Archive for May, 2009
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
The Importance of Breathing;
No matter how much I emphasize the importance of breathing, it won’t be enough.
Breathing is the base of our bodily engine system and enables us to live on.
Therefore most people think they know how to breathe and it’s easily neglected, but here I want you to know of the right way of breathing and the benefit of it.
In Chinese, the air is called kong qi – spatial energy or energy from the space.
Ancient Chinese must have known the importance of breathing; breathing is absorbing the vital energy from the universe.
zhuang zi, the chapter of ke yi(4TH Century B.C during the warring states period) said of the principles of breathing,
“Exhale the old qi and inhale the new qi.”
; the old qi can be such as negative energy, co2, the toxicity and so on and the new qi such as positive energy, o2 and so on.
ge hong’s bao pu zi(A.D.283-343) said,
“The more should be inhaled and the less exhaled.”
; ge hong’s idea is how to keep the qi inside more and not leaking or less.
And we could find more books and articles of lower chakra or dan tian breathing in Indian yogic practice and qigong, both put a enormous emphasis on abdominal breathing, deep breathing like a baby.
Look at a baby or your lovely dogs. How do they breathe?
They breathe deep and comfortable with stomach region, and it seems so natural and easy.
Then why most of people forget this baby breathing, once we all did?
As we grow old with stresses – anger, frustration, fear or anxiety, we became shallow chest breather because of fight-or-flight response, which depends on chest breathing for quick, short bursts of oxygen. Eventually body gets used to shallow breathing.
What is the stress?
Stress is animal instinct of fight or flight response or self-defense system in other words.
Under the stress, your body will need more energy so that heart beats will become faster and your breathing also will become faster and shorter to supply more blood to the muscles of Limbs, not the brain and digestive system. Therefore it can cause you to have headache, stomachache, muscle pain, sleep disorder and fatigue and so on.
So now imagine you have a body that perceives itself to be in stress all the time, your body will need that chest short breathing and some time later, your body keep that breathing patterns, and this activates the body’s stress response system unnecessarily, emitting stress related hormones.
Evaluate your stress level
- Head feels heavy and cloudy, and you get tired frequently.
- You get dizzy frequently.
- You have stiffness and pain in the neck.
- Your tongue has more white coating on it than usual.
- You have indigestion such as bloating, gas, belching and so on.
- Shoulder feels heavy and tension with upper back and knee pain.
- When you get up in the morning, you still feel tired and heavy so your day starts sluggish.
- It is hard to focus on the work
- It is hard to fall asleep and during sleep, you have lots of dream.
- You have heart palpitation and cold extremities.
- You tend to avoid social meetings and a crowd of people.
Normal: 0-3, moderate: 4-6, serious: 7-: change your life style and seek out the professional advice.
Frequent dizziness
Head feels heavy and cloudy, and frequently tired Head feels heavy and cloudy, and frequently tiredFind out how to remove the stress by changing your breathing pattern.
Abdominal breathing- Relax the diaphragm.
First take two-three deep breaths, exhaling fully through the mouth. Then slowly breathe in while expanding your lower abdomen to the count of four. Then slowly breathe out while contracting your lower abdomen to the count of 4. Focus on breathing rhythmically and try not to move your chest.
Inhale through your nose to a count of 4 and exhale either through your mouth or the nose to a count of 4 and then pause for a count of 2.
As you become more comfortable with this breathing, you can increase the length of time of inhalation, exhalation and the pauses between them.
: 4:16:8:4(inhalation:pause:exhalation:pause), 4:7:8(inhalation:pause:exhalation)
Practice this breathing for 10-15 minutes twice a day in the morning after you wake up and in the evening before you go to bed and also at any time during the day(except immediately after meals). Though simple, if practiced regularly, this exercise can greatly benefit the health of your mind and body
If you find yourself often hold your breath under the stress, which tightens your muscle in the jaw, neck and shoulder region.
Exhalation is more emphasized because if you do it deep, natural inhalation just will follow it.
Four easy steps to break the stress cycle – Bernadette Johnson, director of the integrative medicine program at Greenwich hospital, Connecticut.
- Stop what you’re doing.
- Breathe using your stomach (abdominal breathing) with a few deep breaths, allowing gut to expand with air. Do not breathe using the chest, which most of us do normally. Count 1 to 4 while inhaling, then count down from 4 to 1.- inhale through the nose and exhale from the mouth, but you can do whatever is comfortable.
- Think about the cause of your stress, deliberating its importance n the scheme of things. For example, a computer crashes and you get angry. Clearly, seething won’t change or resolve the situation.
