At first, this organ pairing might not seem so obvious, yet with closer attention, clarity ensues. If you stop and really think about it, of course the two are related. Have you ever wolfed down a meal, only to suffer indigestion or other gastrointestinal disturbances later? Probably because you took in too much air as you ate it, but didn’t let the same amount out. There is truth to that old adage of chewing your food slowly, carefully, and with attention. Weight Watchers cashed in on this idea. Good advice to lead you to a healthier digestive system. Maybe even a slimmer you!
The large intestine, the Yang and more active organ of this duo, plays a similar role to that of the lungs. Both organs absorb and expel. The large intestine is at the end of the line in absorbing nutrients and excreting waste. It is responsible for absorbing water into the body. It also maintains bacteria in the body. Like other Yang halves in meridian pairings, it is hollow and changes shape as it does its duty. Tee hee.
The lungs, the Yin half of this meridian pair, take a more passive role than that of their counterpart. They are the main receptors of chi, or energy, and play a huge role in how we maneuver our way through life. Their primary function is to filter the air we breathe. Chew this: if we laid out the tiny air sacs in the lungs (aveoli) out onto the ground, they would cover an entire tennis court. That’s a lot of possibility to get air and hence oxygen into the body. The better we breathe, the better our body functions. There is no denying this fact. The lungs main function is to take in air, assimilate the oxygen and carry it to every single cell in the body; not one is left out. They also rid the body of carbon dioxide, a waste product the cells produce as they function. So you have the power to deliver quality nutrients to your body and to clear out the excess completely and consistently.
When this pair is unbalanced, we may experience constipation and excess phlegm, feel sluggish and bogged down. We take on those physical conditions emotionally and hang on to sadness and grief, our ability to process negative emotions becomes impaired. Autumn is this pair’s season, a time to purge and let go and renew. As we bring balance to this pair, we let go of tension, sadness and negative emotions, we shed our bodies of the things that no longer serve us, just as the trees shed their leaves, preparing us for better health and integrity to the great cycle of life, bringing us harmony and a certain ease for living. Dejunking. Lightening the load. That always does a body good!