Four Diagnostic Methods Of TCM

30. March 2020 · Comments Off on Four Diagnostic Methods Of TCM · Categories: Acupuncture, chinese medicine · Tags:

Wang, Wen, Wen, Qie. In TCM, this means looking, listening, asking and feeling the pulse. These are the four methods a TCM doctor uses to determine a patient’s illness. Seems too simple to be true!

Dr. Wan Guowei is vice president of Beijing hospital of TCM. We ask him why TCM doctors use the four methods of diagnosis to determine illnesses. Dr. Guowei says, “observing a patient’s appearance could help TCM doctors discover the pattern and development of his illness. Does he have bright eyes? Does he have healthy skin or damaged skin?” The first diagnosis technique is Wang, or inspection in English. I asked them if you can really determine a patient’s illness by just observing his appearance? Guowei replied, “inspection contains four aspects: Spirit, complexion, physical conditions, and actions.”

Traditional Chinese medicine in Fort Lauderdale believes that the five sense organs of the face are reflections of the five major inner organs. The eyes reflect the diverse health; the nose reflects the lungs; lips reflect the spleen; ears the kidneys and the tongue the heart. Thus, a doctor can tell just by looking at the face if there is any health problem internally.

To see if the TCM specialist really can tell the quality of a person’s health just by looking at their face, I have brought some photos of some willing participants and I’ll let Dr. Guowei analyze the faces in the photos. Dr. Guowei first selected the photo of a man wearing eyeglasses. He looked at the photo and said, “this gentleman looks healthy, generally speaking.” Next, he looked at the photos of two children. He remarked, “as for these two children, they both have good figures. One girl sits straight, which indicates a healthy skeleton growth. And for this boy, you could see he looks tired. Clearly, he has been exhausted lately.” He looked at the last photo of a woman and said, “for this woman, her makeup is confusing because, when she goes to see a TCM doctor, she should wear no makeup.”

I asked Dr. Guowei what does “Wen” mean? He answered, “wen, or auscultation and olfaction in English, includes two aspects. First, TCM doctors will listen to the patient’s voice. If the patient suffers from poor digestion, or has been mentally ill, leading to bad breath, this is a manifestation of illness.”

I asked when is “Wen” about asking questions? He answered, “speaking of Wen, or inquiry in English, it’s more likely to show the doctor’s humanistic concerns. During the chat, you might feel relaxed as if you’re not seeing a doctor.”

My last question is about taking the pulse. I told him that since I used to be a lifeguard, I only feel the pulse to see whether a person is alive or not. So why does a TCM doctor take the pulse? Guowei replied, “pulse-taking is the essence of TCM as well as a distinguishing feature of TCM. For example, when feeling the pulse of a woman, the doctor may determine whether she’s pregnant or not and for how long.”

He added, “one example of a pulse examination is the Cun pulse. Cun, Guan, and Chi, three acupoints on the wrist, where the pulse is usually taken, are placed on the wrist from the outside to the inside. That is to say, they represent different organs, namely the heart, liver and kidney. Pulses on the right-hand represent lung, spleen and vital gate. Guess what is the most important part in the four methods of diagnosis? Check the coating on the tongue. In terms of tongue, TCM doctors regard it as a natural gastroscope.”

I asked if he could examine my tongue. He agreed. After observing, he commented “examining your tongue and pulse, I think you have heart-spleen deficiency. I guess you are really tired recently, and you should take some rest. You’ll be able recover after a good rest, you may not have any illness. The four methods of diagnosis come from daily life, and practice. Having accumulated experience for the past 2000 years, we have found that every detail in life will bring about a disease diagnosis. It is capturing the tiny changes of people that is the magic of traditional Chinese medicine.”

The four methods of diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine is a direct, fast, convenient holistic approach to understanding a person’s individual situation even before symptoms present themselves, thus being able to bring the body back into good health without having to fight serious illness.

What Does Qi Gong Mean?

23. March 2020 · Comments Off on What Does Qi Gong Mean? · Categories: Acupuncture, chinese medicine · Tags:

Qi Gong’s or Chi Kung’s history can be traced back to ancient China 5,000 years ago. During that time, emperors were not contented on being called emperor.  They had a knack of giving themselves another lofty title that often included anything pertaining to the heavens. Some emperors gave themselves the title “Son of the Sky” (this was used to fool the common folks since “Sky” during those times in China was often associated with “God.”) This was done deliberately to make the people believe that the emperors were selected by Divine Providence to rule over them. Of course, since most of the people there at that time were uneducated, they listened and obeyed their ruler who over time wanted more privilege, wealth, position, and power so much so that their ultimate quest turned to the attainment of immortality.

