The Chinese Classics on WINTER

The following comes from a translation of The Nei Jing, the ancient classic of Chinese medicine:

"The three months of Winter are called the period of closing and storing. Water freezes and the Earth cracks open. One should not disturb one's Yang. People should retire early at night and rise late in the morning and they should wait for the rising of the sun. They should suppress and conceal their wishes, as though they had no internal purpose, as though they had been fulfilled. People should try to escape the cold and they should seek warmth; they should not perspire upon the skin, they should let themselves be deprived of breath of the cold. All this is in harmony with the atmosphere of Winter and all this is the method for the protection of one's storing. Those who disobey [the laws of Winter] will suffer an injury of the kidneys [testicles]; for them Spring will bring impotence, and they will produce little."

From Ilza Veith's translation of the Nei Jing, p.103

Clearly a bit sexist, but you get the message. It's time to "do" life differently. For the next few months (until early February) the winter demands that we get into quiet mode. Without this adjustment in our energetic output, we will have a poor "yield" in spring and summer.

Infant with Colic, GERD and Dypsnea

Several months ago a client called about her new grandson, who had been having vomiting, constipation, "colic" symptoms and very rigorous crying bouts. He was so digestively upset that he was losing weight rapidly. He was only about two months old, and the symptoms were so severe that the doctors were considering some kind of surgery on his GI system to probe the symptoms.

Now, I don't treat little babies very often (hardly ever) but this seemed like a pretty intense intervention, so I encouraged her to bring him with her to her next appointment with me.

What I saw was a pretty pissed-off little baby, with physical signs indicating what happens when someone is angry. He had been swaddled so tightly that he could barely move. The doctors had encouraged this wrapping technique. When beings (children, adults, cats, dogs, etc.) are held too tightly they "fight" in rebellion. The energy that is supposed to go "down" in us (digestion, pooping, sleep) now travels UPWARD, and creates pathology. (The same things happens when I walk my dog and see dogs who are rarely--if ever--let off the leash. They pull and pull until their throats are damaged and can hardly breathe.)

I encouraged the mom and grandmother to loosen this child's clothing and blankets, and to allow his legs and arms to move freely. The grandmother called two days later to tell me that all the symptoms, including the angry, incessant crying had disappeared. He was eating again, not vomiting, and he was a much happier baby. I didn't use needles. All I did was observe and make a recommendation about this particular baby's energy, and what he seemed to need to thrive. (I am not saying that this is what can help ALL babies with this digestive issue, but rather that we have to look at the individual and find out what is helpful.)

Acupuncture is a way to look at the body's energy through a particular lens...a lens of what needs to change in order for the organism to thrive. Sometimes simple changes are what's needed to change the direction of health. An acupuncturist is a coach who can look through a lens different from your own and can make some suggestions that western practitioners often don't think about.

Patient or Partner?

I’ve always been uncomfortable with the word “patient.” While on the one had it helps me to understand that health doesn’t come instantaneously, it also has the flavor of being passive. We have been trained in this culture to be good “patients," as in: “Trust me, I’m the doctor; I know what’s best for you. Be compliant. Don’t question”.

As an acupuncturist, I will ask my clients to be more active in their own healthcare. First, (and not unimportantly) you will be asked for a commitment of your time, energy and awareness.

With acupuncture, treatments are more frequent and may be regularly scheduled over the course of long periods of time. Will you be committed to getting there on time, personally prepared for the treatment? Are you willing to put the time in to make necessary changes?

Next, I will ask you to observe your daily patterns, such as sleep, moods, energy levels, food cravings, elimination, etc., to discover for yourself if you are living in a way that optimizes your own health.

And at some point in treatment, I will ask if you are willing to do some homework. For example, are you willing to cut down on your coffee, alcohol, or work hours? do some exercise? take naps? adjust your bedtime? Are you willing to keep a journal that will help record your patterns and the symptoms you have been experiencing? Are you willing to do the things that will enhance the treatments you are receiving? Are you willing to eliminate the phrase "Well, that's just how I am"?

If you find that making commitment to some change is not possible, we will have to figure out what is in the way and how to proceed from there. We need to figure out how to make change as palatable and smooth as possible. And once you see results, I am hoping that the changes will be positive enough to make them permanent.

Partners keep their agreements or negotiate other ones. Be partner, not passive.

Control-Alt-Delete Sugar

I found the article below in an online blog, and thought it worthy of pasting here. Please put your comments, suggestions here, because I'm ALWAYS trying to find sugar alternatives for myself, as well as for my clients. So far, I am using honey and agave syrup, and don't miss the white sugar nearly as much as I thought I would.


By Glenna Crooks | October 5th, 2009
"Perhaps you’ve seen it: the grocery-shopping mom, complaining about a sugar tax, saying it’s hard enough to raise a family in these times.

I saw it, and could not believe it. Was this ad actually claiming that families need sugared sodas to make it through tough times?

It took watching it on line at http://www.nofoodtaxes.com/ads/ several times to see that yes, indeed, that’s what it claimed.

I’ll agree that a soda and other sugared items are a nice occasional treat, but I see no evidence that they’re necessary to keep a family happy – or that there are no alternatives.

I’ve begun talking to kids about what they drink. Here is what I got:
• I used to drink apple juice, now I drink water.
• I drink water; that’s good for you.
• I drink milk when I eat and water other times.
• I used to drink (naming a brand soda) but now I drink water. The (soda) made my feel icky and I did not know how much until I stopped drinking it all the time.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of plain water. I like a slice of lemon in it.

What about you? Do you have a favorite alternative to sugared drinks?
Do you have any recipes for the beleaguered Mom trying to keep her family happy in these tough times? Do you have any tricks for weaning a family off sugared drinks?"