Are Hufflepuffs Misunderstood?/The Blind Side

I’ve watched my wife cry while watching The Blind Side about three times now. It’s one of those movies that she just NEEDS to watch once a year, especially since becoming a mom. The story of The Blind Side is based on a true story about a kid named Michael Oher, who grew up in a bad part of town. After getting a chance to attend a private school, Michael gets adopted by a family who has other kids who go to the same school. The mother, played by Sandra Bullock in the movie, takes care of Michael like he was her own. He plays football and is a man among boys at the high school level. He ends up playing in the NFL for seven years as an offensive linemen. Remember that the average NFL career is around two to three years. 

What does he or the movie The Blind Side have to do with Hufflepuffs? When looking at Michael’s personality test scores, one of the adults cites the fact that his protective instincts are off the charts. Now in the movie, they cite this for football reasons, that they should move him to the protective position of offensive linemen instead of an attacking position, like defensive linemen. Hufflepuffs, one of the four houses from the Harry Potter series of books and movies, are also known for their protective instincts, and desire to care for others. In many ways, this mirrors the protective desires of a mother, who will defend their baby in anyway possible. I’m not trying to say fathers don’t have this protective instinct. I’ve just seen my wife and I disagree on how much time to let out kids “cry it out” while in their cribs enough to know that her instinct is always to run to them and let them know she’s there to comfort them, and my instinct is to give them a little time to figure out their emotions and calm themselves down. 

Understanding and interacting with Hufflepuffs/Protective people… For me personally, this hits close to home. I am not a defensively-minded person. I always played offensive positions in sports and had no problems putting myself out there in vulnerable situations to make new friends. My wife, is the opposite, and I see a lot of similar qualities in our oldest son, Jonah. In new situations, he likes to sit alone for awhile before engaging with other kids. At home, he will defend my seat at my computer from my youngest son, Rory, who is desperately trying to climb onto my chair and touch buttons (come on, what one year old doesn’t want to touch buttons?!). Jonah is most likely a Hufflepuff and a protective person. How does this change the way we should raise him? I don’t think there are specifics on what to do, but I know I’ll probably need to encourage him to take risks both socially and in his work life. He may have a tendency to get comfortable and succumb to inertia in ways. In sports, I bet he will thrive in defensive rolls and struggle in offensive ones. 

It is in these ways that I see Hufflepuffs being misunderstood. We live in an aggressive, go-get-what-you-want, kind of world. We marvel at the basketball player who can create their own shot off the dribble, or the friend who quickly works their way up the corporate ladder. The offensive lineman has a good game when his name ISN’T mentioned, and stay at home moms criminally go unrecognized for their selflessness. Maybe it’s time people start paying attention to those who are protective in nature, quietly biding their time until they need to step in front of the center of attention.  

Two acupoints for Hufflepuffs… The comparison between Hufflepuffs and the Earth element in five element theory is very strong. The Earth element, or phase, represents reproduction and the bearing of fruit. This does not have to do with sex, but more the creating and raising of offspring. The Earth organs are the digestive organs the Stomach and the Spleen. Hufflepuffs love food and Earth constitutions generally have imbalanced relationships with food. I could go on and on. For now, I’ll talk about two acupoints that can help Hufflepuffs. I could pick fifteen to twenty points for this off the top of my head, but for now I’ll limit myself for now.

STM 27 – Caretaker’s Focus

Point Facts:

1. Psoas trigger point

STM 27 in two sentences… Caretaking causes the focus to be downward, toward those in need. Stand up straighter, and allow the focus to once again be on the horizon.

Location… STM 27 is located about two inches below the belly button and about two inches off the centerline. This is typically at the edge of the rectus abdominis muscle but I typically just look for a tender spot in that area. One may have to push deep to find the tenderness.

Commentary… Most caretakers will do an inordinate amount of bending forward. I know this personally because my kids are young and I’ve picked them up a lot and have changed a lot of diapers. Each bend toward the ground is a flexion of the psoas muscle, which this acupoint is directly over. Tight psoas muscles can lead to back pain, hip pain, and other organ issues. By opening up this muscle, the person is able to stand up straighter, and emotionally refocus their attention on themselves and their own dreams.

SP 8 – Shake the Earth

Point Facts:

1. Xi-cleft point

SP 8 in two sentences… The inertia of not moving can waste precious time. Use a big push of energy to get moving!

Location… About 3 inches below the tibial shelf on the medial aspect of the foreleg below the knee.

Quick Commentary… Earth constitutions can be very susceptible to the inertia of sitting. This emulates a rock that will sit still for years if left unmoved. This promotes a lot of bad habits for Earth energy, like an improper relationship with food. SP 8 is a xi-cleft point, which strongly move blood and qi on the associated meridian. Get up and get moving!

Hopefully, this post helps you understand your Hufflepuff/Earth spouse, child, or self better!