“She has got to stand up for herself,” “He won’t take this lying down,” “Does that sit well with you?” – These are some of the common English phrases used in everyday speech. Without even thinking about it, we reference our physical posture, which our physical bodies manifest, in descriptions of actions and situations we experience in our lives. No matter how much we may want to deny it, our physical body shapes us and the reality around us. Even the word that we use to describe that we can comprehend what another person or situation is trying to convey to us, the verb “to understand” or “verstehen” in English and German respectively, is a physical posture reference.

Our physical bodies shape our reality and our experience of the world. We often forget this and in fact, take a very important detail for granted: we as human beings are the only species of mammals who can stand and walk upright for long periods of time. This is called Bipedalism. Often I observe my cat stands on her 4 legs, which is Quadrupedalism, rubbing on my lower leg. I never realize how tall she could be if she stood up on 2 legs until she does for those short moments and I am astounded that she almost reaches my hip; she expands from about 30 centimeters to 80 centimeters, which is more than double her quadrupedal height. This makes me understand the advantage humans have over other animals; that we Homo sapiens appear bigger to other animals, giving us a kind of watchtower-sight of things as well as appearing bigger, therefore, providing a size advantage over other animals, such as to my cat. I get proof of this whenever I play-rough with her on the ground, she gets overly enthusiastic and tries to attack me, but if I stand up to my full height, she retreats and acknowledges my dominance. In this case, size does matter. Standing and walking on 2 legs do have advantages.

Our human bodies took about 6 million years to become bipedal, as seen in the current fossil records found all over the world. Standing on 2 legs changed our anatomy and therefore changed our posture. In addition to lying, we can stand as well as sit upright. In fact, being upright is the ideal posture for balance as well as energy-optimal alignment for our bodies; if we do not have an upright posture, the muscles and connective tissues of our back, shoulders, hips, chest and abdomen cannot completely perform contraction and relaxation, thereby creating tension and pain in the body. But this is only the physical aspect of life in the human body. The moment we slump in the spine, not only do we have compression of organs, connective tissues and muscles, which then adjust the blood circulation of the whole body, our senses, such as our sight, perceive a different view of our external environment, the nervous system begins to be affected, triggering a whole host of events; thereby creating a change in our emotional mood. Our external view of the world, along with the physiological changes, affect our internal one. If you don’t believe this happens in your body, just try it for yourself for a 30-minute period but not longer, to prevent lasting negative effects to your being.

Not only is this change personal, the people around us judge us by our posture all the time, even if they deny it. The moment we walk into a room, judgements are already made just by how we are perceived by our posture. Upright posture conveys confidence, assurance and professionalism. If we were going to a job interview, this would be a positive advantage, if the potential employers were looking for someone competent. These first impressions set the stage for the rest of the interview and interactions. We only have to look up the word “upright” in a Thesaurus in order to understand how perceptions of our physical uprightness are not just physical: “decent,” “honest,” “honorable,” or “conscientious.” People read these moral attributes from our upright posture, even though we in society constantly declare that we are objective and unemotional.

Chinese Medicine designates the Jing Jin, Sinew/ Tendino-Muscular Channels as foundations of upright posture. These channels flow as suggested by their English translation, in the areas of the tendons, muscles, as well as ligaments and fasciae; these include externally on the area of the skin, as well as internally in and around the internal organs. Jing Jin are defined as conduits of Wei Qi, Protective Qi. By this, we can deduce that the Chinese attribute upright posture to the protection of the body. As such, exercise practices such as Qi Gong and Tai Ji Quan are an essential part of Chinese Medicine in maintaining health. I will discuss Jing Jin in future blogposts.

Do you remember as a kid how the adults around you would nag you about your posture? – “Sit up straight,” or “Don’t slouch.”  I hate to say it but they were right; if we had listened then and made adjustments to our bodies, we are probably reaping the benefits of their wisdom. If however we didn’t, it’s never too late. It takes a little more time and awareness as an adult but it’s still possible to make adjustments. It's all about practice, keep at it!
 
 

 
Image by Alexas_Fotos on Pixabay

The other day, a friend and I watched a movie made in the year 1931. It was fascinating as the credits for the movie came at the start of it, unlike these days where it comes at the end. It made me think of all those moments I was at the movie theatre, when the credits and the music played at the end of the movie and most of the audience would just be walking out; most of us do not pay much attention to the names and job titles, that move at a rapid pace and are projected in so small a font, one would maybe catch one name out of every ten. There are often almost a thousand names but most of us aren’t even aware of who they are or what they do, except for the main actors and possibly directors or producers, who get bigger fonts and spaces for their names. These are the people we never see in the movie but are essential in the production of the film.

