Vernal Equinox
The vernal equinox arrived on the twentieth of this month with snow! Spring is officially here, yet we are still awaiting for the full departure from Winter.
In Chinese Medicine, the Spring is associated with the Liver and Gall Bladder, the Wood element, the color green, the sour taste, and when out of balance, the emotion anger. When the Wood is thriving and flourishing within us, we feel flexible and relaxed, resilient and motivated.
At this very beginning of Spring is an opportune time to get a seasonal attunement acupuncture treatment, so that we can awaken this vital return of the fresh Spring within our bodies as we synchronize with the rising up of Spring all around us. Often, we do this by engaging the Wood points on the Wood channels, whether that be through acupuncture, moxibustion, acupressure, or even a strong intention. These Wood on Wood points are Liver 1 and Gall Bladder 41, both located on the foot.
Spring is a natural time to do some "spring cleaning." We can do this on so many levels. While we freshen up our houses, getting rid of the old stuff we are no longer using, we can do the same thing within by invigorating our Liver and Gall Bladder to gently detoxify. A simple and gentle way to do this is by putting fresh lemon juice in our water. We can also nibble on fresh dandelion greens, specifically the young tender leaves. Movement is also key for our spring cleaning. Getting exercise is an excellent way to get the Qi/energy moving through the Liver and therefore the whole body. The Spring welcoming points are on the foot, as previously mentioned, encouraging us to move, to step forward, to take that next step.
And now for some haiku by Basho to honor Spring:
spring night
at dawn the cherry blossoms
it ends
blooming wildly
among the peach trees
first cherry blossoms
butterflies and birds
restlessly they rise up
a cloud of flowers
Winter Greetings
In Chinese Medicine, the winter season is associated with the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder, the colors dark blue and black, the direction North, the salty flavor, and both willpower and fear. With the natural inward pull of Winter, we welcome this introspective time by retreating a bit more, conserving our resources, fortifying our Kidney Qi, summoning our Will, and banishing fear.
As we bring in the New Year, we do so with a warm welcome to our newest practitioner Elizabeth Elzey, Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist! Elizabeth graduated in December of 2012 from Five Branches Institute in Santa Cruz, California. She is from Asheville and is delighted to return home and practice this beautiful, comprehensive medicine with us at White Pine.
I was able to attend Elizabeth's graduation ceremony at Five Branches last month. It was a spectacular ceremony filled with inspiration. To close the ceremony, one of the faculty led all the graduates in reciting the Practitioner's Oath, formulated by Sun Si Miao, a wise acupuncturist from centuries ago considered one of the ten medicine gods of China.
Mindy, Tara, and I all take this vow with Elizabeth:
I promise to follow the way of the great physician.
I will serve to live in harmony with nature and teach my patients to do the same.
I will stay present and completely committed when treating my patients.
Above all else, I will hold a deep feeling of compassion.
I will be devoted to the task of nurturing the sacred spark of life in all living things.
I will strive to maintain a healthy body, a clear mind, and hold myself to the highest level of integrity.
It is my intention to facilitate patience on the path to wellness to the best of my ability.
Above all, I will keep an open and humble heart.
Through the practice of Chinese Medicine, my intention is to grow in wisdom, joy, and prosperity.
With open, humble hearts, we welcome Elizabeth to White Pine and wish you a most glorious New Year filled with wondrous joy, health, love, and prosperity!
Greetings and welcome to Fall!
In Chinese medicine, this time of year is associated with the Metal element, the Lungs and Large Intestine, the emotion grief, the color white, and a spicy flavor. It is also about letting go, as we naturally see the deciduous trees doing so beautifully as they drop their leaves.
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you why White Pine Acupuncture is so named. It is named in honor of the white pine, known as the Tree of Peace to the Iroquois nation. There is a legend that the Mohawks (one of the bands of the Iroquois) decided to abandon the ways of war and bury their weapons beneath the white pine. They put down their weapons once and for all, and saw and felt peace growing through and from the elegant evergreen tree.
I believe that we can all cultivate a deeper sense of peace and spread it to others as we fine tune our bodies, minds, and spirits through acupuncture. The time we spend in that still quiet state on the treatment table doing our own deep work is infinitely valuable to both ourselves and others.
