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

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

The Nine Palaces relate to areas that we all seek to find a sense of peace and completion in our lives. The ancient system of Stone Medicine can help you have support in any of these areas you find challenging to cultivate peace and gratitude.

The Nine Palaces and Five Elements

The Nine Palaces of life are:

1. Health

2. Wealth (also called the Abundance Palace)

3. Prosperity (also called the Fame Palace)

4. Relationship (Love)

5. Children/Creativity

6. Career

7. Global (Travel & Adventure)

8. Knowledge (Wisdom)

9. Home

Each of the Nine Palaces correspond to a particular Five Element energy. To learn more about each palace and its Five Element correspondence, you can read Part 1 of this series.

My Personal Journey With Stone Medicine

When I first heard about Stone Medicine I thought it was rather ridiculous and not practical for my life or clinical practice as an Acupuncturist and Herbalist.

My interest and openness grew however when I was introduced to the history and clinical applications of this ancient form of Chinese Medicine by our teacher and 88th generation Daoist Master, Dr. Jeffrey Yuen. Following this introduction, I started to play around with the knowledge I gathered in the use of stones for some health challenges my family and I had.

I became amazed by the miraculous healing experiences I witnessed.

Needless to say, from that time on, my curiosity on the use of stones for healing grew and I began to submerge myself in learning about this esoteric yet potent form of medicine.

Historically, in Classical Chinese Medicine, stones were considered the most powerful form of herbal medicine as they have the most permanent effect on one’s healing.

With this said, I’ve gained not only a tremendous amount of respect for stone medicine, but a high level of reverence for the healing Spirit of these amazing pieces of nature.

Below I discuss how some common healing stones have been used historically to enhance these different areas we call the Nine Palaces to help you find a sense of peace and gratitude where you may be now struggling in your life.

Stone Talismans to Support You to Find Completion in the Nine Palaces

Use green stones that relate to the Wood element to increase a sense of well-being and give you support in the First Palace of Health. Green Jade and Green Aventurine can be held during meditation (15 minutes 3-4x/day) or worn daily as jewelry such as a necklace or bracelet (men wear on left wrist, women on right wrist) to support your health and well-being.

Sunstone is another important stone to support your Health Palace and although it isn’t green, its glistening orange color brings the power of the sun to brighten your day and help lift you out of the doldrums of negativity. It’s also a stone high in iron so it can help increase your Qi and immunity. So if you tend to feel fatigued or have a sullen and somber mood, keep a piece of Sunstone nearby or in your pocket!

Second is the Palace of Wealth & Abundance. The main stone to help you feel a sense of completion in your Wealth Palace is Lapis. Lapis strengthens your Liver blood to support your Wood energy and help you feel financially abundant. It’s a common stone used in jewelry and small specimens can be held or placed in your home to attract resources into your life as well. This can especially be supportive for women during their menstrual cycles when losing blood can leave them feeling empty with a sense of lack in their lives.

A beautiful blue-green Chrysocolla sphere

Another blood building stone is Chrysocolla, which is especially useful if you’re feeling irritable or angry about your circumstances related to this palace. Chrysocolla is a beautiful blue-green stone that can be held for emotional support, worn as jewelry or placed in your home to spread its energy throughout your environment.

The Third Palace is about Prosperity and Fame. Fame is about feeling recognized and acknowledged in your life while Prosperity is about feeling you have enough to share with others. Relating to the element of Fire, both of these attributes can be supported by the beautiful Amethyst crystal. Amethyst can be placed in any area of your home to accentuate the 9 Palaces and is also a common jewelry stone worn as earrings, pendants, rings, and bracelets. Another stone that is popular as jewelry to help activate this Fire based palace is Labradorite. Labradorite is a powerful talisman to gather your Yang Qi so it can vibrantly shine outward and help you attract attention and recognition. Labradorite is easily found as large specimens which can be used to help radiate vibrant energy into your work space or home.

The Fourth Palace is about Relationships and Love. If you feel challenged in terms of relationships and having enough love in your life, then supporting your Fire element with a stone talisman can support you to find peace and completion in these areas. Morganite is a very powerful stone used to attract love into your life in terms of a partnership. Rose Quartz is another popular stone that is used.