Back in the day when I was a teenager, I had daydreams of being an actor; of being the star of a movie, walking down the red carpet, being looked at and being admired. I was a rhythmic gymnast from age 12 to 16, as well as a dancer till 30, so being put in the spotlight was part of my life for a little bit, whenever I was on the competition floor or on the dance stage. When I became a coach at age 17, I learned to hold space for my gymnasts; this included multiple training sessions in a gym giving instruction, listening to lots of music, editing to fit the music pieces into a-minute-and-a half sequences, doing choreography; repetition day-in and day-out. Then competition day came, I woke up early with the gymnasts, did hair and make-up for them, led warm-ups and waited with the nervous gymnasts till their turns to perform came. Then when their minute-and-a-half routines were in progress, I had no control over the situation, I just had to stand by and watch in the background. If they performed as we had trained and were successful, then they were on the podium receiving their medals and flowers; I was on the sidelines clapping joyfully for all the fruits of our labours. If they didn’t perform well and they were emotionally down, I was there to console them and hold their hand after. There are no medals for the coaches. That is the life of a background artist.

In university, I minored in dance; every Spring we had a big stage production. One Spring, I was part of the dance production class, meaning that we learnt everything from performing on stage, to doing lighting, tech and music, to setting up props; we dressed in black, ran around doing jobs backstage looking inconspicuous but at the same time making sure that the performers were making their cues and being in the right place at the right time. Those backstage-helpers were there for most of the rehearsals and all the performances, but were not on stage at the end of the show, taking bows or receiving applause in front of the audience. In fact, when everyone went home, they were cleaning the stage front as well as back, and packing up material. It is essentially one of those jobs that we see on the movie-credits rapidly moving up the screen, that not many notice - the background artist.

I believe the biggest role of the background artist I have played so far is being a Mother, and I capitalize the `M,´ as it is a role so often overlooked. Many years ago as I worked as a dance coach for an artistic gymnastics academy in California, one of my bosses, Donna told me to enjoy my time and the attention then, as I had just gotten married, because once I had kids, she said everything would be about the children and everybody would ask how your kids are doing and not how you are. She was right. As a parent, not only is one the child-bearer, nurturer, care-giver, one is also the taxi-driver, psychologist, manager, etc. This is THE ultimate background artist job. One has to play every role possible, except being the center of attention, unless things do not work, in which case the Mother is often given the fault. There are often no credits given when things work out and let’s not talk about the salary, there is no financial renumeration. One of the most important “jobs” in life and is seldom positively acknowledged by our society. What we get as Mothers is one day in the year as acknowledgement, in most places on the second Sunday in May, which has been exploited by capitalism to sell us more stuff.

Let’s give real credit where it is due to the most essential background artist, who makes things work rain or shine. This Mother’s Day, let’s do something different, let’s not get stuff for our Mothers but gift them something real and meaningful, like time together or a home-cooked meal or a hand-made gift. Gift your Mom from the Heart and be present with her, leave the store-bought stuff in the store!




Image by Sevda from Pixabay

One of the fundamental basis of Chinese Medicine is Qì 氣. Qì (Pin Yin romanization, which is pronounced chee), has been described as “vital energy,” “vital force” or even “universal energy.” It’s sometimes spelled as Chi (Wade-Giles romanization), or Ki (Japanese spelling and pronunciation). In Chinese Medicine there are many different types of Qì, just to name a few: Yuán Qì (Original Qi), Zhēn Qì (True Qi), Yíng Qì (Nutritive Qi) and Wèi Qì (Defensive/ Protective Qi). Many blogposts ago, I wrote about Qì and what its Chinese character means, and many blogposts before that I wrote a little about Wèi Qì as well as how it is key to understanding allergies, such as Hay Fever.

But Wèi Qì is so much more complex than just allergies and immune system. The Chinese character for Wèi  衛  has a few parts: the first radical on the left 彳 chì means “step” and added together with the component on the right it becomes 行 xíng, meaning “to walk.” The middle character component, I recently learnt from a continuing education class, refers to “a guard” or “a man with leather armor.” All together they create “a guard who walks back and forth to protect.” Therefore, Wèi Qì refers to Qi that is always in motion to protect and defend when needed.

