Explore Space and Boundaries Using the Metal Element
The metal element informs us about boundaries and space. Boundaries allow us to be in exchange with the external world, taking things in and out, while still having an innate sense of self. In this way, the metal element helps us to crystalize our core self. We know our essential value. We can say “no” to things that are not good for us. We can say “yes” to life and take things in without feeling overly vulnerable. It gives us the power of discernment and of self-worth. The metal element teaches us to know who we are, what our boundaries are, and to express them. Sensing our internal structure and the boundary of our field can help us to get in touch with the strong inner-core of our pure essential self.
You might start this exercise by shaking out a little first, or moving however you would like to get some energy out. Then I invite you to feel the surface of your skin. You can feel it with your hands anywhere you like, an arm maybe, or notice everywhere that your skin touches something, your clothes, a surface. Spend a few moments sensing this outer boundary of your whole body. Does this attention on your skin, your surface, help you to define your inner space? Get a sense of the size and shape that you take up. You might picture yourself like a cut-out of the room. Notice your breath, this ever-present rhythym that lives inside you. Explore your sense of your internal structure. Expand. Soften. Give yourself room in there. Take up space.
Then play a bit with moving in space. Walk around the room. Move your arms to explore your field. Alternate being aware of inner space and outer space. Use your peripheral vision and see how that changes your perception. Imagine that the space inside of your body recognizes the space outside of your body. What does it feel like for the air to recognize itself? And now I invite you to imagine a flowing barrier of energy just underneath your skin. It flows everywhere, defining, containing, mediating exchange with the environment. It creates a protective field. It is intelligent and specific. When you feel finished, settle back into a comfortable alignment and rest. Notice how you feel.
In Chinese Medicine the tissue associated with the metal element is the skin. Our skin is a boundary that defines the internal space that we take up and differentiates us from eveything else. The surface of our skin both contains us and opens to the environment. Our pores allow us to sweat. There is an energetic barrier flowing underneath the skin called the Defensive Chi which is part of the foundation of the immune system. This energetic boundary is important to mediate exchange with the outside world. Without it, we would be vulnerable to invasion from foreign cells. The on-going exchange with the environment, especially through breathing, both keeps us alive and exposes us to external pathogens. In order for our immune system to work, it must able to recognize what is us and what is not us. In this way, knowing who we are helps to keep us safe from undue outside influence.
Our skin helps us to sense where we are in space. The fascia in these superficial layers have a lot of propriocepters. Proprioception is an important aspect of the sensory-motor system that helps us to be coordinated in our movements, stay upright, and relate to our environment. The surface of our body gives information to the brain about where the body is in space and what is around it. It helps us to coordinate ourselves and maintain a stable sense of self and understanding of spatial relationships.
When the metal element is out of balance we might feel alienated, disconnected and depressed. This can be seen as a boundary issue, of being unable to exchange with the environment. We learn from the metal element how to reconcile “self” and “other” through an alchemical transformation. We take in energy from the universe and let go of what we no longer need. Our internal structure allows us to change with the flow of life and yet remain ourselves.