shin ma

   Lunar New Year 2010

Hello and welcome to the summer edition of Sustainable Health. 

So how do we work with nature during the so called ’silly season’ to maintain optimum health and vitality?  In eastern medicine, summer corresponds to the element of Fire.  Other Fire correspondences include the colour red and the sound of laughter.  It is the season of festivals, fun, family and friends. To sustain the energy required of the Fire element we need to maintain the cornerstone of our connection with others which is in fact the connection with our own heart.

Body

Foods at this time of year can afford to be cooler and lighter to balance out the heat. However, you can also include chilli and spicy foods which open up the pores to release heat.  Think high temperature cooking for short periods of time such as stir fry or quick pan frying.  Red foods such as berries, cherries, tomatoes and peppers are also good Fire element foods.

Mind

The meridians governed by Fire are the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium and Triple Burner.  An imbalance in these meridians can lead to an increase in anxiety, agoraphobia and sleep disturbance or a decrease in joy, communication and energy. If you find this time of year has your fire blazing out of control or leaves you exhausted and with nothing left to give, try giving yourself the gift of stillness. Light a candle and allow your gaze to rest gently on the flame. With one hand on your heart and one hand on your hara (lower belly), allow your breath to settle as you reconnect with your inner peace.

Spirit

Fire is expansive and generous and creates connection with others. Ways to nourish the spirit of Fire at this time of year include playful social interactions, creative gift giving and heart to heart conversations. Laughter is the ultimate heart tonic that is available to us all if we are open to being just a little bit silly this season.

Wishing you health and happiness, Elizabeth

“When spring comes the grass grows by itself. ”
– Tao Te Ching

Hello! Welcome to this edition of my ‘Sustainable Health’ newsletter and an especially warm welcome to those of you receiving it for the first time.

Melbourne has been turning on quite a spring spectacle for us recently. We have been lucky enough to have some early spring rains and have certainly had spring wind. Spring is the time when everything is on the move, upwards and outwards. In Eastern Medicine, this corresponds to the element of Wood, the Liver and Gall Bladder meridians and the colour green. Things that have lain dormant or accumulated over winter are pushed to the surface with this vital new energy.

So, how do we take these cues from nature and interpret them into healthy living choices?

Body

Typical spring complaints are all signs of our qi rising upwards and to the surface with the warmer, sunnier weather. These include itchy eyes and skin, respiratory illnesses, blood noses, stiff necks and shoulders, stabbing pains and headaches. Health Tips Keep your neck covered when outside, increase fluids to counteract dryness, include hot water and lemon first thing in the morning, consider a gentle fast by eliminating inflammatory foods for 10 days such as caffeine, alcohol, dairy products, red meat, fried food, salt and sugar.
Stretch, stretch and stretch again.

Mind

Spring brings with it a restlessness that can turn into irritability, frustration or uncontrolled anger. Health Tips Embrace this increase in energy and channel it into spring cleaning and new projects. Communicate feelings as they arise rather than trying to hold them in, practice deep breathing and include sighing and yawning to get stagnant qi moving.

Spirit

Now is the time to start that yoga intensive or daily walk with the dog, rearrange the furniture and get as gorgeous as a spring blossom! Spring is the season of love, after all.

Wishing you health and happiness,
Elizabeth

Welcome to my first newletter!

Spring is the time for new beginnings so I thought it was an appropriate time to start a seasonal newletter for my clients. Shiatsu and Traditional Eastern Medicine mirror the natural rythms observed in nature. With roots based in Taoist philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body is viewed as a microcosm of what occurs in nature and indeed the universe.

As public awareness of the influence humans can have on our planet increases, perhaps there will be an increase in awareness that we are connected to and indeed part of nature ourselves. As we learn that Earth is not sustainable at our current rate of consumption, we can also reflect on what we can do to have ’sustainable health’.In the same way that we cannot take from the earth without giving back to her, we cannot take from ourselveswithout giving back nourishment and allowing time and space for rejuvenation.

Each season I hope to send out some sustainable health advice from the perspective of Shiatsu and Traditional

Eastern Medicine. As I mentioned, Spring is about growth, movement and new beginnings. With an increase in daylight hours and warmth from the sun, now is the time to GET MOVING. This can happen in three ways -

food, exercise and lifestyle.

Food

Spring time foods should encourage digestive stimulation to start moving any excess that has accumulated in the system over winter. Eating seasonally can lead you naturally to pick these foods which include: spring onions, leafy greens, sprouts, baby carrots and pungent herbs such as basil, oregano and rosemary. Food should be cooked for a shorter time at higher tempertures such as saute or stirfry. Try starting the day with a warm water and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey.

Exercise

Spring is the time to start those yoga classes you’ve been thinking of, include an early morning walk with the dog or start cycling to work. Dancing either on your own to your favourite tune or at a dance class or night out is also an excellent way to wake up a sluggish body. As we start to emerge from our winter depths, it is common for tempers to flare, frustrations explode and a restlessness in the body to occur. This is just nature’s way of clearing out anything we no longer need. Hayfever and skin eruptions also surface, demonstarting that there is excess heat or damp in the body. Exercise is vital to help keep everything moving.

Lifestyle

The Meridians linked to Spring are the Liver and Gallbladder. Whilst it is tempting to hit the alcohol now the days and nights are warmer, spare a thought for your Liver that is working hard to liberate you from any winter toxin build up. Start new projects with that restless energy and consider making plans and setting goals with your health, work and relationships. You should find that you have more energy to do these things now than you did over winter. Sometimes mood swings and depression can reappear if the Liver Meridian is a little tired..Try and see this an opportunity to address these issues with the help of your health professional and ride nature’s wave of the new beginnings that are available to us in Spring!

See you on the futon if not before, Elizabeth.