A Monthly Newsletter from Old Mountain Health Center. February 2010

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1 A Monthly Newsletter from Old Mountain Health Center February 2010 **Special Limited Time Offer** When two or more people sign up for classes together get a $25 discount on each person's first months tuition* Offer Expires 02/28/2010 Group and Family rates also available *Not counting registration fee Updates From Old Mountain: Free Info Night: What is Chinese Medicine? 03/06/2010 at 6 pm!! There will be an interactive discussion of what Chinese medicine encompasses and what it can treat with lots of question and answer time. There will be demonstration treatments offered as well. One lucky participant will receive a FREE One Hour Chinese Massage. Winter Weather Leaves us Undaunted T-Shirt available soon. Old Mountain Health Center's class T- Shirts should be available soon. Old Mountain Health Center in the News!! Check out the Mountaineer online for a couple of recent articles by OMHC's own Nathaniel Novgrod. The article on the Chinese New Year will be reproduced here. Dit Da Jiao Available Now Iron Hit Wine great for bruises, sprains, other trauma and even sunburn. Start your new year with a roar! We have had an unprecedented amount of snow this winter and it isn't over yet. Old Mountain Health Center wants everyone to stay safe out there. Your health is important but not worth risking a serious crash or getting stuck in arctic temperatures. If winter weather strikes stay home, or if you are already in it precede slowly to a safe place to wait it out.

2 Chinese New Year and the Year of the Tiger By Nathaniel Novgrod LAc. [As featured in the Mountaineer] February 14 th, 2010 is the day on which the new year begins according to the Chinese lunar calendar. This is the beginning of the spring also and is known as the Spring Festival, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. While this seems strange to those of us still dealing with single digit temperatures at night, it is when the spring energy first starts to bubble forth. What in the west is the beginning of the spring season is indeed the height of spring for the Chinese. New Year's Day itself is a day to be happy, smile, and try not to argue or criticize others. It is traditional to clean one's house to wash away any ill-fortune and to make way for the new year and new luck. One should reconcile and forget past grudges and sincerely wish happiness for all. Customarily, the Chinese visit friends and families dressed in new clothes to symbolize the new year. They use the color red liberally because the new year tradition started as a fight against the mythical beast called Nien which if they were lucky, would eat their prepared food instead of children and livestock. It was discovered that the Nien was afraid of the color red so they wear it and hang red lanterns around their house to protect them. Firecrackers also scared the Nien so they began to use them to celebrate the new year. The Chinese New Year celebration lasts for 15 days with specific tasks and events each day. The most notable event is on the first day when they perform the Lion Dance to welcome in the new year and to scare off any evil spirits from their place. Also on the eve of the new year they have a reunion dinner at the most senior relative house, where the whole family travels from near and far to greet the new year together. Beginning on February 14 th, 2010 is the year of the metal tiger. The tiger in the Chinese zodiac is a courageous sign, full of bravery and fierceness. The tiger is said to ward off the three evils of the home; thieves, fire, and evil spirits. Those born in a tiger year, which happens every twelve years because there are twelve animals in the zodiac, are said to have a good year full of luck and benefits. Those born under compatible signs are also said to prosper. The signs compatible with tiger are dog, dragon, and horse. The year of the tiger is said to be full of change and turmoil both on a personal level as well as globally. Drama and tension rule this year. Those tigers who can handle the swift changes in direction and be ever bold will ultimately find success. Though, tigers should be cautious not to overspend during this year. Individuals born under the other signs often suffer during the year of the tiger depending on how well they are willing to adapt to the changes at hand. People born in the year of the tiger are said to be very lucky as well as being brave. Tiger people are often social, charming, and dynamic as well as being intelligent. They tend to make natural leaders and to be very competitive. However, it is not all good because tigers often leap before they look. Tigers are often impatient and can be stubborn as well. The year of the tiger while tumultuous will bring good fortune for many and ultimately offers all of us a new beginning, a chance to start fresh, renew our luck, and forget past transgressions as we all move forward. Check out this interesting article about Proven-Scientific medicine!!! By Dr. Dossey, Deepak Chorpra & Dr. Roy It examines standard medical care and its efficacy to see how much of the supposed proven medicine is actually helping people and how much it is simply a myth that the doctor's suggestions are best. available at The Huffington Post by clicking the link below:

