Winter time, eat "black"

    Winter is cold, people who are low in Yang energy (easy to feel cold, hard to warm up) can eat more "black" food to nourish the kidney energy.
    
    Major black food include: black rice, black bean, black sesame, black date, black tree fungus, black mushroom, mulberry, kelp, sea cucumber, dry purple seaweed, and fishes are in black color.
    
    The color of the food has very important connection with its nutritional value. In general, as the natural color of the food getting darker, its nutritional value goes up.
    
    Black rice: stimulate the appetite, restore energy for the weak, strengthen the spleen, warm the liver and activate the blood circulation;
    
    Black sesame: lower cholesterol and maintain normal blood circulation; 
    
    Black tree fungus: high in Iron, help with the cold symptoms that caused by low blood volume;
    
    Black seaweed and kelp: high in algin, iodine and calcium, helps to soften the blood vessels, improves blood circulation and thyroid hormone secreting;
    
    Therefore these foods will particularly benefit those who are low in Yang energy, have bad blood circulations and "fragile" in the cold, such as ill person, seniors, women and children.

December 21st-22nd, 2010, "Winter Solstice", the 4th small Winter season arrives

   "Winter Solstice" is an internationally known term. According to the Chinese seasonal calender,2010 Winter Solstice starts December 22nd at 7:39am in China time zone. Interestingly, according to the Gregorian calendar, AKA Christian calender or western calender, 2010 Winter Solstice starts December 21st at 11:38pm UTC or GMT (Greenwich Mean time), or 6:38pm EST. Here I think the ancient Eastern and Western people did come up with an "agreement" as 11:38pm UTC on December 21st is the same moment as December 7:39am China Time(despite the 1min difference).


    Either way, this means at this universal moment, the north pole is tilted 23.5 degree away from the sun. In our 24-season system, "winter solstice" is one of the most important season of the year. In China it was recorded being established as the first season (among all 24)about 2500 years ago using the tool called “土圭” that looks like this:

We all know this is the day with the least daylight and after this day, day time will be getting longer and longer. The ancient Chinese described this day as   " 阴极之至，阳气始生，日南至，日短之至，日影长之至，故曰'冬至'".  Literally translated as "Yin energy at its most and start to reduce, Yang energy reaches its lowest and start to grow, the sun reaches the most southern point, daylight being the shortest, shadow of the stick being the longest, thus the days is called 'winter-est'". Here "Winter-est" is my personal interpretation of the season name "冬至", as "冬" means winter and "至" means the "most, extreme".  After this day we will be entering the real cold winter days. In Chinese culture, people will start to count every 9-day starting this day to measure the degree of coldness. For example from December 22nd to 30th will be the first "9-day", and the third and fourth "9-day" is considered as the coldest time of the year, which will be between January 9th to January 26th, 2011.
    
    "Winter Solstice" is considered as "Junior Chinese New Year" in China as the people believe from this day on the Yang energy will be stronger and stronger, therefore this is a starting day of the new season cycle, and a new starting day is always a good day to celebrate. Chinese will usually cook dumpling in the north and rice ball or noodle in the south. In the West this is the Christmas season, and here we find another Eastern-Western agreement (which could be explained in many ways).


    Enough background, our point is how to live through this season and do the right health preservation activities. I have mentioned above that "Winter Solstice season" is the most important season of the year and the "Winter Solstice Day" is the most important day of the season, obviously the "Winter Solstice Time" is the most important time of the day. Without exaggeration we can say how do you spend this moment determine your health condition for the coming year. Yes, it is that important.
    
    One very important Chinese history book recorded that during the Han dynasty (202 B.C - 220 A.D.), "Around the winter solstice day, the emperor closed the government, no official matters would be discussed, the army would not train, even the border was closed, no business or traveling, friends and family member would offer each others the best meal and everyone stayed pleasant but calm and quite." Well, ancient folks are not much different from us today. But today we cannot close the government and business, and even though we still offer the best food to each other we cannot stay too calm and quite as this is the crazy holiday season. So, what CAN we do?


    As we already know that winter is the season of "storing". Like a seed being planted and asleep, on winter solstice day it finally start to grow as the Yang energy has past its lowest spot and starts to bounce back. Ideally, we should reduced our physical activities to the minimum from 5 days before the winter solstice day to 5 days after. Realistically, at least on the Winter solstice day, we should reduce our physical activities and just rest or meditate. For those who cannot do that, at least reduce your activities at the winter solstice moment! We have been taking care of our "seed" for a long time and now it's the time to give a great push for it to grow into a great tree. Since the Yang energy is so young like an infant, the best way to nourishing it is NOT to feed it too much but quietly take care of it and allow it to gather its own energy force. Same thing to our body, at this moment the best way is not to force anything, meaning don't eat or drink crazy, don't run around and don't do physical exercises. The best way is to sit there and meditate, or practice some static Qi Gong exercise. 
    
