How the Chinese organ clock yields a more nuanced view of the Heart
Here I will present a basic overview of TCM information concerning the Heart and then add a layer of information gleaned from the Organ clock (a more CCM way of looking at things). I want to do this to demonstrate how the Classical approach yields a more nuanced view than the straight organ-based TCM approach does, including a small aspect of the clinical relevance of this approach. Disclaimer : I’m still a student. :)
The Heart is a central organ system. From the perspective of governmental metaphor, the Heart is most easily compared to the Ruler of feudal society. What does the ruler do? It’s tempting to simply say that he rules and leave it at that. However, most rulers through history have acted less as hands-on managers of their empires and acted more as figureheads - acting as moral compasses, inspiring and motivating the people when needed, acting as interpreters of Divine law and generally providing a center point around which the wheel of government turned. The Heart is said to provide a similar function for the human body. To look at this and say that the Heart is “most important” would be erroneous. The Emperor without his ministers, without the workers, without the land - is nothing. It is an interdependent system. But, still, the Emperor is crucial and a lot of attention should be paid to those things that are crucial. We’ll do so now.
In TCM, the Heart is said to have many functions/associations:
- The Heart contains the Shen, which rules the other “spirits” of the Zang organs
- Shen, as I have explained briefly elsewhere, can be translated as “Spirit” but it contains more meaning than the normal English concept of Spirit. Many contemporary commentators talk about Shen simply as consciousness, but I feel it is more than that.
- The Heart governs the Blood Vessels
- The Heart acts as Ruler of the other organ systems
- The Heart, as related to the brain and consciousness, is in charge of many mental processes (one can see this as similar to the Heart’s function via its relationship to Shen - the fire of consciousness)
- The Heart propels the Blood
- The Heart governs speech
- There are other attributes, but these are the main ones mentioned in a variety of texts.
In truth, despite all of these things, most Heart related pathologies diagnosed in TCM have to do with mental function or, sometimes, heart organ abnormalities (such as blood stasis in the Heart yielding angina). In clinic, I mostly see Heart Qi/Blood deficiency (with palpitations and poor memory) and some version of the confusingly named “Heart Fire” resulting in insomnia, anxiety and some type of vexation. Rarely do I see doctors diagnosing a problem with the heart when there are circulation problems (blood vessels) or speech problems. Further, I think that there should be more attention paid to the fact that, as EMPEROR of the other organ systems, the Heart may be a great place to look when a seemingly unrelated pathology is difficult to cure with the methods we would normally utilize. While I will not focus much on blood vessel or speech problems in this article - I would like to do so in the future.
For now, to help us understand the Heart a little more deeply, I offer a brief exposition of some of the basic symbols associated with the Heart on the Chinese medicine organ clock. I will then describe some ways we can use this understanding to expand on the basic information we learn from TCM literature.
What do we learn about the Heart organ system from the organ clock?
Temporal nature : 11-1pm (High Noon) and the Summer Solstice
At first glance, the pairing of the Heart with high noon makes intuitive sense. This is the time we associate with the zenith of the sun, the burning off of morning fogs, the time when all things are apparent, illuminated, complete. But look again at the symbol for the taiji and superimpose this over the organ clock. Remember these symbol fields are multi-layered and 
while some aren’t meant to be compared one-to-one, the flow of Yin and Yang through the organ clock (and through the days on Earth) is a crucial piece of information in our understanding of organ systems.
This is the time of the birth of the Yin. Which brings us to another temporal aspect of the Heart - it is situated at the time of the Summer solstice. The solstice is the time of the greatest day length - so again, it is all flourishing and awake and alive. However, the hidden principle is the one of the birth of the dark - for the zenith of a thing always brings about its immediate descent into expiration. What goes up must come down.
What does this tell us about the Heart? That while it is a very Yang organ, as the Emperor should be, but it also contains a deep Yin principle within it. Our professor, Heiner Fruehauf, often relates the Heart to the feminine principle - which makes sense given this information. In that way, it may be more accurate for us to think of the Heart as the Empress - or some amalgam of the Emperor and Empress. Here is perfect control, high intelligence, beauty, grace, compassion, mercy and power. It is an intensely active principle - Yang - but with this huge strength of the Yin.
Why do I say that the strength of Yin is large when it is, in reality, just the beginning of the growth of Yin? Because the entire momentum of Yin’s growth starts at this point - it somehow contains the whole force of the future splendor of Yin’s fullness. It is strong in the sense that is young, vital, and on the ascent.