Chinese history has shown that the Chinese emperors were hard to please. There were two groups of people who were assigned to research for a way to become immortal. The first group decided that medicine was the key to immortal life and so they ended up accidentally killing 11 emperors due to wrong prescription of a drug they called “Immortality Medicine.” The other group concluded that the best way to prolong life is actually hidden within our bodies the whole time, which can be activated through a series of techniques. Their job was to sell these techniques to the emperor which was sometimes successful and sometimes not. Today, people practicing these techniques tend to live longer lives although immortality is out of the question, which is okay for most people since hardly anyone I know really wants to live forever. This series of exercises is known as Qi Gong.

What is Qi Gong?

Qi Gong is a term made up of two words. Qi or Chi is the life energy of your body and Gong is roughly synonymous with movement. In Japan, Chi is called “Ki.” In India, it is known as Prana. In Europe, it is called Aura, and in the Philippines, it is called “Mana.” People throughout the world sensed that there was something mysterious they couldn’t see smell or touch, but nevertheless, affected their lives in a very profound way.

In some Qi Gong books, everything pertaining to Qi Gong is oftentimes discussed from the viewpoint of a lay person and not a scientist. This is to make the book easily understandable and easy to read. The difficult, abstract, and fancy Chinese terminologies are oftentimes omitted. There’s a term that’s more significant to the Western World when describing Chi. This term is called “bio-electricity.” Being conductors of electricity, our bodies are conduits, which can carry and distribute the flow of electricity from our body to other external objects. Eels know how to generate electricity, and our bodies do as well. However, why we don’t feel it. This is because the electricity that we generate is too weak to be felt.

But in certain circumstances, we may be able to feel this bioelectricity. There are some books that can teach you how to properly practice Qi Gong so that you can feel this bio-electricity flowing through your body that builds up to become stronger and stronger, till it finally flows along the energy channels led and driven by your “Intent.”

Thrive Wellness Center
2499 Glades Rd #305a
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone: (561) 416-4391
http://thrivewellnesscenter.com/acupuncture-boca-raton/




Five Element Qigong

23. March 2020 · Comments Off on Five Element Qigong · Categories: Acupuncture, chinese medicine · Tags:

A therapeutic form of exercises emanating from the Taoist philosophy of theFive Elements, Five Element qigong is a unique form of healing especially designed for professional holistic therapists, Chinese Medicine practitioners (like acupuncturists vancouver), healers, somatic-based psychotherapists, and bodyworkers who directly work with patients. The movements can be learned by both the patient and practitioner and is used as part of a treatment plan, or recommended as “homework” for the patient to boost his or her healing processes on a spiritual and physical level. Certain qualifications are considered to see if a practitioner is eligible to practice medical qigong within their clinical discipline.

Pronounced “chee gung,” qigong is a set of simple energetic practices, massages, and tai chi-style movements that can help improve the balance and flow of energy of the body. Rather than using a continuous progression from one position to the next, as happens in tai chi, the movements in qigong are discrete and simple, often trimmed down to a stationary meditative pose or a repetitive pattern.

When one practices five-element qigong regularly, with mindful awareness and conscious breathing, it can stimulate the body’s innate healing powers of the body and promote the smooth flow of energy all across the body. Because of its regenerative qualities, qigong combined with health maintenance practices can be especially valuable for people suffering from spiritual/emotional imbalances, energy blockages, injuries, or severe or minor illnesses. The basic distinct movements are quite easy to learn and perform and with a modest investment of time, can provide a person with additional and incredible holistic benefits.

The Three Core Skills Of Qi Gong

17. March 2020 · Comments Off on The Three Core Skills Of Qi Gong · Categories: chinese medicine · Tags:

Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll explain why almost all practitioners of Qigong are wasting their time…

Keep in mind that Qigong is the method of intentionally controlling your life force or Chi. Life force is the essence that keeps us alive and gives us the power us to do everything we do. Qigong is the same as Yoga and Tai Chi, but quicker and easier to learn and less demanding.

Qigong does not need athleticism and has shown to provide several health benefits.

People performing this age-old art have five basic goals they want to achieve:

  1. Increase Vitality an Improve Health
  2. Spiritual Cultivation
  3. Develop Internal Force
  4. Longevity
  5. Mind Expansion

However, as I said a short while ago, almost all practitioners of Qigong are wasting their time because they are unaware of the three core skills of Qigong, and so, omit performing them.

