Tag: Eastern medicine

DISCUSSION ~ CHAKRA SYSTEM ~ A Closer Look At The Chakras And How They Influence Your Life

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meditating chakras_3Each of your Chakras has its own unique “personality”, each controlling a specific aspect of your life. So if you’re experiencing any form of physical or mental shortcomings, limitations or challenges in your life, there’s a high chance one of your Chakras is weak or closed.

But how do you tell which of your Chakras are strong, and which need repairing? Simple–take a good look at the circumstances in your life.

Use the guide below and evaluate yourself.

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The Foot Chakra influences your unique life experience.

Location: Below the feet

The little known ‘Foot Chakra’ or Chakra 0 that supports you in standing and living your truth.

Energies: Earth, grounding, structure

You know your Foot Chakra is STRONG when you stand by your convictions and beliefs. You are grounded and focused on the tasks at hand, and get things done your way in a timely and efficient manner. You are able to manifest and attract to you what is needed, grounding your positive desires and affirmations and live a life of comfort.

You know your Foot Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED when you face difficulty manifesting the things you want in life. You have trouble accomplishing things and feel unsure of your convictions or directions. You suffer from lack of focus and drive, which may be stopping you from making decisions, facing up to challenges or generally moving forward with your life.

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The Root Chakra influences your career and money mindset.

Location: Base of the spinePrimarily influences your career, money mindset and sense of belonging.

Energies: Earth, grounding, focusing, centering

You know your Root Chakra is STRONG when you love your career and get rewarded for being so good at it. Everybody envies you for your uncanny ability to make, save and invest money. You always have more than enough money to go on holiday and buy what you want, without feeling guilty afterwards. You always feel wanted and loved by your friends and family, and you feel good about yourself when you look in the mirror, both physically and emotionally.

You know your Root Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED when you’re stuck in an unfulfilling and unrewarding career, and you never seem to have enough money–which leaves you worried and in debt. Spending money is a harrowing experience for you, as you doubt your ability to budget effectively. You suffer from weight or body issues, which leave you feeling unworthy and uncomfortable in your own skin.

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The Sacral Chakra influences your sexuality.

Location: Lower abdomen
The energy center of sexuality and pleasure.
Energies: Water, energizing, charging

You know your Sacral Chakra is STRONG when you see sex in a positive light, as a glorious, pleasurable and healthy activity. You enjoy passionate, frequent and long-lasting sex with your partner. Orgasms are mind-blowing, and you and your partner often orgasm at the same moment. You make time to have sex at least a few times a week, even if you’ve been married or attached to the same person for years. You are always able to attract the right partners–compatible people who nourish you, fill you with joy and make you a better person.

You know your Sacral Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED when the thought of sex conjures images of guilt and pain in your mind. You rarely have the time or inclination to have sex, and when you do, it’s lackluster. You and your partner rarely orgasm at the same time, and premature or delayed ejaculation may be a frequent problem. You struggle to see yourself as ‘sexy’, and sometimes wonder how anyone could desire you. Your partners are often wrong and incompatible for you, and you find yourself wondering if you’ll ever find “the one”.

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The Personal Power Chakra influences your self-esteem.

Location: Above the navel
Influences your personal power and ability to channel
Energies: Fire, energizing, charging, lends energy

You know your Personal Power Chakra is STRONG when you are admired for your confidence and healthy self-esteem, both in your career and personal life. You’re never afraid to speak your mind, and you empower those around you to do the same. Your family, colleagues and community see you as a charismatic individual, determined to use your charisma and power for making the world a better place.

You know your Personal Power Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED when you struggle with self-esteem issues, and feelings of unworthiness. You tend to question yourself when faced with important decisions like whether to move to another city, change your career, get married to your partner or to have children. You feel like a victim in the world, and often feel powerless to circumstances and other people’s desires. You may also suffer from frequent stomach pains and stomach anxiety.

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The Heart Chakra influences your relationships.

Location: Center of the chest
The Chakra for love, relationships and self-acceptance.
Energies: Water, calming, soothes, relaxes

You know your Heart Chakra is STRONG when you enjoy comfortable, loving and empathic relationships at home, at work and in your community. You get along with your family. Your friends see you as a reliable person. At work, you’re known as the one people can talk to. You feel a heartfelt sense of gratitude for how wonderful your life is, and feel compassion for all around you.

You know your Heart Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED when you tend to sabotage your relationships with distrust, anger, and a sense that you’ll lose your independence if you rely too much on others. You may struggle with commitment, experience frequent fights or misunderstandings with your loved ones, and always keep yourself “on guard” in case you get hurt by someone.

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The Throat Chakra influences your self-expression.

Location: Throat
“The Chakra of your “true voice”
Energies: Water, calming, soothes, relaxes

You know your Throat Chakra is STRONG when you are good at voicing out your thoughts, ideas and emotions to those around you. You’re admired for your willpower and strong communication skills, and your conviction to speak the truth, even if it may be uncomfortable to some. Your career and personal life are enriched as a result.

