Today I would like to talk about the concept of balance. I will start by stating that if we can achieve a state of complete inner balance we will be free of any disease, ailment, or any other type of misery, physically or emotionally. It is a big statement but it is an absolute truth. Yet, achieving this state of inner balance, particularly in these hectic and slightly crazy modern times, is very difficult. Moreover, this balance is not just hard to actualise it is also hard to explain. I find myself a bit lost for words despite almost everything I do in life relating to the concept of balance. In Chinese medicine, achieving state of health depends on the ability to achieve balance between Yin and Yang, heat and cold, dryness and dampness etc to allow free flow of Qi and blood and normal function of the organs. In Sahaja yoga, the meditation I practice, the state of inner balance is achieved by awakening the Kundilini energy and blending our left (emotional) and right (activity) sides. Everything around us exists in perfect balance, from the level of the structure of the single atom to the connections between the atoms. At the level of the cells that build our body, perfect and delicate electrical balance is maintained on both sides of each cell membrane. Our bodies maintain a very delicate balance between the different electrolytes in the blood. A relatively small disturbance of this balance will cause an immediate death. Nature, with all the millions of different animals and plants, exists in perfect balance (at least that’s how it was for millions of years until modern humans’ interference). The whole cosmos around us also exists in perfect balance-billions of galaxies, stars and planets are in constant movement, yet they never run into each other. The perfect balance is maintained at all levels EXCEPT in modern humans. The last few hundred years, which in the context of the history of the Universe is but a split second, humans have managed to seriously disrupt the natural balance which  prevailed for millions of years. This disruption of the natural balance has a far-reaching effect on our health and well being. Even more importantly it will likely have a devastating effect on future generations’ ability to survive on this planet-but this is an issue for another discussion. Today we are going to try and find a way to restore some of this balance into our lives.

In a way, this is going to be a kind of a summary of the former few posts in the “How to live longer” series. I am briefly going to look at balance in food, emotions, work and other activities.

The general principle we will work with is to avoid extremes. Let’s look at food for example: we constantly get conflicting advice regarding what food is healthy for us. In TCM the principles are simple: avoid too much rich/oily food, spicy food and sugary food. Raw uncooked food is ok, but not in large quantities, and most foods should be cooked or boiled. Don’t overeat, don’t rush your food, relax, enjoy, chew well, eat fresh and preferably organic food. Simple principles! Stick to them and your digestive system will love you and will work efficiently for you. That means good energy, good immune system, and smooth working of the digestion without symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Simple principles when it comes to food. Actually, the same is applied to other areas.

Work and rest balance: again, the principles are simple but the application has proven to be a bit trickier for most humans. In my clinic I commonly see people who are clearly working too hard. Our bodies can only cope up to a certain point and then the problems start. If we don’t allow our bodies to rest and recuperate energy then they will simply run out of it at a certain stage. Some of us who have been blessed with a strong constitution will be able to get away with it more than others but for most of us, when our bodies reach this stage of energy deficiency, symptoms will start to appear. They can manifest as a lack of energy, difficulty in concentrating, poor memory, difficulty in sleeping or digestive problems. In some cases it may start more as emotional problems or anxiety. Of course, in the modern work environment it is hard sometimes to pace yourselves but it is really worth the effort from the point of view of your health. It doesn’t mean that you are less of a worker. Be aware of the likely consequences to your health. Just try to not always rush forward, give yourself some breaks-even short ones. It will make a big difference. When you plan or think of how to do something, put some consideration for your current and future health into the mix and try and plan it in a more balanced way. If you just have an awareness of the need for a work/life balance it is already a good start.

Last but not least, emotions and particularly this modern emotion-stress. According to TCM, too much of any emotion can damage your health. Too much worry can injure the spleen (digestion, energy etc), too much anger can injure the liver and so on. From my experience I can say that stress can affect both: always the liver and often the spleen as well. The consequences to our health can be emotional problems, anxiety, headaches, migraines, digestive and Immune system problems, low energy, bad sleep etc. Again it’s all about balance. It is ok to have some stress-this is a fact of life. The problem starts when we are stressed too much, too often or for too long. It also has a direct effect on the flow of Qi (energy) in our body and that means that almost every system in our body is vulnerable to problems when we are unduly stressed. Of course, sometimes stress is unavoidable but, if you really think about it, in many cases we have a big part to play in creating our own stress. Again, it is about how much attention and importance we allocate to the issue. It is very easy to get carried along with the general flow of craziness. We have to stop and think: what actually is making me stressed and what actually can I do about it. In addition to making a change to what makes us stressed we can try and be more proactive about de-stressing e.g. slow down, do less, take breaks, meditate. You will be surprised. You can, and will, make a difference if you try and stick with it. You only have to remind yourself of the consequences stress may have on your health to motivate you. Look after yourself, nobody else will. Going to the Doctor to get a pill for your symptoms is really not a good long-term solution.

O.K., I can see it sounds a bit like it is advice from a women’s magazine rather than Chinese ancient wisdom (no offence), but the truth is that the principles of how to stay healthy according to Chinese medicine are very simple and can really be summed up in the words: Live  Balance  Life

Good Luck