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Building Springtime Immunity
by Claudia Kavcic RAc.
This time of year can be a gamble to keep your immune system strong against the ever-changing weather patterns. It‘s hot, then it’s cold. It’s sunny, then it’s raining. You never know when the wind will blow and your body’s internal barometer will have to fight to ward off invaders from these changes. After a while of bearing the brunt of the weather, it can wear down the resistance of your immune system. So the key to a smooth springtime transition is to do what it takes to keep your immune system strong. This function, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is the protecting of the exterior of the body, called wei qi – or protective qi.
Whether a contagious or climate-induced condition is interior or exterior depends on the strength on one’s immune system, which in turn is related to the concept of wei qi – or protective qi. When the protective qi is strong, diseases from viruses and weather influences entering the body are completely warded off. If it is less strong, disease may enter onto an exterior level and bring about a cold or flu, and if the immune function is incredibly deficient, disease factors may penetrate to interior levels, where then it may affect the function of the internal organs.
Exterior pathogenic influences are airborne viruses and the elements of wind, cold, damp and heat. These elements can enter the body surfaces that are exposed directly to the environment, through the skin and mucous membranes of the nose, throat and lungs. A common area that is targeted is the head and the back of the neck. It is smart to keep warm even when it seems to be warm outside. Wear a scarf or a hood in the springtime even when it’s not windy and cold because it could be in a few minutes. This helps to prevent the elements from lodging in the meridian pathways, resulting in disease or disharmony.
The most prevalent exterior conditions are the common cold and flu. All exterior diseases are usually easy to cure because they are on the surface of the body. They’re easy-come and easy-go when you help the body to sweat it out. Try to do and consume things that target the skin and its function of sweating, breathing and ventilation. To get a good sweat on, drink hot diaphoretic herbal tea, take a hot shower or bath, cover yourself in blankets and sweat. Just be careful not to sweat to the point of exhaustion. Some common diaphoretic teas are fresh ginger, chamomile, rosehip and peppermint. Adding lemon and honey for their antiviral properties can be a powerful addition.
In fact, if you treat your skin to a little honey it can be incredibly beneficial to your protective qi as well. At Mountain Waters Spa for the month of April, we are offering a special package that includes a 30-minute massage combined with a 30-minute organic coconut honey wrap, and finished with a hydrotherapy tub. If you are feeling a little run down, the best of all worlds is to get a rub down so that the exterior of your body is stimulated, followed by a nourishing and re-hydrating wrap. Then, sweat it out with a consolidating hydro tub.
Because the weather feels like spring is here, and Administration Professionals Week is at the end of April with Secretary’s day on Wednesday April 21st, we wanted to create a special that would target the immune system. We recognize that many administrators come into contact with a lot of people throughout the day and have to keep their immune function strong in order to do their job well. So feel free to come get a Gift Certificate at Mountain Waters Spa and give the gift of health to your favorite administrator, because if your administrator is feeling well, your business will feel well too.