<ul><li>Along with Qi (energy), Blood, and Essence (like genetics), our Spirit or Shen is considered a vital substance in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as it completes the fabric of our physiological makeup and human life.</li><li>Fundamentally, Spirit is the unique animation humans possess which allows a person to: express their authenticity, dedicate themselves to a hobby or vocation, feel connected to mundane everyday wonders, and to be the conscious co-creator of their destiny.</li><li>It is that intangible yet empirical inner spark that activates our imagination, ambition, intention, and awe.</li></ul>

What's in a Spirit? 

<ul><li>Together with our psyche and body, Spirit is what orients us within our reality and experience of the world around us. </li><li>Its health and vibrancy is essential for developing relationships as well as the virtues unique to the human condition (compassion, accountability, wisdom, morality, courage, etc.) </li><li>Put simply, Spirit determines how we show up in the world, connect with others, and navigate all the experiences that life has to offer.</li></ul>

Spirit is what orient us within our reality

<ul><li>A unique feature of Acupuncture and TCM is how discussions of health integrate how one’s physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual health mirror one another. </li><li>Just like how each of the body’s organ systems has its own Acupuncture meridian (the Lung channel, The Large Intestine channel, for example) there are associations between the organs and specific emotions, as well as the organs and the spirit. </li><li>These connections reveal how, in TCM, energy is considered on a spectrum from the material to the ethereal. </li></ul>

Connection between Organs and Specific Emotions

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">On the Material end you have the most tangible and visible of substances: the body, blood, fluids etc would land here. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Towards the middle of the spectrum is energy whose presence is apparent in how the body functions even if it cannot be measured or fully grasped, aka Qi. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">A person’s Qi can be sensed in their pulse or heartbeat and heard in the voice. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Can you think of a time that you walked into a room full of people and could tell whether the energy was tense or cheerful? That’s Qi - which also makes itself known through emotional states. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">On the far end of this spectrum, you get Spirit. </li></ul>

Material End, Middle Qi

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The Spirit is the most ethereal expression of energy and an extension of an organ’s Qi-aspect. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It can be seen in something as simple as whether someone’s eyes sparkle or light up when they talk to you about something they’re passionate about, versus if they have a dull gaze, and perhaps appear depressed.</li></ul>

The Spirit 

If you have thought of your spirit or soul as being stored in your heart, that’s actually not far off!In TCM, there are five types of “spirit-minds” that branch-off from someone’s central Spirit. Each is stored within one of the 5 Yin organs: <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The Heart beholds The Shen </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Lungs contain The Po</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Liver commands The Hun </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Spleen grounds The Yi</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Kidneys are keepers of The Zhi</li></ul>

The 5 Facets

<ul><li>Each embodies your capacity to show up in the world as the best version of yourself. </li><li>You can think of them like five facets to your personality: they each have unique roles and characteristics that assert themselves when content or disturbed. </li><li>Assessing the state of one's Spirit is always included in our observation & diagnostic process since the spirit is vital to one’s overall well-being. </li></ul>

Five Facets To Your Personality

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Usually when we see spirit disharmonies they are paired with physical symptoms. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Sometimes they aren’t, but patients will share behaviors - deep seated emotions - and mental tendencies they know are holding them back from the things they want in life—or the way they want to feel. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">This is because when one spirit is affected it can impact the others, leading you to feel “off,” “stuck,” “lost,” or not yourself anymore. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Sometimes it can even feel as if you are not in your body. </li></ul>

Disharmony In Spirit Causes Disharmony In Physique

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The Shen is the spirit of “The Mind” and represents our consciousness. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It is the basis for our humanity and source from which all other spirits emerge from. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Shen is in charge of our identity and capacity for self-awareness, but also, how we view and interact with others: how we orient ourselves in the world around us. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Shen is essential for integrating our psychic and emotional life since it governs perception, insight, ideas, the ability to extend beyond the Self (form relationships), determine our values, morality, and wisdom.  </li></ul>

THE SHEN ~ THE MIND

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The Mind is what bridges our intuition and inspiration: it allows one to recognize their truth and callings so they can show up in the world as their most authentic self. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">In the body, the Shen is ruled by the Heart which, in Chinese Medicine, is the “the origin of mental life,” and therefore the “monarch” of all other organs: the only one capable of recognizing, assessing, and truly feeling the spectrum of one’s emotional experiences.</li></ul>

The Shen Is ruled by the Heart 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Although different emotions (anger, joy, sadness, fear, guilt, etc) will affect the body’s organs in unique ways, those organs do not “feel” the emotion and, instead, reflect the impact of that emotion as perceived by the Heart in the form of physical symptoms. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">In that sense, the Shen is referred to as the Heart-Mind, giving the old adage the heart has a mind of its own, a ring of truth.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Given the Shen’s role in processing interactions with others & external stimuli, all senses (eyesight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) depend on it for meaning just like how the brain is, in Western Medicine.</li></ul>

The Shen is the Heart-Mind

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">For this reason, the Shen is said to be the “most visible” of all the spirits, evident in how one carries themselves both in public and in conversation: the sparkle (or dullness) in one’s eyes, the capacity to maintain eye contact, as well as the use of clear/logical speech (since the Heart is the root of the tongue in TCM). </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It is the Shen that calculates appropriate behavior in order to “click” with others and foster mutual understanding: a Heart (Shen) to Heart (Shen) .</li></ul>