You know your Throat Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED when you constantly feel like nobody cares about your opinions, and that you have nothing of value to say. You’re likely to be known as the ‘quiet one’ in your professional and social circles, and you frequently settle with following other people’s opinions. You often suffer from a blocked and sore throat.

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The Intuitive Chakra influences your intuition.

Location: Center of the forehead
This Chakra acts as your inner compass
Energies: Air, meditative, intuition, promotes thought

You know your Intuitive Chakra is STRONG when you are able to make accurate intuitive decisions and evaluations about your career, your family and the intentions of other people. You often know things without knowing exactly how you know them, and you have a clear sense of direction and clarity in everything that you do. You have a vivid picture of where your life is headed, and the people around you are likely to rely on you for guidance and advice.

You know your Intuitive Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED if you feel lost and helpless when faced with decisions and judgment calls. You are indecisive, uncommitted and unconfident of the decisions you end up making, because you have a history of making the wrong ones. You feel spiritually lost, and your true purpose is unclear to you. You often get headaches and feel tension in your brow area.

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The Crown Chakra influences your connection to source.

Location: Top of the head
The Chakra of divine consciousness.
Energies: Air, meditative, intuition, promotes thought

You know your Crown Chakra is STRONG when you perpetually feel connected to a higher power, be it God, Universal Consciousness or simply your higher self. As you go through your daily life, you are always reminded that you are being watched over, and you feel immense gratitude for the universal love and appreciation you feel towards yourself and others. Others describe you as “glowing”.

You know your Crown Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED when you feel little or no connection to a higher power, and always feel alone. You feel unworthy of spiritual help, and perhaps even angry that your higher power has abandoned you. You often suffer from migraines and tension headaches.

 

Herbalogy ~ An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine, by Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa

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collecting herbs TCM
Click on image for Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa’s website

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), alongside Ayurveda, is one of the two oldest established paradigms of herbal medicine that people still practice. “It is the second-largest medical system in the world after Western medicine,” according to Alan Tillotson, Ph.D., R.H., a Chinese herbalist in private practice in Wilmington, Delaware, and a prominent member of The American Herbalists Guild.

The history of Chinese herbalism is one of persistent and ongoing processes of observation and refinement of ideas in the real world. Centuries of formulation of theories, and testing of these theories in practice, have resulted in the system we recognize as Traditional Chinese Medicine today.

Fundamentally, the ancient sages concluded that “like increases like”. In other words, an external factor, when introduced to the body, will create a similar reaction in the body of the person experiencing the change. For example, going out into the cold weather will make your body cold. Battling the wind will make your metabolism instable. Eating heavy food will make your body heavy. This seems obvious on the surface, and it is ultimately pretty easy to grasp intuitively, but putting together all the intricacies of every possible effect of every possible natural medicine on every possible person is a daunting task. This metaphor of energetics creates a system that is complex enough to represent the tremendous complexity of the human being, yet simple enough in concept to be useful.

Energetic evaluation of the body is based on experiencing the body with the human senses. Since everyone experiences the world in subtly different ways, it takes centuries, potentially, for a consensus to develop among practitioners about any given remedy. It creates a structure in which herbs can consistently be identified and understood. According to energetic systems, including TCM, the sum total of an herb is the important consideration.

For example, we may know from modern science that an herb has antibacterial activity. We want to give that herb to treat an acute bacterial infection. But we also know that the herb tends to increase body temperature — it is “hypermetabolic, or “hot”. If the patient has a fever, or is a person who is particularly prone to develop inflammation that is difficult to control, we would think twice about using that specific herb. It might kill the bacterium very nicely, and treat the infection, but the whole person would be worse off as a net total than before we started. Instead, we would seek out an herb that would kill the infection, but which had a “cooling” energy. This difference in approach can make a world of difference in clinical practice, and gives us an invaluable tool in managing a case for the best in the long term, and in treating the person as a whole human being. We don’t want to make people better in the short run, while we make them worse in the long run.

The properties of herbs are collated systematically according to their energetics — taste, temperature, effect before and after digestion and similar factors.

The TCM system of health care begins with a differentiation of the individual’s energetic situation, starting with the most basic divisions, and extending the process of differentiation to a great degree of individuality.

TCM is based on the principle of unconditional, unifying energy of all phenomena. Called “qi” (pronounced “chee”), it is ephemeral, active, constantly changing and warm. Qi is vital energy, the basis for all organic life, and for all inorganic substances, as well. It is the animating force that gives us our capacity to move, think, feel, and work. When one is young and energetic, one has abundant qi, but as one’s qi declines with age, one becomes subject to degenerative diseases and lowered vitality. This concept of qi is the basis for the success of TCM in the area of health maintenance and longevity.

Qi is all about movement, evolution and change. It’s ephemeral, so we perceive its effects, not its substance. It is associated with movement, odor, sound and form. It is connected with the intuitive, unlimited and spiritual qualities of life. The great symbol of qi is the sun, the most unlimited source of energy we experience in daily life.

