Winter The Season of Rest

In TCM winter is associated with the water element, kidneys and bladder organs, bones and teeth tissues, and fear and fright emotions. Winter is considered a time to rest and a time where the energy of the body descends deeply inside oneself to allow for quiet contemplation.

The traditional calendar follows 24 solar terms so the first day of winter was Nov 8th with solstice marking the half way point. The beginning of yang building within yin symbolized by the light retuning and longer days. The first day of spring is the first new moon of the lunar year which is celebrated as Chinese new year. This year it falls on Feb 12 - just over a month away.

With these last few weeks of winter it is important to rest deeply so that out energy can re-emerge with vitality in spring. This is important for health of our body, mind and spirit. We are ending a rat year and heading into an ox year. Rats are known for being resourceful at storing and gathering. The ox signals a year of hard work ahead. For me this is a reminder of the need to build our individual resources so that in the coming year we can do the “hard work” - processing all that had happened in the rat year (so much!) and moving forward towards the changes that we want and need in our lives, communities and the collective experience.

Resilience is Fertile: This is Your Liver on Acupuncture

We all want better habits, more flexibility, and perhaps broader perspectives. As it turns out, our bodies innately do this. Though sometimes it can be a struggle. Fortunately acupuncture can help us keep calm, and help our liver carry on.

Our Inner Resiliency

The liver is part of over 500 functions all over our bodies. For example, the liver helps process food, medications, and toxins. Allergic reactions and hormonal cycles depend on the liver. And to top things off, it regenerates itself. Regenerates. Itself.

Which is amazing, but what’s more is that the cells can change and even create structures that didn’t previously exist. From finding the energy to do things, to eliminating the unnecessary, to self-care, our liver can be a mentor for becoming our best selves.

Rebuilding tissues which our bodies need and that aren’t malignant requires the appropriate signals from our nervous system. As an example, research has found that the same versatile liver cells that can build a necessary bile duct can also spread cancer. The difference depends on the message. An ideal acupuncture treatment aids in making sure that the right signals are being sent. Clear messages need to go to not only your liver, but to all essential body systems like circulatory, immune and endocrine.

Our Inner Fertility

And so, acupuncture for fertility requires work on the entire nervous system. In a way, it’s about preparing the soil before planting a seed. Kiiko Matsumoto style acupuncture can help the sympathetic (flight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) functions of the nervous system be in perfect tandem. Because of this, its central diagnosis and treatment interventions rely on palpatory (touch-based) findings.

Furthermore Kiiko Sensei has developed effective treatment strategies for many common liver pathologies like systemic detoxification, to help the liver break down and excrete toxins. There are treatments for liver inflammation, which often shows up in mood and digestive complaints. And fatty liver treatments help with the absorption of fat, cholesterol and bile production.

So breathe a sigh of relief and book in a session. Let’s get ready for the rest of this busy summer season.

References

Izumi, Tomohito, et al. “Vagus-Macrophage-Hepatocyte Link Promotes Post-Injury Liver Regeneration and Whole-Body Survival through Hepatic FoxM1 Activation.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 13 Dec. 2018, www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07747-0.

“Autonomic Regulation of Liver Regeneration After Partial Hepatectomy in Mice.” Journal of Surgical Research, Academic Press, 27 Mar. 2008, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022480408001601.

“Cancer Most Frequently Spreads to the Liver; Here’s Why.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 6 Mar. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190306131418.htm.

“How Some Liver Cells Switch Identities to Build Missing Plumbing.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 2 May 2018, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180502132119.htm.

“Your Liver Is Essential to Your Life. The Canadian Liver Foundation.” Canadian Liver Foundation, www.liver.ca/your-liver/.