Morganite is commonly worn as jewelry so if you’re trying to establish a healthy, loving relationship, you might try wearing a bracelet, ring or necklace that contains Morganite. A small sphere of Rose Quartz on the other hand will help spread the vibration of love throughout your home. I recommend keeping a Rose Quartz crystal in your bedroom if you’re looking to attract a romantic relationship.

The Fifth Palace of Children and Creativity is also supported by Rose Quartz which is said to enhance fertility. Rose Quartz supports creativity by warming your Yang Qi to act on those creative impulses held within your heart. Another popular stone that makes beautiful jewelry to support fertility is Fire Opal. Wear it daily if you are trying to conceive a child.

Other stones that can be placed in your home to help activate the Metal element and help birth those creative ideas you’ve long held inside are Fluorite, Celestite and Gold or Silver Sheen Obsidian which can be found as lovely specimens that act as powerful intentional talismans. A system of Temple Feng Shui suggests placing these stones in the Northwest part of your home to support you in the palace of Creativity.

The Sixth Palace is your Palace of Career. Career relates to the Water Element and the colors blue and black. Dark Grey Moonstone is a lovely stone that can be worn as jewelry to support you if you’re having career challenges. Black Onyx is another common jewelry stone that can strengthen your Water energy and support you in your career.

Sugilite is one of the most powerful of all stones and is said to support the healing of all diseases. Sugilite is a beautiful dark purple stone that is said to help connect your Heart and Kidneys so you can realize the career path that fits your destiny. Wear Sugilite as a necklace or pendant so it can touch the center of your chest to resonate with your heart center. You can also keep a piece close to you such as in your pocket and place a small specimen on your nightstand to help you find clarity if you are unsure about the path to take in terms of your career.

Turquoise is a popular stone that can be worn for protection during travel.

The Seventh Palace relates to Travel, Adventure and Global Awareness. The popular stone used to help you safely navigate the globe in search of adventurous experiences is Turquoise, a very common stone used in jewelry.

The Eighth Palace of Knowledge and Wisdom relates to both the Water and Earth Elements. Black Obsidian is the stone that helps you go within yourself and bring out your inner wisdom. Obsidian is essentially volcanic glass so it can help your inner wisdom erupt and come to the forefront of your awareness.

Knowledge on the other hand is about attracting information from outside yourself, and White Jade was the stone used historically to support education and worn by the ancient scholars.

And finally, we come to supporting the Ninth Palace of Home. Home is about reconnecting with the Divine. Meteorites which come from the outer realms of space (Heaven) are used for supporting this purpose. Moldavite is one such stone that is becoming a popular jewelry stone used to help connect with the realm of Spirit so you can find peace within yourself wherever you are in this moment of time.

In Summary

Using the power of stones to support the Elemental energies related to each of the Nine Palaces is a simple way to help you move through the challenges in any of these areas of your life.

Though you may at first find the idea of using stones as talismen a bit too esoteric and unfounded on scientific “truth”, if you open your mind and give it a try, you may awaken to the magical mystery of this ancient healing system as it supports you to find gratitude in all areas of your life.

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Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac. is the Founder and Co-Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine & Japanese Meridian Therapy, a rare non-insertion form of Acupuncture. Salvador also teaches Qi Gong at the Dharma Studio within A Center for Natural Healing.

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How to Blossom During Springtime

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

The three months of the Spring season bring rebirth and renewal. Spring is a time of change as we transition from Winter, the most Yin or quiet season, to the first Yang or active season of the year. This is the time for new beginnings both in nature and within our personal lives.

While we may have set our intentions for this year after the holidays, Spring is really the ideal time to make the effort to manifest these intentions into reality.

The fertility, abundance and growth in nature reflects the potential that we each have during this season.

To maximize your ability to utilize the energy of springtime, it's essential to balance the Wood element and the Liver and Gallbladder systems that are associated with this season.

According to Chinese Medicine, the Wood element relates to growth, decisiveness and action.

When in balance, Wood provides the energy to be brave, focused, driven and decisive. Excess in the Wood energy on the other hand can cause one to become controlling, angry, and combative. On the other hand, if you feel that you have no spring in your step this time of year this can reflect a Wood deficiency possibly arising from a lack of rest to nourish the Kidneys during Winter months.

The Liver is the primary organ associated with springtime. It stores blood and is in charge of smoothing the flow of Qi or energy throughout the whole body. Because the Liver also smoothes the emotions, if it is imbalanced the Qi stagnation that results can manifest as feelings of stress, irritability and anger. 

