Tag: five elements daoyin

The Importance of Trust

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As we approach the Fall Equinox (September 21st), we begin the transition from Summer to Fall. Here in Central Texas, it still feels like summer! BUt the mornings are providing a preview of more comfortable weather.

During this transition, we still honor the “season” of Late Summer.

Late Summer is the last season within the Five Elements Cycle (or Wuxing) and is associated with the Spleen and Stomach organ system (which also includes the pancreas). This season corresponds to the late summer, early Fall, Indian Summer time when we are wrapping up the summer fun and beginning to harvest the last of the fruits, veggies, wheat, etc.

This season is also associated with the Earth Element. It’s important to get in touch with the Earth – and a wonderful way to do this is through Grounding.

Grounding is one of the most fundamental aspects of practicing Qigong, as well as working with patients within the Medical Qigong paradigm.

Grounding is the ability to fully connect with the Yin energy of the earth. Through a simple grounding meditation, we center and relax, connect, and allow ourselves to feel the warm, comforting embrace of Mother Earth’s energy. When you are grounded, you feel a sense of stability, of being safe, secure and protected, and of being whole.

An interesting aspect of grounding is that we are connected through our lower dan tien or energy center, which is in the middle of the lower abdomen. This is our physical center of gravity, our center. It is also related to our essential essence or “Jing”, the life force or vital energy that we are born with. When we ground, we automatically support and enhance our Jing. But we are also connecting with our spiritual side, albeit in a subtler way.

When we ground, the energy moves from our lower dan tien, through our root or base (Huiyin point at the perineum), and then up through our heart center and all the way to the crown of our head – the Baihui point, which is analogous to the crown chakra in yoga.

The feeling of wholeness we enjoy when we are fully grounded is not just physical wholeness or stability, it is also mental and emotional wholeness and stability. In our paradigm, body (physical), heart/mind (emotional and mental), and spirit (higher consciousness) are inextricably connected. When we give ourselves the gift of grounding, we impact our entire being.

Trust Yourself

One of the most important psycho-emotional benefits of grounding and practicing our Earth Dao Yin exercises (part of the Five Elements practice I teach in The Five Elements Health Form), is learning to trust oneself.

Many of us have a tendency to ruminate, to over-analyze situations and circumstances. Thinking through things and planning for contingencies is good. But becoming paralyzed and fearful of taking action because you doubt yourself is not so good.

Listen first to your own conscience, your inner voice. Don’t let the opinions of others sway you from the things you feel, deep inside, you should do – or not do.

In other words, Trust Yourself! Trust your instincts and your intuition. Trust your judgment. Trust your ability to ask the questions or find the information you need to make a good decision.

Also, trust that you will receive the guidance you need, whether from deep inside or from a higher power.

One thing I’ve found in life: when my heart is right and sincere, the universe always provide in one way or another – and things tend to work out.

Trust other too. As Lao Tzu tells us, “No trust given, no trust received”.

Living in Alignment With Nature – Part 1

Living in Alignment With Nature – Part 1

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Autumn has finally arrived here in Central Texas, with rain and temperatures more reflective of what Fall should feel like. We dropped from the 80s to the 50s in less than a day. With a cool North breeze to accentuate the shift.

Times like this, I am thankful for the wonderful Five Elements Daoyin (Wu Xing Jing) form I learned some years ago and include in my Qigong and Breathwork classes and private lessons. The Lung exercise, which is associated with the Metal element and the Fall season, is particularly important right now. Fall includes changing temperatures, changing wind directions, and changing energies, all of which can make you more susceptible to seasonal colds and flus, allergies, and even more serious illness. Unless, of course, you build RESILIENCE through healthy nutrition, good sleeping habits, and doing your Lung / Metal exercise on a regular basis.

(BTW, if you’re interested in learning more about this super effective, powerful, yet easy (and dare I say FUN) health practice, go here for more on the Five Elements / Wu Xing Daoyin form.)

With the cold comes more outside training. What? Outside? Don’t you mean more INSIDE training, Karen?

No I don’t. Our summers are so brutally and endlessly hot, and we typically have to time our outside exercise and other activities to the early mornings or late evenings. Now, with the onset of cooler / colder weather in the Fall and Winter, we can enjoy our activities outside at any time of the day.

And it’s important to align yourself with the changing weather by spending time outside. Walks, yard work, sitting out by the fire pit, practicing your Qigong or Tai Chi…it’s all good. We’ve become so insulated from the weather and the changing seasons in our air conditioned / heated buildings and houses. Get out there and get some wind on your face. Shiver a bit until you move and generate some heat.

In fact, I typically do even MORE Qigong sessions outside in the fall and winter than I do in the summer, when it’s easier. Years ago, one of my Qigong and Martial Arts instructors, Master Yoo, taught us to go outside in the early morning and practice our Qigong or martial arts. First thing in the morning, the air is fresher and cleaner. And you aren’t distracted by the tasks and cares of the day.

