Regain & Maintain Your Health
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Valentine’s Day: A Matter of the Heart (and Kidneys)
Happy Valentine’s Day! a celebration of the Heart — whose health depends on strong Kidneys. As Valentine’s Day inspires you to feel love in your heart, I encourage you to also focus for a minute or two on the level of energy (health) you’re feeling, or not feeling, in your Heart and Kidneys.
As I mentioned in A Mid-Winter Checkup, your kidneys are probably pretty pooped by now, leaving you feeling low in energy. Look at the Five Element Cycle of Regulation illustration on this page and you’ll notice that the ‘Water’ element, embodied in your Kidneys, regulates the ‘Fire’ element, which is embodied in your Heart.
So if your Kidneys are low in energy they won’t be able to adequately support the Heart, and as a result, the Heart function can get a bit out of alignment.
What to Look Out For
If you’re already predisposed to heart problems, you may be experiencing things like a little bit of extra pressure in the chest, or maybe some mild heart irregularities in the rhythm and beat, usually not to the extent of interfering with breathing; but for people who have compromised heart energy, these symptoms may be more severe at this point in the winter.
Mid-season is the time to start rebuilding the strength of that season’s organ.
A Way to Good Health
A ‘rule of thumb’ for good health is this: toward the middle and end of each season, focus on rebuilding the strength of the organ that is the focal point for that season. Right now, in mid-winter, it’s your Kidneys. And because each organ system has a companion organ that it regulates, (at mid-winter it’s your heart), it’s a good idea to pay some attention to the companion too so that it will be in tune and ready to go when it’s season to perform comes; (for the Heart, that’s summer).
What You Can Do
Acupuncture, Chinese Medical Herbs, and Chi Kung are simple, time-tested ways to balance the energy in the seasonally affected organ system, and to build your overall level of energy so that you can enjoy that most wonderful, yet subtle, of feelings: Good Health!
If you want help learning about, and experiencing, the health benefits offered by this ‘5 Element Way,’ call me for an appointment, or to discuss your situation.
Contact Kitty
for more information
(206) 842-6936
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As always ... wishing you health and well-being ...
Kitty
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2010: The Year of the ‘Metal’ Tiger
The Tiger is a very dynamic animal and represents the energy of this year
The Chinese New Year began on February 14th and is traditionally celebrated for fifteen days.
This year we are in the energy of the Metal Tiger. You will see it referred to as the “Golden Tiger” because the word in Chinese for Metal is also the word for Gold. You will also see it referred to as the “White Tiger” because the color for Metal is White.
Just look at this image of the Tiger and you are immediately reminded of its energy — and the energy of this year.
The Ways of the Cat
The Tiger is a big cat and the energy of this year is BIG too. The Tiger is a very dynamic animal and represents the energy of this year well.
If you’ve ever lived with a house cat or observed one, you know how independent they are — and “independence” is a thread that will be running through the fabric of this year. So think of this year as the ‘year of the cat’ — big or small — which will have many cat-like characteristics.
- Stealthy. Cats of all sizes rely on their stealth to surprise and overcome their prey.
- Playful. Just give a house cat some catnip to see this aspect.
- Fearless. Most cats, regardless of size, don’t exhibit fear; this goes along with the saying: “Cats have 9 lives.”
- Sensual. Cats love what they love and purring lets you know what that is.
- Charismatic. This can easily be seen in the majesty of a tiger.
- Fierce. Big cats are incredibly fierce when hunting.
- Self-assured. Not much bothers them, and when something does, they just leave.
‘Tiger people’ can become depressed and will need lots of sympathetic listening to help them move through it. Once they have recovered, and feel once again more self-assured, they will likely continue along the same path which led them to their depressed state.
Tigers Can Be Intense
The intensity of the Tiger year cannot be overstated. This year has the potential to be more stressful than usual, and much more intense. Due to the dynamism of the Tiger this year may be one of lots of change too. And in contrast, there will be quieter times as well, much like when a cat is sleeping. Yes, cats can be placid — for a time.
Along with the aforementioned intensity, there is also an element of speed in this year’s energy. If you’ve ever seen a Tiger attack its prey you have an understanding of this potential. It’s often explosive, as the energy can be from time to time over this year.
The intensity of the Tiger year cannot be overstated.
The Elemental Energy This Year is ‘Wood’
The Tiger is a Wood animal. This is the same energy as the Liver and Gallbladder so those organs may be involved in health issues this year. Ailments like:
- Sciatica
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Hives and allergies
... just to name a few, are some of these Wood-type issues. True to the energy of the Tiger, they may come on quickly and be somewhat intense.
The Metal Tiger year has a ‘Metal’ influence also which means it’s flashier and more flamboyant. It also may have more to do with money.
