What was your calling to women's health?

My calling was my own pregnancy and the lack of information that I had at the time! I received a few massages after giving birth and realized how much it benefitted me, so I decided to go to massage school to help others. There is so much fear and misunderstanding . . . I felt a need to inform myself of issues of health and awareness for women.

I have typical degrees and license in massage, and I have also done many other trainings. I am grateful to have learned the Maya Abdominal Massage directly from the source, and to be part of the lineage through my instructor, Dr. Rosita Arvigo.

Why did you choose Massage?

I became a massage therapist because I have always believed in the power of touch as a healing tool for the body and consequently the mind. In my native Brazil I grew up in a family were they also believed in massage, herbs and prayers as way of healing. My experiences with local "sages of the healing arts" gave me an intrinsic knowledge of the connection of all things.

What drew you to Oriens Healing Sanctuary?

It was love at first sight. When I was interviewed by Elizabeth, and realized Oriens was really a support system for women, especially those trying to conceive, thru all the modalities of treatment here at Oriens, I realized that it was my perfect place for me. I had the feeling that my work here would really be part of the Oriens mission.

Oriens is very excited to have Women’s Health, Pre-Natal and Fertility Enhancement massage! Please tell us about your specialty, Maya Abdominal Massage. Could you describe what it's like?

Maya abdominal massage is a very therapeutic and nurturing treatment that not only helps with the health and alignment of the organs in the abdomen and pelvic floor, but it also helps the woman to be in touch with her own body.

The Maya tradition is ancient. Since the beginning and still today midwives and medicine shamans note that “when the uterus is in the center of the body so is the woman's mind.” It’s good to emphasize that this is our (female) center of creation! This energy center is the source of creation…in this work, in yoga and ayurveda (2nd chakra), in Chinese medicine (dan tien), in Japanese shiatsu (hara), and in the West we know it as pregnancy and birthing. But even if the woman is not looking to conceive it is smart that she get this massage to clear any blockages that may cause then menstrual issues, constipation, leg pain, and sometimes depression, and to keep the reproductive area healthy in menopause…so many reasons!

How does it help fertility?

Once the uterus is in proper position, there is improved blood flow to the area which will enhance and improve the fertility. All of the reproductive organs need this. And also it can help release adhesions, scar tissue and other blockages. MAM together with diet and lifestyle modification has helped many women conceive.

If I am trying to conceive, when would I have Maya Abdominal Massage?

5 days after your period, and as much as you can have before ovulation. If you are trying to conceive its important to know how to chart your cycle. And depending on some other factors, before your next period.

If I'm already pregnant, how often do you recommend pre-natal massage? And what are the benefits to the mother and the baby? Can I have massage all the way through my pregnancy?

Yes, pre-natal massage is very helpful to the mother and baby, again working on the circulatory system. Improving the flow of blood in the body it consequently helps the baby. MAM can be applied after the first trimester of pregnancy.

I heard Maya Abdominal Massage is partly based on ancient Mayan Spiritual Wisdom. Is that true? What does that mean?

MAM is founded on the ancient technique of Mayan abdominal massage, not really Spiritual Wisdom...Every ancient wisdom had a strong connection with Spirit. My teacher, Dr. Rosita Arvigo, learned this from her experience of 12 years with a Maya Shaman Don Elijio from Belize in Central America. She also studied with midwives in Mexico. The Mayas believed that spirit was/is present in everything.

Maya massage also helps IBS and digestive problems, is that right?

Yes, it releases tight muscles of the stomach and abdomen and soothes inflammation...good for men and women.

You do all kinds of other massage. What other techniques do you offer at Oriens?

Lymphatic Drainage is a light rhythmical massage which encourages the lymphatic system to eliminate metabolic waste products, excess fluid and bacteria. It is a real immune booster and reduces swelling and edema. It is very good to promote circulation. I also offer Relaxation massage and Reflexology. And I am a Reiki practitioner.

We invite you to ask Simone a question or make an appointment! 212.213.5785

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month!

Who is affected?

Endometriosis is a condition suffered by women of reproductive age and affects an estimated 89 million women around the world, regardless of background or race. It is estimated that 30 to 40 percent of women who report infertility problems have endometriosis. Endometriosis most commonly diagnosed in 30-40 year olds, but can develop in teenage years.

What is happening?

The word endometriosis is derived from the word "endometrium," which is the lining inside of a woman's uterus. The uterine endometrium (sometimes called endometrial tissue or lining) is normally shed during each menstrual period. Every month when a woman has her menstrual period, if the ovulated egg is not fertilized, the endometrial tissue along with blood and the unfertilized egg are shed from the uterus resulting in menstruation.

In the condition called endometriosis, the tissue normally found in the uterus is also present outside of the uterus. It can be nearby (commonly the cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, rectum and bladder wall), but it can also travel as far as the lungs and nose, even the brain!

The endometrial tissue outside the uterus responds to the hormonal changes that occur with the menstrual cycle. Dislocated, this tissue is not expelled from the body during menstruation. Instead, it lingers and is slowly absorbed into the body, inflaming the surrounding tissues.

How does the woman experience it?