The Shen Is The Most Visible In All Spirits

When the Shen is vibrant, there is:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">clear thinking & consciousness, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">sharp insight, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">good intellect,</li><li class="ql-align-justify">self-awareness, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">a strong sense-of self, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">sound sleep (since the Shen retreats back into the Heart to be housed at night), </li><li class="ql-align-justify">a balanced emotional reality, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">good judgement expressed through wise action, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">flowing ideas,</li><li class="ql-align-justify">inspiration, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">alertness in the eyes, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">eye contact during conversation, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">clear speech + confident self-expression, </li><li class="ql-align-justify">compassion, and </li><li class="ql-align-justify">empathy. </li></ul>

Vibrant Shen (Heart - Organ

When the Shen is disturbed and the Heart is affected, a person will have:<ul><li>cloudy consciousness, </li><li>poor insight, </li><li>inappropriate/erratic behavior or speech tendencies, </li><li>socially awkward interactions, </li><li>low self-esteem, </li><li>difficulty expressing one’s self, </li><li>hypervigilance and paranoia, </li><li>poor self-awareness, </li><li>a hard time relating to others (including little-to-no eye contact in conversation), </li><li>little capacity for compassion/empathy, </li><li>irrational thoughts and phobias, </li><li>an imbalanced emotional reality (fixated on one emotion), </li><li>panic, </li><li>disturbed sleep etc. </li></ul>

Disturbed Shen (Heart - Organ) 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The Po is the spirit-mind stored by the Lungs. It integrates with us at our first breath, and disintegrates at the end of life when breathing ceases. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">When you think of the Po , consider your moment-to-moment experiences - your instincts, impulses, and knee-jerk reactions. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">When balanced, the Po supports our ability to stay connected to the present moment through our breath. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">When strong, it is associated with assertiveness and fairness.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">We would expect someone with a well balanced Po to speak with a clear strong voice, to breathe well, and to act with the virtue of justice. </li></ul>

THE PO ~ THE CORPOREAL OR ANIMAL SOUL

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When the Po is supported and reintegrated with the present moment, we see the ability to process grief in a healthy way. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Impulsive reactivity is exchanged for responsiveness and trustworthy instincts. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">We see the shroud of sadness and heaviness lift, giving way to the ability to appreciate the beauty and fullness of the present moment, to experience awe and wonderment, and to grasp a flash of inspiration. </li></ul>

When The Po (Lung Is Supported 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When there is weakness of the Po, we might see lingering or unresolved grief, lifeless voice, lethargy, depression, or constant feelings of loss or incompleteness.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">In this case, a person might be stuck in a moment that is far in the past, keeping them from being present or moving forward.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">We might also notice the presence of chronic respiratory issues like frequent colds, long standing cough, or asthma associated with this aura of sorrow.</li></ul>

When There Is Weaknesses Of The Po (Lung 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The Yi is the spirit-mind stored by the Spleen. It has to do with thought, intellect, and comprehension, intention and creativity. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Spleen organ in TCM is a major organ of digestion, separating and transforming useful nutrients from waste products. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">On a physical level, a weak Spleen can result in poor digestion of food. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">On a spirit level, a weak Spleen, and a weak Yi as a result, can cause poor digestion of thoughts - there may be trouble effectively deliberating, and instead one may overthink or ruminate on worries, lack clear intention, feel “foggy brained,” or bored and unmotivated.</li></ul>

THE YI ~ THOUGHT

There is a saying, “the Yi guides the Li which guides the Qi” - meaning your intention guides the ritual which guides your energy. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Have you ever noticed the difference between having a vague desire to achieve a broad goal such as “get in shape one day” or “learn a new language” doesn’t tend to pan out unless you set up a structure (or ritual) for yourself?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">My mother gave me the sage advice that “a dream without tangible goals is just a wish.” </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Having a strong and clear intention (Yi) helps us to create smart, structured plans and goals, which takes our energy there (aka manifests that reality!).</li></ul>

The Yi (Spleen Guides The Li Which Guides The Qi

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">A strong Yi also promotes the virtues of faithfulness and loyalty. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">If the Yi is suffering, these virtues can become skewed to the point of “‘stifling’ loyalty, exaggerated sympathy, and even self-destructive generosity”. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Supporting the spleen and its spirit-mind the Yi, can help you to cultivate clear intention, insight, creativity, motivation, and appropriate faithfulness (to your goals and to other people). </li></ul>

Strong Yi (Spleen) Promotes Faithfulness & Loyalty

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Of all the spirits in Chinese Medicine, the Hun or Ethereal Soul broadly shares the most similarities with the Western concept of the soul: it is tethered at birth, has a will of its own, yet at death it survives the body, preserving its physical appearance to wander the earth, the spirit realm, or return to the source of all life. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">This wandering quality is essential to understanding the Hun’s purpose and nature.</li></ul>

THE HUN ~ THE ETHEREAL SOUL

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">To start, the Hun is its own level of consciousness whose vitality depends on its ability to connect and disengage with the Mind—to “come and go” as it pleases. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Whereas the Mind is more rational and in charge of processing / integrating information perceived from the external world, the Ethereal Soul is in charge of bringing one’s inner world and dreams into awareness and fruition. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It alerts the Shen to our intuition, ideas, life goals, creativity, and artistic inspiration so they can be pursued rather than merely reflected on. </li></ul>

