245 Climate Change and Chinese Medicine • Nishanga Bliss

Yin and Yang flow through every aspect of our lives. Understanding their ebb and flow gives us a glimpse into the nature of the universe, and our place in it. In our formed world forces exist to interact with the other; to maintain balance; to sustain life. This dynamic is one of the pillars of our medicine, which teaches that health arises from the harmony between people and nature. As Chinese medicine practitioners, facilitating balance is a central element of our trade. A question from today’s episode  is, can we master the integrity and awareness to articulate a connection between our work with our patients and the health of our planet? In this conversation with Nishanga Bliss, we  explore planetary health and climate change from the multiple lenses of Chinese medicine. Our medicine may be founded on the microcosm (humanity), but it is a reflection of the macrocosm (universe). We can use the useful lenses of Yin and Yang to better understand the state of planetary health and see the imbalances causing climate change, which Nishanga diagnoses as a deficiency of Yin.  She suggests that a seemingly small input can have dramatic systemic effects, like a well-placed acupuncture needle.Listen into this discussion on the threat of climate change, electronic activism, and how Chinese medicine fits into this puzzle.