“The physical centre is your belly; if your mind is set there as well, you are assured of victory in every endeavour.”

 ~ Morihei Ueshiba

Hello and Happy New Year to all those I’ve yet to see in this year of the Water Dragon.

This newsletter focuses on the short and relatively unrecognised season of “late summer” which falls in the lead up to autumn. The corresponding element for late summer is the Earth element which relates to the Stomach and Spleen meridians, the colour yellow and sweet tasting food.  One way of viewing the Earth element is as a stable centre around which the other elements move. In Japan and China late summer falls in the middle of the lunar year. It is the point of transition between the outward, expansive yang energy of Spring and Summer and the introverted yin nature of Autumn and Winter.

So, how can we nourish the Earth element in us at this time of year?

Body

Food is one of the easiest ways to support the earth element. Take extra care to chew everything thoroughly to assist digestion and when you eat, just eat – don’t read, drive, walk, watch television or stand up. Some traditions also suggest not talking so that the meal can be fully appreciated.  The general idea for reducing other activities whilst eating is so that all of your energy is available to break down the food. Often it is how we eat not what we eat that determines how much energy we can extract from our food.

Mind

Many meditation and martial arts practices suggest that the mind should be centred in the belly (hara in Japanese). This counterbalances our tendency to be “in our head”. To develop a strong hara, focus your “mind’s eye” on the area just behind and below and your navel. In times of stress, return your attention to your hara and feel your breath deepen and your mind settle. With regular practice, excess activity of the mind ceases and this in turn promotes mental and emotional stability. In this state of mind we are not as easily disturbed by stressful events and therefore more able to act quickly and decisively in an emergency and navigate conflict with an even keel.

Spirit

Weakness in the Earth element can show up as either a tendency to care for others at the expense of our self or the opposite, an inability to empathise with others. Sometimes there can be oscillation between the two in an attempt to find balance between over giving and self preservation. The natural way to stabilise this swing is to start with adequate self care. Then care for others will spring from our own abundant source like the ripe fruit of late summer falls from the tree.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Elizabeth

This information is not a substitute for professional health care. Always incorporate it with the advice of your health care provider.

 “There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.”

– Celia Thaxter

Hello and welcome to the summer edition of Sustainable Health for 2011.

In Oriental medicine, summer corresponds to the Fire element, the heart, the colour red and the sound of laughter. It also corresponds to the emotion of joy. How can we care for our health during this festive time and make the most of the abundance of summer?

Body

It is natural to sweat more in summer. We can take advantage of this detoxifying function and embrace a lighter diet and more physical activity to shift the last of winter’s accumulations. Summer foods are usually cooling such as watermelon, tomato and mint. Get your heart pumping with fun physical activities such as playing with children, dancing and belly laughs.

Mind

Summer is a good time to be more physical and less intellectual. Now is the time to live all those dreams you had during winter and planned during spring. Listen to your heart to find out what will bring you joy.

Spirit

Practicing gratitude is considered a sure fire way to invite joy into our life. Gratitude does not deny the trials and hardships in life but it can be a powerful tool to transform your experience of those difficulties. A gratitude list is more or less the opposite of a wish list. It is a list of all the things you have to be grateful for such as people, understanding or experiences. It shifts our focus to what we have rather than what we lack. The picture above of children living in Gaza demonstrates that even when we are surrounded by conflict, joy can bring us peace within.

Wishing you health and happiness,    Elizabeth

This information is not a substitute for professional health care. Always incorporate it with the advice of your health care provider.

 “From the end spring new beginnings.” 

Pliny  the Elder

Hello and welcome to the spring edition of Sustainable Health.

Can you feel it? The arrival of spring? The blossoms, the sunlight, the wind and changeable weather patterns are all external signs that spring has sprung but we also have internal signs. The most obvious sign for some is hay fever. Some experience the change of season as restlessness or agitation or a feeling of wanting to shed your skin. Skin eruptions, stabbing pains, insomnia and its opposite, fatigue are all reflections of our bodies responding to warmer weather and longer daylight hours. In Eastern medicine spring corresponds to the Liver and Gallbladder, Wind and the colour green.

