Our systems (mind, body, and soul), are constantly challenged by life. Our growth happens within the full process; our preparation, the challenges themselves, and most deeply in our recovery. How do we prepare ourselves for the endless challenges, especially the unpredictable ones, that are constantly present in our lives?
We train.
We train, harder.
Then, when we recover,
We recover, stronger.
Our recovery is an important part of our training that is often overlooked. It is where we integrate our experience, and where we replenish our system so we can rise to the next occasion with new vigor and depth.
In our preparation, we build. In our execution, we push. In our recovery, we replenish.
Recovery is our time to replenish, heal and rejuvenate. It is our time to integrate and strengthen our abilities with a new depth. In my own recovery, both from expected and unexpected challenges in my life, Chinese Medicine has given me a strong advantage to build my system and rise up with new strength. Through the use of Chinese Medicine, I learned about the way my body uniquely operates and what specific things (herbs, foods, lifestyle adaptations) it benefits from most to thrive. Because of Chinese Medicine, I know how to give my body what it truly needs to not only avoid depletion but to strengthen and rebuild what was challenged.
I first learned new depths about the power of recovery after the car accident I was in in 2015 which I will write more about in a series of future posts, but also in recovering from the 2019 MS150 - a 150-mile bike ride from Duluth, MN to White Bear Lake, MN, I was able to apply what I knew in a big way to use TCM to expand my strength and vigor.
STEP 1: I used water and nutrition to fuel and replenish my resources in a clean fashion, avoiding things I knew to be harmful and damaging to my system like processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners.
STEP 2: I used herbal formulas to replenish my Yin, Blood, and Qi to give my body the tools it needed to refuel itself for the long-term and short-term.
When we push ourselves too hard, we deplete the deep energy stores that preserve our longevity. Think of your body’s energy capacity like a fuel tank in a vehicle. Some vehicles have a “backup” tank in case you run out of fuel in your primary tank. This second tank represents your Yin (the deep fuel which nourishes us), and the primary tank represents your Blood and Qi (energy). When you know your own body’s unique way of functioning between these two energy streams, you will be able to support it in a tailored, individualized, direct way.
I use Traditional Chinese Medicine and Functional Neurology to help my patients optimize their experience of the world. I have found great strength in my own recovery process and deeply enjoy helping others to recover from their own challenges by replenishing their own unique and brilliant human bodies.