mental clarity

Mar

2016

Alchemy of Chinese Herbs

Photography Wendy Brown

Herbs and roots are life-nourishing.

They are sustenance as well as medicine,

and convey nature’s forces.

Through their connection to the natural world, herbs and roots of Chinese medicine imbue their resonance with these forces within us.

Regulated by the rhythms of Yin and Yang, influenced by the 5 elements (sun, soil, minerals, water, and other trees and plants), and through their ability to adapt to the climatic factors of heat and cold, wind, dryness and dampness, herbs renew our resilience.

Immortal Mágū collecting medicinal roots, fruits and plants

Chinese medicine has a long history of practices that propagate life; practices to nourish and prolong life through our mental-physical-spiritual oneness with nature. Such concepts and knowledge of creating rarified, spiritual states of being and longevity have passed through Taoist lineages, preserving the Three Treasures Jīng, Qì and Shen.

BURDOCK ROOT

The energetic nature of herbs and other organic substantive matter, in their particular parts, collected and prepared specifically to confer the essence of their elemental forces, guide and help to make whole.

Jul

2015

Attention Deficit Disorder

It appears that Attention Deficit Disorder, referred to as A.D.D., arises from a neurological defect, with abnormalities in brain tissue and/or biochemical functions. Nutritional deficiencies, exposure to harmful chemicals in-utero such as from smoking, alcohol, prescription and/or illicit drugs, and by further exposure to environmental pollutants – all of which have become wide-spread problems during the past four decades – seem to be the pathological factors that strongly contribute to A.D.D.

The imbalance of spiraling from Yang to Yin to Yang

From the perspective of Chinese medicine, essence and marrow are the foundation of the brain. Early problems with mental development indicate deficiency of an individual’s vital essence. As well, phlegm obstruction and settling agitated Yang energy that is manifesting as hyperactivity are significant pieces of the etiology of A.D.D. that can be improved with oriental medicine. Chinese literature suggests that treatment of this condition by acupuncture begins to show improvement ranging from two weeks to two months, with Chinese herbal preparations appropriate to the condition also crucial to the success of treatment.