Meridians Series by Caroline Thomas of Hoof and Paw Holistic Therapies.

Part 4 – The Bladder Meridian

This is the first of the ‘Water’ Element Meridians and where better to start than on the ‘Water horse’.

When you think of water, you may think of ‘fluidity and effortless flow.  ‘Water’ horses move like a beautiful flowing river, meandering their way through life. They have good structure and muscle tone. They are the calm before the storm: Imagine the sea on a stormy day, as it grows in momentum crashing through everything in its path, this is the water horse.  They are slow to trust as they are very sensitive beings; ‘I can feel it in my water’ and just like ice they too can become frozen with fear. Water horses can have a tendency to be scared of their own shadow. If a ‘water’ horse was to let off steam, you would be the first know about it.

A blocked Bladder Meridian can often be a gauge of how stressed your horse is. Symptoms of this Meridian being blocked can manifest as cystitis which is caused by a bacterial infection. In simple terms Traditional Chinese Medicine does not believe that it is the bacteria that is the cause. The philosophy is that that the bacteria can multiply because it becomes imbalanced by External Environmental Pathogens such as Fire, Cold, Damp, Heat, Dryness and Wind. These pathogens are able to enter the body where the meridian meets the surface therefore allowing the bacteria to reproduce. Stress can weaken the Bladder Meridian and make your horse more prone to problems.

Stress in horses has become a huge problem. I often get emails from owners saying; “my horse is biting”, “my horse has terrible skin problems”, “my horse is aggressive”, “my horse is weaving”, etc.

When I strip it all apart the answer is often quite simple; the owner is not understanding what their horse is trying to say. How can it be right for a horse to be stabled for up to 18 hours a day and there not be a consequence such as biting or weaving? How can it be right for a horse to have more owners than some cars and there not be a consequence of aggression, depression or skin problems? I am not saying that this is bad, I am just saying that this is a fact of life and trying to fix your horse ten years down the line after she has had 6 previous homes is not going to be easy, but it is definitely possible.

Working with the Bladder Meridian, you will be able to dislodge some of the emotional baggage that your horse has been carrying around with them, allowing the Meridian to flow freely; your horse will be able to feel courage and be brave once more. They will be able to unshackle the traumas of the past allowing them to be carefree. Of course this is not going to be easy, as dislodging some of these emotional boulders will take a huge amount of work. However working with your horse daily will have a massive impact on their emotional wellbeing.

Meditation

The Bladder Meridian Tapping Point: Corner of Eyebrow

Find a comfortable place, which can be at home or in a field (if working in a field make sure you are in a safe place.)

Close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply. Imagine that the sun is warm and bright, it is a beautiful day and you can feel much happiness in your heart. Hold this feeling for a few minutes.

At this moment you connect to your horse and see your horse standing in the distance. They are waiting for you to come over to them. As you move closer you can see that boulders are blocking your path. They are big and cumbersome and some are very deeply lodged into the ground.

You instinctively start to tap on the corner of your eyebrow, your tapping has its own rhythm and it is your rhythm. This is where the Bladder Meridian is located, with each beat you can see the boulder slowly dissolving and you feel much love in your heart.

As you tap you can say the phrase ‘Even though you carry emotional baggage, you’re ok’. As you tap you may feel that you want to say something else. Whatever comes to mind, just say it. When the time is right and you feel that you are ready to stop, thank your horse for sharing with you their inner thoughts and feelings. Open your eyes and feel gratitude in your heart.

A huge thank you to Caroline Thomas for this incredible fourth part covering the Bladder Meridian in this wonderful series of articles we will be bringing you over the coming months exploring the meridians in depth.

Links to the previous articles in the series are below:

Part 1 – Introduction click here,

Part 2 – Heart Meridian click here,

Part 3 – Small Intestine Meridian click here.

Part 4 – Bladder Meridian click here.

Part 5 – Kidney Meridian click here

Part 6 – Heart Protector Meridian click here

Part 7 – Triple Heater Meridian click here

Part 8 – Gall Bladder Meridian click here

Part 9 – Liver Meridian click here

Also thanks to her very talented son Michael for the beautiful artwork that compliments the article.

For more information on Caroline visit her website http://emotionalhealing4animals.co.uk or follow her on Facebook at Hoof and Paw.