- Rectify the problem with a viable solution.
Alternate nostril breathing – qigong empowerment by Liang, shou yu.
Movement and Visualization:
Preparation: relax your arms, and bend your body forward, three times. Each time, exhale all the impurities from you mouth while making the ‘ha’ sound.
Step 1.With your mouth closed, press your left fourth finger on your left nostril, and use your right nostril to inhale. When you inhale, turn your head and torso towards your left.
Visualize the light or universal energy enters your body through your right nostril.
Step 2.After filling your body with white light, press your right fourth finger on top of your right nostril, Hold your breath and turn to face forward.
While holding your breath, visualize white light flowing from your right channel down to the sea bottom chakra (hui yin region-perineum), and into your left channel. Then flow up your left channel to the left nostril. All the blockages, diseases, aches and pains, and poisons in your body are transformed into the negative qi.
Step 3.Release your left nostril and exhale the negative qi. Repeat steps 1 to 3, three times.
Step 4.Next repeat 1 to 3, on the opposite side. That is, inhale with your left nostril and exhale with your right nostril, etc. also, repeat three times.
Step 5.Relax your hands on your knees. Inhale with both nostrils. White light from your left and right channels meets together at hui yin. Hold your breath and visualize white light flowing up the middle channel to the crown chakra (bai hui), then back down to the hui yin. Then Divide into two, up your left and right channels. Exhale all the negative qi out of the nostrils. Repeat three times.
There are a total of 9 inhalation and exhalations from step 1-5. Practice 3 sets, a total of 27 inhalations and exhalations. The first 9 times, breathe very lightly and finely. The second 9 times, start making sounds with your breathing. The last 9 times, make even louder sounds with your breathing and rotate your body further as you turn, when doing steps 1 to 4.
Today many doctors and scientists found that stress can cause so many disease even cancer when it has not been resolved and continues,
So change the way of your breathing and deal with your stressful times and keep you healthy and prevent any illnesses.
For the consultation, Call us : 310-481-2266, we will help you release your stress and feel balanced at tao of medicine
Enjoy your breathing and Release your physical and mental tension!
Tags: abdominal breathing, breathing, stomach breathing, Stress, stress reaction
Posted in Mind-Body Medicine | Comments Off
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective on Anti-Aging and Longevity
Aging- The modern definition from Britannica encyclopedia;
‘Gradual change in an organism that leads to increased risk of weakness, disease, and death.’
Aging takes place in a cell, an organ or the total organism over the entire adult life span of any living thing. There is a decline in biological functions and inability to adapt to metabolic stress. Changes in organs include the replacement of functional cardiovascular cells with fibrous tissue. Overall effects of aging include reduced immunity, loss of muscle strength, decline in memory and other aspects of cognition, loss of color in the hair and elasticity in the skin. In women, the process accelerates after menopause.
Since ancient time humans have been trying to find the way of longevity and a healthy life without any illnesses. Today our life span is much longer than even that of 100 years ago in this country. Therefore, more people are interested in the way of longevity and healthy living.
In ancient China, the emperors would send people to look for an elixir to stop aging and allow them to live forever. The Emperor of the Qin dynasty, Shi Huang sent a large number of troops and herbalists all over the world for the legendary herbs ‘bu lao cao’ to give him immortality. His troops never came back with this “magical elixir”, and Emperor Shi Huang rested in his tomb waiting…
This common human desire of defying age drove the ancient Chinese to study and develop a wide range of anti-aging herbs and formulas. They are still widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance the immune system and slow down aging.
Although there are many theories of anti-aging in traditional Chinese medicine, the most important one is the association of aging and decreased immuno-function.
The Axis of the Kidney Qi determines the function of the immune system. The immune system is key in anti-aging. If the immune system is weak, the Axis of the Kidney will be weak; with little to no flow of Qi. Opening this energy in the Axis of the Kidney is the primary theory of anti-aging treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective on Anti-Aging
The Kidney Qi=Immune system=Longevity for treating aging
The kidney energy is closely related to human’s birth-growth-death process in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Huang di nei jing , the 1st chapter of Suwen says.
“In a man, at the age of 8 the boy’s kidney energy is abundant, his hair and teeth grow. At the age of 16 his kidney energy is even more abundant, the dew of Heaven[sperm] arrives, the Essence is luxuriant and flowing, Yin and Yang are harmonized and he can produce a child. At the age of 24, the Kidney energy peaks, tendons and bones are strong, the wisdom teeth appear, and growth is at its peak. At the age of 32, tendons and bones are at their strongest, and the muscles are full and strong. At the age of 40, the Kidney is weakened, the hair begins to fall out and the teeth become loose.
