Have you ever felt a little down and lack motivation even when things are going well, and the sun is shining? I found myself in that state when I went out in my backyard to bounce on my mini trampoline.  I bounced and faced each direction trying to feel some connection to nature and realized that I felt lack luster. It was hard to engage in it wholeheartedly.

(Just a quick digression to tell you about the benefits of a mini trampoline or re-bounder. Bouncing is fun and is said to facilitate the movement of lymph and strengthen the bones).

As I continued to bounce, I decided to focus on my feelings and had to admit that I felt some sadness and nostalgia. With creative imagination, I invited that part of me to jump along with me on the mini-trampoline. I realized I felt nostalgic about my recent trip to Italy. I especially liked staying with friends and their family.

As I acknowledged that, memories of my Italian family here started to surface.The memories came with the awareness of how life keeps moving and changing, and how we change with it. I thought of my parents who are aging and that my time with them is limited. I gave myself permission to feel my sense of loss. I felt the sadness in my chest and I spontaneously crossed my arms in front of my chest to give myself a hug.

Then I used my fingertips to rub Lung 1 at the upper corners of my chest to see if I felt the sadness there. The emotion related to the Lung is grief. No, the sadness was not there.

I pressed the spirit points along the sides of my sternum with my palms, and sure enough I connected with the feelings that were lodged there, especially on the right. I held and rubbed the points and my chest gently and realized I felt both sadness and gratitude.  I felt grateful for the hospitality of my Italian friends and the love in my Italian family. The visceral feelings of closeness and appreciation started to come in naturally with the memories.

The spirit points are very interesting. They are on either side of the center-line of the chest in the spaces between the ribs and have names like Spirit Burial Ground and Spirit Storehouse. Pressing these points can help us feel more of who we are at heart. They can inspire joy for living and the will to carry on. They certainly helped to transform my feeling state this morning.  I felt connected to myself and to the great spirit of the universe that manifests in my life as people I love and experiences that hold and teach me about what’s important.

After that it was easy to relate to the directions. I took a walk in the morning sunlight, watered my plants, worked in the garden, and wrote this piece to you dear readers. It was a welcome change from where I started.

I invite you to try pressing the spirit points in this way yourself. Cross your hands in front of your chest and give yourself a hug. Bring your middle fingertips to the  Lung 1 point which is just below the corner of your collarbone and shoulder. The edges of your palms closest to the mid-line should be covering the spirit points. Press the spirit points with the palm edges of your hands. Relax and breath into the center of your chest. Accept all feelings that come your way. Let the points guide you to the deep heart space that never changes and always transforms.