For those of you who have been following this series of articles, we have been exploring the
“Basics” in our approach to maintaining and restoring health. So far we have explored diet and
cellular nutrition, sleep, and the use of bodywork in Integrative medicine, all with an eye to qi
cultivation, preservation, and patency (smooth flow). As you already know, qi is the body’s vital
energy – sort of like gasoline to a car – although it can seem more elusive in concept. I have tried
to show that there is a lot to maintaining our engine - the physical body. At every level, if
something is neglected there is potential for us to ‘spring a leak.’
I find it helpful to think of healing and health in terms of a pie chart – we can even give it a title.
In our “Pie Chart of Self Care” every aspect must be present in order for the chart to be complete.
Let's consider the ideal first…
Wholistic Acupuncture Facelifts!
Incredible before and after
photos.
Fertility and Acupuncture
How acupuncture and Oriental
medicine can help you conceive
naturally.
In our idealized view, as you can see, all the elements of self care are evenly represented,
Luck” being the smallest of all the values
at around 5 %. By ‘luck’ I mean that margin
of error (or grace for the more
optimistically inclined), by which we can
use and abuse this balance and avoid
health pitfalls or injury. You know – all
those near misses on the freeway, too
many Frappacino’s in the summer, not
enough veggies – they draw from the ‘luck’
category.
and far too much reliance on ‘luck.’
For the patients who come in with a
chronic illness or acute injury, often it
seems like luck has run out. And then we
have an added category which I like to
call “Meds’ which has with it pros and
cons as well.
medicine, but will interest his patients in
the care of the human body, in diet, and in
the cause and prevention of disease."
Thomas Edison
of self-care are important. Far too often, we rely on one or another and hope it's enough.
Then we go to the physician (of whatever modality) and expect them to fix the deficits in our
self care, preferably as quickly as possible. (continued)