Endometriosis is silent in about 40% of cases. But that other 60% are only too aware! There is often great pain involved, because women with endometriosis have more prostaglandins (hormone-like substances responsible for the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle, inflammation regulation, blood vessel dilation, blood pressure and more). The intense pain can sap energy and lead to feelings of depression.

Here are very common symptoms:

• Pain in the low back, abdomen, or thighs 5-7 days before menstruation and throughout the period
• Lower abdominal pain mid-cycle with ovulation.
• Debilitating pain that interferes with life, such as preventing school or work attendance.
• Additional pain at the site of the dislocated tissue
• Heavy bleeding with clots
• Nausea, vomiting, intestinal upset
• Fatigue
• Pain with sexual intercourse
• Pain with bowel movements and urination
• Irregular periods
• Infertility

How is it diagnosed?

Endometriosis is classed according to severity. However, interestingly, infertility is not directly correlated with class.

• Mild -- small, flat patches
• Moderate -- larger, often somewhat raised implants
• Severe -- inflammation and scarring caused by the unabsorbed blood can create bands of fibrous scar tissue, adhesions, that bind pelvic organs together.

What causes it?

Science is not completely sure, but there are prominent theories. The most commonly accepted theory is retrograde menstruation, also known as "backward menstruation." This is often related to uterine shape and position. Normally during the menses the menstrual blood is shed and comes out. In some women, a small amount of blood flows backwards through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity, carrying the endometrial cells along with it.

It is not clear why, in some women, this might implant and lead to endometriosis. It may have something to do with the particular woman's immune response and ability to fight off and remove these cells.

Another theory suggests that endometrial tissue is distributed from the uterus to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or through the blood system.

Another theory suggests that embryonic cells outside the uterus may get activated by an unknown stimulus and are converted into endometrial cells.

It is known, however, that a woman whose mother or sister has endometriosis, is six times more likely than other women to experience endometriosis.

How is endometriosis treated in western medicine?

Laparoscopic surgery is the main means, with vaginal ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI to confirm the extent of the condition. In laparoscopic surgery a lighted optical tube is inserted through a small incision in the navel. It is often referred to as "bellybutton surgery." Laparotomy is a more extensive procedure where there is a full incision and a longer recovery period. Radical surgery, which may be necessary in severe cases, involves hysterectomy, removal of all growths, and removal of ovaries.

Laparoscopy is often combined with Lupron therapy. This drug artificially induces menopause as it seeks to shut off the hormonal dance of reproductive life. This strategy is meant to starve the endometrial tissue of fuel. Unfortunately, both laparoscopic surgery and Lupron therapy typically have short lived success. The condition recurs.

Natural Treatment of Endometriosis

The Oriens Approach: Success with Acupuncture, Herbs, Nutrition and Maya Abdominal Massage Combination Strategy

The Oriens approach helps interrupt and resolve the mechanisms of endometriosis – 1) help the uterine lining to be properly released; 2) rectify uterine position so that the menstrual blood may flow with ease; 3) stop the inflammatory reaction that keeps a woman’s body in a toxic state; 4) prevent recurrence.

Western diagnosis is a helpful starting point. Many women will have already had surgery one or more times by the time they arrive at Oriens. However, until the root causes, or underlying mechanisms are interrupted, endometriosis will recur.

Some women will see a reduction in their symptoms right away while others may take a longer period of time. Anticipate three menstrual cycles of treatment for significant progress in effectively treating the root causes of your endometriosis. We see good success using this combined approach, with 1-2 treatments per week during this time (acupuncture and Maya abdominal massage). Stress levels, lifestyle, and general health are important factors involved in response time.

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine

Acupuncture

In a study published in the December 2002 issue of The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers selected 67 women diagnosed with dysmenorrhea (painful periods) due to endometriosis. It was reported that 81% of these women had less painful periods after receiving the acupuncture treatments. Research shows that acupuncture promotes blood circulation, regulates the endocrine system and suggests that acupuncture could act as an analgesic by elevating levels of endorphins in the blood. Although more research needs to be done, acupuncture can be a safe and effective treatment for painful menstrual period and endometriosis.

Chinese Herbal Medicine

“Increasingly, Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) is being put to the test by Western scientists -- and the results are sometimes not only successful but downright astounding. A case in point: a new review of CHM research by British scientists just published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews shows treating endometriosis with Chinese herbs may not only relieve symptoms of the disease, CHM appears to have comparable benefits to drugs and even laparoscopic surgery with fewer adverse effects.” To read more of this article, please click here.

Nutrition Counseling

Nutrition is a cornerstone therapy in endometriosis. Research on nutrition’s role in inflammation, hormone modulation, digestive function, immune regulation and more help us understand how food and supplements can address all the symptoms and drivers of endometriosis. Kathryn, the Oriens nutrition counselor will give you menus, recipes, meal plans, snacks, dining out and take-out tips that match your lifestyle, advise you on supplements and more. She will stay with you as you follow her guidelines, through email exchange.

Maya Abdominal Massage

This technique is significant in endometriosis. It helps with positioning for those with retroverted uterus and other cervical or uterine position issues contributing to retrograde menstruation (see causes of endometriosis above). It also helps prevent and heal adhesions and the inflamed, scarred tissue of the womb and other pelvic organs. MAM is an external non-invasive manipulation that repositions internal organs that have shifted and restricted the flow of blood, lymph, nerve and qi. The technique relieves congestion and blockages. Toxins are flushed and circulation enhanced, allowing nutrients to reach their targets to tone tissue and balance hormones. Simone will teach you how to care for your womb.