As a student in Chinese medical school, we learnt that people who caught colds and flus easily have a Wei Qi deficiency and that the Wei Qi is very connected to the Lung and Spleen Qi. So we would treat the appropriate Acupuncture points and give the famous herbal formula, Yù Píng Fēng Săn (Jade Wind Screen Powder). With the proper diagnosis and appropriate use of this formula, patients often got better within a month or so. One of my strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic was and still is to strengthen the Wei Qi. It can also manifest as bladder symptoms like chronic urinary tract infection UTI, which have often manifested in female patients, being exposed to cold external conditions. But through my practice and observation of different patients over the years, I have come to realize that Wei Qi deficiency is much more than catching colds or viruses easily, chronic UTIs and allergies. I started to realize that some patients would come in reporting how they felt “exposed” emotionally and physically, like they felt unprotected when they went out into the world. They would feel like they were being invaded by others energetically. I started to link this to Wei Qi deficiency and to treat them as such, often times it has worked. Also, by learning to set healthy boundaries in their lives, which is also a manifestation of Wei Qi, in my opinion, this has served to help them feel more secure within their beings.

As a student with my teachers in Tai Ji Quan/ Qi Gong/ Shao Lin Quan we learned to do some techniques of energetic practice they would call Iron Shirt Qi Gong. It is a martial arts method in which, as the name implies, one creates a layer like an iron shirt around the body, to protect against hits and attacks from opponents as well as to strengthen one’s body part to create an iron-hard effect with a punch or a hit. This reminded me of a movie which I watched in university in the 1990s, Iron and Silk, a true story of how Mark Salzman goes to China to teach English and learns Wu Shu, among other things. His master, Pan Qing Fu, is known as Iron Fist. Master Pan spent hours over decades punching a steel block; as such, his fists were as hard as iron. Though he has acted in films, this man’s skill was real, unlike a lot of Hollywood films (there is even one with this name but is not the real deal). This I believe is Wei Qi condensed into the fist. Iron Shirt Qi Gong could be used for martial purposes but I believe it is applicable to everyday life, not for assault but for protection. This, I have come to understand, is Wei Qi being activated with energetic practice.

The cultivation of Wei Qi has to come from many different aspects, not just physically but mentally as well as emotionally and energetically. It is something we need to work with our Bodyminds and not just on a material level. If there is anything that I am sure of, it is that many of the health issues of our time have a lot to do with our Wei Qi deficiency as individuals and as a society. It has been one of my aims to understand Wei Qi better. Even after years of study and practice of Chinese Medicine, I am finding even more depth to the subject. I am still on my journey of exploration into Wei Qi.




Image by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay

Just recently, my husband and I were on vacation; we went out into nature daily and did some hiking. As we were out on the trails, I noticed how different people behaved and reacted as we passed each other. I learnt about hiking etiquette only in my 20s when I lived on the west coast of the USA; I didn’t hike before that, in the urban environment of the capital city of Malaysia. I learnt then that you greet people with a simple, “hello” or “good day,” when you meet someone on the trail and make a short moment of eye contact. This is a way of gauging, acknowledging that we are safe and mean no harm to one another; that we are fellow hikers on the trail with no ill intent. I found this to be “civilized” and essential as a human being, just plain common courtesy. I adopted this practice in my life, even in the urban-setting where I live and work, especially when in a building.
 
This however is not always the experience on the trails or for that matter, in the urban surroundings, here in Europe or in North America in the 2020s; I am finding that people are no longer greeting each other. In fact, they even avoid eye-contact and provide no acknowledgement that you are even present. I perceive this as a lack of manners, and sometimes downright rude when you greet them and they don’t even react or acknowledge in kind. It’s basic human decency to greet one another when you go into public space, which for me again is respectful and a sign of education. Growing up in an urban, big-city environment, where more than a million people live, I can see how this basic human courtesy can get lost, as people hurry around and there is a certain anonymity in the mass. But on a trail or even in a smaller town, it should be customary to greet someone we meet on the way.
 
A few years ago, a film was released “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” One part that stood out for me, in this action-comedy film, was a fight-scene in the pub. It is violent, so if that disturbs you, don’t watch it. However, the fight is well choreographed and it describes a very simple idea, “Manners maketh man” - The way one behaves towards others, reflects the person’s values as a human being on the inside. It is an old proverb that has been in existence since 14th-century Britain. In the film, the scene shows how a master warrior-spy defends his student by fighting ruffians, who have a hold on the student. Nothing is as it seems, as the master is clothed as a well-dressed, middle-aged gentleman, hiding his ability to fight as well as his weapons. The ruffians on the other hand are crude, vile and arrogant, displaying their aggression, brute force and weapons openly. They are rude and insulting to everyone around, in contrast, the master is polite and subtle, flaunting neither his skill nor his intentions; this is a sign of a true master and someone confident in their own abilities. He teaches them a lesson by beating them at their own game, mirroring their violence, but with proper manners and style - “Manners maketh man.”  
 
