Finding your path through Peri-Menopause

Have you been feeling that your energy resources are less consistent than they used to be? It might be that that those spinning plates are beginning to wobble, while a desire for more simplicity, space to pause, or rest is becoming stronger.

This feeling is often felt more strongly during menopause; a natural transition that will inevitably pull you into a different relationship with your self, and your unique inner bodily landscape. An experience that can, at times, be unsteadying as you experience the ebb and flux of physical resources. As an acupuncturist treating symptoms, such as hot flushes, insomnia, low energy and anxiety, I have become very familiar with the map of this terrain. But I have seen too how effectively acupuncture, nutritional support, economising of inner reserves can help women find their bearings through the uncertainties of this period of transition.

A different kind of hormonal dance

This is a time when the familiar hormonal dance of menstruation can no longer be relied upon. Women can find themselves moving into a stretch of unpredictability that includes a broad sweep of changes; an experience determined by the state of your overall health, along with the particular nuances of your biological and emotional history.

The term Peri-menopause, describes an incremental, gradual hormonal shift that commonly begins in our 40s, but can be as early as your 30s, eventually leading up to menopause itself; a time that marks the end of the menstrual cycles.  The existing definition of menopause is when 12 months have passed without a period. 

Peri-menopause, with its uncertain beginning, can bring a host of changes, due to fluctuations of hormones, and the natural ageing process. For many women, this can be a disorientating time, as menstrual rhythms vary, and discord often surfaces that reflects a reduced energetic capacity bumping heads with outer expectations.

It is during this time that you can be directly faced with the growing limitations of your energy resources; a feeling likened to swimming against a tide.  An inner tension can surface that reflects a drop in vitality due to hormonal shifts, and in some cases, increased frequency and intensity of bleeding.

Menopausal symptoms, reflect natural changes in oestrogen and progesterone levels, alongside an increased sensitivity to stress. Oestrogen has mood mediating effects, and when levels diminish during the menopause, it is not uncommon for your sense of well-being to feel undermined, and feelings of anxiety or low mood to be present.  At least until you’re able to acclimatise, and find a footing in this unexplored hormonal territory.

The disorientation of the menopausal transition

Many of these changes will be happening at a time when parents are getting older and are needing more support, or when children are going through their own life transitions, which brings its own unique set of challenges! It often seems as though everything is happening at the same time, which can quickly lead to a sense of being overwhelmed.

It can be punctuated temporarily by loss and endings, as some chapters of your lives come to a natural close or conclusion. Someone said to me recently that during menopause you feel like your body is changing but that you’re not always a willing participant in this change! For many women, this loss can encompass the sorrow of losing someone you love, a changing identity, or the loss of inner rhythms, or resources, that once seemed more predictable.

Changes in mental clarity and vitality due to hormonal shifts, can also undermine your sense of self, confidence and enthusiasm. The mist of brain fog, combined with diminished resources, seeming to betray your ability to be available in the same way as before. This, combined with a sense of your mortality being brought into sharper focus, can bring more persistent feelings of anxiety to the foreground.

Recalibrating your resources

However, this chapter in life also creates an opportunity to wrestle back control by redefining who you are, and what you need, in a different way.  As your body communicates a growing necessity to attend to, and care for yourself in a way that honours your own inner capacity.  Menopause, in this sense, is providing both a doorway into a deeper knowing, and an invitation to slow down.  

A more embodied awareness that life is finite, and passes far too quickly as we grow older, can also inspire a challenge to do something new, which can help you to let go of outworn roles that are no longer nourishing, or sustainable.  Or, as the writer and psychologist, Sharon Blackie suggests “The second half of life, then, gives us the opportunity to rediscover the parts of ourselves that we’ve buried, to find the path we have lost. It might feel as if everything is breaking, when actually it’s just changing. Transformation is part of life, and when we stop transforming, we stop fully living. Knowing that doesn’t make the hard times easier, but it gives them meaning.”

Moving with the river - A Traditional Chinese Medicine Understanding

Traditional Chinese Medicine, of which acupuncture is a part, is informed by holistic principles that value the importance of inter-connectivity, between your outer and inner world; reminding you of your fundamental connection to nature, and the natural ease and vibrancy that flows from harmonising with the larger body of the world.  It is attentive to the perennial philosophy of Taoism, that sees everything in life as an interplay of opposites. This is embedded within the concept of Yin and Yang, which are likened to water and fire. Yin is like water: cold, yielding, receptive, still, slow, gathering; and yang, like fire: hot, active, expansive, productive, and fast moving.

Harmony is maintained by balancing the tension between these two mutually supportive qualities. Just as you need a balance of yin and yang in life to maintain harmony, the body needs to find this inner equilibrium hormonally, as we adapt to a changing outer and inner environment; conditions that will be changing more intently during menopause!   Oestrogen might be thought of as more yin in nature.  As you get older and the steadying, settling qualities of oestrogen (yin) naturally diminish, then symptoms that are more yang in nature, such as hot flushes and inflammation, are able to develop, since they are no longer being tempered by the ‘yin’ cooling, soothing and quietening effects of oestrogen.

Eastern traditions of health and wellness understand that you can supplement this natural decline of ‘yin’ by gathering in your energy a little more and protecting your resources, so that you’re not extending beyond your reserves. You can also do this by listening to your body, balancing outward activity with drawing inwards and rest, as well as aligning to the seasonal cadences of the natural world, which may take the form of choosing to conserve your energy a little more in the wintertime, like a tree drawing energy and nourishment back into its roots. Attending to cycles of expansion and contraction, found in the circular sway of the breath and the seasons, or connection and withdrawal by honouring our individual needs for engagement or alone time, can be steadying at a time when familiar menstrual rhythms of storage and release feel chaotic.

Acupuncture points can be used to harmonise the interplay of yin and yang within the body so that all is flowing well within, and you have deep reserves to draw on during times of transition or struggle.  Classical Chinese Medicine sees the Chinese character of each point as expressing a story that can nourish, or brings alive, a vitality within us.  Points like ‘Utmost limit of balance’ keep you balanced when life is difficult, or ‘A Maze of Spring Water’ give fluidity and nourishment to your plans and ideas, helping you to touch into the deep spring within yourselves.

What’s right for me now?

Women often express to me that many of the symptoms and experiences that they are having seem to be communicating a deep need to slow down so that they can follow deeper longings that bring joy and fulfilment. There is a natural urge to draw attention inwards, as a way of conserving our resources. This necessity to withdraw and connect to self seems to grow stronger during menopause. This is beautifully expressed in a an extract from a poem called Endless Lengths by the author, Toko-pa Turner: “All of nature needs these intervals/of movement in reverse//There is a jewel to be gathered in the pause/the condensation of maturity/on the tip of our heart./The essence accumulated which,/if attended with stillness,/won’t fall from us wastefully.”

Asking yourselves the question ‘What’s right for me right now?’can help to shift the perspective to what you ‘can’ do, rather than what you feel that you ‘should’ be doing. This reframing of your internal narrative can encourage you to be more compassionate with yourselves when making small yet necessary adjustments to your work and home lives.  Shifts that preserve and recalibrate your inner resources, and help you to find new ‘jewels’ of meaning and acceptance.

Connecting to the wider ecosystem of support

The fast-paced nature of society, and the constant distractions and anxieties of the modern world can make it hard to fully sink into the bodily experiences of what you’re encountering.  Deeper emotions can sometimes accompany the rushes of heat during menopause.  It’s important that you allow yourselves time to connect with whatever may be surfacing emotionally during this time.

This might require you to turn to the support of friends, family, or professional help.  Any transition will require a loving and caring community so that you can hold deep care and love for yourself help. .  This is particularly meaningful during the menopause when support and sustenance can be provided by a connection to the shared experience of others.

Supporting ourselves during the menopause

There are many ways that you can support yourself during the menopause.  It can be helpful to consider the following practical self-help suggestions as a way of anchoring yourself during the menopausal transition.  Mindfulness, rest and good nutrition all have an important role to play during this time:

1.    Re-thinking the balance or intensity of your exercise routine can be helpful. Incorporating more slow mindful movement practices, such as yoga, tai chi, walking, gardening, swimming are all good ways to improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen your bones and muscles, conserve vital energy, whilst providing a great source of relaxation. Weight bearing exercises are also recommended to improve bone density and build strength.

