One of the aspects of Chinese Medicine I love is the way in which it looks at what it means to be healthy. Health is not just the absence of disease, but being healthy is the way in which we feel in our lives, our careers, our relationships, our bodies and our minds.
Treating the branches (symptoms) can be a great reprise from being in pain or uncomfortable but for long lasting change we need to dig deeper to figure out what the root of our problem is so we can address it. In a world where fast is better and where we expect quick results, allowing our bodies to heal from the inside out which takes time and more importantly patience can make many of us unwilling to wait. But I digress….
From the lens of Chinese medicine each organ has a much broader role than just its physical function. Each organ has an energetic affinity towards a certain emotion, colour, food, sound, season element…Each organ influences a certain tissue of our body, opens into an aspect of our face and functions at its peak in a 2 hr. period during the day. Our health is reflected in our eyes, our voice, our complexion, how we speak and how we walk.
The roots of Chinese medicine which is influenced by Taoist philosophy reminds us that to be healthy we must live in accordance to laws of nature. Everything on the planet has a rhythm, everything changes, and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Everything in life takes time to manifest. It takes time to become unwell and it takes time to get better. Perhaps embracing a little patience and perseverance will go along way in helping us understand this magnificent world that exists inside our own bodies. We can deduce our bodies into isolated parts but I think it is much more interesting to see the magic of what holds us together.
Chinese Medicine is a medicine designed to empower us in our own healing. We are similar and yet each of us is uniquely different. What makes one person feel great can make another ill. Taking the time to understand what makes us who we are and what can help us come alive in our life is worth digging into.
No Comments