Do you ever run around throughout your day without even a minute to breathe or gather your thoughts? Have you tried going to sleep at night and you can’t seem to shut your mind off? Mediation is a tool that can be used to help you quiet your mind and feel more connected to your body. It has been used across many cultures for centuries.
By Chris Helmstetter, LAc
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is recently in the news for all the wrong reasons. One of the main criticisms is the lengthy wait for America's veterans to get medical appointments and treatments. Veterans often deal with more complex and more intense medical issues than the general population. Disruptions in care and limited medical options exacerbate their issues. But even while the VA struggles to care for its veterans, it does try to listen to their needs.
Things are heating up as we enter the hottest months of the year. Summer is the time we all come out of our cocoons, our wintry shells, to shed our layers and play! In Chinese medicine, summer is the season associated with the fire element, and with the organs of the Heart, Small Intestine, the Pericardium, and the Triple Heater (more about those last two in a moment). They are the organs of warmth, connection, joy, and passion and by using the principles of Chinese medicine, we can learn to have balanced fire in our own lives.