2.    Consider eating more phyto-oestrogens, which are naturally occurring oestrogens, to your diet. Phytoestrogens have a similar chemical structure to oestrogen and may mimic its hormonal actions. Sources include: flaxseeds, lentils, chick peas, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, soybeans, peaches, berries, garlic, tofu, tempeh, and cruciferous vegetables.

3.    Find time during the day to pause, ground in nature and focus on the rhythmic movement of the breath, which can provide an anchor when you’re feeling anxious or unsteady. Are there room for pauses in your life, or ways that you can restructure your time to create more breathing space?

4.    Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated and bowel movements regular.

5.    Activities involving movement, such as dancing, yoga, qi gong or tai chi; learning a new skill, or taking up a new creative pursuit, all help to reduce stress, and keep our energy flowing in healthy, nourishing and restorative ways.

6.    Opening to the nourishment of nature - the simplest gestures of stopping to absorb a beautiful view, sensing the ground beneath our feet, or pausing beneath a tree can open us to the steadying influence of the earth.

7.    Meditation helps us to connect to a deep and quiet place within ourselves, at a time when heat is sweeping through the body creating unsettling ripples on the surface of our skin.

8.    It is well known that bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can be used to help manage some of the symptoms of menopause. Acupuncture is also known as a resource for helping to ease menopausal symptoms.  This has been supported by findings reported in the British Medical Journal, that conclude….”Acupuncture for menopausal symptoms is a realistic option for women who cannot, or do not wish to use {hormone therapy]”.  

Acupuncture uses the body’s own self-regulation capacity to stimulate the production of hormones, whilst also having a normalising effect on mood, temperature, inflammation, and nervous system states.  All of which can positively influence many of the uncomfortable symptoms that are present during this time either in isolation, or used alongside HRT. 

https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/acupuncture-may-ease-troublesome-menopausal-symptoms/

(https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/acupuncture-menopause/)

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/08/study-reveals-acupuncture-affects-disease-course/?fbclid=IwAR3cwL4DwNZbkG-wIK70PZn1hI1Xjd60ii_XjoDoRBVP4syN5CLENUUV5_E

Acupuncture for the lingering effects of Covid

There is a growing recognition that many people are now facing the long-term consequences of Covid-19, suffering from prolonged symptoms for weeks, and sometimes months, after their recovery.  

Traditionally, holistic healthcare and acupuncture have a long history of helping people to overcome the lingering symptoms of viral infections.  Many of the common symptoms seen with ‘long Covid’ respond to acupuncture in other contexts too, particularly in cases of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. 

 When we talk about post-viral illness, we are usually referring to a constellation of symptoms, including joint or muscle aches, fatigue, poor concentration, brain fog, a feeling of heaviness, intermittent fever, shortness of breath and depression.  One of the most prevalent symptoms that I have seen in patients with ‘long covid’ is a feeling of constant fatigue, and the most frustrating thing for patients is that energy is rarely restored by getting a good sleep.  Infact, people often feel worse first thing in the morning.

It is thought that post-viral syndrome may have something to do with the body's immune response to the initial infection.  When you are fighting off a virus, the immune system releases chemicals, which promote inflammation and cause many of the classic symptoms of viral infection (eg, tiredness and aches and pains).  An increasing number of studies show that acupuncture supports the immune system and in addition, that it has an anti-inflammatory action, particularly useful in treating patients suffering from symptoms caused by the coronavirus.  There is clear evidence that acupuncture increases the body’s ability to fight infections, while at the same time reducing chronic pain, anxiety, depression and stress, all of which have a detrimental effect on our immune system.

Acupuncture that is based on the traditional East Asian models is well placed to help people with ‘long Covid’. Patients with multiple, chronic symptoms are treated using a holistic approach, which helps to support their own self-healing capabilities to provide better sustained, overall improvement, as well as providing symptomatic relief. 

If you’ve been experiencing symptoms of ‘long-Covid’, the following may also help to improve your energy:

·       Eating foods that support the digestive system, such as soups and casseroles where the food is already partially broken down can help to improve energy.

·       Seasonal fruit such as apples and pears have a decongesting action, which can be helpful for chest tightness and/or sinus congestion.  Warm pears and honey are a very soothing for a sore throat, or dry cough.

·       Moderate exercise to increase energy, improve physical strength and relax the mind, such as Qi gong or walking.  As little as 10 minutes of qi gong a day can be very nourishing. 

·       Breathing exercises to calm the nervous system, while providing the body’s cells with more oxygen to use as fuel, can be helpful.

Listening to the Forest

“The Indigenous story tradition speaks of a past in which all beings spoke the same language and life lessons flowed among species. But we have forgotten—or been made to forget—how to listen so that all we hear is sound, emptied of its meaning. The soft sibilance of pine needles in the wind is an acoustic signature of pines. But this well-known “whispering of pines” is just a sound, it is not their voice. What if your listeners presumed you to be mute…..wouldn’t you dance your story in branch and root” Robin Wall Kimmerer

There is an essential premise within Traditional Chinese Medicine known as Bi zheng, or Bi syndrome, that informs our understanding of a person’s vulnerability to pain. Broadly speaking, it emphasises our embeddedness within the web of life. It sees the human body as a permeable entity enfolded within the larger ecology, which includes the changing rhythms of the weather, the land, and relationship with family, friends and community. As a consequence, health is considered to be inseparable from, and hugely shaped by, the exchanges that we have with the world around us.  This way of looking at health shows us the necessity of synchronising with our inner and outer environment, in an attempt to restore balance and connection, whilst empowering us to do things to change the harmony inside of ourselves.  

Through this lens, the body can be seen as a mirror for us to look at how the internal ecology of the body might be out of alignment with the outer landscape. In some cases, this will take the form, or expression, of pain, contraction, loss of movement, or lack of vitality, which might be seen as a biological sign that a relationship of reciprocity, or way of attending to ourselves, needs recalibrating. This might be a connection to a loved one; the way we relate to ourselves emotionally; nourish our physical bodies; or interact with the ecology that sustains us, etc.  Very often symptoms are signposts to a relational disharmony. They communicate a need for greater intimacy and attentiveness to what we are feeling both in our bodies, and the surroundings with which we are inextricably interwoven. In this sense, vitality and restoration depends on us being able to bring attention to physical, or emotional ruptures, through a reconnection with the greater whole.

This way of looking is integral to a holistic view of health; it asks us to extend our attention to include not only the strength and dignity of the solitary tree, but to spread awareness to reveal the interconnected web of the wider ecology within the whole forest: the plants and insects living close to the forest floor, the birds and squirrels living within its branches, and the complex underground web of roots, fungi and bacteria connecting trees to one another, all interacting within its rich habitat; the reciprocal interplay, and health, of the various elements essential to the health and vitality of all.

Suzanne Simard, a scientist who studies forest habitats, has shown that “there is conflict in a forest, but there is also negotiation, reciprocity and perhaps even selflessness. The trees, understand that plants, fungi and microbes in a forest are so thoroughly connected, communicative and co-dependent”.  The story told within a forest is one of communication, connectivity and reciprocity.  When a tree is cut down, the other trees will feel this.  It reminds us that we are interwoven into the diverse fabric of life and living organic environment that surrounds us.  It shows us that a community, whether that of the inner bodily landscape or outer environment, can only thrive when everyone or everything is considered necessary to the whole.  It is this very diversity that ensures stability; a community of mutual co-operation, support and security is deeply rooted in the valuing of dissimilarity.  Within a forest ecosystem, fragmentation compromises the health of the whole.  