From the health perspective, the Metal aspect in 5 Element Theory oversees the Lungs and Large Intestine, so issues involving those organs are also possible.
The confluence of Wood and Metal energies may lead to more sinus allergies, for instance, which would be a combination of Lung and Liver imbalance. Each of these energetic influences manifest differently in each person, so it’s very hard to predict exactly which imbalance may show up for you; though you can be sure that you will be subjected to the Metal Tiger energy and it will do what it does in your body.
Ride The Tiger!
As you can see there are many aspects to the lively Tiger year. Yes, it’s going to be dynamic at times and when it is, be sure to remind yourself: “Just ride the Tiger!”
Winter Retreat at BIOM
It was dark and cold as we arrived at the Winter Solstice, and like those who have come before us, we lit up the night to celebrate the holidays and bolster our spirits for the beginning of Winter.
On this page ...
‘Twas the Season To Be Jolly — and Retreat
Unlike our ancestors we enjoy a nearly ‘24/7’ abundance (always-on electricity, clean water pumped into the house, food conveniently provided in nearby stores) that lets us overspend our energy between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day; to an extent that our health can feel overdrawn throughout the Winter.
‘Stepping Back’ makes room for something beneficial to come forward.
At BIOM we’ve learned to ‘thread-the-needle’ by enjoying a moderate level of holiday festivities, then taking a short, one- or two-day ‘retreat’ where we ‘step back’ and turn our attention inward to reconnect with what we value in our lives.
We find a short retreat to be a very practical way to refresh the clarity needed for making any necessary ‘adjustments’ for the new year ... and beyond ...
Why Retreat
Winter is a natural time to retreat; the energy in the northern hemisphere is at maximum Yin — a time of dark, cold, stillness and quiet. And just as the bear hibernates, and the tree gathers its energy down in its roots in Winter, we too can get in sync with Winter’s energy (Yin) by ‘sinking’ into the deeper parts of ourselves that aren’t as easily accessible in the stirring days of Spring or fiery days of Summer.
Remember this: To ‘retreat’ doesn’t have to mean doing something ‘spiritual’ or ‘religious.’ Retreat to do something you want to do.
Conscious Walking
One foot in front of the other ... gaze gently downward ... looking at nothing in particular ...
Planning A Retreat
During a Winter Retreat at BIOM we make it part of our plan to rest and meditate. Our meals are simple, and we’re flexible regarding how we schedule our time.
We focus on staying centered in the body — aware of how we feel — and present in our thoughts — not thinking about what we’ve done in the past or what we plan to do in the future. In other words: “Be Here Now.”
What Do You Want To Do At Your Winter Retreat?
What do you want to experience? Is it peace? Quiet? Inspiration? Art? Music? Figuring that out is the first step.
Once you have a sense of what you want the focus of your retreat to be:
- Gather together everything you’ll need to be self-sufficient during your retreat time.
- Make sure everything is ready.
One day retreat: like a power outage ... with the Power turned on.
Step-by-Step
Here is a general guide for preparing for a short Winter retreat.
- Plan your meals and buy your food prior to the time of your retreat. If you don’t want to cook, prepare as much as you can ahead of time.
- Notify anyone who may contact you that your phone will be off and you won’t be answering emails for that time. (You may also want to turn on the ‘out-of-office’ message for your email.)
- Gather together whatever you want to have on hand ahead of time.
- Videos
- Books
- Music
- Writing and drawing materials (Keep in mind that it makes sense to choose things that are inspiring and that fit with the ‘theme’ of your retreat.)
- Prepare a flexible schedule for what you want to do so you have a structure to guide you if you get distracted.
Do you need help planning your personal retreat? Retreat consultations are available at BIOM. Call — (206) 842-6936 — or email to make an appointment.
Scheduling A Winter Retreat
What Is a Retreat
Perhaps something as simple as turning off the TV or computer for a day ... then seeing what happens with that time.
To help you get started take a look at our ‘flexible’ schedule.
(Note: Wherever you see Chi Kung, just substitute the type of exercise you enjoy and plan to do.)
- Wake up, and while in bed, do some focused breathing to establish the beginning of the retreat.
- Get out of bed and do some gentle stretching exercises.
- Shower
- Practice Chi Kung
- Meditate
- Breakfast
- Enjoy quiet time — read for a while then take a walk in Nature.
- Practice Chi Kung
- Lunch
- Rest a while
- Read or watch something inspiring.
- Chi Kung or other exercise
- Prepare and eat evening meal
- Watch a video, play music, listen to music, or read.
- Meditate
- Feel the effects of the day in your body and mind.
- Sleep
Related Posts
Seasonal Retreats at BIOM
Reflecting on a Winter Solstice Retreat
Autumn Beach Retreat