For you to achieve those five basic goals, you need to practice and keep on practicing these three core skills.

What are the three core skills that almost everyone is unaware of?

  1. Standing meditation – this method basically allows you to strengthen your practice.
  • Energy Flow – the Chinese call this skill ‘willow swaying, flowing breeze.’

It is qigong’s most closely guarded secrets and this is quite unfortunate since this skill is a very powerful way to enhance your vitality and health. You’re depriving yourself of at least three fourths of the benefits of qigong if the energy flow skill is missing in your qigong routine.

  • Entering a quiet state of mind – this is similar to a higher state of consciousness. This skill will help you stay focused and relaxed. If you’re unable to relax and/or perform qigong, pause and try to relax. While many people who start practicing qigong are able to relax, this relaxation is merely the beginning of qigong. You need to relax your entire being, this means relaxing spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally in order to enter a quiet state of mind.

If you’re not performing these three core skills, you’re only doing low level exercises and not getting the really significant advantages of qigong. Whether you’re doing dynamic qigong, super hardcore qigong, martial arts qi gong, or medicinal qigong, these three core skills should be included to attain the greatest and optimal benefits of qigong. Without them, you’re almost wasting your time doing this exercise.

Learning the three qigong core skills is best achieved through a teacher who knows and performs them. These skills of qigong are extremely important since it is an art. It carries more weight than the amount of qigong exercises you have learned. Just 15 minutes of daily practice of these three core skills gives you more benefits than most qigong practitioners get in an hour.

Ni Nan Gilbert is a licensed acupuncturist in Bellmore, NY with certification in Chinese Herbology and over 16 years experience in traditional Chinese medicine.

Studies Prove The Healing Effects Of 5-Element Music Therapy

17. March 2020 · Comments Off on Studies Prove The Healing Effects Of 5-Element Music Therapy · Categories: Acupuncture, chinese medicine · Tags:

The language of music is a very powerful tool that on so many levels has the power to heal and destroy. After a tiring and long day, do you ever get exhausted or depressed? Perhaps, you become highly stressed or anxious while stuck in traffic as you go to work or go home after work. Due to music’s instant impact on the emotions, it has long been used to relieve depression and stress. Since ancient times, music and sound have been used by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in order to exploit its healing powers. Over time, it developed into an art form known as 5-element music therapy.

Music naturally stimulates the production and release of the body’s own “feel good” neurotransmitters in the body called endorphins. It is not surprising that music is often integrated into different rehabilitation programs all over the globe. The healing power of 5-element music has demonstrated to uplift the quality of life of cancer patients.

Medical studies have validated that 5-element music therapy positively affects people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, seasonal affective disorder, and depression.

What Is 5-Element Music Therapy?

The Nei Jing, (The medicine classic of the Yellow Emperor), written over 2,200 years ago, was the first document to mention music as a form of therapy. The healing power of music is a major component of traditional Chinese medicine. Its role within TCM is directly associated with the 5-element principle.

This principle is a way to describe the process of change within the bodily systems. This process is represented in the 5 elements of nature: water, metal, wood, fire, and earth. Each element is connected to various aspects, which include emotion, climate, time of day, season, taste, internal organ, and a musical note.

In Chinese classical music, there are only 5 sounds/notes that correspond to a specific element. These sounds include gong, shi, jiao, yu, and zhang. They are traditionally played on Chinese classical musical instruments that include the flute, zither, drum, and gong. Playing 5-element music has shown to lead to a variety of amazing healing benefits.

Here is a brief summary of 5-element therapy, including the Chinese musical sounds/notes and their health benefits.

  1. Water

Water is associated with fear, winter, cold, and black and the energetic organs of the kidney and bladder. In Western music, it is equal to the A note and makes a ‘la’ sound. In Chinese 5-element music theory, water affiliates with the ‘yu’ sound and this sound has the power to lessen lung fire, protect kidney essence, and nourish the kidneys.

  • Metal

Metal associates with emotion of grief, the season of autumn, the quality of dryness, the color white and the musical sound of zhang. The zhang note corresponds with the ‘D’ note of Western music and produces a ‘re’ tone. The zhang note nourishes and protects the lungs and large intestine.

  • Fire

In general, fire is related to joy, summer, heat, the color white, and the ‘shi’ sound (corresponds to the ‘G’ note). Shi creates a “so” musical sound and nourishes the small intestine and heart.