Here I have included a most precious piece of literature which I invite you to enjoy. It is called the Thanksgiving Address. I was fortunate enough to hear and see Jake Swamp, Chief of the Mohawk nation, deliver this reverent prayer many years ago at a gathering of native elders.
THE IROQUOIS THANKSGIVING ADDRESS
"Ohenton Kariwahtekwen"
GREETINGS TO THE NATURAL WORLD
(You can hear this in the Cayuga language around 6 am (EST) every morning on http://www.ckrz.com)
THE PEOPLE
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people.
Now our minds are one.
THE EARTH MOTHER
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
THE WATERS
We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms-waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.
Now our minds are one.
THE FISH
We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
THE PLANTS
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.
Now our minds are one.
THE FOOD PLANTS
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.
Now our minds are one.
THE MEDICINE HERBS
Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.
Now our minds are one.
THE ANIMALS
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.
Now our minds are one.
THE TREES
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.
Now our minds are one.
THE BIRDS
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
THE FOUR WINDS
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.
Now our minds are one.
THE THUNDERERS
Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We are thankful that they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.
Now our minds are one.
THE SUN
We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.
Now our minds are one.
GRANDMOTHER MOON
We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of woman all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.
Now our minds are one.
THE STARS
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars.
Now our minds are one.
THE ENLIGHTENED TEACHERS
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring teachers.
Now our minds are one.
THE CREATOR
Now we turn our thoughts to the creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator.
Now our minds are one.
CLOSING WORDS..........
We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way.
Now our minds are one.
In Celebration of Summer
Summer has officially arrived with the recent summer solstice on June 20 this year. Summer solstice marks the peak of summer and is the longest day of the year, when the sun at its highest in the sky. This unique annual event has been acknowledged and honored for thousands of years by peoples around the world, made evident by many amazing monuments. Stonehenge in England was made approximately five thousand years ago, and when the sun rises on the summer solstice, it lines up with what is called the heel stone and its first rays shine through a stone archway in the center circle. In New Mexico in Chaco Canyon there is this remarkable Sun Dagger that shines across the midpoint of a large spiral engraved into stone at summer solstice. This Sun Dagger represents a celestial calendar of the ancient Pueblo Indians. Stonehenge and Chaco Canyon are just two examples of old civilizations marking summer solstice on the calendar. Fires are held by numerous cultures to welcome and celebrate summer solstice.
Clearly the arrival of summer is a significant time. This is true today as it has been for millennia.
In Chinese Medicine theory, (and I also think perhaps universally) summer is associated with the heart. Fire is the element associated with summer. This is naturally the time when we feel invited to open our hearts, to connect with joy, to welcome laughter, to bask in sunlight and love. Summer beckons us to do so as we savor the succulent fruits, dip in the running streams, and revel in the twinkling fireflies and starry nights.
Somewhat akin to building the great monuments marking the passage of time, we can receive acupuncture on the source points of the Heart and Small Intestine channels, lighting up our internal flame in our living monument (the human body) synchronizing our rhythms with those of the universe. In Chinese Medicine this is what we call the microcosm within the macrocosm.
When holding our hands in prayer and bowing our heads in reverence, we are bowing to the wisdom of the heart. This seems to be the perfect bodily representation of what happens during summer.
This poem by William Henry Davies does a good job of capturing the resplendent nature of summer:
When on a Summer's Morn
When on a summer's morn I wake,
And open my two eyes,
Out to the clear, born-singing rills
My bird-like spirit flies.
To hear the Blackbird, Cuckoo, Thrush
Or any bird in song;
And common leaves that hum all day
Without a throat or tongue
And when Time strikes the hour for sleep,
Back in my room alone,
My heart has many a sweet bird's song--
And one that's all my own.
White Pine acupuncture expands into Madison County!
The historic building was built in 1892 and sits on seven acres of beautiful land looking out at the beautiful Appalachians. The Appalachian Trail runs right through the property, and accordingly there is a great hiker hostel also on the property!
Look for us at the Laughing Heart Lodge! We are there every Thursday.