In the past few weeks, I have had so many clients and co-workers with one-sided energetic or somatic (body-related) complaints it seems almost coincidental.
Have you ever felt as if your body is “off” on just one side – Left or right? Do you tend to get injured or have aches and pains on one side only?
This is really not uncommon, and we could say that it is due to many mundane things such as a person being right-hand dominant, or sitting at a computer all day with a monitor on the left, turning the neck to left all day; Talking on the phone on the right side; Driving for hours each commute; A dental hygienist that must always work leaning to one side…..
There are also Eastern medicine theories that are interesting and worth exploring. These are the “energetic” issues that I mention that I believe affect our bodies as well.
Most of us have heard of Yin and Yang. We have seen the symbol – half-black-half-white the round disk with the s-like division – and it is vaguely familiar that it has something to do with Chinese medicine or martial arts and Balance. That is really it – everything has a balance of energy – sun and moon, dark and light, cold and hot, male and female, etc…
In Chinese medicine these aspects of energy are also found in energy lines of the body called meridians and also our organs are assigned to either Yin or Yang energy. We also have a Yang “side” – the dorsal (or back) side and the Yin “side” is the ventral (or front) side. Some practitioner-instructors have also told me that the left side is also the more Yin side and that right is the more Yang.
In Yoga and Ayurveda (the ancient traditional medicine of India) the energetic lines of the
body are called Nadis and include not only energy channels but all of the blood, lymph, air, fluid, nerve and waste pathways to comprise what is said to be 72,000 channels. The main channels are the Sushumna, which is the central channel; The Ida, which is the left channel and the Pingala, the right channel. The Ida corresponds to the Yin in Chinese medicine and the Pingala corresponds to the Yang.
So, is this energetic information something more than just of passing interest to the average spa-goer? I think so. These ancient anatomical lessons have so much wisdom and have been around for so long, we would be silly not to learn them and incorporate some of their material into our lives.
For example: If I have a client with a tendency to injure or have difficulty with his or her left or Yin/Ida side, I try to analyze what the energetic pattern is. Is there a lack of energy? For example, is there tightness, holding, and/or weakness, or an unwillingness to use that side – Or is there an overuse – overbuilt muscles compared to the right side, overuse injuries, bruising, inflammation, etc…
I may ask some questions of the client as to what types of activities that they are willing to do at home for self-care – are you willing to do stretching, work out, meditate, use skin care products, take some time for yourself. If they already do these things and perhaps to excess – gym 6 days a week, work overtime, socialize several times a week, drink, talk a lot, etc – This is a Yang personality and may have weak Yin or Ida.
If the client says “I don’t have time to work out (wash my face, stretch, do self-care) I have a stressful job, my kid and life are so demanding…” this person is probably Yang deficient or a Yin personality.
I see more of the latter in women – seems odd for a woman to be weak in the “female” energy right? Not so much these days, I’m afraid. Women have forgotten to RECEIVE. That is the main Yin energy that is lacking in my book. Our society is so go, go, do, do – We just are not listening, not receiving information, love, help, or nourishment – Not even from ourselves.
I tell my clients, my students – everyone who will listen – Please do self-care rituals. Even if it is a few seconds of stretching in the evening or morning – you can cleanse, tone and moisturize your face and it can be a self-care ritual. You can sit in the kitchen and drink your tea or coffee with no TV news (and just enjoy it) for your ritual. Listen to your best friend tell you about her newest shoe purchase with interest. Take a walk. Just receive life as it happens for awhile.
Does this mean men don’t have this issue? – of course not. Men too – please take the time to take care of yourselves and those you love.
Men and women who try to power their way through life (Yang/Pingala energy) may have overuse injuries as well. Patience is difficult for these types and it can be hard to enjoy the journey for the constant thought of the goal. “Eye on the prize” is the way of life for these people and even if their body is being injured in the process, it just will not occur to them to slow down or take a few days off to rest.
I have actually asked an injured client (who was in severe pain) what exactly he was training for so diligently that kept him from taking a couple of days off to heal… The guy looked at me and was kind of confused … “Training? What do you mean” I said, you know, are you training for a race or a marathon or competition? He said no….As if I were crazy. I then asked him why exactly he could not take some time off to heal, since he was not going to miss a race or let a team down…Or was I missing something? He basically said that if he did not work out he would go crazy.
I have heard this before and I try to give people suggestions of things that they can do with their time to keep them busy – Or at least lighter workouts to perform. I tell them that there is no score being kept for MOST PAIN TOLERATED (and the winner is…..).
So, there are many kinds of things that bring bodies to the table. Sometimes it is lack of use, sometimes overuse; sometimes it is illness and sometimes grief. Every once in a great while, a celebration brings bodies to the spa, and that is really nice.
Most often we need to balance our lives, we need to work hard, play hard and rest. We need to let life bring joy and happiness, knowledge and challenge to us. We must meet challenge and bitterness with strength and moral fortitude and with physical stamina that we can only get from balance in body mind and spirit.
We only get one body, one life…
Your body is your world…LIVE in it!!!
Namaste,
Regine
http://lieske.com/channels.htm