Similarly within the field of biology it is now understood that viruses, which are part of the diverse Virome (a collection of all the viruses found within the body) are here to help us not only connect and come into balance with the rest of nature but also to regenerate and upgrade our immune system functioning capacity. Viruses are part of the very nature that has shaped us but as we have seen recently with the corona virus, the primary emphasis is to declare ‘war’ against the virus. It is an approach that takes the form of an arrow speeding to its target, seeming to provide a shield that would insulate us from the vagaries of life.  However, a response that comes solely from a reductive lens has the potential to not only shoot the messenger but obscure that which is unable to be seen through its aperture. Zach Bush, a micro-biologist, who has dived deeply into the world of virology, says that the growing prevalence of endemics is due to the erosion of the natural state of balance and bio-diversity within our water, air and soil ecosystems due to stress and toxicity, which could be seen as nature fighting back. Our bodies have been in a state of balance with the Virome since the start of history but industrial pollutants and other stressors have, over the years, put pressure on natural ecosystems, including our own, and interrupted fundamental mechanisms of health, balance and homeostasis.

An understanding of this vital inter-connectivity is encapsulated with ‘terrain’ theory, which is based on the understanding that if the human body and the environment are balanced and functioning well then ‘germs’, that are natural and necessary for the evolution of our immune systems, will be taken care of by the body without causing chronic or serious illness - “Germs seek their natural habitat – diseased tissue – rather than being the cause of diseased tissue.” - Antoine Béchamp. 

In Traditional East Asian Medicine, and indigenous medical systems, terrain theory is the predominant lens through which we understand the nature of sickness and disease. Within this natural world view it is understood that the health of natural ecosystems, including the soil, water, air, food quality, the life-giving, reciprocal and generative connectivity between species, etc. will determine how well a society can flourish. Poor soil and water systems due to agricultural fertilisers and plastic contamination, or disconnection from life-protecting forces, including a tangible relationship to nature and the people in our lives that nourish us will inevitably contribute to stress, chronic disease, and a compromised immune system.

So although germ-theory has its place in the modern world (medicine can protect the vulnerable from viruses or micro-organisms when immunity isn’t strong enough to deal with them naturally due to pre-existing conditions, or if the lethality of the virus/bacteria is a cause for concern), to understand how we might reduce the epidemics of the modern era, it is vital that we attend to the root causes of imbalance, or as the writer Sophie Strand suggests ask ourselves the question: how can we contribute to making good soil? That has certainly been a guiding factor for myself as an acupuncturist as I explore the imprint of relationships, nutritional and lifestyle habits, and genetics, etc. that may be weaving into my patients’ current state of vitality, resilience, and pre-disposition to illness. I know that enduring physical and emotional health not only depends upon being able to offer ourselves loving, accepting attention, but also from being able to nurture mutually supportive relationships with others, and the larger living body that holds, sustains and nourishes us (including the sea, earth, air, water, trees). It also comes from having the agency to discover and restore a sense of safety, healing and connection in a way that feels meaningful to the individual, rather than having it imposed from the outside.

Recent public health directives that have imposed mandates are completely at odds with this fundamental necessity to be able to have subjective experiences concerning personal health taken seriously. The nature of this reductionist approach, that sees humans as objects, is in its refusal to see the broader ecology at work, as well as devaluing perspectives that would regard highly basic human rights, bodily autonomy, and wider systemic balance. The presence of environmental degradation, stress and toxicity are contributing to, and perpetuating, the very conditions that create the kind of world that we fear. Our health so inextricably bound to the wellness of the environment; it is at the heart of what sustains us. The story that has been repeated throughout history is one of colonisation and destruction of natural habitats that has caused the loss of biodiversity of human, animal, plant and water systems. However, as we are seeing, the repercussions of this dominant paradigm can be deeply divisive and dehumanising, and extends to the loss of societal harmony and connection, a de-valuing of nature and our highly intelligent immune systems, a disregard for bodily autonomy and authority, and basic human rights.

A holistic understanding knows that community can only be harmonious when systemic questions are considered important, and a diverse range of perspectives, views and needs are considered essential, including the necessity of listening to the wider living world.  The philosophy that underpins yin and yang theory helps us to understand that a predominance of one polarity, can easily tip into its opposite or negative counterpart.  A recent example would be the assertively single-focused and siloed response to the pandemic, which has justified undemocratic and non-negotiable policies, political over-reach and censorship of ‘dissident’ ideas.  As we have seen, without the tempering of a more yin participatory, collaborative and contextual perspective, there has been a tipping point of societal disharmony, division and polarisation (vaccinated v unvaccinated, right v left, science v traditional wisdom), and eruptive events (protests, social unrest, fires due to global warming).  

Ideally, for health and harmony to prevail a marriage of both yin and yang is necessary, one balancing and keeping the other from wandering into negative territory.  In an individual, a fast-moving driven lifestyle may over time lead to a tendency to systemic inflammation, or a build up of pressure that makes headaches and migraines more likely, without the tempering nourishment, slowness and stillness of yin.  On a socio-political level, the integrative relationality of yin would help to straddle the divide of the wider social and scientific communities in order to bring about creative positive change.  On the contrary, we are seeing social ruptures deepening that tell the story of societal tension inflamed by narrowly-focused political and economic forces that undermine social cohesion and harmony, and a wider appreciation of health that not only protects the vulnerable, but also honours and respects bodily and planetary integrity. 

This moment in history, feels like a time of global reckoning where the pendulum is swinging close towards the support of an technocratic vision where the responsibility for our medical choices are outsourced to politicians, and the money-making interests of pharmaceutical lobbies and international organisations who are, or choose to be, blind to the impact of their influence at a personal, collective and ecological level. This would be at variance with the quest for eternal growth and profit.

The challenge of the modern age is in finding more nuanced and deep-rooted solutions and a more collaborative holistic approach that understands the inter-connectivity between all life forms.  It is an invitation to slow down and listen to nature knowing that the health of our environment is so entangled with our own.  It is a vision that refuses to ‘other’ on the basis of medical, racial or religious differences.  Humanity longs for us to advocate for kindness, compassion and respect even when fear is pushing us to dehumanise, disregard and divide individuals and communities. It asks us to be the change that we want to see in the world, knowing that self-compassion, kindness, acceptance, and really listening to what we each need on a personal level, allows us to extend the same to others and the world at large.

If we can take ourselves back to the wakeful, sensate knowledge and relationalitiy found within the fertile ground of a forest, and the deep steady anchor of trees, and listen to the wisdom that whispers to us there in the rich community of ‘branch and root’, then there is the possibility of understanding how to restore balance and connection between ourselves and the rest of the living natural world.  The storytelling within a forest speaks of the mutually life-sustaining relationships that we hold with one another and the land. In the forest, there are spaces within leaves and branches, and beneath the forest floor, that can awaken us to new visions of seeing and relationality; encouraging us to be steady, feeling, sensitive, unifying and strong like an old oak or birch tree. If we really listened what life lessons would we hear there?

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How grounding and nature offer an anchor as we navigate the challenging seas of change at this time

A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver 

Today I’m flying low and I’m
not saying a word.
I’m letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep.

The world goes on as it must,
the bees in the gardening rumbling a little,
the fish leaping, the gnats getting eaten.
And so forth.

But I’m taking the day off.
Quiet as a feather.
I hardly move though really I’m traveling
a terrific distance.

Stillness. One of the doors
into the temple.

Ever since Covid-19 reached our shores in March 2020, to say that there has been a lot going on in our outer and inner worlds would be an understatement!

Understandably, being faced with the uncertainty of a global pandemic has been challenging on many levels, as we continue to navigate a course through these choppy and changing seas. Our experience of ‘lockdown’ shaped, not only by our personal circumstances, but also by the deeper currents of our emotional and physiological landscapes, and how our nervous systems respond to stress and instability.

Just as everything was intensifying towards the end of March, I noticed that I felt a vague sense of restlessness, combined with a faint underlying feeling of anxiety and sadness, and the need to spend more time online than usual.  I was drawn to engage with others in online yoga classes (teaching and attending), and to reach out to friends to connect with that sense of shared experience. Although more recently, I have been socially distancing from technology and the news! Instead settling into quieter rhythms and a desire for more simplicity.

