Traditional Chinese Medicine
Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad Recipe
Here’s a healthy salad recipe to make at the height of summer when watermelon and cucumbers are at their juiciest and most flavorful. Feta adds the perfect creamy, salty, tangy edge, and mint makes this salad taste even brighter. This is one easy side salad you’ll want to serve at all your summer BBQs. continue reading
The Spirit of the Heart
Everything in Nature contains the Power of Nature
Everything is made of Hidden Stuff
~~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dear precious people …
The season of Great Yang continues in the Summer of the Black Yin Rabbit. The energetics of the Sun, the pulsations of the Earth and abundant vibrations of Nature emanate at high frequency. This is also the time when we, as sentient beings going about our daily lives, are infused and invigorated by the unseen frequencies inherent to the planet we inhabit. We are part of the interconnected web of Life, made of “starstuff” according to the astronomer and astrophysicist Carl Sagan. In November 2022, the European Space Agency released audio of the Earth’s magnetic field that was captured from space. Listen to some amazing sounds of the living planet here: continue reading
Your body is your SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
The relationship between the body and the mind has always been one of unity, connection and interdependence within the system of Chinese medicine. Disharmony or “dis-ease” presents itself with a symptom/sign – perhaps an ache, a fever, fatigue, heart palpitations, changes in appetite, and more. These signs are assessed by the doctor, suggestions for remedies are made to alleviate discomfort, and the underlying reason for the “dis-ease” is also addressed. Symptoms – the outward conversation between the inner and outer body – are seen as messengers, helping to guide us to redirect our attention and follow the clues so that harmony can be restored in the body.
Reishi Mushroom Miso Soup Recipe
Whether it’s made by a Michelin-star restaurant or your local takeout joint, miso soup is always so comforting for both our Heart and digestive system. This miso soup recipe incorporates many different kinds of mushrooms to add extra umami flavor and adaptogenic qualities. The addition of reishi, depending on the variety and form you use, may give this soup a slightly bitter aftertaste. If that bothers you, you can skip it and still make a healing bowl of miso soup.
The Fire Season of the Heart
Summer season, The Great Yang, has definitely arrived and with it, the heat, humidity and the occasional emotional crankiness that is common when temperatures soar. This is the phase of the Fire Element in Chinese medicine, and the Heart, assigned to emotional and spiritual balance, is the representative organ. While the Heart aligns with Fire, it is heat that can actually agitate and disrupt the Heart’s function and flow, and so we are instructed to be mindful of how to keep our body and mind flowing with ease, as if a cool stream is moving through our head, limbs, and torso. The Heart is referred to as “the sovereign emperor” in the kingdom of the body, and all systems work together to ensure the Heart is well served, for an upset emperor can wreak havoc in the body.
