In the traditional martial arts is a concept known as zanshin. Literally translated as “remaining mind”, zanshin refers in part to a state of calmness and complete awareness of one’s surroundings, even when there appears to be no immediate threat or danger.
A keen awareness of our environment, both internal and external, is also an important concept in Traditional Oriental Medicine. Because symptoms are viewed as being the result of imbalances in the body, becoming more aware of ourselves and what creates these imbalances in our lives can be useful for improving our health.
Various factors can affect our health, such as:
- type of work we do
- location & climate we live in
- seasonal weather changes throughout the year
- thoughts & emotions, especially those that tend to be repressed
- daily eating habits
- exercise type and frequency
- trauma & accidents
One suggestion for people suffering from chronic health problems is to keep a health journal. By tracking changes on a day to day basis, patterns can often be discovered, such as certain trigger factors that tend to make symptoms better or worse.
Positive changes can then be made based on these observations. For example, if a person’s back pain tends to become more noticeable towards the end of the work week, then perhaps certain postures or movements at their workplace can be improved such as repositioning their computer screen or adjusting what type of chair they use. For others, perhaps they notice their hay fever allergies improve when they have been eating less dairy products and so know to minimize or avoid this in their diet to help prevent flareups.
Sickness can often be a wake up call to become more aware of ourselves and our health, and even if we are in relatively good health, maintaining awareness in our lives can help us to stay that way.
