©2020 Elen Lauper

None of us really like change. We may hold on as tightly as possible until we are forced to deal with it. Yet change is part of life, part of growth. And so the question becomes how to handle change, how to respond to it.

This part of the site gives helpful hints to better manage and adapt to those changes:

Awareness

  • Out of Balance Symptoms
  • In Harmony

Tools

  • Using Food as Medicine
  • Self-soothing activities

In this section, we start with the symptoms that most express the imbalance in each season.

In each season there is a certain style of energy, the way it moves, the way it affects us.

These phases or styles of energy are what feed the acupuncture meridians, and eventually the organs. When that style of energy is allowed to express itself in a positive manner, health is achieved and maintained. When that energy is blocked, distorted, or thwarted in some way, the meridians cannot support their organ functions, and so specific symptoms start to manifest.

There are 5 patterns of Qi or energy movement that operate in our world and our bodies and are associated with 5 elements: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. Each style of movement is the strongest in its associated season. Each season feeds different groups of organ systems. While speaking about the movement of energy, let me say that some elements appear to move easily, while others appear not to move at all. But that is an illusion, they just move more slowly, or under the surface.

Although we live in a fast paced city and our daily lives are pretty full, there are small changes we can make. Take a minute or two to check in with your body, find the areas of tension, breathe into them one at a time and release. Or use one of the other self-care activities listed below. They are short and sweet. It takes as long as a coffee or cigarette break, with better results.

Click on the symptoms that most match the problems you are dealing with to see which suggestions help the best.