青柳診所手記56

 今天看完了最後一個病人，我就徑直走進了花園。蘋果和梨都早已摘完了，連西紅柿也差不多連根拔掉了，唯一剩下的一株結着很小的果子，像葡萄一樣一個挨着一個。如果能夠把它們像葡萄一樣一串串擼下來就省事多了，關鍵是它們有的紅有的青有的白，我只能一顆顆把那些先成熟的摘下來。那些枸杞也是一樣，我也是一顆一顆摘的。如果這個不能讓我變得耐心一點還有什麼能？

用來澆灌的水管很長，澆着澆着水就斷了。不用說，又是管道在遠處打了結子了。我走過去解開這個結，水又嘩嘩流起來。

那些不大了解中醫的人總會問：為什麼要針灸？為什麼要拔罐？為什麼要刮痧？為什麼要撥筋？為什麼要吃中藥？為什麼要做冥想？它們對我的健康有什麼好處呢？

說白了，這些手法就如解開管道的結子。什麼是經絡？經絡就是你身體內的氣的通道。當它們在某個地方打了一個結，你的氣血就流不過來了，你的健康就受到損害。

提起結子，我想起一個曾經看過的英文幽默故事。

約翰是一位股票經紀人。有一段時間，他總是感到眼睛發脹，耳朵嗡嗡作響。他想，或許是因為壓力太大而造成的。繁忙的工作讓他沒有時間去顧及自己的健康狀況。有一天，他實在忍受不了這些症狀的折磨，就去看醫生。醫生給他做了全面的檢查，然後建議他切除他的扁桃體。手術很順利，可約翰的症狀卻並沒有得到任何改善。於是，他又換了一位醫生。這位醫生建議他拔掉智齒，他認為這樣才能解決他的困擾。但智齒拔完之後約翰還是覺得雙眼發脹，煩人的耳鳴也揮之不去。他又去諮詢了另外一位專家。經過全面的健康評估之後，這位專家神情凝重地對他說：“對不起，我很遺憾地告訴你，你得了一種罕見的病，最多只能活6個月的時間了。”約翰頓時感到前途一片黑暗，但他轉念一想，既然來日無多，那乾脆趁這剩下的6個月，把辛苦賺來的錢用掉，好好犒勞一下自己吧。於是，他買了一輛豪華汽車，還預訂了豪華郵輪，準備環遊世界一趟。在旅遊之前，他找到了全城最好的裁縫，請他為自己量身定製了幾套西裝。為了搭配得當，他決定襯衫也一起定做。“好吧，我來量一下你的尺寸。”裁縫一邊說一邊掏出皮尺量了起來。“哦，袖長35英寸，衣領15英寸。” “不對，”約翰趕緊申明，“我的襯衣領向來就是14英寸。” 裁縫又量了一次，然後肯定地告訴他： “可我量的就是15英寸，不信你自己瞧瞧這皮尺。” 約翰說：“這怎麼可能？我的衣領一直是14英寸，從來就沒變過啊。” “先生，”裁縫說，“你可別這麼固執啊！你要知道：14英寸的衣領對你來說實在太緊了，如果你總穿這個尺碼，你的眼睛會發脹的，嚴重的話甚至還會產生耳鳴。”

約翰的故事是不是挺搞笑？那個太緊的衣領就是影響他的健康的結子。

當然，這只是個幽默故事，但其中也包含着一些哲理。約翰抗拒衣領尺寸的改變，最終導致的結果就是讓他生病。習慣對健康可能有益，也可能無益，到了最後都會結果，就如園裡的西紅柿一樣。

真正的病灶往往來自於我們身體的內部。對於一些嚴重的或者慢性的疾病，針灸、拔罐、中藥為什麼有幫助呢？因為它給我們提供一個機會去解開身體深層的結子。

疾病是什麼？簡單說疾病就是阻礙你的自愈系統的一個繩結。一個醫師的工作，其實就是幫助患者做着檢測繩結的工作。有時候這個繩結結得太隱秘了，在外面都看不到繩頭。這時候誰能幫醫師的忙呢？只有你，那個曾經親手系那個繩結的人。

其實，約翰的故事也展現了生活的另一面：在經歷了毀滅性的打擊後，他開始全心全意關注自己的喜樂。而也正是因為這種關注，使得他有機會通過那個裁縫找到讓他生病的癥結所在。

有一種生活哲學叫做“lagom”，它是來自瑞典的一種平衡生活哲學。這個平衡生活的秘訣在於“不多不少，恰到好處”， 用中文來說就是“知足常樂”。它的大致意思是我們要學會在日常生活中找到和諧——無論是工作還是飲食還是家居還是人際關係，用心珍惜，專注當下，不貪多，不過度，剛剛就好。