There are certain rules that humanity abides by, determined by the society we live in; a kind of living code. If we follow these, we are welcomed into these communities, if we do not, then we may be ostracized. In this day and age, we are not only face-to-face with one another, but online behind a screen as well, making communication more complex and prone to misunderstandings. Therefore, good manners are even more essential than before to prevent confrontation and aid living together successfully. However, many seem unaware or unbothered. The social bonds we used to have are deteriorating, we are becoming laxed about simple things that were once commonplace. Many are too preoccupied with the creation of their digital persona, that they have forgotten the most simple, basic rules of living with others. I came across an article called Hiking Etiquette on the US National Park Service, which defines 7 points of hiking etiquette and states the ‘”golden rule”: treat others the way you want to be treated.” I am in agreement with this, not just for hiking but also for life.
 



Image by Gianni Crestani on Pixabay

This past New Moon marked the beginning of the Chinese Lunar Year. We have entered into the year of the Wood Snake which lasts until the New Moon in February 2026. For these next few weeks until the next coming Full Moon, Chinese all over the world will be celebrating this new year phase, which is the coming of Spring in the Northern hemisphere, with food, drink, fire-crackers/works together with family and friends. This is the time when all the astrological predictions and anticipations for the new year start to get thrown around. The Snake is not one of the most “popular” versions of the 12 animals. The Dragon or the Tiger are especially popular years, if one is not female; Tiger female children are/were often considered undesirable as they are said to be proud and willful. But why would the Snake not be well liked?

In western Judeo-Christian-based culture, the Snake is considered vile and is loathed, as it is the being responsible for the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Most humans and mammals possess a possible evolutionary-based fear of Snakes, with an estimate of one third of humans having a fear and only 3 to 4 percent have actual ophidiophobia (Snake phobia). The ancient Chinese and many other traditional cultures around the world however have honored this animal; the fact that the Snake is one of the 12 animals on Chinese horoscope is one proof of this.

In Chinese mythology, after the Universe and the Earth were created, the goddess,
Nǚ Wā  女媧  descended to the Earth. Mountains, rivers, trees, plants and animals already existed, however humans did not. It is said that she felt lonely and as she knelt down by a river, she saw her own reflection and decided to create human beings out of clay, in her own image.  Nǚ Wā is described as having the upper body of a human and the lower body of a serpent. The Chinese creator of humans is half Snake and half human. Why would Snakes be revolting to the Chinese if the Mother of human beings was half one herself? I believe the repulsion of the Snake comes not from the Chinese themselves but the syncretizing of Eastern with Western belief systems. This is a common occurrence in the modern world, where there is often a merging of traditions and ideas from across the globe, as cultures collide with one another.

In fact, if we look at many cultures from North and Central America, to Africa, to Asia, to Australasia and even to Europe we will observe that the Snake is a creature that is traditionally honored. It is often associated with fertility, renewal, wisdom and are protectors as well as messengers of the Divine. Even the Greek God of Medicine, Asclepius, carries a staff with a serpent entwined on it, which was later adopted by Western medicine as the symbol of medicine and is still in use to this day. In ancient Egypt, Greece and India, the Ouroboros, the symbol of the snake eating its tail, is a representation of the unending cycle of life, death, rebirth. The Snake, as it physiologically sheds its skin, represents the ability of life to transform.

The Snake exists on every continent on the Earth except Antarctica, in dry desert environments, tropical, humid ones, flatlands as well as mountains. There over 3000 different species of Snakes, of which 600 are venomous but only 7 percent can actually kill or wound a human. Maybe instead of fear or loathing of the Snake, we can appreciate it as a living being on the Earth and give it its due respect for its remarkable abilities. For this year of the Snake, let us learn to embody the Snakes qualities of flexibility, resilience, to learn to shed our skins by letting go what has not served us, so that we may transform our lives as well as our world around us.



Image Year of the Snake by ICM
Image Tutanchamun from Wikicommons
 

This morning, like many other mornings over the past years, I took my herbal medicine. One of these is called “Xiāo Yáo Sǎn - Free and Easy Wanderer Powder.” I am reminded of the first time I became aware of the English translation of this formula’s name almost 25 years ago. I was in clinical training at the American College of TCM in San Francisco and I was instructed by my clinical supervisor to obtain this formula in pill form for one of our patients at the clinic. I entered our herbal pharmacy to look for the bottle of pills. I found it on a shelf and looked at the bottle; on it I saw an image of an older Chinese man in traditional garb with his walking stick and small pack, looking out from high into the horizon that spreads over mountains, rivers, waterfalls and trees. Both Chinese in Pin Yin and English names were printed on the bottle, so I was able to distinguish the formula, which I was taught to memorize in Pin Yin. But what stood out for me is the English name and image of the Wandering Daoist; since then it has been embedded into my consciousness.

