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WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED OUR NEW SITE LEARN CHINESE MEDICINE LIVING - WHICH IS NOW LIVE!
This site will be for all the resources that we are creating - from downloadable info sheets to video series' to online courses!! We have listened to what you wanted and are really excited to bring it to you!! We want to give you the power to take your health into your own hands. :)
WE ARE HAVING A PROMOTION FOR THE NEXT 5 DAYS - USE COUPON CODE LearnLaunch2018 AT CHECKOUT AND GET 25% OFF ANY SINGLE INFO SHEET!
<3 And... IF YOU ARE A PRACTITIONER, we have something for you too... we will also be launching a shop - called CMLProShop - for downloadable information that you can print and share with your patients. Coming next month!! Exciting times!!!
Beautiful featured image photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash
Here Are This Month's Articles...
- Essential Oils for Health & Wellbeing
- The Most Important Qigong - III
- The Role of Coffee in Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Quote of the Month
- Inspiration - Trio of Nations Sign Treaty to Protect World's Largest Topical Wetland
- Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture in the News
- Recipe of the Month - Calming & Balancing Congee for Insomnia
- About Chinese Medicine Living
Essential Oils for Health & Wellness
A Brief History of Essential Oils
Essential oils have been used by traditional cultures for thousands of years, and were some of the most highly valued possessions of traditional peoples, along with jewels and precious metals. Essential oils are considered to be the distillation of both the intelligence and spirit of the plants they come from. They have been used throughout history for their medicinal, emotional, aromatic and spirit enhancing effects. In recent years there has been a revival in the use of essential oils, many people use them in their homes, health care practitioners use them to offer patients an alternative to conventional treatments like medications, and companies are using essential oils in their products as natural alternatives to chemical ingredients.
My own experience with essential oils goes back as far as I can remember. Long before I became an acupuncturist, I used them in my home for things like cleaning, for making skin and hair care products as well as aromatherapy, and in my medicine cabinet to help heal a wide variety of problems. When I began treating patients as an acupuncturist, essential oils were a vital part of my tool box. I have always loved the versatility that essential oils afford the person and certainly the practitioner. They have been an invaluable part of my practice, and I am always humbled at how powerful they can be to correct a huge number of imbalances and heal on a multitude of different levels.
Essential Oils At Home
I think that many people may not be aware of the enormous versatility of essential oils that you can use in your home to make every day products. In an age where we are bombarded by toxins (you can read more about this here - 5 Toxins to Avoid for Better Health - essential oils offer the ability to make these products knowing they are pure, health promoting and toxin free. You can make household cleaners, skin and hair products (some of the worst offenders in terms of toxicity), soaps and lotions as well as using a diffuser to gently release certain oils into the air to detoxify, cleanse the air and for health reasons - like certain oils that act as decongestants when you or your family are suffering with a cold. There are oils for relaxation and stress, you can add them to the bathtub to help calm - I use this often for my very high energy 2 year old baby boy, and it works smashingly. Oils can also be put into laundry soap, on rags in the dryer instead of dryer sheets, and a drop or two placed onto a pillow or bed sheets to help freshen things up or aid with things like insomnia, stress or depression.
Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash
The Most Important Qigong III - (Standing Post Zhan Zhuang)
By John Voigt
This is the third and concluding article about Standing Post, a qigong pose of stillness, complete relaxation, and no observable movement. It features two versions of Standing Post, the latter version attributed to the legendary qigong master, Dr. Yan Xin http://www.yanxinqigong.net/aboutdryan/index.htm .
A list of books, online articles, and videos about Standing Post – Zhan Zhuang will be given at the end at the end of this article.
Many masters of Chinese health, martial arts, and spiritual practices say this type standing meditation is the most important of all exercises to do. The previous two articles about Standing Post appeared in the January and February 2018 issues of Chinese Medical Living. The Most Important Qigong - Standing Post Zhan Zhuang & The Most Important Qigong - Standing Post Zhan Zhuang II
Standing Post With Seven Imaginary Beach Balls, complied by
John Voigt
First and most important: Have the entire body and mind complexly relaxed ignoring any discomfort—but if there is any pain immediately stop doing this exercise.
The feet stand straight ahead at approximately a shoulder’s width. The knees are slightly bent and never protrude past the toes. The spine is straight. The chin is slightly tucked in. Imagine that the crown of the head is gently being pulled up by a thread to the heavens.
The tongue rests on the palate. The eyes are half closed (as the Chinese say, “Look but don’t look). Breathe softly, slowly, deeply through the nose in a natural rhythmic way down into the lower abdomen. Don’t think, but do be silently aware of what is happening internally in the body; in other words keep the mental focus on your posture and especially on how it feels.
Hold an imaginary beach ball. The picture shows a typical way, at the upper chest, but the ball can be held at a higher or lower position. The hands and wrists are relaxed with the fingers pointing at each other; the thumbs point to the upward. The shoulders and elbows are also relaxed.
Next imagine that your elbows are resting on smaller beach balls, and that you are holding a smaller ball in each of your underarms, and one between your upper thighs.
Now imagine a super-sized beach ball and sit back on it (like sitting on the edge of a bar stool). Be careful—seriously, don’t fall over, this is imaginary after all. We want the weight of the trunk, head and upper limbs to rest on the thighs; and the weight of the body to be evenly distributed on both feet.
At the end of doing the Standing Post pose do some mild stretches, and it’s also good to take a walk.
