The concept of gardening gives us an excellent illustration for the theories behind Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture. Imagine you are a gardener whose job it is to help a garden thrive. To help nature along, you must provide necessities such as water and fertilizer. Plants receive the right amount of sun, weeding out any undesirable elements is required. Gardening takes time and effort, but the reward is a beautiful, healthy garden, abundant with flowers and vegetables.
One of the philosophies of Chinese medicine is that we are not separate from nature. Nature’s constant motion – its flowing seasons and cycles – equals our body’s natural rhythms. When we engage in gardening, we strive to be in harmony with nature’s rhythms. This allows us to reap a bountiful harvest. Life flourishes when the elements of air, water, light and earth are balanced.
Basic principles of a garden are just like the health body:
Fertilize
Just like plants need fertilizers, we need food in order to re-energize our bodies. In general, a healthy, balanced diet is made up of unprocessed, organic foods such as grains, fruits and vegetables.
Water
Our bodies are made up of 70% water. We need its life-giving force to cleanse our bodies of toxins, to regulate body temperature and to aid digestion and circulation.
Sunshine
Just like plants, we also need sun’s energy to grow and thrive. Sun provides our bodies with Vitamin D, which promotes strong bones, supple muscles and a healthy immune system.
Weeding
Weeding your garden is vital to keeping the soil clean and properly oxygenated. Our body also needs cleansing. One of the easiest ways to cleanse our body is sweating through exercise.
Your goal is to learn how to cultivate and support your inner garden. An acupuncturist’s goal is to help balance your inner ecosystem so that it can flourish—and you can enjoy health and harmony.
The body is just like a garden, and you and your acupuncturists are the gardeners. He or she will work closely with you to strengthen and balance your internal garden. By taking your entire self into account, the acupuncturist can help identify—and weed out—any imbalances that could cause problems.
Acupuncture isn’t a “quick fix.” It provides you with the tools and knowledge needed to nourish the garden from within. Your participation in the process is essential. After all, you wouldn’t simply plant seeds in the ground and expect them to bloom unattended. It’s the same with your health. Working with your acupuncturist and committing to long-term care can create positive changes for your overall health. Find an acupuncturist near you on our directory.
