Linked to health, beauty the natural way, necessarily becomes a matter of overall lifestyle. This lifestyle can become a positive driving force in our lives and as we better understand the interrelationship of all the natural elements involved in looking and feeling good, we’ll observe ourselves spontaneously and organically removing destructive habits and practices, replacing them with those that contribute to our wellness beauty. This lifestyle will naturally help us to pinpoint where we stand in the natural cycle of life as we seek to achieve our highest wellness potential.
In this natural cycle of life, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) informs us that five energetic seasonal cycles affect us in virtually every arena of our lives. For example, just as we do not wear the same type of clothing from one season to the next, TCM infers that we might benefit by using skincare products designed specifically for each energetic season. This would be skincare that counteracts the aggressions of any particular seasonal energy such as those formulated by PHYTO5. This choice of skincare is just one enjoyable part of living this more conscious lifestyle that chooses harmony with each energetic season, and right now is our opportunity to explore the Earth energetic season which runs until February 4.
Time has proven that the cycles of nature and the cycles of human life seem to be interrelated. Whatever affects the whole, affects the parts. And these parts affect other parts. This view of humans, subjected to their cosmic and earthly environment is common, in various degrees, to all energy medicines and it is central to TCM.
Traditional Chinese thinkers were fond of pondering the cyclical aspects of nature with the repetition of days, moons, seasons and years as they observed the effects of those cycles on all living organisms. Humans like animals and plants are affected
by nature’s cycles so it is not surprising that the study of nature was the first basis in their understanding of vital energy. Knowing that there can be no effect without a cause, the predictable seasonal patterns pointed to the existence of a cause.
Unlike ancient Greeks and Egyptians who attributed cause to the whims of various gods, the Chinese simply saw chi (energy)
as the mover of matter but not as a deity. They saw this energy being responsible for cyclical and predictable stages and changes.
First, they broke down energy in its basic yin and yang components. Then they evolved the more complex and subtle Law of the Five Elements, which includes the energies symbolically named Wood Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, and the multiple aspects of their interrelationship.
TCM evolved during an era when the metaphysical beliefs of Taoism prevailed in China, and therefore it was influenced by Taoist beliefs and related cultural implications. Taoists believed that to live harmoniously man needs to be in accord with the energetic laws of nature. They saw a strong parallel between the cycles of nature (the days and the seasons) and the life cycle of man.
When we respect and revere natural cycles and rhythms in our lives we actually create momentum for wellness. This momentum is fueled by energy, the energy that is created by the very act of living in harmony with these natural cycles. By doing so, we allow ourselves to give greater and well deserved meaning to these cycles and, ultimately, our entire lives.
#####
Photo by Jackson David from Pexels