This weekend we celebrate mothers, mothering and the sweetness of being mothered. While our culture is much different than the one that gave rise to acupuncture 5000 years ago, the Chinese wisdom on mothering still holds.
Acupuncture is based in nature and the natural laws that organize the cycles of change in nature are represented by the Law of the 5 Elements. The five Elements are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal as represent in the model here.
The metaphor depicted here captures the dynamic of constant change among the Elements and particularly the Generative Cycle. Each Element is said to be the Mother of the succeeding Element or child in the circle as indicated by the arrows. So if you put Water on the Wood, the tree will grow. If you put Wood on the Fire, the Fire will burn and so on.
What can we learn about mothering form this model?
*First, the health of the mother greatly influences the health of the child. For example, if there is insufficient water, the tree won’t grow. If the quality of wood is poor, the fire won’t burn. So if you are contemplating getting pregnant, it would be very useful to do everything you can to improve your health so that you pass on to your child only the best in wellness.
- Of course, it is good to take pre-natal vitamins, however, there is much more you can do for yourself to prepare to pass on the “cleanest slate” possible. I offer a Comprehensive Energetic Evaluation which will tell you exactly how you are doing and what you need to do to pass on optimal health. By the way, this works for dads, too.
- You don’t have to be resigned to pass on your inherited or acquired health issues, either. Using acupuncture, herbs and/or energetic medicine we can “clean you up” and using NeuroModulaton Technique (NMT) we can cut the energetic ancestral ties that would have you pass on inherited health issues like PMS, diabetes, hypothyroid and many others. (You can read about NMT at www.nmt.md)
*Second, treating the mother when the child is sick can be very useful. As we see from the above diagram, a mother’s health directly influences that of her child. So, for example, if the wood is too wet, the fire will not burn. In this case, focusing on the fire (the child) will not produce a healthy child. Only drying out the wood (the mother) will generate a “roaring” healthy kid. Some women have a sense of this kind of thing in their gut. Others, while very or good moms, don’t receive this kind of information. That is where an acupuncturist or an energy medicine specialist can be helpful. I once treated the mom of an infant who had an ear infection and the kid improved within hours of the mom’s acupuncture treatment. Consequently, I know from my own experience the value of this metaphor from Chinese medicine.
- So moms, when your child is sick, it would be useful to consider your own health. Are you able to give him/her what he/she needs to thrive? If you don’t know or have some questions about this, it would be useful to consult an acupuncturist.
- If you are a mom who “puts her kids first” while ignoring her own health (you know who you are), I invite you to contemplate the wisdom offered by the Generative Cycle. At The Still Point, you will find lots of help in nurturing, tending and weeding your own garden. Put yourself at the top of the list for a moment and call us for acupuncture, a comprehensive energetic evaluation or an herbal consult. Both you and your family will glad you did.
