Blood in the urine (if it is not caused by a UTI) is a sign of an unhealthy small intestine. One of the causes can be mental restlessness. In TCM your organs are you; the psychology of who you are is made up of the specific attributes of each organ. Your small intestine is connected to feeling mentally at rest. Mental restlessness means you can’t ‘hand over’ and this aggravates your small intestine. It causes friction / heat. In TCM this can cause blood in urine. Manic behaviour, which encompasses the inability to switch off at night; working on too many projects at once; or almost obsessively unable to stop working on something (artists and creatives often display this pattern) also affects your small intestine health. As does emotional hyperactivity or chronic emotional problems which have a ‘heating’ nature.

Regarding mental restlessness, it is a condition that I see in almost all clients now, and it can only be treated by mindfulness. You need to counter mental restlessness physically by taking regular rest stops. You might think you can go non-stop, but your organs can’t. In the medicinal chi cycle, between 1pm and 3pm (when your chi is in your small intestine) a post-lunch snooze is considered very therapeutic. Not many of us can do that, but if you get a 30 minute lunch break, try and use it all medicinally. Sit and eat for 15 minutes as slowly as possible without checking your phone (don’t read while you eat is mindfulness 101), then take the next 15 minutes to be as quiet and calm as possible. Try listening to some calming music, or a meditative app. Your small intestine will thank you.

I’ve treated mental restlessness with acupuncture, to create an instant experience of calmness. Clients then know the state to try and achieve at regular times during the day. Your liver is like your success organ, it is all about moving forward and for health, the ‘retreat’ that balances this ‘advance’ is taken care of by your small intestine. This prevents more serious conditions from arising. So do it for your small intestine. The health and happiness benefits are legion. For the most effective lifestyle solution for your lifestyle and circumstances, you can book a phone or skype consult with me. Definitely get my book Clock On To Health, it takes you through the daily health rhythm in detail.