TCM Analogy; your body and mind as a dog and their bed
One of my favourite analogies in TCM, and one I often discuss with patients, is of the dog and their bed.
In this scenario, the dog represents your Shen spirit; your consciousness and an emotional soul that is linked to the Heart.
The dog’s bed represents your Blood & Yin - the physical matrixes in the body that house your emotions and energy, including the Shen spirit.
If your Blood is deficient or of poor quality, the dog’s bed is thin, lumpy and uncomfortable, too hot or too cold. The dog goes round and round in circles, scratching at the bed, changing positions, struggling to settle. They feel stressed, unsafe, unable to rest. This is like your Shen trying to settle into your Blood - feeling uncomfortable, thoughts going round and round, emotions popping up to the surface, and generally being unable to relax and feel safe in your body.
If your Blood is abundant and of good quality, the dog has a plump, warm, safe bed to settle into with ease. Even if the dog has been hyper, scared or stressed in the day, their comfy bed allows them to rest and regulate. The mind is able to relax at night, as the emotions are comfortably contained by the body.
This idea illustrates why Traditional Chinese Medicine considers nourishing your Blood an important factor in treating stress, anxiety and insomnia. In TCM, your Blood is derived from your food, which is why nutrition plays a key role in treating these conditions.
Items that nourish the Blood and help settle the Shen include: lean meat, bone broth, beetroot, red berries, figs and dates, dark leafy greens, sweet rice, nettle infusions, and molasses.
Items that cause Heat in the Blood, making the Shen more unsettled; caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, greasy fried foods. Do you find you struggle to sleep after consuming these items?
Looking at the body, mind and soul as a whole is fundamental in holistic medicine practice. Your nutrition and lifestyle have a vital impact on your mental health, and vice versa. It is all happening in the one being. Treatments like Acupuncture aim to align body and mind, to live in harmony.
(image via Pinterest)