Through the ebb and flow of it all, I’ve felt a continual need to orientate towards the natural surroundings for space and perspective. I have craved the simple balm and breath of nature. Taking walks on the local flood plains, in the freshness of the early morning, have been uplifting in ways that I hadn’t truly appreciated before Covid-19. My daily walks have been so deeply rooting and nourishing, and have inspired many of my online yoga classes, many of which have focused on growing a vital connection with the ground beneath us, as well as learning to inhabit the area below the belly, known as the dan tian. Nature has been a ballast through all the ups and downs of recent months.

How grounding ourselves in nature can be beneficial during this time

One of the gifts of the Pandemic is that it is teaching us to be more comfortable with uncertainty which is, after all, an inescapable part of life. But staying grounded in our bodies is something that can be easier said than done during challenging times when there is so much anxiety pulling us up into our neck, shoulders, chest and heads. When you consider that social distancing, which has provided a sense of security and safety, has forced us to communicate even more through our screens, this will only heighten a sense of disembodiment. 

So how do we root into the earth and the centre of our being when our attention, is inclined to wander up and keep us locked in worrying or anxious thoughts? How can we ease back our awareness into the background a little more, so that we can feel the stabilising support of the ground, pelvis and spine, and settle into the steadying rhythms of nature, “allowing the living background of the world around us to seep into the foreground of our attention”?

Teaching Qi Gong

These are questions that I’ve been exploring, in an embodied way, in my yoga classes recently. In the East, a foundational principle that informs martial arts, yoga, (and I would add Chinese Medicine here too) is that being able to coalesce awareness around our belly, and our living connection to the ground, helps us to cultivate presence, stability, steadiness and balance. Tension in the body and mind often reflect the belief that we are not supported in some way but when we can feel how the earth is there to sustain us, we no longer need that extra layer of muscular support held within the upper body.

When attention is given to the center, whether in a movement class, or during an acupuncture treatment, we provide an anchoring and resting place for the breath and the mind. During an acupuncture session, it may be necessary to balance the delicate interplay between yin and yang by needling a point located below the navel, to temper the rising of yang.  In this way, symptoms that are characterized by this upward rising tendency (such as anxiety, tension, headaches, or hot flushes) can be effectively rooted into yin. Or you may need to strengthen a patient’s connection to the earth element through the needling of points on the leg and feet, to counterbalance a tendency to worry or overthinking.

In embodied practices such a yoga or Qi gong, you can grow the subjective capacity to be in relationship with the ground through the attention given to the feet, or the sit bones. As we practice inhabiting these places, we quickly become aware of how easy it is to lose this vital support, particularly when the energy of anxiety has a tendency to settle upwards in the body. Without it we feel unrooted, unsupported, tentative, anxious or disembodied, or we compensate by shallow breathing, tightening our abdomen, and holding tension in our upper back, shoulders and neck. 

There are many ways that we can find our grounding. You can do this through the practice of a standing meditation, which emulates the steady, rooted stance of a tree, bringing awareness to the palpable feeling of the ground contacting our feet; by bringing your hands to rest on the belly and letting the breath be guided there; or simply by absorbing the earth’s energy walking bare footed, or lying on the grass. A couple of weeks ago, during the beautiful spell of sunny weather that we’ve experienced, there was a way that lying down on the earth in my garden, underneath the pine trees, feeling the warmth from the sun as it peeped out of the branches, felt so comfortingly grounding.

Just as an abdominal acupuncture point can provide an anchor for anxiety, finding a spot in nature “that binds you to the earth”, if only for the shortest time, gives you the opportunity to pause and drop into the breath.

In a therapeutic setting, being in a physical relationship with the support that’s underneath, and deep within, allows us to be fully present for ourselves, and our patients. The writer, Philip Shepherd, says that “receptivity is made possible by the grounded stability that comes with being at rest deep in the pelvic bowl”. To be present is to ‘hold space’, or be with someone, in an open, accepting, compassionate and deeply attentive manner; one that engenders trust and unconditional positive regard. 

Hopefully, this ‘grand pause’ has opened up a little more space and time for you to “fly low” as the world outside spins, and find a deeper, and more nourishing connection to the ground (inner and outer). Now, more than ever, there is an ever-pressing need to feel our embedded relationship with the earth, but also the centre of our own embodied ecology, so that we can understand and resonate with the greater ecosystem and our place within it.

The benefits of Chinese Medicine for Women's Health

A woman’s body experiences many different hormonal changes beginning at puberty, through menstruation, pregnancy, menopause and beyond.  This ever-changing hormonal environment is sensitively associated with our emotions, nutrition, home & work life balance, relationships, genetics and stress levels, which can all impact women in different ways not only throughout these natural cycles, but during other seasons of a woman’s life too.  Hormonal changes are happening all the time but they are often more strongly felt at these times.

Increasingly women are turning to Chinese Medicine to find symptomatic and long-term relief of the symptoms associated with this dynamic hormonal landscape.  Acupuncture, along with diet and exercise are able to restore hormonal and emotional balance and vitality during all of these stages.  It does this by influencing the body's hormonal/nervous system self-regulating mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being.  A broad body of research confirms acupuncture’s ability to regulate these bodily systems.

Here are five ways that acupuncture can help women find greater balance, vitality and reproductive health:-

1) Menstruation

Acupuncture’s powerful regulating influence can help to restore a regular rhythm and flow to women’s cycles helping to reduce cramping, heavy bleeding and menstrual irregularity.  It’s ability to calm the nervous system can provide a much welcome settling effect on the mood changes that many women struggle with during this time.  Studies to prove acupuncture's efficacy for cramping and pain are being published all the time, and my own experience in practice show me daily just how well acupuncture can help women who are suffering from menstrual pain.  

2) Peri-menopause/Menopause

Chinese Medicine can be offer a natural hormone-stabilising alternative to HRT at this stage in a women’s life.   Falling oestrogen levels, changing nutrient and metabolic demands, and the influence of stress can create uncomfortable symptoms, at least until we adjust to the internal changes of menopause.  An acupuncturist is able to help the body run more harmoniously and bring stability to the physical and emotional symptoms of menopause.  The process is similar to a musician being able to hear where there may be dissonance within a piece of music.  They are able to recognise how well a single note, or combination of notes, will balance and bring harmony to the whole.  Similarly, the insertion of carefully chosen fine needles re-tunes the hormonal and nervous systems (2), which help to reduce the frequency/intensity of hot flushes (1), night sweats, insomnia and anxiety.

In Chinese Medicine, menopause is created by a decline of ‘yin’, which is the cooling, calming and moistening mechanism within the body.  As we get older our body is not as efficient at balancing our natural rhythms of cooling and calming leaving us feeling anxious, hot, irritable, emotionally unsettled and unable to sleep as deeply.  

3) Pregnancy and post-natal support

Acupuncture can relieve the lower back discomfort and other aches and pains associated with pregnancy, as well as morning sickness, heartburn, anxiety and tiredness. After delivery, many women find acupuncture treatments essential for rebuilding their energy and blood, increasing milk supply (3), and dealing with post-natal depression and tiredness.

4) Conception support

For women trying to get pregnant, acupuncture can assist conception by increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs.  It also balances reproductive hormones, such as oestrogen, progesterone and FSH.  Fertility clinics are increasingly recommending acupuncture for their patients to help lower overall stress levels, because stress hormones can lower fertility hormones, and improve IVF success rates (4).

"Acupuncture is thought to shift the body into a repair mode where it's better able to heal itself, as well as calming the nervous system,".  Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system to be over stimulated causing blood flow to be diverted away from the ovaries and uterus.  This can contribute to a potential inability to become pregnant.  Acupuncture activates the para-sympathetic nervous system, which helps us to relax and de-stress, increasing the likelihood of pregnancy.

5) Anxiety and depression

Emotional sensitivity to hormonal changes can vary greatly between women.  Some women experience relatively mild and minimal symptoms, whilst others go through a really rough time struggling with anxiety, depression, insecurity and fear, irritability and a lack of confidence....symptoms can be severe enough to dramatically impact on quality of life. The way that each individual experiences menstruation or menopause depends to a lesser or greater extent on their gynaecological history, influence of stress and relationships, psychological problems and changing levels of nutrients/hormones within the body.  As a holistic medicine, acupuncture is able to get down to the root issues, considering all of the different aspects of a person’s health in order to bring the body back into balance.