Body

Spring is a good time to consider how healthy our blood is because at this time of year our blood circulates a little faster and moves closer to the surface. Any impurities will be pushed to the skin or felt as painful blockages or fatigue as the body tries to eliminate them. In Eastern medicine the Liver governs the blood and in Western medicine one function of the liver is to filter the blood and process toxins. A glass of warm water with juice of half a lemon each morning can invigorate the liver and therefore detoxify the blood as can eliminating greasy foods and increasing green foods such as parsley, rocket and sprouts. Our sluggish winter metabolism naturally wants to quicken in spring so take advantage of it and get moving with some daily exercise such as a walking, riding or swimming.

Mind

Physical activity can also benefit the mind. Volatile emotions, in particular rage or frustration can erupt during spring as our ki (qi) moves upward and outward. Exercise provides a healthy outlet for pent up feelings and has been proven to dramatically reduce depressive feelings. So next time you feel the surge of anger or the wave of depression, move your body and your mind will follow.

Spirit

Spring is often related to birth, beginnings and the start of the life cycle. Each year the cycle starts again and we have another chance to start fresh projects, hatch ideas and nurture new attitudes and habits. As we shed our metaphorical winter skin we can use the energy of spring to help us make any changes we would like to see. Anyway, in spring change is practically guaranteed so we may as well make it work for us.

Wishing you all health and happiness,

Elizabeth

This information is not a substitute for professional health care. Always incorporate it with the advice of your health care provider.

The Dhammapada

Welcome to the winter edition of Sustainable Health for 2011.

Winter corresponds the Water element, the Kidney and Bladder meridians and the bones.  June 21^st is the Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere. On this day we will experience our shortest number of daylight hours for the year.

So what does this mean in terms of sustaining good health during winter?

Body

Of primary concern during winter is protection from the cold. Once cold settles into the joints and bones it can be hard to shift. Key areas to protect are the feet and kidney region. A nightly foot soak in a tub of warm water with Epsom salts can assist with warming the whole body. Food also needs to be warming now. Slow baked root vegetables and soup made with bones, legumes and miso. In general, cook foods longer at lower temperatures.

Mind

Winter is not a time of external growth it is a time for internal growth. We see this in nature – shorter daylight hours, less foliage on trees, bulbs germinating underground, hibernation. We also end up spending much more time indoors. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is triggered by less daylight. If you’re feeling blue, it is important to expose yourself to sunshine even if it’s cold. Put on a warm coat, scarf, gloves and hat and stand outside when the sun peeks through the clouds. Face your back to the sunlight and imagine the gentle rays penetrating deep into your kidneys until you feel warm. Or go for a brisk walk and warm up from the inside.

Spirit

The spiritual gift of winter is willpower. That word can sound a bit forceful to me but it may resonate with you. I prefer to think of willpower as endurance, stamina, perseverance and determination. These words for me invoke the qualities of strength and faith that guide us during the dark times. Like a seed germinating underground, It is usually only during the dark times that these internal qualities can grow.  When we are in tune with nature’s cycles of rest and renewal we can mirror the quiet qualities of winter and turn within to find the spark of light that never goes out.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Elizabeth

This information is not a substitute for professional health care. Always incorporate it with the advice of your health care provider.

Distillation  ~  “The purification or concentration of a substance, the obtaining of the essence or the separation of one substance from another”

Welcome to the autumn edition of Sustainable Health for 2011.   

The Autumn Equinox on March 22^nd marks the crossover between the brightness and warmth of summer and the darkness and cold of winter. How we manage this transition will influence how we fare during the winter months. If we try to hold on to the same lifestyle we lived during summer then we will compromise our immune system and potentially struggle to have enough energy. The natural movement of things now is down, leaves to the earth, vegetation dying down, blood moves deeper into our bodies, away from the surface to conserve warmth for the winter.

What can we do to work with nature at this time to sustain our health?