Find Your Chinese Medicine Pattern below

The Oriens approach begins with careful diagnosis from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) point of view. TCM will further detail the woman’s experience into patterns, or symptom clusters, that reveal primary mechanisms. Don’t let the poetic language of TCM fool you, but do allow the common sense of the poetry to speak to you!

Most women will find themselves in more than one category below.

The most common patters of endometriosis are below. There are others. All patterns of endometriosis include an element of hyper-coagulation, known in Chinese medicine as blood stasis. Blood stagnation can be caused by emotional disturbance, chronic illness, exposure to cold temperatures, surgery, and genital infections.

Spleen qi deficiency and blood stasis: The cause of this pattern is chronic illness or constitutional weakness. Some of the signs and symptoms of this pattern include lower abdominal pain, fatigue, abdominal tenderness that may feel better with pressure, pain during or after periods, preference for warmth, prolapsed bearing down feeling in the uterus, a feeling of anxiousness and worry, loose or soft bowel movements, bruising easily, pale complexion, menstrual periods that are either heavy or scanty and contain blood clots, thick-pale tongue body with tooth-marks on the sides and visible red dots, and a thin-wiry or weak pulse.

Kidney deficiency and blood stasis: The cause of this pattern is either a constitutional weakness, or a history of surgical procedures. Some of the signs and symptoms of this pattern include lower abdominal pain, lower back weakness and aches, sore knees, fearfulness, ringing in the ears, a feeling of pressure and pain during or after menstrual periods, dizziness, irregular periods, scanty periods or spotting that include blood clots, a history of infertility or habitual miscarriage, a pale tongue color that has red spots, and a deep-thin-choppy pulse.

Liver qi stagnation and blood stasis: The cause of this pattern lies in emotional stress and anxiety. Some of the signs and symptoms include severe lower abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness with an aversion to pressure, breast distention and tenderness before periods, feeling of frustration, distending pain under the rib cage, aversion to pressure on the abdomen, bitter taste in the mouth, menstrual periods that contain a lot of blood clots, menstrual pain relieved after the periods, a dark purple tongue with red spots, and a wiry-choppy pulse.

Cold stagnation and blood stasis: The cause of this pattern is a history of exposure to cold - either cold temperatures (externally), or the chronic consumption of cold foods (internally), especially during menstruation. Some of the signs and symptoms of this pattern include lower abdominal pain and tenderness, pressure and pain before or during periods with a preference for warmth, an aversion to cold, watery menstrual period with blood clots, menstrual pain relieved after the periods, nausea, loose stools, pale complexion, a pale, bluish/purplish tongue with red spots, and a wiry-tight pulse.

Heat obstruction and blood stasis: The cause of this pattern is a history of genital infections (in TCM this is considered to be an accumulation of heat toxins in the body). Some of the signs and symptoms of this pattern are, lower abdominal pain and tenderness that are worse with pressure, a fever before, during, or after periods, preference for cold temperatures and foods, bitter taste in the mouth, dry throat, feeling of frustration, constipation, pain during intercourse, a red tongue with red or purple spots, and wiry-rapid pulse.

If you have questions, or would like to schedule with Sharon, Simone, Kathryn or Elizabeth please simply call 212.213.5785 or email. We also invite you to work with them through their Oriens Online Services.

Dance with Rachel every Wednesday night!

In the wintertime with fewer daylight hours and more time spent indoors, many of us experience a lower level of energy and possibly an overall sense of sadness. For some this sadness can progress to a depression which is linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. So what are some ways we can turn this time of darkness, low energy and sometimes sadness into a time of light, renewal and joy?

• Get Moving! ~ Moving our bodies raises our mood by enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain and releasing feel-good endorphins. Hint: come dance with me on Wednesday nights!
• Find Community ~ Once the warmth of the holidays have past, the wintertime can often feel isolating and lonely. Find time to come together with others and dance, connect and laugh!
• Fresh Air & Rest ~ Take time to get outside and take in fresh air, breathe deeply, even if it’s only for a few minutes each day. Getting a full night’s rest, optimally 8 hours, also helps the body recharge, rejuvenate and prepare to welcome the light the next day.
• Get Creative ~ Use this time of darkness as a time for introspection, going within and tapping in to your creative spirit. Movement and music can be a wonderful way to tap in to your creative expression and release and relieve stress.

Winter is an important season to take time for yourself to restore and conserve energy. With so much running around added to the drastic change in climate, it's easy to end up over-taxing the immune system, or to experience anxiety and frustration. Here is a yoga breathing exercise to wake up the brain and calm you down all at once.

Surya Bhedana (Single Nostril Breathing) ~ This breathing exercise is said to balance the heating (right nostril) and cooling (left nostril) systems of the body. It helps to reduce anxiety, and brings oxygen to the brain.