As Spring arises, the Liver energy becomes more active. This activity can however cause the Liver to generate heat and Wind, which develop into typical allergy symptoms such as itchy, red eyes, sneezing, and sore throat. 

Since the Liver is in charge of detoxification, during springtime it's especially important to be cautious of taking in substances that burden the Liver’s function, such as over the counter medications, alcohol and drugs. 

As the Wood element and the associated Liver and Gallbladder systems become active both within us and in nature, it's important to balance their energy so we can flourish throughout the season. Here are 5 ways to cultivate this balance:

1. Eat a Wood balancing diet replete with leafy green vegetables, asparagus, artichokes, olives, and berries.

2. Reduce or avoid coffee, alcohol and spicy foods as they can aggravate the Liver thus worsening allergies and the overall irritability and restlessness that most of us experience during this seasonal transition.

3. Drink herbal teas such as Chrysanthemum, Chamomile, Dandelion and Nettle Leaf to cool the Liver, especially if you tend to experience allergies at this time of year.

4. Be more active - exercise daily to keep the Liver Qi moving smoothly. Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Ji are especially helpful as the connection to breathing with these types of exercises helps strengthen the Lungs and open the diaphragm to further help prevent Liver Qi stagnation.

5. Get Acupuncture treatment to help cool the Liver and move the stagnation that can stir up allergies, irritability and anger.

With its vital energy and beauty, this abundant, creative season supports us to blossom by starting new projects and sharing our unique gifts and talents.

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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. 

Passion & Creativity: Balancing the Fire in Your Life

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

Fire is the most immediate, the most in-the-moment of the Five Elements. It represents our potential; the total expression and integration of our being.

Fire is the element that relates most closely to love, passion, creativity, and compassion.

Represented mainly by the Heart, Fire is the only element that encompasses four organs. The other three are the Pericardium, also know as the "Heart Protector," the Triple Burner, which energetically controls the upper, middle, and lower portions of the body, and the Small Intestine. 

Known as the Emperor, the Heart is the main organ within the Fire element. It is responsible for circulating blood throughout the body and thus nourishing all of the internal organs. As such, the Heart is the organ that allows oxygen to flow to the muscles and organs, and allows us to feel warmth, empathy, and compassion.

The Heart holds the Spirit, which in Chinese Medicine is called the Shen and represents the outward expression of the individual energy.  The Shen emanates our sense of compassion, which gives us a sense of our individual self as well as our union with others. Through the Heart we therefore connect to the external world with empathy.

Fire energy guides us with the powers of expression, compassion, intimacy, spontaneity and excitement. It is thus the energy that represents love, an experience that is purely felt. Unlike its opposing element, Water, which has to do with perspective on the past and future and is understood materially through thought, Fire is all about the present moment, and can only be understood in the here and now through feeling.

Since Fire is associated with the Summer, this is the season during which it is most prone to imbalance. Understanding the Fire type personalities guides us toward cultivating harmony with this element in our lives year round.

*Fire Type Personalities  

Fire type people live in the moment and use both personal magnetism and their gift of expression to draw people close to them. When in balance, Fire types are jovial, affectionate and optimistic. They are people-oriented, and their charm makes it easy for people to feel close to them and get involved in their exhilarating and often dramatic world. 

Fire types are passionate, creative, personable and sharply intuitive. They can be very spontaneous and make decisions quickly, though they may just as quickly change their minds. 

Like the element in nature, Fire type personalities are warm so it's no wonder why it's so easy for people to feel close and connected to them. And just like fire, these personalities can burn out and burn you in the process if you get too close when they're out of balance.

Once out of balance, Fire types can be overly emotional, anxious, and self-destructive. They are often volatile and restless by nature and tend to develop anxiety and heart problems. They also tend to develop addictions to alcohol and coffee. 

In general, the Fire type personality has a very sharp intellect, incredible memory and will work tirelessly until he is burned out. His restlessness makes it difficult for him to meditate and take time to be still. 

Water is the opposite element to Fire and is also what balances the Fire element. Water relates to wisdom and thus below the emotional flares of Fire lies an unparalleled wisdom; a knowing that comes from a finely tuned intuition.

The Fire element's correlation with the Heart means that Fire type personalities live from and through their hearts, allowing their feelings to guide their decisions and lives. 

