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Heart Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Cultivate a Healthy Heart With Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Heart organ in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a more encompassing function than the strict physiological description in Western Medicine. In TCM, there is an organ hierachy and the Heart is at the top. It is considered the Emperor/King of all other organs and is responsible for promoting blood circulation to the entire body. Because a well functioning heart is considered paramount over other bodily functions such digestion or urination, all other organs will sacrifice their individual functions in order to balance the heart. In the ancient Chinese Classical text, The Nei Jing, it says, “The heart is the Emperor of all the organ networks…if the heart flares, then all of them will get out of line.” As you can see, you can not be healthy if your heart is not functioning properly.The heart houses the Shen – which translates to spirit or mind. Therefore, the heart is the centre of all mental activity, consciousness and thinking. Any disturbance of the Shen can weaken the heart and alternatively, a weak heart can lead to a disturbed Shen. Symptoms of an imbalanced heart and Shen include: insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, poor memory, inability to think clearly and anxiety.Every organ in TCM has an emotion attached to it. The emotion connected to the heart is Joy. Experiencing joy will feed and nourish your heart. The path to achieving joy is to live your life with wisdom and purpose. Like all things, the key to a healthy heart is balance: excessive joy can damage the heart (this can be seen as excessive laughing or giggling and mania). While not enough joy can cause the heart to become deficient (this is usually seen through loneliness or grieving). Other symptoms of a heart imbalance include: a bitter taste in the mouth, excessive sweating, heart palpitations, tightness in the chest, speaking quickly or talking incessantly, cold limbs, pale face, anemia, muscle weakness and dizziness or fainting.If you suspect you have a heart imbalance call today to schedule an assessment with our Registered Acupuncturist, Amanda Merenda: 647.299.4631 or visit our website: www.besthealthacupuncture.com 

Posted in Traditional Chinese Medicine

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