In a comfortable seated posture (chair or floor), keep your head, neck and spine erect. If you are in a chair, sit all the way back so you can let it support you. Use your right hand. Fold your index and middle fingers down at the middle knuckle, so that just your ring finger, pinky finger and your thumb will be active. With closed eyes, shut your left nostril with your last two fingers. Inhale deeply and slowly through your right nostril, then shut both nostrils and hold your breath for roughly 5 seconds. Now, exhale slowly through your left nostril, with your thumb on your right nostril. This constitutes one round; Do five rounds or more. Enjoy the peace and calm, as the mind wakes up!

Learn more with Christina.

Learn more from Kathryn

Winter provides a special opportunity for hormone balancing for every woman, and fertility enhancement for those seeking children, particularly in mid-life. In Chinese medicine and philosophy, winter is associated with the water element, the color black and the emotions of fear and survival. The corresponding organs, the adrenals, kidneys and reproductive organs have special opportunity to thrive and heal in winter, if nourished and replenished through sleep, relaxation and wholesome foods. During this time of year it is particularly important to focus on self nourishment with healthy comfort foods to build your deepest energies and attune with the winter seasons.

Balancing tips during the winter months include:

1. Choose foods slowly simmered in water, the corresponding element of the kidneys, like soups, stew and casseroles. Add dried seaweeds, like kombu and wakame, while cooking to absorb nutrient rich minerals.
2. Since the corresponding color to the water element is black and blue, consume use black beans, black sesame seeds, blueberries and blackberries for kidney, reproductive and adrenal health.
3. As Paul Pitchford says in Healing with Whole Foods: root vegetables “grow in cold climates and contain minerals and other elements that make it possible to survive in harsh weather and under snow. When eating, we take on their qualities and build resistance to cool weather and disease.” Root vegetables include: sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips.
4. Finally eat foods that according to Chinese Dietary Therapy help to restore your deepest energy reserves: Adzuki beans, black bean, bee pollen, blue-green algae, chlorella, clams, corn, gelatin, kelp, legumes, lycium, millet, mulberry, organ meats, oysters, parsley, pumpkin seed, raspberry, royal jelly, spirulina, string bean, tofu, walnuts, wheat germ, wheat grass, wild rice, yam.

Adzuki Bean Stew

This is my favorite winter soup! It delights the palate and includes healthful onion and garlic which help to build immunity and keep blood flow moving. Spinach, rich in chlorophyll, combines with tomatoes to fortify and purify the blood. Make a big batch of this flavorful soup on a Sunday and enjoy throughout the week! To make this dish suitable for vegetarians make the stew with vegetable stock and omit roasted chicken.

Serves 4
Cooking time: 60 minutes

3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon thyme
2 cups adzuki beans, pre-cooked
32 ounces organic chicken stock or veggie stock
4 whole stewed tomatoes
8 ounces spinach
1/2 cup edamame
Optional: 1 cup roasted chicken (main attraction) or brown rice
Sea salt or dulse flakes to taste

Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil until softened. Add thyme and adzuki beans. Slowly stir in chicken stock. The longer you allow this soup to simmer, the better it tastes. Finish by adding stewed tomatoes, edamame and spinach, until wilted.

(from Cooking for Fertility: Foods to Nourish Your Fertile Soul — my new cookbook and DVD coming out shortly)

Winter is the most yin of seasons. In Chinese medicine, winter is the season of water, of sinking and depth. The plan, if we look about in nature, is quiet, rest and renewal. Snow blankets the earth creating silence. Ice freezes water’s movement above ground. Yet below the surface big things are happening. Underground rivers feed and assist germination, preparing the way for the burst of creation we call spring.

Associations with the water element: the kidneys and adrenals, reproduction and life stages, bones, the fear-trust opposition dynamic, deep understanding of who we are, deep health programming and genetics.

Winter begs us to follow nature’s lead. Chinese cosmology tells us we humans are not above natural law, even if we’re Superwomen! Fertility issues, difficult hormonal transitions and issues, immune challenges, premature aging, lack of energy and many of the psycho-emotional ailments are considered issues of water imbalanced or under-performing, according to Chinese medicine.

We westerners like to flaunt nature. We SuperWomen are sure we can do it all. We overwork and push ourselves to the limit in every season. We forget to eat or fail to eat nourishing foods. We consider sleep, relaxation time and alone time….luxuries. And we exercise like it’s a competition out of will power.

Yet, if we are brave enough to listen, by heeding winter’s call we have opportunity to heal deep matters, balance hormones, regain energy, restore fertility, turn things around, thrive!

Winter’s Advice for SuperWomen

• Dance with your shadows ~ know yourself more deeply, go into your dark places and take ownership of them. We are more psychologically tuned in during winter.
• 20 minutes a day ~ hot bath and tea…the soothing nourishing heat is restorative and the mind wandering, alone time heals mental-emotional tension
• Slow down and stop pushing ~ less on the calendar whenever possible, less pushing through, more downtime and quiet time, more sleep.
• Store up energy ~ spring is coming and that season invites you to breakthroughs, high energy creative pursuits, and to get in the game!
• Quickie Diary ~ remember the therapeutics of this as a girl? Dump your mind in your journal, pour your heart out . . . watch the surprises tumble out . . . no judgments or premeditation, no need for punctuation or perfection . . . feel the difference in the load you carry!

