This treatment is very good for anyone who feels stressed and finds it hard to meditate because the mind is racing, or just very busy making plans. It’s very simple to do, all you need is a small ice pack to hold on your liver area for 5-15 minutes. Instead of holding the pack, you can also tie it to your body using a cloth, or prop it up on your leg if you are sitting down.

Why does this work?  Well the liver supplies the fuel for our thinking, and nowadays, when our minds are often in situations where constant analysis and concentration are required, our livers are more inclined to “heat up” from the extra activity.

Another thing that’s helpful for the liver is eating healthily, because the fuel for our livers comes from what we eat and drink. Think coffee, or alcohol even, and how that might effect your meditation. So this ice treatment, and also the dietary guidelines below, can help cool the liver and purify your attention so you feel more relaxed, less irritated and stressed. If you have difficulty sleeping at night, this treatment can also help.

What you need:
~ An frozen ice pack. A plastic bottle filled with water and frozen will also work, as will ice in a plastic bag.
~ Something to protect your skin from ice burn, a towel or your clothing will do.

To do the ice treatment:
Place your left hand just under your ribcage on the right and see if you feel an area that’s warm. While meditating, focusing on your breathing, hold the icepack against the liver area. Be careful not to burn your skin.  5-20 minutes is considered long eneough to be effective, you need not leave the pack on there for longer.  If you find you need more help try some of the alternative treatments below.

Alternative, similar treatments:  Meditating with your left hand on your liver, while relaxing your attention, also has a cooling effect.  You can also hold your left hand up next to your head, with the palm facing backwards as shown on the Balancing the Channels page. Another cooling treatment is having a footsoak in cool water. If you want you can also put some ice in it.

Being kind to your liver:  Overdoing chocolate, alcohol, coffee (caffeine) and greasy hard to digest food makes your liver work harder. Have you ever noticed that people who drink lots of alcohol or coffee are often irritable or unhappy? Drinking lots of water and eating fruits and vegetables will help your liver function better, and you’ll see the results in how much calmer you feel. See Liver Treatment  for a list of foods that are better (and not good) for your liver.

This guided meditation will help you cool the liver and better understand its role in purifying our attention.

Happy meditating!