3 Spring into Wellness By Nathaniel Novgrod LAc. Spring starts with Chinese New Year's on February 14 th,2010. Spring is related to the Wood element and the color green. Flus are also common with the seasonal change. This is also due to a deficiency of protective energy due in part to the Liver not working properly. Another common issue is eye trouble. This includes the itchy and watery eyes of seasonal allergies but also any issue with sight, or the eye. The Liver and Wood element govern the eyes and so this time of year its important to take good care of them, so wear your sunglasses. Spring also brings a flare up of many skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and other rashes. This is due to the both the wind that is associated with the season as well as the emotions that belong to spring. With the beginning of spring the yang energy starts to bubble forth, coming out of the depths of winter, the most yin season, and heading towards summer, the most yang season. Chinese believe one should go to sleep earlier as well as waking earlier to go for a walk to begin absorbing the yang energy that is pushing up early in the morning. This makes sense as the days start to lengthen and sunrise happens earlier. Chinese medicine associates the Wood element with the Liver and Gallbladder. These organs are prone to excess during this season as the energy is strongest there. If there is already a build up as spring begins it will overflow and cause many issues. Hypertension and headaches are often worse in the spring as are allergies, which to the Chinese are a break down of the bodies natural defensive energy to protect the body from the allergens [natural forces]. This energy is purified from the food we eat through a complicated process and the final step occurs in the Liver. An excess in the Liver can lead to a lack of proper functioning, making allergies worse. Colds and It is best to begin treating such conditions before the season starts, ideally during the Winter so that one can be built up and prepared for the change of seasons. The Chinese traditionally relied on acupuncture and herbs to prevent and treat such illnesses but any form of medicine will benefit you if you want to actively stay healthy, not just avoid illness. In spring, the creative, Yang energy springs forth and is visible in the budding and flowering of plants, the reawakening of animals from hibernation, migrating birds returning, the increase in the flow of the rivers and streams as the snow and ice melts. The beginning of the new year starts with everything taking off, pushing their way out of the earth and the winter, to begin anew, refreshed and reborn. To begin, again. Spring signals the time for us to break our hibernation of the winter; to invigorate our bodies with more activity. Exercise is more important during this season because the Liver and Wood element control the sinews and tendons of the body. They need activity to ensure that they are properly nourished and healthy. This means its time to step up your exercise program if you already have one. If not, it is an excellent time to begin a new routine. It doesn't matter what exercise you do; find one that works for you and stick with it. Walking is excellent, yoga too. Aerobics, Swimming, Tai Chi, and even the Wii Fit will do wonders for you health, but only if you

4 do them often. It is not so much about a lot of activity, rather it is about a smaller amount done very regularly that will make one healthy and fit. Foods such as chicken, wheat and plums are said to be associated with the Wood element so they are good foods to consume during the spring time. Generally, seasonal foods that are fresh are better. Avoiding processed foods is always a good idea. Sour foods are said to benefit the Liver and be appropriate in moderation during the spring. Mental Emotionally Liver and Wood are correlated with anger, resentment, and frustration. It is important not to let these emotions overwhelm one during this season. The emotions all have a physiologic or normal function in the body. For anger it can be an inspiration to change, to start something new, to fix a longstanding problem, to make a fresh start. However, all of these emotions also have a pathologic function in the body and with anger and resentment we usually see this side. It is important to find a healthy outlet for all your emotions, especially anger, frustration and resentment. This is because the emotions if not properly vented and processed, will find an outlet from the body. This outlet is often a health condition such as skin or eye issues. High blood pressure and heart issues can also be caused by a bottling up of anger and frustration. Healthy outlets for these can vary widely from exercise to journaling. Find something that safely lets you express your anger. It might be going up to the top of a mountain and shouting. We rarely allow ourselves to shout. It is important not to project your emotions on someone else, so shout, just not at someone else. Another good form of expression is art, even doodling on a table napkin is a good way to process. Conversation is a great way to vent. It doesn't even have to be heated or angry to let you work through your emotions. Just the act of talking about it will help. It doesn't even need to be to a person. You can tell your dog about the person at work that really makes you angry, the rude person who stole your parking spot as you were waiting to pull into it, or the driver that cut you off; he won't mind and will surely listen. Spring is a wonderful season full of fresh beginnings. Make the most of it by staying healthy, eating well, and being active. Take care of yourself during the spring and you will be better able to enjoy not only this season but the whole year. Thanks for Checking out our Newsletter. If you have have any comments of suggestions feel free to me at nate@oldmtnmedicine.com Nathaniel Novgrod LAc. Old Mountain Health Center 292 N. Haywood St. Waynesville, NC (828)

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