperor, belonging to Zhen in the Eight Diagrams, in image of the Green Dragon, in shape of a suspending gourd, and pertaining to Jia-Yi of the Heavenly Stems and Yin-Mao of the Earthly Branches. Located below the right ribs, it stores spirit soul, its energy (qi) moves along the left side, its channels and vessels spread over the hypochondria
of both sides, and its condition is reflected at the nails. The liver bears the dispersing effect and has its upper orifice in the eyes (the left is Jia and the right Yi). The gallbladder is the hollow organ of the liver and is interior—exteriorly related with the liver.
Patients with diseases of the liver may have dry eyes, pain in the hypochondria which may radiate to the lower abdomen, and changing moods, accompanied by flushed left cheek in case of excessive liver—heat, by liability to be frightened and feel cold in case of liver—deficiency, by dreaming mountains, forests and the like in case of yin exuberance, and by headache, deafness and swelling cheeks in case of adverse up—stirring of liver-qi. When liver disorders occur, there may be moving qi below the left side of the navel which feels hard on pressure, pain and fullness in the hypochondria, cramps, drowsiness, blurred vision, pterygium, etc.
In qigong treatment, patients with syndrome of deficiency and cold of the liver should practice the exercise of taking in green qi and that of nourishing the kidney (nourishing the mother to replenish the child); those with syndrome of sthenia and heat of the liver should practice the exercise of uttering "xu" and that of uttering "ke" (purging the child to treat the mother). In this respect, Yi Shen Ji - She Sheng Xiao Xi Lun (Keep-fit Collections - On Regime Information) by Qiu Chuji of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) says, "In treatment of liver diseases, uttering 'xu' (exhaling) purges, while inhaling is replenishing". Hypochondriac pain and stuffiness and spasms due to derangement of the liver-qi should be treated by guiding qi back to the origin of the liver with outgoing-qi.
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