5 ways to bring the body back into balance

1.    Eat plenty of essential fatty acids as they are essential to the reproductive system, such as fish, fish oil, flaxseed oil, eggs, soy products, raw nuts and seeds, and dark green and winter vegetables like broccoli, beets, carrots, kale cabbage, cauliflower etc.  Omega 3 found in deep-sea fish oil has been found to reduce clotting and encourage blood flow to the uterus.

2.    To give your body a chance to be at its strongest and healthiest do what you can to breathe deeply and relax.  Yoga is a great way of restoring energy and promoting relaxation, as it to softens tense muscles, encouraging greater blood flow throughout the body. Under stress, the reproductive and endocrine systems will not get the blood flow they need to function effectively.  This is particularly important if you’re trying to get pregnant.

3.    Get adequate physical exercise.  Honour your limits....too much exercise can sometimes deplete our energy and blood reserves. Always adapt the intensity and frequency of the exercise according to how you're feeling.

4.    Eat foods that nourish the blood and ‘yin’, particularly if iron levels are low, or you’re going through the menopause, such as kidney beans, organic organ meats, black beans, beets, black sesame seeds, legumes, spirulina, asparagus, aubergine, eggs.

5.    Take time each day for rest and relaxation.

*****

For more information on women’s health and acupuncture, please contact me at nickyjanethomas123@gmail.com, or phone 07583-291616 for a free 15-minute consultation.

(1) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/03/acupuncture-can-reduce-hot-flushes-in-menopausal-women-by-half-r/

(2) http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1483-acupuncture-perimenopause-relief

(3) http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1773-acupuncture-boosts-breast-milk-production

(4) http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(11)02859-7/abstract

5 Ways that acupuncture can help with back pain

As a leading cause of disability, back pain is one of the most commonly treated musculoskeletal problems that I encounter in practice.  Back problems that are most receptive to acupuncture treatment are those caused by sprains, muscle strains, minor injuries, or muscular spasm irritating or pinching a nerve.  Although painkillers are a useful short-term solution to relieve discomfort, as a longer-term option they can often mask the problem rather than addressing the underlying cause of the back pain, which is where acupuncture can help.  Dr Nagda, an American pain consultant says that “when you look at risks and benefits compared to other methods like NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, acupuncture comes out on top with minimal risks.”  Its benefits also become clearer when you consider that it is increasingly being covered, in part, by health insurance.

There is a wide body of research showing that acupuncture can provoke a number of physiological changes, which relieve pain, improve mobility and reduce inflammation -https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/a-to-z-of-conditions/a-to-z-of-conditions/back-pain.html. A study recently published in the Australian medical journal, conducted in the emergency department of a hospital, has shown acupuncture to be as effective as, and safer than, medication for relieving acute back pain. http://theconversation.com/emergency-doctors-are-using-acupuncture-to-treat-pain-now-heres-the-evidence-79430.  As such it is being increasingly embraced as a popular choice of treatment for acute back pain.  

Although effective for both acute and chronic pain, more often than not people tend to come into clinic when the pain has become more chronic.  Unsurprisingly, people are more inclined to seek treatment after their pain has eased, and mobility improved, with the help of painkillers, preferring to rest and avoid unnecessary movement.  In extreme cases, people are simple unable to move, much less find their way to the nearest Acupuncture Clinic!  However, this is a time when acupuncture can work its wonders! It's often patients who are able to receive treatment sooner rather than later, particularly within the first month of an injury, who I've seen experience the most remarkable improvement.

Many patients find that even after one session of traditional acupuncture their pain, movement and mobility will be improved, and their muscles don’t feel as stiff.  An example of this is a patient I saw last year who to come into clinic a few days after straining his lower back lifting something heavy.  I needled distal points in his hands and ankles before doing some gentle massage to ease the spasm in his back.  After treatment he was in considerably less discomfort and although still walking protectively, it was clear that he was in less pain and had more freedom of movement.

So don't put off coming for treatment....if you're physically able to come in early on you'll be on the road to recovery sooner rather than later.  Unless, there is a structural disc-related problem which requires rest, or the pain is severe, the advice now is that it is better to be active as soon as you're able to prevent muscles weakening and stiffening further.  Gentle movement encourages good blood flow to the injured area, which helps the back to heal. 

You'll be pleased to hear that often the number of treatments required for acute back pain will be less than for chronic back pain.  The treatment for chronic pain usually takes a little longer because areas of spasm can become locked-in, or other areas tighten due to over-compensation, when treatment to bring about muscular release has not been given early on.

Reassuringly, during the very early stage of an injury there is no need to needle locally into a painful area as there are points located in the ankles, wrists and hands that can do the job of releasing a painful muscular spasm.  Once the inflammation has subsided then you would target the local area with carefully placed needles to release tight spots and reduce pain.

Here are 5 Ways that Traditional Acupuncture can help with acute and chronic back pain:

1)   TARGETS PAIN

Contrary to popular belief, traditional acupuncture is an incredibly relaxing experience. Some people of course will be naturally wary of the needles but they’re sterile and extremely fine! Acupuncture's strength is in its ability to elegantly target muscular tightness and spasm.  

2)   NATURAL PAIN RELIEF

By stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, traditional acupuncture helps release the body's natural pain-relieving hormones, including endorphins and oxytocin. These hormones can change the way the body processes pain, helping to reduce discomfort and distress.  This can replace the need for synthetic drugs, without the risk of side effects.  Although you'll be pleased to hear that traditional acupuncture works just as effectively alongside modern medication and other therapies, such as osteopathy. In fact it can even speed up the recovery process.

3)   REDUCES INFLAMMATION

When an acupuncture needle is inserted local anti-inflammatories are released, blood flow is increased to the local area and excess fluids are dispersed to promote healing and aid recovery.

4)   GETS YOU MOVING AGAIN!

Many patients find that even after one session of traditional acupuncture their movement and mobility will be improved and their muscles don’t feel as stiff.

5)   TAILORED FOR YOU

Traditional acupuncture is an effective therapy that treats the whole person. This means each patient is treated as a unique individual so the acupuncture points chosen for one person with lower back pain may be different for another person with the same symptoms. This tailored approach is one of the key reasons traditional acupuncture is so effective.  The number of sessions needed will depend on each individual and whether their pain is chronic or not. I will put together an individualised treatment plan during your initial consultation.

Preventing back pain

In general, the more that your body has got used to flexing and extending, contracting and releasing the muscles that support the spine, the easier it is for muscle releasing pathways to be activated when you tweak your back.  This is why it is so important to regularly support the back with gentle exercises, such as Yoga or Tai chi, which are great ways of gently stretching the muscles in the lower back, as well as strengthening your core to help stabilise the spine.  Yoga is an effective way of lengthening the hamstrings too.  These are the big muscles in the back of the thighs which, when tight, can limit movement in the pelvis, making back injury more likely.

Back Pain Testimonial

Even yoga teachers can get tight and sore muscles!

I spend more hours than I would like sitting at a keyboard, and that combined with challenging myself on the mat can lead to complaints from my back.  This spring, I had booked a workshop that I was very much looking forward to on a Sunday, but on Thursday I was struck down by a killer muscle spasm.  I was gutted and was afraid I would have a long and painful recovery... but this story has a happy ending and now I have a tried and true system for recovering from minor muscular injury.  Immediately upon feeling the cramp, I took a low dosage pain killer to keep myself moving.  And where did I move to?  I went straight to Nicky for massage and needling to release the cramp as soon as possible.  I followed the treatment with a hot bath, a day of rest and then a gentle yoga practice, and by the Sunday I was mobile on the mat with no pain and an appetite for movement!  I think the primary benefit was treating the injury quickly so that I could keep moving, breathing, and healing.

