Blog : Seasonal
Top 10 Tips to Keep Your Cool This Summer
Summer, the Fire Season, is the most yang of the seasons. It is a time of lush growth, brightness, activity and heat, particularly in the South. In Chinese Medicine, fire is related to the heart, blood vessels, Small Intestine and the emotions (see the February post to learn more about the heart). The heart is in charge of memory, emotions, consciousness, thinking, sleep and speech.
When Fire is imbalanced, we see symptoms such as anxiety, despair, poor circulation, hypertension, heart palpitations, and insomnia. In nature, extreme heat withers and dries crops, creates drought and blazing forest fires, and we too can easily become overheated during the summer months. Here are our top 10 tips to keep your fire in check during the summer.
Happy Chinese New Year
Chinese New year begins February 8 and we thought it would be fun to share some of the traditions and legends that surround it.
Chinese New Year, as it is called in the West, is known as Spring Festival in China. It originated during the Shang Dynasty (about 17th - 11th century BC) and celebrates family reunion and the hopes for a rich spring. Different regions and different ethnic groups celebrate it in their own unique ways.
Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival and celebration for families in China. In fact, it is an official public holiday and most have the week off from work. It is a time for families to be together and people come home from wherever they are to celebrate the festival with their families. It is by far the busiest travel season of the year in China.
This year Chinese New Year begins on Monday, February 8, the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar. The Chinese Lunar New Year always begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The year 2016 is represented by the Monkey, specifically the Red Fire Monkey (more about that later).
Recipe for Abundance in the New Year
Get out your red paper lanterns and firecrackers and celebrate the Chinese New Year with this delicious recipe sure to bring you abundance in 2016 (read why in the Chinese New Year post). If nothing else, it will bring you an abundance of dinner guests once the aromas spread throughout your home!
Recipe by Jane Hornby from BBC’s Good Food
Sea bass with sizzled ginger, chili & spring onions
Happy Thanksgiving!
We give thanks for our patients every day of the week, and at this time of year we reflect back on how blessed we are to be entrusted to provide our services to you. At the clinic, we frequently discuss what a pleasure it is to work with our patients and how thankful we are to have been trained in such an amazing medicine. We delight when our patients show progress, and we see difficult cases as an enjoyable challenge. We love every aspect of what we do and thank you for allowing us to serve your health care needs! As you enjoy your Thanksgiving holidays with family and friends, know that we are grateful that you are a part of our community.
Preparing for Winter
Chinese Medicine Practitioners observed that when people carefully observe and adjust their actions according the seasons and natural environment, we stay healthier, happier and prevent disease. Each season has its own natural cycles and rhythms, and by conducing ourselves in accordance with these natural cycles we stay happy and balanced. In nature, bears hibernate during the cold and dark days of Winter. This is the time of year to slow down, reflect, replenish our energy, conserve our strength and prepare for the outburst of new life and energy in the spring.
Winter is ruled by the water element, which, as you might guess, is associated with the kidneys, bladder, and adrenal glands. According to Oriental medicine, the kidneys are considered the source of all vital energy within the body, storing all of the reserve energy so that it can be used to prevent illness or used during times of stress when our body needs to heal.
The Kidney organ system supports the reproductive organs, regulates growth and regeneration, supports water metabolism and maintains homeostasis. The Yin aspect of the Kidneys also gives rise to the marrow, which produces the brain, spinal cord, bones, teeth, blood and hair. The Yang aspect kindles the metabolic process sending warmth and energy to every cell in the body. Of course this is dependent upon the adequate reserves of energy.
During the winter months, if we observe the natural rhythms of the season we nurture and nourish our very important kidney energy. It is the time when this energy can be most easily depleted so get to sleep early, rest well, stay warm, and expend a minimum quantity of energy. Think hibernation! If you are one of those people who love winter sports activities and everything that winter brings, just make sure you allow for ample rest in between outings and take these proper precautions!