I think this Yin principle is very important. At the height of summer, at the height of noon, this is when we may have the tendency to go all upward and outward - but it is crucially important that we go within, nourish our deep spiritual nature. Some cultural customs bear this out - such as the tradition of the midday siesta and the many spiritual activities that go on around the summer solstice. I think that, in some ways, the failure to do this can be seen in American capitalist culture. The principle of constant up, out, grow, flourish is often not balanced with careful reflection, willingness to “stand down,” controlled descent and respect for the more passive aspects of the universe. This failure has penetrated the consciousness of many American people and others affected by this philosophy and may have something to do with much of the pathology we see today. More about this later.
Earthly Branch Wu : combined with the symbolism of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac
The Earthly branch Wu 午, reinforces what we’ve already discussed about the Summer Solstice - given that it is the Earthly branch associated with that part of the year. It is a picture of either a battering ram or a mortar and pestle, and thus we see again the idea of death or destruction in this life affirming and light giving symbol of the Heart. Wu 午 is also associated with the number five insofar that it is pronounced the same as 五, Wu - “five.”
This brings us to consideration of the association of the number five and the Heart. We should note that we’re talking about the fifth month when we talk about the Heart. The number five is extremely important in Chinese cosmology - witness the deep symbolism of the five elements and a whole variety of other symbolism assocaited with five. There’s just so much that I could say in this realm (and actually did, but then deleted to save your poor eyes) but I will have to stop here for the sake of article length.
The Earthly Branch Wu 午 is related to the Horse in the Chinese Zodiac. Remember, the Earthly Branches were associated with an animal to help them be easier to understand by the common people. The Horse is a particularly fascinating symbol for the Heart, which I could talk for a long time about. But consider just a few simple items. The horse is tireless, constantly galloping away, carrying great loads, even fighting in battle - just as our physical Heart must
persist throughout our lifetimes. The horse seems to share a Shen level connection with the human being - a really close rider and horse seem to read one another’s minds, few verbal commands are needed when the relationship is strong. The horse is one of the most beloved animals in all cultures, people sometimes take better care of their horses than they do their children!
I am certain there is more to understand about the horse - I would love to hear what people come up with in the comments to this post - please post below!
As always, there are many more symbols that we can pull from the organ clock to help us understand the Heart more deeply - but let’s work with what we have so far.
How does this help us understand the Heart more completely?
There’s a lot one could say about these symbols. The most important take-home message I have received is the crucial nature of respecting the Yin nature of the Heart. However, I don’t think you should start dousing your anxiety ridden patients with cooling herbs! On the contrary, they probably need Fu Zi. Which actually brings me to an important relationship and my overall point. You’ll excuse me if I diverge a bit into conjecture and philosophical exploration? Thanks.
We often talk about the relationship of the Heart and Kidney - fire and water. They are obviously related via their Liuqi designation of Shaoyin, or lesser Yin. We learn that the Shaoyin fire of the Heart must descend through the Earth to reach the Shaoyin water of the Kidney. In doing so, the cold Kidney water, the depth of our wisdom and lineage, is animated by the pure fire of Spirit and consciousness. Wisdom without use of that wisdom is nothing but a lifeless puddle. Likewise, the pure Kidney water must be steamed up to cool and contain the sometimes over-exuberant Heart Shen. Consciousness without wisdom quickly becomes tyranny and zealotry.
This is one way that I understand the importance of using Fu Zi even in the case of patients who appear to have lots of flaring Heat - such as patients with intense insomnia and anxiety. So many TCM physicians would balk at serving Fu Zi to such a patient. To provide one example of a powerful use of this principle, let’s go to that little book known as the Shang Han Lun.
下之後．復發汗．晝日煩躁不得眠．夜而安靜．不
嘔不渴．無表證．脈沈微者．乾薑附子湯主之
Xià zhīhòu．fù fāhàn．zhòurì fánzào bùdé mián．yè ér ānjìng．bù
ǒu bù kě. wú biǎozhèng．mài chén wēi, shēn wú dà rè zhě,gān jiāng fùzǐ tāng zhǔ zhī.
When precipitation has been used, yet sweating is then promoted so that the person in the daytime is vexed, agitated and sleepless, but by night time becomes peaceful and retching, thirst, exterios signs and great generalized heat are all absent, and the pulse is sunken adn faint, then Gan Jiang Fu Zi Tang governs (Mitchell/Ye/Wiseman version).
