IMMUNITY BUILDING: the quick links hub

The Triple Heater and Immunity

Immunity is a key word for life generally and particularly in this post-COVID world in which we now live. Nobody has 100% immunity but there are lots of things you can do to maximize on the system that you have.

Helping people to help themselves and take charge of their own health is a fundamental principle of Shiatsu. This page is your IMMUNITY HUB. This is the place to look for tips and links to posts detailing specific things that you can do build resilience and strength in your immune system.

Let’s begin with the TRIPLE HEATER, the meridian that governs the relationship between our system and the external environment and essentially manages our immune system. This starts with it’s role in absorbing &/or creating energy within our system via its three interior heaters (aka burners &/or energizers): the Upper (rib cage), Middle (abdomen) and Lower (pelvic girdle).
At the same time, the amazing Triple Heater also keeps our personal thermostat on track. This is largely achieved via it’s management of our skin and its ability to shift from goose bumps to open sweat pores.

Immunity and the Skin

• THE SKIN, is our most complete wall of defense. So, start toning it up by stimulating its “closing off” & “opening out” functions. Skin brushing before showering or shifting from hot to cold shower are easy ways to work on this.
• Then make sure that you exercise strongly enough to actually generate heat. This will encourage the skin to open up in order to effectively ELIMINATE TOXINS – usually by SWEATING.
  Any exercise will do, but here is a sequence targeting ELIMINATION that you can do at home.
• NOTE: exercise also serves to stimulate the LYMPHATIC SYSTEM – also under Triple Heater governance – and support it in shifting toxins through and then out of the system.

Elimination, Vitality and Immunity

The LUNG and the LARGE INTESTINE are the meridians of Autumn and The Metal Element. They are the essential partners of the Triple Heater in supporting elimination and immune function.
Their key organs, the lungs (Upper Heater) and large intestines (Middle/Lower Heater), work hard at clearing old, toxic stuff out of the system. Thereby creating space for new, re-vitalizing stuff. This might be oxygen and KI from the air or the digestive KI of our next nutritious meal!
So why not give them a helping hand:

• Improving your breathing and BUILD LUNG CAPACITY
• Provide some sweet support for your lungs with KUZU PEARS – it’s super delicious and very helpful for warding off invasive nasties
• Move more with THIS YOGA SEQUENCE to activate all three heaters, the skin & particularly the large intestine – all the elimination channels – for MAXIMUM VITALITY

Powerful elimination creates space,
a vacuum to be filled by
fresh energy flowing into & around your system

Harnessing Nutrition & DIGESTION (the Middle Heater) to Build Energy

The Spleen and Stomach meridians of The EARTH ELEMENT are largely responsible for eating, digestion and the uptake of nutrients. However, the Energy production delivered by this process also falls within the domain of the Middle Heater.

• Eat well and regularly with plenty of fresh fruit & veg
• Have another look at good old ADZUKI & PUMPKIN CASSEROLE. Nothing beats it for building energy and blood – particularly the white blood cells (lymphocytes) that are so important in our system’s immune response.

In case you need more convincing, read this:
8 INTERESTING BENEFITS of ADZUKI BEANS

• Consider that the effective uptake of nutrients is just as important for building immunity as eating well in the first place. So prime your gut with PRO-BIOTICS like quality yoghurt, miso soup, umeboshi plums or, even better, VITAMIN C RICH SAUERKRAUT.
  Believe me, none of these things are difficult to find and they all help defend your system against invasive pathogens.
• Enjoy slow cooked, one-pot-meals like CASSEROLES and SOUPS. They are a great way to maximize the nutritional and energetic value of your food. They also require far less digestive energy from you.
• MINIMIZE consumption of products that sap your energy and undermine immune function: alcohol, caffeine, sugar & dead white starch generally, for example

EXERCISING to support digestive strength

Exercising, particularly out in the fresh air, is great for building immunity – no matter what exercise you do. It gets your blood, lymph and gut moving thereby encouraging quicker, stronger, more effective detoxification.

These particular exercises, however, are aimed specifically at strengthening your immunity by supporting Earth element governed digestion.

• Wake up your digestive system with this ZEN ENERGY EXERCISE for The Earth Element
• Activate your self-nurturing SPLEEN ENERGY
• Release and strengthen your Stomach with this whole-of-meridian THIS SUPER STRETCH

This Do-In is designed to maximize immunity.
It is focused specifically on stimulating and strengthening The Triple Heater
along with The Lung and Large Intestine meridians.

And the ACTUAL SHIATSU

Don’t forget,
you can always
BOOK IN to my clinic for
an actual, hands on SHIATSU.

Bullet-proof IMMUNITY

Apologies,
but
there is no such thing.

No matter what you do it is still possible to become unwell. These things are relative however. It often boils down to the strength of the invasive pathogen with respect to the strength & resilience of your immune system. So, it’s really worth investing some time and energy in your immunity.
But don’t see it as a chore, enjoy building it up. Keep your outlook positive and your sense of humour rocking.