In the Chinese view, the primary principle of health is recognizing and promoting the flow of qi and eliminating its blockage. All TCM techniques, whether herbs, diet, acupuncture, or others, are ultimately aimed at balancing qi.

Each person is a garden in which doctor and patient together cultivate health. Every being has a unique ecology to be planted, tilled and tended. Like a gardener uses compost, water and weeding to grow robust plants, TCM uses acupuncture, herbs and food, seeking to tenderly nurture and nudge the entire garden back into harmony, to recover and prolong good health.

YinYang2TCM views people as worlds in miniature, so it seeks to improve our capacity to balance and replenish our own capabilities. TCM minimizes the erosion of our soil by enriching it, makes the most of the flow of nutrients by increasing circulation, and helps avert blocks that obstruct the movement of bodily fluids and energies. Therefore, TCM anticipates problems by upholding our interior landscape.

Contrast that worldview with that of contemporary medicine, which looks for “busted” parts to replace. Typically, modern conventional medicine intervenes only after a crisis arises, whereas TCM aims to correct depletion and stagnation at earlier stages, avoiding greater problems later on.

While Chinese medicine excels at enhancing recuperative power, immunity, and the capacity for pleasure, work, and creativity, it can remedy ailments as well.

Creating Balance

According to Chinese cosmology, the whole of creation is born from the marriage of two opposite principles, Yin and Yang. Earth and Heaven, winter and summer, night and day, cold and hot, wet and dry, inner and outer, body and mind are reflections of this pairing of opposites. Creating and maintaining a harmony between these opposites means health, good weather, and good fortune, while disharmony brings disease, disaster, and bad luck. The entire aim of TCM is to restore harmony, in the world and in the body.

TCM is based upon a universal notion, expressed in nature in bi-polar terms Yin and Yang. Energies that characterize the complementary yet opposing materialization of all phenomena, yin and yang are the most basic divisions of energy in the universe. That which is above corresponds to a below; heat is complimented by cold, night is pursued by day. In all of manifest creation, qi is divided and apparent in duality.

The concept of yin and yang pervades all of traditional Chinese thought, not just in medicine, but in other forms of science and art as well. The concept of yin and yang is the idea that everything has its opposite.

We might think of this as two basic forces operating in nature. One force is an outward, expansive, linear, positive force that changes things. The other is an inward, contractive, downward, negative force that is hidden and unmanifest. The outward force is the yang force and is associated with heaven, light, up, daytime, male traits, function and so forth. The inward force is the yin force and is associated with such things as darkness, winter, nighttime, female traits and structure. All matter and energy in the universe can be represented on the spectrum of yin merging into yang. Health is yin and yang in balance.

Tasty Medicine

Taste is one way of deciding which herbs have the needed actions. It represents a sensory method of ascertaining the biochemical action of a given herb or food, in other words, the remedy’s “energy”.

The five tastes include pungent (spicy), salty, sour, bitter and sweet.

We do not actually have taste buds for pungent. It is called a taste, but is more correctly an irritation of the tissues- a mouth sensation. Spicy taste stimulates, warms and dries dampness. It is used in conditions of excess dampness (mucus) in the lungs, which are associated with the metal element. Spicy taste increases digestion, circulation and secretions.

Salty foods, such as seaweeds, bring out the yang flavor of food and provoke a yang effect in the body. Salty taste retains fluids, moistens tissue and supports the kidneys. It softens masses, such as cysts and benign tumors, and relaxes muscles.

Sour taste is found in foods containing organic acids. Sour taste enhances digestion, especially of proteins. It also enhances liver function. Sour also dries mucus, tightens tissues, stimulates digestion and promotes bile flow. The concept of sour taste also incorporates the tissue sensation of astringent, which is the tightening and drying of tissue.

Bitter taste is, all in all, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory.  Bitter remedies can be used in small doses before meals as a digestive preparation, stimulating secretion of digestive juices and provoking both appetite and efficient digestion. Bitter taste is cold, so is used to “clear heat”- reduce inflammation, in Western terms.

Sweet taste is nourishing, so is used to tonify. It builds, feeds and harmonizes tissue. The waste byproducts of this building process are acid, though, so we need to be conscious of keeping the body pH balanced when we are in a rebuilding, healing, phase.

Turn up the Heat

An important factor of Chinese energetics is the temperature of the disease. TCM classifies herbal actions based on temperature, and the concept includes influence on metabolic rate and effect on actual body temperature.

A good way to understand the broad concept of temperature is a spectrum from hypometabolic (cold) to hypermetabolic (hot). As the metabolic rate increases, more calories per minute are burned. Temperature and all other biological processes increase. The opposite is true for the cold direction.

Less extreme conditions are classified as warm or cool and most illnesses fall in this range.

TCM always has something to offer for nagging chronic complaints that bother us. Western medicine may heroically rescue us, but Chinese medicine can protect and preserve our health every day. These two great systems offer a great set of complements to each other.