With the incident leading to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico occurring more than two months ago, the tragedy has only gravely worsened in impact and has yet to come to resolution. As we all know by now, the wildlife (like the Manatee pictured above), the sea creatures, the inhabitants who earn their living in the area and the polluted waters are but some of the destruction the spill is leaving in its wake. How is it that in a world with technology modern enough to build such a rig in the middle of the sea that we do not have the resources to repair it? While that question remains to be answered for me, we can all play our part in finding a solution through the thoughts that we think.

The Power of Positive Thought

While local rescue teams, scientists, firefighters, air-traffic and volunteers do the important work on the scene in participating in clean-up efforts and most importantly, stopping the spill, those of us living far away can still have an active participation through sending positive thought. Maybe it sounds trivial, but two recent encounters have explored the power behind this and without negative consequence, I implore all of us to try.

This weekend I had the honor of attending a yoga and meditation workshop with one of my favorite teachers, Patricia Moreno. The focus of the class was to understand the impact our thoughts have on creating our reality. That we actually have the power to visualize that which we want in our life by simultaneously appreciating that it is already there and having faith that it will continue to flow in an excess beyond our wildest imagination. After self-reflection, we closed the class with a 10 minute meditation for healing the gulf. We visualized a thriving ocean, healthy sea-life, a prosperous community, clean waters and the end of chaos.  Why not?

Positive prayer, as some call it, has been used since the beginning of time to silently hope for a particular outcome. I know I have witnessed this occur in simple daily things (manifesting a parking spot or a speedy train, for example) to monumental life changes. Imagine the impact a whole world could have in sending focused and positive thoughts to heal the gulf*.

The Proof is in the Water

Dr. Mosaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, is most known for his research in the changeable molecular structure of water in response to emotion. Through his work he is able to quantifiably evaluate physical shifts in the structure of water molecules by changing our emotional state. As the human body is made of mostly water, his research is often used as the basis for healing through positive thought. Given that the oil spill is a problem contained in the ocean, it makes even more sense that his theory could be applied here. Rather than emitting the fear and anger regarding the situation (although there is much reason to be afraid and angry through the destruction and political implications alone), he encourages the following thought pattern in an effort to find resolution from the inside (aka: the water molecules themselves) out.

“I send the energy of love and gratitude to the water and all the living creatures in the Gulf of Mexico and its surroundings. To the whales, dolphins, pelicans, fish, shellfish, plankton, coral, algae, and all living creatures . . . I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. “

What I like about this prayer (if you wish) that arrived in my inbox this morning, is that it allows the space for us each to take responsibility for both the cause and the healing in the oil spill. To find accountability within tragedy is healing, even if it seems impossible that some of us played any part. The world is a gigantic tapestry of interconnectedness, for which we cannot truly isolate and separate ourselves. At the end of the day, the one thing we truly have control over is how we think and where we put our attention to. We can choose to sit in anger and frustration, or we can choose to try a different path. Either way, here’s hoping that with enough creative problem solving and positive imagery, this disaster will be turning around just as quickly as it started.

*The meditation used for visualization in Patricia’s class was the Meditation for Manifesting by Dr. Wayne Dyer, which can be downloaded here.

Ever thought that your morning muffin or stir-fry lunch contained not just sustenance, but healing properties? Ancient Chinese medical theory has ascribed certain energetics and functions to many common foods, that still remain true today. Such properties are very different from nutritional values (vitamins, calories, fats, fiber, etc), which came later in the evolution of the nature of food. Let’s take watermelon (Xi Gua) as an example of this idea: our analytical mind knows that this delicious fruit is sweet, refreshing and nutritious with its high water content and fiber. The energetics of this food according to Chinese theory are cooling and damp draining, and therefore can prevent heat stroke on a hot summer day and promote healthy water metabolism by ridding edema. A more relevant example for the winter season would be lamb (Yang Rou), which is warming to the system and promotes optimum functioning. 

Food therapy is considered to be the number one treatment in preventative care and healing therapy. In modern China, there are special restaurants where one can go to receive tailored medicinal meals. After a visit with the Chinese medicine doctor, a pattern diagnosis is ascribed which can then be brought to the chef at such a restaurant. Food will then be prepared in accordance with individual needs – to nourish, eliminate or course any given imbalance. This notion contradicts the idea that one particular diet is best for everyone, but rather tailors nutritional choices based on individual need. What may help one person lose weight and feel energetic, may not be the right fit for someone else. I had the fortune of experiencing this model for myself at the medicinal food restaurant across from the hospital during my one-year clinical rotation in Hangzhou, China.  

Chinese herbal medicine utilizes the combination of roots, barks, leaves, stems and berries to promote health and vitality.  It only makes sense that Chinese Herbal Medicine and Food Therapy often overlap, with many herbal ingredients ending up on typical supermarket shelves. The following is a delicious trailmix you can make at home, as your own “herbal formula prescription.” In addition to curbing hunger between meals, or giving an energy boost before a work-out, this mix is high in antioxidents, essential fatty acids and protein. From the Chinese perspective, it is nourishing to the kidneys; promotes mental clarity, memory function; improves libido, energy and digestion. Enjoy!

