Transforming Grief
Ann Bruinsma Ann Bruinsma

Transforming Grief

We are in the season of the Metal element, which is often represented in the emotional body as a feeling of sadness, sorrow, and grief.  In this article, we consider energetic ways to empower our metal elements.

What is Grief? 

Grief is that empty feeling inside; a void.  It feels lonely and disconnected.  

We grieve when we lose someone dear to our hearts.  

We grieve when we lose a hope, dream, or goal for ourselves.   

We grieve when we lose a part of our identity.

In grief, we feel the weight of eternity, knowing that we can never get back what we lost.  Nothing will ever be the same again.  What is the point in trying?

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The Many Faces of Indecisiveness
Ann Bruinsma Ann Bruinsma

The Many Faces of Indecisiveness

In Chinese medicine, we associate the ability to make decisions with the Gallbladder, part of the Wood element.

The gallbladder is a brilliant organ. It stores bile produced by the liver, and manages the ideal amount of bile distribution for digesting each type of food. It must plan ahead to have the bile ready when needed. The gallbladder must be decisive about how much to allocate. It must have the ability to foresee future needs, create a solution for those needs, and help the body move forward with digestion.

Recently a young woman came in with crippling indecisiveness. Simple choices, like which coffee to order at Starbuck's, derailed her and never found resolution.

As we talked about her experience of indecision, we both realized how nuanced this can be. Everyone experiences indecision in their own way.

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