emotion Archives - Mend Acupuncture

Getting Ahead of SAD
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Getting Ahead of SAD

Mood, Seasonal Changes

Getting Ahead of SAD

By Dana Robinson|2023-07-27T10:53:25-04:00July 27th, 2023|Categories: Mood, Seasonal Changes|Tags: acupuncture, depression, emotion, mood, movement, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), summer, Traditional Chinese Medicine|

I’m imagining eyes rolling as their owners read this blog. I’m imagining the sighs and dismissive thoughts “Why are you writing about Seasonal Affective Disorder in JULY?!? I’m busy dealing with the social, physical, and emotional challenges of Summer!! I have a pool party to go to!” Or maybe you’re struggling with depression in the summer, which is more common than you think, as discussed in our blog with Summertime Sadness and How Acupuncture Can Help Beat the Summer Blues. But, when you think about it practically, it's a great time to start thinking about [...]

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Emotion of Summer: Joy
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Emotion of Summer: Joy

Emotion

Emotion of Summer: Joy

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-09-15T14:41:38-04:00July 20th, 2023|Categories: Emotion|Tags: acupuncture, community, creativity, emotion, happiness, heart, Heat, joy, summer|

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each season is associated with one of five emotions, along with a specific organ. For the summer season, the corresponding emotion is joy. From a TCM perspective, joy is not just happiness, but a feeling of deep satisfaction that comes from living a meaningful life. When we experience joy… the Heart's Qi expands. we feel light, open, and connected. the heart's rhythm is regulated our blood circulation improves. our body's immune system is strengthened. worries, anxieties, grief, greed, irritation and other negative emotions are dispersed. our mind is clear and our intellect and memory are [...]

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Our Heart’s Protector: The Pericardium
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Our Heart’s Protector: The Pericardium

acupoint, Mood, Organ

Our Heart’s Protector: The Pericardium

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-02-09T08:28:13-05:00February 9th, 2023|Categories: acupoint, Mood, Organ|Tags: emotion, fear, Heart Protector, PC 6, Pericardium, TCM, Valentine's Day, winter|

We're less than a week from Valentine's Day, with all focus it's focus on the ❤️/heart. However, an organ that deserves some major props around this time of year is the Pericardium. Physically, the Pericardium is a double-layered sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart. Spaces between the layers are filled with fluid, which lubricates as well as protects the Heart from external shock or trauma. Of course, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the idea of protecting the Heart goes much deeper. A Bit About Zàng-fǔ One of the most central tenets of TCM is zàng-fǔ. Within this concept, [...]

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Questions to Consider for Winter
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Questions to Consider for Winter

Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Questions to Consider for Winter

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-02-07T16:50:17-05:00February 7th, 2023|Categories: Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, emotion, fear, questions of the season, TCM, winter|

Photo by David Besh from Pexels In Chinese Medicine, Winter is the darkest, slowest, most inward and reflective season. Just as its opposite Summer, is the brightest, most active and energetic. This is not to be taken lightly, as truly, these seasons are polar opposites, i.e. yin (Winter) and yang (Summer). Similarly to how Summer's abundant daylight beckons us with long days and "fun in the sun," Winter pushes us to confront darkness and slowing down. This vibe can feel incongruent to our modern world. But rest assured, in Chinese Medicine, this is for our own good. Winter instructs us [...]

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Leveraging Spring Energy
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Leveraging Spring Energy

Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Leveraging Spring Energy

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-05-01T15:30:22-04:00April 10th, 2022|Categories: Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: building, Chinese medicine, emotion, gallbladder, growth, leveraging, liver, new beginnings, renewal, spring, TCM, tips, walking|

A Season of New Beginnings and Growth In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the seasons hold a powerful symbiotic relationship on our body, mind and spirit. And while Western culture certainly is influenced by seasonal aspects, TCM goes much deeper. At the heart of Traditional Chinese Medicine lies the Five Element cycle which symbolizes the continuity and stages of life. Each season, and its corresponding element, represents a stage of development. Spring, aligned with the Wood element, is the first in the cycle and signifies creation – birth, life and its subsequent evolution. The rest we took in the winter [...]