    Winter Solstice day is considered as the "midnight" of the year, just as we need to be asleep during midnight, we should be at least resting and "recharging" during "midnight" of the year. Besides physical activities, mental activities also need to be reduced. Stay in a very pleasant but calm mood, don't consume the precious energy to worry about things.


    We will be doing seasonal special Qi Gong and meditation on our usual Tuesday night class on the 21st. Since the Winter Solstice moment is 6:38pm, I hope everyone can finish a lite dinner before that time and rest before come to class. For those who are not around. My minimum "requirement" for you is to be calm and quite from 5pm-8pm on the 21st. This 3-hour can be your key to next year's health. Please do so.  

The "13 often” for easy health preservation

    "13" may not be an American's favor number, but here is the "13 often" you need to favor for easy health preservation. No equipments needed, free of charge, no location requirement, and you can do it anytime.

1. Comb the hair often: stimulate the scalp, activate the brain, better than fish oil;
2. Roll the eyes often: improve the sight, clarify the mind;
3. Pull the ears often: stimulate all 89 ear acu-points that cover the entire human body;
4. Shake the head often: keep the circulation well around the neck area;
5. Rub the face often: make the face skin staying in nice condition and wrinkle-free;
6. Knock the teeth often: bite and knock, keep the gum healthy;
7. Swallow the saliva often: keep the essence in the body, keep the mouth healthy;
8. Rub the hands often: increase circulation on the hands, keep the wrists healthy, as fingers are connected with heart, this also is good for the heart;
9. Throw the arms often: keep the joints and muscle in the arms healthy and strong;
10. Rub the belly often: helping with digestion, absorption and excretion ;
11. Tighten the PC muscle (pubococcygeus muscle) often: preventing and healing hemorrhoid and other rectal illness;
12. Slap the legs often: give you stronger legs;
13. Rub the bottom of the feet often: adjust the Yin-Yang balance of the body.

what to eat to protect yourself from flu in winter?

    The key to resist flu is the human body's internal strength, AKA immune system. The vitality of immune system depends on right nutrient substance. Here is a simple list of things can help your immune system to stay strong and alive:

1. Colorful fruits and vegetables.  Common things like grapefruit, orange, apple, tomato, carrot not only look good, they also contain antioxidants that protect your immune system from being damaged and strengthen your white blood cell functions. Meanwhile these food also contains lots of Vitamin C, which is a well known element that helps with defending and healing.
2. High quality protein. When human is sick, the body needs a lot more energy to fight the illness, and meanwhile the immune system needs amino acids to repair itself. When virus attacks the body, the body will produce a lot antibodies which are actually protein. These protein will neutralize the infected cell therefore eliminate the pathogen and eventually clean it out of the body. Main sources for these protein are eggs, lean meat and bean products (tofu!)
3. Vitamin E. This is proven by modern scientific researches. If you are already taking VE supplement then you should be in good shape on this one. But it's always better to acquire it from natural food such as almond, malt, and deep-green color vegetables.
4. Garlic and onion. They don't smell good but we all know that they kills the bad guys. So it is up to your recipe to make them taste good too.
5. Multi-vitamin. Immune system needs more than just one kind of vitamin, multi-vitamin will create a balanced state in the body, and there is no negative side effects. BUT this doesn't mean that they can replace regular food, as there are many other kinds of element in natural food that must be given by the universe and can never be artificially reproduced. 

December 7th, 2010. "Heavy Snow", the 3rd small winter season arrives

    Easy to understand that "heavy snow" is the upgrade of the last season "light snow". But here the word "heavy" means both the amount and area. Apparently it's going to be colder and more snow. We care more about how to live better in this season, and here are the "Yes" to go after and No"s to prevent for everyone.


    The 7 "Yes"s:

1. Stay warm: Common sense, winter is Yin season and we need to protect the Yin essence. It is necessary to stay warm but not too hot either. Especially do not sweat too much as sweat is part of the Yin essence and we need to keep it.
2. Work on the feet: keep the feet clean, change the socks often. Also it's the best time to do foot bath every night and work on the foot acu-pressure points you know. Walk some good distance everyday to give the feet some exercise. Also make sure to wear a right pair of shoes that are comfortable, light, warm and anti-moisture.
3. Drink more water: Although there is less water elimination in the winter, the brain and other body organ cell still need enough water in order to maintain it's function.
4. Balance the mind: It's the depressed feeling you need to avoid by doing some physical activities.
5. Keep the air fresh: As the windows are locked, the air in the house is more polluted. When there is a possible nice day, open a window and have some air exchange.
6. Congee-like type of food: Winter food should not be hard or cold. Congee or porridge are recommended. Eat warm congee-like food in the morning and less food for dinner to protect the stomach.
7. Go to bed early: Yang energy is precious in the winter, especially later at night. Try to sleep earlier and get up later. Sleep early for nourishing the Yang energy and get up later to solidify the Yin energy.