“The wise nourish life by flowing with the four seasons and adapting to cold and heat, by harmonizing joy and anger in a tranquil dwelling, by balancing yin and yang, and what is hard and soft. So it is that dissolute evil cannot reach the man of wisdom, and he will be witness to a long life.”

— from the Huang Di Nei Jing, Su Wen (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic on Internal Medicine, Simple Questions; circa 200 BCE)

For more of the deep stuff, we invite you to read Sandra’s gems on the fear-trust opposition dynamic.

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”

— Joseph Campbell

What is challenge?

Most of us see challenge as something to fear, as an obstacle that we must overcome and power through, or at the very least, something to merely endure. In either case, we ultimately miss the opportunity to grow. However if we can see challenge as an opportunity, an invitation to grow and expand into More of who we are, then we are much more likely to create the life we desire, for it is this very willingness to get out of our comfort zone that opens us up and delivers all that we profess to desire for ourselves. It expands our understanding of life and ourselves, it expands our confidence, and it ushers in self trust.

Change is Life. It is growth and it is inevitable.

However, with change, comes fear.

What is fear? Fear is seclusion. It is the mistaken belief that you are the chaos of your life, that you do not have the power to CHOOSE. It holds the need to reframe, to box in, limit and restructure the greater outcome to the smallest space set by your imagination.

Struggle is our greatest addiction. We struggle with ideas, questions, rights and wrongs, the toys of the mind. We struggle to be free of these limited beliefs and yet, in the same breath we struggle to hold onto them, for this is all we THINK we know. Fear is anxiety of what is unknown. Fear suppresses the choices that are available to you!

Gratitude is the polarity of fear. Gratitude is connected to acceptance. Allow each moment of fear to teach you how you may not trust yourself. Allow your fears to show you where your illusions about yourself lie. An important aspect of gratitude is trust, trust in yourself, as well as trust in the Universe. Trust is the guiding principle to help us in “showing up” to what the Universe offers. Trust requires acceptance. There is no fear of what might transpire, because there is trust that all is guided and supported and that if challenges arise, then they’re simply reminding you to stretch.

Remember: You are READY!

Trust is continually exhaling. It is gently releasing what you think you know about yourself, to become who you truly are. Trust is self love. And trust is a deep knowing that Life is in support of you!

Learn more from Sandra

Autumn is the season of metal. The performance brags of the summer quietly die away in preparation for hibernation. It is a season of taking stock and feeling losses. There is a nostalgia and sadness to autumn.

Metal is an energetic concept in Chinese medicine. Its core and unique properties are used as metaphor to describe and explain phenomena in nature, including human biology and experience. Metal is the energy of discretion, adaptation and values. It is how we flow with Life or seek to control it, how we allow or block our potential – for health, fertility, abundance, joy.

Alice was at Oriens yesterday. She came in for stress. Her boss just got let go and now she’s needing to take on his role and do her own, all while interviewing for other work since her division will eventually fold. While putting in her acupuncture points, we talked about negotiating – a metal activity – and mid-discussion we segued into a wonderful dialogue on chaos v. control (not Get Smart).

Alice the banker is highly organized and methodical and in awe of her artist cousin who can make an impromptu party out of a couple straggling items in the fridge! Alice was at her cousin’s recently for a clothes closet 911 emergency. The poor woman still had ex-boyfriend reminders and items from who knows when simply everywhere, making getting dressed a daily frightmare. Thank goodness this left-brained creative type has a right-brained Metal energy dominant cousin! Metal energy in balance is brilliant at assessing value, taking control and making decisions.

We all desire a productive, fruitful, meaningful life. Our metal energy helps us define what that is -- individually and collectively.  As a nation we are still undergoing full metal review as our money and every process around it is reconsidered. If your personal money matters need a make-over, I urge you attend our upcoming workshop, "It's Your Money So Take It Personally," coming up November 18.

Our metal energy is the evaluation process behind our decisions. The word decision comes from decidere, to cut off. When we decide something, we wield the [metal] knife and cut off other possibilities.

Eleanor was also at Oriens yesterday. A highly accomplished doctor, she struggles with IBS, anxiety and sciatica. This brilliant, insightful, self-aware mother of a teenager is the primary breadwinner. She sighed her tears, “I just feel so out of control!” Just last week she was feeling so proud and happy that she was now completely off prescription meds and these health issues that had been dominating her life for decades were all well-managed. Then, 2 mornings ago she rolled over in bed and POOF!...the sciatica reappears, she needs painkillers and she knows her IBS will flare in response, and it’s next to impossible to be a great doctor if your brain is sloshing through medication to focus. So how will she see patients? Not to mention the time, expense and hope she had put into her healing process.

The mind can run wild. What if it starts all over again? What if she can’t earn enough for her family? Feeling out of control can be so frightening and Life can feel so unfair.

Metal: chemistry, bonds, values, discretion, malleability, adaptation.

In the body metal relates to the lungs (breathing), immune system, the colon (excretion), and the skin (protection, temperature regulation, detoxification). These organs and systems discern and execute our safety through complicated biochemical reactions and other mechanics. They make physical value judgments for us: what we will allow in, how it gets filtered, what we will keep, what we will discard, how we will adapt to “news” from other systems and the environment. When something dangerous happens, these players rework the scenario to make it safe and keep operations going. They find value in refuse and supercharge our health when we treat them with respect.

