I was working with a patient the other day and she was sharing that she was feeling more anxious and weepy lately. She was also experiencing strong headaches around and behind her right eye. She told me she had made an appointment at the eye dr. and just as she spoke those words, her body shifted slightly and she said, “…maybe I’m stressed.” So beautiful how her intuition spoke up here. She is in the middle of some exciting and challenging transitions in life and her body is showing it. I talked to her about the energy of the season we are entering and how what she is describing is so commonly felt right now.
She shared that when these emotions rise up in her she tries to avoid them by going for a jog or two each day. It’s a temporary fix, but the emotions keep returning. I explained that these emotions need and want to be heard and felt and then they will soften and release bit by bit. She asked me, “how?”
I told her I could take her through a somatic, mindfulness practice that safely takes us into the body to be with our emotions. She agreed to try, and after exploring the layers of emotions she was carrying through our mindfulness practice, I gave her an acupuncture treatment to support what came up for her during our session. Afterwards, she said she felt much lighter and more open. She intended to try this more often rather than running from her emotions.
This case highlights two major Chinese medicine patterns of emotional stagnation that can present during the autumn season. One is a pattern of anxiety/fear of the unknown that comes with the energy of a transition season, and the other is grief.
As nature comes into another season of transition between summer and winter, it is showing us what it looks like to let go, unburden and release in preparation for what is ahead. It is subtle here in central Florida, but I bet you can feel it. Slightly cooler mornings, slightly dryer air. Further north in the country the leaves on trees are starting to dry and prepare to drop.
In Chinese medicine, the autumn season is reflected in the lung and large intestine and their function of taking in and releasing. Breathe in fresh oxygenated air, release what is not needed- carbon dioxide. Take in nutrients from food, release waste that is not needed. Emotionally, the lung holds our grief and sorrow and this time of year, it is common to feel those emotions surfacing if they have not been properly heard and released in the past.
Because this is a pivot or transition season (as is the Spring season), there can also be feelings of uncertainty, fear, anxiety that show up as the body and spirit sense change is upon us.
The most common reaction to these sensations is to get busy and stay busy to avoid the feelings that begin to surface. But then it builds and manifests into headaches, stomachaches, body aches and even a sense of feeling stuck, heavy, depressed.
So what can you do during this time of year to live more in sync with nature’s invitation to release? How can you turn towards these sensations that are often uncomfortable on the surface?
Check in with your mind, body, spirit. Notice if any of this resonates with feelings/sensations you’ve been experiencing lately. It is ok! There is nothing “wrong” with you. You are feeling the way nature is calling…
At home- Letting go and releasing at home can look like cleaning out closets, garages, under beds and drawers. This is a great way to start getting rid of excess that you don’t need to be carrying through this life. And it can be very satisfying to feel the accomplishment of cleaning out even just one small drawer!
Slow down- Nature is giving us an opportunity to start preparing to slow down after a big, hot and active summer season. As you look at your schedule for the season, consider where you can build in some downtime. Maybe a yin yoga class regularly? Maybe 5-10 min of meditation or walking without music/podcasts, etc. each morning. Maybe you block time for reading in the evening rather than scrolling or watching tv?
Acupuncture and herbal medicine can support you through these tricky seasons of transition and heaviness. Both are able to keep the body’s energy flowing gently through the tender areas that may want to close off right now. They can support the release that nature is inviting us to engage with.
Schedule a MindBody Coaching session- During a session, I can guide you through a mindful, somatic practice of turning towards feelings or sensations in the body that you may be avoiding. We bring compassion and curiosity to what your body/heart are trying to communicate. We tune in and listen, and often times a release comes naturally. You are left feeling lighter, more peaceful and feeling more space in your heart and body to move forward into the next season.
I love this quote that seems so fitting this time of year:
“Hold the sadness and pain in your heart and at the same time, the power and vision of the great eastern Sun. Then the warrior can make a proper cup of tea.” -Chogyam Rinpoche
Floridians know that there are still a few months to go in this heat and humidity of late summer, but it doesn’t have to weigh us down through to the end of the season. Traditional Chinese Medicine has a lot to say about this “summer heat” and humidity, or “dampness” and how we can manage it!
If you have been feeling any of the following symptoms of excessive heat/dampness recently, you aren’t alone:
Heaviness in the arms and legs
Ear fullness, brain fog, dizziness
Mild nausea, loose stools, aversion to heavy foods
Headaches like a damp towel wrapped around your head
Low motivation, lethargy, fatigue
Here are a few nutrition and lifestyle tips to balance that heat and dampness:
Eat watermelon, preferably to the rind, on days when you have to be out in the heat! Watermelon is actually considered an herbal medicinal (called “xi gua”) in Chinese medicine and is known for its cooling and hydrating properties. The white fleshy part close to the rind especially acts as a diuretic to clear heat as well.
