Here’s hoping that you enjoyed your last long weekend of the summer season and that you made the best of it!
We’re not sure about you, but it sure feels as though the seasons are quickly transitioning. There are the slightest hints of color in the leaves, the air is cooler and crisper in the morning, and even the heat of the day seems to lack it’s skin searing intensity. We are excited by this time of year, and while we’ll miss many aspects of the summer there are so many things to look forward to with the coming of fall.
The most obvious of these is the shift in our diets from fresh, vine ripened tomatoes and greens to the denser, heartier root vegetables just now popping up at the local farmers’ markets. And so, it is not by accident that we will be spending the next couple months delving very, very deeply into the body’s digestive processes.
In TCM, digestion is ruled by the Spleen/Stomach. The Spleen/Stomach is the only Yin/Yang pair spoken of in terms of a unity. So, while every Yin has its Yang, they are usually spoken of separately such Heart and Small Intestine, or Pericardium and Triple Burner. However, this is not possible for Spleen/Stomach. It is essential that they be spoken together in a single breath.
Spleen/Stomach are so foundational to the successful practice and implementation of TCM that we are going to forgo our typical introduction here. There is simply too much information and too many nuggets of gold to dump on you all at once. Instead we are going to slowly parse out the details into easily digestible bites moving forward so that you don’t become so overwhelmed that you are unable to assimilate this information into the core of your being. (Needless to say, you will be hearing more about these highlighted concepts in the weeks to come)
However, before we go there are two big announcements we’d like to share with you.
- BOP has added a massage therapist to our family. So, please welcome Liz Burritt! She will be available to handle all your bodywork needs beginning this week. Check out her profile on our website and feel free to book with her online!
- BOP considers charity a crucial part of our mission and goals, both professionally and privately. This means we strive to give back both as an organization and as individuals. Thaddeus is currently pursuing a bit of charity in the private sector. He is raising money for the Chris Klug Foundation which seeks to help improve the lives of organ transplant candidates and their families by promoting life saving donation, expanding awareness of transplant needs, and increasing registration of organ and tissue donors on state and national registries. In exchange for your donations, he is running the NYC Marathon on November 4th. If you feel so inclined and are able please visit his Facebook Fundraiser page and make a small (or large) donation.
And as always thank you for trusting us to keep you On Point!