True Nature Radio

The Large Intestine Archetype—Can You Relate?

We continue through the cycle of the Organ Networks, with an in-depth exploration of the Large Intestine Network.

In a previous episode, we provided a general introduction to the 12 Organ Networks of Chinese medicine, and a more detailed description of the Lung Organ Network. Each of the twelve represents a set of functions that can be observed throughout the natural world, including the human body.

As an example, the Lung function in nature is associated with the first month of spring, when the yang qi emerges and begins to manifest at the surface. Although the coldness of yin still dominates, the warmth of yang begins to melt the winter ice. The rivers and springs begin to flow, and plant and animal life begins to come out. In the human body, the health of the lung function can be seen in the health of the skin. The tiger is the representative animal of the lung function—one can readily see the vibrancy at the surface of this potent animal.

In this episode, we discuss phenomena and themes associated with the Large Intestine organ network:

• Month: Second month in the Chinese calendar; approx March 5th -April 4th (when the active forces of spring overcome the dormant forces of winter)
• Time of Day: 5-7 am; sunrise
• Animal: Rabbit
• Themes: “Achieving Dominance”
• “Breaking Through” (sudden eruptions)
• “Proliferation in Nature”
• Archetype: Worker, accountant, CEO, police officer, politician, lawyer, banker, dentist, cosmetic surgeon, body-builder
• Pathology: Examples include: constipation, cancer, eczema, mental illness, criminal behavior, rape, corruption
• Lifestyle choices: Dietary factors that promote healthy bowel movements (plenty of water and fiber), acting decisively but not at the expense of others, engaging in charity and actions that benefit others rather than self.

The Safety of Chinese Herbs: How to Counteract Contamination

The rapid modernization of China has resulted in high levels of pollution that can contaminate the food and herbal supplies.

Heiner and Laurie discuss why Chinese herbs still hold unique value in the world of medicine, and what safeguards are in place to ensure the quality of the herbs imported from the Asian mainland.

The Stomach and Spleen Organ Networks of Chinese Medicine

We continue through the cycle this week, with an exploration of the Stomach and Spleen Organ Networks.

Each of us embodies all of the 12 types of functions associated with the 12 organ networks—AND, most of us find that we identify pretty strongly with the characteristics of one or two types in particular.

Learn about the phenomena and themes associated with both networks.

Are we what we eat? An exploration of the Small Intestine organ system

Having explored the Heart organ system and its integral role in health and disease, we now discuss the Small Intestine—the organ system charged with carrying out the mission of the Heart.

The Small Intestine function is involved in making choices—what to eat, what to absorb of what we ate, what thoughts to entertain, what situations to engage in. When the Small Intestine function is healthy, we make choices that are true to our deeper nature, and therefore lead to real happiness and fulfillment.

Might saturated fats, eggs, butter, raw milk, and cholesterol actually be good for you?!?

Heiner and Laurie discuss the wisdom of traditional diets with “grassroots” expert Sally Fallon Morell. Sally began her journey into nutrition as an interested and observant mother. She quickly found that much of the modern view of nutrition has been highly influenced by business interests, rather than being informed by solid research and time-worn experience. Through open-minded exploration, she has become a proponent of ideas that may surprise (and delight) you!

Sally is the founding president of the non-profit Weston A. Price Foundation (westonaprice.com), the editor of its quarterly journal Wise Traditions, and the founder of A Campaign for Real Milk, which promotes access to clean, whole raw milk from pasture-fed cows. Among Sally’s publications are the popular nutrition/cookbooks Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, and Eat Fat, Lose Fat, both of which she co-authored with lipid biochemist Mary G. Enig, PhD.

The Yijing (I-Ching) and the Cycles of Nature

Since ancient times, humans have sought to understand the cycles of nature. In China, this knowledge was codified in the esoteric classic known as the Yijing—the Book of Changes.

Join us as we explore the Yijing as a vivid example of how our ancestors viewed humanity’s connection to the cosmos, and how they created an intricate map of symbols that relate our existence to the larger cycles of nature.

Building in Harmony with Nature

Heiner and Laurie interview ecological design expert Katy Langstaff about how we can design and build structures that not only support the environment, but directly benefit human health as well.

Katy is a former student of architect and theorist Christopher Alexander (A Pattern Language, The Timeless Way of Building, The Nature of Order), and works with her husband Stuart Cowan to provide ecological design, development, financial, and management services for innovative and sustainable building projects worldwide. Join us to hear how you we can build (whether a bed, house, or business) in a way that creates meaning and harmony in our lives.

WEBSITE: http://www.autopoiesis.life/

As Above, So Below

What do the stars and planets reveal about how humans can live in harmony with the rhythms of nature?

Heiner and Laurie interview Carol Ferris, a western astrologer who has spent more than forty years studying the relationship between planetary movements and human potential. Over the past decade, she has expanded her interests to the ancient Chinese understanding of the heavens, and is particularly fascinated by what the stellar constellations can reveal about human health.

Learn more about the work of Carol Ferris by visiting her website. carolferrisastrology.com

All Disease Comes From the Heart

This week, we discuss the ancient awareness that physical disease (dis-ease) arises when the natural flow of the Heart is restricted. This happens when we entertain false beliefs about ourselves or others, and let these prejudices dominate our inner wisdom. When our Heart is functioning freely, we experience ease and feel connected to the people and environment around us.

Seen from this perspective, disease isn’t an enemy to be eradicated, but rather a sign in the material world pointing to opportunities to relax, open and live our life in a more whole and authentic way.

A History of Chinese Medicine in the West

Contrary to common belief, Chinese medicine came to the west long before James Reston’s New York Times account of acupuncture following his trip to China with President Nixon in 1971.

In fact, accounts of Chinese medicine practice in the Americas go back to at least the 1600’s. Heiner and Laurie interview expert Linda Barnes, PhD, who not only elucidates how, when and where Chinese medicine came to the west, but also provides insights about intercultural exchange that occurred. The discussion includes a consideration of how western understandings of medicine and the body were informed by interactions with Chinese medicine practitioners.

Dr. Linda Barnes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine, and in the Division of Religion and Theological Studies at Boston University. She is also the Director of the Master of Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice programs at BUSM. Among her publications are the following: Chinese Medicine and Healing: an Illustrated History, Harvard University Press (in press), and Needles, Herbs, Gods, and Ghosts: China, Healing and the West to 1848, Harvard University Press, 2005. She is co-editor, with Susan Sered, of Religion and Healing in America, Oxford University Press, 2004.