Not too long ago, I finally got around to attaining the classical Daoist text of Zhuang Zi (365-290BCE), one of the famous scholars/ masters of Daoism. As I looked through the book, I came across the title of the first chapter - “Free and Easy Wanderer.” I found out that this is no coincidence. The Chinese medical experts, who compiled the Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang (Imperial Grace Formulary of the Tai Ping Era), in the Song Dynasty period (960-1279 CE) were themselves scholars of Daoism. They named this formula “Free and Easy Wanderer” for precisely the effect that it should invoke in the individual with her/his use of this herbal combination.

In our modern-day Western society, Xiāo Yáo Sǎn is one of the most prescribed formulas. In my clinical training in the USA, almost every second patient was receiving this formula in her/his treatment. These days, I still prescribe Free-and-Easy-Wanderer Powder regularly to my patients, as well as take it regularly myself. Why? This is due to its function to move Liver Qi Stagnation and prevent Qi congestion, harmonize Liver (Wood) and Spleen (Earth), as well as tonify Blood. Life in our modern-day world appears to make us feel tight and blocked, as shown in the muscles and joints of our bodies; unable to access our “free nature,” our minds too become stuck. Many of us feel restricted, stuck in a “box” too small for our bodyminds with constraints of time and space, leading to us feeling stressed: get out of the door on time so you get your tram or else you’ll be late for work, which would then make your superior angry with you and may dock your salary or worse fire you, then you wouldn’t be able to buy your basics like food or to pay your bills and rent…the list of things could go on and on, if we let it. But pay attention to what has happened to our jaws, necks and shoulders; they contracted together and tighter as the list went on, manifestation of our Liver Qi congesting. Over a longer period of time of reduced circulation, this would lead to a depletion of Qi and Blood, affecting our Spleen’s ability to digest food and make Blood which is needed to nourish our bodies. Another common modern usage of Xiāo Yáo Sǎn is for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome PMS. This is once again a case of being “forced” into a container too small, too restrictive and undernourished, that the body begins to rebel by causing mental irritation, mood-swings, physical tension and pain.

Xiāo Yáo Sǎn - the formula of over a thousand years, helps with all these and more, but it is not and should not be the sole remedy. What we need is Free and Easy Wanderer mentality, find the Wandering Daoist within ourselves. “Unbox” our bodies and minds! Go out into Nature, breathe, move, walk, dance, sing - release and unbind our Qi and our lives regularly from the constraints of the human world. Let it flow free and easy!
 
 

 
Image by Ansgar Sheffold on Pixabay

On my way to Yoga last weekend, I popped by a shop as I was a little too early for class. I came across something I was familiar with from the 1990s: a Tetris game console. It is a pure and simple, Tetris only, black and white screen, with buttons; just like in the old days, these days pronounced “vintage game console.” I decided to get it, as I liked playing this game back in the day.

In the days when I was in University in the mid-1990s, many of us students were on the computer playing Tetris, as we were trying to avoid/procrastinate our fate of dealing with studying for exams and working on our due papers. I guess it was our way of escapism; from the stress of finishing certain tasks within a certain amount of time or possibly even the fact that we would be finished with our education and forced to face the uncertainty of our unknown futures after school. Not such an unhealthy manner of procrastination, if it was balanced out with eventually getting to work on your paper; compared to hanging out in bars and drinking alcohol till the wee hours of the morning, as well as cheaper too.

If you don’t know Tetris, this is what it is. Shapes fall from above to land downward, like rain from Heaven to Earth. The shapes, Tetrominoes, are all made up of 4 little squares, which include: a square, L-shape, reverse L-shape, a long line, Z-shape, reverse Z-shape and a T-shape. The goal of the game is to line the Earth on the bottom with the Tetrominoes, which will eventually disappear and score you points, as well as clear the screen so you could progress on to the next level. The only moves you can make are to flip the position of shape to get it to fit into the existing line or make them move down faster. At every level, the task gets harder as the speed increases; at the beginning it is like drizzling-rain speed and by the end like monsoon-rain speed.

