The Health Triad According to TCM Herbs

This isn’t exactly a lecture on mathematics, as it might first appear. Rather, it’s about the three main principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine – regularity, balance, and dynamism – viewed from a different perspective. As we all know and experience, modern life is hectic, turbulent, and competitive. However, this is far from natural for the natural world. Nature operates through principles and laws that repeat regularly in certain cycles (day and night, the four seasons, etc.), in a balanced harmony (day follows night, warmth follows winter, and so on), and in a constant forward motion (left, right, never a step back), never stopping – Earth continues to rotate on its axis while simultaneously orbiting the Sun.

Today we are bombarded with all sorts of offers and advertisements trying to convince us that we can’t be happy, “cool,” or “in” without this or that. But this contradicts nature’s true essence. Here are a few examples: There’s no need to eat tomatoes or strawberries in winter when they naturally grow in summer… No need to consume cheap, industrially raised poultry when home-raised chickens may be smaller but taste better and are far healthier… No need to choose among 50 types of “dead” yogurts “enriched” with artificial colorings, stabilizers, preservatives, flavorings, and other synthetic substances, thereby nullifying the original health purpose of yogurt…

Sometimes, we simply need to “take our common sense in hand” and realize that less is often more – that one good, high-quality, and above all natural yogurt might suffice, or just one or two types of delicious bread, or a small, albeit more expensive, free-range chicken… People often argue this is impossible. But, as many ads claim, nothing is impossible. One only needs to make an effort, to search and explore – because he who seeks, finds!

Many people think that everything is labeled BIO nowadays, that no one can understand all those certifications, and it’s all just a scam to charge more. Sayings like “If it’s not sprayed during the day, it’s sprayed at night” are common. This might be the case in some places, but there are countries where the rules of the game are truly respected. Generally, food and products are classified as: conventional (standard), natural (higher quality than conventional), organic (higher than natural), and biodynamic (the highest quality). At the very top are biodynamic products, which bear the prestigious DEMETER label – guaranteed to be the highest quality organic certification worldwide. Originating in Germany, DEMETER has a long and successful tradition. It is an independent, incorruptible certification that rigorously enforces its quality standards.

So, what is biodynamics? It is an agricultural system based on anthroposophical principles – meaning sustainable, respectful, and renewable farming. BIO represents the raising of animals and growing of plants without any chemicals (manual weeding, treatment with non-chemical preparations, natural feed, outdoor access, etc.), while DYNAMICS refers to harvesting according to the moon phases (mainly during the full moon, when nature is at its most powerful and dynamic). In this way, energy becomes optimally harmonized, and we receive the very best from nature – its authentic life energy! You can’t go wrong by choosing the highest quality from the jungle of bio-labels – DEMETER-certified products. (For more info, visit e.g. www.biodynamickakosmetika.cz). You’ll find DEMETER mainly in Germany and Austria, in stores like the biodynamic chain DENNS.

1. REGULARITY

This refers to the time factor and can be applied on many levels in daily life – breathing regularly and deeply, eating breakfast and lunch at the same hour each day, going to bed and waking up at consistent times, exercising regularly, balancing physical and mental work. Just like there are “seven fat years and seven lean years,” so should we maintain order and system in our lives, just as nature does – we merely adapt to it, because we are a part of it, not its masters.

2. BALANCE

This is similar to regularity but moderates its intensity. Every extreme – whether positive or negative – has consequences. Not too much, not too little – the golden middle way is the right one (e.g., eat until you’re half full, drink until you’re half quenched, and you’ll live a full life; “too much of a good thing” is never good, etc.).

3. DYNAMISM

This is about movement, always forward. It represents life, which continuously flows without stagnation or blockage. When obstacles do arise, they must be resolved quickly before they become “knotted” and eventually “nest,” particularly in our minds!

All principles and laws of Nature (the macrocosm) also apply to our bodies (the microcosm). Imagine a metronome – its steadily swinging arm symbolizes all three principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine in our lives. Of course, the pointer may swing more to one side or the other – after a Christmas feast, for instance, a fasting period should follow (like Lent). Its rhythm may speed up or slow down – after a wild weekend, calm and contemplation should follow. Sometimes it may even freeze briefly and restart in jerks – such as when sudden emotional shocks knock us off balance, causing heart palpitations, extrasystoles, or a lump in the throat. We must shake off these disruptions quickly and effectively (a helpful remedy is Uplifting the heavy Heart – code 081), have a meaningful solution at the ready, and above all, not lose hope. Our metronome should always return to its natural rhythm – one that is in harmony with nature and individually set from birth. Only then will our inner clock “tick like a Swiss watch.”

In life, everything fluctuates in intensity – tides, seasons, weather (heat × cold), diet (meat-eaters × vegans), emotions (joy × sadness), etc. And our emotions are often the most decisive in determining our rhythm. According to TCM, emotional stress leads to Qi Stagnation in the Liver, which suppresses Spleen Qi – resulting in not eating at all or overeating sweets (weakened Spleen energy), or turning to coffee, cigarettes, alcohol (attempts to disperse Liver Qi Stagnation). One cannot be eternally happy or endlessly sad – nothing lasts forever! Fortunately, even sorrow fades over time, and new experiences and events replace it through dynamism.

Ultimately, the most important thing is to be calm and content with oneself and the world. This contentment may come from Nature – with a capital “N” (or for some, the Universe, God, TAO, etc.), the true giver of peace. Following its principles, laws, and (un)written rules leads to long-term harmony in life. Sometimes, as one advertisement wisely puts it, we need “nothing more than to connect and balance the two forces of life” – YIN and YANG, body and soul, reason and emotion. A reasonably sensitive and sensitively reasonable approach to life makes our existence meaningful.

We must also not be discouraged or give up too easily in the face of difficulties. We need to step outside our comfort zone and fight – otherwise, not only may our liver become fatty (e.g., instead of statins, improve your lifestyle), but so may our mind (e.g., instead of antidepressants, focus on mental hygiene). One should stick to their convictions and resist the current mainstream mantra of FRM: 1. Fear, 2. Restriction, 3. Manipulation – first, scare the patient, then it’s easy to restrict or prohibit, and finally to manipulate them. Like: “You must take these medications for the rest of your life, or you’ll die…” In reality, there’s only one thing we all must do – die!

So, let our lives flow smoothly, peacefully, and without obstacles – and when we do hit one, let’s remember the words of the classic:
Per Aspera ad Astra – Through Hardships to the Stars!