    The 10 "no"s

1. Falling: Especially for seniors and people with osteoporosis.
2. Stroke: Cold weather affects blood vessel and nerve system strongly. Plus in winter people sweat less, the volume of blood will increase, and this may cause higher blood pressure. If you happened to have any blood or heart related matter make sure be extra careful to maintain a good level, meanwhile be cautious about any foreboding of stroke such as acute vertigo, acute and sharp headache, blurry vision and numbness.
3. Heart attack: Similar to the reason for stroke, low temperature cause blood vessel contraction and increases blood consistency.
4. Stomach ulcer: Cold excites human nerve system. The autonomic nerve system stays "tight" often which may cause hyperacidity that damage the gastric.Therefore if you have had related symptom before, make sure to eat things are easy to digest, mild, warm and less greasy. 
5. Respiratory symptoms: This is a high season for common problems such as cold, coughing, and lung related issues.
6. Carbon Monoxide: if you use natural gas heating your home, make sure check the furnace regularly to make sure it functions well.
7. Hot shower: When it's cold we like to take a shower that is very hot. But long hot shower may cause collapse for someone who are already low in Yang energy, such as elderly and people who are recovering from illness. 
8. Outdoor activities: Make sure to warm up before you jump into the cold weather. The body needs some time to adjust itself for such a big temperature change, especially when you plan to do some exercise such as jogging.
9. Burns: Elderly and babies are less sensitive with temperature, if you are using things like electrical heating blanket or other similar items make sure they are comfortable with the temperature.
10. Inappropriate ways of  warm-keeping: Such as shutting all windows without enough air circulation or sleeping with your head covered.

    Everything I mentioned above are very general therefore not necessarily applies to everyone. I simply hope they can act as friendly reminders for you.

   Friends who live in the WNY area had already experienced some heavy snow in the "light snow" season. If our "prediction" about the warm winter is right, Lake Erie may stay open and provide more snow when the air travel from the west to the east. We don't know how heavy it will be in the "heavy snow" season, but it never hurts if you prepare for the worst.

  But no matter which part of earth you live, winter is always a season for "storing". The universe made the rule and we human beings are to work on how to fit in instead of going against. 

A "million dollar worth health secret" - foot bath

    Once upon a time, a filial son wanted to find a remedy to keep his parents healthy and long lived. Eventually he found another guy whose mother had lived over 100 years. The son paid a lot money bought this "longevity secret" from this guy. When he got home and open the "secret", it simply says "Keep the head cool and keep the feet warm."


    Not to speak if the story is true or not, the "longevity secret" in the story is true. Keep your head cooler than your feet is the key to increase and maintain a good energy circulation for the body, especially as the weather is getting colder.

    Buy a basin/pail/bucket that is big enough for you to put your feet in, fill it with hot water, it should be hotter than your usual standard but not burring. Bath your feet for about 10 minuted or till the water is getting cool. Some friends put salt in, you can too if you have any but it's not necessary. I know there are power feet washing equipments for sale, but going "old school" on this one definitely do better for you.

  It takes 10 minutes of your life everyday, do it before you go to bed. Keep it up and I'm sure you will make your 10 minutes worth a million.

P.S

A friend asked about the saying of "keep the head cool". It is correct only under normal circumstances, meaning when you are under normal condition, not sick, not just got out the shower with wet hair, not just worked out and sweaty. In these conditions, especially when your hair is wet or head is sweaty, you must cover them to prevent the wind harm.

November 22nd, 2010, "Light Snow", the 2nd small winter season arrives

    If the last season "Winter commences"  did not make you think that winter is here, the "light snow" will prove it by giving you some snow, but just light, like its name.
   
    When the light snow drops, it will save us from the past dry seasons, our mouth, nose may feel somehow relieved from the dryness. Snow is the product of cold, it is the signal of the nature telling us to put on more layers and be prepare for what's coming. 
    
    Around this season, we are more likely to get more cloudy and dark days, again, this will affect people's mood, especially those who are or easy to get depressed need to find some good ways to adjust their mood in a sunny day. This is the main topic we are dealing with in this season and here I'd like to talk more about it with everyone.  


    TCM has a saying, "There are no more than three causes for thousands kinds of sickness". The "three causes" are "internal" (7 extreme emotions), "external" (wind,cold,heat,wet,dry,burns), and "non-internal nor-external" (cut, hit, poison...). Depression is often cause by "internal" factor. The 7 emotions include happy, angry, worry, concern, sad, scary and shock. We have these emotions in daily life as they are our normal reaction to the world around us. They will only cause problem if we live under one or more certain kinds of emotion for long time and cannot get out of it. Human emotion conditions show the psychological emotional activities, and the psychological activities are keys to any psychological and emotional sicknesses. Therefore, TCM thinks that extreme emotions is the cause of depression. Ancient Chinese "health preservation specialists" believed  in order to be healthy, one must unify with the changes of the universe, and keep a "empty" and peaceful mind. A clear mind keeps the energy inside and make a perfect "spirit-physical-unified" body.