Hun's Vitality Depends On Its Ability 2 Connect & Disengage Min

Inherently Yang in nature, the Ethereal Soul provides the psyche with movement in several ways:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">out-of-body during sleep and dreaming</li><li class="ql-align-justify">beyond one’s everyday life/circumstances through the pursuit of life goals</li><li class="ql-align-justify">through the planning of projects and paths needed to accomplish them</li><li class="ql-align-justify">beyond the self towards others in fostering/maintaining relationships </li></ul>

Hun / Ethereal Soul Is Yang In Nature

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Knowing the Hun requires movement to engage and detach from the Mind, it is no coincidence that it resides in the Liver: the organ responsible for ensuring smooth circulation throughout the body. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Physically, the free flow of Liver Qi and Blood is the medium by which the Ethereal Soul “comes and goes.” </li><li class="ql-align-justify">In TCM, the Liver acts as the chief delegator to the monarch (The Heart). </li><li class="ql-align-justify">In that sense, the healthy personality of the Liver—and balanced animation of the Ethereal Soul—can be seen in those who excel at self-leadership, management, structure, and routine. </li></ul>

Hun Resides In The Liver

When the Liver is healthy, the Liver Blood is abundant, and circulation of Liver Qi is smooth, the Hun is content—it can come and go freely: there will be a healthy flow of ideas and creativity for the Mind to receive and integrate. A person will be connected to their intuition, able to envision a goal, and feel like they have a direction for their life. They can plan the steps necessary to actualize their dreams. In essence, a rooted Hun provides the courage to pursue one’s potential and regulate emotional ups/downs. With a balanced Hun, roadblocks can be faced with flexibility and frustrations met with resolve.

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When the Liver is healthy, the Liver Blood is abundant, circulation of Liver Qi is smooth, the Hun is content : there will be a healthy flow of ideas and creativity for the Mind to receive and integrate. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">A person will be connected to their intuition, able to envision a goal, and feel like they have a direction for their life. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">They can plan the steps necessary to actualize their dreams. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">In essence, a rooted Hun provides the courage to pursue one’s potential and regulate emotional ups/downs.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">With a balanced Hun, roadblocks can be faced with flexibility and frustrations met with resolve.</li></ul>

Signs of a Healthy Liver

When the Hun’s movement becomes stifled due to a weakened Liver (such as Liver Qi stagnation or a Liver Blood/Yin deficiency) the Mind will lack stimulation, making a person apathetic and depressed. They will feel a lack of direction or purpose. They can lose touch with their emotions or internalize to the point of endlessly stewing causing resentment. Because of the Liver’s connection to the eyes and physic “sight,” there can be a lack of vision for life-dreams, dream-disturbed sleep, and a disconnection from one’s intuition. This can cause discouragement and a lack of desire to move beyond one’s “stuckness” and circumstances in life. If the Mind is overly-controlling or not receptive to the Ethereal Soul’s input/desires, they might be fully aware of what changes they need to make to pursue their potential, but unable to “get the ball rolling” in the direction they seek.  If the Liver is overburdened due to an excess pathogen (usually Liver-Heat Rising or Liver-Fire) the Hun will travel excessively and inundate the Mind. For example, someone can be full of ideas and inspiration, but because the Hun is so flighty, a person will not be able to bring them to fruition. With this kind of Hun-disturbance, there will be agitation, anger, rage, an inability to regulate one’s emotional overwhelm, and manic tendencies. Overall, a disembodied Hun is implicated in involuntary dissociation (such as in PTSD), conscious escapism (excessive daydreaming, procrastination, substance use, etc.) and nightmares.

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When the Hun’s movement becomes stifled due to a weakened Liver (such as Liver Qi stagnation or a Liver Blood/Yin deficiency) the Mind will lack stimulation, making a person apathetic and depressed. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">They will feel a lack of direction or purpose. They can lose touch with their emotions or internalize to the point of endlessly stewing causing resentment. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Because of the Liver’s connection to the eyes and physic “sight,” there can be a lack of vision for life-dreams, dream-disturbed sleep, and a disconnection from one’s intuition. </li></ul>

Signs of a Weakened 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">This can cause discouragement and a lack of desire to move beyond one’s “stuckness” and circumstances in life. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">If the Mind is overly-controlling or not receptive to the Ethereal Soul’s input/desires, they might be fully aware of what changes they need to make to pursue their potential, but unable to “get the ball rolling” in the direction they seek. </li></ul>

Signs of a Weakened Liver Part 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">If the Liver is overburdened due to an excess pathogen (usually Liver-Heat Rising or Liver-Fire) the Hun will travel excessively and inundate the Mind.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">For example, someone can be full of ideas and inspiration, but because the Hun is so flighty, a person will not be able to bring them to fruition.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">With this kind of Hun-disturbance, there will be agitation, anger, rage, inability to regulate one’s emotional overwhelm, manic tendencies.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Overall, a disembodied Hun is implicated in involuntary dissociation (PTSD), conscious escapism (excessive daydreaming, substance use, etc.) and nightmares.</li></ul>