While I would like to think that most doctors would see patient with this picture - particularly the faint pulse - and realize that an intensely warming formula can be indicated, I think that most would still shun such strength and instead use something milder, more cooling, and most likely less effective.
One more point and then I’ll close this article. I believe that this fire-water relationship and the general Yin nature of the Heart leads us to realize the wisdom of having a well-developed spirituality. Only by combining the deep wisdom of contemplation (dwelling in the water) with the animating ecstacy of consciousness (dwelling in the fire) can we have balance. Advising our patients to nourish themselves in this way - of course without necessarily promoting a particular practice or tradition - may go a long way to helping them achieve greater health.
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Tags: balance, clinic, earthly branches, fire, heiner fruehauf, horse, insomnia, law, organ system, Organ systems, organ-clock, shang-han-lun, spirituality, symbolism, taiji, traditional-chinese-medicine, waterRelated posts
Welcome to Carnival of Healing #114 at Deepest Health
Hey everyone,
I’m happy to be hosting another Carnival of Healing, this one should help you prepare for the winter’s contemplation with ease. The last Carnival was graciously hosted by Debra Moorhead.com and next week’s will be in the capable hands of the writers at Where We Relax. I’m sure I’ll host again sometime in the future - why don’t you think about submitting a post when that time comes around? You can always check out the Carnival of Healing archives for ideas and, if you have a blog, offer to host the carnival yourself! It’s a worthy pursuit. Now for the posts…
At the always enlightening Urbanmonk.net, we learn something of the truth about loneliness, self-love, ego, selfishness and the often tenuous balance between these features of human existence.
Evan from a great Chinese medicine related blog, Acupuncture is Easy, presents some interesting food for thought concerning the environmental and social aspects of acupuncture in his article, Acupuncture, Ecology and Social Justice.
Abdallah at one of my favorite blogs, Even Unto China, offers us an intriguing perspective on the role of music in true health. He integrates insights from his experience with Islam and his understanding of Chinese medicine theory, with a little Chinese etymology thrown in for good measure. Don’t miss this one.
A late addition to the Carnival, a fantastic beginners article about my personal favorite Classical Chinese Medicine text - the Shang Han Lun. This is put together by a CM colleague and fellow blogger, G. Michael Reynolds over at his blog, Life Giving Sword. I think you’ll really enjoy this article, so take the time to read it through.
Helfgott blog, an up and coming natural medicine blog hosted by Helfgott Research Institute in Portland, OR reveals to us the lesser known benefits of a sweet treat, honey. And yes, before you say it, I know that it seems contradictory for a vegan to support an article about honey. It’s an informative read regardless of your stance on this sensitive issue.
Since exercise is an essential feature of health in any medical system, it seems right to present to you Stanimir Sotirov’s simple and accessible article, What is Pilates? posted at All About Your Body And Spirit.
Roger Knight who writes at The Happy and Prosperous Blog presents a helpful introduction to Homeopathy in his article, Myth, Magic or Medicine Part 1 | The Happy and Prosperous Blog.
Carole Fogarty of the Healthy Living Lounge presents a timely gift for the holiday season, titled, The one and only zen gift to give your children. In this time of hyper consumerism, sometimes it can be helpful to be reminded that sometimes the most profound gifts we give are the least material.
Mark A. Rayner reveals to us The History Of Medicine In A Nutshell at a blog with an intriguing title, The Skwib. I love how this article is both lighthearted and heartbreaking at the same time - not to mention accurate!
At Little Seeds we read about Windhorse, a philosophy of personal empowerment with ancient roots. A truly fascinating read.
In an article somewhat similar to the first in this carnival, Matthew Spears presents Breaking through the chains of identity at his site, Loving Awareness. With both of these perspectives, I think you will be thinking about your identity and its role in your life of deepest health.
Answering a concern that many modern people have, ananga offers an article titled What if I’m Too Tense to Relax? at Living By Design a well designed and informative site on natural health and personal development.
Last but definitely not least, SJ Yee offers a rich anecdotal article, Detoxifying the body, My 10 day Vegan Diet Experience. If you’ve been reading this blog long, you’ll know that this is a topic close to my heart. It’s a short article, but should give a boost to anyone considering trying a vegan diet.
Thanks for reading through these articles, folks. Hopefully they will give you both ideas and inspiration! Happy winter!
