Stress, Pain and the Excess Lifestyle
Author: Blake Estape L.Ac.
With the current COVID landscape, we all have had to deal with an increase in levels of stress and anxiety. The flux imposed on us by so many changes can be difficult, and we all cope with it in different ways.
For many the route of our lifestyle change has been predictable. When lockdowns were imposed across the country, we took to Netflix in order to make the drudgery a little more tolerable. When that didn’t cut it, we moved on to home improvement projects, and then socially-distanced outdoor activities.
What’s important about this trend is the progression. Unless someone already led a very active lifestyle, most of us began with stillness. Over time, however, that stillness began to drive us a little crazy. Activity wasn’t something demanded by our responsibilities, but a requirement for mental health. Action was and is medicine for the restless mind.
The idea of duality is the basis for much of TCM theory. Yin and Yang, action and inaction, and how they work synergistically together. Ultimately health is found when the two forces are in balance. Unfortunately, Western civilization is often caught up in the idea of extremes. From fad diets, to grueling exercise routines – these are designed to put your body through intense paces for fast results.
Alternatively there are those who spend their days seated; either in front of a computer for work or on the couch for entertainment. For various reasons, activity isn’t part of their daily routine and sometimes weeks will go by before they have the time or energy to make it outside.
The Dao De Jing states “High winds do not last all morning; a sudden rainstorm does not last all day.” Here, Lao Zi explains that those actions that are sudden and intense do not persist. “If Heaven and Earth cannot make things eternal,” he says, “how is it possible for man?”
This stanza speaks to the impermanence of extremes. Humans were built to tolerate change, but we thrive in balance and we all know it. Ask any active person who complains of knee pain what they should do and they’ll say ‘I should really take it easy.’ Tell your friend to get off the couch and go for a walk to improve their energy and they’ll agree.
In our goal-oriented society we are driven by cost versus return. This is why extremes are so beguiling. I should really exercise more, you might say, and look! A routine that promises to turn me into a perfect human specimen in three months. Or perhaps years of high-intensity living has taken its toll on your joints, but don’t worry. This one shot will take it all away.
We’re wising up though. There’s a cost that sometimes we’d rather not pay, whether it’s liver damage down the road from medications or liver damage from an extreme diet. We know we need a balanced approach to thrive, even if it’s our nature to want it quick.
Traditional Chinese medicine is built on this premise, and so it helps reestablish equilibrium via three pathways;
1. Acupuncture – Targeted, specific manipulation of the central nervous system to instigate biochemical response. We use what the body has available and guide it to where it’s needed.
2. Lifestyle – Acupuncture isn’t a quick fix. An hour once a week will open the door, but the patient has to walk through it. Careful assessment of what has led to an issue will inform what changes are needed day to day in order for progress to stick.
3. Herbs – We’re using what we got, and we’re making sure not to waste it, but sometimes that’s not enough. In cases where Western medicine has failed or is not an option, herbal formulas are a gentler way to give the body what it lacks.
TCM is a medicinal system but also a philosophical one. Moderation in thought and action while giving space for change is how you ‘go with the flow.’ Treatment can mean just simple pain relief or a real paradigm shift.
If there is something you wish to improve in your life, take a moment to examine your habits as honestly as you can. Don’t merely consider what you should add, but be aware of what you might be doing too much. The answer to betterment is somewhere in between.