    We all know that these days modern researches have shown that depression is also caused by certain neuron or chemical elements in the body, but modern medicine never deny that depression is also a result of abnormal emotional activities. There are some researches show that there is a weird thing in our brain called "5-hydroxy tryptamine" (I guess scientists love to name things in a super hard way so they can keep them to themselves and when they mention these words to everyone else nobody will understand what they are anyway thus won't bother ask about ...). The "5-HT" thing reacts to season changes strongly. It functions stronger in spring and summer, but very weak in fall and winter. 


   In conclusion, in this season, the "internal" factors can be more powerful than the "external" factors. We must be happy, enjoy the holidays, listen to happy music, do more outdoor activities especially in good days. Also eat the right thing - banana. Scientists say banana can produce that "5-HT" thing, so let's benefit from their research, without side effects. 


P.S.  I mentioned earlier that this winter season is under influence of 2 "wood wind" factors. "snow" may ends up with "rain" and "wind". Cold rain is very harmful, especially for those who have joints related problems. Be very very careful, cover up your joints and try to keep them warm all the time!

the "Spring-like Warmth" bounces back?

    If you were in our September 21st class, or if you had read this article I posted, now you may want to read the following article.
    This is the a news article from Weather.com on November 8th, that's 1 day into the first winter small season.

    http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/midwest-chill-to-warmth_2010-11-08

 

November 7th, 2010, "winter commences", the 1st small Winter season arrives

     "Winter Commences" indicates the start of winter. It is one of the very original 8 seasons in Chinese lunar season system.These 8 seasons are also the most important seasons among all 24. 


    Although the real winter may not always start with "winter Commences" day (the continuation of days that has temperature lower than 10 Celsius, or 50 F, usually is treated as the real start of winter),  in traditional Chinese, the character for "winter" （冬）, meanings the same as "end" （終）. Winter is the ending season of the year, so is the farming activities. After the autumn harvest, all crops are stored, and many animals are ready for hibernation. Yang energy goes towards its lowest level and Yin goes very strong. Everything is in a state of "storing", gathering and store its energy for next spring to grow. Therefore in order to make sure we have great Yang energy for next spring and stay healthy in winter, the keys for health preservation are, "slow down", "being more static", "store", "hide", and remain a stable emotional state. Make sure to get more sleep than usual, do not force yourself for any unnecessary physical and mental activities.


    It is also the transition season of "dry" and "cold". Things are often at it's extreme towards the end, therefore this can be the driest small season so far before real winter cold arrives. That makes 2 things very important to us. No.1, prepare for the cold and keep your body warm; No.2, balance body organs moisture level, avoid being harmed by dryness. 


    In Chinese traditional folk culture, the day of "winter commences"  is the best time to “intake” or eat great stuff for a day in plain saying. People believe that to eat the best you can in this day can benefit you for the entire winter. But in reality we need to be smart about the "intake". We often see people eat a lot of things that considered "nourishing", but get ill from them instead. Besides eating enough fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits, the main directions for winter food in northern areas (cold areas) are high energy food, such as potato, beef and lamb (lamb is my personal favor all year round, although for sure it works the best in cold season); On the other hand, in southern areas (warmer areas)it is better to take foods that are fresh, clear, mild and warm, such as chicken, duck and fish.

   

    Joints, especially knees, related symptoms are rampant during winter. If you already have knees problem it is the season for you to be extra careful. Make sure to keep your knees warm by wrapping them with necessary layers, but meanwhile make sure to use them to keep the structure active and alive. For those whose knees are still in good shape, don't take it for granted, take care of them by keeping them warm, avoid any possible direct wind blow and dampness, meanwhile maintain reasonable exercises like jogging, walking and Tai Chi. 

    

    In colder areas, after you start to heating your house, the air in the closed room are usually very dry, thus may cause skin and respiratory system related problems. Therefore maintaining good air moisture level is also very important. A small humidifier may help. Also, do open the windows for a bit in a nicer winter day to exchange the air. Preferable open the windows that face south, and strictly avoid draught. 

   Finally just another simple and great tip you should do every winter night before you go to bed. Bath your feet  (soak them in hot-warm water) for several minutes (or until the water seems to be cooling down) even if you already took a shower earlier, dry them well and rub the bottom of your feet. Trust me this doesn't take long to do but benefit you longer than you can imagine, if you persevere. 

a simple and great remedy to remove retained fluid in the body

    Recently I have been meeting lots people with excessive water AKA retained the fluid in their body. It must have something to do with the nature of Buffalo -- windy, cold and wet.


    We all know the body is pretty much made of water and a healthy body keeps a balanced water level. Too much fluid usually cause swollen in arms, legs, ankles and belly.  Some overweighted people try to loose weight but what they don't understand is their weight is not "fat", but fluid instead. But overweight may be the least serious problem caused by fluid, there are many other sever symptoms like joint pain, arthritis, pericardial effusion and even tumor. Fluid in general slows down the flow of Qi (energy and blood), thus cause Qi shortage at certain part of body.


