Audacious Health

We’ve talked around this topic for quite some time but today let’s get down to it.  In Chinese Medicine it was a truth that your body health is a reflection of your thinking. 

 

Modern science tells us:

 

·       Our thought patterns influence our health

·       Pain affects our psychology

·       Our emotional health is part of our health as a whole

 

So why don’t we just relax and enjoy good health in the lovely surrounds of the Glasshouse Mountains, Landsborough Mooloolah and Beerwah?  Is thinking happy thoughts a cure for disease? 

 

Well.  It’s a funny thing but science seems to keep finding evidence that it certainly helps.

 

Chinese Medicine had a very clear association with the emotions and their connection with organs in the body:

 

·       The Lung and Large Intestine organ pair was affected by Sadness and grief

·       The Stomach and Spleen organ pair was affected by worry

·       The Heart and Small Intestine organ pair was affected by excess joy

·       The Liver and Gallbladder organ pair was affected by anger

·       The Kidneys and Bladder organ pair was affected by fear

 

As with so many of the relationships in Chinese Medicine and acupuncture this relationship was understood to work in both directions.  For example exposure to fear could produce an imbalance in the Kidneys and produce lower back pain as a pattern.  At the same time an imbalance in the Kidneys can manifest as fearful emotions. 

 

So how do we apply this in knowledge in daily life:

 

1.     Check in.  Is it possible that your emotions are not in balance? 

2.     Understand that physical conditions may not have purely physical causes.

3.     Understand that emotional conditions may not have purely emotional causes.

 

Acupuncture was traditionally used to balance the energy of organ systems.  In modern times as we experience greater pressures perhaps this traditional system of healing is exactly what we need.

 

Rest is often seen as an 'additional extra' in our modern world.  But is it?

Many essential body and mental healing processes only occur during rest..

But isn't sleeping enough?  Sleeping is important but sleeping isn't rest and rest isn't sleeping..

Examples of activities you might find restful:

Fearless..  Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides interesting insights into emotions.  

A little background..

TCM identifies emotions as very real energies that have a place in the human body and are capable of causing a variety of physical and mental conditions when out of balance.

This might seem quite at odds with the Western science view of emotions but recent studies have shown that the brain doesn't have a monopoly on memory and emotions - other organs do have the capability to "remember" and "feel".  Interesting stuff...

Back to fearlessness.  TCM sees the kidney as the "home" of fear with the emotion of fear effecting the kidneys and challenges to the kidney energy tending us towards fear.

Looking after the kidneys may support us with processing the emotion of fear:

Not too revolutionary I suppose to say that looking after ourselves can help support our mental and emotional health but sometimes the simple advice is the best..

  

Times such as New Year each year inspire us so often to have the best of intentions.  Losing weight, exercising more, taking time out, quitting a habit we don't like are common intentions we develop and sometimes call New Year's Resolutions.

For some this is almost a cynical process as intentions as re set, forgotten and revived year after year.  Of course this may be "that" year where your intentions blossom into action and ultimately to results.  How do we improve our chances?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has interesting input in this area and might explain why some people are "good" intention and goal achievers and some of us have room to improve.  

According to TCM achieving and maintaining our will (and willpower) is a function of the Kidney energy.  Kidney energy is influenced greatly by genetics (it's probably more accurate to say the Kidney energy includes the influences of genetics and more) so varies greatly from individual to individual at birth. 

So, beyond planning better for our next incarnation (if you believe in such things) what can we do to enhance our Kidney energy, improve our will and deliver on our New Years resolutions?

The Kidney energy is enhance and protected through:

Food wise the Kidney Energy is encouraged by nourishing foods - soups, sources of iron such as kidney (organic ideally), legumes (well cooked) and ensuring adequate intake of essential minerals and vitamins (eating a variety of foods - especially of different colours).

Of course setting realistic and achievable goals (resolutions) is also key to the process - I'm not going to cover that here - Facebook seems to be swamped with that at the moment!