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The Zhi is our willpower. This spirit-mind is stored in the Kidneys, which, in TCM, are associated with our deepest “essence,” our inherited traits, our reproductive potential, and our deepest stores of energy. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Kidneys are said to house the “life gate fire” which is yang in nature, yet they are also associated with the water element which is yin. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">This duality is mirrored in how there is a yin and yang aspect to the Zhi. </li></ul>

THE ZHI ~ THE WILL

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The emotion of the Kidneys is fear, while the virtue of their spirit-mind is wisdom. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">When you look back on your life - do you recall experiences where fear of the unknown transformed into experience-based wisdom? </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It’s something that develops over a lifetime. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Yin Will is related to our destiny or fate - our relationship with and journey into the unknown of the future - it involves trust and faith. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Yang Will is more immediate than that - it has to do with the conscious efforts and fundamental decisions that allow your will for certain desires and outcomes to come to fruition.</li></ul>

The Emotion and Virtues of the Kidney

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">An imbalance between the Zhi may look like restlessness, a desire to run away from your life, a vague or existential fear; patients might share a desire for things to be different than where they are regarding their life cycle, like a fear of aging, for example.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When the Kidney Qi is weakened, there can be a lack of willpower and drive which is an important aspect of chronic depression. </li></ul>

Signs of a Weakened Kidn

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">On the other hand, the Zhi can also become destructive, resulting in recklessness and excessive risk-taking.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">These symptoms can coincide with premature aging (looking older than you are), low back/knee pain, bladder issues, burnout, chronic exhaustion, recurrent or lingering illness, ear ringing, thyroid imbalances, memory loss, edema.</li></ul>

Signs of a Weakened Kidney Part 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Have u ever wanted something, set out on the path to complete it, and after enough time, conviction in your ability to achieve it, and consistent effort, u have it?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">You can think of the Will like The Wizard of Oz, it works tirelessly behind the curtain—the scenes of your conscious awareness—until you reach your destination.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Once you arrive, it comes out to greet and congratulate you on the journey as if to say: “Well, look who it is...you did it! I knew you could make it here. Welcome to (your “dream” aka manifested reality), you are right on time." </li></ul>

Signs of a Strong Kidney 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">In that sense, the Yang Will gives you the perseverance to set out on the journey whereas the Yin Zhi is that part of you that becomes apparent once the goal is reached. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">A healthy Zhi invites us to faithfully wade into the unknown, take the reins of destiny, and realize you’ve had the power to be the co-creator of your life all along. It’s like that saying, choose your hard. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Healing and embarking on the journey to change your life is hard. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Yet, staying in the same place and living with regret is hard too. The Zhi asks: What will it be…will you stay or will you go?</li></ul>

Signs of a Strong Kidney Part 2

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Oftentimes people think of seeking out Acupuncture for a physical ailment or, just as commonly, to support their mental health in cases of anxiety, depression, and trauma-recovery.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">However treating the spirit can be just as helpful to encourage someone’s healing.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">In many cases, it’s actually the key.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Cultivating clear and intact spirit-minds helps us to adopt and express the virtues of wisdom, justice, loyalty/faithfulness and human kindness.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">They allow us to have authority over our thoughts, actions, life path.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">They guide us to hone our individuality, foster connections that make life meaningful.</li></ul>

YOUR SPIRITS AWAIT…

Oftentimes people think of seeking out Acupuncture for a physical ailment or, just as commonly, to support their mental health in cases of anxiety, depression, and trauma-recovery. However treating the spirit can be just as helpful to encourage someone’s healing. In many cases, it’s actually the key.As you just read, cultivating clear and intact spirit-minds helps us to adopt and express the virtues of wisdom, justice, loyalty/faithfulness, propriety, and human kindness, rather than be consumed by fear, anger, reactivity/impulsiveness, complacency/boredom, or disconnectedness. They allow us to <warningtag>have authority over our thoughts, actions, and life path. Together, they guide us to hone our individuality but also foster connections that make life meaningful.</warningtag><warningtag>While offering acupuncture, we are intentionally selecting points that, yes, mobilize your body’s natural healing process—but also points that nourish these spirits to tether them to their associated organ systems so </warningtag><warningtag>you </warningtag><warningtag> </warningtag><warningtag>feel more grounded, clear, safe, and fully integrated in your body. That is how Acupuncture, as a blend of physical and energy medicine, clears the blockages while creating the space for you to fully inhabit and express most vibrant and authentic self. If that is something you seek for yourself, we would be grateful to support you.</warningtag>

Very interesting to understanding the connection of our internal organs (physical) with the spirit within us (energy). Wholesome and holistic overall look of our health. 

The Spirit in TCM is made up of five “spirit-minds” that are stored in each 
of the five Yin organs. You can think of them like facets to your 
personality: they each have unique roles and characteristics that assert 
themselves when content or afflicted. Discover how the Five Spirits 
influence your health and ability to pursue your potential.

