February means "heart month".
There are hearts everywhere: candies, chocolates, candles and cards abound leading up to Valentine's Day.
Followed by the "Discounted" candies, chocolates, candles and cards found AFTER Valentine's Day.
Interestingly, logic tells us that our anatomical heart bears little resemblance to the symbols of hearts we see in February. The idea of connecting "love" with the "heart" is not one of science, but of poetry.
In a similar way, when we think of the heart in Traditional Chinese Medicine, we think not of the anatomical heart, but a representation of the heart that resides within the body. The function of this energetic heart is thought to be similar in some ways to the anatomical heart: it governs the movement of blood through the body and oversees the work of the arteries and veins.
However, the HEART in Traditional Chinese Medicine is most often thought of for its role in "matters of the heart" - our emotional life.
Thousands of years of research and practice have connected the heart with how we actually feel and process feelings - A revealing and inspired connection on the importance of both art and science when it comes to the practice of naturopathic medicine: The art in the finding of patterns and relationships within every unique individual; The science in the application of logic in the diagnosis and treatment of the patterns.
Now ladies - I'm lookin' at you: SO MANY of the female patients I see have difficulties with either a) anxiety or b) insomnia. And guess what?.. Traditional Chinese Medicine connects this back to the heart.
So what is to be done?
- meditation - my most oft prescribed approach to treating anxiety
- acupuncture - don't knock it 'til you try it. Acupuncture is PROFOUNDLY AWESOME. And I am starting up a pay-what-you-can acupuncture clinic in downtown London, ON this March! Check it out: www.nicolerushnd.com/upcoming-events/2015/1/31/forest-city-community-acupuncture
- and of course! sleep support...stress support...providing a safe space for you to vent about what's ailing you
Thanks for reading!
~Nicole Rush, ND