   What I'm saying is extra fluid cause problem, so get rid of them and put your body fluid to the right level.


    So cover yourself well in a cold and windy weather and don't run around in your shorts and thick sweater in a cold and damp day. Plus, Here is the remedy for removing the fluid and maintain good water level, everyone can use it:
                                                              

Pearl Barley 

and red bean.

    Both barley and red bean are very hard, the best way to cook is soak them overnight, then boil them together with enough water in the morning until the soup turns light red. Then you can have it in your water bottle or cup for the day. Don't worry about the proportion, but make sure there is enough water. Drink in room temperature and don't leave them over night. And you don't have to eat the ingredient as the essence is in the soup already, but you can still eat them as a side dish. Put some sugar won't hurt if you like sweet.

    

    One of my client says you can find pearl barley at Tops or Wegman's in Buffalo area. And make sure the red bean is the small red bean, not those big ones you use in your chili, you can find them in many Asian store if not in local super markets.  

The self-healing tips for HANGOVER are finally here!

There are often 2 major kinds of hangover symptom:


1: Headache being the main symptom, with eye swollen or/and echo in the head from talking. This is usually caused by acetaldehyde accumulation. 
2: Bad emotion being the main symptom, with nauseous or vomiting. This is usually caused by acute gastritis. 
If you went hardcore the night before then you may have both. If you have swollen fingers or even losing conscious, then it's probably alcohol intoxication and you better have someone call 911 for you.

To save you from symptom 1, find the following points:
No.1 Bai Hui: midpoint of the line between the two ears, very top point of the head. Method: press.

No.2 Tian Zhu: on the neck, level with C2, in the depression at the lateral border of  trapezius. Method: rub.

No.3 Gan Shu: level with T9, 2 fingers away from the spine. Method: tap, hit or rub (Don't worry if you can't find the exact locations, even you are just working the area it will still work.)

To Save you from symptom 2, simply rub the up, down, left and right, 4 points that are about 3cm from the bellybutton, then press them down, hold about 6 seconds then release. Repeat about 10 times or simply till you feel better.

Hope this helps! (Although I have not yet got a chance to test them myself )

October 23rd, 2010, "Hoar Frost", the last small Autumn season arrives

    "Hoar Frost", the last autumn season, and the 18th season of the year. Meaning, after this season we will be in winter. Just like its name, as it's getting much colder at night, the "cold dew" from last season becomes white frost in the morning. In some area the temperature can reach as low as 0 Celsius.
  
    Being the transition season between autumn and winter, we have noticed the change from "cool" to "cold", and the color of the leaves. As the temperature goes down our blood and energy flow also speeds down with it. Tendons and bones will be affected a lot, thus many of us will experience joint pain, especially on the lower back and knees. Make sure you protect your knees and lower back by adding necessary clothes.


   Besides lungs and large intestine, which we have been talking about for a while, stomach and spleen also need attention as they are active and sensitive during the end of every season. If you had chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer this is the season you need to be careful of as the risk of relapse is high. Being stimulated by the cold air, our autonomic nerve function is affected, so is the normal gastric movement. Our metabolism will increase, more gastric and digesting related "juice" will be released. We may have better appetite and that will give more job to our stomach and spleen. Also if cold air runs into the stomach, it will cause contraction of the blood vessel of the stomach that may lead to lacking of  blood and energy supply in the gastrointestinal mucosa (barrier). These can all  affect the self-repair process of any existing ulcer, or even cause new ulcer. Therefore, make sure take easy on your stomach, don't eat or drink like out of control.


    Food wise, follow the same rule of "Warm, mild, moisturizing" from the past seasons.  Recommended food are pear, apple,olive, onion, white radish, whole grain, lotus, grape, and honey. Avoid hot and spicy food. Drink more water than usual. And of course chrysanthemum tea if you not yet done it.


   And here is a direct and simple way to moisturize the lung. Pour hot water into a cup, like when you drink the tea, and inhale the steam. But after all, the best way of exercise is still the natural way, such as jogging, walking, hiking and  practicing Qi Gong. Plus, believe or not, laughing will also help the lungs.


   Finally, again, keep a good mind, don't be sad seeing everything fading, the universe is simply changing its own look. Enjoy it, and enjoy yourself too!

extra red wine at home? here is a new way to drink it for health

I have read an article recently about a new popular way of drinking red wine in Asia and I think it's worth sharing. To make it simple, I will only list the main benefits of this new way, which includes:
1. Regulating blood pressure ( I think it's more about lowering though, so if you have low blood pressure then this may not be for you) and blood sugar level.
2. help with presbyopia
3. help with those who have to get up many times during sleep for bathroom
4. insomnia or insomniac-like symptoms
5. blur vision caused by overusing the eyes
6. abdominal distension (gassy belly) and constipation
7. cataract
8. knee joint pain
9. even prevent cancer and senile dementia!


Sound great I guess. Well, it's not a "immortal" remedy, but since there is no side effects, it's worth trying. 


How to do it? Simply put onion in it.


