Lv14 Qi Men – Gateway of expectation and hope
Location: two ribs below nipple, in 6th intercostal space.
The characters of this point relate to a gate to hope. The liver channel helps us plan for the future. It enables us to hope and aspire for greater things. With hope comes the ability to work towards what we believe in. Without hope life is barren and it is impossible to apply ourselves towards what we believe in.
It is also possible to delay acting now in the hope that everything will work out alright regardless. This excessive hope is as much an impediment to appropriate action as hopelessness.
Either way this point helps us have a more realistic view of our life here and now. Problems pass, things change, particularly when we act to change the things we can. Often as we grow and develop our hopelessness dissolves. The very process of growth provides a sense of hope and an expectation of a better future ahead. So the focus should be on how we can grow and adapt in response to hurdles, and as we make that change our perception of our life will also change.
Exercise: think of an aspect of your life where you have lost hope, or are using hope to avoid making change. What could you do differently? In what way could you grow and change in a positive way in response to this challenge? (wait for answer) If you do this how would you feel?