Our makeup is more than just a chemical one. Many today are becoming aware of our energetic side. Although the energetic component is somewhat confusing, an approach to health that unites whole food nutritional support with bioenergetics makes the most sense. It is able to address imbalances in both the chemistry of body and the flow of energetic information, which controls physiological processes allowing nutritional resources to reach their targets.
The traditional Western approach explains our bodily functions through biochemistry – the study of chemical reactions, compounds, proteins, nucleic acids and cells within living organisms. Modern health care has its roots in Biochemistry. It attempts to trace all the biochemical interrelationships in the human organism to foundational chemical reactions, but are we not more than a bag of chemicals? The scientific basis to the biochemical approach has allowed surgeons and doctors to become highly successful for the treatment of acute health conditions. We tend to believe that everything can be explained in biochemical terms. Yet, a growing number of researchers admit that the deeper we delve into the workings of human chemistry, the less we really understand. There is an energetic level that has direct effect upon how our body functions.
Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 4,000 years has included acupuncture and other energetic systems to both treat disease and diagnose weaknesses within the body. Today acupuncture has spread worldwide. It is highly regarded for its ability to aid and maintain health. To have survived and developed over such a great length of time, you can only conclude that the system is diagnostically accurate and therapeutically effective. In our country, the energetic approach has evolved into a host of new modalities.
Many today are confused about the new practices that go beyond the biochemistry model. These practices include modalities such as: Acupuncture, the stimulation of subtle energy channels in the body; kinesiology (muscle testing) is used to reveal imbalances through demonstrating a weakening or strengthening of muscle groups. Iridology is a science that demonstrates that organs and functions are reflected in specific parts of the iris. An experienced iridologist can perform a full, detailed health examination solely through an eye examination. Flower essences are used to bring about emotional changes using the “essence” of a plant, with little relation to its chemical make-up. The list goes on, but the obvious conclusion is that we are far more than sum of our parts. There is interconnectedness within us. We have an energetic side that needs to be addressed.
Meridians are foundational to any bio-energetic system, but what are they? Meridians, also termed channels or pathways, are described as carriers of bio-energy. A meridian can be considered as an invisible energy and communication highway through the body. They have no physical form, but are purely energetic channels with no detectable material component. These channels link together various parts of the body and supply nourishment, regulatory information and life-giving force to the body organs. In the sixties, Prof Kim Bong Han was able to trace the acupuncture meridians with radioactive isotopes proving the reality of their existence.
You can think of meridians as a railroad network. The train tracks are like the meridians, fixed pathways that guide the flow of energy while the train represents the energy. Without the pathways the trains (energy) would not know where to go. The passengers and cargo represent nourishment. Without the people and cargo, the train network has little real function. The stations are the acupuncture points. If a station becomes blocked the trains cannot flow, this will create a major disruption.
Where this system becomes very exciting is when we understand that there are twelve principal meridians and each is related to one of the twelve major organs of the body. The Chinese divide the twelve meridians into Yin and Yang pairs, which allow you to address a condition in a strong way or a more elegant way depending which meridian pathway you choose. The Meridian organ pairs are: Lung and Large Intestine, Heart and Small Intestine, Kidney and Bladder, Liver and Gall Bladder, Heart Protector (Pericardium) and Triple Burner (Triple Warmer), Spleen and Stomach.
Therefore, by approaching health from both the biochemical and the energetic points of view we are able to achieve longer lasting results. Using whole food nutrition to provide the biochemical components and meridian therapy for the energetic balancing improve your whole system.