On the Shen, or mental-emotional-spiritual level, metal energy is expressed in our ability to balance our survival instinct for control with our highest human desire for creative fulfillment.

Metal in balance:

• Sets goals and takes action – knowing the outcome is not certain
• Makes decisions and executes them creatively – without micromanaging
• Creates order through harmonious interaction with the other elemental energies: wisdom, creativity, spiritual joy, compassion
• Self-worth not tied to circumstance, accomplishment, possessions, family or other outside sources
• Attaches and lets go in response to changing circumstance – ideas about self, relationships, goals

Healthy metal energy inspires us toward appropriate action for the circumstance. Our lungs, gut, skin and our immune system,  guard our safety and adapt to change constantly.

Everyday cells are dying; others are born. Trillions of chemical reactions take place in the body moment to moment, all in response to shifting circumstance. Death brings life.

In Chinese medicine we understand that Life is movement and pain results from stuckness. Lack of flow (bioelectric current or qi, blood, fluids, mental energy, emotions) creates pain and disease.

The same is true with our Spiritual-emotional life.  Resistance and insistence are a health risk.

A couple years ago I was privileged to sit instruction with the well-known Tibetan Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron. I’ll never forget this sly grandmotherly type translating from the text, “There are only two causes of emotional pain: getting what you do not want, and not getting what you do want.” That stopped the room.

Oriens is blessed to help many women and couples conceive and have healthy babies. And if you will listen, you will read in this composite picture of almost every fertility-challenged woman I have been privileged to work with, you will see a part, or perhaps a great deal, of yourself somewhere in her story, and learn the lessons of metal with her.

The fertility struggle is often a heartbreaking and wrenching journey in which the patient has deep, deep yearning for a biologic child yet despite doing everything “right,” the child has not yet appeared. There are few circumstances in Life that will drop you to your knees in emotional pain this great.

Commonly fertility patients do their homework. They are fastidious record keepers. They manage their spouses, their doctors, their appointments. They research everything. Their stories include months and years of managing, trying, learning, changing doctors, trying new approaches. And if it were a Ph.D. or a promotion they were after, surely they would have attained it.

The more resolute and determined she is the more elusive pregnancy becomes as the immune system, the endocrine system, the circulatory system and the nervous system are insensitive to insistence, moving further out of balance the more she seeks to control the situation.

As this is going on, everyone around her from sisters to co-workers to friends are pregnant and starting families. A kind of shame often sets in, both at her body’s resistance and at her feelings of resentment toward the pregnant women everywhere.  In addition to resentment, if she is over 35, she is often reproaching herself --  for waiting  for the right partner, for not freezing her eggs, for smoking, for birth control . . . the list of self-recriminations can be long.  The information in circulation about "old eggs" and "advanced maternal age" can up-end her identity as a woman altogether.

Her frustration leads to deep sadness, questions about self-worth and whether God is punishing her. The sadness is so profound she fears its expression, and tries to “stay positive” because she has heard a “bad attitude” may put the baby farther out of reach.

Yet, tears are the most human of expressions, how we know we have been touched. Tears are honest. They teach us what we really believe, especially when we may have been telling ourselves some other story. Holding back our tears we block our energy. To cry is to free our qi to serve us, exercising the lungs, cleansing our emotions. If we do not acknowledge and vent our sadness, it transforms into a weapon against us. Along with deep breathing, crying exercises the lungs.  Dr. Christiane Northrup once said to me, "Crying is lancing an emotional abscess that might otherwise poison us."

The lungs must breathe deeply to pick up oxygen for delivery. Deep breathing, movement and emotional freedom  improve our circulation and chemistry, which all the players in conception depend upon -- the brain, the ovaries, uterus and testes. When we block emotions, we block Life. See Sharon’s Art of Breathing article for the fertility enhancing exercise: Microcosmic Breath.  The lungs also energetically pair with the colon through metal.  The more imbalanced her metal energy in unexpressed grief--the emotion of metal--the more blocked her bowel function is.  Most fertility patients struggle with constipation or IBS.

How we care for ourselves and having experts on our team makes a great difference.  Mechanical and chemical conditions must be met for conception to occur and pregnancy to carry.  Still, fertility is an expression of abundance, creativity, Life, flow. It resides in aligning oneself with the creative potential within – the Tao calls it the Mysterious Mother.  How do we access that part of ourselves?  If fertility were about the right doctor, drug or procedure, then IVF clinics would have success rates more than 5 times the statistical average! These are only tools to be used with discretion.  If fertility were about age, then why would women the world over be having unplanned babies in their 40's?

Life (and the ability to bring it forth) is impartial. Life comes through when circumstances are met. And, often, when we get out of our own way.

From the same place in the brain, we control response to danger and reproduction. It will always prioritize survival. When it senses danger, blood flow to reproductive organs is redirected. The fear we will not be able to reproduce is not distinguished from other survival threats. Further, our chemistry shifts to prioritize stress hormones over reproductive hormones. Blood work might come out normal, but can the hormones land? Some share receptor sites with our stress hormones.