Health

The 5 Spirits: Supporting The Soul in Chinese Medicine | Empower Chiropractic & Acupuncture

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Be <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness">mindful </a>when you are projecting your feelings onto a partner—like being critical of them when, in reality, it’s your own self-critic that beats you up and is now beating on them. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Seeing the person with new eyes can help one to be a better listener and to appreciate that everything about that person is special.</li></ul>

1. Try to keep seeing the person with new eyes

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Intimacy has been described as “into-me-see”. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Intimacy means listening fully to someone’s heart and deepest feelings and sharing your heart and deepest feelings. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Intimacy means trying to listen and understand when someone is hurt, and working through conflict with each other in ways that honor and respect the relationship. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Intimacy means hanging in there and building mutual trust, safety, and heart-to-heart resonance. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Intimacy means having self-awareness and decreased defensiveness. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Intimacy does not seek to harm, punish, blame, attack, condemn, or criticize. It is therapeutic.</li></ul>

2. Being in love means practicing intimacy

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Working together to give to and uplift others is an important form of being in love. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Many couples have children and grandchildren and tend to see the fruits of their love as something larger than themselves. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Being in love means a loss of selfishness, pride, and ego. It seeks to make the world a little better and brighter for others. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Being in love is humble and, temporally, exists in the right here, right now. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Being in love is a state of mind that can include a specific beloved or become a state of living you can adopt in every moment.</li></ul>

3. Being in love means keeping the adventure alive

3 Essentials for Staying in Love

Living artfully / artistically is living in the present moment. Artful / Artistic living as a lifestyle. Being present as a lifestyle. Normalising being present. 💜Normalising art. 💜

Living Artfully As A Lifestyle 

Resonance, when inner and outer world are in sync. 

Vision, Gratitude, Faith

Living Artfully 

"Align with what satisfies your soul and inner peace. We are enough." 💜 <ul><li> All we need to do is to align ourselves (thoughts, emotions, beings, actions) with what satisfies our soul and inner peace as we express who we are in totality. </li><li>Everything is within us, as we are enough as we are already. </li><li>There is no need to improve or change anything as that is coming from a place of not enough. </li><li>There is only acceptance of everything as it is (gratitude, appreciation, thankfulness). </li><li>Coming from that place, enhancement of what already is flows with ease and grace. 💜</li></ul>

We Are Enough 

An epiphany that serves as a meaningful reminder that gives me the feeling of satisfaction and relief. 

Self-Love 

We are enough. 

<ul><li>Our life path can be viewed as a labyrinth guiding us to deeper meaning and fulfillment. </li><li>Walking a labyrinth takes us through numerous twists and turns that symbolize the ebb and flow of life. </li><li>Like the design of a labyrinth, what looks like an end point in life can also be a beginning point. </li> </ul>

Our Life Path Can Be Viewed as a Labyrinth

<ul><li>The labyrinth is an analogy for life. </li><li>It is not a maze or a puzzle to be solved but a path of meaning to be experienced. </li><li>Its path is circular and convoluted, but it has no dead ends. </li><li>A labyrinth has one entrance — one way in and one way out. When we walk the path, we go around short curves and long curves; sometimes we are out on the edge, sometimes we circle around the center. We are never really lost, but we can never quite see where we are going. </li><li>Sometimes we share our path with others; and other times we don’t. </li><li>No matter what, we are still on the labyrinth path. </li></ul>

The Labyrinth As An Analogy To Life

"What man does not know,Or has not thought ofWanders in the nightThrough the labyrinth of the mind ."

Life is more meaningful when we, ourselves give meaning to it. 🙏🧚‍♀️💕

When we explore our lives as labyrinths of meaning, we deepen our experience.

Spirituality & Philosophy

Life and the Labyrinth of Meaning

People with a high level of personal mastery live in a continual learning mode. They never “arrive.”

"Personal Mastery is the process of living and working purposefully towards a vision, in alignment with one’s values and in a state of constant learning about oneself and the reality in which one exists." <ul><li>Personal Mastery and Self-leadership can be considered synonymous.</li><li>They both require self-awareness, self-management and self-learning.</li><li>There are some distinctions, but they might be academic. Here is the definition of Self-leadership:</li></ul>“The Practice of intentionally influencing your thinking, feeling and actions towards your objectives” - <a href="https://www.selfleadership.com/">Bryant & Kazan 2012</a>

Personal Mastery Definition

"To thine own self be true". How can we be true to ourselves if we don’t know who we are, what our values are, and what our vision is?<ul><li>In this current age of Social Media and AI, if we are to attain personal mastery, we must decide who we are before an algorithm decides for us.</li></ul>The task to know thyself, so that you can live an authentic life, is not for the feint hearted. <ul><li>It requires the realization that we are operating from mental models about ourselves and reality and that what we think of as ‘our truth’ might be just one version.</li></ul>

The Importance of Personal Mastery

Like Neo waking up from the Matrix (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix">The Matrix 1999 </a>), we can be confused and disoriented and require a guide or coach like Morpheus to orient us. <ul><li>This is a paradox; self-leadership or personal mastery rarely happens in solitude, it is usually a hero’s journey (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell">Joseph Campbell </a>) with various guides, traveling companions and the occasional monster to slay. </li><li>Your road to personal mastery will, therefore, be a journey of authenticity and fulfilled life instead of a life of blissful ignorance or quiet desperation.</li></ul>

Personal Mastery Is a Hero's Journey 

In this current disruptive age, organizational learning has become the only sustainable advantage. "Organizations learn only through individuals who learn. Individual learning does not guarantee organizational learning. But without it no organizational learning occurs."

