The 6 Evils.
Hey everyone!
I can't believe we are in the holiday season and that the year is almost over.
What a wild one we've had...
I wanted to share some information with you.
Have you heard of the 6 evils in TCM? Likely not.
When I started my journey in TCM school...wait...what the heck is TCM?
Stands for Traditional Chinese Medicine and it is what I studied. :)
So, anyway, when I started my journey in TCM school, one of the first things we learned about was the 6 Evils in TCM. The 6 evils are exogenous factors that cause disease.
They are:
Wind
Cold
Damp
Heat
Summer Heat
Dryness
Because we are microcosms of this beautiful planet, the elements affect the way we feel and can cause disease with improper exposure.
Taking protective measures is important to protect ourselves from the 6 evils.
Wind can cause things like muscle stiffness, allergies, cold symptoms, rash, itch, muscle spasm or twitch, sweating, stroke and seizure and is most common in Spring. Prolonged exposure can cause something like Bells Palsy, if combined with cold and / or extreme stress!
Wind refers not only to the wind in the outdoors, but also artificial wind like AC and fans.
Protect yourself by avoiding direct wind and always covering your neck with a scarf.
Cold can cause stiffness, pain, watery stools, digestive discomfort, feelings of cold, depression, bloating, womb pain and is associated with winter time. This mainly affects the Yang, womb and digestion. For women, this can be a huge problem during our moon cycles and protective measures must be taken.
Ladies, always cover your bellies, especially when it's cold. Avoid crop tops, unless its the middle of summer. Always cover legs and feet when it's cold. Sleep with socks on.
Damp can cause digestive sluggishness, foggy head, foul smelling breath, body odor or stools, fungal infections, swelling and is most common in the Fall. Damp also is associated with joint pain and generalized body aches.
Avoid getting in bodies of water that are too cold for the climate, and always move your body to allow the dampness to move out of your body.
Heat can cause fevers, big thirst, headaches, angry outbursts, irritability, redness in the face, eyes and damages the Yin. It is most common in the summer.
Stay hydrated and avoid long exposure to the sun when it's very hot.
Summer Heat is like heat but bigger; so bigger thirst, ulcers, profuse sweating, restlessness, constipation and is also common in the Summer.
Dryness can cause dry skin, dry eyes, dry mouth, constipation, thirst, cough and usually damages the Lungs. This is common in the Fall.
Stay hydrated and moisturize. Eat more healthy fats and oils. Oil your body.
Generally, the 6 evils can all be causes of each other. In other words, Heat from the Summer can cause Dryness in the Fall and sometimes the evils exist within other seasons, particularly in areas where climate change is most felt.
As an example, in Los Angeles where we feel summer days in November, Heat and Dryness coexist along with Dryness and cold as we have very hot days sprinkled in with cold days. This confuses the body and creates disease.
Dryness is a big one as we are currently experience dry cold and dry heat, all within the same week.
Are you feeling dry nose, dry skin and thirst or frequency in urination these days? Its because these evils are lurking in your environment uncontrolled.
So, how can we manage this?
Here are a few tips:
1. Stay hydrated - aim for about 2-3 liters of room temp water per day and add in a pinch of pink Himalayan salt. Don't over do it, but do stay hydrated.
2. Maintain a comfortable climate in your home if possible - aim for about 75 in the day and about 70 at night and always sleep with a humidifier on at night (it will change your skin life!), resist the urge to turn on heaters or AC and instead dress according to temp if possible.
3. Eat seasonal produce - melons in the summer, squashes in the fall and winter, whatever you find in season at the farmers markets is usually a good barometer
4. Eat warm soups - whenever it isn't hot! This is the BEST for your digestion, especially for the ladies around moon time!
5. Move your body daily - even if its just walking for 15 minutes
Are you currently feeling any weird symptoms?
Send me an email and let me know or comment below!
Sending healthy vibes,
Dr. Zelina
P. S.
If you have disease and need individualized support, book a free call with me here. I’d love to help!