FALLING DEFICIENT
BRIAN PINE, LAC * ACUPUNCTURE * SEPTEMBER 2022
“If there is no deficiency, where can illness enter?”
-Chinese Medicine Proverb
Fall is the season of change. As the nutrients of trees return to their roots, the color of the leaves change. This process leaves the tips of the branches dry until the leaves fall to the ground. According to Eastern medicine this process is similar to what is happening in our own bodies during this time.
In Eastern thought, fall correlates to the metal phase of the five elemental phases (wood, fire, earth, metal, water). These phases represent the direction of Qi-energy and are less related to the physical elements themselves. The metal phase governs descending and can be understood using the example of what is happening in trees during this season. Fall also correlates to the Lung organ system and the external pathogen of dryness. In Eastern medicine, excessive dryness can potentially injure the Lung organ system.
In the classical texts of Eastern medicine it is suggested that disease cannot enter the body if there is no deficiency. So, how do we become deficient? The primary way we become deficient is through our lifestyle… Are we getting enough sleep? Are we getting enough nutrients? Next, we look internally to our emotional state… Are we under excessive levels of stress? There are three main causes of illness according to Eastern medicine. They are external, internal and lifestyle. We can therefore eliminate the potential of an external source of illness by addressing the other two.
If we are unable to prevent illness, then we still have options to treat it. The earlier the better. The first sign or symptom you feel, a tickle in your throat, aversion to wind and/or cold, try to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. An acupuncture treatment will focus on releasing the external pattern and treat the surface in an effort to assist the body in expelling the external invasion. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and World Health Organization (WHO) have recognized that acupuncture is an effective treatment for a variety of respiratory illnesses including both the common cold and the flu. Acupuncture is also showing promising results in the treatment Covid-19-related symptoms as well as post-Covid symptoms.
So, like the nutrients of the tree descending to its roots in preparation for the winter months, our energy begins to return to our core during the fall season. This can be seen in the change of our complexion and can be felt in the nature of our pulse, which can leave our surface vulnerable to external invasions. It is therefore important to learn how to live in harmony with the rhythms of the year. The rhythm of the year is similar to the rhythm of the day. We rise from our slumber with the first light of morning (spring). Our energy moves from deep within our organs to the surface of the body during midday (summer). This energy then returns back inward during the evening (fall). And, finally our energy enters back into the storage of our organs during sleep (winter). Please join me in a continuation of this discussion on Saturday, October 22 at The Restoration Space.*
*Look for my workshop on Saturday, October 22 at 9:30 in The Restoration Space: “An Integrated Approach to Cold and Flu - How to prevent and treat respiratory illness using acupuncture, herbs, nutrition and supplements.”
**Consider following me on my website at twofishsimplemedicine.com and on Instagram @brianpinelac for more information.