*****

I will be happy to discuss your problem and help you understand whether acupuncture can help you, before you commit to having any treatment

If you'd like you’d like a free 15 minute consultation please call me on 07583-291616.  Appointments can be made by contacting York Natural Health on 01904-788411.

The Core and its role in Sustainability

I’m sure that you’ve admired the highly toned six-pack of Jess Ennis during the Olympics games last year, maybe even admitting to a little six-pack envy! A toned muscular torso is symbolic of strength and power and as we spring into action this summer, it's worth considering how important our core is in Yoga, whether we have a six or a one-pack!

But when we go beyond the physical outer aesthetics of a strong core you discover a deeper importance; it not only creates strength and stability for the whole body, in many Eastern traditions it is also the origin of our innermost guidance and wisdom.  The benefits of being in touch with our core expand deeply beyond physical muscular strength, but connect us to a highly intuitive support system, which guides all our movements and decisions whether on or off the yoga mat. 

I recently gave acupuncture to a patient for acute back pain caused by overstretching during a Pilates class.  At a time when her body was telling her to wind things down and rest, she was pushing beyond her reserves physically and energetically.  Modern living doesn’t always allow for this basic need to slow down or withdraw.  Yet just as nature ebbs and flows, so too does our energy.  I’ve certainly been reminded of this at times when I’ve been practising yoga a little too enthusiastically, usually at the expense of an old shoulder injury that starts to niggle!

Sustaining our natural rhythms

Yoga teaches us to be in touch with our natural rhythms by focusing on the breath as it travels into the abdomen. When our movements are integrated with our breath in this way, we can discern the needs of our body with greater sensitivity.  In this way we know whether we maybe overextending, which can result in compressed joints, overstretched muscles or our energy feeling dissipated.  A house may be aesthetically beautiful on the outside but may be inefficient in its use of energy.  Developing a connection with our core is like tapping into an inner support system that teaches us to adjust and conserve our energy in a way that is sustainable in the long term.

These days there is a much greater understanding of the importance of sustainability versus short-termism in many different areas of life.  In professional sport, economy in movement can sustain your career. There is a much stronger focus on long-term care, injury prevention and looking after your body.  Football and rugby clubs are investing heavily into podiatry, physiotherapy, yoga and other rehabilitative therapies to sustain the professional life of their teams knowing that preservation, strength and success lie in the small details, such as: maintaining a healthy spine, good balance, alignment of the feet, sustaining good muscle tone and a healthy diet, and not least the importance of resting players for longevity and ensuring that they are match fit.

Less is often more

In an productivity and action focused culture constant effort is encouraged.  In Chinese philosophy, the idea of ‘wu wei' means "natural action, or action that doesn't involve struggle or excessive effort".  It recommends that we stop trying to force things and align with our own intrinsic energy flow; adjusting what we do, where possible, to reflect the energy available to us.  It recognises that there is a natural ebb and flow to life which we can learn by observing nature: nature has a period of stillness, "eagles aren’t always soaring and gliding", waves rise and fall.   When we stop doing for a while, or do a little less, our actions become more energized, focused and efficient.  Likewise, creating stability in our core brings an efficiency and freedom of movement.

Moving from the 'centre'

In yoga it is the ability to be able to move from our ‘centre’ that teaches us how much or how little to extend, when to wait for our muscles to open, when to conserve energy or challenge ourselves more.  Responding in this way brings more integrity, balance, and relaxation to our actions.  In environmental terms it’s better recycle our energy: storing it up for use later on, rather than ‘down-cycling’, which pushes us beyond our energy reserves.

In dance and martial arts moving from your core creates an ease of changes in direction, shifting of weight and balance.  An experienced dancer moves with an effortlessness and fluidity of movement that comes from being able to move from the inside out.  Chinese martial artists develop internal strength and move with a minimum of effort and tension, by nurturing a strong connection to their centre, also known as the Dan Tian.  It is the place from which the navel expands and contracts when we practice deep abdominal breathing.  Breathing in this way makes the mind and body more relaxed, reduces stress and anxiety and increases the body's vitality and energy.

In all of these movement forms there is a constant moving away from and returning to the centre.  The extensions of the arms and legs are always supported and informed by a connection with the core, the periphery is always an expression of the whole or a deeper connection to the inner body.  

A deeper awareness and connection with your core through yoga will help you to develop your understanding of your practice.  Remembering these key points will ensure that you move in a safe, sustainable and efficient way:

• Integrate breath with movement

• Being attentive to details that refine your alignment to create greater stability and minimal muscular tension

• Don't force movement, align with your natural energy flow

• Move from your centre - this will be the region from which the expansion of the abdomen on the inhalation seems to originate

• Trust your inner feedback, let your yoga teacher know if something doesn't feel quite right for you, for example, if an old injury begins to niggle or you're experiencing discomfort

How to stay healthy during spring

I was admiring the morning sunshine earlier this week when the sky suddenly darkened and I found myself staring at a dramatic transformation of the weather into swirling wind, rain and snow..it was quite literally four seasons in one day! But these abrupt weather changes seem typical for this time of year, before the warmer and more settled weather holds.

In Chinese philosophy, we are seen as microcosms of the natural world and the changes that we observe in nature can be reflected in people too.  Each season has a particular quality.  Spring is characterized by a great impulse to push upward and outwards, "when the warmth of the sun returns and life pushes forth with great vitality".  It is an opportunity to "refresh your vision and grow in new directions".  However, the expansive and inconstant nature, particularly of early spring, can throw us out of balance until we can find a firmer foothold into the season, or at least until we can get out into the garden and warm up our sun-deprived bodies!

A tree can only grow from the stability of its deep roots and the nourishment that it has received.  Likewise the transition from winter into spring can be inhibited by fatigue or low energy reserves, instability, depression, unexpressed emotions, or stress, which have the potential to put the brakes on this natural flow of creative energy.  These factors can considerably impact on how our minds and our bodies feel at this time of year.   

Spring is the time of year that resonates with the liver which, amongst its many functions, helps to cleanse the blood and remove toxic substances from the body, ensuring that our blood is healthy and our cells, muscles and tissues are nourished and well-fuelled.  This is reflected in Chinese Medicine theory, which says that the liver is responsible for the healthy flow of energy around the body.  Whenever we overeat or eat too many fried foods, or are exposed to stress the liver becomes overworked and overloaded.

It is the best time of the year to support the liver with acupuncture because Chinese Medicine has a conceptual framework that understands imbalances that are due to the liver not functioning optimally, and treatments such as acupuncture, massage, and nutritional knowledge, that can help to keep the liver happy and healthy.  But there are also ways that you can support your liver too:

How to stay healthy during the Spring

A Healthy Diet

The liver will benefit from a de-congesting diet rich in green leafy vegetables.  Apple cider vinegar is beneficial too because of its sour taste and nutritional benefits.  Avoid foods that are too spicy, oily and rich, reduce red meat and roasting or frying to prepare food.   Many of the heavier winter-sustaining foods that we may have wanted to eat during the long dark winter months are not going to be appreciated by the liver during the spring!  Trying to wean myself from the simple doughy comforts of sourdough bread is taking herculean will-power!

In general, think green, as well as light, nutritionally-packed and easily digestible, as this will maximise your energy for growth, just like plants in spring stretching up and out up from the nourishment in their roots.  Other foods that help to cleanse the liver include: garlic, apples, avocado, broccoli, lemons and limes, turmeric, cabbage and walnuts.

Freeing our Emotions

Just as foods can be congesting and place a strain on the liver, unexpressed emotions can create congestion internally.  It is healthier to let our emotions flow during the spring when this push for release is felt inwardly.  According to Traditional Chinese Medicine's Five Element theory, chronically unexpressed emotions, such as anger, frustration or guilt, can unbalance your liver functioning, which can lead to fatigue or depression.  Being able to talk about how you're feeling and letting things go can keep your energy flowing in healthy ways, which inevitably helps you to move forward with renewed energy, creativity and purpose.

Movement and creativity

Other ways of easing stress during spring are by gardening, as this is very grounding physically and emotionally.  Activities involving movement, such as dancing, yoga, qi gong or tai chi; learning a new skill, or taking up a new creative pursuit all help to keep our energy flowing in healthy and creative ways

How the 'liver' expresses it's unhappiness!

