As I walked around the park the other morning in Victoria I noticed the leaves are changing color, the air is crisp, and fall is setting in. Now that kids are back in school and the weather is cooling many people get sick with the common cold this time of year. Acupuncture theory believes that exposure to “wind” and “cold” at an acupuncture point on the back of the neck allows “pathogens” to enter into the body. This point is called “Fengchi” or gallbladder 20. “Feng” means wind, and “chi” means pool. You can protect yourself from “exterior pathogens” by simply covering Fengchi when you are outside. Scarves seem to be stylish now days so wrap up before heading outside! Exterior pathogens can be cold, hot, damp, wind, dryness, or damp heat and comes from the outside of the body. Interior pathogens arise from imbalances inside the body due to stress, diet, exercise, sleep, and lifestyle. You may also find that if you are just beginning to get sick Fengchi might feel stiff and tight. If you massage this point (or better yet get someone else to massage it!) you can avoid becoming ill. ~Think...
September is upon us, school zones are back in effect, and kids are back in school. We have all heard, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” so here are 5 easy tips to help your and your family start the day off on the right foot. 1 Breakfast smoothie Don’t have enough time to make a 5 course breakfast in the morning? Throw some fresh, or frozen fruit in a blender with a scoop of protein powder, some extra virgin coconut oil and you have a complete breakfast! 2 Add to your cereal Add plain yogurt, hemp hearts, frozen blueberries or blackberries, cinnamon, goji berries, and/or nuts and seeds to your regular cereal to make it pack a nutritional punch. 3 Almond butter Yes, “extra smooth peanut butter” is tasty but if you look at the ingredients you will find sugar is the second or third one. Try almond butter on sprouted grain toast (like Squirrely Bread), apple slices, or celery sticks. 4 Eggs with veggies Grab a couple of free range, free run, omega 3, or organic eggs and scramble them with 1 cup of veggies of your choosing. Using left over stir fry as your veggies makes for some interesting combinations! 5 Time One of the worst things to do is jump out of bed and attack the day with fury! Giving yourself an extra 15 minutes of slow, quality time in the morning can help you stay grounded and ‘present’ throughout the busy day! ~Think...
I came across this list of 100 benefits of meditation that applies to qi gong and yoga as well. I remember when I first heard of meditation it seemed very ‘esoteric’ or ‘new age.’ But now meditation is becoming widely accepted as a valid treatment for many disorders. People wonder”what is the best meditation to do?” I heard it answered best once; “the one that you ACTUALLY do!” Enjoy! Physiological benefits: 1. It lowers oxygen consumption. 2. It decreases respiratory rate. 3. It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate. 4. Increases exercise tolerance. 5. Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation. 6. Good for people with high blood pressure. 7. Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate. 8. Decreases muscle tension 9. Helps in chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis etc. 10. Reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome symptoms. 11. Helps in post-operative healing. 12. Enhances the immune system. 13. Reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress 14. Enhances energy, strength and vigour. 15. Helps with weight loss 16. Reduction of free radicals, less tissue damage 17. Higher skin resistance 18. Drop in cholesterol levels, lowers risk of cardiovascular disease. 19. Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing. 20. Decreases the ageing process. 21. Higher levels of DHEAS (Dehydroepiandrosterone) 22. Prevented, slowed or controlled pain of chronic diseases 23. Makes you sweat less 24. Cure headaches & migraines 25. Greater orderliness of brain functioning 26. Reduced need for medical care 27. Less energy wasted 28. More inclined to sports, activities 29. Significant relief from asthma 30. Improved performance in athletic events 31. Normalizes...
Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on a several principles; the Yin and Yang Theory, Meridian Theory, Qi Theory just to mention a few. One important and very complex idea is the 5 Elements. 5 Elements was developed by observing nature and noticing that everything is either one or a combination of 5 different ‘elements.’ Each element represents a combination of personality traits, health patterns, and ideal lifestyles. It is important to recognize your ‘nature’ and keep yourself in harmony with the other ‘elements.’ Here is an online questionnaire that can help determine what element you may be. Acupuncture, qi gong, exercise, diet and lifestyle can help encourage your element and live in balance but it helps if you know what element you are first! What element are you? Take a simple test here. ~Think...
How should we ‘research’ our health condition in a balanced way? I say ‘research’ because many people consider googling their condition and reading the top 3 results ‘research’. We have to be careful of information overload, and bad information! I often have to issue “Google Bans” to people who ‘research’ their condition far too often! If you want extremely well supported research the Journal of American Medicine and the British Medical Journal are two of the best (but very in depth and scientific). Forums are often where people get unqualified, anecdotal, unsupported info. Forums can be insightful but keep in mind that you are reading about 1 persons experience at a time. Some may disagree with me but I think Wikipedia is a reasonably reliable source to get general information without getting lost in medical terminology.You can read about diagnosis, treatment options, and the mechanisms of the disease. Once you have researched your condition you should add your notes to your health file. Ultimately research should help you feel informed and know the right questions to ask when you consult with health professionals. ~Think Vitality!~...
