11 Holiday Stress Busters the Natural Way

photo credit: Lindsey

The Huffington Post recently posted a wonderful article on how to survive the holidays with 10 tips from acupuncturists from around the world.  Sara Calabro, the writer of the article and fellow acupuncturist, did a great job of not only listing the 10 tips but describing the philosophy of Chinese Medicine that goes behind those tips.  Very educational.

To this list, I would add an 11th tip: take a bath every night.  Do you remember as a child taking your bath every night?  Playing with your rubber ducky or with bubbles in your bubble bath?  How fun and relaxing it was?  For some reason, Americans in general stop taking baths after childhood, but in Japan, taking a bath is a nightly ritual for people of all ages.  I grew up taking baths in Japan, especially during the winter.  Boy, do I recall a relaxing and soothing sensation sitting in the bath tub - such iyashi.  It is obviously not only very warming deep into the core of the body, but also a wonderful way to kick start your metabolism because of the heat.  It's also very detoxifying because of the sweating that is induced from the hot water.  Ladies, your skin will be glowing after the bath!  For people who suffer from having cold hands and feet, or always feel cold, a warm bath every night is an excellent prescription to combatting that.  Women with menstrual irregularities, cramping, and PMS will also benefit from taking nightly baths as the warming effects will help to unblock stagnation in the body and warm the "cold in the uterus" which afflicts many woman.  Being very relaxing, you will also go to bed toasty warm and have a very nice and deep sleep.

If you sweat a lot during the bath, make sure to drink plenty of water, and take breaks if you feel yourself getting a little too hot - that is, depending on how hot you make the water.  I like mine quite hot, but a warm bath will do just fine too.

Ahhh, now just visualize sitting in a nice tub of warm water, soaking your achey body and tired mind, and feel all the stress just melt away.....

Iyashi Vacation

My husband and I recently came back from a 10-day trip to Northeastern Spain. What a beautiful country. So vibrant, rich with history, and a gastronomic tour de force.

One thing that really struck me about the Spaniards and their culture - and this is often noted by Europeans and Americans alike - was that the Spaniards (and the rest of Europe) have a real passion for the joie de vivre. It was very palpable. From the 2 hour lunches and 3 hour dinners, to meals enjoyed in large groups of friends and family, to the resistance to forego siesta time in order to join the rest of the modern world. I observed people sitting out in the cafes, drinking their coffees and thick chocolate drinks, engrossed in deep conversation with one another, not having a care that time was ticking away. And this wasn't relegated just to the young. Senior citizens, both men and women, donning their polished suits, would join their fellow friends to enjoy one another's company in local cafes and bars. Kids would also accompany their parents and grandparents, but they never made scenes. They were happily interacting with their parents and adult friends. When do you see these examples in the United States? Rarely.

At first, I have to be honest, I was annoyed that so many places were shut down during siesta time. How am I supposed to enjoy my trip if so much is closed down, I thought frustratedly. But as the days passed and I started to shed the American stressed mentality, I actually began to enjoy the quiet time that came about when many things shut down. My husband and I would ourselves go to cafes to have a break, snack, and people watch, or go back to our hotel room to just rest.

And that's when it occurred to me. Americans work practically 24-7, especially now that so much can be done on the computer and from home. We just work work work , sacrificing quality of life. And yet our economy is at its worst since the Great Depression. All that working for what? The Spanish economy is in the pits, too, but at least they aren't working themselves to the bones like us Americans. Instead, they are still enjoying life. They see the big picture. It's about Family. Friends. Relaxing. Eating. Drinking. Laughing. Being part of a community.

I left Spain iyashi'd and very importantly, committed anew to living a Wellness life. Watching so many Spaniards bike around for their daily errands, I'm now bicycling to my teaching job or to the market. That way I get my exercise in and get my errands done in one swoop. I'm also incorporating public transportation as part of my commute. I'm now also more conscientious about enjoying what I eat even when I'm alone, chewing everything slowly - and not multitasking while I eat. Spain really left an impression on me. That's what I love about travels - both local and abroad - because it brings new life into your crotchety old mind. It changes you.

What is iyashi?

IYASHI ("ee-yuh-she")

Iyashi 癒し(noun) or iyasu 癒す (verb) in Japanese means:

To heal, as in "to heal a cut."

There is also another kanji character in Japanese used to mean "heal" and this character is 医.　Why two characters to mean the same thing? What's the difference you ask?

The two characters actually express very different meanings of "to heal." The character 医　is used specifically in the context of healing in the medical, physiological sense. It is also used for the word "medicine." The character 癒, on the other hand, is a refined diction that means "to heal," but also "to alleviate" (as in "to alleviate boredom") "to quench" (as in "to quench a thirst"), and "to satisfy" (as in "to satisfy a yearning for").

It also has a connotation of "comfort," "soothing," and "solace," implying that healing occurs beyond just the physical realm- but in the mental and spiritual realm as well. So the word iyashi has the implied meaning of:

Receiving healing or becoming healed in the connection between Mind-Body-Spirit, while being in an environment of soothing comfort

Quite different from just "to heal a cut," ain't it?

So for the Japanese, one of the concepts of good health is to seek iyashi. Japanese seek iyashi by listening to soothing music, going to a hot springs surrounded by mountains or an ocean view, eating easy-to-digest comfort foods (usually stews, soups and porridges that tend to be organic and/or vegan in nature), sipping a relaxing cup of tea in a beautiful garden or calming cafe, getting massages and beauty work, visiting friends and family, partaking in community activity, staying at ryokans (like a B&B) in scenic rural areas of Japan where the pace of life is considerably slower than urban cities, picking up a new hobby (or revisiting an old one), and so forth, all in the name of replenishing one's soul and mind with serenity, clarity and joy.

It is a concept that acknowledges when one becomes tired and over-stressed, then a place of solace is required - either physically, in one's mind, or with others - to regain a sense of centeredness, stamina, and wellbeing.

Americans, on the other hand, primarily consider diet and exercise for maintaining good health. While important, a cultural notion or social vocabulary for seeking solace - in taking a step back, or really honoring the Mind-Body-Spirit connection for the sake of maintaining good health - tends to be lacking.

In these times of much stress and duress, is it perhaps time for you to seek iyashi?