As you might imagine, symptoms that resonate with spring tend to have an upward or outward flowing tendency, such as headaches or eczema, but also any symptoms that are compounded by stress. Here are some symptoms that are characteristic of spring and suggest that you may need acupuncture to bring some balance to the liver system:

Headaches and migraine

Muscular aches and pains and stiffness

High Blood Pressure

Irritability and mood swings

Flare-up of eczema or psoriasis

Digestive problems, precipitated by stress, such as IBS or gastric pain

Heightened or unexplained Anxiety

Dry eyes, blurred vision or floaters

If you like more information about how acupuncture or acupressure massage might help you, please contact me on 07583-291616 or email: nickyjanethomas123@gmail.com.

Autumn reflections: a time of change

Have you felt that little internal tug recently, like a child pulling on your coat sleeve, as autumn sneaks up on us, to slow down or be a little more solitary?  Or perhaps you feel an unexplainable urge to clear out clutter, bravely venturing into dark and dusty cupboards and forgotten corners of the house!

As autumn approaches, we look forward to the vibrant colours of fire and warmth that the leaves bring, the crispness of the air and the fresh clarity of the light.  When living in the Middle East, autumn was the season that I missed the most for those very reasons.  It was my first autumn back that I rediscovered my love and appreciation of this beautiful and fleeting season, not only for its vibrancy of colour but the feeling of introspection that it inspired.

Autumn is a time of transformation, of paring back and letting go what is no longer of value.  We can see this all around us in nature in the autumnal colours and the quality of air and changing light. But it is also a time of taking in the crisp invigorating air of our surroundings, which brings a greater clarity to our thoughts and ideas.

As with any kind of transition, this shift can sometimes feel uncomfortable.  Understandably, we’d like the long summer nights and the enlivening feeling of warmth on our skin to continue.  We may not be ready to pack away our summer clothes or banish the camping equipment to the garage or attic for yet another year!  But just as nature does, it is important that we change with seasons too.

In nature, the survival of trees during the cold winter months followed by their transformation in the Spring is only possible through this sloughing and condensing process: Leaves are dropped and precious sap, that nourished leaves during the spring and summer, is withdrawn to it’s roots to sustain the strength, and continued growth, of the tree.

Just as the falling leaves expose more of a tree, emotions that may have been covered over or silenced during the summer months are likely to be more strongly felt, asking to be acknowledged.  It’s so much harder to ignore dust that has settled when light from a window is shining on it, revealing every little particle!

In Chinese Medicine “falling leaves are a reflection of sighs of grief and melancholy that autumn brings when all dies back to the ground”.  If we follow this impulse to withdraw, then we give ourselves time to process our losses, which may prevent depression from settling in during the dark winter months.

It is important to change with the seasons by adapting our diet and yoga practice too.  Here are some ways in which we can do that:

1. Autumn inspiration

It is the perfect time to draw inspiration and energy from our surroundings as we practice yoga. Breathing exercises combined with movement teach us to expand our lungs more fully, which invigorates the body and mind.

2. Refining our practice

The element that resonates with Autumn is metal, which embodies the quality of refinement.  We can bring more refinement to our yoga practice by focusing not only on the outer shape or frame of the asana, but on our inner selves, such as the breath as it moves around the body, the sensation in our spine and muscles, the movement of the diaphragm, or the feeling of gravity pulling the lower body down. 

3. There can be no expansion without contraction

As nature begins a process of gathering in it’s energies, so too can we encourage this feeling of consolidation when we practice yoga, by bringing our awareness back into our center and the lower body as we exhale.  Some postures immediately have this internalising effect, such as Tadasana, Tree pose, Child’s pose, or forward bends.

4. Stillness within movement

As we move into a quieter, more ‘yin’ time of year, nurturing softness and relaxation within effort, and mental stillness within movement, can be deeply restorative and cultivate a feeling of wellness and peace of mind.

Better stop short than fill to the brim,

Oversharpen the blade, and the edge will soon be blunt.

Yield and overcome;

Bend and be straight;

Empty and be full.

Daodejing, 4th century BCE

5. Tricky transitions

I overhead someone saying the other day that ‘somehow the ‘in-betweens’ are more difficult, as you know what to expect during summer and winter’.  Change can be unsettling and it sometimes feels like the ground is literally shifting beneath us….It’s no wonder that we may feel unsteady, anxious or want to hold on to the familiar. 

Steadying and strengthening Warrior postures or Tree pose can provide a welcome calming, empowering and settling influence - just what we need during periods of change or uncertainty.  While practicing, focus on drawing your attention and energy to your roots, which will help you feel supported during those uncertain transitions.

6. Being present

Transitions require that we keep in the present moment and connect with our inner selves, just as moving into a challenging yoga balance calls for us to be more attentive, trusting, and sometimes brave.  If we can find a way through the inevitable resistance, we’re brought closer to our deeper feelings and vulnerabilities, the recognition of which can bring greater understanding, strength or release.

7. Hearty is best! ... Eating for the autumn season

In Chinese Medicine, foods that embody the deepening and internalising qualities of Autumn include potatoes, parsnips, turnips, cauliflower, carrots, onion and ginger…the heartier the better, so don’t waste any time, get them root vegies roasting! Citrus fruits are great too for their cleansing properties and vitamin C boost as we move closer to winter.

The Space In Between

“There is something greater and purer than what the mouth utters. Silence illuminates our souls, whispers to our hearts, and brings them together……" Khalil G

During a yoga retreat at Casa Cuadrau in the Spanish Pyrenees last year one of the participants shared with the group that during her time in the mountains she had realised how little time she gave herself between one activity and another; she often rushed from one thing to the next without pausing.

Reflecting on this afterwards I couldn’t help thinking that this is a familiar feeling to many of us.  In the business of day-to-day life it is very easy to neglect to give ourselves that space in between.  The reasons for this are many: It might simply be that filling our time seems more natural, familiar and purposeful, and in our commitment to our responsibilities and the people in our lives, it is easy to forget how it feels to truly give ourselves space and silence.  In the pace and fullness of modern life there is often little time for stillness.  We have forgotten that there is space underneath all the noise and rarely stop in a way that allows for deep and nourishing rest and the replenishment of our reserves.

But also it may be that in creating more space we open ourselves to feelings that we'd been busily avoiding, inevitably perpetuating a certain type of overactivity, which was probably the very reason why I took myself off to the mountains! Being on retreat provides a space where people can be with themselves more intimately.  Mountains have a way of laying you bare and revealing your innermost self: there is nothing to hide behind when you are part of a vast spacious vista.  Just as an open mountain landscape provides a space for you to step more fully into yourself, a mountain forest enfolds you in it's reassuring alpine embrace and 'whispers to your heart'.  It is like a wise and supportive friend who listens quietly and comfortingly. 

Just as Danny, our mountain guide, led us carefully along the changing mountain terrain, it is sometimes necessary to help navigate my patients through uncomfortable inner emotional terrains, holding a sacred space for the release of emotions or tension.  Within a therapeutic context I am very aware of the importance of opening a space that allows patients to connect more fully with emotions that need to be given expression.  These can be vulnerable and cathartic moments, just as pauses in music can contain a world of feeling and emotion that has the power to resonate with and transform the deepest parts of ourselves . 

Without space our emotions are like flowers trying to push through a crack in a stone pavement.  We may give ourselves little room for stopping or feeling but eventually our inner world has a tendency to reach up in unexpected places, although often unknowingly creating many different forms of physical and emotional tension or pain in the process.  This might be seen in a person's posture as shoulders that fold in protectively around the heart and the lungs, in the clenching of back muscles or tightness within the chest, or in the abdominal  pain that someone may be experiencing. 

You may not feel it necessary to go to the Spanish Pyrenees to find space, although I would highly recommend that you visit the wonderful Casa Cuadrau mountain retreat! You can give stillness the space it needs, and yourself the space it craves, by moving the 'stone pavement' a little at a time and creating your own rituals.  The way that we do this being very individual to ourselves: it may be sitting quietly in a peaceful place in the house or in your garden, walking in a park or in a forest or listening to a beautiful piece of music.  