One regular bottle (750ml) wine can be mixed with 2-3 onions. It's not that strict, you get the idea.


Chop your onion into pieces (bite size), put them into the red wine, seal the bottle and store it in the fridge for a week.  


Then drink a cup just like you drink the red wine (or about 50ml), once a day. If you don't drink, you can mix the wine with water or, boil it to have the alcohol out. And if you like sweet, a bit of honey won't hurt.


So here is your "New Wine to Health". 


I made some for myself, it was some cheap wine we had from my friend's party and now it taste like onion. You really don't need the greatest wine for it though, but it just taste better with good wine, so it's your choice, and I hope you will be another one who benefit from it.

useful acupoint for treating acute stomach symptom

I'm writing this based on my own experience last night.


Well, last night when I got home after the class, I was very hungry, so I simply had 2 hot dogs, a bowl of baby carrots and a pear.


Within 5 minute I felt the twitching ache in my stomach. I knew it was because I ate too fast so there was too much air went into my stomach with the food and the air was trapped inside. I was not able to let it out.


Then I figured it could be a good chance for me to test one kind of acupoints which are called "Xi Xue",which is usually translated into "Xi Cleft" point. The Xi Cleft points, also called the accumulation points, are where the Qi and Blood of a meridian pool. They are primarily at or near the joints of the body.In treatment they are used primarily for acute conditions, especially pain, that involve their related organs/channels.


I then had 2 needles in the point on each leg then did some simple move, in 5 minutes the air started to rush out of my mouth, I burped like crazy and the ache was simple gone. What made it better was I got hungry again after I was treated and had a big dinner roll.


Anyway, the point is located in the stomach meridian (AKA ST34), With knee flexed, 3 finger width above the superior lateral border of the patella on the line connecting with the ASIS.

Next time if any similar acute symptom happen to you or your family, you can simply press these points. But you need to press them hard as the Xi Cleft points are usually very deep. You can also knock the area with your fists if you have hard time find the exact location of it.

And ultimately, don't eat too fast like I did. Treat your stomach well by chewing your food well and eat slow.

October 8th, 2010, "Cold Dew", the 5th small Autumn season arrives

    "Cold Dew" is the 17th season out of the 24 seasons. Its main characters are just like its name, "cold" and more dew will appear. However, don't be fooled by the name "dew" to think it is going to be a wet season. It is actually the 2nd "dry" fall season among all 6 fall seasons. The main harmful element is still going to be "dry". And the organs are still lungs and large intestines.
  
    However, there will be some good days with clear sky and air. As you are heading outdoor for some activities, don't forget to protect yourself from the nature. When the temperature drops, our Yang energy will withdrawal and the Yin energy is getting ready to grow. So it is the key time for us to store enough Yin energy for what's coming.


    When the temperature drops below about 15 Celsius (59 degree), the "disease-proof" ability of the upper respiratory tract will be weakened. Meanwhile as the "dry" is acting strong, many of us will start to have dry skin,  dry lips, dry mouth, and even dry throat pain.Especially for people whose work involving a lot talking or voice usage.


    Good thing is, the universe doesn't just give us hard time only, it also provide things that we can use to help ourselves. There are so many food we can use and one of the easiest and cheapest is Chrysanthemum tea. This is the season for Chrysanthemum and, see, the universe is fair after all, it provide you with a dry season and something you can use to protect yourself from it. Chrysanthemum tea can be found in many local store, if you like flavor it also goes very well with a bit of rock sugar.


    Other than Chrysanthemum tea, there are many other food you can choose. They are pretty much the same as those for the past season "Autumnal Equinox", so please check my last seasonal article. But here I just want to give you a reminder that spice and hot food is still what we should be avoiding as they harm our Yin energy.


    I mentioned that Autumn is a "sad" season as we will experience sadness and depression from what around us (less sunshine, falling leaving, cold weather, etc.). Therefore, adjust your mood is still very important. Do not hold your emotion inside, if you do have uncomfortable feeling then let it out, but ideally is to maintain a balanced emotion state. Stay optimistic, be happy and watch the "P.E. Emperor" video I posted.


    General speaking, although the temperature continues on dropping, our skin is in the process of transfering from "loose open" to "tight close". It is good to be stimulated by the cold for a little bit. It will prepare us for the colder seasons that are coming up. If you are healthy and strong, don't need to rush on putting too much clothes on, otherwise it may interfere with the constringency of the Yang energy. Especially for young children, who are high in Yang energy, they will sweat if they have too much layers on, thus easier to catch a cold. However don't take this to a extreme as you still need to put on clothes when cold air is attacking, especially near the end of the fall seasons. Elder person, toddlers and people who has chronic issues are not suitable for this method.


    Clinically it has been proven that during cold season, the risk of cerebral thrombosis (brain stroke) is high. That is because people tend to sleep more during cold season. Our blood flows slower during sleep time and this can be the main cause. The ancient people said that "during the fall seasons, go to bed and get up early, follow the rooster's activities". Apparently the rooster part is ancient enough. But to sleep and get up early is still applicable and important  to us these days.