Mung Beans help clear heat and toxins from the body and are a great addition to a summer minestrone soup or a rice and bean dinner.
Mint and mint tea is cooling to the head and chest and makes a great iced tea if that is your thing too!
Avoid fried foods, high sugar foods, dairy products.
Move your body gently and early or late in the day. Getting outside early in the morning and late in the evening is a way to move your body’s energy or “qi” that may have stagnating through the day due to either being cooped up inside avoiding the heat or from excess humidity weighing it down.
Even though its still very hot and humid, we are moving closer to autumn and deeper into the season of yin where we transition into more grounding and restorative practices. Consider ways that you can start to slow down from the big, yang type summer fun. More on grounding and slowing down in the next newsletter!
We are moving into the spring season or liver wood season according to Chinese medicine. In the 5 element way of thinking, we are leaving behind the deep, still, reflective water of winter and pushing upward and expanding into the wood energy of spring. Imagine a seed that has been planted deep in the ground waiting for its signal from nature to surge upward and unfold, expanding outward into a mature tree. This shift in energy can throw us for a loop if we aren’t mindful of it. It also holds a wealth of energetic support for taking action and turning our dreams and goals into reality!
If we have stayed in tune with nature’s invitation to rest during the winter, we will feel more grounded and intentional with this surge of energy to put things into action in the spring. Spring time energy is balanced when it can surge upward AND remain deeply rooted in the ground at the same time. This spring, liver wood energy is also likened to that of a general according to Chinese medicine and it is ready to put our winter daydreams and reflections into action. This may look like spring cleaning and organizing around the house. It might look like finally moving forward with a new work project or creative venture!
If we stayed too busy and pushed ourselves through the winter, we may not have restored and rooted ourselves in preparation for the spring surge. We may feel erratic mood swings- weepy and frustrated, annoyed, irritated, resentful, wired and tired, more headaches, more neck/shoulder/rib-side tension, menstrual irregularities, breast pain, sore and tired eyes. These are all signs and sensations associated with the wood element being unbalanced, un-rooted or un-nourished.
So what can we do?
First, get moving. Liver wood energy can feel strong and gets bottled up in the body easily. Take your body for a walk, a bike ride, get back to your yoga mat, try a new class at the gym or just have a dance party in your living room! Swing those arms and twist that torso to directly affect stuck energy in the liver channel. The more you can move your liver qi (energy) this time of year, the more likely you will be to steady that energy in your body and your mind.
Second, nourish well. One of the ways we smooth and steady this big energy of spring is by making sure our liver and liver blood are nourished. This is the season to eat fresh greens, newly sprung from the earth- arugula, kale, lettuce, asparagus, micro-greens as well as beets and beet greens, goji berries. Mint, nettle, chrysanthemum, dandelion and green teas are helpful as well.
Third, see your acupuncturist/herbalist and/or mind-body coach. Acupuncture helps move that stuck liver qi and frees the stagnation that leads to mood swings and frustration and resentment. Herbal medicine is also wonderful this time of year to nourish and move that liver energy in formulas like Xiao Yao San, which translates to “Free & Easy Wanderer”. Sometimes the deeper work lies in working with a mind-body coach to uncover the roots of resentment and frustration that are keeping you stuck.
There is opportunity this season to tune in and tend to this new energy. A properly balanced liver energy moves with ease and determination in the spring bringing our inspirations and dreams of that winter reflective time to life!
If you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, overbooked or just a little cranky these days despite the joy & excitement of the holiday season, you are not alone. Just as mother nature is trying to give us permission to slow down, our culture has cranked up the volume on “doing” all of the things to get ready for the holidays! Its hard. I’d like to share a little more about the energetics of the season and offer a few tools for taking care of yourself through it all.
The acupuncture and herbal medicine therapy that I practice is rooted in eastern medicine and which acknowledges the fact that humans are a part of a larger, living biosphere and that our bodies are a reflection of nature and vice-versa. The more we stay connected to the flow of the natural world, the more well-being we experience in body, mind and spirit.
It makes so much sense that when we are living our daily lives out of sync with the energy of the natural world around us, we feel worse- either emotionally or physically. Is it any wonder that we are more prone to illness during this time of year when we are taking on more responsibilities rather than slowing down our day to day rhythm?
How exactly is nature showing us it is time to slow down? Well, if we were to take a few moments to connect with the outdoors right now, here in Florida, what would we find?
