Position yourself in a comfortable position with your arms at your sides, palms facing forward if standing, and upward if sitting.

Begin by familiarizing yourself with the Lung channel. The channel runs on either arm from the upper and lateral area of the chest, near where the arm meets with the body. It runs along the anterior lateral aspect of the arms, crosses the crease of the elbow, and continues down the forearm and palm, completing at the outer edge of our thumb, near the corner of the nail bed.

With your left hand, trace along the channel of the right arm. Start by massaging the side of your chest nearest to your shoulder, where the fleshy muscle belly of the pectoral muscles gives way to a tender depression. Press around here for a moment, taking note of any sensations.

From here, move along the muscular portion of your upper arm, heading down towards the crease of your elbow. Pause here at your elbow, gently pushing into the crease where you’ll feel the sturdy shape of your biceps tendon in the middle. Sink into the point on the lateral side of that tendon. Notice any sensations here.

From the crease of your elbow, move towards your hand, over the muscle bellies in your forearm to the point where you feel the radial pulse on the wrist- pause there a moment to feel the gentle, rhythmic rising and falling of the blood pulsing through your veins. Take a breath in.

From the wrist crease, continue up over the muscular part of your palm towards the tip of the thumb, taking note of tension or other sensations as you complete the channel at the corner of your nail bed.

Repeat this on the other side now, using more pressure as you grow more familiar with the channel. Once you’ve made a few passes, focus more on pressing into points of softness or tension along the channel. Breathe into any sensations or emotions that arise.

When you feel complete with this reflection, you can finish the meditation by gently tapping the channel with a cupped palm to elicit a gentle thudding sound. One pass on either side is enough, but it’s up to you what feels right.

Reflections

Here are a few things to reflect on as you get more comfortable with the Lung channel. Keep them in mind as you massage the points. See if these or any other sensations, emotions, or thoughts come up during your meditation.

Think of the breath cycle. The lungs take in what’s necessary for us and release what no longer serves us.

The Wei Qi, our immunity, acts as a barrier. A filter through which we engage with our surroundings.

The Metal Element—malleable yet firm. Metal is a conductor of electricity, determined and transformative. It was essential in the creation of tools thousands of years ago and is still indispensable today.

The Lung is a Yin organ. It stores our vital fluids and nourishes us. Its Yang counterpart is the Large Intestine, the organ of release.

The Lungs House the Po—our corporeal soul. The aspect of our soul that is the intrinsic knowledge that we have at the time of our birth. The Po is the soul that dies with us at the end of our physical life.

The Lungs are associated with the season of autumn. A time for looking inward, and letting go of things we no longer need. Similar to the trees shedding their leaves in fall, preparing for winter.

The emotion of the Lungs is grief. The emotion of loss and an exercise in surrender.