At the age of 48, Yang Qi is exhausted, the face becomes darker and the hair turns grey. At the age of 56, the Liver energy is weakened, the tendons cannot move, the dew of Heaven is dried up, the Kidney becomes weak and the body begins to grow old. At the age of 64 hair and teeth are gone.”
The speed of aging is proportional to the strength of kidney energy. If Kidney Qi is strong, aging does not occur quickly.
Then what is the Kidney Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine?
This original Qi in the kidney is the fundamental energy of our body and the source of all the life activity as well. Therefore if Kidney Qi is good, the original Qi will flourish, the right Qi will become strong and in turn the body’s immune system will function properly. But in the weak condition of Kidney Qi, vice versa.
From the clinical test, the patient with weak Kidney Qi shows the low immune system frequently, in particular, poor cell immune function.
For example, 37 cases of the chronic bronchitis due to poor kidney function show 2 times less T- cell proportion than do 20 cases of the healthy.
And also after 3 months of administration of a tonifying kidney herbal concoction, the kidney function became noticeably improved and T-cell proportion increased as well.
How T-cell works for our body.
In modern medicine, T-cell is considered as the important substance of immune system. T-cells respond to antigens by cell to cell contact and attach to foreign cells directly in which antigens are processed before interacting with T cells.
-antigen-presenting cells (B cells, macrophages)
Therefore T-cell protects its own cell, kills and inhibits proliferation of viruses and tumor cells within normal cells. This T cell’s work is activated by thymocin in the thymos. That is why the thymus is so important in the immune system.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the function of the kidney consists of the immune system, endocrine system, reproductive system, and nervous system.
The basic philosophy of oriental medical anti-aging treatment is to tonify and regulate Kidney Qi and in turn, enhance the immune system and prevent aging. The fundamental theory of this treatment is based on the axis of:
“WEAK KIDNEY QI=LOWERED IMMUNE SYSTEM=AGING”
HERBS FOR ANTI-AGING
Meng shen in his 98 from Tang dynasty said, “The man who is able to keep healthy and cultivate the good personality speaks only the good words and always takes good herbs.”
Sun Si Miao in his 101, “if the man is over 40 years old, sedating herbs should not be taken but only tonifying herbs and if 50 years old, he should not skip the tonic herbs all over the 4 seasons.”
There are innumerable formulas for anti-aging and longevity in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. Today, most of these herbs have been researched in laboratories in western countries finding that these herbs are widely used and proven effective in regulating and improving the immune system.
The main ingredients of these formulas are herbs such as; ling zhi, huang jing, shan zhu yu, gou qi zi, tu si zi, di huang, yu zhu, he shou wu, rou cong rong, ba ji tian, sang shen, rou gui, fu zi, yin yang huo, lu rong, zi he che, ren shen, huang qi.
Huang qi, huang jing, nu zhen zi, gou qi zi, tu si zi, bu gu zi, human placenta, yin yang huo are used to increase the transforming rate of T-cell and the functional strength of T-cell, and inhibit auto-immune disorders. These herbs have been used for cancer treatment in China.
Huang qi, Astragalus :
- Cardiovascular effect: Intravenous injections of decoctions of huang qi significantly lowered blood pressure in dogs, cats and rabbits.
- Renal effect: rats with experimentally-induced glomerulonephritis, when treated with powdered huang qi, had significantly less proteinuria than control groups, as well as milder pathological tissue changes. A relatively high dosage was required before there was any significant effect.
- In the lab test, huang qi extended the life span of kidney and lung cells in humans.
- Hepatic effect: feeding mice huang qi for nine days protected the glycogen storage levels of mice exposed to carbon tetrachloride.
Ren shen, ginseng root:
- In lab research, prevents human cell’s aging and extends the life cycle of amniotic cell and slows the regressive change of amniotic cells .
Wu jia pi, Aacanthopanax root bark:
§ Increases the non-specific immune system and regulates the imbalance of the endocrine system, controls white blood cells, red blood cells, blood pressure and also has the indication of anti-radiation, detoxification and anti-oxidation in cells.
Allegedly, Ancient Emperors, Nobles and physician Lu Ding Gong, Zhang Zi Chan, Yang Jian Shi, and Wang Shu Ya lived 300 years by drinking wu jia pi wine everyday. And also Li Shi-Zhen said, “wu jia is better than the carriage full of gold and jade.”
