3 Foods to Strengthen Your Lungs

October 21, 2020

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

Your lungs play an important role in your immune system. As part of the respiratory system, they provide a connection between your external and internal worlds through the breath. Inhalation draws in fresh oxygen and Qi, or energy, while exhalation helps you let go of toxins.

The Lungs' natural movement is to disperse and descend Qi.

The Lungs disperse, or spread, the body fluids as well as the Wei Qi, the defensive Qi that runs on the surface of the skin to protect you during the day and travels into the body to help you sleep at night.

This ensures that Wei Qi is equally distributed under the skin and to the muscles to warm and moisten the skin, allowing for a normal amount of sweating, and to protect the body from external pathogens that can cause colds, flus and skin problems (see more about this in a previous article).

As the uppermost organ, the Lungs also descend Qi to communicate with the Kidneys, which are said to 'grasp' the Qi of the Lungs. This allows for deep breathing.

The Lungs also direct body fluids downward to Kidneys and Bladder. Dysfunction in the communication between the Lungs and Kidneys can result in wheezing and asthma or accumulation of fluids either from the failure of the Lungs to descend the Qi or weakness in the Kidneys that prevent the grasping of the Lung Qi.

The Lungs also have an important relationship with the Large Intestine. The descension of Lung Qi stimulates peristalsis to support detoxification through the colon.

While breathing exercises and regular movement practices like Yoga and Qi Gong certainly help to support your Lung Qi, there are also some key foods that can strengthen your Lungs and support your immune system overall.

Since the pathological factor that most commonly affects your Lungs is dryness (which is also the predominant factor during the Fall season) it’s important to stay hydrated and integrate three groups of foods that support the Lungs: fruits, nuts and root vegetables.

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#1 Fruit

According to Chinese Medicine, all fruits support the Lungs.

Compact fruits such as pears, apples, Asian pears, and persimmons are most beneficial to nourish your Lungs. These fruits moisten Lung Yin to stop a dry cough and increase hydration during the dry season.

Eating apple-pear stew (cut one apple, one pear and simmer slowly on low heat - no water needed!) can help to moisten a dry cough. And drinking a little pear juice before going to bed can help you fall asleep since the Lungs must be nourished to anchor the Wei Qi, or defensive Qi, of the body, to help you fall asleep.

Though fruits are great hydrating foods, they should be consumed in moderation as their sweet nature can create phlegm and congest the Lungs. Citrus in particular, especially in the form of juice, is overly concentrated in sugar and can cause phlegm or mucus to develop, weakening your Lung Qi.

#2 Nuts

Like fruits, all nuts have an affinity with the Lungs. The nuts that help support Lung Qi in particular are pine nuts and sweet almonds. Walnuts help strengthen the Kidneys to grasp the Qi of the Lungs. Walnuts therefore are considered an important food for conditions like asthma with shortness of breath.

The only caution is to eat nuts in moderation and to avoid them if you have skin problems as nuts can generally hyper activate your Wei Qi, or defensive Qi, and lead to allergies, acne and skin irritation.

The damp or fungal nature of nuts also warrant caution. Roasting nuts reduces shelf life by causing the oils to more quickly turn rancid. It’s therefore best to purchase raw nuts and toast or soak them yourself to make them easier to digest. Walnuts and almonds are especially nice to eat when soaked overnight.

#3 Root Vegetables & Tubers

Root vegetables not only support your Lungs’ ability to descend Qi, but they also help fortify your digestive system by fortifying your Spleen and Stomach.

Root vegetables that are high in beta carotene, the precursor to Vitamin A (an important vitamin for immune health as well as the health of your hair, skin and nails) are especially beneficial to strengthen the Lungs. These include carrots, beets and sweet potatoes.

Tubers, including parsnips, rutabaga and daikon also help the Lungs descend Qi to support peristalsis. Rutabaga and daikon are also known for their ability to break up stagnation and clear fire toxins through the colon. In addition, turnips help to break up phlegm and are great to strengthen the Lungs and help clear a cough with mucous.

Conclusion

While these foods can generally support the health of your Lungs, this list is certainly not exhaustive and not all of the foods here may be beneficial to everyone. Nutrition is highly personalized, so if you want more specific recommendations, you can work with us or a trusted practitioner.

Remember that Nutrition = Food + Digestion so it’s important to remember that food is only beneficial when it’s properly digested so it’s always essential to support your digestive system to support healthy nutrition.

If you’re interested in learning about Classical Chinese nutrition in greater depth, you can learn more and join the waitlist for my upcoming program.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers a one-of-a-kind form of empowerment coaching, clinical services, and transformational workshops and online courses that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com.

The Purpose of Your Pain—3 Important lessons

July 5, 2020

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

We all feel pain in some way or another. Whether it’s an injury or a catastrophic life change, suffering seems inherent to being human.

And yet so much of our suffering is by choice.

We stress about things we can’t control or worry about a future we can’t see or predict.

On a physical level, we get injured when we’re not being gentle with ourselves or if we need to slow down.

The challenges in the body often reflect what’s happening in the mind. We harbor years-long resentment that eventually manifests in the body as a life threatening illness or disease. We carry the wounds of our past on our shoulders, creating neck pain and tension and even inhibiting physical mobility. We fear our future and find that our lower back is gripping, tight and even loses stability.

So why do we allow ourselves to suffer so much pain?

As our consciousness expands, the hope is that while the struggles of life may continue, we can mitigate or even eliminate our experience of suffering. And while I realize it’s not so easy to just let go of suffering, Chinese Medicine offers some invaluable tools that can help you understand and find purpose through your pain.

Pain has a purpose and the potential to awaken a consciousness that eventually moves you to a greater sense of peace.

Here are three important lessons we can all learn when we experience pain.

Lesson #1: Pain Awakens You to the Present Moment

A couple Saturdays ago, I asked my husband to take our dog out so I could have some downtime alone at home. I looked forward to having the morning on my own before I had to teach a private yoga class.

Rather than savor the time and take things slowly, I found myself rushing through my yoga practice so I could get through a long list of to do’s before the rest of my family returned home.

As I practiced outside, I focused on all the things that needed to be done in our garden. And since time was limited, I shifted to a faster, more active practice. As I began to work with more intensive exercises (while simultaneously thinking about what I needed to do next), I heard a pop in my lower back…then pain that began to radiate into my left hip.

While I began to move more slowly and finally be more present, I didn’t stop. My body still warm, I continued with some work around the the house before leaving to teach a private yoga class. By the end of the session, I felt the pain worsen.

”As long as I listen and be with this, it’ll go away,” I thought. Not so fast, unfortunately.

By the time I got home, the pain moved quickly from mild to sharp and by the end of the afternoon I literally couldn’t walk.

The shock left me more present than I had been all day, and perhaps longer.

In starting the day off hurried trying to get everything done, I spent that weekend in bed unable to get anything done and hardly able to move - or sleep - from the pain.

I realized just how out of the present moment I was in an effort to achieve rather than simply be.

Luckily, my husband is a master of his craft and with daily Acupuncture, he helped get me walking within a couple days and teaching comfortable by the following week. But it was a humbling experience to say the least.

As a yoga teacher and acupuncturist you’d think I’d know better, but as a human I’d allowed my mind to override and disempower my body.

Sometimes it takes an injury or severe pain to wake us up more fully to the present moment.

But if you hear the call to be more present, it’s likely that the pain will abate sooner than later.

Lesson #2: Pain Drives You Deeper into Your Body

When I teach Yin Yoga, I often teach the concept of playing your edge. This means going into a stretch deeply enough that it challenges you without compromising your ability to breathe deeply while you hold the posture.

So too in life, it’s important to play your edge in order to grow.

In other words, you want to do things that challenge you but don’t cause you suffering.

Work on projects, take up hobbies, but avoid pushing anything you do to the point of pain.

We’re such a driven society that we often feel that when we want to do something, we need to push ourselves to the point of complete exhaustion. Oftentimes your body will stop you as you’re starting to reach that point by creating physical pain.

This results because of an imbalance of Yin and Yang—in this case a predominance of Yang.

The Yin aspect of your body comprises your fluids and blood, while the Yang is associated with your Qi, or energy.

Yang is active and assertive, Yin is more quiet and passive. And while both aspects coexist and are interdependent, an excess of either can lead to pathology.

Excessive exertion causes a predominance of Yang, which can damage the Yin fluids and cause injury over time.

That’s why self-care must be done for the purpose of prevention and not just as a response to injury, pain or discomfort.

When you take care of yourself, you’re able to hear your body when it’s fatigued or uncomfortable—and shift to slow yourself down before it’s too late.

Your body has an innate wisdom. Cultivating your mind-body-breath connection through practices like Yoga and Qi Gong helps keep you attuned to this wisdom and know when it’s necessary to make a shift.

Lesson #3: Pain Instigates an Exploration & Understanding of Your Mind

The human mind can be stubborn and unfocused, especially if it’s exhausted or lacks direction.

However, it’s important to remember that you are not your mind. By learning to temper and control your mind, you can use it to heal your body more quickly.

The challenge with the mind is that it’s difficult to change, which is why it’s important to train the body first.

Your body is the most powerful vehicle you have to drive change in your mind, and life.

This is why practices like meditation that focus on the mind - without first cultivating your body - can cause you to become more disembodied and lead to mental instability.

On the other hand, embodiment practices like Yoga and Qi Gong anchor you into your physical body, and harness the breath to bring you into a state of presence.

Connecting your body and breath can transform your experience, and alleviate much of the suffering that’s perpetuated by your mind.

Wisdom resides in your body — your gut feeling is a feeling, after all.

The mind is what distracts you from that inner wisdom, leading you out of the present moment to focus instead on a narrative about the past, what you ‘should’ be doing or what could come of the future.

When your mind is quiet, you can see things more clearly for what they are rather than lead with fear or resistance.

When your mind is quiet, you are fully present in the moment, without judgment.

When your mind is quiet, you can fully embrace your experience for what it is and allow the lessons that arise out of that experience find their way to you.

To quiet your mind completely, you must be fully embodied.

It often takes walking along a path of pain and suffering to get to the quietude.

Nevertheless, that pain has value and if you listen for the lessons, then you can more quickly move through the pain and find greater ease in your life.

* Ready for relief? Acupuncture can help. Not only does it support your embodiment, but it’s also one of the most effective forms of pain management.

Book your appointment

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More at www.setarehmoafi.com.

3 Simple Shifts to Reduce Stress & Stay Healthy through the Holidays

December 11, 2019

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

The busy holiday season comes upon us during the most Yin time of year when what the body needs most is to slow down and rest. Nonetheless, there are things you can do to offset the Yang energy of this often stressful time of year by simplifying your habits and self-care to keep yourself from getting rundown.

Below are three simple changes you can make to keep your energy and immunity strong — without adding to your shopping or to-do lists.

3 Shifts to Optimize Your Health During the Holidays

Eat warm, cooked foods
By this I mean try to eat only warm, cooked foods.
Avoid salads, smoothies and too much fruit, all of which can create Cold and even Dampness in your Stomach and create a fungal terrain that can compromise your gut health, which is foundation for your immune system.
According to Chinese Medicine, the nature of foods is essential to how each food is assimilated in the body, and this has seasonal implications. For example, cucumbers and watermelon are considered more cooling, which is why they’re more readily available during the summertime, while meats such as lamb are more warming and therefore more common in colder climates. So meat stew would be an appropriate wintertime stew and watermelon juice is more appropriate during the hot Summer.
Spices are also considered more warming according to Chinese Medicine, so adding more spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and cardamom to your diet during the colder months will not only keep your body warmer, but it’ll also support your gut health and optimize your immune function.
Do less by saying no more
The more Yin seasons of Fall and Winter are great for laying down the foundation for harvesting your goals and dreams, but the very Yin nature of these times of the year make it essential to take more time to rest. It’s no wonder many animals go into hibernation during the wintertime.
Sometimes more rest starts simply with doing less by saying no — in saying no to others, you say yes to more of your own personal needs, which in and of itself initiates the process of slowing down.
You don’t have to go to every holiday party or get your workout in every day.
According to Chinese Medicine, boundaries fall in the domain of the Earth element, which must be upheld during all seasonal transitions and throughout the year to keep your immune function strong. That’s because the Earth element is comprised of your Spleen and Stomach, the main organ systems in charge of digestion and gut health. Healthy boundaries come out of having a healthy Earth energy and having the ability to say no. (You can read more about why boundaries are essential to your health in this article.)
The Yin months of the year are a time to slow down and build your energy, not expend it.
To prevent yourself from overdoing it, it’s essential to listen to your body and say no when you can.
Go to bed earlier
The more rest you get during the Yin months, the more energy you’re conserving and consolidating so you can brings your dreams to fruition during the more Yang months. The less rest, and especially sleep you get during the Fall and Winter, the more you’re going to tax your Lungs (Fall) and Kidneys (Winter), which will leave you feeling exhausted as the Yang energy starts to rise during the warmer seasons.
Lack of rest also compromises your immune function making you more prone to colds and allergies during the Spring and Summer months.
Since the rest you get at night helps you consolidate more of your Yin resources, over time when you go to bed earlier you’ll find yourself more focused and energized during the day.
According to Chinese Medicine, the most essential time to be asleep is from 11pm to 1am during which the Liver and Gallbladder start to build blood and regulate Qi to support emotional processing, hormone balancing and detoxification.
You can definitely rest and sleep more during the day (and if you can, you should!) but it’s difficult to generate the blood that gets lost by staying up late at night and this is especially true for women because of monthly menstruation.
If it’s hard for you to think about getting more sleep or getting to bed before 11pm, start with going to bed 5 minutes earlier than you normally do every night for one week — at the end of the week you’ll have gained over 30 minutes of extra nightly sleep (or at least rest).
It’s also important to do something relaxing and turn off cell phones, tablets and TVs at least one to two hours before bedtime to calm your nervous system and allow your melatonin levels to rise so you can sleep more restfully. (You can read more about the importance of sleep and how it affects your health in this article).

