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Winter to Spring: Everything Old Is New Again
In this episode of Seasonal Health Tips, Kitty talks about how the Earth energy affects your health as we transition from the cold dark days of Winter into the pulsing possibilities of Spring.
(To get the most out of what Kitty has to say, open the 5 Element Theory chart in a new window while listening.)
Length 6 min.; Size 7.0 MB
As the dark, cold days of Winter wane, the Water energy of the season drains downward, bringing us back in contact with the Earth energy.
Healthwise, this is a time to start rebuilding the strength of your kidneys, which are somewhat depleted from their Winter work, and preparing for the slow surge into the Wood energy of Spring; a time when the health and vitality of your liver and gallbladder will become the focus of your body’s attention.
Just as certain Chinese medical herbs improve with age, so too do practitioners of Oriental medicine.
Earth Energy
‘Earth’ energy, as described by the Five Element Theory of Oriental Medicine, is a predominant environmental force five times a year: during the transitional time between seasons, when you start to feel one season changing into the next, and in late Summer.
In a practical sense, these are important times to focus on strengthening, or just paying attention to, your digestive system; its overall health, and the vitality of its individual organs. This means doing what needs to be done to improve your diet and nutrition, and finding out what type of Chi Kung (energy-building exercises) would benefit your specific situation.
Related Links
Staying Healthy in Spring
Spring Health Tips (1)
Spring Health Tips (2)
The Way Through
Benjamin Franklin and Oriental Medicine
Did you know there’s a connection between Oriental Medicine and one of America’s Founding Fathers? You may have heard the old saying: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: This health advice from Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century still applies today in the 21st. This is the same wisdom practiced and prescribed by doctors of Oriental Medicine for thousands of years.
In a practical sense, preventing disease is primarily a matter of having a strong immune system, and cultivating and maintaining a strong immune system is a primary focus and specialty of Oriental Medicine.
And remember: It’s always better - and easier - to correct imbalances in your health, through small incremental changes, before they become more serious problems.
Oriental Medicine - Past and Present
Oriental Medicine is at least 3,000 years old. Written evidence from China dates back to about 1,500 BC, and archaeological evidence of medicinal herbs and acupuncture needles dates back to about 5,000 BC. So while ancient documents indicate that acupuncture originated in China thousands of years ago, the popularity of Oriental Medicine continues to grow significantly in the United States today, and this popularity can be traced back to the 1970’s when President Nixon made his historic visit to The People’s Republic of China.
Let me tell you a short story about what happened back then to bring the power of Oriental Medicine into view for the whole world:
Ping Pong Diplomacy
As a result of Ping Pong diplomacy in the 1970’s, when ping pong players from the United States and the People’s Republic of China met in a cultural exchange that paved the way for a visit to Beijing by Nixon, a well-know journalist for the New York Times named James Reston followed along to report on this historic event.
As fate would have it, Reston found himself in a dangerous health situation, needing to have his appendix removed. His need to be ‘opened up’ surgically caused an opening in health care options for people in western countries on par with the diplomatic opening he was in China to report on.
And while acupuncture and Oriental Medicine have been practiced in North America ever since the arrival of the first Chinese immigrants, very few non-Chinese had any knowledge of, let alone experience with, these traditional healing techniques.
So after Reston recovered from his operation he wrote a report describing his experience of being treated in a Chinese hospital by a medical team made up of western-trained Chinese MDs and a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.
And because of the health emergency experienced by an internationally known journalist from the New Times, the world found out that Oriental Medicine is a safe, effective, time-tested, health care system that can yield amazing results.