Articles & Podcasts
Regain & Maintain Your Health
| Past Sightings |
|---|
A Clear Path |
The Tao of Health
New York Times
Health Section
Teahouse Experiences
Conscious Connections
Snowy Haiku
Still whiteness —
Dark leaves resting under icy crystals,
One red berry.
What is Acupuncture Good For?
In a 2004 study, acupuncture was shown to be helpful in reducing pain due to knee arthritis. It also could be beneficial for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. And when used along with in vitro fertilization, it may be effective in increasing the odds of success in female conception.
Stimulating an acupuncture point in the toe even may help correct the breech position of babies in the last trimester and allow more women to avoid C-sections, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Getting Ready for Winter
It’s early December and Winter is already making its energetic appearance. Cold has begun to set in. Most leaves are gone from the trees. Days are short.
The old wisdom in Oriental thinking is that 21 days before the Solstice or Equinox the seasonal energy begins to change. The passing season wanes as the coming season waxes - energy swirls.
Long leafless fingers / Scrape the sky / Reaching for windblown clouds
This ‘swirling’ of the seasonal energy is beginning much earlier these days, and is being felt by many more than just those who are usually sensitive to such changes. In the Pacific Northwest we started feeling the beginnings of winter in November.
Stay Balanced
Because the energy of the seasons is much stronger these days, our organs (each of which is associated with a particular season) have to work harder; as a result, each is much more depleted by the end of its season. This can make us more vulnerable to illness unless we do what’s needed to bring the organs back into balance.
‘Rebalancing’ the energy, or ‘Chi,’ of the organs is what Oriental Medicine does so well.
Water is the element of Winter—the energetic force that governs the health and functionality of your kidneys and urinary bladder.
Staying Healthy in Winter
‘Preventing’ illness, and other health problems, is always easier than having to ‘fix’ them once they’ve taken hold.
Remember the wisdom that says: “To everything there is a season ...”; and when that ‘thing’ is your health, it’s wise to pay attention to the rhythm of the time.
So keep in mind that Winter is a time of slowness. And Cold and Dark are powerful aspects of Winter which we need to pay attention to and respect.
It’s important to listen to what Winter is saying: Stay warm, slow down, get more rest.
Learn More
Staying Healthy in Winter (Article & Podcast)
Winter Photo Gallery
BIOM on Twitter