chinese medicine

February 15, 2010

Live A Longer, Qualty Life With Tai Chi

WELLNESS &

There are many programs offerred from videos, DVDs, books, E-books, weekend workshops, etc. on Tai chi but there is no comparison to learning from a real master over time. So much is missed when trying to model from these mediums.This instruction, typically, provides enhancement to the seasoned martial artist who is already familiar with the form and linking steps. Nevertheless, a good Tai chi video can assist Tai chi instruction but replace the specific training offered by a Tai chi master.Also, when taught in the ancient, disciplined and correct way, physical injuries are avoided. I humbly encourage all to find out why and how to practice this art in order to truely receive life-sustaining benefits.

“From experience, I have learned that it is better to learn a few moves well rather than many superficially. The essence of tai chi can be found in just one move.”

TAI CHI CHUAN  

Pure Natural Energy & Healing From Within

Over time Tai Chi takes root and imbues youthfulness where once the hardness of aging withered all chances for . The ancient art of tai chi softens the sinews as concentration on the “chi” rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit.

Dating back to the 14th century, Yang Style Tai Chi seeks health in moderation. Health and balance is achieved by forming body movements that are not extreme but gentle and cleansing. Yang style tai chi developed from Chen style tai chi which began in the 13th century. Wu, Hao and Sun style tai chi followed adding their valuable contributions to the internal martial arts in 1800s. These are the five main families where tai chi was cultivated.

“Life exists because qi is amassed, when qi is dispersed, one dies.” — Zhuang Zi, ancient Chinese philosopher

TAI CHI HEALTH BENEFITS 

Tai Chi is an program that uses a sequence of precise body movements, meditation, and synchronized breathing to improve health and well-being. Tai chi movements are designed to express the yin and yang components that are fundamental to in a balanced and harmonious form. Like most moderate physical activities, tai chi can improve:

  • stamina
  • muscle tone
  • agility
  • strength
  • pain alleviation

Breathing practices provide a meditative role in stress reduction.

Clinical studies show that tai chi is effective for:

  • slowing bone loss in early postmenopausal women
  • improved physical functioning in older women with osteoarthritis
  • increases the range of motion in the lower limbs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
  • improves aerobic capacity in sedentary adults
  • reduced hypertension and lipid profile in hypertensive individuals
  • improved sleep in elderly individuals
  • significant improvement in symptom management and quality of life for patients suffering from chronic heart failure, fibromyalgia and breast cancer

 The adept practitioner learns to receive the energy or “chi” from below, above and beside him or her. This reception is free, elevating and life sustaining. While the enterpretation of this phenomena is varied, nevertheless, the experience is greatly welcomed.    Sifu Mark Hammer    

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December 19, 2009

UNDERSTANDING LOW BACK & LEG PAIN

As with most symptoms, lower takes time to develop, however, when the cause is determined, the pain can be interrupted, gratefully. We have to look at our lifestyle, , how we think & feel, etc. to undo the ailment. You could take a pain reliever but still the underlying imbalance will be there after the relief is gone. The key word for low is DEFICIENCY.

Contributing Environment: Our work and personal life may be stressing us out to the degree that our circulation is constricted not allowing nutrients to feed our organs and toxins to be eliminated. Our food choices in America are too rich, filled with processed, empty nutrients, preservatives, pesticides, hormones, unless you know the verifiable source. Our generation has to manage more stress, life events, media exposure and emotional changes thus disturbing our sleep quality. The result is we lack the necessary energy or life force to be our best. This further makes us irritable in our relationships which worsens all the scenarios described before.

As we break down our energy, immunity and support, our self image and esteem parallels our internal organs ability to weather the challenge. In particular our kidneys and adrenals become weakened or deficient requiring us to take back what has been given up to regain our essence, vitality, our quality of life.

Initially, winning strategies in lifestyle, diet and rest need to be re-constructed. This article was wriiten to suggest successful alternatives enabling the reader to rapidly acquire anti-aging versus aging strategies.

The source of deficiency stems from 4 main areas: 

  • LEFT KIDNEY DEFICIENCY
  • RIGHT KIDNEY DEFICIENCY
  • KIDNEY ENERGY DEFICIENCY
  • EXTREME

FOOD THERAPY: LOW  

This issue may involve not only low but also complicated by other syndromes such as , fibromyalgia, Epstein Barr, etc. Four causes of low back and .