The Role of Coffee in Traditional Chinese Medicine
By freelance writer Sally Perkins
Next to oil, coffee is the 2nd most prevalent legally-traded item in the world which is not surprising, seeing that almost 500 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every year. While Scandinavian countries top the list in terms of coffee consumption, Europe, and the Americas aren’t that far behind. Even Asian countries such as China are experiencing an increase in coffee consumption, as industry giants Starbucks pushes into the East and more and more millennials are wanting to explore the ways of the West.
The benefits (and dangers) of the world’s most popular beverage has caused numerous debates as people fail to realize that a lot of the readily-available information about coffee is slanted. As more scientific research surfaces pointing towards its health benefits, coffee is being embraced increasingly by Chinese and Western medicine alike. The coffee bean forms part of the rubiaceae family from which numerous Chinese medicinal herbs such as gardenia fruit, rubia, uncaria and morinda stem. From a Chinese Traditional Medicine perspective, coffee holds numerous benefits if consumed in the correct dosages.
How to get the most out of your coffee
Coffee is considered to be an herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and should be treated accordingly, with a proper dosage. Your primary consideration should be to determine whether you have a cold or heat imbalance in your body. If you tend to lean more towards the heated side you might want to limit your consumption of roasted coffee and opt for green coffee extracts instead. A person who is overly Yin, however, can benefit the most from a cup of freshly brewed, roasted coffee complete with a delicious homemade creamer and a sweetener of choice.
How does coffee benefit the body?
According to Eastern belief, coffee has an invigorating, diuretic effect that encourages the elimination of waste products from the body. Coffee is considered to be fairly nourishing and boasts noteworthy amounts of Vitamins B5 and B12. By nature coffee has a slightly bitter taste which can clear heat from the body, helping to stabilize the extreme heat of the hot general consistency of coffee. This could be the very reason why so many people in warmer climates proclaim that they drink coffee to cool them down.
Quote of the Month
Suffering is the kind of mud that we must be able to use in order to grow the flower of understanding and love.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Inspiration
Trio of Nations Sign Landmark Agreement to Protect World's Largest Tropical Wetland
In a groundbreaking show of international conservation, three South American countries have all signed a landmark agreement to preserve the Pantanal.
The Pantanal is a 42-million acre stretch of wetlands that harbors over 4,700 plant and animal species. The land is also an essential source of valuable resources for humans living in proximity to the Pantanal, which include residents of Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
That’s why the trio of nations signed the Declaration for the Conservation, Integrated and Sustainable Development of the Pantanal this week.
The agreement means that all three countries will share the responsibility of protecting, preserving, and ensuring safe development of the Pantanal during the coming decades.
The World Wildlife Fund, who assisted in orchestrating the pledge, applauded the historic agreement.
“By signing the Declaration … Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay recognize their shared responsibility to steward this vital resource,” says the organization. “Together they’re ensuring that development of this beautiful and essential wetland is balanced with the needs of the environment and people.”
Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in the News
Integrative Medicine Enhances Lives of Pets
Chinese Acupuncture Cures Patients in Rural Tunisia
Acupuncture to Cure Non-Specific Eye Diseases
Acupuncture Helps Relieve Joint Pain in Breast Cancer Patients
Studies Show Why Cockroaches are Almost Impossible to Kill
Harvard Scientists Ask "What is the Point?" in Challenge to Acupuncture Researchers
Tory MP David Tredinnick Asks if NHS Can Use Traditional Chinese Medicine After Brexit
Gwyneth Paltrow's Daily Diet will Make You Want to Order Chinese Takeaway
Acupuncture Improves Knee Meniscus Repair
Why Tai Chi Works so Well for Pain Relief
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If you would like to read about the latest scienntific studies involving Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, please see our "Current Research" page to find all the latest. :)
Recipe Of The Month with NourishU
Winter Recipe for Kidneys - Fox Nut Rice Pudding
Symptoms
- Frequent urination especially at night
- enuresis
- whitish and turbid urine
- nocturnal emission
- leukorrhea
Therapeutic Effects
Tonify kidney and spleen, preserve essence, strengthen muscle that control urination, relieve diarrhea.
Ingredients (2 Servings)
- Fox nut (qian shi) 芡實 - 120gm
- Sticky rice powder - 6gm
1. Wash fox nut and soak with 2 cups of water for 4 hours.
2. Pour fox nut and water into a grinder and grind it into a fine paste. Add sticky rice powder and mix well.
3. Pour mixture into a small pan and cook over medium low heat to become a thick soup (about 10 minutes). Stir frequently and add water if necessary.
4. Add a little salt to serve.
Usage
Eat half before dinner and the other half one hour before bedtime. Continue for 10 days as one course of treatment. If necessary, continue up to one month or two to see complete recovery.
Read about the Kidneys and Bladder here...
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Beautiful featured image photo by Julien Pianetti on Unsplash
About Chinese Medicine Living
Chinese Medicine Living is a place where Chinese medicine principles are applied to the way we live our lives to improve health on every level. In our articles, interviews and information we strive to teach how the body and the world is seen through the eyes of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) so you can better understand its theories, and how to live a healthy balanced lifestyle according to its principles. How TCM views the body and its connections to emotions, living in harmony with the world around us, and how to achieve the balance synonymous with health are the ways in which we strive to impart the limitless wisdom of Chinese medicine. Welcome.
If you would like to contact us, please email info@chinesemedicineliving.com. We would love to hear from you. If you are interested in learning more about Chinese Medicine, visit LearnChineseMedicineliving.com.
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