Remember that small, incremental shifts lead to big transformations. But these transformations take time. It’s important that you nourish and be gentle with yourself, focusing on what you have to enjoy during this beautifull holiday season.

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Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic she runs with her husband, Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac., that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers clinical services and transformational courses that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. Learn more at www.setarehmoafi.com and www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

Finding It Difficult to Feel Gratitude? Here's How Working With the Nine Palaces Can Help: Part 1 of 2

December 4, 2019

by Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

You may have noticed a lot of discussion lately about how gratitude supports healing in both your body and mind. As you go through your life journey, however, you may experience emotional or physical traumas that can negatively impact your brain’s neuroplasticity and reduce your ability to think positively. These challenges can thankfully be understood (and overcome) with tools from Classical Chinese Medicine.

Challenges to Thinking Positively

For some, the practice of gratitude comes easily whereas for others who are experiencing a lot of pain and suffering, it can be quite a task to feel or express gratitude.

Since it’s well established how your thoughts impact your health, changing your brain to think more positively can have powerful repercussions throughout all areas of your life.

The practice of keeping a gratitude journal essentially works with your brain’s neuroplasticity to optimize the function of its neural network. Though the brain is more malleable to change in its early years of development, your brain has the capacity to improve its function at any age.

According to Classical Chinese Medicine, which is based on Daoist philosophy, life challenges fall into nine different categories called the Nine Palaces.

The Nine Palaces are essentially categories of life to achieve a sense of completion in order to feel whole and at peace with yourself in this lifetime. If at the end of your life, any of these palaces remain incomplete, this creates the agenda for your next incarnation.

When challenged, any of these Nine Palaces feel lacking or incomplete and thereby inhibit you from experiencing gratitude.

The Nine Palaces and Five Elements

The Nine Palaces of life are:

Health
Wealth (also called the Abundance or Fame Palace)
Prosperity
Relationship (Love)
Children/Creativity
Career
Global (Travel)
Knowledge (Wisdom)
Home

Each of the Nine Palaces corresponds to a particular Five Element energy.

The Wood element corresponds with the Health and Wealth Palaces.

If you’re challenged by health issues or focus a lot on your health, then you likely are incomplete in the Health Palace. Similarly, if you feel a lack in your finances, then there are still lessons to be learned within your Wealth Palace. You don’t have to be rich to feel complete in the Wealth Palace since you can be poor without actually feeling poor. Contrarily, you might be financially stable and well off yet never feel you have enough money and therefore have issues around feeling at peace within the Wealth Palace.

Your perception ultimately sets the energy for feeling complete in any one area of life.

The next palace, Prosperity, is the idea of having a sense of enough abundance that you can freely share it with others.

Since the Fire element corresponds with the expression of the heart, it corresponds to both the Prosperity and Relationship Palaces.

Prosperity is a sense of abundance that’s not necessarily related to money, so it can be any kind of resource that you’re willing to share with others. As described in the example above, a person can be financially very wealthy yet feel a lack of abundance and hence find it difficult to share with others.

Challenges or a sense of incompletion in the Prosperity Palace requires Fire energy to be either fortified or cleansed. The same goes with the Relationship Palace, which needs attention if you’re struggling with any relationships in your life. This may require working with your Fire energy in terms of warming up your Fire so you can open your heart and express more love or cooling the Fire down to calm your mind, ‘let go’ and relax into having a healthy relationship.

Out of relationships come children, so Children and the Creativity Palace share a common theme and that is to be able to create and birth that which you hold in your heart.

The Children/Creativity Palace relates to the Metal Element and therefore supporting or clearing blockages of this energy will help you get through challenges relating to this palace.

Once you establish your creativity, you can develop your Career Palace.

Career relates to the energy of Water.

Thus if you feel blocked in your career or uninspired in the work that you’re doing, invigorating your Water energy can help you move into the career of your dreams.

The next palace, known as the Global or Travel Palace, also corresponds to the Metal element.

While this palace relates to a need to explore and see the world, these days you don’t necessarily need to leave your home to nurture this palace because the internet and television can give you the experience of travel and learning about other cultures. A common understanding that comes out of travel is that people across the globe share similar core values.

Experiences that come out of a more global worldview support the Knowledge/Wisdom Palace, which relates to both the Water and Earth elements.

The difference between knowledge and wisdom is that knowledge requires going outside of yourself and connecting with society (Earth) to seek information and the answers to your questions. Wisdom on the other hand relates to the Water element as it is about going within yourself to seek the answers.

The final palace is the Home Palace which also relates to the Earth element and reflects returning home to your spiritual roots.

Self-cultivation practices such as Qi Gong, Yoga and Meditation allow you to find inner peace so you can feel at home within yourself.

Conclusion

Self-cultivation supports you to achieve a sense of completion in each of these areas of life. Ultimately, the ability to feel a sense of completion in each of the palaces is reflected in your ability to ‘let go’ of the struggle or resistance you may be feeling in each area. Though this is easier said than done, Classical Chinese Medicine provides tools to assist when you’re stuck or struggling in a particular area of life.

Once we achieve a feeling of completion, the experience of gratitude comes naturally and we’re able to live all aspects of life with a positive outlook.

In Part 2, we’ll discuss at-home protocols that can support you when you feel stuck and help you cultivate a sense of completion in each of the Nine Palaces.

Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac. is Founder & Co-Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, CA, a wellness clinic he runs with his wife, Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac., that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine & Japanese Meridian Therapy, a rare non-insertion form of Acupuncture using Gold and Silver needles. Salvador is also the co-host of The Natural Healing Podcast. Learn more at www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

The 3 Most Important Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Two Decades of Practicing (& Teaching) Yoga

November 13, 2019

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

I realized this past week that yoga has been a part of my life for just about twenty years now. While that’s hard for me to believe, at this point I can’t imagine my life without it.

When I first started practicing yoga during my first year of college at UC Berkeley (after much resistance to get started), it changed my life. I went from an anxiety-ridden teen to a clear, focused and mindful young woman in what felt like no time at all. I became obsessed with the practice and even in the midst of a busy schedule with school and work, I somehow managed to fit in at least an hour of practice every day. (You can find the full story of how I found yoga in this article).

Nowadays, my practice takes on a different shape. On days that I have the luxury of practicing an hour or more, I feel blessed and sometimes even a little guilty. The days of practicing more active styles of yoga have shifted to focusing my practice on loosening my joints, relishing several minutes in one Yin Yoga posture and doing some Qi Gong and Tai Ji.

But one thing has stayed consistent for me over the past two decades — the days I practice are much better days than the ones I tell myself I don’t have time or distract myself with something else instead.

The days I show up on the mat, even when I’m exhausted or distracted or busy, help me connect to Source and deepen my relationship with myself. Honoring my practice is a way of honoring my body as the temple it is, and staying true to the commitments I make to myself, both on and off the mat.

Practicing and teaching yoga have taught me a myriad of important lessons. Here are just three of them:

Prioritize Your Self-Care
When you learn to really take care of and honor yourself, everything evolves from that space. We’ve created cliches on this topic for a reason — put the oxygen mask on yourself first before placing it on someone else. You can’t fill from an empty cup.
The only way you’re going to thrive as a practitioner, a healer, a friend, a parent, a teacher, or really anyone in any kind of relationship, is by taking care of yourself first.
No one wants to take food from a person who’s starving. Feed yourself, fill yourself. And you’ll be amazed at not only the quantity but more importantly the quality you’ll have available to share with others.
Self-care has probably been the hardest lesson for me to learn. Coming from a culture and family history of caretakers and role models who self-sacrificed, I learned that prioritizing yourself is selfish. Over time, I’ve come to realize that in some ways, selfishness is a virtue. Because all of the things we want to create are born out of the care we give ourselves.
Self-care involves daily practices to move your body and still your mind, proper nutrition and perhaps most importantly, setting clear boundaries (more on that here). And to me, self-care starts with how you start your day. A healthy morning ritual is essential to set the rhythm for your day and how you care for yourself throughout your life.

Be Consistent
Many of us struggle with a block called perfection. I’m definitely one of those people. When we start something new we think that we have to do it “right” or we just can’t do it.
We often demand so much of ourselves, forgetting that progress trumps perfection and starting something imperfectly is always better than waiting to do it right.
I used to think for example that daily practice meant waking up at 5am, practicing for 60-90 minutes, writing and meditating before going into the rest of my day. And to be honest, in my early 20s when I first started practicing yoga, I actually made time on most days to do all that. It sounds crazy now, but back then I simply didn’t have the responsibilities and distractions I have now.
So, for a long time, relenting to the fact that life is different now, I spent many days skipping practice thinking I simply didn’t have time. But when my body started aching and my sleep suffered, I realized that not practicing was not an option; that even if I could squeeze in 10 minutes every morning I felt dramatically better. And ironically, when I did practice, I felt less busy and overwhelmed.
Practicing gives my day a slower, more manageable pace and a sense of order. And by practice, I mean writing Morning Pages (3 long-hand pages of uncensored, unfiltered writing) and moving my body. Nowadays if I don’t complete the full 3 pages some days, I can forgive myself. And if I only get on my mat to warmup my body for 10 minutes, rather than beat myself up, I’ve learned to thank myself. Because something is better than nothing and skipping morning practice is no longer an option.
Ultimately the lesson I’ve learned is that consistency matters—it creates a rhythm that brings clarity and holds you accountable to yourself.
The more you honor the promises you make to yourself, the more you cultivate self-confidence and therefore self-love.
Like I emphasized to the students at this year’s Yin Yoga Integration teacher training — practice daily, the Kaizen Way. In other words, take small, incremental steps to create big, lasting change.
Rather than set unrealistic expectations you won’t meet that make you feel like you don’t even want to try, be gentle with yourself.
Set the intention to practice for 5 minutes instead of 20 or even 15, and you’ll actually end up on your mat rather than scrolling on Instagram. Because overwhelming goals over-activate your nervous system and set you up for failure. But small, incremental steps feel tangible and therefore become achievable.
Build Your Community
While it’s important to take time alone when developing a spiritual practice, it’s just as important not to isolate yourself. Stay connected. Find people who share your interests and build your tribe. Not only will you feel more motivated to stay the course with your path, but you’ll also find more meaning in the process.
We thrive in community.
The French sociologist Emile Durkheim in 1897 conducted one of the earliest studies on the importance of the role that community social forces play in the health of the individual (Durkheim, 1951). Durkheim’s research led him to conclude that the major factor affecting suicide rates was the degree of social integration of groups.
Beyond that, community creates a sense of belonging which has been shown to improve health and well-being, and to elevate intellectual achievement and immune function. Research shows that even a single instance of exclusion can undermine well-being, IQ test performance and self-control.
We don’t just need each other to feel a sense of belonging, but we also need each other to thrive and feel a sense of connection.

Many of the students from the Yin Yoga Integration Teacher Training Class of 2019 continue to help build our growing community.

My primary motivation for starting a yoga studio when I was just 22 years old was to build a community around what I loved most. I wanted a platform to bring my love of yoga to as many people as possible.

Years later in our wellness center, we’re blessed with an incredible community. Neither Salvador nor I take for granted the value of being surrounded by so many like-minded people — both in person and virtually — on a journey to wellness.

No matter what you do for personal development, it’s essential to find people who share your interests and can support your growth. These relationships can develop through in-person contact and even online communities, trainings and groups. Many of the communities are built already — you just have to seek them out to find a greater sense of belonging.

After two decades of yoga practice, I suppose the lessons I’ve learned are not so much about practice, but rather about the deeper significance of life itself.

And the lessons are quite simple — take care of yourself first, be consistent (and gentle) with whatever you commit to, and connect with your community. We need to take care of ourselves and each other because our potential to rise is greater when we’re there to support one another.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Setareh offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com and www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

How to Bring Clarity & Order to Your Life

November 6, 2019

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

According to Chinese Medicine, order and organization are ruled by the Metal element, which is associated with the Lungs, Large Intestine and skin.

In the same way that a smooth, deep breath helps you feel more relaxed and even safe, a balanced Metal element helps maintain order in your life.