  • Earth

The Earth element associates with pensiveness, late summer, dampness, yellow, and the ‘gong’ sound. This sound or note corresponds to the ‘C’ note in Western musical notation. Gong generates a “do” sound and help strengthen the abdomen and spleen.

  • Wood

Wood affiliates with anger, springtime, wind, blue and green, and the ‘Jiao’ sound, which influences the gallbladder and liver. In Western musical notation, Jiao corresponds to the “E” note, and it generates a ‘mi’ sound. The Jiao note promotes smooth chi flow and treats depression.

Four Benefits of 5-Element Music Therapy 

Medical research efforts have strove to study the health benefits of 5-element music therapy. This Eastern therapeutic system benefits patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, seasonal affective disorder, depression, and cancer.

  1. 5-Element Music Therapy alleviates chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue is diagnosed as extreme fatigue that endures for over six months. Other symptoms can include sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depression, exhaustion following mild exercise, and loss of appetite.

In 2015, the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Maitland published a study showing that a combination gong (earth) and jiao (wood) sounds plus a dish of lixujieyu led to the significant alleviation of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome especially of joint and muscle pain.

The study arbitrarily  divided patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome into 5 groups. The first group used the lixujieyu dish with a distinct elemental note, including shi, zhang, yu, jiao, and gong. The second group was only given the lixujieyu dish.

  • Treats Depression

About a tenth of Americans suffer from clinical depression, with women twice at risk of developing depression than men. People with depression often have the feeling of worthlessness, irritability, anger, hopelessness, and guilt. This condition can also weaken the immune system, while often going hand-in-hand with other chronic illnesses. Persistent ideations of suicide and death are also common.

In 2015, the Int’l Journal of Nursing Practice published a recent study revealing the positive effect of 5-element music therapy in reducing the levels of depression levels in 71 nursing students suffering from depression. The control group made up of 40 students did not listen to music while the 31 students listened to the 5-element TCM music therapy group.

Saliva samples were taken by the researchers from the students to measure their cortisol levels. They also used the Self-Report Depression Mood Inventory for Adolescents to evaluate the students. Based on their salivary cortisol levels, the group who listened to music therapy group reported a meaningful decrease in the severity of their depression.

  • Relieves SAD (seasonal affective disorder)

SAD is a type of depression that occurs in the dark months of winter that tend to disappear during spring and summer. Sufferers of SAD struggle with more than a bad mood. Additional symptoms include strong cravings for cravings for carbs and sweets, low sex drive, weight gain, concentration difficulty, lethargy, fatigue, and a desire to sleep more.

The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine recently published a study revealing that 5-element music therapy can relieve SAD symptoms among older people. The study recruited 50 patients half of whom were placed into a control group that did not listen to music and the other half designated to the 5-element music therapy group.

For eight straight weeks, one to two hours each week, the musical therapy group listened to music. The outcomes showed that 5-element music therapy reduced decreased psychological distress and bolstered inner peace.

Improves the quality of life of cancer patients

The quality of life of cancer patients gets drastically reduced when they begin undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In 2013, the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine published study showing that 5-element music therapy can help uplift the life quality of patients with advanced cancer. The study involved the participation of 170 patients who divided into three groups: 34 were placed in a group that did not listen to music at all, 68 were placed in a Western musical therapy group, and 68 were placed in the 5-element music group.

During the three-week study, the two music therapy groups listened to music 5 days a week half an hour each day. Before and after treatment the researchers evaluated the patients using the HQOLI-R (Hospice Life Quality Index-Revised) and KPS tests (Karnofsky Performance Score). Both techniques are utilized for cancer patients to measure their quality of life. Between the other groups, the 5-element musical therapy group showed marked differences in the scores of KPS and HQOLI-R.

The Difference between Western Music Therapy and 5-Element Music Therapy

In general, music is widely deemed to be extremely therapeutic and this is the reason why we need to discriminate between 5-element music therapy and Western music therapy since they really have certain differences. 5-element music therapy uses certain musical sounds, which pertains to a specific element that traditional Chinese medicine uses. On the other hand, Western music therapy works much like techniques such as physical therapy, psychotherapy, and occupational therapies, which involves a patient and therapist were individual improvements and responses may vary.

