青柳診所手記36

我的父親生前是做天氣預報工作的，我則是在氣象台的觀測場邊瘋跑着長大的。那時做天氣預報，可沒有現在的衛星、電腦這些設備，大多數時候，就是通過從觀測場得到的一些基礎數據來推測可能的天氣狀況。

童年的記憶里，總有父親盯着天上的雲出神。

我們要去上學的時候，父親總是看看天，然後叮囑我們要不要帶傘。絕大多數時候他都是對的，當然也有誤判的時候。

記得有一個夏日的晚上，我們又像往常一樣躺在竹床上歇涼，父親在一旁用一把破舊的大蒲扇給我們趕蚊子。我向他抱怨：“爸呀，你昨天預報天晴，我們都沒有帶傘，結果放學回來的路上都被淋成落湯雞了。

父親就輕笑起來：啊，孩子，這種錯誤也是免不了的啊，因為我只是根據我的經驗來推測罷了，真正決定天氣的人可不是我啊。

“那是誰呢？” 我好奇地問。

他謹慎地看了看周圍，然後輕輕說出兩個字：上天。

有一天一個護士來找我看病，她在外省的一個癌症中心工作。我就問她幾種常見癌症的預後狀況。她想也不想就說：根據我的經驗，其實，無論是什麼癌症，他們的預後跟一種因素最有關係， 那就是性格和情緒。比如同是乳腺癌，那個病情特別嚴重的但是性格超級樂觀的，就硬是活下來了，最後甚至一點問題都沒有。而那個病情似乎很輕但情緒特別沮喪的人，竟然沒多久就去世了……

漸漸地我就明白了：如果把人的身體看成一個觀測對象的話，其實人也是一個小星體，他也有風雨也有晴。真正主導着着他的天氣的，不是別人，正是他自己。醫生、護士還有所有其它的醫療工作者，都只是一個天氣預報員，而不是天氣製造者。

有時候，當病人腰痛的時候，我告訴他們，這並不僅僅是肌肉骨骼的問題，而是腎虛腰痛，他們往往露出困惑的神色：這跟腎有什麼關係呢？

很多時候，我告訴我的眼科病人，他們的眼疾來自於他們的肝氣鬱結，他們也大為不解：眼睛跟肝相隔這麼遠，它們之間有什麼關係呢？

事實上，除了一些極少數的情況以外，無論是身體的哪個部位出了毛病，你都要首先把它跟你的五臟六腑聯繫起來。所以，學會聆聽身體的語言是至關重要的。為什麼我們那麼樂意學一門外語，而不願意花點時間去學會聆聽自己身體的語言呢？

自古以來，中醫一直就認為五臟跟情緒有着直接的對應關係。

腎不喜歡什麼？它們說：我們不喜歡害怕、恐懼。你要是老害怕老恐懼我就生病了。而且不僅僅我生病，跟我關係親密的老朋友，比如耳朵、咽喉、生殖、排泄系統等等，都可能要出毛病了。別說腰痛膝蓋痛跟我有關，連掉頭髮或者黑眼袋都常常與我同行。

肝不喜歡什麼？它說：我不喜歡憤怒、怨恨。你要是老憤怒老怨恨我就生病了，而且不僅僅我生病，我的老搭檔們，比如頭部、眼睛、膽囊，甚至手指頭腳趾頭等等，都可能要出問題了。甲狀腺這樣的問題啊，管它是甲亢還是甲減，都跟我有直接的關係。

心不喜歡什麼？它說：我不喜歡激動狂躁。你老是激動狂躁，我的老夥計們，包括口腔、舌頭、小腸都可能出毛病了。甚至腳上的水腫啊靜脈曲張啊失眠啊健忘啊出汗過多啊都歸咎於我。

肺不喜歡什麼？它說：我不喜歡憂傷鬱悶。你要是老憂傷鬱悶，我的好朋友們，包括鼻子、喉嚨、腮腺、皮膚都可能出毛病了。過敏跟我關係密切，甚至便秘都是我一手造成的。

胰腺不喜歡什麼？它說：我不喜歡多愁善感心事重重。你要是老憂思多慮，包括嘴唇啊，食道呀，胃呀，十二指腸呀，闌尾呀，大小腸啊，都可能要出毛病了。甚至體重增加啊，痔瘡啊，這些討厭的問題都跟我脫不了關係。

……

常常有病人問我該吃什麼東西對身體才最好，尤其是該吃什麼維他命什麼補充品。我真想告訴他們：吃什么喝什麼其實都不是最重要的，最重要的是學會主宰你自己的天氣。如果主宰天氣的是上天，那麼主宰你身體內的天氣豈不是你？

當你極其不開心的時候，想像你的身體內烏雲滾滾寒風呼嘯。狂風暴雨之後，到處是殘枝落葉，淒涼滿目。

當你快樂喜悅的時候，想象你的身體內晴空萬里碧空如洗，晶瑩的水珠在花瓣上閃爍……

的確，人很渺小，世事無常，人生中有太多事情不是由我們說了算的。但是親愛的你是否想過：無論何時何地，你的生命中至少有一樣東西是你可以決定的， 那就是你身體內的天氣。

說到這裡，我記得多年前發生的一幕：

我跟一個老朋友一起散步。這是個自從18歲以後就完全看不見的盲人朋友。天突然下起雨來，我趕緊撐開雨傘幫他避雨，一面問他：你是不是跟我一樣，討厭這裡的陰雨連綿？

他別過臉“看看”我，然後微笑起來：你看見雨了嗎？我看見的只是陽光。

Whispering of Willows

-        About the Weather

By Dr. Anna Zhao

(https://whisperingwillowclinic.com)

During his work life, my father worked as a meteorologist, so I grew up running around the meteorological observatory. At that time, when making weather forecast in China, there was no fancy equipment such as satellites and computers, and mostly their forecast was based on basic data obtained from the observation sites.

