The Harbour Clinic

02/21/2026

02/07/2026

A Lesson on Cold and "Invasion"

Growing up in West Virginia, my brother and I couldn't wait for the first signs of good weather to play outside. Whenever our Mom saw us wrestling on the cold or damp lawn, she’d shout: "Get up off that damp ground! Do you want to catch your death of cold?"

Back then, people just knew that dampness or cold could seep into your system and bring on sickness. In Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM), we call this the concept of Invasion and the Chinese lived their lives in accord with nature and the energy of life.

Aligning with the Seasons
Health in CCM revolves around aligning yourself with nature. It’s a common-sense approach to living:

Winter: We bundle up to consolidate our strength. Much like the trees, our energy moves inward to preserve itself. We eat warming spices and fermented foods stored from the summer harvest.

Spring: As the energy of the Earth arises, everything shifts. The clothes get lighter, the food changes, and on the first decent day, everyone heads outside as if a secret signal had been given.

Summer: When the intense heat arrives, our bodies provide their own refrigeration through sweat. We pivot to salads and cooling dishes to stay balanced. Oh yes, ice-tea or a cold something.

The Six Excesses
The term "Invasion" describes how external pathogenic factors breach the body’s defensive layers. These are often called the Six Excesses. They become a problem when the environment is too harsh or our internal defenses are too weak:
Wind
Cold
Heat
Dampness
Dryness
Summer Heat

These factors enter through "gates" like the skin, pores, mouth, and nose, as well as more subtle energy channels. To keep it simple: too much of anything creates a problem. Whether it's excessive wind or deep dampness, these external forces can cause significant issues within the body.

Why write this now? Because it is freezing here in Virginia! We are all looking forward to warmer days, but in the meantime, it’s a perfect moment to let the wisdom of CCM sink in.

To stave off "Invasion" today, I’ve made a nice curry for Diana and myself, and I have a pot of chicken soup stewing on the stove even as I write this. It’s the kind of "good stuff" that warms the bones and keeps the cold at bay and cooking helps me create those ZEN moments I need for balance.

Thanks for reading. (Oh, and by the way, unchecked emotions can harm the body just as much as the weather... but that’s a letter for another day!)
Be well,

KH 02/07/26

02/05/2026

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02/02/2026

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01/14/2026

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01/14/2026

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01/14/2026

Everyone is responsible for their own health...think of others this month too! However you protect yourself...be vigilant. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DXr28vAra/

12/30/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GyYfSaE1Z/

12/29/2025

I enjoy reading ancient Greek philosophy. Greek was one of my majors in college, and I've kept up the discipline of reading and translating for years. The Stoics are the ones besides Christian scriptures that intrigue me.

So when I came across this in my reading time a few days back, I just smiled. Diana and I are taking some concerted time off at the end of the year and at the beginning of the new year to recharge. This is a habit I formed years ago regardless of our financial situation, and it has never proved to be wrong. Here's what the Stoic philosopher Seneca says.

"The mind must be given relaxation--it will rise improved and sharper after a good break. Just as rich fields must not be forced--for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break--so constant work on the anvil will fracture the forces of the mind. But it regains its powers if it is set free and relaxed for a while. Constant work gives rise to a certain dullness and feebleness in the rational world."(Seneca)

I couldn't agree with this more and wished some of my employers in the past really understood this. But we have a lot going on in our lives at this stage, and it's important for both of us to show up strong for family, patients, and as we bring 40 years of overseeing Christian projects abroad to a close.

As we end 2025 and begin 2026, Diana and I hope this note finds blessings and a measure of health and peace in every family and person who reads this. For sure, the world is filled with what I call "CRAZY AIR" but you can find inner resources to gird up and guard your spirit if you will pause and turn down the daily onslaught of noise. After all, IT'S JUST NOISE...NOT REALITY!

This year you may face things that try your patience and require considerable focus or clarity. So circle your wagons and go within. That's were the good stuff starts. Our medicine teaches that individual health is based on body, spirit, and emotions. Everything that enters will have an effect.

So don't burn the candle at both ends!

Life is just a breath in eternity, and we are all incredibly created beings. Pause...take a moment...sip some tea or a good cup of whatever...and enjoy the ride! We'll see a couple of you one day this week, one day in the first two weeks of January. And then it's back to our regular pace. May 2026 be a much better year for us all...and a lot of peace everywhere.


Ken and Diana Harbour

12/28/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nflcfoEwuc8

http://taichi.or.kr (Korea Taichi Association & Lee Chan Taichi Chuan Center)http://leechan.taichi.or.kr (Korea Taichi Association & Lee Chan Taichi Chuan Ce...

12/28/2025