Internal Emotions

"A man is related to all nature."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The body and mind is a bo-nd of life that lets us enjoy and interact with the physical world around us. Our arms, legs, head, skin and bones are extensions of our internal organs, which are extensions themselves of emotions. Students of Traditional Chinese Medicine are taught the 5 Phase/Element theory, which categorizes the organs into pairs. These pairs are associated with the seasons and their mechanisms of action are likened to what occurs in nature during the seasons.

With the 5 phase theory we can see that not only does the body and mind connect to each other intimately on a spectrum, but we can also extend that spectrum to take into account the connection man has with nature. Man lives and eats according to the seasons, not so much in today’s world, but once this was exactly the case. Living with the seasons made man more aware of how nature relates to and affects him and from thousands of years of observance, the 5 phase theory came to life.

The 5 Phase elements, their corresponding seasons, organ pairs and related emotions are as follows:

Fire = Summer = Heart and Small Intestine = Joy

                              Pericardium and Triple Burner = Joy

Earth = Late Summer = Spleen and Stomach = Pensiveness, Over Thinking

Metal = Fall = Lungs and Large Intestine = Grief and Sadness, Letting Go

Water = Winter = Kidneys and Bladder = Fear, Will Power

Wood = Spring = Liver and Gall Bladder = Anger, Decision Making

There are whole books devoted to this topic, but I will only touch upon it to give readers an idea of how an acupuncturist can relate what happens in nature to the health issues of their patients. The 5 phase theory includes many other factors besides emotions such as tastes, sounds, colors, foods, locations and more.

As you can see under the fire category there are two pairs of organs, although the triple burner is not technically an organ. The triple burner is rather a pathway in the body that interacts with all the other organs and their pathways.

With this theory we can make the connection from the most internal part of us to the external planet around us. When an individual is healthy all emotions, organs and their relation to the seasons is one of harmony and balance.  When out of balance we can get a good look at these internal and external connections.

To get a better idea of how this works we can look at the Wood phase, which is the spring season. In the spring, flowers and trees bloom and life begins to grow in the woods, we can easily notice that this is a time when energy is rising from the ground and pollen and seeds begin to spread everywhere. Just as nature rises and things move around spreading life the wood pair of organs the Liver and Gallbladder have a similar action of energy in the body. Their energy rises and moves all over the body bringing proper circulation through out. When out of harmony the symptoms of these organs can be seen as anger and headaches, which can be the result of uncontrolled energy rising upward or energy stuck, causing pain.

 We can also easily see the affect of alcohol over the liver, too much alcohol over loads the liver causing an imbalance, which makes a lot of energy rise up to the head, making peoples faces and eyes red and some times making people very angry. The color associated with this season is green, which makes me wonder if the creator of the Incredible Hulk knew some Chinese medicine.

Right now its fall, in this season we have the element of metal, which can be looked at as a defensive element. With a strong set of lungs and a healthy Large Intestine, individuals can be considered to have a strong metal element, which will help keep them from being prone to catching colds. People who smoke are obviously impairing there lung function by doing so, leaving them to be very susceptible to catching colds and also extending their recovery time. People with depression, who are sad most often and have difficulty letting go are usually the ones who are more prone to catching colds, because their metal is weakened. Depressed people are also more likely to be constipated due to their in inability to literally “let go” of their issues or the useless waste of their life.

In the winter we enter into the water phase with the emotions of fear and will power, the corresponding organs being the kidneys and bladder that release water waste from the body. The kidneys in Chinese medicine give internal heat to the rest of the body and in turn they dislike cold weather, for too much cold can put out their fire and kill the body. People living in areas of snow fall are known to experience fear of going outside because they don’t want get to cold or fall down and get hurt. During the cold winter months the pulse that can be felt on both wrists actually can be felt to go deeper into the body where its more warm.

As mentioned in earlier articles each organ has a pathway throughout the body and the kidneys are connected to the feet. I personally have always had a fear of heights; I am unable to even look down from a great height with out my feet hurting. The 5 phase theory has taught me why my feet hurt, because the kidneys have that association with fear.

In the summer we have a blazing hot sun and the element of fire, the emotion of joy and two sets of organ pairs. The heart is one of these organs and like the sun it sits up above the rest of life, the heart over looks other vital organs showering its life force through its blood vessels. The color of this phase is obviously red and people who have a strong fire element are known to have a red and happy face no matter what. They bring joy to all around them, but they may not know the boundaries of their joy and go to far. Over excitement can feel amazing, but for proper health everything must be had in moderation, an excessive amount of any thing can damage something. Although it may sound strange to say that to much joy can hurt the heart, but that is exactly the case here. During the peak summer months the pulse that can be felt at both wrists can be felt closer and stronger towards the surface of the skin.