Personal Mastery and Organizational Learning

“Begin with the end in mind” <ul><li>Those who are developing their personal mastery invest time and energy in developing their vision. </li><li>By having a clear vision, they are more resilient to being ‘knocked off course’ by the disruptions of life.</li><li>Vision is a specific destination, an image of a desired future that is supported by a purpose. </li><li>Our ability to persevere and to embrace the constraints and challenges presented by our current reality on our path towards achieving our vision is what characterizes mastery of the creative tension between where we are and where we want to be. </li></ul>

1. Vision

Covey used the metaphor of the compass to describe how values guide us towards our vision. <a href="https://www2.thtconsulting.com/about/people/fons-trompenaars/">Dr. Fons Trompenaars </a>explains that:“The value of a value is its ability to resolve an ambiguity” <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When we know our values and the values of the organization we lead or work for, we are better equipped to make decisions when the outcome is uncertain.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Personal mastery requires living a life in alignment with your values, no matter how challenging it can be. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The values that we live in are the compass towards our vision. </li></ul>

2. Values

The self-awareness of one’s mental models, and the realization of the context, culture and relationships we are in, requires developing perspective.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">With perspective we can step back from our own mindset, and question what something means in terms of our vision and values. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">In life we are often the player chasing the ball in our field, unaware or not caring about the wider frame or context. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Using a football game as an example, if we support a team because our father did, and our father’s father and we rarely question what watching football means to us – this is NOT personal mastery.</li></ul>

3. Perspective

Developing the discipline to look at situations from multiple perspectives is a hallmark of personal mastery. Here are a few Self-leadership coaching<a href="https://www.selfleadership.com/blog/self-coaching-questions"> </a>questions<a href="https://www.selfleadership.com/blog/self-coaching-questions"> </a>for you:<ol><li>Have you reflected on what you love and are passionate about?</li><li>Do you know why you are ‘kicking the ball’ in your life?</li><li>Are you playing the right game or is it time to do what you really want to do?</li><li>If you are playing your game, are you playing it to the best of your abilities?</li><li>Are you respectful of others who choose to play their game a different way?</li></ol>

Developing a Discipline To look at Multiple Perspectives 

"If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."

These ideas are very important to me as I resonate with them and it is empowering to read about them as they relate to the life that I am sculpting and living. 💕🙏

Personal Mastery is the process of living & working purposefully towards a vision, in alignment with one’s values & in a state of constant of learning about oneself & the reality in which one exists.

Mastery

Personal Mastery - Definition and Importance to Learning

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">You’re a bio-psycho-social-spiritual entity, within your societal and cultural matrix. Every one of those facets of your being impacts every other. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">A simple example: We know that the microbiomes in your gut directly influence your mind and emotions, your longevity potential, and the health of your physical infrastructure. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The same can be said for each other “part” of your being: “Mental” health is better understood as “whole-being” health.</li></ol>

 “Mental” Health is Better Understood as “Whole-Being” Health

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">A study published in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-74886-001">Psychological Review </a>found that an important but overlooked dimension of well-being is seeking out new life experiences, especially ones that may emerge unexpectedly - those marked by novelty or complexity, and that may require a change of perspective.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It might be learning something new; participating in an activity beyond your zone of familiarity; or perhaps traveling somewhere you’ve never been.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">One implication of this research: When you consciously seek out and open yourself to new experiences, you stimulate growth and expansion of multiple facets of your being. </li></ul>

1. Seek New and Diverse Experiences

Overall, the new experiences contribute to the feeling, “This is why life is worth living."<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">These findings highlight a link with feeling grateful for just being alive. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Gratitude in this sense is deeper than feeling grateful for all you’ve achieved or acquired in your external, material life. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Rather, it’s inner life awareness of your continuous connection with life in all its forms; an awakening of being part of a continuous whole, from the beginning of time. </li></ul>

That Feeling, "This Is Why Life Is Worth Living"

Embracing new experiences and gratitude for your existence, at this moment, lifts you from conflicts or disappointments you might be experiencing. That expanded perspective is part of whole-being health.

Whole-Being Health

Research highlights turning fear<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/fear"> </a>into positive energy for growth. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">A study published in the journal <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-69183-001">Emotion </a>reveals the overlooked positive impact of experiencing uncertainty in your daily life. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Tolerating, and even embracing, the unpredictable nature of life stimulates greater appreciation for simply being alive; for enjoying what is, in this moment of time.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Savoring the “small things” in life pulls you out of immersion in daily ups and downs. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">That understanding adds to a healthy, whole-person recognition of life and helps you appreciate this moment that you occupy, in your brief lifetime.</li></ul>

2. Embrace the Anxiety of Uncertainty…and Life’s Impermanence

Another overlooked way to grow the “health” part of mental health sounds simple, but research finds it has particular benefit for your essential cognitive and mental capacities as you age: engaging in small talk with people, and listening to them in return. <ul><li>It might be an encounter with a grocery-store clerk, or passing the time for a few moments with a neighbor. </li><li><a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2021/09/deep-conversations-strangers">This study of over 1,800 participants found </a>that connecting with others in meaningful ways tends to make people happier, and that connecting with others in deep and meaningful ways increased well-being.</li></ul>

3. Talking and Listening to Others

Similarly, an NYU study published in JAMA Network Open found that engaging with people on whom you can count to simply listen to you when you need to talk and connect with others is associated with greater cognitive resilience as you age; it’s a buffer to the effects of brain aging and disease.

