Late Summer Digestion Reset

Late summer is the fifth season in TCM, when the summer days are still long, but the chill of fall is right around the corner. Associated with the Earth element, this between season is focused on emotional and physical grounding, nourishment, and balance. The spleen, which transforms food and drink into the Qi that fuels our bodies, and the stomach, which receives nourishment and begins the process of digestion, must be properly nourished in order to efficiently digest and for overall health and wellness to flourish. When the spleen and stomach are in balance, you will feel energized and focused. When imbalanced, symptoms of dampness like bloating, indigestion, inflammation, fatigue, and brain fog will overwhelm the mind and body. Symptoms of dampness occur from excessive consumption of processed sweets, alcohol, stress, little exercise, and prolonged exposure to a cold or wet environment. With a proper diet, exercise, herbs, and acupuncture, you can bring the spleen and stomach back into harmony so you can enjoy the last few warm days of summer in comfort and peace.

Ailments and Cures
Common ailments associated with an imbalanced spleen and stomach include bloating, acid reflux, belching, constipation, diarrhea, over thinking, worry, fatigue, brain fog, fluid retention, and congestion. To harmonize the spleen and stomach, you must support proper digestion through eating the right foods and herbs, exercising, and acupuncture.

Meals should be lightly cooked and eaten while warm, like steamed vegetables or brothy soups. Yellow foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, and butternut and acorn squash are plentiful this time of year, and are high in vitamin A which helps improve immune function. Other easy to digest foods include peaches, beets, parsnips, ginger, millet, rice, oats, barley, chickpeas, lentils, peas, pears, figs, dates, and green tea are all foods that are high in fiber and vitamins. The spleen can also cause sweet cravings, so it is important to eat full sweets like fruits and vegetables with a naturally sweet flavor instead of processed sweets like cookies and candy. It is best to avoid icy drinks, excess dairy, fried foods, and highly processed foods, all of which cause dampness by being hard to properly digest. Herbs like Liu Jun Zi Wan, Ping Wei Wan, and Shen Ling Bai Zhi Pian strengthens the spleen Qi, resolves dampness, tonifies the stomach and spleen, supports digestion, and relieves symptoms like diarrhea and fatigue.

Gentle exercise like walking, qigong, or yoga help move Qi, move stagnation, dispel dampness, strengthen the core, and boost energy levels. While at rest, nurture your mind through journaling, meditation, or making space for quiet moments with the intention of easing worry and restoring mindfulness.

Acupuncture is a gentle but effective treatment for expelling dampness. By stimulating spleen and stomach points, acupuncture can improve digestion, calm inflammation, and aid in nutrient absorption. Points on your head can relieve brain fog and fatigue, promoting clarity and restfulness. Heart and liver points can help alleviate emotional symptoms of dampness like worry and over thinking. An acupuncturist may also use your tongue to diagnose dampness. If your tongue is pale with a thick white or yellow coating, tooth marks along the edge, and swelling, it is likely you have an imbalance causing dampness. A healthy tongue will be light pink with a thin coating and no teeth marks.

This season between seasons is essentially a bridge between summer’s outward expansion of Yang energy and fall’s inward draw of Yin. The next season is associated with the Metal element, the lungs, and the large intestine. The strength of digestion that the Earth element, spleen, and stomach brings to the next season supports the lungs and liver. The more we nourish our bodies in late summer, the healthier we will feel moving into fall. A proper diet of easy to digest foods like squash, sweet fruits, and lightly cooked meals, gentle exercise like yoga, herbal supplements, and acupuncture are all accessible treatments for the sluggish symptoms of late summer. Grab a glass of room temperature water, a nice blank journal, and find a shady seat to prepare your body and mind for the season to come. The more rest and nourishment you get now will mean a healthier fall.

References

● https://cherryblossomhealingarts.com/tcm/the-fifth-season-in-tcm

● https://encircleacupuncture.com/blog/chinese-medicine-fifth-season

● https://www.mayway.com/blogs/articles/late-summer-the-earth-element

● https://forestparkwellness.com/acupuncture-can-help-regulate-your-body-boost-energy-and-tame-allergies/

● https://opencarecommunity.com/blog/dampness-in-the-body-tcm-explained

108 Beads for Meditating

Mala necklaces and bracelets are knotted strands of 108 beads used for manta chanting and meditation. Their recorded history dates back to the spiritual practices of Hinduism in ancient India, roughly 3,000 years ago. The Sanskrit word “mala” translates to garland, and the Anglo- Saxon word “bede”, or bead, means “prayer”. While first used in India, mala beads have spread across cultures and countries, religions and spiritualities. The Christian adaptation is the rosary, Islam has the misbaha or tasbih beads, and Sikhism has simarna beads, all with the similar spiritual purpose of mantra chanting. Necklaces have 108 beads and 1 guru bead, and bracelets have 18, 21, or 27 beads.