Zi he che, human placenta:
- Immunological effect: oral administration of powdered placenta hominis to mice lessens the pathological changes from tb, even though the medicine increases the growth of the germ in vitro. It is thought that this occurs by an enhancement of the immunological system. This also has a certain inhibitory effect upon the artificial induction of ulcers.
- Effect on endurance: preparations of placenta hominis given to mice increase the duration of their maximal swimming times.
- Antibiotic effect: placenta hominis contains a γ globulin that has some effect when injected intramuscularly in the prevention and treatment of measles and influenza.
- Treatment of dermatological disorders: a powder made from sterilized placenta hominis was used for 30 cases of skin ulcers, with cures in 22 cases within a few weeks.
- Treatment of pulmonary diseases: point injection of placenta hominis into such acupuncture points as B-13 and S-16 of 8 patients with severe asthma showed good results in 7 cases. When there were recurrences, repeat therapy was successful. In another clinical series, injections of a preparation of this substance were used to treat 47 severe and recalcitrant cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with excellent results in 17 and significant improvement in another 24 cases. No side effects were noted.
These herbs are used for anti-aging and balancing the immune system. In particular, cardiovascular disorders and tumors in the elderly are related to the disturbance of the immune system.
Zhu Dan Xi of the Yuan Dynasty (1281-1358) said, “ze he che is the substance formed by the father’s sperm and the mother’s blood and the most balanced natural substance and this is the very source of the energy”
Please understand that unless there is traditional Chinese medicine doctor present to design a formula specifically for your condition, these herbs can be misused or dosed incorrectly. The good herbs may just be bad herbs for YOU. Before you take the herbs, you should have a consultation and examination from a licensed acupuncturist.
If you would like to know more about Traditional Chinese Medicine and its anti-aging benefits, please call and schedule a time to visit our office at 310-481-2266 for a well-being treatment and personalized formula that will work for YOU.
Tags: acanthopanax, acanthopanax root bark, anti-aging, herbs for anti-aging, immune system, longevity, traditional chinese medicine for anti-aging, traditional chinese medicine for longevity, wu jia pi
Posted in Longevity and Anti-aging | Comments Off
Thursday, May 7th, 2009
Try a neti pot or nasal irrigation for your sinus congestion before you go to a doctor.
I, myself, am a strong proponent of nasal irrigation, in particular with a neti pot. Nasal irrigation s an ancient technique, originating for the yoga practice of Jala neti(literally water cleansing), which involves regularly flooding the nasal cavity with warm salty water to improve deep breathing and also even Buddhist monks in Korea use this technique before going to seating meditation. “How could you breathe deep and even through your nose with that sinus congestion without moving for hours?”
Therefore I have been recommending nasal irrigation or clearing all my sinus congested patients. This is simple, no side-effect and inexpensive but very effective.
How to Use a Neti Pot
A typical method utilizes an isotonic saline solution. This roughly matches the concentration of salt found in the blood and natural tears. A warm saline solution is prepared to a 0.9% salinity (9g of salt (about 1 ½ teaspoons) per liter of water). Non-iodized salt is better. The water should feel slightly warm to the touch. It is important to stir the mixture thoroughly in order to dissolve all the salt.
Recent research has indicated that a hypertonic saline solution may be effective. This is a solution in which the concentration of salt is higher than that found in the blood. A typical concentration used in these studies was 3% salt. At this higher concentration of salt, a buffering agent is usually added to the solution to make it more comfortable.
If a home-made solution is used, the quality of the salt is important. Some practitioners recommend using Kosher salt, which has no added iodine. Fine cooking salt often contains anticaking agents that may cause irritation. Coarse sea salt is generally a good choice. Specially prepared non-iodized nasal wash salts are also available commercially.
The Jala neti technique has three stages, however only two stage is introduced here.
Stage one
There are three stages of jala neti, however I introduce only the first 2 stages according to its difficulty. And also many people only practice stage one of Jala neti.
Each stage should eventually use about ¼ litre(8 US fluid ounces) per nostril though a person may have to work up to this.
· Lean over a sink and tilt your head to the side and slightly down toward the sink. Ideally, the chin and the forehead should be level with each other.
· Place the spout of the neti pot in the upper nostril creating a complete seal and allow the saline solution to flow into that nostril, through the nasal passages, and out the lower nostril.
· Continue to breathe deeply through the mouth. This allows the water to flow from one nostril to another without dripping into the mouth.