The Significance of the Metal Element

Life begins with the first breath and therefore the meridian sequence begins with the Lungs.

The Lungs, Large Intestine and skin are all Metal organs. Each of these organs connect us to the external world and help us to let go—through our breath (Lungs), bowels (Large Intestine) and sweat (skin).

The internal branch of the Lungs travels down and attaches to the Large Intestine. One of the main virtues of the Lungs and the Metal element is letting go—through the exhalation of the Lungs, and through the bowels in the movement of the colon/Large Intestine.

Inhalation is about drawing in Qi and exhalation is about letting go and detoxifying the body. When we are faced with a challenging situation, often our first response is to hold our breath. Self-cultivation practices including Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Ji teach us to instead observe and control our breathing.

Breath awareness helps strengthen your Lungs and draws you out of your mind and into your body so you can be more present. It is in this space that you can find acceptance of where you are rather than trying to make it something else so as to create resistance and stress.

Resistance builds the foundation for disease development. Resistance manifests as Wind, which according to Chinese Medicine is considered to be one of the Six Evils and is responsible. Wind manifests when your body-mind is unable to accommodate to change and can show up in a myriad of ways including acute illnesses like colds, flus and allergic reactions, as well as chronic degenerative health disorders. (You can read more about Wind here).

The virtue of Metal is letting go and forgiveness, both of which anchor us in the present moment. This virtue leads us to acceptance, which is the opposite of resistance.

So while imbalances in your Metal organs also impedes your ability to think clearly as a result of accumulation of toxicity in the body via the Lungs, colon and skin, balancing your Metal organs help you to let go and to create a sense of clarity and order in your life.

The Significance of Metal Energy in Your Life

Metal energy relates to elimination, purity and respiration. The emotion that’s associated with imbalanced Metal is grief. Balancing your Metal energy therefore empowers you to transform grief into acceptance.

Metal energy creates order, which is why Metal type personalities are highly methodical, efficient and organized.

When the Metal organs, in particular the Lungs and Large Intestine, are out of balance, you’ll be prone to immune and respiratory issues, as well as constipation. Metal relates to the season of Autumn, which means that these organs, including the skin, are particularly sensitive to dryness—the predominant environmental factor during this time of year. The Lungs, colon and skin all benefit from a more moist environment and proper hydration. Clearing these organ systems not only benefits your body, but it also helps develop greater clarity in your mind.

If life feels chaotic, balancing your Metal energy will help you make the shift to transform chaos into clarity.

Especially during the Metal season of Autumn, it’s important to harmonize your Metal energy to optimize the strength of your immune system and gut health. While there are a number of foods that can support this process, one of the key tools to rebalance Metal is to bring order and organization to your life. And the ways to do this may not all be so obvious.

How to Cultivate Clarity by Balancing Your Metal Energy

Here are 5 keys to balance your Metal energy so you can feel a sense of order and clarity in your life:

Breathe deeply. Remember that the Lungs are the primary organ associated with the Metal element. The deeper you breathe, the more connected you’ll feel to your body and to the present moment, which in and of itself brings a sense of clarity and peace. Deep breathing also helps strengthen the Lungs to protect your immune system and reduce feelings of sadness and melancholy which are especially common during the Autumn months. Ujjayi breathing is a simple breathing practice you can practice daily. Since we run through a lot of our day breathing unconsciously, I often tell my patients and students to set a timer to remind them to pause and breathe consciously every hour.
Practice more mind-body-breath movement practices such as Yoga, Tai Ji and Qi Gong. When you coordinate breath with movement, Qi, or energy, travels more fluidly throughout your entire body. The circulation of Qi is governed by the Lungs.
Declutter your work and home spaces. You can begin by simply cleaning out a few drawers or taking things out of your closet and cabinets that you don’t like or need and donating them to your local charity. If you want to go all-in and do a full house declutter, you can implement the KonMari Method, by letting go of anything and everything that no longer ‘sparks joy.’
Develop a daily writing practice. I always recommend starting your day by writing Morning Pages — 3 longhand pages of a sort of uncensored ‘brain dump’ to clear your mind. I was first introduced to this practice in The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and it’s been a daily practice for me for well over a decade. But really any kind of writing will help clear your mind so you can better organize your thoughts and time. Even making lists helps to bring the clutter out of your mind and onto paper. The idea is to make yourself more aware of your worries, fears, tasks, challenges, and accomplishments. Only then can you let them all go.
Spend more time in nature. The essential oils of most trees, including Eucalyptus, Pine and Cypress support the Lung system in Chinese Medicine. Getting out into nature among the trees in the same way helps support this system and the Metal energy in general. One of the best ways to slow down and heal is to spend more time in nature.

All of these tools share the common theme of bringing you into a state of presence with how you feel and therefore helping you deepen your self-awareness.

Only when you’re calm inside will the world feel more clear and calm.

Decluttering and cultivating order in these small ways will support you to improve your health and bring a greater sense of clarity to every aspect of your life.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga.

Start Every Day on the Right Foot: 5 Steps to Creating a Healthy Morning Ritual

August 29, 2019

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

“Don’t prioritize your schedule. Schedule your priorities.” - Steven Covey

How you start your day is an expression of what you’re cultivating in your life.

If you wake up to a loud alarm, rushing to get ready and make it to work on time, you’ll likely spend the rest of your day feeling rushed.

If you jump straight to email and social media, you’re choosing to allow your day to begin with the needs and lives of others instead of your own.

If, on the other hand, you begin the day slowly, mindfully and with regard for your well-being, the centered state you cultivate is more likely to follow you throughout the day.

Taking care of your own needs at the start of your day will allow you to be more available to the needs of others without becoming drained or feeling resentful.

When you fly, you're told to put on your own oxygen mask before you help others put on theirs. By starting your day with a focus on yourself, you’ll be better equipped to contribute at a greater capacity to others throughout the day…and still come home feeling charged.

The moment you open your eyes in the morning, you invite a new day of possibilities.

In that moment each morning you have the opportunity to set the rhythm for the rest of your day. As the days cultivating self-care accumulate and that rhythm flows, your life is vitalized on the path of healing and wellness.

When you first awake, your brain operates at around 10.5 waves per second. The range from 8 to 13 Hz, or cycles per second, is the alpha stage, which is often referred to as the gateway to the subconscious mind.

Since your subconscious mind is most active right when you wake up, mornings are the ideal time to train your brain to use this subconscious activity to think positively and accomplish more throughout your day.

When you’re positive, intentional and focused with your mornings, you create the foundation for greater dreams to blossom and come to fruition.

To have time for a ritual in the morning will mean that you create that time by waking up earlier—even just 10 extra minutes in the morning can make a tremendous difference in the pace of your day.

Your morning ritual sets the tone for the rest of your day—and life.

In Chinese Medicine, the Earth element, which is comprised of the Spleen and Stomach, must be harmonized in order for us to move through life's challenges with ease as well as to maintain a consistent level of energy throughout the day.

The Earth element thrives on regularity - with meals, exercise, sleep and activities.

A regular morning ritual helps to strengthen the Earth element energy within us. This, in turn, will increase our ability to digest and assimilate the important nutrients we consume, as well as enhance our ability to process and assimilate our life experiences in a more healthy way. This is one way to support being more grounded in your daily life.

Ritual provides order and order harmonizes and calms the nervous system.

Starting your morning early allows more time for you to set the foundation you want to create for your day and to be more intentional about what you want that foundation to look like.

When building a house, the foundation is the structure that ensures stability for the entire project development.

Think of your morning ritual as your foundation for the project development of your goals and dreams.

5 Simple Steps for a Healthy Morning Ritual

Move Your Body
In the morning, your body is stiff from inactivity. When left untreated, this stiffness can create latency in your body — areas that hold onto emotional and mental tension. Simply moving your body can help release these tense areas so you can feel more freedom not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
It’s especially important to do exercises that connect the body and mind, like Yoga and Qi Gong. The early morning hours are also the optimal time for aerobic exercise to stimulate your metabolism and activate your brain.
Hydrate
Since the body is comprised of about 65% water, hydration is essential for optimal functioning. This is especially true in the morning after a night of sleep and inactivity, which can cause dehydration. Drinking water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning supports cleansing the colon and flushing toxins out of the body.
While in general hydration is important (try to drink 1/2 of your weight in ounces of water daily, i.e. 75 ounces for a 150 pound body), it’s best to drink more water earlier in the day.
Some suggest that drinking 50% of your daily water intake by mid-morning will not only keep you hydrated throughout the day, but can also prevent headaches and fatigue.
Center Your Mind
This can be done through a quiet meditation or relaxation practice, and even journaling to help you release negative thoughts, worries and also to help plan out your day.
I love waking up to the practice of Morning Pages, which I was first introduced to in 2005 by the wonderful Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist’s Way. Morning Pages are three longhand pages of pure, uncensored writing about anything and everything as a way to clear the clutter from your mind. This has been an integral part of my morning routine for over a decade now and I swear by it, but really any type of journaling can be helpful as long as you do it regularly.
Practice Gratitude
You may feel grateful, but expressing this gratitude itself could be a daily ritual.
Remember, when you take time to acknowledge and give gratitude for all that is working, you create space for greater positivity and joy to flow into your life.
Gratitude is most powerful when it’s written, so start by writing 5-10 things you’re grateful for every morning.
Eat a Warm, Nourishing Breakfast
Taking time to eat without rushing is equally important to eating something healthy and nourishing. I always recommend cooking non-gluten whole grains such as buckwheat, millet or amaranth for breakfast. Grains in general nourish the Spleen Qi to support healthy digestion.
Allowing time for your meals also nourishes the Earth element and digestive system, which leads to a faster, healthier metabolism.

Most importantly, I recommend doing these practices before you check your phone or email and avoiding external distractions for as long as possible when you first wake up.

Over time, you’ll notice that taking just 15-30 minutes each morning to center yourself will fill the remaining hours of your day with greater awareness, productivity and ease.

How to Deal with an Energy (Qi) Sucker

May 30, 2019

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

When you drive down a road with a dead end, you get to a point where you have to stop and redirect your route. The signs that are often put at a dead end serve as boundaries to protect you from driving further into an area that shouldn't be entered.

Similarly, speed limits on the road create boundaries to limit how fast you can drive on a particular road or highway. These and other signs serve to protect you and other drivers.

In the same way, you must set boundaries to protect yourself from situations and people that may be harmful to you on the road of life.

What’s a Qi Sucker?

Some people get energized by spending a lot of time around people while others prefer to spend more time alone.

Personally, I love being around people and I get a lot of energy from socializing, but I also need time alone to recharge. I’m always looking for the balance between spending time with people I enjoy and allowing myself the time I need to nurture my inner world.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that to come closer to this balance, I have to set boundaries on both my time with others and the people with whom I spend my time.

This means saying no more often than I might like.

Once a chronic people pleaser, I used to be tormented by how people might react if I say no or do something to disappoint them. Though I still struggle with this at times, I've learned that the stronger and more clear my boundaries, the better I am at spending quality time with others and the more available I can be with my energy for my patients, students, friends, and family members.

Years ago, one of my early mentors taught me the concept of ‘Qi suckers,’ sometimes also referred to as ‘energy vampires.’ In Chinese Medicine, Qi is what’s referred to as energy or life force (like the Sanskrit word prana). We take Qi in through our breath and can feel its presence in everything around and within us when we tune in.

People who are Qi suckers draw from the life force of others as a result of their own imbalances and neediness.

You know you’ve encountered a Qi sucker if after spending time with one you walk away feeling depleted and often guilty, even though you really haven’t done anything wrong.

Qi suckers are master manipulators who are often very charming and attractive.

It’s easy to be drawn in by their warmth and charm, but once you get too close to a Qi sucker—the more you approach the warmth of their Fire—the more easily you get burned.

An interaction with a Qi sucker may go like this:

Qi sucker: “Hey, what are you doing this afternoon? Wanna go shopping with me?”

You: “No, thanks, I have a lot to do this afternoon.”

Qi sucker: “Really? What do you have to do that’s so important?”

You: “Well, I have to finish a work project and clean the house.”

Qi sucker: “Ok, whatever. You never like to do anything with me. Sometimes I feel like we’re not even really friends anymore. I don’t care. Do what you want. It’s your life.”

This is an extreme example, but being around someone like this can give you the sense of guilt and wrong doing even implicitly — without them having to say much.

It’s important also to remember that Qi suckers can be great people and you can really have a great time with them in short interactions. However, conversations have the potential to escalate quickly into heated disagreements or arguments when they’re triggered, and they are very easy to trigger!

You know you’re with a Qi sucker if you feel like you’re walking on eggshells and have to constantly watch what you’re saying in order to not offend them or hurt their feelings in some way.

The only way to protect yourself from a Qi sucker is to set clear boundaries.

You can read about clear boundary setting and its impact on your health in this article.

According to Chinese Medicine, boundaries are associated with the Earth element. Earth provides the fertile soil that allows plants to grow and flourish to provide nourishment and sustenance; it gives protection and shelter as well as stability and substance.