Western music therapy is made up of two major branches: passive and active. In passive music therapy, the patient rests while the therapist plays relaxing music. The therapist would then tell the patient to reflect on inner dialogue, feelings, and sensations and imagine soothing images. Active music therapy is an interactive process between the patient and therapist, and they work together with their voices, instruments, and their bodies, if needed.

5-element music therapy and Western music therapy are unrelated but it seems though that Western music therapy offers more proof that music has healing abilities for sure. Studies indicate that Western music therapy alleviates anxiety and stress, and because of this, reduces the need for prescribed medications such as tranquilizing or hypnotic drugs.

Research also connected Western music therapy to the proper management of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, the improvement of communication and self-expression, and decrease of schizophrenia symptoms and other psychological disorders. It has also proven to reduce anxiety in patients who went through cardiac procedures and has shown to work on a person’s mood after suffering a stroke. In addition, music therapy affects brain waves, stress hormones, and brain circulation.

Conclusion

To summarize, deeply rooted in the 5-element theory, 5-element music therapy is one important component of traditional Chinese medicine. The 5 elements pertain to the notes/sounds gong, shi, jiao, yu, and zhang, and each sound possesses a certain amount of healing.

Clinical studies reveal that 5-element had a beneficial effect on the quality life on patients suffering from cancer, and on patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, seasonal affective disorder, and depression. To know how 5-element music therapy can benefit you, talk to a qualified practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.

The Benefits Of Sports Cupping Massage

05. March 2020 · Comments Off on The Benefits Of Sports Cupping Massage · Categories: Acupuncture, chinese medicine · Tags:

Records are broken almost each year, and competition has been tougher than ever in today’s sports. In order to become faster, stronger and swifter, athletes have to train harder. As a result, their bodies take a lot of punishment and it takes a considerable time for them to recover. After competitions and practices, these athletes oftentimes need a faster time to recover. Most of them go for massage therapies to heal their bodies faster and return them into tip-top shape in no time at all.

What Is Sports Cupping Massage?

Having been around for some time, sports massage has become a regular healing technique for almost all athletes and active people. These include fitness enthusiasts, recreational runners, and gym goers. One branch of massage therapy that is slowly gaining popularity is a method called cupping massage. At first, some individuals were shocked to see round purple bruise like marks on the bodies of some Olympic athletes. They were eventually informed that those marks mean that the athletes have gone through cupping massage therapy. This healing technique helps sore tissue and muscles recover faster. It is also used to relieve joint pain and respiratory disorders among others.

How Does Cupping Massage Therapy Work?

Cupping is so named because glass cups are used in the therapy, which is commonly made from silicone, glass, or plastic used and applied onto the body of a person. The glass comes in different shapes and sizes and is applied into different body parts. A cupping massage therapist uses the cups in one of two ways. One is through suction, utilizing a suction handle and the other is through a flammable substance such as alcohol to create negative suction inside the cup. Both procedures work well. The objective of the treatment is to suction air out of a glass. This creates negative pressure inside the cup and when applied to the body, pulls the skin inside the cup. Suction handles are now more commonly used. They are used right to the valve of the cup helping maintain the suction movement. Cups are applied at sites of restriction or adhesion, which is easily determined by any massage therapist. Depending on the effect the massage therapist wants to achieve, after the cups have been applied to the patient’s body, they are moved around the affected body parts or remain in one place. Before the cups are used, a lubricant such as cocoa butter may be applied to the treatment area to generate more surface tension.

What transpires during a session of massage cupping therapy?

Being a decompressive process, cupping massage pulls tissues gently apart so that the body can create more space between the tissue layers. The human body is structured into several layers like our skin. Underneath, there is the muscle layer, a deeper layer of myofascial, a fatty layer, and then a myofascial layer. When you become injured or stressed, some of your body parts become locked or fixated to each other and you acquire adhesions, which causes tissue inflammation. Cupping can be a way to treat and open up those sites. The circulation of blood is increased to the cupping area and a negative pull occurs inside the cup. The cups typically remain in the patient’s body for several minutes. This process is used many times alongside other massage treatments or therapies. While it might appear painful, the therapy may feel like a nice stretch and relaxes the muscles as well.

Who Can Administer Cupping Massage therapy?

A certified massage therapist can legally administer cupping massage therapy. This healing technique is widely sought by gymnasts and swimmers. It can be used by everyone and is a natural way to allow the body to heal itself. World-class sports competitors have been using this therapy for years, which definitely says a lot about its benefits. Chances are it will generate excellent benefits to your body!

