October 2006 Newsletter
In this newsletter I have an article on the Traditional Chinese
Medicine view of autumn and the relationship between this season and
the lungs.
But first, a few updates.
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Center Updates Jewish Free Clinic in Cotati
Thank
you for your donations! We are continuing our program as the herbal
dispensary for the Jewish Free Clinic's Chinese medicine interns. As I
mentioned previously, Lori (my wife) and Erin (one of my interns) are
in acupuncture school at the Acupuncture and Integrated Medicine
College (AIMC) of Berkeley and are acupuncture interns at the Jewish
Free Clinic in Cotati (http://www.jewishfreeclinic.org). The Free
Clinic provides free medical care to low-income clients in the area. In
conjunction with AIMC, the Jewish Free Clinic is providing acupuncture
and now, with the help of our dispensary, Chinese herbal medicine (when
the interns and supervisors prescribe it). The herbs are given to the
clients at cost or free, depending on what they can afford. To support
Chinese herbal medicine for the community we are accepting small
donations to cover the cost of the herbal medicine for those that can't
afford it. Even adding a few dollars to payment for herbs or
consultations will help us to do this. Please feel free to contact me
for more information on this program.
Tea for the Season
We
now have a line of high quality teas that are available at our online
tea shop or in our office. In addition to our featured tea, the high
grade, premium Palace Pu-erh (I will be receiving another batch of
Palace Pu-erh shortly from China, the first batch is almost gone!), we
have two other types of Pu-erh that are fair trade and certified
organic. These Pu-erh teas are excellent as everyday teas - as a
breakfast tea or after a heavier meal. They are traditionally used to
benefit the digestion and have a strong therapeutic quality, as well as
being quite tasty!
I am currently carrying only one green tea:
our certified organic Jasmine Pearl Tea. The Jasmine Pearls are ideal
for the autumn, as they are cooling and calming. They are wonderful to
enjoy in the afternoon as they are refreshing without being overly
stimulating.
All of our teas are available online or at the office.
Visit us here for more information on any of our teas |
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Autumn and the Lungs The
ripe abundance of autumn contains the energy of the harvest, which is
the drawing in of the fullness that came in the summertime. We can see
this same quality in the late afternoon, during the sunset, and in the
waning of the moon. We feel it as we begin to turn aside from our work
and look inwards at the end of the day. This is the movement or quality
associated with the western quadrant. This stage of energy, the phase
of harvesting, is cool by nature. The slowing down of what has peaked
brings a cooling calm, and we enjoy the fruits of what we have planted
in the summer and prepare for the coming winter.
Within the
body, the autumn is related to the lungs. The lungs govern and control
the qi, setting the rhythm and order of the body along with the heart.
The lungs set the limits to expansive movements of the qi by
controlling the exterior of the body: the body hair, skin and Wei Qi ,
the qi that is dedicated to the defense of the body.
The
movement of the lungs within the body contains the same quality as the
season of autumn, which is traditionally described as the "metal
phase." It is the force of metal that both gives structure to and
contains the movement of life.
Within the traditional metaphor
of body as empire, the lungs hold the office of minister and
chancellor, keeping counsel with the Emperor and helping to ensure that
the orders necessary for the health of the empire are carried out
precisely and well.
The lungs house the po, an aspect of the
shen that is most intimately linked to the essences of the body. The po
follow the essences, retaining the instinctual and physical knowledge
of life as well as establishing the foundation for the emotions.
When
there are problems in the autumn, the reversal of qi (the outward
movement of the summer turning inward) can trap heat or other
environmental influences within the body. This can cause agitation,
tension, fullness in the chest, coughs, allergies and vulnerability to
colds.
It is thus important to make the space during this
season to allow the free movement of the breath; enjoy the abundance of
the season and take time to nourish the body and mind.
For
more information on nourishing the health in the autumn see the October
and November newsletters in our 2005 newsletter archive.
Visit our 2005 Newsletter Archive. |
As always, feel free to call or email me with any thoughts or questions.
With best wishes for a healthy autumn,
Sean |