Brain, Mood and Sleep Enhancement

Diet & Life Style

Extra Tips

Chakras, Elements, Meridians & Doshas

Traditional medicine can offer a deeper look into healing by focusing on the mind-body-spirit connection. Modern medicine is just beginning to rediscover truths that Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have known for centuries. Modern fields like psychoneuroimmunology are showing the strong connection between our emotions and our physical health, proving that the root of illness can sometimes lie beyond what lab tests can reveal. There are many different healing systems, theories, and approaches from all around the world that use personality types, temperaments, and energy systems to explore health and wellness. They give practitioners the tools and a system of medicine to detect blocks and imbalances that we may not even be aware of. The goal is to identify these imbalances and bring the body into balance before the manifestation of disease.

Health is a very personal journey. We will explore some of the more common traditional medicine systems in this article. Some of these may not resonate with you. Take what you find to be useful and let go of anything that is not.

Chakras

Chakras are a way of visualizing the subtle energy system of the body taught in Indian Yoga. Chakras are depicted as spinning wheels of colorful energy over specific spots from the base of the spine to the top of the head. These centers connect the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual body together and represent the flow of life energy through your system. Imbalances in these energy systems can manifest as physical, emotional, or mental illness. Because each chakra has a unique and individualized role within the body, your symptoms can tell practitioners which chakra is out of alignment and what you need to do to bring it back into balance.

Five Elements

The five elements theory is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it expands the mind-body-spirit connection to include the patterns and energy found in nature. This traditional system categorizes energy systems into five natural elements – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. In physical health, these elements relate to key organs and body systems, emotions, color, and even time of day. Every person is a blend of all elements, and true health exists when the elements are in balance with each other. By analyzing your symptoms using the five elements, practitioners can pinpoint imbalances in your energy system and correct them. This theory can help explain the cause of diseases by associating signs or symptoms to particular emotions.

Meridians

Meridians are a part of Chinese Traditional Medicine that represent paths (also known as channels) in the body in which energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”) flow through. Just like a pipe, meridians can become clogged or blocked. This causes some meridians to have a buildup of excess energy, and some meridians to not have enough energy. Meridians need to be balanced with Qi flowing freely through their channel for you to be physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy. Acupuncture is one way to help balance the flow of energy through your meridians.

Doshas

Doshas are part of the Ayurvedic system of medicine that divides our mental, emotional, and physical energy into three categories – Pitta, Vatta, Kapha. These energy centers are constantly changing in response to the world around us, including our actions, thoughts, emotions, food we eat, the seasons and any sensory inputs into the body.

The most important thing for your health is to keep the doshas in balance. When we live with our intrinsic natures, we naturally make lifestyle and diet decisions that foster balance within our doshas. When we live against our intrinsic natures, we support unhealthy patterns that lead to imbalances and eventual disease. We are most susceptible to imbalances related to our predominant dosha, as one dosha type predominates in most individuals. You can, however, restore balance when we understand our unique make-up and how to harmonize our internal environment and its needs with the external world.