Engaging With People Is A Buffer To Aging

New findings from Georgetown University reveal that age does not automatically lead to declining mental abilities. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Contrary to prevailing thinking, this large-scale research found that those capacities—especially the ability to focus and orient yourself to whatever you’re engaging with - actually improve with age, as you use them. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">These findings add to evidence of the interconnectedness of all dimensions of your being, as your healthy cognitive capacities stimulate the other facets of your self.</li></ul>

Ability To Focus And Orient Yourself Improve With Age

All of these findings underscore the overall mental health implications of engaging fully with life - appreciating it within this brief moment of time we occupy—and staying <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness">mindful </a>of how transitory and impermanent everything is.

Summary - All The Above Lead To Life Appreciation & Mindfulness

Beautifully articulate. Truly love the phrase 'whole-being' health. Love the practice / way of life of it too.

Mindfulness 

3 Overlooked Ways to Boost Mental Health

Einstein understood the value of developing an informal avocation. “Mainly play the things on the piano which please you,” he tells his son, “even if the teacher does not assign those.”Doing what you love, the way you like to do it, he goes on, “is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes."

Do What You Love, The Way You Like To Do It

Csikszentmihalyi’s insights into human flourishing mirror Einstein’s: he calls such creative immersion “flow,” or the state of “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake.”"The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost." - Csikszentmihalyi

Creative Immersion, Flow ~ Human Flourishing

Contrary to our usual conceptions of using one’s “skills to the utmost,” Csikszentmihalyi tells us that the reward for entering such a state is not the material benefits it generates, but the positive emotions. These, as Einstein theorized, not only motivate us to become better, but they also provide a source of meaning no amount of financial gain above a minimum level can offer.

The Reward Of Positive Emotions Give Sense Of Meaning 

“The lack of basic material resources contributes to unhappiness,” Csikszentmihalyi’s data demonstrates, “but the increase in material resources does not increase happiness.” While none of us can be Einstein, Csikszentmihalyi tells us we can all benefit from Einstein’s advice, by doing whatever we do to the best of our abilities and without any motive other than sheer pleasure.

Do What We Love To The Best Of Our Abilities For Sheer Pleasure

Flow is indeed a lovely state to be in. Sharing this here as a reminder to self and to everyone else too.

As one particularly astute observer of human emotions might put it, it is a truth universally acknowledged that we can’t all be Albert Einstein. In fact, none of us can. Open Culture, openculture.com

Happiness 

Albert Einstein Tells His Son The Key to Learning & Happiness is Losing Yourself in Creativity (or “Finding Flow”)

There's a common perception that entrepreneurs and small business owners are overworked and stressed out. Both of those things can be true on occasion. At the same time, <ul><li>94% of small business owners say they are happy with their lives, and </li><li>81% attribute this happiness to their entrepreneurship.</li></ul>The reason for this may be that entrepreneurship stokes a type of happiness called "eudaimonic happiness".

Entrepreneur Are Busy But Happy :)

There are two popular conceptions of happiness in psychology, hedonic and eudaimonic. <ul><li>You experience hedonic happiness through pleasure and enjoyment, like when scarfing down your favorite dessert, watching your beloved sports team win a big game, or hitting a jackpot in the casino. </li><li>On the other hand, eudaimonic happiness is derived from activities that provide meaning or purpose, like volunteering for a cause you care about, raising children, or striving to make your business a success.</li></ul>

2 Concepts Of Happiness

<ol><li>Both eudaimonic and hedonic happiness contribute to overall life satisfaction, but eudaimonic seems to provide a far more sustained effect. </li><li>That's because hedonic forms of happiness tend to provide only fleeting bursts of wellbeing, and the more hedonic activities you engage in, the more their positive effect on mood becomes muted. </li><li>Eudaimonic pursuits (such as nurturing a hobby, starting an exercise program, or learning a language) are of goal-driven activities, which realize personal talents and potential, evoke happiness that tends to stick around, raising overall wellbeing.</li></ol>

Eudaimonic Pursuits Give Sustained Feeling Of Well-Being

Both eudaimonic and hedonic happiness contribute to overall life satisfaction, but eudaimonic seems to provide a far more sustained effect. That's because hedonic forms of happiness tend to provide only fleeting bursts of wellbeing, and the more hedonic activities you engage in, the more their positive effect on mood becomes muted. Eudaimonic pursuits (such as nurturing a hobby, starting an exercise program, or learning a language) are of goal-driven activities, which realize personal talents and potential, evoke happiness that tends to stick around, raising overall wellbeing.