· When the pot is empty, refill it and repeat on the other side. Beginners may prefer to use only half a pot on each side.
· If the water seems to be blocking, switching back and forth several times may be needed.
· If you will be doing only Stage One, follow the instructions under “After Stages are completed” to clear the nasal passages of remaining water.
Stage two
Since stage two washes the deepest parts of the nasal passage, it should only be performed after a round of stage one. If infections or large obstructions are present in the outer nasal cavity and not cleared by stage one, they could be driven deeper into the nasal cavity.
Beginners should use stage one only for the first few weeks to make sure they are comfortable with the process and to make sure that major blockages are clear.
Stage two involves lightly sniffing the water through each nostril and spitting it out the mouth. It is important not to swallow the water which is why personal guidance is best when learning to do this.
Though this stage is more difficult, it has a much deeper effect. People with chronic sinus infections may not see major improvement until this method is used.
After stages are completed
Once jala neti has been performed, it is important to eliminate any remaining water from the nose. The techniques may vary but it usually involves bending over from the waist to let the remaining saline solution drain out, breathing quick breaths out the nose in quick repetition, and gently blowing the nose. It is important not to close off one nostril or squeeze the nose in any way as this may cause water to be forced into areas that do not dry easily. A tissue may be used but is just held lightly surrounding the nose.
Potential problems
· Some people may have hardened blockages. These may be eliminated gradually over several attempts but may be due to a deviated septum in which case a minor surgery may be needed.
· Some mild blockages may also be removed with sutra neti when Jala neti is unsuccessful.
· Burning or irritating the nasal lining. This can feel similar to irritation one may experience from the chlorine in a swimming pool. This is usually due to water being at the wrong temperature and/or salinity, but can also be due to the salt containing additive. If the salinity is correct and the water is at body temperature, try using a different type of salt.
· A person may feel sharp pains due to pressure on the sinuses. They should stop immediately and consult a doctor.
· If a person experiences ear discomfort when performing Jala Neti, they should be sure to blow their nose more gently after the wash. If the problem persists, the openings of their Eustachian tubes may be particularly wide and they may need to discontinue neti pot use.
Nasal irrigation is a personal hygiene practice which involves flooding the nasal cavity with warm saline solution. The goal of nasal irrigation is to clear out excess mucus and particulates and moisturize the nasal cavity. The practice has been subjected to clinical testing and has been found to be safe and beneficial, with no apparent side effects (for reviews of the literature, see
Benefits and uses
· Clear out sticky, persistent mucus and help reduce nasal congestion
· Cleanse and rid the sinus cavities of allergens, irritants, and contaminants
· Treat chronic sinusitis
· Treat allergic rhinitis
· Prevent common colds and flu
· Relieve nasal dryness
· Treat empty nose syndrome (a crippled nose caused by over-aggressive turbinate resection)
· Improve breathing
· Temporarily reduce symptoms of post nasal drainage
· Reduce cough caused by post-nasal drip
· Treat acute bacterial rhino-sinusitis
Another quick and simple way of Nasal Irrigation.
Step1: Make a saline solution
The temperature of the water used for the nasal wash should be body temperature or very slightly warmer. Avoid very hot or very cold water. The correct amount of Aromatic Salt neti pot salt is: ½ rounded teaspoon of No-iodine Salt to 8 ounces of warm water. The instructions for the amount of salt are guidelines. Adjust to find the amount that is perfect for you. Some variable factors are: the mineral content of your water, the size of your neti pot, and your personal preference.
Step2:Rinse
With your neti pot filled with Salt solution and standing over a basin or sink, tilt your head gently so that one nostril moves downward toward the basin and the other nostril moves up toward the ceiling. Insert the spout of the neti pot into the upper nostril. Gently pour the saline solution into the upper nostril and let it flow out through the lower nostril. When the pot is empty, Blow out through both nostrils into the sink or into a tissue or handkerchief. Be sure not to close either nostril as you blow out. Repeat on the other side. When you have finished rinsing both sides, you may want to bend all the way forward and turn your head from side to side to release any Aromatic Salt solution that may remain in the nasal passages.
Pick either one at least for a week, if your symptom is mild, once a day in the morning, if mild to severe, twice a day morning and evening and see how you feel. If you don’t like a neti pot, you can even do this irrigation simply by using your hands. Have the salt water in your palm and sniff it through the nostril and blow it through the other side of a nostril and the same way for the the other nostril.
Tags: nasal irrigation, neti pot, sinus congestion, sinusitis
Posted in Ear Nose Throat | Comments Off
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