As I describe this, I realize why I like this game. It’s like the Heavens send down rain to the Earth and I have to deal with how it gets distributed on the Earth. If I manage to organize it well, the Earth can transform the rain but if I can’t, it will overflow and flood the Tetris world into destruction. As luck would have it, there is a possibility for a restart, a rebirth; I can press the button and start a new game. In fact, the more training I get, the easier it becomes to see the possibilities to get the Tetraminoes stacked in a horizontal line on the Earth. For me, it is a game of hope, as I get many chances to mess-up, restart and in the process have practice to better my skill. I do not get the chance to choose which shape comes when, but I do get a view of the next 3 shapes that will be dropped down; so I do have a little possibility to plan my next few moves.

When I played it the 1990s, I was in a different state-of-mind; sometimes when I didn’t get a line perfectly and completely filled with no empty spaces, I would just restart the game. Now almost 30 years later, I observe that it does not bother me at all and I just continue to fill the lines above the baseline and eventually I get to work on the baseline again, to finally get it to transform. I notice that I have learned to let go of being “perfect,” to be aware of the bigger picture and to be focused in the present moment. The score is just secondary for me, if I get a high-score, great, if not, no worries. When it’s time to let it go, I just shut it off and let go of the game. It is just a game but it’s how I approach it that matters. Tetris, like so many things in life, can be a tool for transformation or it can be a hindrance to life. I have the choice to determine what it is for me.
 


 
Image by Henriksen19 on Pixabay
 

Autumn is a season I did not know as a child; in Malaysia, we have only 2 seasons – dry season and rainy season. As I got to the USA for my studies, I began to experience Autumn but again, where I went to university first, in Reno, Nevada, is a high-desert, where only few trees grow. I heard the Americans describe “Fall” for Autumn, but I didn’t really get the full experience of it until I got to Switzerland, where there are many trees that fall leaves. The moment of Autumn when the first cold hits the skin after a warm Summer, the light diminishes in the mornings and evenings, and the colors of the trees change as well as the trees become bare of leaves. I used to dislike this season, it felt like a “hard” time was coming; of feeling constantly cold, getting sick, looking outside and seeing nothing but grey, dark skies with no or little sunlight, like a premonition for death. But this has changed over the years of living here and understanding the 5 Elements. Maybe my views on death have changed too.

Many of us in Chinese Medicine become observers of Nature, at some point. This comes from our Daoist foundation of seeking harmony with our environment and the belief that we humans, are not separate but a part of Nature. I have become a fervent observer of Trees and Plants; I often find that they have so many lessons to teach me. Right now, I am gazing out of the window at our Japanese Maple tree, which has gone from dark green, to bright red and today, after the winds of last night, almost bald, leafless over a span of a month. One of our Chinese Medical scholars, Deanna Slate Stennett describes,

“I believe that all aspects of our planet, and most likely of the entire Universe, are linked in such a way that what happens in the autumnal trees simultaneously happens in other forms of life. In the trees, though, the process is easy to see: to make ready for the chill of Winter, the trees choose what is valuable and worth storing, versus what must be let go. They pull their vital essence to the safety of the roots, depriving the leaves of that essence. So those beautiful colors are actually signs that the leaves are dying. Eventually they fall and turn brown, withered corpses of the beauty they once were […] In nature, Autumn is when all forms of life store their valuables where they are safe, yet available, and let go of everything else.”
(Slate Stennett: 2018, 17-18)

We have come to a point in the year where we can no longer hold on to the external accessories or adornments that serve to decorate our exterior. If we are to survive the “death” of Winter and rebirth in Spring, the transformation of our Self, then we need to let go of excess baggage to delve deeper into our beings. Slate Stennett suggests some very powerful questions that we should ask ourselves, in deciding what to let go of, whether “physical belongings, emotional baggage, or spiritual practices.” They are:

1. What is most valuable?
2. What is precious and serves life?
3. What is unnecessary and no longer serves life?

(Slate Stennett: 2018, 18)
 
These are sometimes not simple questions to answer and to apply in our lives, as they can be relationships to people who have been with us for a while, but are no longer aiding us in life’s journey. Or maybe it could be a job that is draining us of our life essence but we can’t see a way yet to let go of it without some other way of making a living already lined up. These can bring up themes of survival and the fear of not being able to make it through.
 
Chinese Medicine attributes Autumn to the organs or `officials´ of the Lung and Large Intestines. Both have to do with purifying the body; with air (Qi) by the Lung and letting go of feces, the waste, by the Large Intestines. In this time of year, we may experience many Lung and Large Intestine themes, especially if we do not give space for these processes to occur naturally. The body is then forced to do it on its own by creating dis-ease, like fever, upper respiratory or digestive disturbance to compel us to slow down or even flat out immobile, in order that these organs can do their jobs to purify our beings of the unnecessary; these unnecessaries can be from an emotional or even spiritual point of view but still manifesting as physical symptoms.
 
