May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

The sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Might be TRUTH in this Blessing ana

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My knee says a storm is coming…
The word “holistic” is used extensively to describe complementary forms of health care. But what does holistic really mean?
My definition of a holistic system of medicine is one that considers a
person’s health in the context of the whole life of the patient. This
includes the patient’s given constitutional tendencies, lifestyle
choices (e.g., exercise, sleep patterns, etc.), the foods that a person
consumes (including drugs and alcohol), emotional life, social life, and
the external physical environment in which the patient lives —
including climate and weather.
Chinese medicine was developed from the belief that we are deeply
connected to, inseparable even, from our environment. It is helpful to
understand how different external environments can influence the
internal environment of our bodies.

6 Doctor-Tested Ways to Keep a Cold Away
In my last article, I discussed the various functions of qi. One of
those functions is to protect against “invasion” from pathogenic
influences. If our qi is strong enough, we can be exposed to harsh
environments and not be too negatively impacted. If our protective qi is
not strong enough, then environmental pathogens can penetrate into the
body. When your mother told you to “bundle up” before you went into the
cold or wind, she was telling you the same thing. Specifically, in
Chinese medicine, when you catch a cold or the flu, it is said that the wind has invaded the body. When this
happens, it often carries with it other environmental energies, such as
heat, cold, or dampness. Wind invasions are characterized by sudden
onset, aversion to drafts, and symptoms that change rapidly or move
around, like the wind. If the wind has carried heat into the body, we
say that a person has a “wind-heat” invasion. In addition to symptoms of
wind, their symptoms will also be heat-related, manifesting in a fever,
sweating, a red and irritated sore throat, strong thirst, or a fast
pulse. A “wind-cold” invasion reflects symptoms of wind, plus cold
symptoms such as chills, fear of cold, tightness in neck and shoulders (because cold makes the body contract and causes pain), headache, and a lack of sweating and thirst.
While some symptoms are caused by invasion from the outsideinternal factors, namely, the emotions.The Chinese name five destructive emotions: worry, anger,
fear, sadness and over-joy (mania). A relaxed, emotionally-balanced
state is ideal. Each emotion affects a specific organ and the body’s qi
in a predictable way. Other factors include a weak constitution,
excessive sexual activity, traumatic injury, and poor dietary habits.
The amount of sexual activity that is considered “healthy” varies from
person to person, but is related to a person’s age, inherent
constitutional strength and the state of qi or health. Generally, the
younger and healthier a person is, the more sexual activity he or she
can have without negatively impacting health. Even diseases that have
been caused from emotional or other factors will often have symptoms or
characteristics that mimic environmental energies. For example, the
symptoms of neurological disease — tremors, for example — often mimic
the shaking movements of wind, while oozing sores, yeast overgrowth,
excessive nasal mucus or other discharges reflect the energy of wet or
damp weather. environment, other diseases are created by

Why do some people have symptoms that worsen with cold weather, while others suffer more in hot weather?
People with imbalances that reflect environmental energies often have
symptoms that worsen when the weather is similar to their internal
imbalance. People with internal heat (from internal or external causes)
have symptoms that worsen in hot weather and feel better in cold
weather. Those with internal cold will have symptoms that worsen in cold
weather and feel better in hot weather. We all know people who seem to
be able to predict that a storm is coming from the way their arthritic
joints feel. This can be explained because the arthritis may have a
“damp” component, worsening as the humidity increases with the approach
of damp weather.
An acupuncturist or Chinese herbalist will analyze a patient’s
symptoms, then use herbs or stimulate acupuncture points that have
functions such as clearing heat, dispersing wind, or draining dampness
in order to bring the patient’s energy back into balance. Also, by
learning the specific energetics of food,
we can eat in a way which brings us back toward balance, instead of
adding to our imbalance. Some foods create heat (e.g., meats, spices,
and mybloggers foods), some cool the body (e.g., raw vegetables and most
fruits) and other foods (e.g., dairy products and sugar) generate
dampness. Your licensed acupuncturist can help you understand your
symptoms and give you personalized dietary recommendations.
Be well!
Scott Evans

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