By David Martín, Acupuncture Physician, Doctor of Oriental Medicine
In Eastern Medicine Traditions such as Chinese Medicine (including acupuncture and herbs), daytime is considered a YANG energy time, filled with Action and Doing. We are designed to react to the morning light. As it enters the eye, it awakens the brain and body for the day’s activities.
Nighttime is considered a YIN energy time, a deep, slow, dark, quiet and restorative time. During this time the body and brain collect and assemble the resources to be used for the next day’s Yang activities.
WHAT’S YIN & YANG? (pronounce Yh-in & Yaah-ng)
Yin and Yang can be compared to duality principles of Western Culture such as hot and cold, light and dark, high and low. But the way I like to describe Yin and Yang is with Energy.
Yin Energy is like a lake full of water. It’s sitting there, and it has a lot of potential energy. Yang Energy is when the lake water flows out and turns a turbine which can be used to create potential energy (a Yin state because it’s energy which is waiting to be used). In this case it is now Yin Energy in the form of potential electrical energy. It converts to Yang energy when you turn on a light switch or a washing machine.
Yang Energy is like kinetic energy….something that is moving, and its energy level depends on its mass and velocity. Yin and Yang: It’s all energy, whether it is potential/stored energy or active energy creating heat, light or motion. In the example, you need to store energy in a lake (Yin) so that it is available to turn the turbine (Yang)…and eventually you turn on the switch and the magic of electricity happens.
YOUR PERSONAL YIN & YANG
Yin Energy is like a lake full of water. It’s sitting there, and it has a lot of potential energy. Yang Energy is when the lake water flows out and turns a turbine which can be used to create potential energy (a Yin state because it’s energy which is waiting to be used). In this case it is now Yin Energy in the form of potential electrical energy. It converts to Yang energy when you turn on a light switch or a washing machine.
Yang Energy is like kinetic energy….something that is moving, and its energy level depends on its mass and velocity. Yin and Yang: It’s all energy, whether it is potential/stored energy or active energy creating heat, light or motion. In the example, you need to store energy in a lake (Yin) so that it is available to turn the turbine (Yang)…and eventually you turn on the switch and the magic of electricity happens.
SLEEP REPLENISHES THE YIN
During the day we are very Yang. We are active, thinking, planning, moving, and doing. By end of day the Yin energy resources are used up; we need quality sleep time to replace the Yin. During uninterrupted, quality sleep time the body is most effective and efficient in the collection of and preparations to release toxins and waste acquired during the day. Some of these toxins and wastes include pesticides encountered, gases or particles such as mercury or dust inhaled from the air, toxins in foods you eat (rancid or over-processed oils such as canola), negative emotions, etc.
Also, your body makes its own toxins. As a part of living, our cells collect things, cellular waste, lactic acids, excess cortisol and even damaged, rogue cells. Your body knows how to collect and deal with these internal toxins and the mechanism of sleep is essential to this process. For example, your biggest bowel movements are primarily formed during the night.
Meanwhile, in the brain, night time allows important neural networks to be formed as the day’s activities and experiences are integrated and stored….preparing us to begin the new day. This is both a Yin and a Yang function. The Yin is the initial storing of the information from the day’s activities. Yang is recalling it. Yin stores it in long-term memory. In fact, in every Yin activity, there is some Yang. In every Yang activity there is some Yin. Take a look at the Yin & Yang symbol. See the small opposite colored dots inside the bigger dots? These represent this principle.
Ultimately, Yin and Yang as principles of understanding gives us a way to talk about the world in which we live. We can acknowledge biological, internal processes and discern their state of balance.
A short list of a few things Quality Sleep provides:
Clears wastes and toxins to restore and replenish the brain
Converts short term to long-term memory
Processes toxins out of the blood to pee or poop out.
Replenishes muscles
Creates and balances hormones
Sleep Brings a Calmness to the body, mind and spirit!
SWEET DREAMS
During my many years practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine, I have encountered people who don’t want to sleep because they are afraid they will miss something. What they don’t realize is that just the opposite is true. If they don’t sleep, they miss a huge part of life because they’ve missed their dreams—whether they remember them or not.
We don’t stop experiencing the world when we sleep. We continue to experience our internal world and even make sense of our outer world in new ways when we sleep. The old adage, “Sleep on it” is great advice! Things can look different to you in the morning. Even though the situation may be the same, you are able to see aspects differently. Your belief about it may change. You may solve a seemingly unsolvable issue, or perhaps may realize it’s not a problem at all!
GETTING THAT QUALITY SLEEP
As we age, it is common to have sleep issues. And, it really hits all ages these days with the volume of stressors and modern conveniences which extend our daytime activities late into the night hours. We forget we are part of Nature. We lose our rhythm.
Here are examples of tools we offer to help you get back into a good rhythm with your sleep:
Consult with a Clinician: Set up a free consultation with me or another clinician at Lotus Blossom Clinic to discuss your sleep issues. Acupuncture with Dr. David or breathing techniques with Kandy Love are a couple of the many ways to bring balance and calm to aid sleep. Kandy gives breathing classes (one is starting Saturday, Oct. 10th!) And, the calming aspect of acupuncture can bring sleep easily. Get acupuncture, drive home, have a cup of tea, fall asleep! Call us now at 239-277-1399 to schedule your free consultation or acupuncture visit.
Consider your nightly routine. How can you unplug from the day and the electronics? How to calm that busy mind? Here’s a NEW release of an old idea: Listen to a Meditation for Sleep!!!
OCTOBER 23rd is the release of Gulf Coast Meditations’ SLEEP CD!
Featuring our own Deb Martín with “Magic Carpet Ride”, Kandy Love with “Sleep Rhythm” and Kathryn Udell with “Floating into a Dream”, the Album “Sleep” will be sold online via all the usual sources (Amazon, Apple Music, Pandora, etc.). The physical CD will also be available soon.
CONCLUSION
My best advice: Get your quality sleep of 7-8 hours or even 9 hours per night to help provide the Yin energy that fuels your body, mind and spirit. This is a central concept of life balance in Chinese Medicine, a holistic, natural medicine. It is all about the balance of the Yin and Yang.
Sleep Well,
Dr. David & Deb Martin
…and all the Practitioners at Lotus Blossom Clinic
www.LotusBlossomClinic.com
239-277-1399
Serving the Greater Fort Myers area with Natural and Holistic Medicine, including Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Massage, Science-backed Food as Medicine, Energy & Transformational Sessions…and over 30 monthly Community Classes & Events!