Once more beautiful and precise advice from Slate Stennett to end this post:

“In our Autumns, then, let’s be deliberate in deciding what we want to let go. Honor each item – then let it go. Let it be like the brown leaves that fall to the ground and return minerals to the soil as they decompose […] In the mind and spirit, letting go leaves an empty place for something new.”
(Slate Stennett: 2018, 19-20)
 


Reference
Slate Stennett, Deanna (2018) : Poetry of the Body – Stories about Acupuncture Points. Bloomington, IN, USA: iUniverse.
 
 
 

Image by Elaine

I remember getting fevers as a child, feeling chills-heat and laying around not being able to do anything. On some of these feverish occasions, I recall having the urge to use the bathroom, closing my eyes as it felt so strenuous to stand up to walk to the bathroom, then dreaming of having gone to the bathroom, only to open my eyes to find that I had not moved from the spot I had laid down on. My parents would do the same routine; take my temperature, put a moist, cool towel on my forehead, make me drink fluids and at some point, give me a paracetamol to lower the fever. Most times it worked; the fever would drop and after maybe some other symptoms, like sore throat or cough, resolved, I was back doing my normal day activities. What we never asked was what exactly is a fever, why they occur or if there are other ways to work with fever.

Since having my own children and my training in natural medicine, I have become more knowledgeable and comfortable with fevers. I believe this is one of the most feared symptoms that parents have for their children. Often many parents have had their own negative experience with fever and coupled with their fear, they end up at the hospital emergency room with their child, where a whole triage of events will occur; these can sometimes be traumatic for child and parents. Fevers are however a common and natural occurrence in the life of a human being; in fact, in science fevers are viewed as an evolutionary trait developed over 600 million years in both vertebrates and invertebrate life forms on Earth.

If you ever came in contact with a child, or remember your own childhood, you will experience fevers. It is part and parcel of growing up. As a parent, I realized that my instinct to protect my children, created a sense of wanting to take the discomfort of fever away from them. This however is a fallacy; it is a natural process of the body to “train” the immune system and the whole body for growth. I studied Chinese Medical methods to reduce fever, with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs, but really knowing when to apply them came with experience of being a parent. As a parent to young children, I came to read a book of Natural Medicine, Wickel und Co., about using traditional healing methods like compress. This book’s section on fevers provided me with an understanding that I am very thankful for. I remember reading that children can have fevers for different reasons, not just due to infections. This can also be due to growth, teething, excitement or stress. After reading this and observing my kids, I realized this was true. I recall my eldest son was ill from a stomach-intestinal virus just before his 1st birthday. He had a fever, thrown-up, had diarrhea for almost a week and when finally the day of his birthday came, with all the guests outside celebrating his birthday, he was lying in bed sleeping. But the next year, he was healthy before his birthday, no fever or illness; the birthday celebration came and went, which he enjoyed a lot. The next day, he had a fever and we stayed home to rest. After half a day of sleep, he was up and about playing, with a slightly elevated temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius, which resolved and he was fully healthy the next day. This surprised me, but it made me aware that even excitement could raise a body temperature in a child. But what most surprised me was on both occasions, he lost a little more of his “baby cheeks,” grew another few centimeters and developed another growth milestone over the coming weeks and months. I learned then to back-off from “doing;” just wait, observe, support and then act when needed. My children have used very little pharmaceutical medicine for fevers through their childhood.

I find this categorization of fevers by Swetha, Karlie, Shumway and Shweta very clear:

•  Low-grade: 37.3 to 38.0 C (99.1 to 100.4 F)
• Moderate-grade: 38.1 to 39.0 C (100.6 to 102.2 F)
• High-grade: 39.1 to 41 C (102.4 to 105.8 F)
• Hyperthermia: Greater than 41 C (105.8 F)

My first course of action was to get my children to rest, provide lots of fluid, take their temperature regularly to assess if the fever was rising and observe how they were doing as well as what time of the day it was. If it was low-grade, I would just do the above. If it was evening (fevers tend to rise later in the evening and night) after 7 pm, and the fever was over 38.5 degrees Celsius (moderate-grade), then I would act by doing acupuncture to clear the heat, do a vinegar-water compress on the calves and provide fluids throughout the night. If it was high-grade fever at any time of the day, I would act immediately with Acupuncture and compresses, not waiting. Often times, the fever would subside by morning. Both my children have never been to a Western medical doctor for fevers. We have learned to respect the body’s own healing capacity and help it to do what it needs to do with natural and herbal methods.