Earth also contains water, creates boundaries to define continents and carries us through space with stability. Earth represents safety, protection and our home base.

Being centered, calm, and balanced, feeling at home, and having a sense of harmony and peacefulness are the essence of a healthy Earth energy. Creating a comfortable home and cooking are essential factors to nourishing the Earth energy in your life.

Cultivating a healthy Earth means understanding and prioritizing your needs.

If you pour all of your energy into helping others or work excessively, you'll have nothing left for yourself.

If you don't discipline yourself around your diet and set boundaries around eating generally healthy foods, your health will fail. If you continuously go to bed late because you don't have the discipline to stop working or watching TV at night, you’ll slowly but surely deplete your blood, your Yin, and your essence, and thus accelerate the aging process.

In other words, strong boundaries around how and with whom you spend your time, what you eat and even when you sleep is fundamental to your health.

In the body, these boundaries are established by the Earth element organs that govern digestion, the Stomach and Spleen. These same systems must be strong for you to set healthy boundaries in your life. Digestive health is therefore essential to creating healthy boundaries that prevent Qi suckers from draining your energy.

Nourishment and the Earth element

Earth energy is about transformation—transformation of food into energy and raw material to rebuild the body, and transformation of our thoughts so we're not stuck obsessing about negative things and can have clarity of mind.

Earth energy is also associated with your relationship with yourself and others, which begins with your relationship to your family, especially your mother. As the archetype for the Earth type personality, the Mother represents unconditional love and the nourishing qualities that exist within each of us.

The way someone affects you is not determined by their behavior, but by how you respond to that person’s behavior.

When you set strong boundaries, you can protect your Qi and respond rather than react. In this way, you can avoid giving away your energy or joy to others, regardless of how they behave or react towards you.

What You Can Learn from Qi Suckers

The gift of having a Qi sucker in your life is that they’re excellent boundary teachers.

In fact, while you may feel guilty and cautious about hurting their feelings, what you’ll find most often about a Qi sucker is that you can clearly change your dynamic with him or her simply by setting a strong boundary.

Boundary setting either pushes the person entirely out of your life or forces him or her to grow in a way that allows for a healthy relationship.

Do you have a Qi sucker in your life? How do you deal with him or her? How could you change the way you interact or set boundaries so that he or she doesn’t steal your joy or energy? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

The Best Way to Celebrate Valentine's Day

February 14, 2019

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

While Valentine's Day represents all of the conventional definitions of love, for some the void of love is even more apparent at this time.

The focus of most Valentine's Day photos, posters and cards is a fantasy-like love.

We’re encouraged to buy gifts and express our love for those most important to us in our lives. And while all of that is important, Valentine’s Day, and love as we’re taught in general, is focused on everything and everyone outside of us.

We rarely see images of the most lasting and authentic form of love—love for oneself.

As best-selling author, professor and speaker Brené Brown points out: "Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each of them -- we can only love others as much as we love ourselves."

If you’ve explored the world of personal development for any amount of time, I’m sure you’ve discovered the importance of self-love. Self-love is undoubtedly THE most significant form of love. (You can learn more in this past article)

Self-love is the source through which all other forms of love grow. The seeds to nurture and grow love must therefore first be planted in the self.

But what does it mean to love yourself?

What if you’re going through a challenging time or you’re really struggling with something in your life, like shame, guilt or pain? It’s not that simple to just love yourself in moments like this.

Rather than focus on loving yourself or extending love to others, the way to cultivate self-love—however slowly—is to focus on being kind to yourself and accepting yourself however you are right now.

The best way to begin this practice is to be more present in each moment. The more present you are, the easier it is to be aware of your thoughts as they come and go, and you'll therefore be more able to release negative thoughts before your mind is overtaken by them.

Feel your body and listen to your thoughts by taking as many moments as you can during the day to take deep breaths.

One of my favorite yoga instructors, Erich Schiffmann, taught me to set a timer every hour as a reminder to take a moment to be fully present. In the busyness of modern society, it’s easy to live on autopilot, so it’s essential that we intentionally slow down and practice mindful awareness as often as possible throughout the day.

The simple practice of mindful awareness helps you be more kind and gentle with yourself.

As you practice being kind and accepting of yourself, you'll naturally impart this kindness and acceptance, and therefore love, onto others.

Only in this way—through the gentle cultivation of kindness, acceptance and self-love—can love can be harvested and shared with others.

And if you're fortunate enough to be surrounded by loving, supportive people, recognize this as a reflection of YOU.

As the last month of the Winter season, February is our final call to move inward, to self-cultivate and to plant the seeds from which we can enliven our dreams in the upcoming Spring season—a time of rebirth and renewal.

So this year for Valentine's Day and throughout the month of February, take time to nurture and be kind to yourself. Take time to be with and celebrate yourself. And if you feel like you want more love, again focus on what you need to cultivate within yourself.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com and www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

New Year, New Intentions - How to (Re)set and Achieve Your Goals for the New Year

January 31, 2019

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

Once the month of January is behind you it’s common to feel uneasy about staying on track with your new year's resolutions and goals.

And before springtime approaches, it’s so important to reset and recalibrate.

Winter is the most Yin season of the year and is related to the Water element, which is associated with introspection and cultivation, and is the most important time for rest so that you can build back the energy of the Kidneys.

When the Kidney energy is strong, you’ll feel vital and have the Will, known as Zhi, to carry out your goals and dreams during the upcoming Spring season.

While wintertime is not the time to actualize your dreams, it’s an important time to clarify your intentions and through careful examination and meditation, glean wisdom from the experiences of your past.

Since the holiday season keeps our lives so full, January and February are wonderful months to recommit to our personal desires and clarify our intentions for the new year.

The beginning of the year is therefore the ideal time to let go of what’s past so you can create space to move into the future with clarity and focus.

So grab your cup of tea, a notebook and pen, put on some calming music, and give yourself at least 20 minutes to read through and thoughtfully answer the following questions:

What are 3 things you're most grateful for/proud of from the past year?
What 3 things are you willing to let go of as you begin the new year (i.e. projects, people, feelings, etc.)?
Write 3 specific desires you’d like to manifest in the new year.

“20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

— Mark Twain

With best wishes for a magical year ahead!

Love,

Dr. Setareh Moafi

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com and www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

How Going on Retreat Benefits Your Health: A Five Element Perspective

December 6, 2018

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

From a Chinese medical point of view, the balance of Yin and Yang is the foundation for achieving health and harmony in your life.

Generally, Yin relates to quietude, receiving and being, whereas Yang relates to activity and doing.

If like most, you live in a primarily Yang society where you’re constantly stimulated through work, emailing, texting, listening to music, browsing the internet, and interacting with others, your need for more Yin, or quiet time, is essential.

And there’s no faster and easier way to bring balance back into your life than to unplug and reset by going on retreat.

Removed from your daily distractions, retreat allows you to rejuvenate so you can become more Yin, or receptive, to what you truly want and need in your life.

There’s a multitude of health benefits that come from retreat. Below is a Five Element perspective on the impact of retreat on your health and life.

HOW RETREAT BENEFITS THE FIVE ELEMENTS IN YOUR LIFE

1. Wood Element & Liver/Gallbladder: Retreat Allows for Rebirth & Renewal

In the Five Element system of Chinese Medicine, Wood represents rebirth and growth, and is related to the ambition required to live out your highest purpose.

Wood energy gives you drive, focus and the fearlessness to accomplish your goals.

Wood is related to the Liver, which stores blood, and the Gallbladder, which utilizes this blood to make things happen in your life. In the Five Element cycle, Wood is nourished by Water, which represents the deepest part of yourself; the aspect that helps you go within to understand your purpose and develop greater self awareness.

As part of the Water element, your willpower, or Zhi, which is housed in the Kidneys, encourages the ambition of the Liver and Gallbladder to manifest your dreams.

Water energy is nurtured through contemplation and rest. Water is associated with the Kidneys, which also house your essence, or Jing, and provide an essential source of energy to live out your life curriculum. Weak Kidney Qi is related to adrenal fatigue - the feeling of being exhausted and wired simultaneously. When Kidney Qi is weak, you feel like you’re running on fumes.

When your Kidney Qi is replenished and strong, you’ll feel a natural energy that’ll drive you to get things done more effortlessly.

2. Water Element & the Kidneys: Retreat Deepens Your Self-Awareness

Life is formed and develops in the water that holds the essence of the body, called Jing. The Kidneys comprise the organ system that stores this Essence and are the primary organs that provide the Yang metabolic energy which drives the entire function of the body. In this way, your Kidney Jing is the foundation for all Yin and Yang energies of the body.

Water fuels the introspective aspect of self and in balance gives you the ability to be an observer of life, letting go of judgement while at the same time providing you with your fundamental drive to live and the willpower, or Zhi, to fulfill your goals and dreams.

When your Water element is in balance, you’re able to spend time alone comfortably and look at life from a bird’s eye view, learning the lessons that are transmitted through your experiences.

Retreat provides space and time to create the opportunity for your body to draw energy back into the Kidneys to strengthen your Water energy and willpower so a newfound courage can sprout forth through Wood energy, which initiates growth and new beginnings.

3. Earth Element & the Spleen/Stomach: Retreat Improves Your Relationship with Yourself and Others

Earth energy is about transformation; transformation of food into energy and raw material to rebuild the body, and transformation of your thoughts so you’re obsessing about negative things and can have clarity of mind.

Earth energy is also associated with your relationship with yourself and others, which begins with your relationship to your family, especially the unconditional love of your mother. As the archetype for the Earth type personality, the Mother represents unconditional love and the nourishing qualities that exist within each of us.

Nourishment begins in the gut first with your mother through breastfeeding and evolves into self-care, or how you nourish yourself.

Thus the connection of the Earth element to your digestive function determines your ability to have healthy, harmonious relationships as well as strong immunity, or Spleen Qi.

Retreat may be the highest form of self-care. Eating a more simple diet and taking time to eat mindfully while on retreat further strengthens your Earth energy.

4. Metal Element & the Lungs/Large Intestine: Retreat Helps You Organize Your Thoughts and Cultivate a Greater Sense of Clarity

The Metal element relates to order, discipline, organization, and clarity both in your internal and external world.

The Metal element relates to the Lungs and Large Intestine organs. Weak Lung Qi can result from a weakened immune system, inadequate exercise or grief.

To strengthen the Lung Qi, it’s important to take deep breaths and also do practices that connect the body, mind and breath, including Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Chi.

Many retreats encompass these practices, along with Meditation, which cultivates the Kidney Qi and also helps develop your self awareness.

The quietude of retreat also creates space to process your grief, and any other emotions that are being neglected during the busyness of your daily life.

When you allow emotions such as grief to transport you to the depths of your heart, you can hear the lessons of your past, let go, and regain the strength and clarity to more fully experience your authentic self.

5. Fire Element & the Heart: Retreat Deepens Your Sense of Wonder, Creativity and Self-Love

In Chinese Medicine, the Heart not only circulates the blood, but it also houses the spirit, known as the Shen. A nourished, settled Heart manifests as a calm spirit and mind. A strong Heart-Kidney, or Water-Fire, connection helps you stay on purpose with your life (learn more here).

When there’s sufficient Kidney (Water) energy, it cools the Heart (Fire) making you feel calm and able to sleep more restfully.

Sufficient Kidney Qi, which is cultivated through proper rest, anchors the Heart Qi and helps you cultivate a feeling of self-love.

Practices such as Meditation and self-reflection amplify self-love and creativity, and therefore nourish the Heart.

Heart energy drives our passion and the pure, present sense of wonder that we can associate with a young child. As you get older, it’s just as important to create space so that this creativity and spontaneity can flourish in your life.

By creating space while on retreat, you’re able to cultivate creativity and self-love, which help you develop compassion and a deeper connection to the highest form of love from Source.

When you're connected in this way, there’s no limit to the love that you’ll return home with to share with others.

Interested to join us on retreat? Click here to learn more and sign up for one of the last spots on our Journey to Wellness in Bali January 13-20, 2019.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com and www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

5 Tips to Stay Healthy through the Holiday Season

November 29, 2018

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

The holiday season is both beautiful and challenging.

Sure, it’s easy to cultivate yourself and maybe even reach enlightenment while you’re away from society, meditating in the Himalayan mountains. But can you achieve this same state of peace and presence when you get triggered by a family member during a discussion about the past?

Top that challenge off with the changes in your diet, the weather, the stress of buying gifts, and of course your immune system can suffer.

Luckily, if you gather your tools and apply them, the holiday season has great potential for healing. And if you don’t overdo it with the shopping and sugar, you may even strike enough of a balance to feel great.