Symbolism of 108 Beads

The number 108 has many significant spiritual connections to Hinduism. The number itself represents completeness and universal wholeness. 108 is the universe’s spiritual foundation, representing the deep connection between the self and the cosmos. It is the basis of creation, that we are all one and the same with the universe and each other. Mantras are chanted 108 times because it is believed that each chant represents the spiritual journey from our physical form towards the God source within us. Each bead represents a single repetition of a manta, ensuring rhythmic concentration, spiritual discipline, and peaceful meditation. In Buddhism, the number 108 represents the perceived 108 human passions or feelings that impede self enlightenment, 36 of the past, 36 of the present, and 36 of the future. Modern use of the mala, while also rooted in the traditions, is also all about reminders of intentions, encouraging self awareness and encouragement, and bridging the mind and the spirit through the chanting of personal or religious mantras. The guru bead, or the slightly larger bead that ties the whole mala together, symbolizes the teacher, divine energy, or one’s higher self. It signifies the beginning and end of a meditative cycle. The tassel represents enlightenment and unity, where all threads converge. Many malas end with a talisman or charm, depending on the users intention or preference.

Choosing Beads

The first malas were made of rudraksha seeds, believed in Hinduism to be the tears of Lord Shiva, symbolizing divine protection. Buddhists made their malas out of sandalwood and bodhi seeds, representing purity and mindfulness. Different materials hold different symbolic meanings. While amethyst promotes spiritual awareness, rose quartz fosters love and compassion. If making a mala, it is important to consider the metaphysical properties of the beads based on your intentions for the mala. It is also important to consider if you are making the mala for religious reasons where the traditional material is important, or if you are making it more as a reminder of personal intentions. The material you choose is deeply personal, and can connect you physically to your spiritual self.

How to Make a Mala

The first step is choosing the proper stone, wood, or metal. The most common and comfortable size is 8mm, or 6mm at the smallest. Then, you will need to decide if you want to hand knot your mala, or string them with wire. Each method offers a different tactile experience. Hand knotting is traditional, where there is a knot between each bead, allowing the user to maneuver the beads without them moving. When strung on a wire, the beads move freely. End your mala with a guru bead and tassel or talisman. The guru bead can be a traditional one consisting of a larger round bead with 3 holes followed by a smaller cone shaped tower bead, or just a larger bead that you feel is aesthetic with your other beads, or holds metaphysical significance. Lastly, attach your tassel in whatever color you like, or a talisman that is meaningful. The making of a mala necklace or bracelet can be a meditative experience in itself. Traditionally, makers would chant mantras while hand knotting to imbue the mala with intention and spiritual energy. Making your own can be an opportunity to sit quietly and contemplate your mantra, or an opportunity to be intentionally mindless by being mindful of rest. The beauty of malas is they are not just a religious tool, but a deeply personal expression of your connection to your mind, body, and spirit.

Whether you want to use a mala for religious or personal reasons, they are a beautiful physical manifestation of spiritual intention, mindfullness, and meditation. It is a fun exercise to self reflect and research which material resonates with you the most while on your spiritual journey, and can make the connection to your intention that much stronger.

Resources

● https://www.goldenlotusmala.com/pages/history-of-mala-beads?srsltid=AfmBOopN6cjkaw4ZCB-ijegIqYkMM75dQ37JbQjkW644MMlsxWpzAII

● https://www.goldenlotusmala.com/pages/how-to-choose-mala-beads

● https://omshivoham.com/blogs/blog/a-history-of-mala-beads?srsltid=AfmBOopZzL97KZ9Qj84RgVy96h_WJvof9kRVNv4Xb939pC48s5WpZpph

Cold Hands and Feet: A Chinese Medicine Guide to Better Circulation

While having cold hands and feet is a normal physical response to a cold environment, TCM teaches that persistently cold hands and feet are symptoms that may point to deeper health issues resulting from Qi, Yang, and Yin deficiencies. Too much cooling Yin and not enough warming Yang results in cold extremities. Restoring Yin Yang balance through proper diet, exercise, and TCM practices like acupuncture and medicinal herbs will help circulate blood through the body properly, warming chronically cold hands and feet.