As he put it, even if the rest of your day “go to shit”, you still accomplished something very important to your health, productivity, and creativity. And you came through on a discipline and a commitment you made to yourself.

A key point Master Yoo hammered on was to do your Qigong outside, no matter the season or the temperature. That way, your body is exposed to the natural, seasonal cycles and becomes more quickly acclimated.

As an aside, Master Yoo was one of my favorite Ki Kung (Korean version of Qigong) and Hap Ki Do instructors. His dad was Korean and his mom was Chinese, as well as a highly respected master of Qigong and Kung Fu. While Master Yoo came up through the TaeKwonDo competitive ranks, his true loves were the exercises and forms his mom taught him. And he, in turn, taught us these ancient disciplines in the hopes we would benefit from them and carry them on to future generations.

Back to the weather…

Your ability to acclimate and adjust enhances your adaptability and therefore, your resilience. Modern science, especially in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, has “discovered” (in quotes because the Chinese beat them to this by about 5,000 years) that putting yourself through discrete bouts of stress – such as exercising in higher intensity bursts followed by rest intervals, or exposing yourself to cold for a period of time – actually trains your body and brain to adapt, so you get stronger and increase your capacity to handle even more stress the next time. These adaptations occur at all levels: physical, mental / emotional, even spiritual…and from the systemic (i.e., circulatory system, lymphatic system, digestive system, etc.) all the way down to the cellular level.

I’ll have more to say about living in alignment with nature in future posts. For now, be sure to get outside and get in sync with the current season, however it may be manifesting in your area of the world right now.

You Can Do It!

Dr. Karen

What Should I Be Eating Right Now?

What Should I Be Eating Right Now?

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Nutrition, digestion, and nourishment are central foundations of life. Life is impossible without the Earth Element function to receive food (and drink), transform it into Qi and blood, and transport the Qi and blood throughout the body.

Even though winter seems far away right now, Late Summer is a crucial time of preparation for the colder weather. As we follow the seasonal cycle, we focus on the Spleen and Stomach organ system during this time because it’s important that we eat in order to prepare our bodies for winter and hibernation.

Of course, in modern times, as denizens of rich western societies, we no longer must prepare ourselves for lean times and curtailed food choices or availability in winter. In fact, many of us put on some pounds during winter because we aren’t as active and aren’t going outside as much.

However, you can still follow the natural cycles and phases of nature…and you will be all the healthier for it!

So, what do we eat to help regulate and balance our Earth element – our Spleen and Stomach? The Spleen and Stomach like “sweet” foods. Late summer is a time of harvesting and gathering, so we eat late summer corn, fruits, and grains. Sweet foods that strengthen the Earth element include whole grains like millet and rice, and root vegetables such as yams, sweet potatoes, and carrots.

“Sweet” in Classical Chinese Medicine also refers to certain meat dishes, such as rich beef stews with vegetables. Think of dishes that soothe and nourish, and you are on the right track.

Most of us are still active this time of year. Yes, the kids are back in school and many of us are back to a regular work schedule, so we may feel time starved. But it’s important to continue to get outside and get that natural Vitamin D – and equally important to maintain physical activity. Physical activity helps ensure regular peristaltic activity in the stomach, intestine, and colon supporting good digestion, assimilation, and elimination.

The mouth is the sensory organ related to the Spleen. Issues such as chronic bad breath or bleeding gums could be a sign of deficient Spleen / Stomach function.

The muscles are the tissue associated with the Spleen. Think about the healthy folks you know. They likely have a strong, balanced Spleen and Stomach. The ability to maintain or build muscle mass means your digestive function is working and you can process the protein you eat into amino acids that help build and repair body structures as well as important enzymes that support critical processes.

Now think about someone you know who has difficulty gaining or maintaining weight. This person could have digestive troubles and be weak or out of balance in their Spleen and Stomach organ system.

How to Boost and Balance your Spleen / Earth Element

In addition to “eating for your Spleen” (that sounds like a wonderful tagline for a promotional campaign), you can also practice the Wu Xing / Five Elements exercise for Earth / Spleen.

Earth elemental energy rises from the level of the Spleen and Stomach and then divides as it reaches the top of the thrusting meridian (Chong Mai), which moves up through the center of the body. This yellow, dividing energy exists at the point of change or transformation of the other elements.

In the Earth / Spleen exercise, we use movement and intention to pull up energy from the ground / earth through our core, through the level of the Spleen and Stomach, up to the point at which the energy divides at the center point of change between the other elements. The nice stretch and twist of this exercise also directly activate the Spleen and Stomach meridians.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Five Elements exercises, visit the Wu Xing / Five Elements Course page.

In our next post on the Earth Element, we will go deeper into the Earth / Spleen energetics and the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of transformation.