For your pericardium, watch this Surreal Chinese student known as the "P.E. Emperor"

Sometimes I guess we need a good laugh even in the sad Fall season. That made me decide to link this video my friend gave me.


And by the way, for health purposes, the time period of the day when people really need to and should be happy is from 7pm-9pm, when the pericardium meridian is in charge.
The pericardium meridian is pretty much the Thymus or Thymus Gland in west medicine term, which is essential for immune system, and should be very well taken care of.  According to some western anatomic book, fetus has a large "golden thymus". And we know that during the entire growth of a human being, the fastest growing time is before born. A fetus completes a "billion-year long evolution process" in just 10 months. And what makes that happen? How we see it is because of the perfect energy flow in meridians. And what makes  that happen? The answer is, "happiness".  And what this means to us?  It means, life needs to be "happy", happiness makes the meridians perfect. On the other hand, unhappiness clogs the meridians and bring you health problems. 


So watch the video during the pericardium time if possible, or re-watch it during that time. And let's re-grow our "golden Thymus" again.


So here is this guy from unknown school, doing his Tai Chi Michale Jackson Super Chinese Martial Arts Hero type of move. Trust me, it's worth your 6 minutes.



P.S.
After being shocked by the guy above, another "P.E. Emperor" is discovered, this one is a 11th grade named Xu Xin from Yun Nan province (south west area). Notice the students around him will always move away and give him enough room to perform. 
His move is different from the one above. enjoy:

How over-thinking can make you sick

    There is a saying in TCM that "风雨寒热，不得虚，邪不能独伤人". Literally translated into "wind, rain, cold and heat, without inner weakness, can never harm the person alone". It explains the fact that when a person's energy and blood is at a very good level, even if the external condition is harmful, the person will not be affected. On the other hand we can conclude if a person is affected by external facts and get sick, his/her internal energy is low.
  
   Common sense. But how is over-thinking the important factor too?


   We have all experienced that when we keep thinking about something, our body feels tight and stiff. In the TCM point of view this is the sign of energy "inward stringing" . When this happen our "protective energy" at the skin level will be pulled inward as well, therefore leaves our outer body unprotected. In TCM the term is "exterior deficiency". This is how external factors can harm you easily.
    
    "Over-thinking" is a general term for many mental, emotional and psychological activities. To make it easy to understand, it means when you have something in your mind that bothers you, you will be weakened outside and lose your protective energy thus easy to get sick, especially catching the cold.


    So next time when you are sick, before take your medicine, do an inner inspection to see if there is anything in your mind that bothers you. Take that out of your mind, you will get healed much faster. This is also your preventive "medicine".  Be happy, be healthy.

P.S. For more information about how TCM views mind-body connection please read this article.  

A follow-up for people who were in the September 21st class

Thanks everyone who showed for the class on the 21st, it was good time as usual.


Anyway, as some of you may be still interested in the "prediction" we were talking about, here is a summary for the rest of the year:


In a bigger picture:
From now to January 19th 2011, we will be under the main influence of "Wind Wood", which indicates the Spring energy, the growing, the moving, the active and so on.

To be more detailed:

• From now on, we will be entering the 5th section of the year, which will be starting on September 23rd, the first day of "Autumn Equinox", to November 21st, the last day of "Winter Start". During this period, we are under the influence of:

1. "Wind Wood"
2.  "Dry Metal": The Dry and cool, the balance 
3.  "Cold Water": The wet, the cold

          Therefore we predict that for that time being, we will have a colder fall season, very clear temperature dropping, more rains, our pores will shut, we sweat less, hard trees will fade early. We need to prepare for the cold in advance, for both our body and our house. 

• From November 22nd, 2010 to January 19th 2011, we will be under influence of:

1. "Wind Wood"
2. "Cold Water"
3. "Wind Wood"

           Although the seasonal influence is "Cold Water", but we have 2 "Wind Wood" factors, therefore we predict the time being will be warmer and windy, feels almost like Spring (almost "counter-season" feeling), there will be more fog and dews. As the weather is warmer than usual, our pores will reopen, if we sweat too much it may cause heart related issues. Also, since it is warm and windy, our body will have hard time to store the "Yang" energy, this may lower the power of the immune system therefore causing problems such as catching cold and coughing. 


In conclusion, we will have colder fall, warmer winter, heavy wind and good amount of water (rain, snow... flood? ). And the "fragile" organs are Liver, Gall Bladder, Lungs and Large intestine.

here is your way to the Ark

fun fact:

-copy "29.283844,94.349921", 

-open Google map, paste the number in, enter. 

-Click "satellite" tab at the upper right corner, zoom all the way in

and congratulation, you just found the gate of the place where the new Ark is at. make sure to reserve a ticket before 2012.

