19/12/2025
Can you recognise any of your symptoms in the list below? Lung related problems, shortness of breath, palpitations, a sense of loss or grief, maybe even sadness and feeling washed out?
What are you doing about it?
The eight treasured movements of Ba Duan Jin are specific postures that help to regulate the body and mind. Its much more than just fitness, strength and mobility, its about creating a space for your body to correct what has become incorrect.
That could be the physical body OR the emotional mind. Both require unity for us to feel well and healthy.
Ba Duan Jin #2 Archer Draws a Bow
The Metal Element
Metal is hard, strong and rigid yet fluid when heated and formed into new shapes, so it relates to change and new beginnings. The lungs and large intestine are related to metal, the two organic engines that balance new and old.
The lungs bring fresh Qi to the body and the large intestine eliminates the waste. The energy of metal (in TCM terms) is gathering, accepting and inward, like collecting and storing resources, retaining what is useful and separates and expels what is no longer needed.
Metal is associated with the energy of autumn when the trees shed their leaves and store energy for use through the colder months. This can be seen in both the physical functions of the body and the expression of emotions as the natural energy of the world begins to slow down and we turn our attention to ‘gathering’ or conserving energy.
Lungs – Metal Yin
The lungs are the very beginning of the life cycle. Our first breath of air helps to propel the functions of the organs and assists us in everything we do. In TCM the lungs are thought of as the ‘delicate organ’, like the leaves on a tree taking in sunlight and water and transporting them to its various parts to help the tree grow and sustain life. Its roots grow deep, gathering nutrients and creating stability.
When the lungs are healthy, we have the courage to sound our voice and the ability to express words and move forward in life. When they are weakened by emotions, overuse or infection, we are doubtful, unable to move forward, we feel stuck.
When too much energy has accumulated in the lungs from smoking, dryness or even repressed anger, we are loud, we shout and feel irritated.
When the lungs are weak, we can seem quiet, timid and unable to voice our feelings. If there is sadness and grief in life, the lungs can become weakened. A sense of loss affects the lungs’ energy, especially loss for ourselves, not just the loss of others.
There can be phlegm and congestion, the skin becomes dry. When our breathing is normal, and the chest is open, we feel bright and connected to the world around us. Taking just a few minutes each day to connect to the breath can sometimes make a substantial difference to how our day feels and can also benefit the functions of the lungs.
The Lung Channel
The lung channel )runs from a space just under the outer edge of the collar bone at the second rib, through the front aspect of the shoulder muscles, onward to the outer edge of the bicep tendon in the elbow crease, along the forearm, over the bony lump at the inside of the wrist (notable when forming a ‘thumbs up’ sign) and then to the tip of the outer edge of the thumb.
Common channel problems are shoulder pain or a frozen shoulder, elbow pain, pain of the bicep tendon, wrist pain, tightness in the pectoral muscles, a weakness in the gripping muscles and restriction in mobility of the chest and shoulder joint when raising the arm forward.
Functions of the Lungs
• Govern breathing – The primary function of the lungs is to govern breathing and the intake of fresh air. This air fuels the many processes needed to maintain balance. If the lungs’ energies are deficient, breathing may be short or shallow and a weak cough may develop. Without a sufficient supply of air, the body will not be able to convert food into a usable energy for the body. This will mean tiredness and fatigue.
• Balance fluids – The lungs also balance excess fluids in the body, either by expelling the fluids with each exhalation or by sending fluids to the kidneys, to be expelled by way of the bladder. Without this function there may be retention of water, swelling in the skin tissues and dryness.
• Express in the skin and hair – The skin is often regarded as the third lung and the largest organ in the body. When lung health is suffering and Qi is unable to enter or exit from the skin, there may be dryness in the skin and red patches from trapped heat where pores do not open when needed. There may be oily blemishes from a build-up of fluids or dampness where the body cannot expel the excess through sweating.
• Express through the nose – Our sense of smell may be affected, and the nose may run, feel obstructed or drip when there are imbalances in the lung system.
Large Intestine – Metal Yang
The large intestine is paired with the lungs and relates to the phase of metal in TCM. The large intestine or colon is responsible for eliminating waste from the food we eat and the waste from the functions of the body. It oversees the correct quantity of fluids in the colon to soften stools for comfortable elimination. A weakness in the energy of the large intestine or lungs can bring slow or sluggish bowel movements. This action may even slow completely and a lack of fluids may cause symptoms of abdominal pains and constipation. This deficiency of Qi and the imbalance of fluids may also cause diarrhoea, especially in the morning if we are exhausted or if our emotions are running high.
The Large Intestine Channel
The large intestine channel (Fig 11) runs from the tip of the index finger through the centre of the webbing between the thumb and index finger, onward to the outer edge of the elbow crease, up the outer bicep to the central aspect of the shoulder muscle, up the side of the neck to span across the cheek and enters the body in the crease at the side of the nose.
Common symptoms of the channel are sinus pains, tightness and pain of the jaw, restricted rotation of the head, pain and stiffness when raising the arm to the side, tennis elbow pain (outside edge of the elbow), wrist pain and weakness in the gripping muscles.
Functions of the Large Intestine
• Eliminates waste – The large intestine primarily eliminates waste from food, fluids and the various processes that take place in the body.
The large intestine relies on the balance of fluids in the body to moisten the bowels so that elimination is normal. An imbalance in fluids can result in either too much fluid – diarrhoea or not enough fluid – constipation.
Characteristics of Metal
In TCM each element and its associated organ pairs have certain characteristics related to them. The emotions, climate, seasons, colours, 2-hour time periods, flavours and sounds represent each element in a unique way. A trained TCM practitioner will use these characteristics to help diagnose symptoms of illness and disease.
• Emotion – Sadness and sorrow are often related to the lungs’ energy. In times of loss, we shed our emotions by crying and exhaust the lungs or repress emotions to restrict the chest cavity.
• Climate – The lungs do not operate well in dryness; they prefer a slightly humid or damp environment. A dry cough and soreness in the throat can present in dry climates. This climate can also be induced by environmental heating from radiators, fuel burners or other artificial heating.
• Season – When the leaves fall from the trees is the time when the lungs are most vulnerable to change. The decline of Yang energy and sunlight brings with it a lower immune response in some people. This is a time of colds, coughs and immune-related symptoms. Maintaining healthy, strong lung Qi at this time of year is paramount before the colder months set in.
• Element colour – Bright white is the colour of metal. A lack of lung Qi may show in the face as a pale brightness.
• Biorhythm – 3 am to 5 am is when Qi passes through the lungs and from 5 am to 7 am it passes through the large intestine vessels. During this time, sleep provides a period of restoration in the body and mind. This is a great time to practise our Qigong when the air is fresh and undisturbed by the industrial world.
• Flavour – Acrid is the taste of metal. Sharp and harsh or excessively bitter and sour. Intensely pungent.
• Sound – Weeping is the sound of metal. Our eyes will water, and we feel tearful without reason.
• Element cycle – Earth is the mother of metal and water is its child.
• Character – Intuition and instinct.