Causes

Qi Deficiency:
The health and quality of Qi, which is the energy of all life, is very important in TCM. If there is Qi stagnation, or insufficient Qi, symptoms like cold extremities may manifest. Without the body’s normal energy flow, its ability to generate warmth diminishes, leading to lack of warmth in the hands and feet. Qi stagnation can be caused by stress, poor eating habits, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Blood Stagnation:
If you experience blood stagnation, it can lead to poor circulation, causing cold hands, chest pain, and feelings of oppression. In TCM, blood stasis is the concept that blood flow in the body is not as smooth as it should be, leading to various health issues like cold hands, pain, bruises, and a purple complexion. Good health relies on the smooth, robust flow of blood, so when it is stuck, it leads to discomfort. In order to correct the Qi deficit, it is necessary to incorporate mindfulness, appropriate rest and nourishing diets.

Yang Deficiency:
A Yang deficiency presents as fatigue, chills, and a pale face, resulting from a deficiency in the body’s warming energy. Yang is responsible for transforming and transporting Qi throughout the body. It is the warming principle that counterbalances Yin;s cooling and contracting nature. This harmony is essential for optimal bodily function. Chronic illness, ageing, overexertion, overeating of cold and raw foods, chronic stress, and prolonged exposure to a cold environment causes a Yang efficiency, with cold hands and feet being a noticeable symptom of the body’s inability to circulate warmth. Common symptoms of a Yang deficiency include chronic fatigue, sensitivity to cold, nasal congestion, continuous sneezing, abdominal pain, menstrual cramps and blood clots, and digestive issues.

Excessive Yin:
Yin and Yang need to be in harmony for the body to function at its best. While Yang is responsible for dispersing Qi and warmth throughout the body and limbs, Yin conveys that energy to the organs, and is cooling. If Yin and Yang are in disharmony, they can not connect, causing an inability to circulate energy through the body. This disconnect is called jue, and may result from meridian obstruction or insufficient Yang energy caused by Qi stagnation, blood stasis, and indigestion. An excess of Yin in the body results in cold hands and feet, because there is not enough Yang energy to keep the extremities warm, and the feet are farthest from the heart.

Remedies

Food: To treat a Yang deficiency, avoid consumption of cold or raw foods like salads, raw fruit, or milk. Do eat warm foods like cayenne, walnuts, pistachios, chestnuts, onion, garlic, mutton, leeks, cinnamon, mugwort leaves, jujube tea, and ginger, and medicinal herbs like cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg. To treat blood stagnation, eat foods like apricots, cherries, red grapes, beets, beef, eggs, figs, dates, parsley, dark leafy greens. Include sulphur-rich foods like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and brussel sprouts, leafy greens, lentils, chickpeas, and walnuts for enhanced blood flow.

Foot Soak: Soak your feet in warm water for 15 minutes before bed, or sleep with a hot water bottle at the foot of your bed. Add mugwort leaves, ginger, or prickly ash for extra warmth.

Layering: Being cold can exacerbate Yang and Qi deficiencies, so layering and staying warm can help aid the body’s efforts to circulate blood and warm the extremities.

Exercise: A sedentary lifestyle encourages blood stagnation, so exercises like jogging, tai chi, walking, yoga, swimming, and other aerobic activities that do not cause overexertion are ideal for circulating blood throughout the body. Overexertion causes sweating, resulting in Yang depletion.

Acupuncture: By stimulating specific points along the body’s meridians, Qi and blood stagnation can be relieved. Activation of certain points, especially along the Kidney and Spleen meridians, circulates blood, restores warmth, increases Qi, and restores warmth to the hands and feet.

Cold hands and feet are strong indicators of an imbalance in the body’s Yin Yang relationship. Harmony can be restored through proper diet, exercises that are not excessively draining, foot soaks, warm clothes, and various TCM practices like acupuncture and medicinal herbs.

Supporting the body’s ability to circulate blood is the key to warming chronically cold hands and feet.

Resources

● https://www.commontcm.sg/chronic-illness/tcm-treatment-cold-hands-and-feet

● https://www.yongkangtcm.com/post/chinese-medicine-and-cold-extremities

● https://www.shanghaimedicalclinic.com/cold-hands-and-feet-what-to-do/

● https://sgpaincaretcm.com/understanding-cold-feet-traditional-chinese-medicine-approach/