5 Tips to Help You Stay Healthy Through the Holidays

Sleep more - less sunlight during shorter days increases the secretion of melatonin in the body and naturally supports us to sleep longer hours. Try not to resist this need for more sleep (with more sugar and caffeine!) and be mindful to allow more time for rest overall.
Practice Yoga or Qi Gong regularly - doing a daily practice that connects breath with movement helps you be more present in your daily life so you can attune yourself to your needs and the choices that will be most nurturing for your self-care. Plus, it’s essential to keep your Lung Qi strong for healthy immunity and resistance to colds, flus and other infections.
Take colloidal silver - known to stimulate the immune system, regular intake of colloidal silver can help ward off infection and disease. Other benefits of colloidal silver include that it can kill pathogens, oxygenate the body and lower inflammation.
This is why Dr. Stephen West, DL, PMD (son of Dr. C. Samuel West, DN, ND, renowned chemist and internationally recognized lymphologist), concludes, “Silver ions stimulate the lymphatic system by cleaning out the dead cells and bringing oxygen to the healthy cells.”
I can say from personal experience that my immune system has never felt stronger since I was introduced colloidal silver, and I don’t even take it every day. You can find out more information at The Silver Edge.
Create healthy boundaries - you don’t have to say yes to all the holiday parties and gatherings and even if you do, try to shift back to a healthy regimen that resonates with what you know will help you stay strong. Enjoy yourself but then remember to nurture yourself if you overdid it. Eat soups, reduce sugar, dairy and gluten, and properly hydrate to help cleanse the body of the unhealthy food and drink that can compromise your immune system.
Try to keep boundaries not only with your relationships but also with the choices you make with your self-care.
Eating warm, nourishing foods and lots of vegetables when you can ensures that you’re enjoying equally clean, healthy foods to balance out the indulgence of holiday gatherings.
Like your Lung Qi, your Spleen Qi is essential to your immune function, so eating a lot of sugar or just eating too much too often will tax the Spleen Qi and leave you feeling groggy and exhausted.
Be gentle with yourself - the pressure of the holiday season can only wear on you if you let it. Take time to do the things you love, even if that means spending some time alone, take time in nature and let go of perfection.
Naturally, you won’t eat the way you normally do, be as active or keep a regular daily rhythm during the holidays, especially if you travel to see loved ones during this time.
Just be present with the changes and savor the joy and challenges with your family and friends knowing that it’s all supporting your growth and helping you on your journey to greater wellness.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com and www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

Why It's So Hard to Let Go, and What You Can Do to Make it Easier

October 18, 2018

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

Your spiritual practice teaches you that suffering comes from attachment. So to end your suffering, all you have to do is become more detached.

Sounds easy, right?

But then the day comes when you get fired from your job, lose a loved one, breakup with your partner, or get into a fight you regret with a friend.

You read your self-help books, your literature on walking the spiritual path and tell yourself not to worry and that it’s not a big deal, but the reality is that you feel worried, that it IS a big deal and that you’re NOT ok.

Logically you know that holding onto the emotions and grievances that come from life challenges don’t serve you. But these struggles are real and inevitable for us all. And sometimes, it doesn’t help to know that to avoid suffering, all you have to do is let go because that’s a lot harder to practice than it sounds.

But why is it that sometimes it’s so hard to let go?

According to Chinese medicine, there are three essential things that need to be supported for you to let go, and if these aspects are not working well you’re likely to have a hard time letting go.

First, you have to breathe through the process and accept it, and this requires Lung Qi. Next, you have to be able to digest or transform whatever’s bothering you, which is a function of the Spleen and Stomach.. And finally, you have to be emotionally settled, which requires that you have a calm mind and Heart.

Let’s explore how the Lungs, Spleen and Stomach, and Heart can challenge your ability to let go, and what you can do to support yourself in the process.

You Have to Accept to Let Go

The first step in letting go of anything is to come into full acceptance of the challenge or emotion with which you’re dealing. In other words, if you’re angry or scared or sad about something that’s going on in the world or in your personal life, you first have to completely accept and embrace the feeling without judgment. Be fully present with the emotion. Only then do you have a place to move from to process it to release.

The Lungs comprise the organ system that most closely relates to your ability to accept and therefore let go of anything.

Your ability to let go is the virtue of the Lungs in their balanced state.

Your lungs are part of the respiratory system, providing a connection between your external and internal worlds through the breath. Inhalation draws in fresh oxygen and Qi, or energy, while exhalation helps you let go of toxins.

The Lungs' natural movement is to disperse and descend Qi.

The Lungs disperse, or spread, fluids to support Wei Qi, or Defense Qi, which runs on the surface of the skin to protect you during the day and travels into the body to help you sleep at night. This ensures that Wei Qi is equally distributed under the skin and to the muscles to warm and moisten the skin, allowing for a normal amount of sweating, and to protect you from external pathogens that can cause colds, flus and skin problems (see more about this in a previous article).

As the uppermost organ, the Lungs also descend Qi to communicate with the Kidneys, which are said to 'grasp' the Lungs’ Qi, to allow for deep breathing. Dysfunction in the communication between the Lungs and Kidneys can result in wheezing and asthma.

The health of your Lungs determines your capacity to let go.

Weakness in the Lungs perpetuates sadness and regrets about the past.

Strong Lung Qi provides us with greater endurance and stamina and supports us to take more full, conscious breaths. Conscious breathing allows you to be more present and helps you cultivate a sense of mindfulness to support the process of acceptance.

Only when you fully accept the feelings and circumstances you’re in can you begin the process of letting go, and your breath is the first tool to initiate this process.

One essential way to strengthen your Lungs is through regular exercise. This doesn't have to be extreme like training for a marathons or climbing steep mountains, but a simple daily walk is a great way to keep your Lungs strong and vital.

Key tips to strengthen the Lungs: take deep breaths and keep your body active.

You Have to Transform It to Let It Go

The Spleen and Stomach are the primary organs of digestion and transformation of food and thoughts into energy, or Qi.

The Spleen and Stomach transform and transport food and drink, extract their nutrients for absorption in the body, then send the remaining waste to the colon to release through the bowels.

When the Spleen and Stomach functions are weak or their energy is stagnated in the gut, this process is impeded.

In other words, if Spleen Qi is insufficient, your digestion will be weak and rather than gain energy from food and drink, you’ll feel lethargic, bloated and generally uncomfortable after you eat.

These symptoms indicate that the Spleen is unable to transform the nutrients from your food and drink into Gu Qi, or food energy, that then supports the production of Wei Qi to support your immune system.

The energy of the Spleen also ascends to bring energy and fluids upward to support the Lungs to function optimally.

Furthermore, the energy of the Stomach descends and if this movement is stagnated, the function of the Large Intestine is impeded, resulting in constipation and accumulation of toxins in the body.

If this energy isn’t ascending upward into the brain or descending to release toxic waste, brain fog, mental fatigue and lack of clarity and focus can result.

In addition, if the health of the Spleen and Stomach organ systems is compromised, dampness can accumulate, causing you to feel stuck in your life and thoughts, and even cause you to develop patterns of obsessive thinking.

To let go, you have to release thoughts and feelings that no longer serve you and since the Spleen and Stomach govern the transformation of food and thoughts, you have to strengthen these organ systems to transform your thoughts.

The most essential way to support the organs of digestion is to pay attention to how and when you eat.

Take time to cook your meals and avoid eating under stress and eating on the run or while distracted.

To give your digestion even more support, take enzymes with meals to help break down food and prevent stagnation and heat accumulation in the Stomach. Along with a balanced probiotic supplement, enzymes are essential for your gut health, which is the core of your immune function and brain health.

Key tips to strengthen the Spleen and Stomach: take time to cook and eat warm, nourishing foods without distractions, and take probiotics and enzymes to support your gut health.

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You Have to Calm Your Mind to Let Go

According to Chinese Medicine, the Heart houses your Shen, or spiritual aspect of your body which is expressed through your mind. Since the Heart is the primary organ of the Fire element, it can easily become overheated with unsettled emotions that can disrupt your mental state.

The type of symptoms that arise with an imbalanced Heart can range from nervousness to insomnia and in more severe situations involve palpitations, shortness of breath, anxiety, and even mania.

Meditation and self-cultivation practices, maintaining healthy relationships, and literally listening to and following your heart’s desires, all help to quell Heart fire and therefore reduce anxiety, supporting your Shen, or spirit, to rest.

Since Fire energy can generally cause restlessness, it’s important to do practices such as Yoga, Qi Gong and meditation regularly to tame the Heart Fire and calm the mind.

One of the best ways to initiate and immerse in these practices is by going on retreat. The time away from day-to-day distractions is a powerful way to shift your perspective and reset your mind.

Since Fire energy needs to circulate freely, it’s also essential to find creative outlets such as painting, knitting, dancing and anything else that feels exciting and playful.

Key tips to balance the Heart energy: meditate/retreat, be creative and play.

Supporting Your Ability to Let Go

One of the the most effective ways to support these organ systems is through Classical Acupuncture. By focusing on a meridian approach, Classical Acupuncture techniques work to help you not only to rebalance the systems that are impeding your ability to let go, but also to specifically free traumas that keep you stuck in the past so that you can be more fully present in your life.

Naturally, your lifestyle choices will always be important for the efficacy of any treatment. By cultivating a state of acceptance and calm, you can transform anything in your life.

And by strengthening and balancing the energy of the Lungs, Spleen and Stomach and Heart, you’ll be able to let go of anything that no longer serves you so you can live a freer, healthier and more fulfilled life.

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Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers a one-of-a-kind form of empowerment coaching, clinical services, and transformational workshops and online courses that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com.

How Your Gut Feeling Relates to Your Gut Health

August 8, 2018

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

We've all walked away from situations where we wish we'd listened to our 'gut feeling' - that still, small voice that seems to speak from the depths of our solar plexus to give us guidance that always directs us toward our heart's truest desires. At times, the direction we're being pointed may seem illogical, but looking back we realize there was always a reason for this guidance.

When you struggle to listen to your gut feeling, it’s often because this feeling is being obstructed by excessive processing in the mind as well as the digestive system.

Understanding the connection between the gut that's related to your digestion and the gut feeling that guides you in the most favorable directions in your life is essential to your well being.

Digestion According to Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, the Spleen and Stomach comprise the Earth element which is said to govern the late Summer and all seasonal transitions. This is why it’s important for us to pay attention to and strengthen these digestive organs during times of transition (seasonal or otherwise) in our lives.

According to Chinese Medicine, the Spleen is mostly responsible for the breakdown and transformation of food to produce Qi energy, blood and fluids. It is also the organ that is most likely to accumulate phlegm or dampness from improper food choices and weakness in its transformation function.

Digestion of food can be impeded by stress and too much consumption of damp or phlegm-producing foods such as dairy, sugar, and processed foods.

The Spleen is also the organ that governs our thinking process and, because of this, it’s the first organ to be affected by overthinking and being obsessive compulsive.

For this reason, it's common for students who are mentally overstimulated for extended periods of time to develop weak Spleen Qi, or energy. Weakness of the Spleen energy will cause a reduction in mental focus and concentration and create a lower level of energy production in general. This can manifest as fatigue.

Fatigue leads students to grab fast foods and sugar for quick energy, but this energy burns fast. In addition, these types of foods can be toxic and create dampness in the Spleen, thereby weakening the digestive system and creating a vicious loop of low energy and poor decision making with food choices.

Since students tend to be young adults their tolerance is in general higher than older individuals. However, even these young adults will crash over time with physical symptoms ranging from allergies and asthma, to digestive problems and even fibromyalgia that can manifest as a result of severe Spleen weakness causing muscle pain throughout the body.

The Spleen and Stomach Digest Thoughts, Ideas, Emotions, and Food

Your digestive system is not just digesting the coffee and scone you ate for breakfast, but also what the woman at the coffee shop said to you this morning or the argument you had with your spouse, or the earful of stressful news you heard at work.

The busier the mind, the greater the burden on the Spleen to break down the plethora of thoughts and information you are processing throughout the day.

Metaphorically, the Spleen has to transform this information similarly to the way it does food because the Spleen controls your Yi, your Mind. So what you digest either physically or psychologically will impact your state of mind.

Furthermore, your physical state is impacted by your mental state. For example, excessive stress causes the body to produce cortisol, the primary stress hormone, much of which is actually produced in the gut. Increased cortisol levels lead to the proliferation of an unhealthy microbiome in the gut, which can lead to indigestion, fatigue, insomnia, as well as problems relating to your brain and mental function.

When you eat while you’re in a meeting you’re putting twice the impact on the Spleen as it not only has to process the food that you’re eating but also all the information from the meeting.

Having your energy diverted to your mental processing inhibits sufficient energy to support your digest. Over time this pattern will cause a serious dysfunction in the digestive system and weaken the Spleen energy. This then leads to common complaints such as fatigue, poor digestion, muscle weakness, and generalized body pain since the Spleen also governs the muscles.

The fact that your mental and digestive processes are so connected makes it clear that your gut health will impact your ability to listen to and follow your gut feeling.

The Gut-Brain Axis Helps Us Understand How Emotions Affect Digestion

Modern research on the gut-brain axis (GBA), which refers to the biochemical signaling that takes place between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system (CNS), affirms the connection between the mind, emotions and the digestive system.