Body

The lungs and large intestine correspond to this time of year. As the interface with our external environment they play an important role in maintaining health. The lungs are easily impacted by cold and dryness in autumn which can leave them vulnerable to pathogens. Eating a pear a day will help moisten and nourish the lungs. The large intestine or colon plays the final part in extracting nutrition and eliminating waste. A blocked colon leads to ineffective toxin removal leaving skin dull and a build up of mucus in the system. Colon cleansing foods include apples, oats, turnips and cabbage.

Mind

The breath is our connection to life and one of the clearest indicators of our mental health. In times of anxiety or deep grief the breath becomes irregular and shallow. Restricted breathing is an attempt to defend ourselves from painful feelings. This can result in increased anxiety and pain in the chest which in turn restricts breathing and so on. Breathe in for the count of four and out for the count of six to calm the mind. Sighing, yawning and sobbing are important mechanisms for discharging stress and once expressed will pass and allow your system to rebalance.

Spirit

What does it mean to “let go”? It’s a term that gets used a lot – “Let go of the past”, “Let him/her go”, “Let go of your clutter”. The trouble with this advice is that it can fail to acknowledge the value to us of whatever it is we want to hold on to. Holding on to relationships, objects or ideas that no longer serve us or have clearly reached the end of their lifespan blocks the potential for new things to come in. Fear of loss may mean we prefer not to receive anything new but holding on can be exhausting. Rather than ‘letting go’, you may prefer to ‘distil’ (see above quote). Consider what valuable lesson or experience you received from the situation or person and if you like, keep one item to trigger that memory. In some instances you may find that once you have acknowledged the internal gifts you received you will no longer want to hold on to the external reminder as what we keep in our hearts, can never be lost.

Wishing you health and happiness, Elizabeth

This information is not a substitute for professional health care. Always incorporate it with the advice of your health care provider.

     “The sole concern of learning is to seek one’s original heart”

 ~ Mencius

Welcome to the New Year edition of Sustainable Health for 2011, the Year of the Golden Rabbit.   

Rabbit years are said to encourage artistic and scholarly pursuits and favour time spent at home or behind the scenes attending to details. These themes tie in nicely with the Earth element that comes into play during late summer and in fact any change of season. Here in Melbourne we are experiencing a very damp late summer which can encourage damp to accumulate in the body leaving us feeling heavy, tired or aching. The Earth element governs the Spleen and Stomach meridians and their associated organ functions of ingesting and digesting food.  Eastern medicine also attributes the functions of absorbing and assimilating knowledge to the Earth element.

So, how can we nurture the Earth element in us at this time of year?

Body

Food is the cornerstone of a strong Earth element. The colour yellow corresponds to Earth so consider including yellow or orange foods in your diet such as pumpkin, carrot, squash and corn. If your Stomach and Spleen are under functioning then you may experience loose stools, bloating and fatigue or if they are over functioning you might experience an insatiable appetite overheating or stomach pain. The easiest way to support these systems is to eat breakfast before 9am, chew all food thoroughly, sit down to eat without doing any other activities such as reading, driving or watching TV and avoid cold foods that the body has to work hard to warm up to a digestible body temperature.

Mind

Pensiveness, worry, over thinking, repetitive thoughts – these are all symptoms of an imbalance in the Earth element.  If you have addressed your diet and the way you eat and are still experiencing an over working mind then take the same approach with your mind as you do your food. Focus on one activity at a time. Practice bringing your awareness to how your body feels during your thoughts and then breathe deeply into any areas of tension. Anyone engaged in full time study will benefit from extra support for their Spleen by way of healthy eating and body work.

Spirit

The Earth element can be considered the axis around which everything else in life revolves. So whether we are starting a new year of work or study or caring for others, if we follow the lucky Rabbit’s lead, we will also attend to our homes. In eastern medicine, the body is considered a home for our spirit to dwell. Self care can be relegated to the bottom of the list when we are busy but if we prioritise some home maintenance then we will feel supported in all our endeavours and set ourselves up for a prosperous and healthy year ahead.

Wishing you health and happiness, Elizabeth