I’ve been studying how Chinese medicine relates to epigenetics, and the deeper down the rabbit hole of science I go, I realize Chinese medicine IS epigenetics. Its about balance, integration, and ultimately reaching a state of wholeness - where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess. We just are as we are, in our inherent perfection.
There seem to be three aspects involved in the process of evolving to our highest capacity: rooting, resilience, and reaching.
The higher we reach, the more we must be rooted in ourselves. Anchor yourself in something that provides a sense of grounding. It could be meditation, or walking barefoot while you focus on the feeling of your foot meeting the ground. The most important quality to rooting, however, is that you are internally quiet, aware of your own presence, and what it feels like to be you - down to your feet.
Resilience is becoming aware of the places where we experience tension. Notice how pushing against these conflicts produces internal resistance. These are usually associated with fear or desire (fear we won’t attain something we want, or fear we’ll lose something we have), the internal ways we contract and become stiff. Once we see beyond them, we can start to behave more flexibly.
On to reaching - not the type of reaching associated with desire and setting goals, but being aware of what inspires us into NEW action. Try a new food, move a different way today. Challenge your routine. Watch less TV. Spend less time searching the internet or flipping through your phone. If you walk, run. If you run, walk. Turn in circles, touch the ground, reach overhead. Using body awareness and mindfully challenging yourself to move differently can open your mind to things you hadn’t previously noticed.
While these three little tools might seem simple, watch what happens when you try them. Rooting tonifies the kidneys. Resilience nourishes the liver and reduces qi stagnation. Reaching lifts the spleen and invigorates the heart. And these three simple daily practices change action into embodiment - impacting your mind, your cells, and the expression of your genetics: strengthening the integrity of the cells and reducing fragmentation, while guiding you to a more fertile, healthy, and happy life.