The principles of
Chinese medicine are primarily based on the concept of two distinct forces –
Yin and Yang. I once heard this rather
beautifully described as the constant dance between the masculine and feminine
energies within each one of us. Yin is seen
as the feminine energy - dark, moist, cool, soft and receptive. Yang is seen as
the masculine energy - light, dry, hot, hard and active. To achieve harmony we need to find the place
where yin and yang meet:
“The Sage who is
Forthright but not hurting;
Sharp but not wounding,
Candid but not being crude;
Shining but not dazzling."
Lao Tzu
Within Greek
medicine, the emphasis on achieving equilibrium between opposite yet
complementary forces, is embodied in the concept of the Four Temperaments:
Personality
|
Most Likely to
say..
|
|
Choleric
|
Ambitious and
leader-like
|
“Lights, Camera, Action!”
|
Sanguine
|
Pleasure-seeking
and sociable
|
“Where’s the party?”
|
Phlegmatic
|
Relaxed and
quiet
|
“A place for everything, everything in its
place”
|
Melancholic
|
Introverted and
thoughtful
|
“Let me think it over”
|
Susan West-Kurtz (Awakening Beauty the Dr. Hauschka Way) stresses
that we all possess these four temperaments within us, yet tend to be more
comfortable with only one or two of them:
“The more we explore each temperament, the more we can
navigate in and out of each one, depending on the demands of the situation we
are facing. That is a kind of mastery
that each of us is striving for. The
more wedded we are to a single temperament, the more likely we are to suffer
the imbalances associated with that way of being”
It is perhaps
easier to see the imbalance in others more clearly than it is in yourself, but
here is my quick “You know you are
majorly imbalanced when…” guide:
Choleric
|
You could pick a
fight in an empty room.
|
Sanguine
|
Planet earth
would like you to return and sort your life out.
|
Phlegmatic
|
You consider
the purchase of a box of paperclips as a risky endeavour
|
Melancholic
|
You have
Morrissey* on repeat on your iPod and consider Eeyore quite a ‘cheerful’
literary character.
|
*I have included
this as a nod to an extremely melancholic phase in my life. Luckily my brother was on hand: he walked
into my room, removed the offending cassette, snapped it in half, chucked it in
the bin and replaced with “It’s a
marvellous night for a Moondance”. I
could argue that this incident was sparked by his choleric temperament and not
my melancholy at all, but it was exactly this fiery input of choleric passion
that I needed to reawaken my spirits.
Restoring balance is
something you can do very easily for yourself, or for others (especially when
they have become so far entrenched in a particular frame of mind it is hard for them to
help themselves). It can be as simple as a walk in the park --Cholerics, stop
running and just stroll!!
Personally, I love to use
Dr.Hauschka bath oils; in fact just setting aside some time each week for a
bath can do wonders to restore balance and rhythm in your life. Here are a few suggestions….
Choleric
|
Lavender
|
Reduces tension
and inflammation. Cools and relaxes the body.
|
Sanguine
|
Spruce
|
Helps keep your
feet on the ground, restoring our connection with earth.
|
Phlegmatic
|
Lemon
|
Cuts through
stagnation bringing new possibilities, like sunshine for the soul.
|
Melancholic
|
Rosemary
|
Lights the fire
within, rekindles our passion.
|
Sage
|
Provides clarity
of thought from heavy and dark emotions.
|
The Bath Care Kits
are an amazing introduction to these fantastic oils. As I
have mentioned before, I sometimes cross out the word “Bad” (German for bath)
and correct it to “Good” : )
The larger size,
150ml bottles, last an absolute age, are brilliant within cleansing water and
make wonderful presents …Dear Phlegmatic,
I saw this and thought of you…hmmmm..perhaps not quite so direct ; )
Exciting News!!!
The lovely team at Dr.Hauschka UK are giving away
one of these bath care kits. To enter, simply post a comment on their Facebook page
stating with which temperament you most associate yourself, you will then be
entered in a draw - winner to be announced on Facebook 31st May 2012. Remember to share the
love and invite friends to the page to enter x
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