In today’s world, stress seems to be part of everyday life. Whether you are a busy professional or a student, you are very likely to face demands and deadlines, on top of other pressures. While stress is normal, depression and anxiety are more serious and are conditions which can arise from stress.
It is often quite difficult to differentiate between the two, as some differences are only slight: There is an overlap between the two symptoms which can make it difficult to tell them apart.
Stress is your body’s response to anything that requires attention or action. Stress is a normal part of our life. A little bit of stress is beneficial. However, the wider definition of feeling stressed defines it as being worried on most days, over a period of about 6 months. Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity especially in doing things we once enjoyed, feeling sad or hopeless most days of the week but for at least two weeks in a row.
As autumn transitions into winter and the days grow shorter and colder, yang moves into yin. Seasonal transitions are always challenging, even for the healthiest of people. Many people are greatly affected by what is called the ‘winter blues’ or SAD (Seasonal affective Disorder). We might call it gloominess or being down in the dumps, we may also be struggling with a cold, or flue and, or, the added anxiety this winter of not knowing if it is the flue or COVID19. The renewed and strict Lockdowns in various country will also bring about more psychological disorders and hardships to many people compared to previous years transitions.
Wir haben alle die Nase voll von dieser Pandemie. Es ist schwer, sich nicht müde zu fühlen, denn seit Monaten, seit die Pandemie ausgebrochen ist, müssen wir nun schon einen gewissen Aufwand an Sorgfalt aufrechterhalten. Die Zahlen in Europa und anderen Teilen der Welt steigen jeden Tag wieder. Wir wissen nicht, was passieren wird oder was wir dagegen tun können. Angstzustände und Depressionen nehmen zu, auch bei jüngeren Menschen. Wenn wir unter Stress stehen, gerät unser autonomes Nervensystem in einen Zustand der Übererregung.
We are all sick of this pandemic. It’s hard not to feel fatigued, we now have had to maintain a state of diligence, for months since the pandemic began. Numbers in Europe and other parts of the world are going up again every single day. We don’t know what’s going to happen or what we can do about it. Anxiety and depression are on the rise, even among younger people. When we are under stress our autonomic nervous system moves into a hyper arousal state. The months of lockdown and restrictions that we are going through has bought on emotional challenges that few of us have experienced in the past. How can we help ourselves to cope? One way is to begin to shift our center of attention from worrying about the future to the present. Let’s not strive for perfection. It’s just fine not to be cheerful all the time.
Trees are letting go of leaves. (letting go is a big thing) Energy sap of trees and perennial plants shift to the roots
The air is drier, Temperature gets cooler.
Nights are getting longer, as days are getting shorter
Seeds produced during the past month mature and fall to the ground
In Traditional East Asian Medicine, the Lung Organ System is responsible for building and maintaining defensive Qi. This is the external layer of Qi. Defensive Qi is a layer of immunity that prevents pathogen(microbes, bacteria) from getting into our system. The Lung organ system is vulnerable in autumn. We say in the West, this is the season of cold and flu.
Korean Hand Therapy (KHT) is also known as Koryo Sooji Chim meaning ‘Korean Hand Acupuncture’. KHT is an acupuncture microsystem, where the whole body is projected on to the hands. It differs from other micro systems (ears, abdomen, feet) as it features all the acupuncture points as well as the Traditional Chinese Medicine meridians on the hands. It was developed by Dr. Tae-Woo Yoo in the early nineteen-seventies and its continuously being updated and refined. Unfortunately, a lot of the studies and researches are only published in Korean. KHT is one of the best kept secrets, and the benefits of its use for the most common menopausal symptoms such as, hot flushes, low energy levels and fatigue prevention are known to be quick, effective and can easily be applied by the client at home, in between regular acupuncture treatments. It gives the client also some self-responsibility, which in turn speeds up the healing process. Hot flushes: Can start a few months or years before the period stops and usually continue for several years after the last period. KHT is utilizing 2 points on the Du Channel. clients use simple press pellets of silver color and apply them nightly before going to bed, remove them upon awakening. clients are advised to use them for a minimum of 21 – 30 days, even if their symptoms greatly improve or even disappear prior. Symptoms might re-appear in a milder form, depending also of course on lifestyle. Eating spicy food, caffeine and alcohol, smoking, feeling stressed or anxious, to name a few. Low Energy levels: KHT is recommending Hand Moxa, and one of its benefits is, what we call the 6 super points prescription, which is composed of 6 points on the Ren Channel. Each key point individually helps a wide range of problems but as a combination they are known to a improve circulation, digestion, emotional balance, quality of sleep and energy levels. It is ideal for self-treatment or as a preventative measure and should be applied daily to both hands. Fatigue prevention: KHT applies the confluent point of the Du Mai, and the confluent point of the Yang Quao Mai. These combination as a long-term treatment with moxa maybe helpful to prevent osteoporosis. This is based on a new research coming out of Korea. Korean Hand Therapy is an easy to learn, amazingly powerful, versatile and convenient therapy to treat the whole body through the hands. Menopausal symptoms are just one aspect of it. It is also beneficial for the therapist as a self -treatment.
‘’A fallen leaf is nothing more than a summer’s wave goodbye’’(unknown)
In the Chinese horoscope, August is the 7th lunar month and is governed by the Metal Element. We slowly approach Autumn and our energy is beginning to turn more inward. It is a time of letting go of things, ideas, attitudes and feelings that no longer serve a purpose or are outdated. What might you wish to simplify in yourself or your life?
The Metal energy of August makes us to look back, but at the same time, it drives us forward towards personal transformation, Metal has this transformational energy to encourage growth.
Das Element Erde gilt in der Traditionellen Ostasiatischen Medizin (TEAM) als der zentrale Punkt zwischen den 5 Elementen. Das Erde-element repräsentiert Nahrung, sowohl physisch als auch emotional.
The Earth element in Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) is considered the central point between the 5 elements. Earth represents nourishment, both physical and emotional.
In TEAM, the Theory is that we are transitioning from the Fire Element to the Earth Element. The Earth element is also known as the ‘fifth season’ – a season with no exact start or end date, just as the so-called Dog Days in the Northern Hemisphere. The term ‘Dog Days’ refers to a period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring in late July and August. The expression of ‘Dog Days’ comes from the ancient Egypt and Greece and is referred to the star Sirius which is part of a group of stars that form the constellation ‘Greater Dog’. Sirius appearance was thought to have been responsible to have brought drought, disease and discomfort to their lands. To the contrary, in TEAM, the Earth Element is beginning, when you can tell that the fruit is ripe, and the fields need harvesting.