We might take a deep breath in the morning and feel cooler, drier air fill the nasal passages and lungs. Our lips might be more dry and chapped. We would see trees that have lost their leaves and grasses drying up in yards or on the side of the roads. We would hear the chirping return of migratory birds returning from up north. We notice it is getting dark earlier and our desire to curl up and shutdown for the day is now kicking in earlier and earlier in the evening. If we pay more attention, we would notice that the natural world has shed what it no longer needs for winter and is preparing to rest for the winter season.
So what can we do?
Start with some self-compassion. If you notice that you are hustling more than you’d like to and feeling overwhelmed, try to first, give yourself a break. It is really hard to avoid getting caught up in the expectations of hustle culture!
Next, I invite you to take a good, honest look over that “to do” list. I would bet there are items on there that you could delegate, ask for help with or just plain get rid of. See where you can create some space in your days to rest. Even just for 10 minutes here and there! Part of the beauty of slowing down a bit is getting able to see what really matters in life. What really matters this season? Start to notice where are the expectations that we do all of the things this time of year coming from? Do you really need to run to town to get that one item you forgot or can you just leave it and instead spend some time catching your breath, playing with your pets, being present with family members? Do you really have it in you to show up for one more gathering right now, or would it feel better to rest at home instead?
Third, breathe. I’m not talking about starting a brand new meditation practice right now. I’m talking about take 3 deep breaths after you put the car in park at the grocery store. When you get back in the car with groceries, take 3 more deep breaths. Notice that when we rush and hustle, our breathing becomes more shallow and we feel more tense. This is because we are living in the future just trying to get it all done. Taking 3 breaths between daily errands and tasks at home sends a loving message to your nervous system to pause, relax and come back to the present moment. It is a small, but powerful way you can practice slowing down right now.
And of course, acupuncture, massage and yoga are other wonderful ways to support slowing down and getting quiet in your mind and body this time of year.
My invitation to you is to notice the ways you resist or accept that permission to slow down, rest and reflect, with compassion. Our cultural forces are strong, but nature continues to show us how to care for our whole self this season.
Winter is officially around the corner and nature is offering us all permission to slow down, rest and recover from the year. This is the season where we get quiet and reflect on how we are doing as an individual, a family and a society. Spring will bring its season of growth soon enough… lets embrace the slow down while nature is showing us the way!
“Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, and you remove the pain.”
This old Chinese saying teaches us that pain is often the result of a blockage of Qi, or energy, fluids like lymph or phlegm, or blood in the body. If the blockage can be cleared up, then pain should dissipate as the body’s natural flow of energy, fluids and blood is restored.
Cupping works to break up stagnation in the body by drawing up congested energy, fluids or blood to the surface to then be flushed out by the body.
Fire cupping is a technique where a small flame is introduced to a glass cup in order to remove oxygen from the cup to create a vacuum. The cup is quickly placed on the skin and gently creates suction. The cup is not hot when it touches the skin and the flame never comes into contact with the skin. Cupping is also often performed using plastic or glass cups fitted with a small valve for a hand held pumping tool to use to create suction.
Once the cups are placed on the skin they will be left on for several minutes. Depending on the patient’s condition, massage oil may be applied prior to placing the cups and the cups are then moved along the skin in a gliding motion. This should never be a painful experience. Most patients rest into their cupping session and feel a sense of relief and relaxation as the cups work to alleviate tension in the area.
What does Cupping do?
· Moves qi, fluid & blood stagnation to release musculoskeletal pain, tension and alleviate migraines.
· Can clear congestion in the Lungs due to common cold or asthma.
· Remove metabolic waste (“toxins”) to detox the skin and circulatory system.
Because cupping creates suction on the skin, some redness often occurs within the circular area of the cup. This redness may fade immediately or may last several days and the body clears stagnant blood and fluids. Read on for more information on aftercare!
What do I need to do after my cupping therapy?
· Drink plenty of water to assist the body in flushing out waste material from tissues.
· Avoid direct exposure of cupped area to wind or cold drafts.
· Some soreness may occur, as if you just lifted weights. This should ease within 36-48 hours.
· Rest and avoid rigorous activity just as you would after your acupuncture treatment!
I was working with a patient the other day and she was sharing that she was feeling more anxious and weepy lately. She was also experiencing strong headaches around and behind her right eye. She told me she had made an appointment at the eye dr. and just as she spoke those words, her body shifted slightly and she said, “…maybe I’m stressed.” So beautiful how her intuition spoke up here. She is in the middle of some exciting and challenging transitions in life and her body is showing it. I talked to her about the energy of the season we are entering and how what she is describing is so commonly felt right now.