Since the Heart system in Chinese Medicine is most closely related to the Shen or Spirit of a person, the Fire type tends to be a very animated individual. 

The Five Element personalities have Yin and Yang variations with the Yang type being more expressive and outward in its expression and the Yin type being more introverted.

If a person is a Yang Fire type, he or she tends to have an extremely unpredictable personality and be the most manic-depressive of all elemental types. One moment the life of the party filled with joy and excitement, and the next moment in deep despair, all the while dragging everyone around them up and down with their extreme nature. 

The Yang Fire person is artistic, passionate and has a magnetic, perhaps even hypnotic quality. Yang Fire types are enthusiastic individuals when pursuing their passions and often prefer to work for a cause they deeply feel they want to support. 

Yang Fire types tend to be easily addicted to coffee and alcohol, prone to heart issues such as palpitations, tachycardia and high blood pressure, as well as angina, heart attacks, insomnia, manic-depression and anxiety.

Yang Fire types are also prone to Intestinal problems such as Irritable Bowel and Crohn’s disease as they tend to have hyperactive nervous systems resulting in overactive and inflamed bowels. 

The Yin Fire type person is a much different individual than the Yang Fire type. The Yin Fire type person tends to be introverted unlike the expressive extrovert Yang Fire personality. The Yin Fire personality can develop as a result of childhood trauma that causes her to feel defeated and develop a negative and pessimistic outlook on life. However, even with that disposition, she can be very committed to striving toward life aspirations even if it requires years of patience. 

Physically, the Yin Fire type tends to have a weak heart and slow blood circulation. In Chinese Medicine, the Heart relates to mental and emotional vitality. As such, the Yin Fire person tends to have a restless mind and emotional fragility, and this unsettled state of mind tends for her to develop insomnia and anxiety. Yin Fire types can be prone to get endocarditis and mitral valve prolapse, reflecting the Fire in their blood. They may also develop aneurysms and arteriosclerosis as a result of their tendency to internalize emotions.

Essential oils are an excellent tool with which to rebalance the Five Elements.

Essential Oils to Balance Fire Types

The Yang Fire type person needs to cool her blood to calm her Heart in order to resolve the associated problems related to this element. Essential oils that are often used for this purpose are Lemon Verbena, Sweet Marjoram, Neroli, Valerian, and of course Lavender.

For Yin Fire types who tend to have poor circulation and weakness of heart function, essential oils that strengthen heart circulation and relax the diaphragm to improve deep breathing are Sandalwood and Frankincense. Both of these oils are cooling and also useful for anxiety, insomnia and invigorating blood circulation throughout the entire body. Warming oils are important for poor circulation leading to internal coldness and cold extremities. Essential oils such as Cinnamon, Ginger, Fennel, Basil, Black Pepper and Rosemary are some of the most useful oils for these purposes. It is best to dilute these warming oils in a carrier oil if applying to the body because their spicy nature can be irritating to the skin. 

Sage is a very nourishing essential oil for what is called Yin Deficiency with empty fire. This pattern translates as a hormonal weakness that creates the common symptoms of menopausal hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia and night sweating. Sage is an estrogenic oil and contains a chemical called thujone which can be toxic so it requires caution in its use and best with professional guidance. Sage is however a very important and unique oil with two contrasting actions as it is very nourishing to the hormonal system while supporting detoxification of phlegm stasis in the body. A safer alternative is Clary Sage which is also yin nourishing and cooling to treat menopausal symptoms of dryness and overheating.

Essential oils offer a very potent option to help with Fire imbalances that negatively impact the body, mind and emotions. In combination with your effort to practice "living in the moment" whether it's through meditation, Yoga, Qi Gong or just practicing mindfulness, the support of essential oils can truly help you live from your Heart to enjoy the passion, creativity and joy that the Fire element brings to all aspects of your life!

*We all encompass certain aspects of these 5 element personalities in each of our personalities. Thus, it's important to recognize what element is out of balance to harmonize your health. You can do this by learning about how to rebalance the 5 Elements on your own and with the care and guidance of a licensed practitioner who is familiar with this system.

Disclaimer: the suggestions provided here are not meant to cure any of the ailments listed. It is strongly recommended that essential oil blends be tailored to each individual's needs by a licensed practitioner who is well trained in the use of essential oils, and that long-term use be under the guidance of such a practitioner. You can schedule a consultation with one of our practitioners if you'd like to learn more. 

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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.

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.