Both clinical and experimental evidence suggest that enteric microbiota has an important impact on GBA, interacting not only locally with intestinal cells and the enteric nervous system (ENS), but also directly with the central nervous system (CNS).

The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body, passes through the neck to the abdomen and interfaces with parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs and digestive tract. Evidence indicates that microbiota communication with the brain involves the vagus nerve, which transmits information from the luminal environment to the central nervous system (CNS). The enteric microbiota is distributed in the human gastrointestinal tract and relative abundance and distribution along the intestine is similar among healthy individuals. This microbial community has important metabolic and physiological functions and contributes to homeostasis.

The constant communication and interplay between the gut and the brain has the potential to influence and intersect with sleep both directly and indirectly. Breus (2016) summarizes some of the ways that might occur:

Mood. Disruptions and imbalance of gut microbes have been strongly connected to anxiety and depression. This has potentially significant implications for sleep, as both anxiety and depression can trigger or exacerbate sleep disruptions.
Stress. Research is also revealing a complicated, two-way relationship between stress and gut health. Stress is an extremely common obstacle to healthy, sufficient sleep.
Hormones. The intestinal microbiome produces and releases many of the same neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, melatonin and GABA, which help to regulate mood, and also help to promote sleep.

In sum, the health of the gut impacts the health of the brain and therefore our ability to process information, manage stress, balance our emotions, and digest and assimilate food.

Tuning in to Your Gut Feeling

Since so much of your mental, emotional and food processing occurs in the gut, gut health is essential to your overall health.

A healthy microbiome in the gut supports ease in the digestive process, which supports healthy elimination, and results in clarity of mind.

In the same way, the combination of a well-balanced diet, a clear, calm mind and harmonious emotions support the production of healthy microbiome in the gut to support digestive and overall health.

When your body is healthy and your mind is calm, you have the clarity to hear and listen to the still small voice that always provides you with the least resistant path to achieve your goals and dreams.

Healthy digestion thus allows attunement to your instincts and a closer connection to the guidance that's offered by your gut feeling.

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Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com and www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

Staying on Purpose: Insights on the Heart/Kidney Relationship

July 26, 2018

by Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

The relationship between the Heart and the Kidneys in Chinese Medicine is the basis for having a clear sense of purpose and the drive to live out that purpose.

Physiologically, the Heart plays a vital role in sustaining our lives, bringing oxygenated blood throughout the body to nourish its estimated 100 trillion cells. On the other hand, the Kidneys are vital organs that help eliminate waste products from the blood to prevent autointoxication.

In Chinese Medicine these two organ systems have other dynamic and critical functions that are important to understand if we are to cultivate healthy longevity in body, mind and spirit.

The Heart stores the Shen, or Spirit, and the Kidneys store the Zhi, or Willpower.

The Kidneys are also the storage center for the Jing, or Essence.

Jing is our most precious substance as it relates to the constitutional aspect of our physical body, i.e. our genetic material. The more well preserved our genes, the more well preserved our physical health.

The process of preserving this precious resource is essential because the Kidney Essence relates to our reproductive resources on a hormonal level as well.

Your body's hormonal status declines with age, so preventing the acceleration of this decline process is key to promoting graceful aging. Daoist cultivation practices for physical health are based upon slowing down this process.

Equally as important as the Kidney Essence is the Spirit and how it becomes embodied during the process of your physical creation.

The Spirit and Conception

At the time of conception, the Jing of both parents unites and captures the Cosmic Qi of the Spirit to be incarnated.

This Cosmic Qi contains an incarnating Spirit's Zhi, or Willpower, also referred to as the Will. This Will is the driving force behind a Spirit's incarnation and gestational development. This spiritual energy called the Zhi, or Will, becomes stored in the Kidneys upon development.

Once conception happens, the three trimesters of the gestational period unfold during which not only the body forms but also the Spirit of the baby becomes more fully embodied.

How the Body and Spirit Integrate During Gestation

According to Chinese Medicine, there are three main aspects to the Spirit, known as the Po, Shen and Hun.

During the first trimester of pregnancy, the first Spirit that gets embodied is called the Po. This is said to be the most physically dense of the other soul Spirits.

The Po is the soul that's stored in the Lungs.

Earth energy keeps the Po connected to the developing fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy. This is why it's indicated to support the Spleen, which along with the Stomach is one of the primary Earth organs, during the first trimester in order to prevent miscarriage. During the first trimester, it's also common for pregnant women to suffer from morning sickness with nausea and vomiting, symptoms that can be attributed to a weak Spleen. When the Spleen's Qi energy is very weak during the first trimester, prolapse and leakages are likely to occur, and this can lead to a miscarriage.

During the second trimester, the programming of a person's new life begins. This is the trimester associated with the Fire Element, the Heart and the Shen/Spirit it contains.

During the second trimester, the Shen becomes programmed with the life curriculum that a person is going to experience. This life curriculum contains one's purpose in life. Once this embodied Spirit called the Shen begins to gather information about one's life curriculum, the experiences needed to fulfill this curriculum begin to get programmed into the blood. This leads us to the third trimester.

The third trimester relates to the Wood element and the Liver organ. The embodied Spirit that gets stored in the Liver is called the Hun.

The Hun is like our 'collective consciousness' that contains a record of all memories - past, present and future. So as the blood gets programmed with all of this information, it gets recorded and stored in the Hun of the Liver making this organ a very important system for the health of our memory retrieval.

Once a baby is born, these three spirits - the Po, Shen and Hun - become more and more integrated until around the age of five when the process is complete.

The organ systems are in general weak and delicate until we mature. With puberty, the Kidney's Yang Qi, called Ming Men, or Life Gate Fire, also becomes strong.

The blossoming of the Kidney's Life Gate Fire is the impetus for the Zhi, or Will, to take life on as a young adult and to move the Kidney's Yin resources, the Jing, in a way that will allow one's life curriculum to unfold.

It is therefore imperative that both the Kidney Yin (Jing) and the Kidney Yang (Ming Men), both of which are related to the Water element, are abundant and flowing freely. This ensures that the Water energy will not become stagnant or accumulate toxicity so that our life curriculum, which ultimately gets stored into the level of Jing, can unfold naturally as we grow and mature as individuals.

Furthermore, when the Water energy is strong and pure it is able to properly manage the Fire energy.

If there is excessive Fire energy in the Heart, the mind will become overactive, manifesting as restlessness, insomnia, anxiety, and even mania. The excess Fire person will struggle with too many distractions and lack clarity of mind to live out his or her dharma or purpose in life.

Excessive Fire can cause a person to make choices in life that are counter to his or her dharma and thereby divert from experiencing a sense of completion in life.

On the other hand, if Fire energy is too weak, a person can become emotionally cold and not feel joy or a sense of interest in life. The weak Fire person is essentially apathetic to having a purpose at all. In this state, the willpower and passion to live are lacking or, in Chinese Medicine terms, the energy of Water and Fire are deficient.

Balancing Fire and Water to Stay On Purpose

A healthy balance between the Kidney's Water energy and the Heart's Fire energy ensures strong Heart/Kidney communication.

Through this interrelationship, you'll be able to establish healthy self-love and a clear sense of purpose in your life.

Strong Kidney energy allows you the willpower to fulfill your Heart's desires and live out your destiny. Working together, the Heart and Kidney energies motivate you to have dreams and provide you with the drive to pursue those dreams.

Nevertheless, you have freedom of choice as to whether to live out your path in this lifetime or instead to deviate and go a different way. The latter choice would be considered the result of weak communication between the Heart and Kidneys.

Fortunately, Chinese Medicine has not only created these theoretical models but it has also created tools with which to cultivate a strong Heart-Kidney relationship. This can be done through Qi Gong, Yoga, meditation, Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutrition to help rebalance Fire and Water energies so that we all have the opportunity to fulfill our life purpose.

Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac. is the Founder & Co-Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic run by he and his wife, Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine. Salvador is a leading U.S. practitioner of Japanese Meridian Therapy, a rare form of non-insertion Acupuncture using Gold & Silver needles. More information at www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

Body, Mind & Spirit According to Chinese Medicine

July 13, 2018

by Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

The integration of body, mind and spirit is essential to holistic healing practices and is gaining an increased level of importance in the conventional medical world as well. Having once been considered non-scientific, this trinitarian concept is becoming embraced by Western medicine and accepted as an integral basis for explaining the cause of certain health disorders, especially those considered to be idiopathic or psychosomatic.

Chinese Medicine has established a theoretical model that's based on this trinity as well and forms a framework to help us understand these concepts systematically in order to gain greater clarity about the integration of our body, mind and spirit.

The Trinity of the Triple Heater System

Early Daoist philosophers who were fundamental in establishing Chinese medical theory were also intrigued with this trinitarian concept of body, mind and spirit. These philosophers articulated this trinity in terms of Heaven, Humanity and Earth to explain our connection to the universe. Superimposed on the body, the microcosmic system of this macrocosmic trinity is referred to as the Triple Heater.

The Triple Heater is a system comprised of three energy centers: the head, the chest and the abdominal/pelvic region.

The head is part of the Upper Heater and relates to Heaven; the chest comprises the Middle Heater, which relates to Humanity; the abdominal and pelvic regions comprise the Lower Heater and relate to Earth.

The Upper Heater Relates to the Level of Heaven

The Spirit can be related to the Upper Heater of the Triple Heater system by virtue of the brain and the sensory organs of the eyes, ears and nose.

According to Daoist teachings, the sensory organs of sight, hearing and smell are considered gateways and when 'opened' allow an awakening of perception to higher dimensions of consciousness.

In Chinese Medicine, the head - because of its location on top of the body - is in closest proximity to Heaven's energy above. This gives the brain a close relationship to the energy of Fire. Since the brain as an organ is supported by the Kidney system, it also relates to the element of Water.

This creates an interesting association of the brain as Fire and Water - two energies in opposition based on the control cycle in Five Element theory.

Since the brain has aspects of both Fire and Water, a healthy balance of these two energies is required for optimal function.

Chinese Medicine has established diagnostic parameters for assessing the activity of these energies within the body which helps guide the treatment process to bring these energies into a state of greater balance. Through this process, a normalization of organ function can be achieved to impact one's mind, body and spirit.

The Middle Heater Relates to Level of Humanity

The Middle Heater of the Triple Heater system is comprised of the chest and relates to the Heart and Pericardium organs which are associated with the Fire element and the level of Humanity.

The Shen, or spirit, is stored in the Heart. Fire energy is about "intelligence" and "awareness" so in this way we see the correlation of the Heart and the Middle Heater with the level of Humanity as an expression of higher intelligence.

Physically, the pericardium is a protective membrane around the heart and in Chinese Medicine the major function of the Pericardium organ is more metaphorical as it protects our spirit from emotional trauma.

It is said that the Pericardium holds the traumas that occur in one's lifetime and therefore protects one's spirit from being disrupted by past emotional stresses.

However, if there is an excessive amount of trapped energy in the Pericardium from past emotional stress, a person's heart and mind will be impacted physically and psychologically causing health disorders of the heart itself or mental illness.

The Lower Heater Relates to the Level of Earth

Corresponding to the Kidney system and the Water Element is the Lower Heater and this level energetically most closely relates to the health of the body itself. Water comes from the earth, so the energetics of the Lower Heater helps us gather energy from the earth to sustain our physical life.

Your Jing, or Essential Qi, is stored in the Kidney system and corresponds on a cellular level to your genetic material, the chromosomes and DNA.

Since Jing or Essential Qi is stored in the Kidneys, the health of your physical body intimately relates to the Water energy. Daoist practices are generally based on the idea of "Yang Shen", to nourish life. From this perspective, we see how nourishing our life is about sustaining cellular health and maintaining healthy gene expression.

Telomeres, a segment of DNA at the end of chromosomes, are indicators of cellular health. As the telomeres shorten, the lifespan of the genes shorten, so we can see how the integrity of the genes and the process of aging relates to the abundance of Water energy contained by the body.

In this regard, maintaining the health of the Kidneys, including the genitourinary and reproductive systems as a whole, is integral to maintaining the health of the physical body.

Balance Among the Triple Heaters is Essential to Balance in Body, Mind and Spirit

Historically, the belief in psychosomatic causes of disease was readily accepted in Chinese Medicine.

Chapter 8 of the ancient text the Ling Shu, or Spiritual Pivot, the canon of Acupuncture dating back to the 5th Century B.C., states that "all diseases are rooted in Spirit."

From a Daoist Chinese medical perspective, it's clear that maintaining the health of the spirit supports the health of the mind and spirit. With these aspects being rooted in the Triple Heater system of the body, we can understand that maintaining balance of these heaters on a physical level is essential to having balance in body, mind and spirit.

You can learn fundamental practices to balance this system in my twice monthly Triple Heater Qi Gong classes. Learn more and register now. I’ll also be sharing elements of this practice in the Yin Yoga Integration Teacher Training.

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Is Fire Accelerating Your Aging? A Look at How Heat is Impacting Your Body and Mind

June 14, 2018

by Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

With Summer upon us, the energy of the Fire element is quickly heating up.