“lagom”的理念在瑞典似乎頗得人心，尤其在目前全球經濟不太確定的時期，以至於瑞典人常將自己的國家稱為“lagom之國”。與其在工作或日常生活中追求過多，“lagom”更鼓勵你在適度中找到快樂。這是一種關注點的轉變——從外在的成就感轉向內在的滿足感。正如我們花園裡的植物一樣，它們需要適度的照料——不多不少，剛剛就好。正如我澆水的管子一樣，如果拉得太遠，任何輕微的彎曲或扭結，就成了一個需要解開的結了。

Whispering of Willows 56

By Dr. Anna Zhao

 After seeing my last patient today, I headed straight out into the garden. The apples and pears had already been picked, and the tomatoes were almost gone. The only remaining tomato vine was laden with tiny fruit, clustered like grapes. It would have been much easier if I could have picked them in bunches, like grapes. The problem was that some were red, some green, some white, and I could only pick the ones that ripened first. The same thing happened previously with the goji berries; I picked them one by one. If that doesn't make me become more patient, what will?

The water hose, long and winding, stopped flowing when I was watering the remaining plants. Needless to say, the pipe had gotten knotted somewhere on the far end. I went over to untie the knot, and the water came gushing out again.

Those who are not experienced with Traditional Chinese Medicine often ask: Why acupuncture? Why cupping? Why scraping? Why acupressure? Why Chinese medicine? Why meditation? What benefits do they bring to my wellbeing?

To put it metaphorically, these therapeutic tools are like untying a knot in a hose. A person’s body is irrigated by countless energy meridians. What are meridians after all? They are the channels of Qi (energy) in your body. With tied knots in your body, your normal flow of Qi and blood flow are interrupted, and hence your health suffers.

The thought of this reminds me of a humorous story I once read.

John, a stockbroker, had been experiencing persistent eye swelling and ringing in his ears. He thought it might be due to excessive stress. His busy schedule left him with no time to consider his health. One day, unable to bear these symptoms any longer, he went to see a doctor. The doctor performed a comprehensive examination and recommended tonsillectomy. The surgery was successful, but John's symptoms showed no improvement. John switched to another doctor, who recommended wisdom tooth removal, believing it would resolve his concerns. Even after the removal, John still experienced the swelling in his eyes and the nagging tinnitus. He consulted yet another specialist. After a comprehensive health assessment, the specialist said solemnly, "I'm sorry to inform you that you have a rare disease and you only have six months to live." John's future seemed bleak, but then he thought, since his time was limited, he might as well use the remaining six months to spend his hard-earned money. So he bought a luxury car as well as booking a luxury cruise, preparing to travel the world. Before his trip, he sought out the best tailor in the city and had several suits custom-made for him. To ensure the perfect match, he decided to order his shirts as well. "Okay, let me take your measurements," the tailor said, taking out a tape. "Oh, the sleeves are 35 inches, and the collar 15 inches." "No," John quickly explained. "My shirt collars are always 14 inches." The tailor took another measurement and assured him, "But my measurement says it is 15 inches. Look at this tape yourself." John said, "How can that be? My collar has always been 14 inches. It's never changed." "Sir," the tailor grumbled, "please be reasonable. You have to understand: a 14-inch collar is too tight for you. If you keep wearing this size, your eyes will swell, and in serious cases, you'll even get tinnitus."

Isn't it a funny story? That tight collar is the knot that affected his health.

Of course, this is just a funny story, but there are truths in it. Being resistant to change as John was with his collar size, can start the process of tying a knot. Habits can be either beneficial to health or not – but both will ripen at their own speed, much like the tomatoes in our yard.

The true cause of illness often lies within our bodies. For serious or chronic illnesses, acupuncture, cupping, and herbal medicine will help. These techniques also provide a window to permit looking deeper into our hearts to untie those deep-seated knots.

What is illness? Simply put, illness is a knot, like those in a hose, that blocks your self-healing system. A doctor's job is to help patients detect the knots and provide some relief. Sometimes the knot is so hidden that the knotted end is invisible from the outside. Who can help the doctor in such a situation? Only you, the one who once tied the knot yourself.

John’s story also illuminates another aspect of life, as he only took time to look after himself after a devastating diagnosis. And it was precisely because of this attention shift that he had the opportunity to discover the root cause of his problem through the help of the tailor.

There is a Swedish life philosophy called lagom, which emphasizes that the secret to happiness is to embrace moderation and contentment. While there’s no direct English translation, 'lagom' roughly means “just the right amount”.  It basically means we should learn to find harmony in our daily lives—whether it’s work, food, home, or relationships, by doing life mindfully, cherishing it with all our hearts, and avoiding excess.

Lagom’s concept is so ingrained that Swedes often refer to their country as “the land of 'lagom'”. Especially during these times of global economic uncertainty, rather than chasing extremes in work or daily life, 'lagom' invites you to find joy in balance and moderation.

It’s a shift in focus – from outward achievements to inner contentment. The plants in our garden, require the right amount of care—not too much, not too little, just the right amount. Humans too require this right amount for everything in life. Health is just like our watering hose, if stretched too far, any slight bend or kink becomes an untidy knot.