Revive Acupuncture
43353 Mission Blvd #B
Fremont, CA 94539
(510) 438-0128
http://www.reviveacupuncture.com/

The Healing Benefits Of Auricular Acupuncture Throughout The Entire Body

05. March 2020 · Comments Off on The Healing Benefits Of Auricular Acupuncture Throughout The Entire Body · Categories: Acupuncture, chinese medicine · Tags:

In all kinds of diseases, Tarzana traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has always provided people with different and unique approaches to healing. These techniques are painless, safe, and natural, and don’t require the use of drugs. According to TCM, the human body is deemed to maintain a fine balance with its surroundings via the exchange of energy. Positive energy eliminates negative energy and always flows through the body. The entire system of the body works for this exchange just to preserve balance. One great method used in TCM to maintain balance is auricular acupuncture.

A Chinese medicine concept that focuses on the auricle or externa ear for treatment, auricular acupuncture uses the outer ear to treat illnesses or maintain health in the other parts of the body. Studies have shown that the auricle can be used as a system to control major activities of the body and body organs. This part of the head is comprised of many so-called acupuncture points that are in some or another connected to the entire body. Here filiform needles are stuck in these acupoints. The insertion results in the stimulation of these points which produces signals that reaches the brain, which in turn stimulates the organ in question. This stimulation boosts the functioning of that organ by enhanced muscle movement, increased blood flow and the removal of toxins from the body.

Auricular acupuncture works based on three theories:

  1. Meridian theory – This concept is mainly followed in Chinese herbal medicine. According to the meridian model, energy circulates through permanent energy channels called meridians. Any obstruction in any of the meridians is the underlying cause of illness; therefore, stimulation of the auricular acupoints leads to therapeutic effects on the meridians.
  • Delta reflex theory – According to this concept, the stimulation of acupoints in the auricle causes the body part in question to be stimulated. This leads to a rise in temperature of that body part as well as a temperature rise in the corresponding part of the auricle. They both function as lock and key in which the auricular acupoint serves as the key to the lock of the body organs.
  • Anatomical theory – This model states that the position of the auricular points on the map can be deemed as that of an upside-down fetus. Whatever information is conveyed to the body parts is also conveyed to the outer ear, which makes it bidirectional in movement.

Western medicine has adopted these Chinese ancient theories and techniques with a few tweaks in the form of upgrades. Auricular acupuncture is a branch of Chinese medicine that mainly uses needles to stimulate the meridians. Western medicine has upgraded it in the form of Auriculotherapy. This modern form of acupuncture uses advanced technologies such as electricity, pressure pellets, magnets, laser, and other things, to activate the energy channels in the auricle. Auriculotherapy was invented by Dr. Paul Nogier, a French neurologist.

Auricular acupuncture generates various healing benefits on the entire body since it targets the acupoints scattered across the body. It helps stabilize the emotions and mind and can treat insomnia, stress, depression, and anxiety. In addition, it can address ailments and pain like muscular tension and aches, headaches, migraines, backaches, and arthritis. Its association with the respiratory and digestion organs of the body makes it capable of treating constipation, bronchitis, asthma, colitis, and indigestion. Plus, it is a very good way of permanently eliminating vices such as alcohol and smoking from your system. Auricular acupuncture can also preserve the balance of women’s bodies during their menstrual periods.

You need a qualified acupuncturist who has trained or specialized in auricular acupuncture if you want to experience the best outcomes from the therapy. These specialists are totally aware of the over 200 acupuncture points located in your auricle. One important thing to note is that the needle should be stuck into the auditory channel reaching the inner ear. Inserting the wrong area with a needle may result in injury to the ear and might even lead to deafness to the patient’s ear. The treatment should be done on the fleshy part of the ear called the pinna.

Feng Shui Techniques To Bring In More Positive Energy To Your Home

02. March 2020 · Comments Off on Feng Shui Techniques To Bring In More Positive Energy To Your Home · Categories: chinese medicine · Tags:

If you are earnestly seeking a way to avoid or relieve stress in your life, then you need to consider the space that you’re living in and see whether it reduces or adds to the amount of stress in your life.

What is Feng Shui?

Simply put, Feng shui is about modifying the manner energy circulates around your living space and home. It is an age-old Chinese ‘system of placement’ and deals with the interaction of elements and objects between each other.

Most people cannot rebuild their homes because doing so is simply too expensive; however, they can utilize certain basic feng shui start-up techniques that can make their lives and homes better places to live in.