In the late summer we have the element of earth, the emotion of pensiveness or over thinking and the spleen and stomach organs. The earth phase is centered around food, this is the time of year when the all food from the farms would be harvested. These organs take in the sustenance of life and distribute them where needed. A disturbance in their function can lead to a number of digestive issues, including not being able to digest life and life issues. Many people have found themselves unable to sleep at night because they can’t stop thinking about some thing, this is usually a direct connection with a weakened spleen.

There is so much more that can be said for the 5 phase theory, but I hope this was good little introduction to the Chinese 5 phase theory and its connection to the internal emotions of life. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

Thank you very much J

Nature Therapy

                                                                        Walking is man's best medicine.

                                                                                 -Hippocrates

Nature Therapy or Green Therapy is a growing acknowledgement that man needs nature for his or her own good.  In today’s society a great majority of people live and work in cities where they are surrounded by cement and aren’t really able to enjoy the planet they live on. Earth and mankind have grown together forever, but with the rise of the industrial world there has been an ever-growing divide of man and nature.

Today, many people who are employed by the daily 9-5 schedule really don’t have the time to go out and enjoy nature or do something that will help them unwind naturally. Leaving the human brain in a state of frequency that is in a constant state of work, with very little down time before bed.  For most of those people driving to and from work maybe the only time of day that they really have time to relax and tune out of their hustle and bustle life styles.  It doesn’t sound right or safe to know that millions of drivers over the entire world are tuning out while driving, but it’s exactly what happens to us. Driving just happens to be one of those activities that become second nature to us; we can automatically let go, letting our bodies and subconscious do the work.

Besides not having the time, there is also an ever-growing increase in the awareness of side effects from medications, which are being prescribed for mental and physical issues like depression, anxiety and high blood pressure. More and more people are starting to seek out more natural alternative routes to improve their health. Going for walks in nature is probably the most natural way to combat stress and every day worries that can amount to very negative consequences.

There are many similarities that can be made between mankind and mother earth, but one of the most concrete scientific connections is that of frequency. Frequency is the rate of vibration that a body rotates at. All living things vibrate at a certain frequency or multiple frequencies.  It has been scientifically proven that the human brain vibrates in at least four different levels of frequency and those same levels are found within and around the planet.

During our normal waking state when working or having a conversation the brain is in a vibratory state considered to be fast, it’s called the Beta Frequency and rotates at a speed of 12-25 hertz per second.  During a typical day dreaming state, light meditation or feeling relaxed the brain vibrates at a lower frequency called Alpha, this state of awareness rotates at between 7 and 12 hertz per second.

This Alpha state is also the vibration of the surface of the earth. Nature is beautiful and inspiring with all its colors and animal life, but the frequency that it vibrates at, is the reason why being out in nature is so good for us. It takes us out of our day-to-day working state and relaxes us.

Walking in nature can help improve symptoms of depression, regulate blood pressure, reduce stress, increase creativity, promote self-awareness and healing.

Sunlight and fresh air are also big bonuses that nature provides that improve health, but those are for another story. So for now try to make sometime to go for a walk in nature before the heavy snow starts to fall, go for a walk or a brisk hike at a local park reservation, your brain will appreciate it.

For more information on the planets frequency and your brain, go to Google and search for the Schumann Resonance and brain waves.

I hope this has been an interesting read and if you have any comments or questions please let me know! Thank you J

The New Medicine

You are the creator of your own life experience, and as the creator of your experience, it is important to understand that it is not by virtue of your action, not by virtue of your doing, it is not even by virtue of what you are saying that you are creating. You are creating by virtue of the thought that you are offering.

                                                                                                                                  -Abraham

I like to emphasize the power of thought and feelings, not just because of their power to create reality, but because positive thinking and positive feelings are the future of medicine.

Over the past few years and along with the New Age movement that is growing throughout the world there has been an ever-increasing acknowledgment of thoughts and feelings being the hidden power within man.  There are more and more authors coming out with multiple books that talk about how to control this internal power.  Among them are Mike Dooley, Abraham Hicks, Eckhart Tolle and many others. They not only talk about how to harness this power, but also that this is not a new idea, that the Buddha, Jesus and other well known historical figures were trying to convey this message as well.

The great teachers of the past strived to pass this message along, but the mass of the people were not ready to hear such a message and that is why the world is in the condition it is today. We have pollution in our air, water and food. Wherever we look we are bombarded with propaganda made to alter our thinking to make us buy something we don’t need. Fortunately, a few that heard the message of the great masters where able to pass it on through out the centuries until the idea was ready to be heard by the masses.

