Summer is less than a month away, marked by the Summer Solstice that follows a full moon.  That is by far the happiest sentence I’ve written so far this year.  Summer is the time of year where temperature, culture, traditions and we as individuals, exhibit the most Yang type activities in the most Yang of environments.  Summer represents the apex dominance in Yin Yang balance where yin is least apparent and yang the most abundant; think longer, warmer days. This same dynamic dictates in Traditional Asian Medicine what practitioners are on the lookout for when treating patients with acupuncture, food, herbs, and lifestyle recommendations. The clinical focus is the heart's sphere of influence and its relationship with the patient's health and well-being.

The job of Licensed Acupuncturists is to restore balance in all areas of the body/mind/spirit.  So when I mention the heart, our clinical focus not only includes physical heart health but so much more. We learn that the heart has non physical attributes that can diminish the health of the blood pump in the middle of your chest. The mind/spirit aspect of the physical heart is called the Shen. Out-of-balance Shen can be seen clinically as excessively loud speaking, anxiety, uncontrolled anger, difficult relationships and poor sleep. These are conditions all medical settings and specialities are seeing excessively these days. This is a “We” problem, not an individual problem.

The heart’s sphere of influence also has the most to do with our relationships in Traditional Asian Medicine’s 3,000 year old perspective. This truth spans time and space. Cultures throughout history, and all over the world, have shared this association between heart feelings and the bonds/attachments individuals cultivate. More importantly, I see how heart spirit/mind pathology moves us to push others away in tragic ways, or develop pathological relationships.  

Science has already shown that the greater number of healthy relationships an individual has, the happier and healthier that person is.  Unfortunately, we all know COVID reduced the availability and perceptions of what relationships meant during those difficult years.  Love became harder in all ways and for almost everyone.  So now it seems we see more anger, shouting, indifference and violence toward others online and in person, and we at Jade wish to change that direction.

Relationships rely on balanced communication and clear boundaries. Boundaries rely on honest communication and nurturing relationships. Effective communication needs a respectful relationship and reasonable boundaries. This perspective sounds circular, doesn’t it?  The search for happiness is often a journey back where you started from. Imagine the happiness you have for a person, place or thing sits on a three legged stool. Each leg of this imaginary stool is made of quality relationships, effective communication, and reasonable boundaries relative to the person place or thing in which you seek joy.  If there is excess or deficiency in any of the three legs the stool is not level and balanced and that happiness/joy is in peril.  

Happiness is dependent on these three factors and, the truth of the matter, balance can only come from you, it’s your stool.  Others can inform you, tell you what they think or what their own stool looks like, their words can help, but you’re the only person that can mend your stool and it does require some work.  My clinical approach reduces the distractions, hurdles and static our lives generate through stress. Living in Fight or Flight mode keeps all of us from mending and maintaining our happiness, reduces our trust in ourselves and others, amplifies fear that kills the curiosity needed to grow, and pushes us further apart inch by inch, day by day.  

Pain is often a thing that understandably makes people unhappy. Complicated relationships develop with patterns of chronic pain such as silent, adversarial, alone but for other's pain gains them exposure to many nurturing caregivers and greater social exposure. The quiet adversarial person in pain may communicate briefly with little to no detail about their pain while the free communicator always shares in copious amounts of details about their pain. It would seem these two pain sufferers’ boundaries are at opposite sides of the spectrum. The silent sufferer may discover that lowering very strong boundaries allows them an outlet to ease their weary mind and find enough trust to get treatment for their pain. In contrast, stronger boundaries around their pain would allow them to listen to solutions to consider and build stronger friendships with more diverse communication.  

The work to improve can be simple, but not always easy.  The work can be easier with lower stress levels, acupuncture reduces that effectively.  During a free consultation I can explain how treatment can specifically help you, so reach out to Jade.