These techniques are utilized whenever an expert in feng shui senses a “heavy energy” around him or her that requires the need to uplift the spirit of the client and bring about a change in the energy. If these things are all new to you, then simply adding a new plant arrangement, mirror placement, change of furniture, or even a new color to your space can generate incredible benefits. Anyway, many have said, “a change is as good as a holiday.”

Try these basic feng shui techniques for fun and to alter the template of your home if it doesn’t have the template you need. Do this and watch it change your life.

To generate templates that can influence your life in a good way, begin with these five Feng Shui start up techniques:

1. Bring in Fiery Passion in your Life

This feng shui tip will entail the use of very long curtains that fold onto themselves, plus, a variety of pillows strewn all over the place, fancy pink towels, candles all around, and a mish-mash of fabrics and colors. Place bowls of flowers anywhere in the space. When you take your shoes off, toss them over your shoulders. Throw over the sofa a shawl of soft wool. Over the lampshade, place a burgundy scarf and for the centerpiece of your living room, hang a large nude painting, that’s slightly off-position. Throughout your residence, spray essence of flowers and play the most romantic music you can find.

Your home’s energy is perhaps too confined or precise for the energy of passion to come in and feel welcome. If this is the case, try to rearrange things. Generate a passion template first and sooner or later, form will manifest. Passion for one person obviously may be different from another person. Know what passion means to you and manifest it in a spectacular fashion.

2. Attract More Abundance

In your living space, begin producing a sense of luxury. Be creative! Purchase inexpensive items such as fabrics that are richly colored. Add a few things that can express your self-indulgence. Begin with your bedroom or any room. Drape a rich fabric on your bed. Add several pillows.

Hang photos and pictures, which to you represent abundance. Generate a ‘treasure map’ and hang it on the wall. The treasure map should convey the image of the kind of wealth you want to manifest. It can be a stockpile of magazine cuttings and photos that you’ve put together. Put the ‘treasure map’ on a place where anyone can see it, and allow it to be embedded in your mind.

3. Allow Greater Creativity into Your Home

Creativity is typically being able to view “ordinary” in another way. Look at a lampshade or a basket. Take things that are being thrown away and determine how you can use them in another way. Take something that someone has discarded and make something out of it, preferably crafting an artwork out of it. Without spending a lot of money for your creativity, you can use your home as a canvas. For decoration, hang on a dried branch a string of Christmas tree lights, use cork painted in bright colors to create frames for your family photos. If you practice creativity in your home, you will discover that you have generated a template of creativity in your life.

4. Bring In More Love Into Your Home

Know what love is to you and what things represent it in your home and then fill your home with that. Paint your bedroom wall pink if this color reminds you of love. Place in your lounge a bouquet of pink flowers. Put on your bed lots of heart-shaped pillows if the shape of the heart reminds you of love.

5. Bring In More Peace in Your Home

If you want to attract peace in your home, fill it with the feeling and energy of peace. In feng shui, blue is the color of peace and therefore, paint your room blue to attract peace to that area. Use pastel and blue colors and take out anything orange or red. Remove objects that make you irritated and things that you don’t like. Play relaxing music. Even if it’s something your grandma gave you, you DON’T need to display it. The crystals in your home, can consecrate it to peace. Get an aquarium with swimming graceful and slow-moving fishes. Add to your home ferns that have been placed in pots. So you can listen to the sound of flowing water flowing, make an indoor waterfall in your home. Display paintings and photos of peaceful nature scenery. Dull sharp corners by covering them with soft fabric. Periodically spray lavender scent all over your home. Peace will fill your heart when your home feels and looks like a haven for peace.

Begin with small changes to your living space and other parts of your home. Eventually, you will notice a change to the way you feel. For you and your home, Feng Shui can be a real relief for stress.

Thrive Wellness Center is an acupuncture clinic in Fort Lauderdale, FL with licensed acupuncturists, physicians and therapists.

How Moms-To-Be Can Benefit From Craniosacral Therapy

01. March 2020 · Comments Off on How Moms-To-Be Can Benefit From Craniosacral Therapy · Categories: Acupuncture, Uncategorized · Tags:

A woman’s pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, each three months long (about 14 weeks each per trimester). It’s observed during each trimester that certain common symptoms occur among pregnant clients that can be relieved or resolved with CST or Craniosacral Therapy.

Let’s discuss the first, second, and third months of pregnancy or the first trimester of pregnancy.