<ol><li>Again, all this isn't to say that hedonic happiness is worthless. </li><li>For a quick, mood-boosting pick-me-up, partying with friends or playing hours of mindless video games is fantastic. </li><li>On the other hand, basing one's wellbeing purely around hedonic happiness requires repeated, and often more stimulating, triggers. </li><li>This is one aspect of what researchers term the "hedonic treadmill," the observed tendency of humans to return to a fairly stable level of happiness despite experiencing positive or negative events.</li></ol>

Hedonic Happiness Requires Repetition & More Stimulating Trigger

<ol><li>Interestingly, cues of hedonic and eudaimonic happiness seem to stimulate different parts of the brain.</li><li>In a 2019 study, researchers found that subjects in an fMRI brain scanner cued with hedonic events "showed enhanced activity in frontal medial/middle regions and anterior cingulate cortex." </li><li>On the other hand eudaimonic events prompted "increased activity in the right precentral gyrus."</li><li>"Hedonic and eudaimonic happiness activate similar neural correlates. However, both kinds of happiness are also associated with distinctive brain areas serving distinctive functions," the researchers wrote.</li></ol>

Different Parts Of The Brain Are Affected

<ol><li>Another fascinating physiological difference between eudaimonic and hedonic happiness may arise in the immune system. </li><li>In a 2013 study published to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, subjects who characterized their lives as having “a sense of direction and meaning” had lower expression of genes tied to inflammation and higher expression of antibody and antiviral genes compared to subjects who described their happiness as more founded in hedonic pursuits.</li></ol>

Having A Meaningful Pursuit Is Good For The Immune System

These are important to me as I resonate so much with eudaimonic concept of happiness. :)

There's a common perception that entrepreneurs and small business owners are overworked and stressed out. Both of those things can be true on occasion. At the same time, 94% of small business owners s

Is Eudaimonic Happiness the Best Kind of Happiness?

Strong connection with a long-term partner requires syncing up on many different (and deeper) levels, not just chit-chatting about the minutia of your day-to-day.To that end, here are 10 powerful questions to ask your <a href="http://www.yourtango.com/2013191628/ways-support-your-spouse-through-mental-illness?utm_source=self&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=syndication">spouse </a> or partner often to help deepen your connection and love for each other.

What makes communication meaningful? 

Not, "what" are you doing, but "HOW" are you doing? <ul><li>Take time to ask this question and look your partner directly in the eyes while asking. </li><li>If you think there's something going on that they need to talk about, touch them on the arm or shoulder as you ask the question, or touch them softly on the face and tell them, "I really want to know how you're doing."</li></ul>

1. "How are you doing today?"

You see that your spouse is busy, hurried, or experiencing some frustration with getting everything done. <ul><li>Ask this question and be ready to take action on any request they have for help. </li><li>If you live with someone who tends to do it all on their own, touch them, look them in the eyes and say, "I really want to help you with this, what can I do?"</li></ul>

2. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

<h2>When you know your partner is trying to make an important decision, ask them this question. Another way to ask it is, "What do you really want?" </h2><ul><li>To understand your spouse's thoughts and needs, it's necessary to know their heart-felt answer to this question. </li><li>Asking it invites them to think through and talk about what they value most.</li></ul>

3. "What's important to you?" 

This is a question you ask during free time, when planning a date, going out to eat, or when discussing deeper goals and direction in life. <ul><li>Another way to ask this is: "If you could do anything you wanted, what would that be?" </li><li>You know your spouse's major goals and dreams, so work with them to see how to make their wants, desires, and aspirations possible.</li></ul>

4. "What would you like to do?" 

This question is especially important to ask when you know your spouse is going through a difficult or frustrating time. <ul><li>Perhaps it's a challenge your spouse is facing alone, or it could be a life obstacle you're facing together. </li><li>Find out what your spouse needs to feel nurtured and supported at this time, and then do that for them as much as you can.</li></ul>

5. "How can I encourage you?"

You should ask and seriously discuss this question every few months. <ul><li>Think about several areas when you talk about this question, including career, family, finances, friendships, your marriage, self-development (skills, hobbies or education), and mental and spiritual growth.</li></ul>

6. "What goals would you like to set for us, and for yourself?"

This is an important question that every couple should discuss at least annually. <ul><li>Review how things have been going between you two over the past few months and determine any mid-course corrections you need to make so that your relationship stays healthy and fulfilling.</li></ul>

7. "Are you happy with where our relationship is going?" 

<h2>This not a question that you often think to ask, but it's important to know their answer. </h2><ul><li>Know what concerns are nagging at your partner and be open to having a conversation about those worries (even if you don't feel concerned about the same things). </li><li>Whether it's about a project at work, a conversation with a family member, or the state of global affairs, know what scares them so you can help ease their fears.</li></ul>

8. "What is your biggest fear?" 

Life is not always fun. We spend much time doing our job, either at work or at home, that it's important to reward yourself for all your hard work and effort. <ul><li>Get involved in the things that bring happiness to each of you. </li><li>Activities that bring the greatest happiness can change depending on your stage in life, so don't be surprised when something new moves to the top of the list.</li></ul>

9. "What makes you feel the happiest?" 

This question can involve short-term and long-term goals, objectives, and desires. <ul><li>Take the time to know what those are for your partner and give their goals the attention they deserve. </li><li>Your efforts to make their ideal life a reality will help motivate them to prioritize your goals, objectives and desires, as well. (Be a giver to each other) </li></ul>

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Dymphna Lanjuran
@dymphna

The 5 Spirits: Supporting The Soul in Chinese Medicine | Empower Chiropractic & Acupuncture

3 Essentials for Staying in Love

Living Artfully

We are enough.

Life and the Labyrinth of Meaning

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

Dymphna Lanjuran@dymphna

The 5 Spirits: Supporting The Soul in Chinese Medicine | Empower Chiropractic & Acupuncture

3 Essentials for Staying in Love

Living Artfully

We are enough.

Life and the Labyrinth of Meaning

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Dymphna Lanjuran
@dymphna