There are great changes taking place on Earth today forcing people to question what’s going on and further more to question reality and the purpose of human life. The message of our innate ability to think and feel being actual power over physical reality is now more then ready to be heard.

With the realization of this innate power miracles can occur, life changes can be made and obstacles over come. Similar to some holistic therapies like acupuncture, this power is best used as a preventative measure to create a healthy flow of energy in your life preventing the appearance of anything negative.

The power lies in being able to control emotions and the thoughts that arise from them and vice versa. The trick is realizing that the external world has no true affect over you, no matter what may happen you have the power to control how you feel and think.  When someone begins the day feeling happy and good, they will mostly likely go on to have a very good day and probably make everyone they interact with happy as well.  If someone wakes up grumpy and doesn’t make a conscious effort to make themselves feel better they will have a negative affect upon all their actions and interactions.

One benefit of controlling your thoughts and feelings for the better allows one to be more open to what happens in life. More opportunities in every facet of life can be seen and taken advantage of, which can lead to sometimes amazing coincidences and the fulfillment of desires.

Another benefit is regarding health and well being, feeling good for no reason is an excellent way to prevent negative stress from affecting you. Feeling good on purpose to just feel good can over come all negative emotions including worry, anger, sadness and fear. All negative emotions over time can turn into a chronic physical issue that will just get worse if the underlying feelings aren’t taking into account. Even if someone already has a physical issue affecting him or her, worrying about it will do absolutely nothing to make the situation better. Putting on a good attitude can do wonders for all health issues and I believe in the near future the control of thoughts and feelings will be a necessary addition to the world of medicine.

I hope this has been an interesting read and if you have any comments or questions please let me know!

Secret Architecture

 Most temples, churches or holy buildings across the world are considered a house of God. Why is it called the house God, because it is a house of worship? Or does there lay a deeper truth to the architecture of these buildings that gives a more profound meaning to the house of God? Most churches have similar aspects of architecture that make them unique to their own religion and although different from religion to religion similarities can be found across the world.

The ancient masons who originally constructed these buildings were very knowledgeable and fond of sacred geometry. Sacred geometry is the ancient study of the earth, which shows beautiful mathematical patterns found through out all of nature and these same patterns are part of mans own DNA.

In Egypt, in the ancient temple of the god Osiris lay a marking called the sacred flower of life, it is an image of a circle surrounded and intertwined with other circles. It is a very ancient symbol found across the globe and depicted in different, but similar forms. It is known as a symbol of mans connection to the universe. It is also a symbol that depicts the act of mitosis, cell division. Cells undergo mitosis in the formation of our own human bodies, so in other words it is a symbol of our creation. Mitosis begins with one cell or circle, which divides itself into multiple cells becoming the unique and intricate design of the human body. This flower of life image has been the blueprint for the houses of God for millennia. Almost every house of God shows this symbol in its architecture in one form or another.

Check the symbol out on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_of_Life

This symbol can be found in temple windows, floor designs or even in the actual shape of the temple itself. Just as most Greek Orthodox churches have their circular dome shaped roofs that over lap each other, which depict the sacred flower of life from above or from inside looking up. Other churches you’ll see have small windows divided into four sections each section holding a circle, or you’ll see numerous windows all with their own circle covering most of the building. These circles are the first cells of creation itself. In other churches you’ll see great big windows with beautiful intricate designs, also depicting the flower of life. If you notice each church shows their own unique version of the flower, just like every human has their own unique thumb print.

This design can be found in nearly all holy buildings and just like mitosis, the design itself starts out visibly as circles, but grows more complex and creates the rest of the building. Just the like our own bodies. We do not see the flower design when we look into the mirror, but science has shown us that this is one of the earliest steps that our bodies take in our mother’s womb. As the cells continually divide and grow to trillions of cells our bodies become like beautiful unique temples.

The ancient builders used this symbol to construct houses of God because it is a blueprint for mans own creation. The body of man is the original temple of God, it is the house of the truth. The ancients new this and therefore chose to reflect mans grace into the holiest constructions on the planet. This is where things like prayer, meditation and visualization come into play. This is the best place to look for guidance and answers; it is the truest form of communion with our higher selves or God.

This is one reason why holy buildings are called the house of God, because it is a reflection of the greatest creation ever, the human body. There is no need to ever go anywhere to be with, commune or worship a higher power. Jesus knew this and spoke it when he said “the kingdom of heaven is within you”.  All you have to do is recognize.

I hope this has been an interesting read for you, please let me know of any comments or questions. Thank you and have a nice day. J