If the Spirit is at peace, the heart is harmony; when the heart is in harmony, the body is whole, if the Spirit becomes aggravated the heart wavers, and when the heart wavers the body becomes injured; if one seeks to heal the physical body, therefore, one needs to regulate the Spirit first. – Liu Zhou 6th Century Philosopher, Translated by Heiner Fruehaff Ph.D , in his article “All Disease Comes from The Heart”. This blog series will consist of case studies that focus on healing the Spirit. All case studies are fact and from my personal practice. Names and details will be changed to protect privacy.
“Never put a needle in a patient until you’ve already done the treatment.” – Bob Duggan L.Ac My patient was a woman in her mid- thirties, mother of three , occupation care giver. She presented with symptoms of pain in the lower left abdomen, reoccurring vomiting and diarrhea, especially after eating. We worked with diet changes, supplement support and acupuncture which all helped. The turning point came the day that we had a discussion, regarding her place of work and how she wrestled with fitting in with her female colleagues. We explored, her feelings relating to female energy and how she has always felt more comfortable with masculine energy. We spoke of her Yin feminine side and her Yang feminine side and how they played a part in her life, a life devoted to the care of others with little nourishment for her-self. I needled the point Abundant Splendor and…
“The essence which is distilled from rotting and dead matter is the essence which the Metal element itself represents.” – J. R. Worsley Sometime around the middle of October, we wake up and notice a chill in the air. The leaves are half-way fallen from the trees and there is a deep melancholic feeling at the center of our chest. It is the arrival of the Metal Element. Red, orange, yellow, brown and indigo, a visual feast of color. The trees and plants drop their bounty, to be returned to the earth and to decompose, enriching the soil for next year’s growth. Letting go of the old and taking in the new is the mantra of Metal season. Metal season is a spiritual time where we are privleged to witness the transformation that occurs within the earth. Organic matter rots and turns into rich humus, essential for next year’s harvest.…
The word Winter translates into “time of water”. This season announces itself with frost on the car and a crunching sound underfoot. Then the freezing rain, sleet and snow come down from the clouds to cleanse the earth of debris left-over from Autumn. A clear cold stillness is ever-present as we proceed into the deepest and darkest months of the Water time. No movement on the surface of the land but underneath the frozen water there is a great deal of activity happening. Winter is time to replenish our reserves, by sleeping more and eating nourishing vegetables such as squash and dark leafy greens. Drink plenty of liquids and take in the quietness of this season. Key Words: Will, Flow, Cleanse, Endurance, Reserve, Ambition In Greek mythology: Hades, God of the underworld, separates Demeter, Goddess of the earth from her much loved daughter Persephone. He drags Persephone into the underworld…