Spring Health, A Chinese Medicine Perspective
Here we are in Spring, nature's new year. The energy in this season rises up again from the earth after a winter of storage and rest: plants sprout up and out, buds force out leaves, sap rises up to nourish branches and twigs. The energy is moving, bright green and tangible. And we are not immune to the effects of this energetic shift that makes us, too, want to get up and out. After a winter of hibernation and inactivity we crave movement and sun. Internally our bodies are at work, processing all of the accumulations due to winter's inactivity and rich foods.
There are shifts like this with every seasonal change. As spring moves into summer the energy intensifies even more and the earth heats up. This is the season of the fire element and the energetic direction is up, like how flames rise up from a fire. The sun is high, the temperature is high, and daylight dominates the 24-hour cycle. As fall arrives the energy returns down into the earth once again. Leaves fall and mulch into earth. The leafy plants die back and retreat underground, concentrating their energy in their roots, tubers, and bulbs. The sun drops down earlier and earlier until the stillness and cold of winter descends. The energy is lowest in the winter with animals in hibernation and early nightfall. This is the natural time for rest, for sleeping more, and for introspection.
10 Reasons Why Your Neck and Shoulders Hurt
Happy Chinese Earth Pig New Year!
February 5th marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year, the year of the Earth Pig. These zodiac signs are determined by your birth year, not your birth month, and always come in the same order, with the pig as the 12th and final sign of the series. Each time your zodiac sign rolls around it cycles through a different symbolic element in a certain order as well: metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. Since the Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, the date moves around a bit. If you were born in January or February especially, you will have to double check your sign. Click here to find your Chinese zodiac sign.
This New Year it is time to leave behind 2018’s Dog Year, a period that was characterized by territorial behavior and blind loyalty to the pack. As the year of the Pig, a carefree, fun, and easygoing animal that gets along well with all sorts of other barnyard species, we can look forward to the return of a more socially open and welcoming time. Pigs also represent good fortune and wealth, so this is great time to start a new venture or invest some money. This is also an Earth year. Just as the earth literally breaks down and absorbs whatever falls to the forest floor, Earth years are a good time to pause, process, and integrate past events. Earth is also stabilizing and grounding, so this is an excellent time to set down new roots or start a garden. Happy New Year!
Heat or Cold for Pain?
People with pain often ask me whether they should be applying heat or cold. In Chinese medicine neither is universally appropriate and, in fact, their are times when the incorrect treatment can even be detrimental. The basic idea is to choose whatever will neutralize your symptoms.
33 Amazing Medical Facts About You
Simply put, you are amazing! Your body is unbelievably complex, yet operates as a cohesive, coordinated whole. It is incredibly resilient and strong, and can perform thousands of tasks without you even having to think about it. Below are just some of the amazing medical facts about the you!
