Which Side of Reality Do We Choose to Nourish?

A New Year Reflection 🌿

The current state of the world can easily give rise to anxiety and uncertainty — even for those of us living in places that are relatively safe and peaceful 🌍

We are surrounded by troubling headlines:

conflict, polarisation, cruelty towards humans and animals, environmental destruction, climate change, rapid technological change, and an overwhelming flow of information.

The list can feel endless 📱

And it can leave us feeling overwhelmed, disheartened, or quietly questioning humanity — and even wondering what the point is of trying to do better.

At the same time, many people are living with ongoing health challenges.

Chronic conditions and long-term concerns have become part of everyday life, often alongside stress, fatigue, and emotional strain.

We live in a world saturated with information, yet there remains a lack of understanding of what truly nourishes the body, the mind, and the heart — and what supports wellbeing over time.

Something Else Is Also Unfolding 🌱

Alongside all of this, something else is unfolding.

There is a growing awareness around natural and holistic approaches to wellbeing, emotional health, compassion, and responsibility — towards one another and towards the natural world 🤍

More people are beginning to ask deeper questions — not only about productivity or success, but about meaning, care, and how we live in relationship with ourselves, others, and the world around us.

A Pattern Repeated Across History ⚖️

Throughout history, periods of upheaval and uncertainty have always existed.

And just as consistently, an opposing force has emerged.

Times of fear and instability have often given rise to new philosophies and ways of living — approaches that seek balance rather than domination.

When Chaos Gave Rise to Balance 🌿

Daoism, one of the philosophical foundations of Traditional East Asian Medicine, emerged during China’s Warring States period — a time marked by conflict and power struggles.

In the midst of chaos, a philosophy centred on harmony, balance, and alignment with nature took shape.

Rather than striving to control or dominate, Daoist thought invites us to move with the natural rhythms of life.

This perspective continues to shape how health and the human experience are understood in Traditional East Asian Medicine — through concepts such as Yin and Yang and Five Element theory.

Fear — and Its Opposite ✨

Across cultures and eras, a similar pattern appears:

when fear intensifies, so does the longing for meaning, care, and balance. ✨

Alongside fear and uncertainty, their opposite is always present — even if quieter and less amplified by headlines.

A Gentle Question for the Year Ahead 🌱

The question we can gently ask ourselves is:

Which side of reality do I choose to nourish — and to live from?

We can remain immersed in endless news cycles and feel overwhelmed by the state of the world.

Or we can acknowledge what is happening — without turning away — and still choose to embody the values we wish to see 🤍

This is not about denial.

Not about avoidance.

Not about naïve optimism.

It is about attention, choice, and where we place our energy, care, and intention.

Meaning, Vision, and the Inner Landscape 🌿

A Traditional East Asian Medicine perspective

In Traditional East Asian Medicine, health is shaped not only by physical factors, but also by how we orient ourselves toward life — our sense of meaning, direction, and purpose.

Each organ system is understood in relation to both the body and the inner life.

A sense of meaning is said to nourish the Lung system (肺) and its associated spirit, the Po (魄). The Lungs relate to breath, rhythm, grief, and our capacity to take in life.

Vision and direction stimulate the Liver system (肝) and its spirit, the Hun (魂), supporting movement, growth, and imagination.

The ability to reflect and integrate experience is linked to the Spleen system (脾) and the Yi (意).

The capacity to endure and continue through difficulty is associated with the Kidney system (腎) and the Zhi (志) — a deep, steady inner resolve.

When these qualities are supported, the Heart system (心), home of the Shen (神), can settle and harmonise the whole system.

From this perspective, intention is not about forcing positivity or bypassing pain.

It is about orientation — the quiet direction in which the heart turns.

Even a faint intention can, over time, influence how we live:

• how we cultivate meaning (Lung / 肺)

• how we envision the future (Liver / 肝)

• how we reflect and integrate experience (Spleen / 脾)

• how we endure and draw on inner reserves (Kidney / 腎)

• and how we relate, connect, and inspire (Heart / 神)

Holding Space for Exhaustion, Pain, and Recovery 🤍

When suffering is intense or long-term illness is part of daily life, simply getting through the day can take everything that is available.

In those moments, survival comes first.

There may be little space for reflection or intention — and that is entirely understandable.

Rest, stabilisation, and care are not failures. They are often the most necessary place to begin.

And when a little strength begins to return, holding a quiet, foundational intention — rooted in what feels meaningful or nourishing — can gently matter over time.

Not as a solution.

Not as something to force.

But as an orientation.

A Quiet Choice That Shapes the Year

Sometimes, that quiet choice alone reshapes the year ahead.

Not through dramatic change, but through small, consistent ways of living:

how we care for ourselves,

how we relate to others,

and how we stay connected to what truly matters.

Closing 🌿

Wishing you a grounded, compassionate, and gentle beginning to 2026 🤍

May this year be shaped not only by what we face —but by what we choose to nourish.