Eric
Tags: Acupuncture, blog carnival, Character, ego, exercise, natural-medicine, Personal Development, spirituality, vegan
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A Five Element Path to maintaining sanity amid chaos, Part II
Yesterday in the first part of this discussion of maintaining sanity, I discussed the roles of Wood, Fire and Water in creation and resolution of the problems that often plague many of us who take in, and take on - way too much. I’d like to talk now about how I’ve used the symbolism of Metal and Earth - the densest of our elemental phases - to help me see a way out of the chaotic world I sometimes live within.
Earth has taught me immensely important lessons in my quest to overcome overwhelm. Though it probably isn’t fair to lay the whole blame for this situation on Wood energetics, it is convenient in terms of looking at the Wood-Earth relationship. When we push too much, when we try to do everything and be everyone, usually the very first thing to suffer is our self-care. Right behind it is our home life. :) How many of us, when we have massive deadlines piling up on us and the pressure at work or school seems almost to intense to bear, start treating our bodies terribly and snapping at our loved ones? In my humble opinion, this is a perfect example of Wood overacting on Earth manifesting in human life. So what to do?
Earth is the province of the Spleen and Stomach, the home of nourishment and care. Importantly, this is where the transformation and transportation of what we take in takes place. In some real way, we cannot properly assimilate all of the great information we’re trying to absorb without paying close attention to our Earth-bound needs. Careful attention to nutrition, plenty of rest and relaxation and special attention to the creation of sanctuary for ourselves is essential to making great use of what we are privileged to be learning. It is the soil from which our life grows. This goes for the human element of Earth, too - our friends and family. We need to be especially careful to reach out to those who love us and those whom we love. We need to understand their essential role in our development and our responsibility to be what they need us to be. We should guard against self indulgence, of course, always remembering the vital role that the Emperor plays in reminding us of our purpose - but we MUST care for ourselves, or nothing will come of our valiant efforts.
Finally, Metal. Metal has taught me the hardest lessons, and the control cycle of the five elemental phases is a perfect analogy to use in this situation. Metal has the job of controlling the overgrowth of Wood. Where Fire gives the Wood something to reach towards, Earth gives ample nourishing space within which Wood can grow and Water ensures that everything stays supple and moving - Metal has the vital job of cutting off something gone wildly out of control. It is the pruning shear principle in our life and it *must not* be neglected if the Emperor is to maintain her appropriate place as undisputed ruler of our lives.
Sometimes you just have to say no. Even worse, sometimes you have to back out of something you erroneously said yes to at some point in the past. Metal, empowered by the animating principle of Fire and guided by the deeply connected force of water, knows when to say when. This is the hardest part to act out because there are no short cuts, and no way to make the impact less difficult. Some of us can get a little panicky when we know we are going to have to say no to something or someone. This is the edgy force of Wood wanting to grow ever more! We must have the strength to wield metal for the sake of our whole being and just cut ourselves off from overcommitment and information overload. I promise you, you will not die if you fail to read the newspaper today. You will not become a pariah if you say no to the latest committee assignment offered to you at work. You will not fail utterly in your quest to become a great practitioner if you say no to that seminar or elective class.
If you simply let the Emperor be the Emperor, pay close attention to the guiding method of Water, nourish your whole being deeply with Earth and learn when to say when with the cutting force of Metal you will flourish madly in this world and do it with your sanity intact.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments. If you’re interested in getting regular updates of content like this, be sure to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or via email.
Eric
Tags: balance, five phases, Personal DevelopmentRelated posts
A Five Element Path to maintaining sanity amid chaos
This school term has flown by so fast, I haven’t known exactly what to do with it! It’s the nature of this education that you’re always taking in and trying to assimilate so much, while still retaining what you’ve already learned and really you feel like you’re not doing any of those things particularly well. Personally, I try to take some solace in the fact that many many have gone before me and managed - so I will as well. Still, trying to keep everything together at school while managing home/family life, taking time for my personal and spiritual development and keeping up with all of my other commitments, like this website, has been quite a struggle.
Last night, my partner and I had a great conversation about life in general and the difficulties therein. What we really focused on in our talk was how important it is, within a life partnership as well as any other kind of intense relationship, to hold our own center and have some way to navigate the immense amount of information that comes our way - as well as the overwhelming number of decisions we must make in any given situation. My sense is that in a relationship and in life in general, there will always be more information coming in than you can ever hope to process. With the Internet and other improvements in information technology, that situation is just becoming more overloaded. Many authors have discussed “information overload” and given various strategies to deal with it. What’s funny is that reading some of that information, in my experience, has actually added to the problem and not solved it. :D
I thought I would offer you some of what I gleaned from that conversation, put in five element terminology, to help those students and harried young professionals in the audience to maybe get a handle on the wild ride of life. Please feel free to offer any additional wisdom if you have it.