Looking at fevers alone and not paying attention to the rest of the body is counterproductive. There is a reason why the body is mounting a fever, therefore, observing the rest of the body is essential to helping the healing process. Often times all we need to do is just be present with our children and let their bodies do what they need to do.
 


Reference
Swetha Balli; Karlie R. Shumway; Shweta Sharan (2023) : Physiology, Fever:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562334/ (accessed on 30.10.2024)



Image by Victoria on Pixabay

As an 18-year-old I was invited by the Philippines Gymnastic Federation as guest rhythmic gymnastic coach; the Philippines had only a few short years before began their rhythmic gymnastics program and needed support from neighboring Malaysia. I had spent almost 2 years after my retirement from competitive gymnastics and finishing secondary school, coaching rhythmic in local schools, to girls between the ages of 7 to 16. I stayed a month and a half in Manila, with a host family, being driven from their home to the gym daily, occasionally having time off to meet with local as well as international coaches and making friends with artistic gymnasts. I met Coach Popov, who was from Russia but had already spent a few years coaching the national artistic gymnasts in Philippines. He was older and had a lot of experience coaching all over the world. On one of those occasions, he mentioned something to me which I took as a critique of my coaching. I retorted defensively that I was young, new to coaching and was still learning. Then he said and did something that has stayed with me till now, I probably am paraphrasing his words. He said, “It is not just what you coach your gymnasts but how. It has to come from here, that is more important” and he pointed to his chest. I understood then as I do now as a therapeutic practitioner and a human being – Many things we do, especially if we are aware, is about Intention that stems from the Heart.
 
What is Intention? The American Heritage Dictionary defines Intention as “an aim that guides action,” “a determination to act in a certain way or do a certain thing,” “a plan of action,” as well as “a stretching or bending of the mind toward an object.”
 
As I began studying Chinese Medicine, I heard this question very often, “What is your intention?” It was often referring to situations when we were to pick a certain Acu-point or Herb or Hand-technique for Tui Na massage, or when we had already inserted a needle and were beginning to perform some manipulation technique of the needle. I was often reminded by my Acupuncture teachers that it is not just what point you choose to needle but also what you do with this point that will affect the Qi of the person you are treating. My Tai Ji Quan/ Qi Gong Master used to say, “One-pointed-focus. This is what separates master from student.” I came to understand that what I was thinking while doing a certain action affected the treatment or the movement that I was performing. This was not new to me; as a dancer I was trained to express emotion or an idea through my movement. As a choreographer of dance pieces and gymnastic routines, I understood that if I had a theme and a focal idea for what I wanted to convey, the movement piece would be so much stronger and would be well received by the audience. It wasn’t just about stringing movements together to make a dance, it was guided by a purpose. Chinese Medicine just brought it home for me, by refining it more.
 
The Chinese define Intention as 意 yì. The upper part of this Chinese character, 音 yīn refers to “a celestial vibration, a quality that Heaven confers upon a breath produced by a being,” describe the sinologists Larre and Rochat de la Vallée. They go on to add that the lower part of the character for Intention is 心 xīn, meaning Heart. For the Chinese, Intention is a vibration from Heaven rooted in the Heart of the person. As the above sinologists go on to describe,

“The heart recognizes if the vibration coming to it is true, that is, if its nature is such that the heart can compose with it. The heart holds the position of composer and orchestra conductor, and also choir master[…] Supported by the heart, the germ of processes of conscience, of knowledge, of action can develop.”                                   
(Larre, Rochat de la Vallée: 1995, 52)

When I perform something with Intention, I am articulating the resonance of Heaven with the essence and wisdom of my Heart.
 
Over 30 years later, I understand Coach Popov’s advice and try to apply it in many, if not all aspects of my life, with the understanding that I have gained from Chinese Medicine. When I am treating someone with my hands or needle, or I am discussing with my teenage sons about the state of their bedrooms and why they should take action, or when I begin performing a pose in Yoga with my own body, I am aligning Heaven and my Heart into my action. We can do things in life, but without Intention, they amount to empty deeds, without the resonance of Heaven or the dedication of our Hearts.
 
 
 
 
Reference
American Heritage Dictionary
Larre, Claude/ Rochat de la Vallée, Elisabeth (1995) : Rooted in Spirit. New York: Station Hill Press.
 
 
 
 
 
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