There are several categories based on Chinese medicine and Traditional Chinese herbs that support and correct low :

LEFT KIDNEY (yin) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: Heat symptoms, dizziness, ringing in the ears, dry throat, dry mouth, fever, low backache, weak legs, involuntary seminal emission, spontaneous sweating, red tongue, emaciation, deep shiny red tongue

Foods: millet, barley, tofu, string bean, black bean, black soy bean, mung bean, mung bean sprouts, kidney bean, azuki bean, and most other beans, kuzu root, watermelon and most others, blackberry, mulberry, blueberry, huckleberry, water chestnut, wheat germ, potato, seaweeds, spirulina, chlorella, black sesame seed, sardine, crab, clam, eggs, pork, cheese
: marshmallow root, rehmannia root, Asparagus root, aloe vera gel, colloidal silver (If the constitution is cold and/or most or low back & sciatic is cold and/or moist then choose from the groups below)

RIGHT KIDNEY (yang) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: cold symptoms in the body such as cold extremities, weakened knees, weakened lower back, avoidance of cold environments, pale skin, depression, lethargic thinking, deficient libido, intermittant menstruation and clear vaginal fluid

Foods: walnuts, black beans, onion family (onion, garlic, chives, scallions, leeks), quinoa, chicken, lamb, trout, salmon
Spices: cloves, fenugreek, fennel seeds, dried ginger
Avoid cooling foods, fruit, raw foods, excessive salt, use seaweed cautiously.

KIDNEY ENERGY (qi) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: deficient energy constitution with lower , lack of knee strength, tongue (pale), cold areas of the body. Urinary problems: incontinence, dribbling, frequent urination, unable to urinate, involuntary seminal emission as well as other urinary/seminal problems.

Foods: wheat berry, sweet rice, parsley
: rose hips, oyster shell, clam shell, schizandra berry, raspberry and blackberry leaves, gravel root

EXTREME (Jing Deficiency):
Characteristics: dizziness, ringing in ears, loose teeth, loss of head hair, painful knees and lower back

Food: micro-algae (chlorella, spirulina, wild blue-green), fish, liver, kidney, brain, bone and its marrow, human placenta, cereal grasses, wheat grass,solomon seal, almonds, ghee (clarified butter), goat’s milk, nettle leaves, royal jelly, bee pollen, Doddler seeds, millet, wheat, black sesame seeds, soybeans, chestnuts, mulberries, raspberries, strawberries, seitan, walnuts
: deer antler, deer horn velvet, Deer Placenta, Lycium fruit, Polygonum multiflorum root, Eucommia bark, Dendrobium stem, Cinnamon bark, white ginseng, semen cuscutae, astragali seed (complanati), cordyceps, astragalus, codonopsis, reishi, morinda, eleuthero root, paeonia , gambir, gecko, cibot rhizome, tianshan snow lotus, tibet carthami

For final decision on which foods to choose for your condition, please consult a trained master herbalist with in-depth knowledge of Traditional Chinese herbs and food therapy, American herbology and other nutritional systems.

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October 4, 2009

Tai Chi: Life Extension and Vitality

WELLNESS &

Many programs are offered through books, E-books, videos, DVDs, workshops, etc. on Tai chi but there is no comparison to learning from a real master over time. Much is lost when attempting to learn from these methods.This instruction, typically, provides enhancement to the seasoned martial artist who is already familiar with the form and linking steps. On the other hand, if the video method is joined with a good Tai chi instructor then a student may progress faster.Also, when taught in the ancient, disciplined and correct way, physical injuries are avoided. I humbly encourage all to find out why and how to practice this art in order to truely receive life-sustaining benefits.

“From experience, I have learned that it is better to learn a few moves well rather than many superficially. The essence of tai chi can be found in just one move.”

TAI CHI CHUAN  

Pure Natural Energy & Healing From Within

Over time Tai Chi takes root and imbues youthfulness where once the hardness of aging withered all chances for . The ancient art of tai chi softens the sinews as concentration on the “chi” rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit.

Dating back to the 14th century, Yang Style Tai Chi seeks health in moderation. Health and balance is achieved by forming body movements that are not extreme but gentle and cleansing. Yang style tai chi developed from Chen style tai chi which began in the 13th century. Wu, Hao and Sun style tai chi followed adding their valuable contributions to the internal martial arts in 1800s. These are the five main families where tai chi was cultivated.

“Life exists because qi is amassed, when qi is dispersed, one dies.” — Zhuang Zi, ancient Chinese philosopher

TAI CHI HEALTH BENEFITS 

Tai Chi is an program that uses a sequence of precise body movements, meditation, and synchronized breathing to improve health and well-being. Tai chi movements are designed to express the yin and yang components that are fundamental to in a balanced and harmonious form. Like most moderate physical activities, tai chi can improve:

  • stamina
  • muscle tone
  • agility
  • strength
  • pain alleviation

The practice of breathing exercises may serve a meditative function to reduce stress.

Clinical studies show that tai chi is effective for:

  • slowing bone loss in early postmenopausal women
  • improved physical functioning in older women with osteoarthritis
  • increases the range of motion in the lower limbs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
  • improves aerobic capacity in sedentary adults
  • reduced hypertension and lipid profile in hypertensive individuals
  • improved sleep in elderly individuals
  • significant improvement in symptom management and quality of life for patients suffering from chronic heart failure, fibromyalgia and breast cancer

 The adept practitioner learns to receive the energy or “chi” from below, above and beside him or her. This experience is gratis while beneficial to the emotional state and a contributer to sustaining life. While the enterpretation of this phenomena is varied, nevertheless, the experience is greatly welcomed.    Sifu Mark Hammer    

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