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Cry! Sing! Scream! : Grief + The Lung in Autumn
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Cry! Sing! Scream! : Grief + The Lung in Autumn

Mood, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Cry! Sing! Scream! : Grief + The Lung in Autumn

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:05:19-05:00September 28th, 2021|Categories: Mood, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: breath, emotion, fall, grief, lungs|

Since the start of the pandemic, grief is something we've been experiencing on such a large collective scale. The transitional season of autumn is linked to the Lung, which is the yin organ specifically related to the emotion of grief. The Lung’s corresponding yang organ is the Large Intestine, associated with physical and emotional ‘ letting go.’ In this season, we may carve out time to acknowledge and feel our grief, and perhaps find ways to help us process and release it. First of all, we have to let ourselves and others know, IT’S OKAY TO FEEL OUR GRIEF! [...]

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It’s Okay to Feel However You Feel
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It’s Okay to Feel However You Feel

Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

It’s Okay to Feel However You Feel

By JaimeRoslyn|2022-11-15T14:06:03-05:00April 5th, 2021|Categories: Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, covid, emotion, pandemic, spring, TCM|

Image by Karolina Grabowska “I feel like I’m in quicksand,” reports one interviewee from the New York Times’ article We Have All Hit a Wall: Confronting late-stage pandemic burnout, with everything from edibles to Exodus. The feeling of being exhausted all of the time is a common complaint, i.e. pandemic fatigue which encompasses physical, mental and emotional exhaustions. Malaise, burnout, stress and depression...all have risen due to 13 months of this mess, according to a recent Metlife study. And no wonder, this has been a sustained year of loss, tragedy and hardship. In addition, memory lapses, forgetting what day [...]

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Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish
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Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish

coronavirus, Mood, Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish

By allysonschurtz|2022-11-15T14:06:18-05:00January 22nd, 2021|Categories: coronavirus, Mood, Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: bladder, Chinese medicine, emotion, fear, kidney, nourish, nutrition, rest, TCM, water, winter, yin|

Photo by Annie Spratt Lately in the treatment room, patients are reporting feeling extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, and depression. This admission is typically followed by the question, “what’s wrong with me?” Nothing is wrong! For many of us, our nervous systems have been under stress for a long period of time and this can have a significant impact on our health. The remedy is to lean into the wisdom of the season and allow ourselves the space to rest. This year, it’s more important than ever. Rest According to TCM, much like many animals in nature, Winter is [...]

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Winter + The Kidney + Fear: An Interpretation
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Winter + The Kidney + Fear: An Interpretation

Organ, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Winter + The Kidney + Fear: An Interpretation

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:06:19-05:00January 19th, 2021|Categories: Organ, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, emotion, fear, kidney, TCM|

As you may know, in Chinese Medicine, each season corresponds to an organ and to an emotion. Winter is associated with The Kidney and Fear. Winter, historically, is tied with ‘survival mode,’ scarcity, storing up for winter, making sure you have everything you need to pull through until spring. Winter is the most yin of the seasons because it is the coldest and darkest time of the year. It is a season known for depth, slowing down and going inward, which for many of us, can be…. scary! Let’s examine this. The Kidney and Fear relationship in Chinese Medicine [...]

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Late Summer’s Worry
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Late Summer’s Worry

coronavirus, Digestion, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Late Summer’s Worry

By JaimeRoslyn|2022-11-15T14:06:42-05:00August 11th, 2020|Categories: coronavirus, Digestion, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, covid, covid-19, damp, digestion, emotion, fatigue, Late Summer, mood, seasonal changes, TCM, worry|

These days, there’s plenty to worry about. Yet here we are, in Traditional Chinese Medicine’s season of Worry. In TCM, it's commonly understood that as natural beings, we're affected by our natural environment including the season we're in. As we sit squarely in Late Summer (late July to mid-September), we recognize the season’s impact not only on our body but on our emotions, as well. Pay close attention to Worry this season. This can look like over-thinking or focusing too much on a particular topic, as well as self-doubt, insecurity, confusion, projection of responsibility and blame, insomnia, martyrdom, resentment, frustration, and [...]

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