The frustration of thwarted efforts, perfectionism, blaming ourselves and others, grudging others their successes, children and good luck -- these translate into a kind of "lock down" that further block us from our goal. Imbalanced metal thwarts our health and our bounty.

See Sandra’s article on Detoxing the Mind.

Our fertility, health and greatest potential are brought forward by playing along with Life.

When we take the "yin" position and yield and yet show up, when we let go yet do all we can, accepting there are no guarantees, then we live the virtue of metal.

The sacred text of the Hindus, the Bhagavad Gita, instructs us to be the warrior that takes action letting go of the result. The Tao tells us when we accept what is, the universe lies before us. Contraction - pain; flexibility - possibility.

The most beautiful and hard-won epiphany for fertility patient is this: that she is not in charge, Life is.  Her job is to nurture her potential and use metal effectively:  understand her own values to decide on her course and her team.   This aha often gives way to an alchemy in which pain and struggle transform into wisdom and new life.   What was once fingernails-on-a-chalkboard (“Just relax and it will happen."   "If you adopt you’ll get pregnant.”) takes on the power of a deep truth.  Opening, not controlling, is the big fertility secret.  Open to face the fear. Open the body through feeding and caring for it. Open the mind to the truth that a child is a miracle and that miracles cannot be forced.   Open to motherhood by mothering self first.  Open to hope.  She knows how to "do."  She has the discipline of metal.  When she learns malleability the rewards of metal are often hers.

Her pain shifts as, like carbon to diamonds, it is compressed into the gems of wisdom and compassion for herself and her spouse. Her sorrow becomes freedom allowing physical expression. Her relaxation becomes creativity and receptivity. Her alignment gives way to fertility. The alchemy is complete as she accepts the miraculous gift of a new life — literally, a child in her womb, or figuratively — health, joy, abundance.

Life comes through when we play on Life's terms and stop insisting on our own.   Life begets Life.

Nothing quite says Chinese Medicine like psychoneuroimmunology — and now, psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology.

I love it when science and western medicine explain Chinese medicine back to me in a fresh way, a more modern, causally investigated, deconstructed analytic way. Chinese medicine might have the edge on western medicine in terms of sheer volume of evidence and success data in humans. It most certainly has the more of user-friendly vocabulary. But the two play together so well and fill each other’s gaps marvelously.

Fresh from a very exciting conference on the brain and neurotransmitters, I’m still a-flutter thinking about neuron cascades, the blood-brain barrier and ... the 3 Treasures, that is to say the psychoneuroimmunoendocrine perspective on the essential components of a healthy happy life and that uber-control center, the Mind.

Looking at functional MRI’s while listening to a review of the literature on research detailing how everything we do, eat and think either enhances brain function or causes neurodegeneration is very excitiing — or devastating, depending how you view the control you potentially have over your health and the risk factors you are engaging.

We all know that the regulation of just about every one of our biologic functions ultimately tracks back to the brain. But how much do we think about it, say, when we experience digestive problems? Or immune challenges? Or hormone imbalances? Most of us typically associate brain chemistry issues with anxiety, depression, sleep and cognitive disorders related to aging or mental illness. And that is true. Yet are you aware that it is all completely connected? When you experience difficulty in these other areas, your brain is most likely unhappy as well. Pepsid and laxatives will not rescue your brain.

But good habits, skilled use of herbs and food, and a commitment to lofty but attainable goals such as self-understanding and contentment will. The brain loves it when you give it oxygen and food and decide that you are in agreement with what is happening in your life.

Our colloquialism for that is “peace of mind.” We commonly refer to its opposite as “stress.” Stress is a physics term for forces brought to bear. It’s normal and unavoidable. How we perceive stress and label it in our minds is ours to decide and the key determinant of what happens next – physically and emotionally. See this newsletter’s other features on Detoxing the Mind and Fertility Corner for more on this subject.

From your exercise habits to your food habits, your sugar habits to your sleep habits, your thought habits to your relaxation habits – you are constantly building or degenerating your brain and influencing the expression of your genetic potential. And therefore, you are either enhancing or destroying your immune function, your hormone health, your gut function and your long term mental capacity.

You are co-creating your life. One of my favorite sayings is, “your biography becomes your biology.” (Carolyn Myss)

This is Chinese medicine. But we call it The 3 Treasures: Jing-Qi-Shen.

By Jing we mean that through our parents, our ancestors have passed on to us the potential for many variations on the life we have. One concept of Jing is genes. Some things are determined, like eye or hair color. Others are plastic, or in an interdependent relationship with other variables like environmental exposure, nurturing, food, exercise, etc.

That potential meets up with Qi – the bioelectric current of our bodies and the way we live our lives.

When we live well —rest, play, contemplate, sleep, eat real food (at regular intervals and amounts), laugh, cry, express, relax, spend time alone with our selves, socialize, love — we enhance our Jing. We add to the reserve and increase the likelihood that our potential for health and a sense of fulfillment is expressed.