1. Starting with Wood, as all good things should, we find the crux of the problem. The imperative of Wood is to grow, grow , grow - to take in all the nutrients that come our way, to process them as quickly and efficiently as possible, and to produce something in return — growth! It’s the impetus behind all basic life processes, to take in and to use, to reach higher and higher. This principle is behind that old saying, “I’ll rest when I’m dead.” It’s the constant pushing up against the world, the unceasing urge to take in and then create, to briefly nourish and then reach. Wood is the element of the Liver, the General, who would - if imbalanced - sacrifice all in the name of victory! Rest is an afterthought - the essence is simply to keep going. This wood energy is a beautiful thing, and nothing would get done without it, but it must not forget itself and overrun its place — which it most certainly has in my life at various times. I take on too many projects, I open myself to too many inputs, I read everything I can, I ask the universe for too many teachers and I expect myself to take it all in and process it NOW.
2. Moving to Fire we have one hint of a possible solution. Fire is the realm of the Emperor, the Heart, and the Heart holds the mandate for the entire human being. Fire is the most ethereal of the phases and in that way, the closest to Heaven. Huge problems occur when we don’t let the Emperor be the Emperor. The Emperor is responsible for holding the space for our purpose in life, of animating our actions in that direction. The Emperor beats out the time of the body, giving the subtle commands to jump when and how high. In my case, and I think in the cases of many, the Wood General in his ability to take in so much and desire to move forward so strongly has usurped the position of the Emperor. But that charge ahead leaves me overexposed and vulnerable to an attack from the flanks, or just a loss of energy as the food line is cut and resources become scarce.
So - the first thing first? Let the Emperor be the Emperor. Find your purpose - which means to remember it. You already know what that purpose is, just sit and be quiet long enough to let yourself recall. What is a purpose? There’s probably one for your life - for me it has a few facets. But there’s also purposes for the time that you’re in - for those of us that are students - our very first purpose is to LEARN exactly what we are being asked to learn, no more and no less. My purpose at this time, aside from my grand plans and aspirations, is to learn this medicine as well as I possibly can in this time that has been graciously given me. What is your grander purpose or vision? Is it to get close to enlightenment? To work towards the elimination of world hunger? To have a lot of fun? I think everyone has one. Figure out yours. And then imbue it into the fire, the Heart, the Emperor and let it rule with that mandate.
What does it mean to rule with that mandate? Well, ultimately, that’s where the communication between Water and Fire come in and it breaks with the normal cycle of the five elements, but it’s important!
3. Using the power of Water to help the Emperor rule. I’ve talked about this in various ways before, but I think this is a powerful way to think of it. Even with a mandate, we may find ourselves crippled in the face of so much information and so many decisions. We need a way to connect our innermost purpose with real-time situations that we have to deal with every day. For me, this is the power of Water. Water speaks to our connection with our accumulated wisdom, our spiritual selves, the mysteries of our inner universe. However you want to look at it - one of the greatest essences of Water is the ability to contain the wild and ethereal intensity of Fire in the cool, constructed force of tangible reality, Yin. Maybe that’s a little too woo-woo for some of you, but I’m simply saying that in human lives, Water can help us to bring our highest principles into concrete action in the world.
The “how” behind this has many faces depending on your personal preference. It could be prayer, it could be throwing the Yijing, it could be long sessions of Qigong followed by journaling, it could be a walk and talk with your best friend, it could be a hike in the Cascade mountains… whatever you do to connect with a deeper part of yourself, establish that as your primary method. Then, when confronted with overload or a serious decision, indulge in this method until clarity comes. Most importantly - trust it immediately. I tend to use the Yijing for this - but long walks followed by meditation work very well, too. By employing some tried and true method of tapping into your subconscious processes you will find a way to allow the mandate of the Emperor to come into your every day life. I know this needs a little work, but I hope my essential point is coming across.
4. Earth and Metal both have powerful parts to play, but I will reveal those in another entry to save your eyes a little pain. :)
Have something to add? Share your voice in the comments. If you’re interested in learning more about five element theory or want to keep up with the conversation, be sure to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or via email.