Fire energy relates to the Heart and cardiovascular system so it's important to know how to protect these systems from excessive Fire. Excessive Fire energy causes inflammation and when chronic or lingering for a long time, can particularly damage areas in which it occurs.

Fire is created not only from the sun's radiation but also via electromagnetic radiation from electronic equipment which most of us are exposed to daily in the form of Wifi signals, electrical power lines throughout our homes, cell phones and a host of other sources. The Fire energy of radiation in any form leads to oxidative stress which creates degeneration on the cellular level.

To be clear, oxidation is a natural part of physiological function. Problems occur when oxidative stress is too great for the body to manage leading to the accelerated breakdown of cellular structures on all levels and thus premature aging.

Fire Energy and Pathology

In Chinese Medicine, the primary organ of Fire energy is the Heart which relates to the mind and our desires.

In today's modern society, mental and visual overstimulation tend to create excess Fire energy in the Heart, which can be at the root of many cases of nervousness and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). With today's common problem of screen addiction, it's not surprising to see more and more children or young adults on medication to manage their ADHD or anxiety.

In addition, since the element of Fire relates to one's desires and passions in life and the emotion of joy, if we are overly driven by these attributes, we may find ourselves with a Heart Fire based emotional problem.

Essentially, any situation that overstimulates the mind or emotions - be it a trauma or too many responsibilities in one's life - may create too much Fire in the Heart and potentially lead to the emotional problems of nervousness, anxiety and in extreme cases mania. These are all indications of Fire out of balance in the body.

Sometimes the Fire energy gets burned out or it can be smothered by an excess of dampness in the body leading to a state called Phlegm Misting the Heart.

In these cases, the person will exhibit a state of indifference and apathy towards life. The weaker the Fire energy in one's life, the more one will tend to be cold, withdrawn and introverted.

On the flip side, the strong Fire type personality is very outgoing and if the Fire energy becomes excessive, it can lead to hyperactivity and even overbearing or obnoxious behavior. This is why some people who have too much Heart Fire can become intense and obnoxious upon drinking too much alcohol or spicy stimulants like coffee.

Stress in general produces Fire in the body and comes in many forms be it physical, emotional or mental. Thus, Fire energy is ubiquitous and a natural part of life.

What's important for graceful aging is to learn how to manage this powerful energy in your life in order to support a healthy body and mind, and to cultivate feelings of contentment and peace.

Living Excessively Causes Fire to Flare Up

The body's structure is Yin, which represents substance in the form of skin, flesh, fluids and blood. Yang on the other hand represents function and movement.

Youthfulness is a state of abundant Yin which provides insulation to protect the body from Fire, which is very Yang.

However, as we age, Yin declines and the body becomes more vulnerable to the Fire energy. This appears as drying up of tissues causing wrinkles and other symptoms of dryness.

Any form of inflammation indicates that Yin needs to be supported and Yang Fire needs to be cooled.

Since function and movement are Yang, one way to prevent excess Fire from building up is to avoid excessive activity, especially during the warmer Summer months.

Young people can better handle activity during the hot weather but as we get older it's important not to overheat ourselves, especially during the warmer parts of the day. It is especially important as we age to not dehydrate ourselves with excessive sweating as well.

Keep in mind, if you are drinking what seems to be sufficient amounts of water but still feel overheated or experiencing signs of dehydration such as a headache or dizziness, try adding some sea salt to your water as the minerals in the sea salt will help you rehydrate quickly.

Another common excess that creates too much Fire is overeating.

Overeating creates oxidative stress on the body especially the overconsumption of 'hot natured' foods like lamb and beef or beverages such as coffee and alcohol. With this said, Chinese Medicine recommends the decrease consumption of these types of foods during the summer months. Furthermore, sugar creates acid in the body which generates heat. The summer is replete with fresh fruit as it's a way nature provides for hydration during hot weather. Keep in mind, however, that when over consumed, these concentrated sweet foods create damp heat in the body which essentially is a toxic fungal terrain.

Excess Fire burns out your Qi, leading to fatigue.

Oxidative stress damages the mitochondria within the cells. Mitochondria are the cell's powerhouse structures that create energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). As free radicals break down these cellular components, the body's energy production declines.

In Chinese Medicine, we say "heat destroys the Qi" and when we are not producing adequate Qi the body doesn't have sufficient energy to function optimally. Some common signs of Qi Deficiency are lethargy, low immunity, hyper-sensitivity to Wind and Cold, low libido and a weakened digestive system.

*Nutritional Supplements Can Help Manage Excessive Fire and Increase Your Energy

Modern nutritional science is making rapid breakthroughs in understanding how to protect and rebuild mitochondria to enhance cellular energy. A number of amino acids have been found for this purpose.

As suggested previously, when there's too much Yang Fire, we need to support the body with cooling Yin substances. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are considered Yin substances because they build structure. Many amino acids have also been found to have profound effects in reducing the damage of excessive free-radical activity (Yang Fire).

Considered the mother of all antioxidants, glutathione (GSH) is a peptide made of three amino acids. It is so important that cellular levels of GSH are considered a biomarker of longevity. The problem is that glutathione is not effectively absorbed directly through the digestive tract. However, since it is manufactured in the body, it can be supported with certain food substances, especially those in the cruciferous vegetable family due to their sulfur amino acid content.

N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) is a precursor to GSH and has interestingly been found to help reduce neurocognitive problems such as bio-polar disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), addictions and even schizophrenia.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid is one of the important antioxidants that's been found to increase GSH levels and to be neuroprotective. Alpha-Lipoic Acid has been used successfully to help prevent neurotoxicity induced by chemotherapy which can lead to symptoms such as peripheral neuropathy, possibly by preventing mitochondrial destruction.

CoQ10, or in its reduced form Ubiquinol, is especially useful in protecting the cardiovascular system from the Fire of oxidative stress, as well as enhancing mitochondrial function to boost Qi (energy) throughout the body, specifically for the heart muscle.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a compound formed from the amino acid L-Carnitine. Acetyl-L-Carnitine has been found to cross the blood-brain barrier and protect the brain's neurons against oxidative stress. It also supports mitochondrial function systemically and specifically beneficial for strengthening brain function in terms of memory recall. For this reason, Acetyl-L-Carnitine is one of the important supplements being used to support individuals with Alzheimer's.

Astaxanthin is another wonder antioxidant in terms of supporting healthy aging as it has been found to reduce oxidation of the cardiovascular system including the prevention of LDL from oxidizing which leads to atherosclerosis. Astaxanthin also protects mitochondria from free-radical damage which is likely the reason it is known to increase energy and stamina.

Astaxanthin provides important cosmetic benefits as well. Known for its carotenoid content that create the pink pigmentation in flamingos and salmon, Astaxanthin has been found to support skin health through multiple mechanisms. Astaxanthin has potent anti-inflammatory effects through its suppression of inflammatory cytokines which are created in response to the sun's UV radiation. It also directly benefits skin health by supporting the skin's moisture barrier to reduce skin dehydration and by increasing collagen production.

In fact, Astaxanthin has been found to reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and skin texture as well.

PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone). PQQ is one of my favorite new daily supplements as it can activate genes that promote the formation of new mitochondria for increased cellular energy production. Recent studies have shown that 20 mg per day of PQQ has demonstrated the beneficial effects of increased blood flow in the brain and enhanced cognitive function. Trials showed increased mental function after 3 months of daily supplementation with PQQ with increased blood flow to the right prefrontal cortex of the brain involved in higher level cognitive functions.

PQQ also helps reduce neurotoxicity likely through enhancing blood flow, and protects neurons from damage due to excess sugar in the blood which has been attributed to the creation of the tau proteins and amyloid brain plaques associated with dementia and Alzheimer's.

Vinpocetine is the last antioxidant I want to discuss because of its neurological and vascular protection for the brain and heart. This powerful supplement is popular in Europe and has been found to improve cognitive function as well as short and long term memory by supporting the production of ATP, improving cerebral blood flow and glucose uptake in the brain. Vinpocetine also enhances the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline to stabilize mood, decrease depression and increase the sense of pleasure in ones life.

With these benefits we can ascertain that Vinpocetine is best for cases of depression and mental lethargy when Heart Fire needs to be sparked.

Taming Your Fire to Support Graceful Longevity

The last point I want to discuss is about how modern society is based on cultivating too much Fire in our life.

As I mentioned earlier, screen addiction is a big problem for most individuals young and old. The more staring we do at our devices, be it the phone, TV or computer screen, the more the Heart gets over-stimulated.

Furthermore, the more active we live, the more Fire energy builds up in the body. Waking up some days it certainly seems we are part of the human race and this race just never seems to end. That's Fire energy and it is very damaging to our health on all levels.

It's true as it's been said that we should try to return to being a human being rather than a human doing.

I like to look at the idea of longevity in terms of quality over quantity. With that said, ask yourself, "Do I feel a sense of contentment with my life?" This is an important question to ponder. You may have a bucket list that seems endless with things you want to do and experience. However, it may be time in your life to try and cultivate less Fire by moving toward calmness and peacefulness to cool down your inner Fire. Perhaps rather than focusing on checking off all those things you want to experience in life, take time each day to be in gratitude for your life as it is.

A simple exercise you can practice is to write down a list of all things in your life for which you're grateful. Doing this will help you be more present in the moment and thus nourish your Yin, helping you cultivate both inner peace and graceful longevity.

*The information in this article is presented for educational purposes only so please ask your healthcare practitioner for guidance in what supplementation may be best for your specific needs.

How to Allow Yourself to Receive

April 5, 2018

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

I used to think that to get what I want, I have to strive and work tirelessly. Not until I started to practice Yoga regularly in college did I learn that the opposite is true. The more I practiced, the more I relaxed and the more relaxed I felt the more opportunities came to me.

The more I focused on self-cultivation and being still, the less effort I had to make in my pursuits.

In order to receive what you want, you need to let go and be fully present.

This means that both the body and mind have to be relaxed, clear and calm. I learned this through both my personal practice and through my training with a number of master Yoga instructors, in particular Erich Schiffmann.

Erich emphasized the power of entering the silence and listening for guidance. The one word I heard repeatedly from Erich was “pause.” He encouraged us to listen inward and taught me that the answer to everything comes in the empty spaces between your thoughts, when your mind is quiet.

Mindfulness-based movement practices such as Yoga, Qi Gong or Tai Chi release physical tension to prepare the body to sit quietly so you can experience a quiet, empty mind that allows you to be fully present.

Only when you’re fully present can you tune in to receive guidance that will allow anything and everything you’ve ever wanted to enter your life.

To get to the place where you can receive, you first have to create space by letting go.

As a society of achievers, the challenge for many of us is accepting that only through stillness can we align ourselves with anything and everything we want.

Receiving by Letting Go

According to Chinese Medicine, the Lungs govern the circulation of oxygen and Qi, or energy. The more deeply you breathe, the more freely this Qi can circulate throughout your body.

Deep breathing practices including Pranayama strengthen the Lungs. In addition, practices such as Yoga asana and Qi Gong, which coordinate breath with movement, unbind tension in the body thereby allowing the Lung Qi to circulate more freely.

As I've mentioned in previous articles, the Lungs are the primary organs that help us to let go. (You can read more about this here and here). As you inhale, you draw in fresh energy and oxygen. With your exhale you release toxins, as well as thoughts that no longer serve you.

Through deep breathing, the Lungs anchor you into the present moment.

The Lungs have an important relationship with the Kidneys. As the Lungs draw in Qi through the breath, the Kidneys grasp this Qi and use it to consolidate the fundamental energy of the body.

The Lungs also play an important role in harmonizing your emotions through their relationship with the Liver. Whereas the Lungs govern the circulation of Qi, it’s the Liver that ensures the smooth flow of this Qi throughout the body. (Learn more about the Liver/Lung relationship here). Stress of any kind can impede this smooth flow and cause mental agitation and even anger.

The simple act of taking a few deep breaths helps open the diaphragm to release stagnation in the Liver meridian and the Liver system as a whole, and thus smoothes the flow of Qi to regulate the emotions.

In other words, feeling better starts with taking deep breaths.

When you take a deep breath, you immediately become more present. When you're more present, you feel more in alignment. When you're more in alignment, you're able to receive the messages that guide you to what you truly want.

Tools to Fine Tune Your Ability to Receive

Years ago, Erich Schiffmann also taught me to wear a stopwatch and set a reminder on the hour, every hour to pause, breathe and be more present in that moment. I encourage you to try this powerful practice.

As the days go by and you pause hour after hour—simply for a moment to stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath—you’ll start to feel a deep sense of calm seep from those moments into every part of your day.

The video below will guide you to practice ujjayi breathing, a simple technique that profoundly calms the mind. You can practice this form of breathing as you pause throughout the day, before bedtime to help you fall asleep, and even integrate it into your exercise regimen.

Ultimately you have to quiet your mind so it doesn’t block your ability to receive what you want.

