Are You a Chronic Worrier?
Are you a chronic worrier? if so, this is the opportune season when we can regulate ourselves so we're not a nervous wreck all year long.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the frequency of the energy of chronic worry and doubt arises when the spleen and stomach meridians are imbalanced - meaning either excessive, depleted, or stagnant.
Chronic worrying, overthinking, and doubt are symptoms of this. Over time, if left unaddressed, it can lead to ulcers. Ulcers can burn holes in our stomach.
According to TCM, disease often starts with an imbalance of energy that runs the organs. The first clues, like the canary in a coal mine, are the chronic emotions. We see these emotions most prevalent in the season that the energy of that organ runs the strongest.
Take, for instance, the emotion of:
Anger, which resides in imbalanced liver chi (energy), often shows up in the spring when liver energy is high.
Anxiety, mania, and stress, from maladapted heart chi, commonly arise in the early summer.
Worry, doubt, and overthinking from imbalanced stomach/spleen chi show up in the later summer.
Grief and sadness weigh heavy in the lungs when unprocessed and often arise in the autumn.
Fear from depleted kidney chi arises in the winter, when it's the darkest and coldest. This is the time of year when we need our energy reserves the most, which are stored in the kidneys.
These emotions can be prevalent at any time, but are most obvious during the season that the organs that hold their frequency run the strongest.
During that particular season is also the easiest time to bring them back into balance.
So this is the season to bring our overthinking, worried mind into balance by tending to the spleen and stomach. Many of us skip breakfast, but during the hours between 7-9 am is when the stomach is running the strongest and 9- 11 am when the spleen is energetically most alive. The 24- hour horary cycle is a clock where every 2 hours a different organ is energetically in high tide. Like the earth season is the opportune time to regulate the stomach and spleen, between 7-11am is the time to bring these organs into balance.
Eating a warm breakfast (the spleen loves warm, lightly sweet foods) will nourish the spleen and stomach, providing a grounded sense of nourishment and contentment. These are the aspects of balanced spleen/stomach chi.
Working the meridians (the energy pathways of the organs) can also help to bring our organs into balance. When we activate them in our yoga poses and qigong sets, it stimulates the flow of energy. But the real game-changer is an ancient qigong healing practice called Yi Qi Li, which guides energy with our consciousness.
When our mind is focused on guiding our energy through the meridians, it fosters a calm, meditative state. This meditative state is optimal for healing and restoring our natural, balanced flow of energy. A meditative mind leads to a peaceful, contented mind, which results in health and a sense of overall well-being.
Focus your mind to breathe golden threads of light:
Inhale up the spleen meridian from the big toes up the inner legs, abdomen to the armpits.
Exhale down the stomach meridians from the cheekbones, down the face, front body, front legs to the 2nd toes.
Hope to breathe with you soon.
From my heart to yours~
Namaste,
Maggie