Herbal Trail Mix – Common Names with Chinese Names and Functions           

Goji Berries/Wolfberries                                    

Gou Qi Zi -Nourishes the kidney energy, enhances fertility, memory, and sexual function

Walnut Halves                                                          

Hu Tao Ren -Promotes brain function, mental clarity

 Black Sesame Seeds                                                      

Huo Ma Ren -Nourishes blood, improves vision and sluggish digestion.  Black sesame has the additional benefit of promoting lactation in breast-feeding women.

*I like Mrs. May’s Black Sesame Crunch Squares, they are slightly sweetened with honey that provides a great flavor and also aids digestion.

This post is a proud participant in the Kathleen Show’s Prevention Not Prescriptions Blog - a great place for other resources to stay healthy.

Choose Your Support

So, what to do?  First off, find the resources around you and seek help.  Consulting with a health care professional is an important catalyst in transforming your blues into bliss.  It can also help combat the isolation that often accompanies mood changes. It is my experience that with chronic or severe emotional distress, there is no “one” help and calling on a variety of resources yields stronger, more lasting results.  Here are some tools you may want to try:

• Implementing an appropriate exercise routine (which will vary for each individual)
• Tap into your creative expression (such as journal writing, art/music/dance therapy)
• Dietary and lifestyle changes (such as increasing essential fatty acid intake, vitamins and minerals and decreasing sugar and refined food)
• Consulting with a professional psychologist or psychiatrist
• Nourishing constitutional patterns and reducing stress with a holistic modality (acupuncture, herbal medicine, reiki)
• Reduce your stress (yoga, meditation, massage, acupuncture)

How Acupuncture Can Help

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), does not treat “depression” per say, but rather the person who is experiencing depression. Different individuals can experience the discomforts of depression from a variety of causes – or, as we call them, patterns. In treating depression, your acupuncturist first must find your unique pattern diagnosis and from there, begin to strengthen your system and ease discomfort. Acupuncture can help to greatly reduce emotional and physical stress and the somatic pain that often accompanies emotional upset. Best of all, it will not interfere negatively with any other therapy or prescriptions you may be receiving, but complement them by tapping into the root of your constitutional nature.

Herbal remedies may also be a good option for occasional slumps or mood swings.  Unlike acupuncture, which must be administered by a licensed professional and usually done only 1-2 times per week, an herbal formula can follow you home and become a daily treatment.  When prescribed by a licensed practitioner, herbal formulas are completely safe, and can help the body harmonize from the inside out.

For more information on how to incorporate the benefits of acupuncture into your emotional wellness plan, please contact us.

A Winter Wonderland From My Home in Minnesota

Dad & Me Toasting the Season with a Holiday Sambuca

The Newlyweds! My Sister Kelsey & her Husband Jason

Mom & Me: Ready for our Traditional Potato Soup Christmas Eve Dinner

Grandpa Jo & Grandma Cheryl Celebrating with Chocolate

Our NYC Apartment Tree 2009

Cookies: A Christmas Favorite

Jason & I Warming Up Inside on a Snowy Day

A gift from our good friend Justin

Wishing you joy, health and happiness this season and always.

In good health,

Erin

Winter, Water, Kidneys & You

In Chinese medicine, winter applies to the Water Element in 5-element theory. Although it comes in the form of snow and ice, water is truly an abundant part of the winter landscape. When transcribed to the human body, the kidneys and urinary bladder are responsible for water metabolism (both energetically and physically) and are a pivotal part of the Water element. Yin and Yang are interdependent forces prevalent in all aspects of life, but winter is rooted in a strong sense of yin. In this regard, yin can be understood through the cool and still nature of the season. A teacher of mine once explained the water element as the bottom bedrock on the ocean floor – the deep, dark, solid root of something so powerful and majestic. I like to translate this metaphor to the body, with representation to the powerful root to within each of us – our individual potential.

Aside from the physiologic function we know from Western medicine, the kidneys represent our root essence (genetic makeup) and the urinary bladder has relevance to the nervous system. Memory, brain function, reproductive function, bone growth, and systemic development are also important aspects of kidney energy in the body. The emotion of fear or fright is ascribed to the Water element, and is often a relative factor in someone with constitutional tendencies toward this element. The winter is a perfect time to strengthen and nourish these energetic organs.

Nourishing the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder

Nature gives us the tools we need for nourishing the ascribed element and organ systems, and the number one way to do this in the winter months is to hibernate. Rest, warmth, sleep. This is the time to slow down, and nature forces us to do that with the gifts of cold and snow. The weather change literally forces us to move inward – into our homes, into the warmth, into ourselves. It is a time for introspection, meditation, and conservation of resources.

During winter, the land is frozen and there is no growth or harvest. That which is leftover from the fall becomes nourishment for the winter. Canned vegetables, sauced apples, gourds, squashes and meats for hearty stews are important for building the root aspect in ourselves. There are plenty of herbs and teas for nourishing the kidneys during this time, and depending on individual constitution will depend on the formula focus. Even if you are feeling healthy, the beginning of winter can be a great to time for visiting your acupuncturist to help guide your body into the energetics of the season and promote tonification.

Enjoy the beautiful season of winter. Take a moment to listen to the quietude outside and reflect into the depths of yourself. Use the space provided to cultivate that which satisfies and nourishes you, regenerating the resources necessary for the coming spring and summer.