In Chinese medicine, there is a season for everything. Winter is the time to allow yourself a period of inactivity. It's a time to replenish and reflect. Inactivity isn't something that I handle well. I am one of those people who needs something to do at all times, or I get anxious. Boredom is my worst nightmare, and I'll do anything to avoid it...so I'm definitely not the type to relish having an extended lack of activity. While I can appreciate the occasional few hours of lounging around the house, zoning out to bad reality TV, I can only take it for a short amount of time before I start getting edgy. Over these last few days, I've been forced into hibernation due to some sort of weird bug that left me coughing, achy, and beyond fatigued. Oddly, I also had the slowest week in the clinic that I've had in months...maybe even a year! I didn't reschedule due to being sick; it just happened that way. I guess some higher power knew that I'd need my rest! I have now fully recovered, but those days of isolation and inactivity were torture for me. Three days of doing nothing? So depressing. It wasn't until I had a conversation with a friend (who also happens to be an acupuncturist) that I started to put things in perspective. As the seasons change and the weather shifts, we need to do the same. Winter is the most Yin season. Yin is quiet, dark, reflective, restful. In the Yin times, we should be staying inside more, both physically and metaphorically. It's a time to search within, reflecting on the past and planning for the future. Action is the next step, but for this season, the theme is rest and contemplation. I'm going to try to keep this in mind for the rest of the season. Rather than feeling guilty for taking a mental and physical "time-out", I'm going to take advantage of these colder months to just...well, chill (no pun intended). Spring will be here soon enough, and as this Yin time evolves into Yang, I will be well rested and ready for action! |
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CategoriesChinese medicineOn the other end of the needle Patients Random |
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