Have you noticed that when you grapple too much with an issue it just seems to get harder? Then the moment you let it go everything seems to fall into place. That’s because once your mind tunes its frequency away from that issue, away from the struggle and negative thinking, it can receive the guidance to handle that situation.

Only when you turn your focus away from the problem can you allow in the solution.

It’s crucial not just to shift the thoughts you think but also to empty the mind, to fully let go, so you can receive messages or inspiration from a higher source.

Inspiration arises only from a receptive, quiet and undistracted mind.

It’s no coincidence that the word inspiration is related to breathing. The Latin word inspirare means 'to breathe upon' and is also related to the word inspire, which means 'to breathe in.'

Sometimes inspiration, or what we may call ‘gut feelings,’ aren’t logical. You may be guided to do something even when your mind may be telling you otherwise.

For example, you go to the grocery store and something tells you to buy extra vegetables. You may ignore this because it logically doesn’t make sense—you’ve picked out enough vegetables for dinner. But this gut feeling always makes sense later. You may go home to find that your daughter has brought her friend over for dinner, and this friend happens to be vegetarian.

As you practice quieting your mind so you can receive guidance in these small situations, you’ll be more tuned in to receive this guidance for more significant situations, like when to quit the job you hate to pursue your dreams.

The process of quieting your mind to become receptive all begins by taking deeper, fuller breaths. Allow yourself to relax more, do less and just be. Only by being present can you allow in all that you’re meant to receive.

Dr. Setareh Moafi shares the importance of deep breathing for your yoga practice and daily life.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Setareh offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga.

The Greatest Form of Love

February 14, 2018

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

Throughout the month of February and especially on Valentine's Day, we're inundated with symbols and products that we've been conditioned to believe represent love -- hearts, flowers, candy, photos of lovers, and fancy dinner dates. Everything that represents Valentine's Day makes us acutely aware of the need to share love with the ones who matter most.

Interestingly, the middle of Winter during which Valentine's Day takes place is actually the optimal time to cultivate the most important kind of love; the love for oneself.

Winter is associated with the Kidneys and the Water element. Water is about contemplation, quietude and self-cultivation, all of which are necessary to build our primary energy, known as Jing, which is stored in the Kidneys. Preservation of our Jing through proper self-care and diet, as well as practices of self-cultivation such as Qi Gong, Yoga and Meditation helps slow down the aging process and prevent a plethora of illnesses and chronic degenerative diseases.

Water is the element that balances Fire according to the Five Element system of Chinese Medicine, and Fire is associated with the Heart. The Kidney's Water cools the Heart's Fire but if the Kidney energy is drained or insufficient, Heart Fire will blaze, resulting in symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia.

In Chinese Medicine, the Heart not only circulates the blood, but it also houses the spirit, known as the Shen. A nourished, settled Heart manifests as a calm spirit and mind.

When there is sufficient Kidney energy, the Heart is calm and we can sleep more restfully and feel clear and easy with our thoughts and perception of the world.

Sufficient Kidney Qi anchors the Heart Qi and helps us cultivate a feeling of self-love. As this form of love abounds, it easily flows into others.

That's why, like nearly everything else, it's so important to first cultivate love for oneself to then be able to authentically share it with others.

“Being in love is the reconnection with the whole of who you really are.”

— Abraham Hicks

Practices such as Meditation and self-reflection amplify self-love and therefore nourish the Heart.

Heart energy drives our passion and creativity. By cultivating self-love, we're able to generously share love and compassion with others.

Self-love connects us to the highest form of love from our Source and when we're connected in this way, the love that we're able to share with others is limitless.

Fennel Essential Oil is a powerful natural element that can support you to cultivate self-love. While it's commonly used to promote digestion and appetite, Fennel oil also strengthens and warms the Kidneys and improves the communication between the Heart and Kidneys. In this way, Fennel can help you feel a sense of comfort and greater connection with yourself. Fennel can be used in a blend as prescribed by a healthcare practitioner and used topically along the Kidney meridian.

This Valentine's Day, take some time to reflect and be with yourself to nourish your Kidneys and settle your Heart. Remember that you have everything you need to feel loved and that your true love lies within.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Setareh offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga.

How to Cultivate a Feeling of Enough

November 30, 2017

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Let's admit it. We all strive for more of what we love, whether it's a deeper connection to our partner, greater success in our work or finances, a more abundant lifestyle, recognition, and even contribution and personal development.

Whether it's true to our human nature or not, we've been taught that more is better. In addition to our own personal goals, we have social media and television telling us that we should and could have more if only we buy X, Y and Z.

The great paradox is that once we buy and do everything we desire or feel is 'required' of us, the tendency is to still find that something's missing.

So when is it enough?

To be fulfilled means to cultivate a feeling of enough.

According to Chinese Medicine, the Spleen and Stomach, which encompass the Earth element, are the primary organs of digestion and assimilation. These are the organs that satisfy the feeling of enough on a physical level by transforming raw material from our diet to help the body regenerate on a daily basis.

The Spleen and Stomach digest and process not just food, but also our thoughts.

If the Spleen and Stomach are harmonized, our digestion is unobstructed and our mind is clear. But when there is an imbalance in either of these systems not only do digestive difficulties manifest, but mental processing can also be disrupted causing problems such as a foggy mind and obsessive thinking.

When the Earth energy is out of balance there is a tendency to overthink and worry. According to one of the foremost classical Chinese medical texts, Nei Jing Su Wen, “Pensiveness harms the spleen” (Unschuld, 2011, 207) and if it is not properly resolved, it leads to obsession.

The Earth element relates also to our ability to feel completion, abundance and fulfillment.

When you eat a plate of food, the gut sends signals to the brain so it knows that you've had enough.

Excessive Stomach Fire can create an imbalance in this process, leading to binging, excessive thinking, obsession, and neediness. Stomach Fire most often results from a poor diet with acidic foods, as well as mental overstimulation. This heat in the Stomach ultimately burns out the Spleen Qi and leads to severe fatigue. This pattern is common among students and can cause post-college burnout and Spleen weakness.

According to Chinese Medicine, the Spleen also plays a key role in producing blood. A weak Spleen therefore impairs one's ability to build blood.

This is especially crucial for women who work or study excessively since mental overstimulation weakens the Spleen, inhibiting it from building back the blood that’s lost during monthly menstruation. For vegetarians, the ability to build blood is even more challenging since animal products help to nourish the blood.

The key is that not having enough blood causes one to feel empty inside regardless of one's circumstances.

The feeling of not having enough relates therefore to either weakness of the Spleen in its production of blood, or excessive heat in the Stomach system causing obsession and the need for more and more.

Cultivating a feeling of enough brings a sense of security, nourishment and abundance.

Strength in the Earth element via the Spleen and Stomach helps ground us in the present moment. When our energy, or Qi, and blood are strong we feel less vulnerable and more secure in all aspects of our lives.

Furthermore adequate blood reserves provide a sense of comfort and security as well.

In fact, a deficiency of blood can cause one to feel a lack of wealth and prosperity no matter his or her financial status.

A feeling of inadequacy may also result from excessive heat in the Stomach, which not only causes mental overactivity and agitation, but can also lead to addiction, such as to sex, drugs, shopping or alcohol.

Excessive heat in the Stomach system physiologically manifests as inflammation anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract, or the gut. This is how Stomach Heat in Chinese Medicine correlates with the pathology of the brain and numerous mental and emotional imbalances via the gut-brain axis.

Essentially, the health of the gut determines the health of the brain and therefore our ability to process information, manage stress, and balance our emotions.

When the Stomach is full of heat, it can dump this heat into the Heart.

When in balance, the Heart stirs a healthy level of creativity, passion and desire. However, excessive heat in the Heart induces excessive desires and passions, and this can overwhelm or disrupt the Shen or spirit of a person leading to different types of neurosis, including anxiety and even Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Since Heart imbalances can result from excessive heat generated in the gut, it's clear how our gut health influences both our state of mind and emotional well being.

Tools to Cultivate a Feeling of Enough

Since the Spleen and Stomach are the source of Qi and blood in the body, they are also the source of our nourishment and therefore the basis of our ability to feel comfort, security and wholeness.

We’re all prone to developing a weak Spleen causing blood deficiency through poor diet, irregular eating habits, lack of physical exercise, and excessive mental activity.

If the Spleen is weak, digestive enzymes can support the breakdown and assimilation of nutrients to produce blood and healthy cells.

Maintaining a clean diet with more alkaline foods will also support your Earth element. Alkalizing foods are especially important for people who tend to be "over-thinkers" as this leads to over acidity in the Stomach. This can lead to Stomach Fire that can over time lead to both gut inflammation as well as imbalances in the Heart.

A person with an especially weak Spleen will experience a lot of fatigue and feel too cold, so in cases like this it may be best to eat less damp producing foods such as grains, dairy and sugar which feed the fungal terrain known as Candida that ultimately suppresses the body's energy.

Eating cooked, warm foods will also support the Earth organs while raw, cold natured foods, especially during colder seasons, can weaken the digestive system and exacerbate Spleen Qi deficiency.

There's a lot more you can do to balance your Earth element, including setting healthy boundaries and being especially mindful of your self-care during seasonal transitions.

The simple yet powerful practice of gratitude can also contribute to a feeling of enough by helping to amplify all that's good in your life now. It's so easy to focus on what's not going right and this is the root of why so many of us feel like we don't have or are not enough.

A daily and consistent gratitude practice can be done simply by being mindful of and acknowledging things as they flow into your life. It's best to start with the little things so you can easily begin to see how quickly what you appreciate appreciates.

Small and simple changes can provide a great impact to help you restore balance in your Earth energy and bring a sense of comfort and satisfaction to your life.

Only through a healthy Earth element can we truly foster a feeling of enough where nothing feels missing or empty. Through this deep sense of abundance we're able to have a greater capacity to cultivate a prosperous and fulfilled life.

Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Setareh offers clinical services and transformational workshops that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga.

Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac. is the Founder & Co-Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California. Salvador is a leading U.S. practitioner of Japanese Meridian Therapy, a rare form of non-insertion Acupuncture using Gold & Silver needles. More information at www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

Never feel overwhelmed by what to eat again.

#1 Fruit

#2 Nuts

#3 Root Vegetables & Tubers

Conclusion

Lesson #1: Pain Awakens You to the Present Moment

Lesson #2: Pain Drives You Deeper into Your Body

Lesson #3: Pain Instigates an Exploration & Understanding of Your Mind

3 Shifts to Optimize Your Health During the Holidays

Eat warm, cooked foods

Do less by saying no more

Go to bed earlier

Never feel overwhelmed by what to eat again.

Challenges to Thinking Positively

The Nine Palaces and Five Elements

Conclusion

Prioritize Your Self-Care

Be Consistent

Build Your Community

The Significance of the Metal Element

The Significance of Metal Energy in Your Life

How to Cultivate Clarity by Balancing Your Metal Energy

5 Simple Steps for a Healthy Morning Ritual

Move Your Body

Hydrate

Center Your Mind

Practice Gratitude

Eat a Warm, Nourishing Breakfast

What’s a Qi Sucker?

Nourishment and the Earth element

What You Can Learn from Qi Suckers

Dr. Setareh Moafi﻿

HOW RETREAT BENEFITS THE FIVE ELEMENTS IN YOUR LIFE

1. Wood Element & Liver/Gallbladder: Retreat Allows for Rebirth & Renewal

2. Water Element & the Kidneys: Retreat Deepens Your Self-Awareness

3. Earth Element & the Spleen/Stomach: Retreat Improves Your Relationship with Yourself and Others

4. Metal Element & the Lungs/Large Intestine: Retreat Helps You Organize Your Thoughts and Cultivate a Greater Sense of Clarity

5. Fire Element & the Heart: Retreat Deepens Your Sense of Wonder, Creativity and Self-Love

5 Tips to Help You Stay Healthy Through the Holidays

You Have to Accept to Let Go

You Have to Transform It to Let It Go

You Have to Calm Your Mind to Let Go

Supporting Your Ability to Let Go

Digestion According to Chinese Medicine

The Gut-Brain Axis Helps Us Understand How Emotions Affect Digestion

Tuning in to Your Gut Feeling

Want to know how to heal yourself with food?

The Spirit and Conception

How the Body and Spirit Integrate During Gestation

Balancing Fire and Water to Stay On Purpose

The Trinity of the Triple Heater System

The Upper Heater Relates to the Level of Heaven

The Middle Heater Relates to Level of Humanity

The Lower Heater Relates to the Level of Earth

Balance Among the Triple Heaters is Essential to Balance in Body, Mind and Spirit

Never feel overwhelmed by what to eat again.

Fire Energy and Pathology

Living Excessively Causes Fire to Flare Up

*Nutritional Supplements Can Help Manage Excessive Fire and Increase Your Energy

Taming Your Fire to Support Graceful Longevity

Receiving by Letting Go

Tools to Fine Tune Your Ability to Receive

Tools to Cultivate a Feeling of Enough

Medical Disclaimer

Dr. Setareh Moafi

Want to know how to
heal yourself with food?