We get Knocked Down, and back up again.

Of course, it’s best when we don’t get knocked down at all but if we do, the goal is to get back up. After a bad cold or flu, after an injury to the shoulder or knee, a break up, a period of great stress, or a really bad case of indigestion.

We often want the healing to happen fast. Like NOW. However, I have witnessed that engaging that attitude toward your physical and emotional health can actually cause more aggravation and thereby pain.

Personally, I learn and relearn patience. I have to face my own stubborn mind, and sit with these challenges with my patients also.

So, what if you have an intolerance to a certain food and maybe you know or don’t know or just choose when to know or don’t know.

What if we aren’t happy with a relationship, or our job and we are entrenched in a mindset of ‘I cannot change that right now’ or ‘what if I cannot find another job right away’ or this is good enough.

What if you have this nagging shoulder pain but you think ‘I still need to work out’ or ‘just 5 more reps’!

Eventually our systems can become over loaded.

There are two types of destruction in Chinese Medicine: one is chaos and one is control.

Chaos is a system running wild; fire raging all over the place, flooding of the soil, rigidity on the muscles and tendons, leading to anxiety, bloating and diarrhea, muscle tear, and injury respectfully and for example.

The other is control. If there is fire/anxiety we bring up the water, limiting the fire and strengthening the will (the virtue of water) to address the external contributors to anxiety.

If there is edema, bloating or diarrhea, we have to drain the dampness and dry the soil. If there is rigidity, we can increase blood flow and moisten.

We have to look deeper into the pattern to figure it out. We have to break it down in order to build it back up again. This can take time and great effort but this deconstructing is a choice, and when we make that choice we can get knocked down less often.

Instead, we take a moment to lay down, on a treatment table, on the grass, wherever. Take the time for yourself to learn and heal. Break down intentionally, so that when you get back up again you are stronger.