meat. The education of our children must be more than
simply passing inspection! What’s more, when we are
not given the time to digest the material, whether it is
food or academics, it stagnates.
Chinese medicine considers stagnation to be of grave
significance. A healthy life is defined by the free flow of
qi, that which animates our life. Stagnation represents
the accumulation of “stuff” that drags health down. It’s
as if the body recognizes the need to slow down in order
to work on unfinished business, even if it results in a
pathological condition. This feeling of stagnation is not
satisfying, because things are simply not moving properly. The lack of movement is boring, and boredom leads
to the need for distractions—so we try to spice up our
lives. We try not to look at all that unfinished business
Taking Time
Correcting this vicious cycle begins at birth. I work with
many mothers on that first day, counseling them about
breastfeeding or bottle feeding. In that moment, there
is a real opportunity to learn how to learn, how to digest
the world calmly, attentively and with ease. Feeding a
baby when she is crying is a common mistake. Moments
of hunger are not a crime. Hunger is
a way of waking up. We may naturally
feel the urge to feed our child when
she cries; feeding is a basic way we
show our love. But it is vital to pause
and consider the true reasons for
eating. Babies feed much better when
they are fully awake. They are less
eaTing reflec Ts our basic saniTy because iT is how we
make con Tac T wiTh The world.... our hunger To grow and
know The world is noT Jus T physical, bu T in Tellec Tual
and spiriTual. eating is how we become the world.
gassy and more likely to gain weight
properly. They are actually learning to
pay attention with their whole body-mind. This is a simple yet profound
lesson for us all to live by.
When you select information,
whether food or academic, as a conscious process, you are determining which aspects of the
external environment you will allow inside your body
to operate on an unconscious level. This is the meaning of “mindful eating.” We should take the lead from
our babies. Whether we are stimulating our immune
system, going to school, or sitting down at the dinner
table as a family, taking time to digest is how we become
truly sane in this world. Ultimately, time is the greatest alternative medicine. And taking time to digest the
world is the ultimate spiritual practice.
© GAJA / DREAMSTIME.COM
accumulating within…which makes us agitated. We try
to get things moving and shake up all that stagnation.
This hyperactive state drives us to look for happiness
somewhere else. TV ads capitalize on this, promising
happiness with a Whopper or a Happy Meal. This leads
to infatuations, bizarre cravings, impulsive eating and
binge-buying. We feel like we deserve to be happy—we
deserve that tub of ice cream, for having had to work
under these conditions. And when we can’t have what
we think we deserve, we become hostile: Don’t take a
piece of my pie!
This state of agitation, distractibility and impulsivity
defines Attention Deficit Disorder. The Chinese medicine classics say that accumulation causes an inflamed
state, and this phlegm can “mist the mind.” We become
confused, unable to think straight, and find it difficult to
concentrate on one thing for very long. And so we take
stimulants to try to wake ourselves up.
Likewise, the same vicious cycle leads to the accumulation of phlegm in our bodies; our neuro-immuno-digestive system becomes confused, hostile and inflamed.
In my practice, I see a host of chronic health problems
in children that can be traced back to the phlegm of
stagnation: ear infections, asthma, obesity, colitis and
autoimmune disorders. These manifestations of chronic
inflammation did not exist to such a degree a century
ago, or even 50 years ago. The inflamed state of autoim-munity is a spiritual crisis. When the mind-body
remains in such a confused state, we no longer have
time to recognize who we are. We are left with a Spiritual
Deficit Disorder.
Stephen Cowan, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician with 25 years of clinical experience working with children. He has a subspecialty in developmental pediatrics and has developed a unique holistic approach to evaluating and treating
children struggling with chronic physical, emotional
and cognitive disorders. His book, Fire Child, Water
Child, was just released, and he’s also writing the
“Occupy Medicine” series at drfranklipman.com.
Learn more at stephencowanmd.com. View article
resources and author information here: pathways
tofamilywellness.org/references.html.