September 23rd, 2010, "Autumn Equinox", the 4th small Autumn season arrives

Compares to other small season, we are more familiar with "Autumn Equinox" as it is also a well known astrological term. In the Chinese season system, the name of the season can be literally translated into "Autumn Divider", which has a  broader meaning. Many consider "Autumn Equinox" as the end of summer and beginning of the fall.  The cold air that has been flowing towards south, and when it meets with the fading warm air, we get rain. As the famous saying "one time rain in the autumn, one time the temperature will drop lower; ten times rain in the autumn, prepare to wear heavy cotton (thick clothes)".


"Spring Equinox" is called "the opening of the sky gate", means a start of the new Yang energy. In contrast, "Fall Equinox " is called "the close of the earth gate", which signifies the growth of Yin energy. We can tell from the disappearing of thunder. As thunder signifies the force of Yang in the sky. When we come to the season now, the Yang energy has already dropped to a very low level, therefore there will be few thunder. When "Autumn Equinox" arrives, there will be less daily or heavy long rain as we are moving more and more towards the dry season. But there may be more chance of short rains.


It is a season with the equal "day" and "night', when comes to human body it indicates the equal distribution of "Yin" and Yang" . Therefore,"carefully sense the being of Yin and Yang, and finding balance is the goal."


Mental and spiritual cultivation is the important part. As the fall season is the season of "dying","killing" and "seriousness", it will cause some mental or psychological issues, especially depression. Therefore, stay optimistic and calm to reach the balanced state. Don't over use the body in any sense. Hiking and climbing has been the seasonal popular activities for years. When you reach high and have a long and broad view of what you see, all negative feeling such as oppression and melancholy will vanish.And this is very good for you to stay calm and stable to balance the nature of the season.


As we're talking about Autumn being the season of "dry", the past season or 2 is considered "warm dry", and now we are looking at "cool dry". Besides the lungs, which is still the seasonal organ, stomach is next organ that needs special care, as it reacts to coolness sensitively.


For food, follow the rule of "warm, soft, light, simple and fresh". Eat at the right time and don't eat too much once. Since it is the season of "cool dry", eat food that are "clear, smooth and warm" to moistening the lungs,  nourish the Yin energy and blood, such as sesame, walnut, sticky rice, honey, pear or even sugarcane if you can get any.


Good sleep is the key,as mentioned earlier, this is the season for a lot of mental and psychological issues. It is closely connected with the quality of sleep. Therefore another task now is to adjust the sleep habit, try to go to bed early (to store the Yin), and get up early too(to stretch the Yang). Don' forget the Autumn is the season "collect and store", make sure your body energy  "in" is greater than "out".


By the way, right before this season arrives, on September 22nd, is the "Mid-Autumn festival", AKA "Mooncake festival". Enjoy the full moon!

Pollen, Allergy, Sneeze, Sex hormone,Kidney and Lungs...

How "Pollen, Allergy, Sneeze, Sex hormone,Kidney and Lungs" connected to each other?
Many people reacts to pollen. How can pollen cause sneezing and other breathing related issues? And what do these signify?


In general we call that "allergic" when pollen triggers these problems. In fact pollen is "sex hormone", in that sense, they are actually very good for human beings as sex hormone is the essential element for human growth and reproductives. 


For human beings, the organ that holds the "vitality" or "Primordial Qi" is the kidney. Kidney is also considered as the main sex organ, kidney energy level determines a person's sexual capability level. The "Primordial Qi" is also the root of the immune system. As the pollen enters the body it will make connection with the kidney, or it can be described as "readjust the primordial Qi". For people who are low in the primordial Qi (immune system), they will sneeze. On the other hand, those who do not react to the pollen,actually has good amount of the primordial Qi. 


However, even you are among those who do sneeze, that can be a good thing too. That means the kidney still have enough power to push the "cold" out. Therefore, sneezing is actually the process of the kidney pushing the harmful cold out of your body. That also explains why we sneeze a lot when we catch a cold. Yes, the kidney/primordial qi/immune system is doing the hard work.


So, sneeze may not always mean that you caught a cold or have lungs and nose related problem, it can also means your kidney/primordial qi/immune system is in good shape and it is protecting you.


Winter is coming, we will be talking about kidney more as it is the organ for the season.

an Impressive Chen style basic 13 forms performance I found

This guy does it in a very extreme and pushy way, but it's actually very good.

Look twice, three times, four times and on, the more I look the more I fall into it.

You can tell this guy is very well trained and he follows the basic Tai Chi principles but had his own way to develop it into a unique style. 

This is exactly what I have been working on in my practice as well. I enjoyed it, and hope you will too:

running nose and sinuses

These days, both running nose and stuffed nose can be a direct result of large intestine malfunctioning.
Make sure you eat and drink things that will help with your elimination. Avoid spicy and drink more water. Also balance your food structure (refers to the Atkins Pyramid).


Points to balance the elimination:

1. Tian Shu (3 finger width lateral to the bellybutton)

2. He Gu ( NOT FOR pregnant woman）(In the middle of the 2nd metacarpal bone on the radial side.)