An acupressure point to help release ancestral stress and trauma

Conception Vessel 4: an energy center that supports healing inherited illness

Conception Vessel 4 (CV4), is also known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Guan Yuan, or Gate of Origin. CV4 is an energy center and acupressure point that might benefit all of us healing chronic illness. It’s a particularly powerful point, as it lies at the crossroads of several meridian energy channels; found roughly 4 inches below the navel, in the center of the lower belly (right about where you find the second chakra).

In TCM, CV4 is considered the storehouse for “jing”, or kidney essence. The kidneys are referred to in TCM as the “root of life”, and are believed to support function in all the other bodily organs.

CV4 is believed to safeguard overall health and protect against disease in general, especially chronic or inherited conditions. CV4 may be particularly helpful for symptoms of chronic fatigue – notoriously difficult to resolve. (A 2011 study found stimulating CV4 contributed to lessening of chronic fatigue symptoms.) Most of us healing chronic illness could use a little support with energy levels as well as inherited stressors.

Here’s a little bit about epigenetics, ancestral trauma, and how both may contribute to health and illness, as well as a meditation to stimulate CV4.

What is epigenetics?

The study of epigenetics – which genes express when in a person’s life – has exploded with fascinating study recently. The quote that best sums up epigenetics for me is, “genes load the gun, environment pulls the trigger”, meaning the unfortunate genes that predispose one toward autoimmune disorders, Alzheimers, or a difficulty detoxing don’t HAVE to express themselves. Given the right environment, they can stay silent and cause no harm, or retreat from activity and allow us to heal. Epigenetics offers a hopeful view to those of us healing serious illness with genetic components. By adjusting our environment, we can affect healing.

Many things contribute to a healing environment, among them detoxifying internally and externally, getting rid of chronic infections (easier said than done in many cases, I’m talking to you Lyme disease), eating well, access to clean air and water, and both decreasing stress and improving our ability to handle it. The latter is where ancestral trauma plays a role.

Ancestral trauma may contribute to chronic illness

We all know we inherit our genes, positive and negative, from our ancestors, but newer studies in epigenetics point to another kind of inheritance of health and disease. In studies of mice, the offspring of parent mice who’ve been traumatized are born with compromised health – and the health issues can persist for several generations. (Though they can be positively influenced by environment.)

It’s much harder to study whether this is true for us humans, but some studies suggest it may be. (Here’s a good article in Science Magazine that sums it up.)

Intuitive and traditional healers haven’t needed to torture mice to know that ancestral trauma can be passed along to future generations, affecting health. Many healers feel or see the effects of ancestral trauma in the energy bodies of their patients, held as patterns of stress or tension.

This makes all kinds of sense to me in terms of my own experience healing Lyme disease. I’ve felt these patterns of ancestral stress in my own body, and have benefited from practicing meditations and rituals to release them. These practices both lessen habitual patterns of tension in my body, and help me respond more appropriately to stress when it comes up in my daily life. They’re like a spiritual adaptogen.

For me, the simple intention to release patterns of generational tension is way more important than understanding fully whatever trauma lies in my history. It’s enough to hold my ancestors’ history with compassion, and then release it from my body. One way to go about this is by stimulating CV4.

Using intention and acupressure to release generational stress

I like to approach CV4 as a large energy center rather than a small point. Here’s a meditation to open and stimulate this center, while letting go of tension that may come from earlier generations.

Lie on your back, with both hands placed on the area below your navel. As always, no need to be exact, it’s the intention that counts. Start with deep, diaphragmatic breathing; allowing your hands to rise as you inhale, and fall as you exhale. Stay with this until you are fully relaxed.

Call into mind a visual that represents your family history. You may choose to focus on only one side of your family at a time – for me this is easier and more clear. You could imagine your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents as they actually appeared in life, or choose another image that feels better to you.

As you breathe, hold this image of your lineage in your mind with love and compassion. Whatever these people suffered or inflicted on others, it’s healing to release judgement and just be present. Notice whatever feelings come up for you physically as you breathe. Do you see any colors or patterns in your mind’s eye? Do you feel any warmth, coolness, tingling, pain, or tension in your body? Whatever you feel is just moving energy. Hold it with the same love and acceptance you’re cultivating for your family line.

When you’re ready, repeat a mantra internally such as “I release and clear all ancestral patterns of energy from my body”. (I like this one because it’s so neutral and nonjudgemental.) Keep breathing into CV4, and observe how your feelings change with the mantra. What you experience may be intense, or not a big deal. In my experience it’s sometimes emotional, but always deeply relaxing and restorative.

Wrapping it up

Integrating CV4 into self-care is yet another (free!) meditative practice that can support healing chronic illness. None of us are exempt from familial stress and tension, and pretty much all of us have some genetic possibilities we’d be better off without. The wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine has endured for thousands of years, using energetic patterns to gently support optimal health. If meditating on CV4 alone is too challenging at first, seeing a qualified energy worker or acupressure practitioner can be a terrific way to learn to practice on yourself over time.

Thank you for reading. Your energy is a flower in bloom,

Shona