In my childhood memories, my father was always contemplating the clouds in the sky, lost in thought.

When we were readying to leave for school, my father always took a glance at the sky first and told us if we needed to take an umbrella. He was right most of the time, but of course there were times when he made misjudgments.

I remember one summer night, we kids were lying outdoors on the bamboo bed trying to cool off, and my father was using a big old cattail leaf fan to drive away mosquitoes for us. I complained to him: "Dad, you predicted sunny weather yesterday, so we didn't take umbrellas. But it turned out it was raining cats and dogs, and we were soaked like ducks on the way back!”

My dad chuckled: Oh, my child, it is uncommon that I make this kind of mistake, because quite often my forecast is based on experience. I am not the one who really determines the weather.

"Who determines it then?" I asked curiously.

Glancing around cautiously he whispered: the Divine world.

Many years later, one day, a nurse came to see me. She worked at a cancer center in another province. I asked her about the prognosis of several common cancers. She replied quickly: According to my experience, no matter what kind of cancer it is, the prognosis is most related to one factor - the patient’s thoughts and emotions. For example, one Patient came in with a particularly serious case of breast cancer. However, her personality was super optimistic, and not only did she survive, she lived quite well with very few complications at all. Another who seemed to have a very mild form of cancer was extremely depressed and did not survive long...

Gradually, it dawned on me: we can perceive the human body as a small planet, subject to all sorts of weather: rain or shine or even storms. The weather creator is none other than the person him/herself. Doctors, nurses, and all other health care workers are merely weather forecasters, not weather makers – providing or repairing umbrellas for example.

Sometimes, when patients have low back pain, I tell them that this is likely not just a musculoskeletal problem, but kidney energy deficiency. They often look confused: What does this have to do with my kidneys?

Sometimes, I tell my eye patients that their eye diseases may stem from their liver energy stagnation, most of them are also puzzled: the eyes and the liver so far apart, what might be the relationship between them?

In fact, except for some rare cases, no matter which part of the body runs into difficulty, you should always connect it with your internal organs. It is more crucial to learn to listen to the language of the body than to learn a foreign language.

Since ancient times, Traditional Chinese Medicine always believed that there is a direct correspondence between the five internal organs and emotions.

What don’t your kidneys like? They would tell us: We don't like fear, and insecurity. If you keep being afraid, I'll be sick. And not only will I be I sick, but also my old pals who are close to me, such as your ears, throat, or reproductive, or digestive systems. Not to mention, low back pain and knee pain are related to me, even hair loss and dark bags under your eyes often accompany me.

What doesn’t your liver like? It would tell us: I don't like anger, or resentment. If you are always angry and resentful, I will get sick, and not only will I get sick, but also my close partners, such as your head, eyes, gallbladder, and even your fingers and toes, etc. Problems like thyroid, whether it is hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, are directly related to me.

What doesn’t your heart like? It will inform us: I don't like extreme excitement or agitation. If you are always agitated and restless, I will get sick, and not only will I get sick, but also my dear friends such as your mouth, tongue, and small intestine... Even the edema on your feet, varicose veins on your legs, insomnia, forgetfulness, and excessive sweating are all related to me.

What don’t your lungs like? They would tell us: We don't like being sad and depressed. If you are always sad and depressed, I will get sick, and not only will I get sick, but also my buddies will, including your nose, throat, sinus glands, and skin. Allergies are closely related to me, and even constipation is mostly caused by me.

What doesn't your pancreas like? It would tell us: I don't like it when you are ruminating and worrying. If you keep worrying and ruminating, I will get sick, and not only will I get sick, but also my comrades such as your lips, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, appendix, and intestines. Even weight gain, and hemorrhoids, these annoying problems are akin to me.

…

Patients often ask me what is best for their health, especially, making inquiries about what vitamins and supplements they should take. I would like them to realize: What you eat and drink is important but not the most important factor. Most essential is to learn to create your own weather in your inner environment. If it is the divine world that determines our world’s weather, it is you who determines the weather in your body.

When you are extremely unhappy, picture in your mind dark clouds rolling inside your body and a chilly wind howling. After such a violent storm, what you see are fallen branches and leaves; nothing but desolation.

When you are happy and joyful, of course the sky is clear and shines like crystal and the sparkling water droplets are glistening on the petals...

Indeed, sometimes we feel very small and helpless, and that the world is so transient, with so many things out of our control. But my dear friend, think about it: no matter when and where you are, there is at least one thing in your life that you can control, and that is the weather in your body.

As I wrote this, a scene from many years ago popped in my mind:

I went for a walk with an old friend, a man who has been completely blind since he was 18 years old. All of sudden it started to rain. I quickly opened my umbrella to shelter him, and as I did so I asked at the same time: isn’t it annoying that we have such frequent rainy weather?

He turned to "look" at me, then smiled: “Do you see only rain? All I see is sunlight.”