The practice of simple yoga stretches where broadening and lengthening your physical frame can help you to release tension and feel more spaciousness within despite feeling pressured outwardly.  Deep breathing too, not only helps us to center into ourselves in a way that gives space to our feelings, but also engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body to relax.

In yoga and qi gong we talk about the importance of finding space in between the breath through deep and slow breathing, that moment of stillness between the movement of the breath.  Just as this stillness is a calm point from which the breath rises, so we can provide a calm center for our thoughts and feelings to surface.  However, if our breathing is too fast or shallow due to tension or anxiety, which often occurs when we feel that we have no room for pauses in our lives, then we block the silence that lets our vital energy through.  

When you find the space in between, it is something that can come everywhere with you, hopefully changing the rhythm and breath of the busiest days.

Finding balance

"Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes

If it were always a fist or always stretched open,

you would be paralysed.

Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding,

RUMI

You may have heard it said that it’s important to find a balance in all things.  But what does it really mean to be feeling balanced and how do we recognize when we might be feeling off kilter in a particular aspect of our lives.

You instinctively know when you’re feeling balanced as you feel like you’re not being pulled too hard in one direction more than another.  You feel calm, centered, grounded and energized or you may feel that all the various aspects of your life are working together in harmony.  

However, modern life has a tendency to ask more and more of us so that at times we feel too ’stretched open'.  It may be that you’re pushing yourself too hard physically or mentally without creating enough time for your mind and body to rest, or perhaps you’re giving too much of yourself without allowing yourself to receive nourishment.  We’ve all had moments when life’s demands have left us feeling stressed, scattered and unbalanced. The reasons are usually very individual to you.

In these moments, it’s helpful to have some simple tools to help us come back to our center and regain balance.

Integral to Traditional Chinese Medicine is the importance of balance to a person’s health and well-being.  It recognises that certain symptoms, whether they are mild or more severe, are a way for the body to let us know that there is a physical and/or emotional imbalance.  These symptoms may include low energy, anxiety or tension, headaches or poor sleep.  Identifying aspects of your life that may be out of balance, and choosing carefully selected acupuncture points that are known for their potential to restore equilibrium to the mind and body, acupuncture is one way of helping you to feel more centered and relaxed.  

In yoga too there are postures that can help you to regain a sense of balance and composure when life feels overwhelming or you’re feeling over-stretched.  Balance postures like Tree pose which require you to root through your feet and lower your center of gravity to give you more stability can be a really useful way of finding your equilibrium - the intense concentration required to stay upright on one leg makes it very difficult to focus on anything else!

Over the years as an acupuncturist and yoga teacher I have found certain techniques really useful in helping you to regain balance, particularly during those stressful times:

1) Rooting - Sitting in a cross-legged position with your hands resting on your legs, sense into those places that make contact with the floor, such as your sit bones and the back of your thighs.  Gently press your sitbones into the floor.  Bring your awarenesss to the rise and fall of the belly as you breathe in and out, feeling the belly expand with the inhale and contract towards the spine with the exhale.  As you’re belly contracts feel your pelvis gently rock back and your tailbone descend towards the floor, and as you inhale feel the pelvis tilting forward slightly.  Listen to the sound of your breath.

2) Mountain pose - Stand with your feet hip distance apart.  Feel into your feet: raise your toes and then spread them before lowering them back down.  Feel all four corners of the feet making contact with the floor beneath you.  Let the weight of the pelvis release into the thighs, the thighs release into the knees, the knees into the calves and shins and the calves and shins into the feet.  Visualize your body as a tree, with your torso representing the trunk and your feet representing the roots.  Then imagine that you’re feet have roots descending deep into the earth, feeling the strength and stability of your body as you become more rooted.  Then bring your hands together at  your heart to reaffirm the midline and center of the body.

3) Affirmations - These can be very reassuring and empowering when you’re life is feeling like it is out of control and you find yourself on a ferris wheel unable to get off! Quietly repeating to yourself words like “I can manage” “It will all get done” or “I am doing the best that I can” whilst breathing deeply can help you to reframe the way that you are feeling.

4) Gentle stretching - simple gentle stretches (if you’re already feeling over-stretched in your life then strong stretches may be counter-productive) can help to create a little more internal space even when you’re feeling outwardly pressured.  

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, clasp your hands at your chest and then as your breathe out extend your arms, pushing the heels of the hands away from you to stretch the upper back, particularly the area between the shoulder blades, which is typically where we store tension.  On your next inhale raise your arms above your head and stretch the sides of the torso, lifting the ribs away from the hips to help create more space between the ribs, which will allow your take in fuller more energising breaths.  Release your hands and as you breathe out lower one hand to the right side of the floor beside you and reach over to the right with the left hand (making sure to drop you’re right shoulder away from your ears.  Breathe in and out a few times before raising both arms to the ceiling again and repeating on the opposite side.

Life can feel quite chaotic and stressful at times but these simple tools can help you to balance times of expansion with small contractions that restore your sense of equilibrium.

Chinese Medicine and the changing seasons

The Chinese have long believed humans are intimately connected to natural world and as such the seasons can affect our bodies, sleep and our energy.  When we allow our energy to resonate with that of the physical world then we create health and vitality.  Trying to keep the same pace or rhythms regardless of the natural ebb and flow of the world around us will create disharmony and imbalalance.  

Each season has it’s own particular quality, for example, winter is a time for slowing down, conserving and storing.  The qualities that resonate with spring are expansion, growth and enthusiasm, just as a bud bursting into life .  The element associated with spring is wood and just as trees and plants need space to expand and grow, they need to be deeply rooted to obtain nourishment and need flexibility in order to adapt.  However, any restriction to this natural freedom of movement will cause frustration and anger.  A person shouting is often asking for something to change.  Internally this lack of flow may cause all sorts of problems, such as stiffness and tightness in tendons and muscles or a lack of vitality. When you release tightness held in the body you feel more open, energized, creative and expressive, physically muscles become softer, joints increase their range of motion and circulation improves. There is a saying that flowing water will never stagnate or the hinges of a moving door will never rust.  The re-balancing effects of acupuncture and the fluid movements of Qi gong are ideally suited to keep your energy flowing.

In China it is also very common for people to have acupuncture to help them adapt to seasonal changes, for example, from winter into spring or summer into winter.  The idea is to balance a person’s energy so that it is in the best possible shape to move into the new season.  As a result of imbalances, some people might be constitutionally hot in nature and experience symptoms such as headaches, psoriasis or eczema, hayfever or hot flushes and as a result would find the hotter months more difficult, as climatic heat can exacerbate internal heat. Seasonal treatment would reduce heat to help the person improve.  

If a person tends towards being constitutionally cold then they might be more susceptibile to colds, depression, tiredness, or arthritis and find the winter months more problematic. 

The wisdom of Chinese Medicine has always emphasised the importance of aligning your health with the changing seasons, but this is now being recognised by scientists who have found that the seasons can affect our health.

http://www.npr.org/…/seasons-may-tweak-genes-that-trigger-s…

Returning to the Fields by T’ao Ch’ien

When I was young, I was out of tune with the herd:

My only love was for the hills and the mountains

Unwitting I fell into the Web of the World’s dust

And was not free until my thirtieth year.

The migrant bird longs for the old wood:

The fish in the tank thinks of it’s native pool.

I had rescued from wildness a patch of the Southern Moor

And, still rustic, I returned to field and garden.

My ground covers no more than ten acres:

My thatched cottage has eight or nine rooms.

Elms and willows cluster by the eaves:

Peach trees and plum trees grow before the Hall.

Hazy, hazy the distant hamlets of men.

Steady the smoke of the half-deserted village,

A dog barks somewhere in the deep lanes,

A cock crows at the top of the mulberry tree.

At gate and courtyard - no murmur of the World’s dust:

In the empty rooms - leisure and deep stillness.

Long I lived checked by the bars of a cage:

Now I have turned again to Nature and freedom