Eric
Tags: balance, five phases, Personal Development, productivityRelated posts
How to use the five elements to eliminate overwhelming stress
You may have noticed that I haven’t been producing much content these past few days. It haunts me, really, because my greatest hope is that this blog will develop into a great community for the exploration of Chinese medicine. It is a labor of love and I’ve worked hard and hope that everyone has enjoyed the results so far.
But there’s more to my life than blogging. Shocking, I know. During the summer, when the external demands on my time were small, it was very easy to produce lots of high quality content. I believe that this is still quite possible - despite the rather heavy load of work school and the resumption of my various non-academic school duties (student government, etc) bring me. So, what’s the hold up?
No matter how well prepared you are for a change, it inevitably shakes you. In this particular case, the intense workload has begun to produce a condition of overwhelm that has made me quite numb. I know I’m not the only one - my fellow classmates have experienced something similar. So, instead of freaking out I’ve decided to take charge of the situation and find a solution to this crippling sensation. Here’s five things - one for each of the elemental phases - I’m doing to rectify my balance.
1. Fire - Laugh and have fun with the people you love
Fire has a lot to do with our ability to experience joy and ease, as well as our connections with other human beings. In overwhelming situations, we often let all of this perish. When I’m stressed, I find myself frowning more, getting angry with those close to me and neglecting my need to just relax and have a good time. It’s vital for me to remember that while the work I’m doing is very important, it’s even more important that I stay balanced and connected to my friends and family.
To this end: take your significant other out on a surprise date, watch a comedy (like Kung Fu Hustle!), invite your friends over for a potluck meal, dance to your favorite song in the living room, take your dog on the longest walk ever, laugh every time a new piece of work rolls in, call your mom and tell her that you love her.
2. Earth - Nourish your body
Possibly the most important thing you can do in a period of increased stress is to take care of your physical body. Particularly when a lot of your work is mental, you can quickly burn away any resistance to disease you may have had along with disordering your emotional states. DO NOT NEGLECT REGULAR MEALS OF A NOURISHING NATURE. For me, this is the first thing to go. I eat on the run, I stop paying attention to what I eat, sometimes I simply forget to eat altogether. So bad.
To this end: sit down right now and plan out a whole week’s worth of meals then go buy the ingredients, if you have extra time cook a bunch of meals ahead of time and freeze them, make extra certain to eat your meals at regular times and sitting down, splurge a little and buy your favorite foods so you’ll be more inclined to enjoy eating. Also - drink a lot of Pu-Erh.
3. Metal - Cut out unnecessary activity and get organized
Metal is all about cutting things away, paring down, getting ready for the time of difficulty in the Winter. It’s so easy to add things to your plate most of the time, and so difficult to clear them. Use the easy availability of Metal energy here in the autumn to take a calculating look at your list of “to-do’s.” If you can delegate something to someone else, do it. If you can drop something, drop it. If you can delay something until a later time, do that. When you have the list of “have to’s” get them organized. When are your deadlines? When will you have time to work on it? Prioritize! There are of course a hundred ways to deal with these big issues - I use Getting Things Done
4. Water - Cultivate, cultivate, cultivate
Right behind eating well, the second thing to go when I get overwhelmed is my self-cultivation. I think it is utterly vital to force yourself to take care of your spiritual health in stressful situations. I would even suggest doing this if it means losing sleep. I know, crazy. Deepening into the water element will allow you access stores of energy and inspiration you didn’t know you had. It will also help replenish your depleted stores and help you to remember why you’re doing all this crazy stuff in the first place.
To this end, I: throw the Yijing daily, spend half an hour or so in the morning drinking tea outside and contemplating, step up my meditation practice, do a little QiGong every day and focus on the subtle things around me like the calls of birds and the rustle of leaves. Do whatever works for you, but for the love of God, do it. I promise you it will help.
5. Wood - Get out in nature
This doesn’t necessarily relate to the Wood elemental phase on a metaphorical level, but it does on a more basic level. Even though it’s autumn where I am, the evidence of Wood energy is everywhere. In Oregon, things never stop growing. Refreshing myself with the boundless energy of nature helps remind me that while I may feel pretty depleted, there’s a whole world out there just conspiring to fill me full of hope, purpose and drive.
To this end: go for a walk at twilight or dawn, go for a hike in your nearest natural area, hang out by the river, play frisbee in the park, lie on the ground with your bare feet contacting the Earth and just….
breathe.
Got it?
Eric
Tags: Blogging, erics-habits, habits, Home remedies, lifestyle-counseling, nutrition, overwhelm, stress, students
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