Protecting the Sovereign: The Wisdom of the Pericardium

Season 8 | Ep. 12Episode Title: Protecting the Sovereign: The Wisdom of the PericardiumThis is the last episode of the season, and we're going out on one of my favourite topics: the heart and the pericardium in Chinese medicine.The heart is the sovereign, the seat of our Shen (spirit/mind). The pericardium is its protector. But what happens when that protection goes too far, and the fence becomes a wall? Or when there's not enough, and we're giving it all away?We also get into how Yin Yoga creates the conditions for the Shen to settle, and I leave you with some journal questions to take this deeper.In this episode: the Shen and why it matters, signs of scattered or disturbed Shen, the pericardium as heart protector, boundaries versus walls, emotional armour, and how stillness reveals what we didn't know we were carrying.Quote: "Wide open, gentle heart. Big fucking fence." Danielle LaPorteTaking a summer break, back in September 2026. See you then.Want to support my work? Leave me a tip.See all episodes at a glanceYoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra Find me on Instagram @nykdanuyoga@YinYogaPodcast