Feature

Immune System

Your immune system works around the clock in thousands of different ways, but it does its work largely unnoticed. One thing that causes us to really notice our immune system is when it fails for some reason. We also notice it when it does something that has a side effect we can see or feel.

• When you get a cut, all sorts of bacteria and viruses enter your body through the break in the skin. When you get a splinter you also have the sliver of wood as a foreign object inside your body. Your immune system responds and eliminates the invaders while theskin heals itself and seals the puncture. In rare cases the immune system misses something and the cut gets infected. It gets inflamed and will often fill with pus. Inflammation and pus are both side­ effects of the immune system doing its job.

• When a mosquito bites you, you get a red, itchy bump. That too is a visible sign of your immune system at work.

• Each day you inhale thousands of germs (bacteria and viruses) that are floating in the air. Your immune systemdeals with all of them without a problem. Occasionally a germ gets past the immune system and you catch a cold, get the flu or worse. A cold or flu is a visible sign that your immune system failed to stop the germ. The fact that you get over the cold or flu is a visible sign that your immune system was able to eliminat the invader after learning about it. If your immune system did nothing, you would never get over a cold or anything else.

• Each day you also eat hundreds of germs, and again most of these die in the saliva or the acid of the stomach. Occasionally, however, one gets through and causes food poisoning. There is normally a very visible effect of this breach of the immune system: vomiting and diarrhea are two of the most common symptoms.

• There are also all kinds of human ailments that are caused by the immune system working in unexpected or incorrect ways that cause problems. For example, some people have allergies. Allergies are really just the immune system overreacting to certain stimuli that other people don't react toat all. Some people have diabetes, which is caused by the immune system inappropriately attacking cells in the pancreas and destroying them. Somepeople have rheumatoid arthritis, which is caused by the immune system acting inappropriately in the joints. In many different diseases, the cause is actually an immune system error.

 

Lineage Wisdom

5 Element Theory (simpified & basic)

The Chinese say that the World is made up of the five elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water & Wood and that we too are made up of the same element.Each of these elements have particular qualities/properties and when we suffer physical , spiritual or mental trauma, these elements and their functions can become slowed, blocked or imbalanced. This changes their rhythmic balance and natural harmonic relationship, thus causing dis­ease resulting in pain, imbalance & sickness. Nature uses the cycles of the seasons to interact with the elements invigorating natural elemental creation cycles and destruction cycles.

Princples of Winter and the Element of Water

From the perspective of the 5 Element Theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Winter corresponds to the element of water.

Water in Winter is natures “conductor” for nourishing & gestating seeds and activates all birth & growth in life.

Winter water suggests a season of stillness, nature's catalyst for storing reserves that supports the “yang” of action, creation and momentum. Without the inner reflective “yin”quality of stillness,wisdom & balance are affected in our actions and excess leads to depletion.

Water is nature's premiere conductor and communicates the life ­purpose or “blueprint” of our connection to all things.

The organs associated with the water element are the urinary bladder and the kidney. The urinary bladder stores our body’s fluids and maintains our energy reserves. The kidneys
balance and distribute fluids in our bodies. The kidney contains the well of vital life essence that we are born with called “Jing” in Traditional Chinese Medicine. When the water element is depleted we may experience exhaustion and total depletion. Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are often manifestations of a water element imbalance. For men, impotence and a loss of libido may indicate a water imbalance. For women, infertility and difficult menses are
sign that the water element is disturbed. The water element in Traditional Chinese Medicine governs the entire endocrine system.

The water element nourishes and lubricates every joint in our body. The water element provides the flexibility and luidity for movement. Stiffness, tightness, and joint pains are often a manifestation of an imbalance in the water element. Degenerative arthritis, low back pain, knee problems, and various joint pains reflect disruptions in the water element.

The emotion associated with the water element is fear. When the water element is out of balance we may experience fear that shows up in every aspect of our lives: relationships,
career, finances, and personal growth. An imbalanced water element habitually reacts to fear instead of responding with wisdom and equanimity. Often, the reserves of Jing are continually used up in a desperate attempt to control, manage or run away from fear.

The spirit associated with the water element is willpower that guides us to take steps in life that are congruent with our soul’s purpose. It is the commitment to live the highest virtues in life even when we are faced with fear and extraordinary difficulties.

When we overuse this will through habitually react into fear, we end up exhausted and depleted. In order to find balance with fear, we must cultivate wisdom. The importance of the
development of authentic wisdom cannot be overemphasized. Wisdom guides us to respond to life and utilize our resources appropriately.