Jan 6, 2022, is the first day of the Yin Metal Ox month of the Chinese calendar. Just like the animal year, most people are aware of each Chinese New Year, the Chinese calendar also assigns an animal and one of the five elements to each month, day, and hour. What does this mean regarding how Meridian Harmonics approaches health and treatment strategies?
The Yin Metal Ox refers to one of the sixty-four hexagrams described in the I Ching and used in Feng Shui. Its image represents Lake over Earth or Yin over Yin.
This hexagram is the image of Yin moving downward and inward and gathering together. This represents a time of renewal in preparation for the unforeseen. This is a time for consolidation and preparing for future endeavors. Neglecting this time for consolidation and preparation can result in the following general disorders:
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problems with the nervous system
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problems with the digestive tract
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problems with the cardiovascular and circulatory systems
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problems with the genitourinary and endocrine systems of the body
All this on top of being in the middle of the winter season, during a world pandemic! The Yin Metal Ox month represents several health challenges.
For the nervous system, this month can challenge patients with low back pain, headaches, stiff neck, dizziness, and febrile diseases (i.e.: common cold, influenza, COVID-19, etc.)
One of the important properties of the digestive tract is its relationship to the pulmonary system. During this month some typical digestive/pulmonary issues include hemorrhoids, abdominal distention and pain, diarrhea, constipation, cough, asthma, chest pain, sore throat, and febrile diseases.
This month can be characterized by the following circulatory and cardiovascular incidences: palpitations, cardiac pain, and manic disorder.
The Yin Metal Ox month is prone to these genitourinary and endocrine system problems: Edema, abdominal distention, diarrhea, febrile diseases without sweat or ceaselessly sweating, night sweating, weakness, numbness, and pain of the lower extremities, laryngitis.
Here at Meridian Harmonics, during this month we will supplement our treatments to support these systems of each patient. This can be accomplished using specific acupuncture and herbal therapies. Each patient is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for every patient. We will assess each patient, individually, on what strategies are best suited for them.
Modifying one’s lifestyle can support this period and the winter season in general. The current season of winter represents a cold environment. This means we should protect our bodies from the cold, internally, and externally. Overexposure to the cold causes cold to invade the acupuncture channels and leads to the energy, or Qi, within the channels being inhibited or blocked. In the Yin Metal Ox month, the cold pathogen is accentuated and invades the organs leading to the various internal medical conditions listed. The winter season encourages us to consume more warming foods and fluids, which are more beneficial to the internal organs. Colder foods and fluids will have the opposite effect by damaging our internal organs during the Yin Metal Ox month. This is one of the major ways wintertime infections occur and results in the common cold, influenza, allergies, headaches, tension, and pain in the neck, upper back, and shoulders. Many of the channels in these regions affect the digestive tract.
Want to try out acupuncture? Call or email us to schedule a 20-minute stress relief acupuncture session for just $20. 817-835-0885, info@mhaom.com
Clinic hours: Tue - Fri 8:00 - 12:00, 1:30 - 6:30 Closed: Sat, Sun, Mon
Meridian Harmonics Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine www.mhaom.com
