It’s Summertime! Embracing Summer with Chinese Medicine

It’s Summertime! Embracing Summer with Chinese Medicine

by Mary Claire Dilks, D. Ac.

The summer season, the most yang time of the year, is filled with abundant energy and lots of sunshine. It’s about the fire element, expansion, growth, activity, and creativity. Several thousand years ago, an ancient Chinese medical text, The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Cannon, contained the idea that to live a balanced life we should cultivate Yang energy in the spring and summer, and protect yin in the autumn and winter. Here are some tips to help you promote the yang energy.

Be active: 

The heart is associated with the fire element, and it’s main function is to pump oxygen rich blood to your whole body. Getting your heart pumping will help keep it strong. Summer is an excellent opportunity to be active outside while having fun!

Ancient Chinese physicians advised to awaken early in the morning and go to be later in the evening. Follow the pattern of the sun. A midday rest is a great way to recharge.

Be happy:

In Chinese Medicine, mental processes, memory and emotional well being are all attributed to the heart and fire element. This is the time to live life to the fullest and embrace our potential. Gratitude is great way to nurture joy in our lives. Try starting off each day naming 3 things you’re grateful for.

If our fire element is in balance, we will sleep calmly and our hearts are strong and healthy. If it becomes imbalanced we may have insomnia, rhythmic disturbances in our hearts, depression or mania. 

Modify your diet:

Eat lighter and cooling foods. Summer is the time to eat more vegetables, salads, fish and seafood. Eat with the seasons! Avoid eating a lot of meat and fried foods this time of year since those are warming in nature. Add pungent flavors to your diet such as spices, chili peppers, garlic and onions. Pungent flavors “wake up” the senses. They tend to open the flow of energy in your body and can improve metabolism. As always, eat in moderation.

Live joyfully in the moment, get lots of sunshine, and enjoy Summer!

Giving Thanks

After another inspection related delay, I am so thankful that tomorrow the construction team will be working at my new office space. The latest timeline suggests we will be in January 1st- just in time for a fresh new year. I am looking forward to sharing this new healing space with everyone! Maybe we will have a Chinese New Year party?!!

Construction Galore

Construction Galore, a photo by Chung Ho Leung on Flickr.

New office construction officially begins tomorrow, 9/20/2012! Guess the date that we'll be open for business in the new space and the person that comes closest will win a $50 gift certificate to Emerging Energy Acupuncture!!! Answer in comments below THIS post!

The Art of Patience

Every time I hear hammers or banging while I'm in my office (in 202d) I get butterflies in my stomach. I rush over to 203 only to see darkness or someone throwing some junk computers away.

My new office in 203 is still a dream. We're still waiting for a permit- after 4 months! I was imagining it while describing the layout to a patient last week, and I felt excited like I never had. I could finally see it! It's going to be beautiful, serene, and fresh. I'm going to have fish tank with goldfish. There will be orchids in front of the 8 foot windows in the treatment rooms. I will wash my hands with lavender soap in the sink at the end of the hall. At the end of the day I will close the sliding doors to the treatment space, and light will softly come through the frosted glass panels. I'm going to work on keeping these images in my minds eye and let's see if the power of attraction can make it happen.

In the meantime, I am learning patience and to really be grateful for what I have. I love my office, I have wonderful patients, and I am blessed with and wonderful family and vitality.

Life is beautiful.

Day 87, a photo by igtykee on Flickr.

Enjoy today!

from 1001 ways to relax, #335 Stop at Enough

"Stop at Enough. Do More, Achieve More, Acquire More are the most mischievous mantras of the modern world. They represent a constant drive toward more than enough, creating a never-ending spiral of unfulfilled promise. Reject them, and be satisfied with all your assets and your endless potential."

2012 Wellness Plan of Action: 5 steps to counter stress

Don’t just de-stress, change how your body responds to stress. We all encounter stressors every day, but how do they affect our wellbeing?  How resilient are you?

Chinese Medicine can help how your body responds to stress. . . so you don’t internalize stress and those stressors just don’t affect you as much. Chinese wisdom says we should be flexible like bamboo for a long and happy life. 

What is Stress? In Chinese Medicine, we define stress as wanting things to be different from reality. Your mind and body are struggling with the conditions in the present moment. Your mind and body are fighting acceptance of what is. To counter stress, and work on developing your flexible, easy going state, follow these tips.

1. Work on your Liver. In the theory of Chinese Medicine, stress affects the Liver primarily. Since the Liver is in charge of keeping energy flowing freely in our bodies, when we get stressed, our energy gets stuck. This can result in a number of issues such as pain, digestive problems, and difficulty sleeping. Having a acupuncture focused on releasing the energy of the Liver organ will help you manage stress.
2. Get regular exercise. Physical exercise accomplishes at least a few things when it comes to stress reduction. Moving helps to move our stuck energy, breathing helps engage our diaphragm to release the stuck energy in our organs (especially the liver) , and physical exertion causes the release of endorphins to make us feel happy. 
3. Eat food as medicine. Food can heal our bodies or make us sick. Every time we put something in our mouths we are making a choice. Ask yourself when you eat, “Am I nourishing myself with this food?” Eating lots of processed foods will weaken our energy and this makes us more susceptible to stress. Remember to eat real foods, not food products, and you’ll be in pretty good shape.
4. Sleep soundly. Do you wake up rested? If not, then you may consider any number of natural remedies, including acupuncture and chinese herbs.
5. Meditate. Spend more time without judgement in the present moment. Go with the flow of life. Just 5 minutes a day of focused breathing in a comfortable position will make a world of difference in how you respond to stressors. 

We can’t always change what happens to us, but we can change how we respond. We can learn to be more flexible and easygoing. Begin by taking an internal check and develop awareness throughout the day. Try to integrate the above tips and live a more balanced life.

-mc