Whispering of Willows 56

By Dr. Anna Zhao

After seeing my last patient today, I headed straight out into the garden. The apples and pears had already been picked, and the tomatoes were almost gone. The only remaining tomato vine was laden with tiny fruit, clustered like grapes. It would have been much easier if I could have picked them in bunches, like grapes. The problem was that some were red, some green, some white, and I could only pick the ones that ripened first. The same thing happened previously with the goji berries; I picked them one by one. If that doesn't make me become more patient, what will?

The water hose, long and winding, stopped flowing when I was watering the remaining plants. Needless to say, the pipe had gotten knotted somewhere on the far end. I went over to untie the knot, and the water came gushing out again.

Those who are not experienced with Traditional Chinese Medicine often ask: Why acupuncture? Why cupping? Why scraping? Why acupressure? Why Chinese medicine? Why meditation? What benefits do they bring to my wellbeing?

To put it metaphorically, these therapeutic tools are like untying a knot in a hose. A person’s body is irrigated by countless energy meridians. What are meridians after all? They are the channels of Qi (energy) in your body. With tied knots in your body, your normal flow of Qi and blood flow are interrupted, and hence your health suffers.

The thought of this reminds me of a humorous story I once read.

John, a stockbroker, had been experiencing persistent eye swelling and ringing in his ears. He thought it might be due to excessive stress. His busy schedule left him with no time to consider his health. One day, unable to bear these symptoms any longer, he went to see a doctor. The doctor performed a comprehensive examination and recommended tonsillectomy. The surgery was successful, but John's symptoms showed no improvement. John switched to another doctor, who recommended wisdom tooth removal, believing it would resolve his concerns. Even after the removal, John still experienced the swelling in his eyes and the nagging tinnitus. He consulted yet another specialist. After a comprehensive health assessment, the specialist said solemnly, "I'm sorry to inform you that you have a rare disease and you only have six months to live." John's future seemed bleak, but then he thought, since his time was limited, he might as well use the remaining six months to spend his hard-earned money. So he bought a luxury car as well as booking a luxury cruise, preparing to travel the world. Before his trip, he sought out the best tailor in the city and had several suits custom-made for him. To ensure the perfect match, he decided to order his shirts as well. "Okay, let me take your measurements," the tailor said, taking out a tape. "Oh, the sleeves are 35 inches, and the collar 15 inches." "No," John quickly explained. "My shirt collars are always 14 inches." The tailor took another measurement and assured him, "But my measurement says it is 15 inches. Look at this tape yourself." John said, "How can that be? My collar has always been 14 inches. It's never changed." "Sir," the tailor grumbled, "please be reasonable. You have to understand: a 14-inch collar is too tight for you. If you keep wearing this size, your eyes will swell, and in serious cases, you'll even get tinnitus."

Isn't it a funny story? That tight collar is the knot that affected his health.

Of course, this is just a funny story, but there are truths in it. Being resistant to change as John was with his collar size, can start the process of tying a knot. Habits can be either beneficial to health or not – but both will ripen at their own speed, much like the tomatoes in our yard.

The true cause of illness often lies within our bodies. For serious or chronic illnesses, acupuncture, cupping, and herbal medicine will help. These techniques also provide a window to permit looking deeper into our hearts to untie those deep-seated knots.

What is illness? Simply put, illness is a knot, like those in a hose, that blocks your self-healing system. A doctor's job is to help patients detect the knots and provide some relief. Sometimes the knot is so hidden that the knotted end is invisible from the outside. Who can help the doctor in such a situation? Only you, the one who once tied the knot yourself.

John’s story also illuminates another aspect of life, as he only took time to look after himself after a devastating diagnosis. And it was precisely because of this attention shift that he had the opportunity to discover the root cause of his problem through the help of the tailor.

There is a Swedish life philosophy called lagom, which emphasizes that the secret to happiness is to embrace moderation and contentment. While there’s no direct English translation, 'lagom' roughly means “just the right amount”.  It basically means we should learn to find harmony in our daily lives—whether it’s work, food, home, or relationships, by doing life mindfully, cherishing it with all our hearts, and avoiding excess.

Lagom’s concept is so ingrained that Swedes often refer to their country as “the land of 'lagom'”. Especially during these times of global economic uncertainty, rather than chasing extremes in work or daily life, 'lagom' invites you to find joy in balance and moderation.

It’s a shift in focus – from outward achievements to inner contentment. The plants in our garden, require the right amount of care—not too much, not too little, just the right amount. Humans too require this right amount for everything in life. Health is just like our watering hose, if stretched too far, any slight bend or kink becomes an untidy knot.