In contrast when don’t care for ourselves — overwork (especially for extended periods), choose fake foods over real foods (IF we remember to eat at all), select coffee and soda over water, obsess, let go of exercise, don’t get outdoors, live in resentment, don’t schedule time for ourselves, isolate — we drain our Jing and throw off our central nervous system and neurotransmitter interactions, potentially leading to less pleasure and lower health performance in the short term, and serious illness in the longer term.

But to get to the gym, choose dark chocolate over Snickers, give ourselves permission to take the night off in favor of that overdue date with our friends, and choose 5 minutes of self-reflection over checking email ... we need Shen.

Shen is spirit-mind. It is the highest expression of who we are, our spiritual nature peeking through our rational mind. It’s happy brain chemistry where we make great decisions that favor our health and our deeper satisfaction. These in turn cycle back to strengthen our qi and jing.

The 3 Treasures are interesting – and here we come back to psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology again – because they are interdependent. You can’t have great qi and bad shen. There is a principle in Chinese medicine called mutual transformation, which states that forms of energy morph into other forms energy. (For example, food breaks down to reassemble as fuel for our cellular requirements).

Our mental/emotional energy is the strongest driver we have of both how we behave and what happens for us physically ...which in turn affects our deeper programming ... which then cycles back into creating our mental/emotional state and the quality of our day-to-day lives. Jing-qi-shen are interwoven and constantly creating one another. Psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinology. It’s all interconnected.

In the space program as well as in training for Olympic competition, there is a process used by some called “visual rehearsal.” Seated, the subject visualizes what s/he expects to do (launch into space, run the 100m, etc.). When the subject is monitored, it is clear the brain and all systems are responding as if the event were really taking place. Ponder that for a moment. What you are thinking is what your body believes is happening. Take it in deeper. Studies and life experience both remind us this is true. What we expect, often occurs. What we believe, is what we tell our bodies to enact cellularly, chemically! Our thoughts are indeed powerful. What do you expect in your life? In your health? In your relationships?

We cannot choose our parents and genetic blueprint. And sometimes the many factors converging to spell out our health and life experience are indeed beyond manipulation or control. But to varying extents, we all can leverage the script toward health and happiness.

3 Treasures. Treasures are things of immense value.

What are you doing with yours?

Here are some suggestions. For more, visit Sandra’s article on Detoxing the Mind!

• Play
• Eat regularly.
• 80/20 –80% of the time choose foods and drinks that build your health.
• Drink water – divide the number of pounds you weigh in two; that’s the minimum number of ounces of pure water your body wants every day.
• Spend at least 5 minutes without anything to do at the beginning and end of each day, and appreciate all you have.
• Move your body! Dance, gym, yoga, walking, martial arts...just get moving.
• Put your rants down on paper, where they can be seen and addressed instead of running the toxic mental tape loop of resentment, blame and anger that hurts only you.
• Make time for people and activities you love.
• Set boundaries around work.
• Get to know yourself, you’re worth it.
• Use Oriens as the resource it is, to help you build your health, treasure your treasures, learn from experts and experience community around issues important to you.

Oriens ~ Is That a Made up Word?

Welcome to Oriens! When searching for the name of the sanctuary I wanted to create for myself, my friends and my patients . . . and especially for women . . . I wanted the name to express what I was up to. But it also needed to look beautiful on the page and feel beautiful in the mouth. Here’s the story behind the name and an invitation to be part of what we are doing . . .

One evening I was taking the train upstate and perusing a professional journal on Chinese medicine. There was an article discussing the word, “Oriental.” The author noted the Latin root for the word was “oriens,” meaning from the east or toward the rising sun. Eureka.

This little Latin root encapsulates what we are doing here at Oriens — bringing you healing therapies and wisdom traditions from the East, but offering them in a way you will immediately find useful. Oriens is about the reframe for the modern western person. Raised Christian and coming from a family medical lineage, acupuncture, meditation, yoga, eastern philosophy . . . these tools have helped me care for my health, know myself more deeply, honor where I come from more authentically, use western medicine more skillfully.

With a commitment to science, evidence and research, we acknowledge also that Life is the ultimate laboratory. Stories hold our truths and Oriens is about yours, ours, and those we learn from.

Our motto is, “more of who you truly are.” Oriens is about helping you bring your best health and your best self forward, increasing your joy. We call that a fertile life . . . one that is rich, fruitful, well tended, enjoyed. We specialize in helping couples conceive, but really all our patients and clients are reclaiming their potential in some way.

Oriens offers you personalized attention and meaningful community.

We provide you with exceptional expert care in private sessions. And for those who select Surround & Support programming, our practitioner community becomes yours as we work as a team to serve you.

We like to have fun. Oriens has parties where you can gather with people you would like to know. We develop workshops and host experts to speak on topics vital to your health and personal growth — things that matter to you. We have yoga and dance classes for you to exercise safely, passionately and joyfully. And make friends.

For Oriens community also means service. We are grateful for our relationship with you and for the bounty in our lives. Your choice to invest in your own health and well-being through Oriens allows us to partner with charities serving children and women in need.

The full name is Oriens Healing Sanctuary. I chose to call it a sanctuary because it is place to feel apart and yet at home. A respite from your daily life, where you can access more of yourself . . . more health, a new perspective, an “aha” to improve your Life.

Blessings to you,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Carpenter, MS, L.Ac.

Founder and owner