Sleeping Soundly

It’s hard to know what came first, the stress or the inability to handle it. When your sleep is affected, stress becomes insidious and self-perpetuating. There appears to be too many of us who are not sleeping well. It may even be an epidemic. The reasons are complex and varied. Anxiety often compounds the problem. Sleep disturbances usually start with an edge or moodiness caused by a hectic culture. The mind fills with endless dialog. It wouldn’t be so bad if we were full of things that were important to deal with eventually, but this stuff, indeed worries, is useless. That’s much easier to say that it is to control.

 We are a busy community with much to do. The problem is that we are virtually crazed by excessive activity and drained from the effort. Self-medication includes a triple latte in the am and a double martini after we get home. Western medicine uses a particular strategy for sleep problems—sedation. Bi-polar? Sedate ’em. ADD? Sedate ’em. Psychotic? Thorazine drip. The problem is that while a Thorazine drip will keep the psychotic from moving, it does not change the underlying condition. There seems to be no understanding or attempt to learn why this edge exists. For those affected, it can be a wild ride.

Oriental medicine (OM) sees the purpose of life as being fairly far removed from seeking. One OM bias is that the purpose of our very existence is to “mix Heaven and Earth.” This could be interpreted as taking that which has no form (Heaven) and mixing it with that which is a form (Earth). In other words, we are speaking of the basic creative process, a magical occurrence where we allow the divine to mingle with our more mundane selves. Outlets for self-expression abound. Creativity does not necessarily mean becoming the next Frida Kahlo or Igor Stravinsky. It does mean exactly what it says, to “mix Heaven and Earth.”

 The process of basic creative activity if occluded, stifled, or interrupted produces a negative resonance with physical repercussions. Instead of flowing clearly, energy will reverse back upon itself like the earsplitting feedback one hears when a technician is adjusting the sound system before a concert. It resonates in the most unpleasant way. According to OM, creative blocks produce some pretty specific symptoms. Anxiety is a major one often accompanied by heart palpitations and unreasonable fears. It may manifest as scattered thoughts and an unfocused demeanor. Insomnia of all types falls within the framework of this disorder as well. According to some schools of OM, insomnia is always associated with a disturbed creative flow. Instead of sedating the resultant symptoms, we choose to adjust the disturbed mechanism directly. Sedation is counterproductive since it would also sedate the creative process that is already too low. Many times, a deficiency of Heart Blood or Heart Yin is at the root of the problem. (Again, we use Heart, Blood, and Yin with capitals to indicate the Chinese system and not any specific organ.) There are established protocols to allow movement of this divine essence and get the creative juices flowing. Maximizing and maintaining basic human creativity is the strategy behind Chi’ll Out, and the results can be surprisingly effective and far-reaching.

Chi’ll Out, OHCO’s sixth formula, is based upon these very complex protocols. The formula is not a sedative. It is a storing, nourishing, and strengthening agent for creative flow. When this shift is accomplished, a deep level calm can occur. Taking a Chinese “sleep” formula is not at all like taking a sleeping pill. Indeed, just as with other OHCO formulas, to achieve a long-lasting, sound sleep, take the herbs gradually over at least a few days. It will not put you to sleep or make you drowsy. The effect may not be immediate, because it acts more like plant food for the garden, and is cumulative.

If life has given you more to handle than you can process in the daytime, this formula will help you chill out at night, quiet and calm your Heart, and light the creative fire. Please call the office about how to purchase Chi’ll Out or ask for it at your favorite health food store. 

This is a repost from October 26, 2006 at 4:24 PM