Chinese Seasons

Nourishing Your Qi During the Winter Months

December 12, 2018 | Acupuncture

“When one stays in the darkness long enough, one begins to see.”  -C.G. JungWinter is a time of stillness and quietude, when nature’s energy has turned in during this most inward-looking of all the seasons. We call it the most Yin of the seasons.  Trees have dropped their leaves, the sap of the tree has retreated to its roots, outward signs of life have disappeared and the landscape can be covered in snow.  There is still work going on, but is in-doors.  In this state of rest, energy is collected and held in reserve.  It’s cold and dark, which are the qualities that preserve and store.  It is this concentrated, internal force of winter that enable a seed to burst forth in Spring.  A time for internal work, we use this season for rest and the filling of our reserves, gathering strength for the year ahead.  Abundant reserves within us … Continued

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The Five Elements of Ancient Acupuncture Treatment

November 9, 2018 | Acupuncture

The practice of Acupuncture began more than 3000 years ago in China when early practitioners observed patterns in nature and theorized that in all of nature is an underling cyclical flow of energy.  The tradition of Five Element Acupuncture is based on the understanding of this cyclical flow of energy- also known as Qi.  The past few blogs have talked about the seasons of Late Summer and Autumn.  How do these relate to Acupuncture?  In all of nature we see five elements expressed.  They are FIRE (Summer Season), EARTH (Late Summer), METAL (Autumn), WATER (Winter) and WOOD (Spring).The Five ElementsEach element exists within the other element and corresponding season.  The elements and seasons remind us that there is no beginning and no end to Qi energy, only change and transformation. However, one of the elements is manifested or expressed more strongly within us.  It is our strength and also where … Continued

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Autumn, the Season of Falling Energy

October 1, 2018 | Five Element Acupuncture

This is the time of year when energy in nature and the universe move downward or inward, in a sense.  Energy is “falling.”  All things in nature approach their completion in the Fall.  It is time to release what is no longer needed.The Metal Element and the Lung & Large IntestineIn Chinese philosophy, the seasons relate to the Five Elements that are found in Nature.  Autumn is the Element of Metal (Winter is Water, Spring is Wood, Summer is Fire and Late Summer is Earth).  The Metal Element is related to the color white, the sound of weeping and the smell of rotten.This season of “taking in and letting go” reflects the organs of the Lung and the Large Intestine. The Lungs breathe energy in from the heavens (takes in energy), while the Large Intestine releases it (lets go).  “Taking in and letting go” signifies the energy of the Fall … Continued

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Late Summer’s Energetics – The Season Of The Earth Element

August 6, 2018 | Acupuncture

  Have you noticed lately how the quality of the light during the day has changed? Or that our mornings and evenings are cooler? It is not summer any longer, yet it is not really Fall either – we are drifting into the season the Chinese call “Late” Summer.  In Chinese medicine this is a special season all its own. We are harvesting food from the gardens while we watch and wait for some foods to ripen. This time of year is all about centering, grounding and balance. Late summer provides us some excellent opportunities to nourish our bodies, especially the digestive system.

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