By Sunny Cooper, M.S., M.Ed., Diplomate in Asian Bodywork Therapy (NCCAOM)
Almost everyone has taken a self-evaluation health questionnaire. They are quite common these days in women's magazines, general health magazines, wellness profiles, even the Sunday supplement. You take the quiz and then add up your score to see if you are healthy, at risk, or even in real danger. Usually there are about ten questions, and if you answer that you don't smoke, don't drink over "X" alcoholic drinks per week, exercise a couple times a week, watch your cholesterol, fat and salt intake, practice a relaxation technique, and don't have casual sex with strangers, then you get a very high score and are deemed very healthy.
Have you ever gotten the feeling that something was missing in these health quizzes? Maybe you know someone who scored very high (maybe even you) but they are miserably depressed, have some dangerous medical condition, or their life is a mess? On the other hand, there are people who flagrantly abuse these criteria, and yet they are productive, happy, have rich wonderful relationships, and seem to have less stress than many. These common health evaluations, and most of the features of wellness and stress management programs in our hospitals, clinics, and fitness centers focus on behavioral aspects of life. In other words, they look at what we are "doing." Little if any emphasis is given to how we are "being" as a way of assessing our health status.
The holistic medical traditions of the East (Ayurvedic, Tibetan, and Traditional Chinese Medicine) have, for thousands of years, placed much greater importance on the "being" part of life. After all, the "doings" are just a means to an end, which is often characterized as self-mastery, enlightenment, or spiritual awakening. In this article (part 1) and the next (part 2), I would like to offer you a different set of criteria for assessing your health.
These are the "Seven Signs of Health in Traditional Chinese Medicine," and have been invaluable to me and many others in staying on track and identifying imbalances long before they become actual sickness or pathology. They are weighted with different point values, with a total of 100 possible points. Use it along with the standard western evaluations, for your health-related habits and behaviors ARE important, and you can create a much deeper understanding of your stress and health challenges in both "doing" AND "being."
1. Physical and mental stamina and resiliance; ability to follow through and complete tasks and projects; NO FATIGUE. (Max. 5 points).
In health, a person has as much energy as they need to do their life's work, to bounce back from disappointments, setbacks, and failures; and to set goals and implement measures to achieve them. To be tired and ready for rest at the end of a full and productive day is normal and expected, but many people in our society suffer from continuous fatigue in varying degrees. For some it is mental fatigue and for others it is physical. Fatigue is the FIRST SIGN of an imbalance in Chinese Medicine because it indicates a depletion of the Chi, or vital energy of the person.
This often comes from overwork (mental or physical), chronic worry or anxiety, inappropriate nutrition (physical or emotional), or not attending to our needs; the things we westerners call "Stress."
2. Good appetite for food, life, personal growth, change study, and learning (max. 5 points).
This item relates to the enthusiasm and enjoyment of "taking in" life, where the first one relates more to our ability to "give out". Taken together, they represent a dynamic balance (Yin/Yang) of our interaction with other people, our environment, our work, and the process of moving along through life. There are many people who are "stuck" at one spot in their personal growth, and fear, anger, grief, worry, or numbness prevent them from taking in life to the fullest.
3. Good sleep; can fall asleep quickly and wake up refreshed, relaxed, and centered; dreams relate to future events and problem-solving. (max. 5 points)
Amount and quality of sleep are very important indicators of the balance between Yin and Yang. Too much sleep, or not enough sleep are both signs of disharmony.
Dreams about the past reflect an imbalance that was manifest at that time. Sad, wierd, or scary dreams indicate an illness condition. Dreams in which good ideas or insights or information come are seen as excellent signs (..."an Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream"...sound familiar?). In western medicine also, dreams and sleep quality are seen as important indicators of health.
4. Good Memory (max. 10 points).
In Asian philosophy, all phenomena can be classified and subdivided into their Yin and Yang aspects.
The Chinese recognize two types of memory; "relative memory" relates to digital data, and indicates a Yang condition. There are many people who can remember phone numbers, stock codes, names, prices, and so on; these are things we think of as "left brain" functions in western science.
"Image memory" relates to visuals, feelings, melodies, and so on, and indicates a more Yin condition. There are people who will say "I never forget a face, but the names escape me," or can match colors from memory, or remember a melody after one listening. These would correspond to "right brain" functions. Good memory of both types is a good indicator of healthy balance.
In Part 2 we will look at the last three of the Seven Signs of Health in Traditional Chinese Medicine. They each have higher point values, and so are the strongest indicators of healthy being. Save this article with your scores, and add them to your scores in part 2, so you can give yourself the best total assessment!
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