To open your Lung and Large Intestine channels and facilitate flow during Fall, allowing you to release what you are ready to release and take in what you are being challenged and inspired to take in, try this awesome pose! Remember to keep it simple and do not go beyond your limits, and BREATHE! :)

Enjoy.

From www.acufinder.com

The Spirit of Renewal: Spring and Traditional Chinese Medicine
By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM Spring: It is the long-awaited change of winter to spring. Seeds sprout, flowers bloom, and the sun warms the earth. There is a sense of renewal and new life all around.

While winter was a time to conserve energy and reduce activity, spring is a time of regeneration, new beginnings, and a renewal of spirit.

The Principle of the Five Elements

The five elements refer to wood, fire, earth, metal, and water in Eastern philosophy. The Principle of the Five Elements (known as the Wu Hsing in Chinese) describes the flow of Qi and the balance of yin and yang.

According to the principle, all change — in the universe and in your body — occurs in five distinct stages. Each of these stages is associated with a particular time of year, a specific element in nature, and a pair of organs in the body. Change links together the seasons of the year, aspects of nature, and your body’s organs and bodily processes. A practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine uses this principle to diagnose and treat health problems, linking specific foods, herbs, and acupuncture points to the restoration of yin-yang and Qi.

SPRING:

Spring is the ideal time for cleansing and rejuvenation for overall health and well-being. As spring is represented by the wood element and includes the liver and its complementary organ, the gallbladder, these two organs are usually the primary targets for springtime cleansing and health regimens.

• Element: Wood
• Color: Green
• Nature: Yang
• Organs: Liver, Gallbladder
• Emotion: Anger
  

Learn more about the Liver and Liver Qi Stagnation

Put Some Spring into Your Step

Spring corresponds to the "Wood" element, which in turn is conceptually related to the liver and gallbladder organs. According to the philosophy of Chinese medicine, the liver is responsible for the smooth flowing of Qi (energy) throughout the body. When the liver functions smoothly, physical and emotional activity throughout the body also runs smoothly. So, for optimum health this spring, move your Qi!

Stretch - The liver controls the tendons. According to Chinese medicine, the liver stores blood during periods of rest and then releases it to the tendons in times of activity, maintaining tendon health and flexibility. Incorporate a morning stretch into your routine. Try yoga or tai qi.

Eye Exercises - The liver opens into the eyes. Although all the organs have some connection to the health of the eyes, the liver is connected to proper eye function. Remember to take breaks when looking at a computer monitor for extended periods of time and do eye exercises.

Eat Green - Green is the color of the liver and of springtime. Eating young plants - fresh, leafy greens, sprouts, and immature cereal grasses - can improve the liver’s overall functions and aid in the movement of qi.

Taste Sour - Foods and drinks with sour tastes are thought to stimulate the liver's qi. Put lemon slices in your drinking water, use vinegar and olive oil for your salad dressing. Garnish your sandwich with a slice of dill pickle.

Do more outdoor activities - Outside air helps liver qi flow. If you have been feeling irritable, find an outdoor activity to smooth out that liver qi stagnation. Try hiking or take up golf.

Enjoy milk thistle tea
Milk thistle helps protect liver cells from incoming toxins and encourages the liver to cleanse itself of damaging substances, such as alcohol, medications, pesticides, environmental toxins, and even heavy metals such as mercury.

Get Acupuncture treatments- Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help improve the overall health of your liver as well as treat stress, anger and frustration, which are often associated with liver qi disharmony.

You can call Tanuja at 773-749-9101 or email her at tjagernauth@gmail.com to make an appointment. All sessions are sliding scale.

A Week Without Facebook -- Day One!

Actually tomorrow will officially be Day One, since I have checked Facebook probably 5 times already today. Ok, but what is this?

In an effort to take better care of myself and be a little more mindful, I'm experimenting with reducing the sorts of things I expose myself to that whack me out a little, and by that I mean: things that take me "off course", unground me, unsettle me, make me a little more nuts than I already am... ;) Facebook is, as I have noticed recently, one of these things.

Why do I care about this? As an acupuncturist and friend, I find myself having many conversations with my people about boundaries, living mindfully, and "self care". We ask each other, "What IS self care and what does it look like?" "Better yet, how does one practice self care on a CONSTANT basis and not get super irritable or stressed about how little self care one is doing", etc etc.

What I offer again and again is: you get to decide what self care looks like for you.

For some, it looks like going vegan. For others, it looks like beginning to eat meat again. For some, it looks like smoking weed. For others, it looks like smoking cigarettes. You get the idea. Obviously some behaviors come with added risks that we'd like to minimize. Obviously some behaviors come with dangers that we would like to minimize, but the decisions we make about what behaviors we choose strongly depend on our access to and awareness of different options as well as a host of other factors. For more information on this approach, check out the Harm Reduction Coalition.

But no matter where you are coming from, we do know that there is no magic Self Care pill you can take or Self Care Badge you get once you have completed a certain number of Self Care Challenges - getting massages, getting acupuncture, doing yoga, stretching, meditating...these are all great ways to help you heal and facilitate your self care, but even they will not necessarily ensure constant mindfulness, if that is even possible.

Why does mindfulness matter? That is a very big question, the answers to which are varied and even controversial. I do know that when I do not make decisions mindfully, when I go on autopilot, I notice that I tend to begin to lapse in my self care. I begin living a very "amped up" sort of life, rushing everywhere even when I don't have to, not breathing well, not really eating well, not sleeping well, and henceforth not exactly living well. And it's ok. There are reasons why people dissociate from their daily lives and seek "distractions" or "self destructive behaviors". I have my reasons and so do you. But it's all good.

What I mean by that is: Seeking mindfulness and practicing self care is not about adding to our self hatred - let me say it again and emphasize it: Practicing self care and seeking mindfulness is not about adding to our self hatred.

As far as I can tell, it's about noting where we're at, honoring that place, checking out what our options are, and deciding where to go next based on our current resources and access to helpful tools. Sometimes it is not the right time to try something new. Sometimes it is. And it is different for each person.

I am interested in checking out what it looks like to bring an increased quality of mindfulness to my life. Plain and simple. It will benefit my patients, my relationships, and my relationship with myself. And it looks like going without Facebook this week is how I will explore what self care and seeking mindfulness looks like. For me.

As you might have guessed, I am not going into this without tools for the moments when I am craving Facebook (yes, I compulsively check Facebook some days, it is very strange, but it is what it has become). Obviously, internet is not off limits. I will still update Twitter and this blog. I have a list of short story ideas that I would like to develop. I have a list of friends who I would normally connect to on Facebook, via comments left on their pages, but this week perhaps I will email them directly. How's that for a genius idea? ;) I also have a stack of books I might read instead of checking Facebook. You get the idea. What might I do with allllll the extra time spent on Facebook? You might see more frequent posts on this blog! You might see a new and improved Devi Health website! You might see my taxes get done (well, you won't SEE that, but you know what I mean.) The possibilities are endless, and that is sort of cool.

Wish me luck, and as always let me know what you think.

--Tanuja