7 unconventional signs of health
How our overall wellbeing shapes the way we create and express ourselves in the world
Dear reader,
Hosting people and making art are some of the things that make me the happiest. This year, one of my goals is to host many in-person experiences around art and creativity, and I’m so grateful to be able to do that through apartamento 710.
On Saturday, May 2nd, I’ll be hosting a creative night at Umeglow in Chinatown, Vancouver. I’m partnering with a florist and food artist to make this experience a truly memorable night. If you are in town, I would love to see you there! Readers of the newsletter get a special discount with code APT710.
Today’s newsletter features a special guest. Mapi Arce is a student of Chinese Medicine and the creative force behind A Fruit of Dreams, a newsletter about reconnecting with the sacredness of it all through art, ancestral medicine, and our bodies.
Mapi is a lifelong student of Traditional Oriental Medicine and Vedic Philosophy. Through her practice and art, she hopes to dissect the sacred and the unseen. I’m grateful that she is sharing her wisdom with us today. Here are seven unconventional signs of health, according to Chinese medicine, and how they might be showing up in your everyday life.
A pull towards stillness, a newfound silence
A calm mind indicated a balanced Heart. The ability to stay still, in silence, is a sign of health and well-being. Constant mental stimulation depletes Heart qi and weakens digestion, which in turn depletes Heart Blood. Generalized anxiety, needing to do something at all times, a sense of urgency, and a need for noise are all indications of an agitated Heart. A moment of silence once a day strengthens Heart qi.
An innocent urge to express creativity
Feeling creative and fulfilling this urge indicates a balanced Liver. In Chinese medicine, the spirit of the Liver (the Hun) is said to inspire us by bringing ideas from the ether. In Women Who Run With the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola stresses the importance of creativity and its fulfillment for women’s spiritual, mental, and physical health. A general lack of creativity, or beginning a creative project but not fulfilling it, are all signs of an unbalanced Liver. Creating something, anything, once a day disperses Liver qi.
A natural detachment towards one’s thoughts
Slow but steady thinking, thoughts that come and go naturally, and a sharp intellect are all indicators of a balanced Spleen. Excessive thinking, “sticky” intrusive thoughts, rumination, and worry all deplete Spleen qi and lead to mental fatigue. In Chinese medicine, the Spleen (and pancreas) absorb, transform, and transport the nutrients extracted from food. In the same way, Spleen qi helps us extract the nutrients from anything we consume on a mental level and, eventually, let go of the waste. Attachment to a thought in the form of rumination is a sign of poor digestion. Reducing processed sugar, dairy, and heavy foods (past, creams, pastries) will reduce “sticky” thoughts in the body.
A soft but constant eroticism
A love for existence, soft sensuality, and a lust for life are all signs of strong Kidney qi. The Kidneys govern the life-death cycles in the body (growth, reproduction, and aging). The life-death cycle, so inseparable from nature, is at the foundation of any erotic feeling. Eroticism is the pulse of life made possible only by its eventual cessation. Eroticism is closely tied to pleasure and pain, life and death, because it’s synonymous with presence. It has a divine element to it that comes from complete presence with one’s senses, enabled by a calm mind and healthy Heart Qi. In this way, the Heart and Kidneys are connected. When the axis between the two is thriving, one experiences a lust for life that is grounded by a still mind.
Sacrality, searching for meaning
This concept often has a religious connotation attached to it, but it does not need one. Searching for meaning and sacredness is a sign of good Lung qi. This is highly tied to detachment and letting go, which also corresponds to the Lungs in Chinese medicine. The Lungs are the organ closest to “Heaven” and this connection is made possible through the breath itself (meditation). This sign may be the most conventional sign of them all, considering finding meaning in life is a very important indicator of health in modern Psychology. Strong Lung Qi enables this search, and eventually, an inner sense of sacrality and purity can be accumulated.
Inner strength and vitality, courage
In Chinese medicine and Chinese culture, excessive timidity and lack of courage are signs of a weak Gallbladder. Courage reveals inner strength, vitality, and health, particularly of the Gallbladder and Liver, which together are responsible for decision-making, planning, and taking action. In 2026, these themes are of vital importance as it is the year of the Fire Horse, a year of wise and decisive action. The courage to pursue one’s creativity, vision, and desires is what brings joy to the body, mind and spirit alike. In the Sheng cycle, a cycle of 5 elements, the Liver and Gallbladder are characterized as the “mother” of the Heart, the “organ” responsible for the feeling of joy. In the same way, one’s courage gives “birth” to endless happiness if one uses it wisely. Courage is both a hallmark of health and an instigator of it.
Patience, an inner harmony that remains undisturbed
Patience is not merely a virtue, but speaks to the smooth flow of qi, an inner harmony that remains undisturbed even amid the unpredictable ebb and flow of life. It’s the body settled in a more parasympathetic way of living. Patience is also a reflection of a calm spirit, and so a healthy Heart and nervous system. It speaks to inner resilience and endurance, traits that also reflect a strong Zong qi, our life force that circulates in our chest. Patience is a virtue that arises naturally when Heart qi is strong and Zong qi circulates freely.
Thanks to mapi mariposa for her contribution! It’s fascinating to explore creativity through the lens of different perspectives. If this inspired you, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
Follow along on Instagram or email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating or hosting an event together!
For all my Vancouver friends: Creative night with Umeglow details are out. I’m partnering with Flower House Studios and Api Eats — two of my favorite woman-owned, local creatives to make this a truly magical evening. I hope I see you there!
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