After conception, the initial few weeks are the periods when the embryonic period takes place in which the systems and organs of the developing baby are formed. The embryo or undeveloped baby is smaller than your little toe at the first eight weeks, although at this time all the internal organs have already developed with some even functioning. Because these early weeks are so important in the development of the baby, some women come in for Craniosacral Therapy to prepare for conception.

Obviously, there are would-be mothers who may wonder if craniosacral treatments are safe to use when they are pregnant?

Yes, CST is safe as well as very helpful in their body’s adaptation to the changes through the entire 40-week process of pregnancy, and she needs to have her body functioning at its optimum to support and fully nourish her developing baby.

One other concern pregnant women ask is whether CST precipitates premature labor.

When done by a qualified craniosacral therapist in an appropriate and correct manner, craniosacral therapy never works against what your body needs to do. However, in the initial 12 weeks, if there is something wrong with the pregnancy, miscarriages do happen and this may occur because the body needs to terminate the fetus. CST merely assists the body in what it naturally needs to do.

In the early weeks, one typical complaint of pregnant women is nausea, which, can be activated by an increased sensitivity to certain foods and odors. Craniosacral therapy can address this symptom and when treated in the early stages of pregnancy, it enables you to forge a very close attachment with your growing baby, allows you to adapt to changes in your growing body, most importantly, and helps you to relax. Since a Craniosacral therapist only administers very gentle touches, this is the most appropriate treatment you can avail of during the first weeks of pregnancy.

Tiredness is another symptom that can be felt by the newly pregnant mother. When Mel was 10 weeks pregnant, she decided to come for CST. She worked full time and had a two-year-old toddler. During her therapies, she entered a deep state of relaxation and even slept occasionally via a number of relaxation-inducing touches. She felt better later and was able to adopt to her hectic timetable. At almost 40 weeks, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, she named Sam.

Fourth, fifth, and six months of pregnancy (The Second Trimester).

For most of my clients at this time, the nausea and fatigue of the first trimester have disappeared. The next trimester will be the period for increasing their health and well-being. Acid reflux or heartburn is the condition my clients commonly experience at this stage. This happens because the developing baby is putting growing pressure on the woman’s abdomen.

Stella was expecting her third child when she entered my clinic suffering from reflux. She reported that during her past two pregnancies, she also had digestion issues and had read from an online article that Craniosacral therapy is one natural and safe way to relieve heartburn. I gently placed my hands on her lower ribs during our first session and within minutes, she could sense the tension surrounding her diaphragm loosen. Later, she told me the pressure on her esophagus had loosened, and she felt she had now more space for the baby. This easing off pressure helped decrease the acid flow from her abdomen to her throat. Besides CST, I recommended that she stay away from rich foods, eat smaller portion meals and wear loose clothing that will lessen the chance of reflux all the more.

If the expectant mom is taking on more tasks than she can handle and/or is suffering from anxiety, this can bring about tension headaches. Many of my clients complaining of tension headaches also had backache problems and when their backaches had been addressed, they find that their headaches have likewise been resolved. With CST, the client can tune in with the message sent by her body. She may realize the real cause of her tension headache is just a lack of rest and anxieties about labor. CST gives you the insight to know what the problems in your body are and the means to acquire the answers to those problems.

Seventh, eighth and ninth month of pregnancy (The Third Trimester).

In the third trimester, the client often experiences shortness of breath problems, and their fatigue can once again appear. At this stage, her body will show signs of slowing down because of tiredness. Some of my clients seem to experience a stuffy nose in their late pregnancy. This occurs because hormones in their body (which are preparing the vagina for birth by lubricating it) can also affect the sinuses and nostrils. A gentle session of CST can help release their nasal and facial bones that specifically relieve these problems.

With the problem of congestion, some clients find that along with Craniosacral treatments, diet can also weaken the congestion. This type of sinusitis will eventually disappear once the baby is born.

In the final weeks of pregnancy, the most common condition problem I see in my pregnant clients is back pain, which can be felt at any phase of the pregnancy but more often than not occurs in the final trimester. CST is a perfect treatment for backache and just a few sessions along with swimming, yoga, stretching exercises can lead to fewer aches and pains and a better-quality sleep.

Some expectant moms see me just before their due date. At this late phase, one can still enjoy the benefits of CST as it prepares the body for labor even more. Sometimes, when the labor seems to take longer than usual, a session or two will provide the client with renewed energy.

Jamie Catlett is an acupuncturist in Jacksonville, FL and the founder of Jacksonville Acupuncture Clinic.