I’ve been practicing for 14 years now. Coming out of the gate in 2006 as an early pulse-reader, it was apparent even then that most people were operating on some level of fatigue. We called it the ‘American pulse’ in school: a bit of adrenal fatigue and some burdens on the digestive system were common. A decade later, this was still true and there may have been even a bit more fatigue and more ‘stagnation’/lack of flow, as we were heard about more and more hormonal challenges and auto-immune diagnoses.
There have been so many moments of sitting with you and sitting with my own embodied experience where I have thought, “we weren’t built for this life.”
There is a wonder that has been growing in me, and about our pulses, and how as a group we have been changing (not necessarily adapting) over time. Perhaps we weren’t built for the grind that suddenly came to a halt last week? Perhaps we were built to rest when we are tired, to touch the earth, to eat real food, and to be of service in our work, but not at the same time.
Personally, under the real questions of resources, I am at peace in this literal homecoming. I appreciate the sudden pause, the quieting of the noise so that I can listen to what my body has been saying for a while, under the caffeine, the “drive” and the responsibility.
As a team, we are trusting in the energy of “water/winter” and the unknown. But with the deep knowing that seasons always change (winter into spring) and that elements often transform (water into air), and emotions (such as fear) will transform into wisdom if we give it a moment.
The ‘laws of nature’ have always informed how acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine herbalists think. We nudge the body back to health with the intuitive wisdom of nature. Mother nature is fully in charge now. No quieting her any longer. This is a moment to reframe everything, to be curious about what was and what will be as a community, and for each of us as individuals. Perhaps, if we get this right, we’ll never go back to normal.
What’s next for us at Mend?
My and our appreciation for the wisdom of Chinese Medicine, and the way it walks us back to health has never been more crystalized than in this week that we have not been able to practice it. Please know that we are working on a method to deliver Chinese Medicine to you at home.
Stay tuned.
