A new Logo for the Acupuncture Center of Northern Virginia

I've been busily preparing an e-newsletter which will debut in August. A dear friend of mine suggested that I have a logo for the newsletter and I decided to use the bagua pictured here.

I'm sure you all recognize the yin and yang symbols in the middle which depict that balance and co-dependence of opposites. The yin is the dark comma and symbolizes the nurturing supportive part of line and the lighter yang side symbolizes action and movement.

The lines surrounding the yin yang or wuji symbol are known as the bagua. The broken lines represent yin and the unbroken lines represent yang. The bagua dates back to the "I Ching" or the Book of Changes. Each grouping of three lines represents an element, a season and an acupuncture meridian. The symbol of summer is fire and is represented by the two unbroken lines on either side of the broken line to the left of the wuji symbol and directly in the middle.

The bagua has had great significance during each of the major Chinese dynasties and certain aspects of the bagua have changed with each dynasty which adds to its complexity. Doubling each of the groupings of three so that six lines are drawn represents the twelve acupuncture meridians that run through the body. As each of those six lines represent specific points and have specific meaning in the balancing process for acupuncture, I hope you can appreciate why I chose this symbol to represent my acupuncture practice. I use it everyday to determine what points I'm going to use to help someone become balanced. Afterall, balance means wellness.

Attributes of Late Summer

Chinese culture recognizes late summer as a separate season that corresponds to late August and early September. Just as fire is the element of summer and the heart is the predominant organ; the earth is the element of late summer when the spleen and the stomach become predominant. Just as joy is the emotion associated with fire, compassion and worry are associated with the earth element. The taste associated with late summer is sweet and the associated color is yellow.

Late summer is the time of transition from the yang cycle of the seasons to the yin aspect; from the growth phases of spring and summer to the time of harvest and rest in the fall and winter. The earth element also represents this transitional center position between yin and yang. The spleen and stomach convert the nutrition of food, which is yin to energy needed to perform life’s activities, which are yang.

In Chinese medicine, the spleen is the most important organ for producing energy in the body. It has five main functions: transforming food into energy, transporting energy throughout the body, warms the body, holds the organs in place, and ensures that blood circulates in the body.

Individuals in harmony with the season are strong, have good endurance, good appetites and digestion, have fertile imagination and are generally hard working and practical. Those individuals that are out of balance with the season show general signs of a spleen-stomach imbalance. This imbalance is characterized by chronic fatigue, a feeling of “being stuck” that prevents them from being creative. These individuals typically have weak digestion which may be accompanied by nausea, poor appetite, abdominal bloating and loose stools.

Your Heart's Delight

Over the millennium, Chinese medicine evolved into assigning seasons to the various organ systems. Summer time belongs to the Heart and its partner organ, the Small Intestine. Summer is the most yang season of the year when the days are the longest and the sun is the hottest. Energy has moved outward and it calls for living creatures to be outside and interacting with nature. The Chinese associate summer with the emotion of joy and expressing the Heart’s desire.

Chinese medicine considers the Heart to be the “emperor of the body”. The Heart rules the mind and houses the spirit. Research done by the Heartmath Institute now acknowledges what the Chinese have known for thousands of years that there are more neural pathways from the Heart to the brain than from the brain to the Heart. The Chinese have long believed that the Heart governs our emotional health, memory, thinking and sleeping.

A strong Heart is synonymous with a hearty constitution and a strong, vigorous life style. As in Western medicine, Chinese medicine also recognizes that the Heart controls the blood coursing through its pathways to nourish the body. Therefore, the Heart’s influence over the mind and body makes it supreme to the other functions of the body’s organs.

The Heart is yin compared to its yang partner organ, the Small Intestine. The main function of the Small Intestine is to separate and transform food. It also determines our ability to make clear decisions and sound judgments and is sometimes called the “Abdominal Brain” in Chinese medicine. So, not only does the Small Intestine receive and break down food so that it provides nourishment to the body and sends that which is unusable to the Large Intestine, it also receives and assimilates nourishment from the emotions, mental activity and spirit.

Some of the signs and symptoms that may indicate an imbalance in the Heart and Small Intestine include on an emotional level, anxiety, lack of joy, lack of social warmth, mental confusion, poor self-esteem, inability to make decisions, restlessness, and sadness. On a physical level, symptoms may include anemia, heart problems, digestive problems, poor circulation, sweating, and urinary problems.

Fire is the element that rules the Heart and Small Intestine. Just as we protect ourselves in winter from the cold, it is equally important to be mindful of the excesses of heat. Coherence with nature points to being more active and being outside, but not to the degree to cause heat stroke. As my esteemed teacher, Dr. Tan says, “keep yin and yang in your heart”, meaning to balance activity with rest.

The optimal foods to eat during the summer months are light cooling foods such as melons, seasonal fruits and fresh leafy green vegetables. These foods are going to be lighter and brighter in color and higher in water content which helps to keep our bodies cool.

Bitter is the flavor that supports the Heart and Small Intestine. Leafy green vegetables that are classified as bitter in Chinese medicine include escarole, watercress, endive, lettuce, and collard greens. Fortunately, coffee and chocolate are also considered bitter. Remember though, everything in moderation. To keep your meals exciting, use spices such as fresh ginger, cayenne, and black pepper. These spices will initially raise the body temperature, drawing heat out of the body through perspiration.

May you find your Heart’s desire this summer and be nourished.