​I first read this in a book, and it had me stop and think, what REALLY gives us the most joy?  This is an important topic because once we know what gives us the most pleasure, if we can incorporate that into our world as a way to earn money, then life comes to us with ease.

In asking people, I have come across four basic categories.  There’s the teacher – the person who loves to share knowledge.  There’s the artist – the creative one, the person who loses themselves when making something, be it at object, a painting or music.  There’s the nurturer – the person who gets joy in making others happy, the mother who thrives on getting her family together or the animal lover or the nurse.  This is a tricky one though because one’s happiness is dependent on other people.  Then lastly there’s the adventurer, the person who thrives on travel and experiencing different cultures.

As may be suspected, I love sharing knowledge, hence this post.  If I can share knowledge about subjects I’m passionate about, like Traditional Chinese medicine or nutrition or supplements, then I’m in my element. 
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I hope that you find what feeds your soul and brings you joy.

Western Medicine sees illness as a result of infection due to various dreaded lurgies, like bacteria and viruses.  Chinese Medicine has 3 basic causes of disease – Weather, Emotions and Other (like accidents).

It all basically comes down to a person’s immune system.  If you’re happy, healthy, and have a strong immune system, you won’t get sick when sitting in a draft.  If for some reason your immune system is down a little, you will, i.e. if the body is weak in relation to the climatic factor

According to TCM, Defensive Qi flows in the area between skin and muscles.  This flow of energy acts as a barrier to the outside world, preventing invasion of pathogenic factors.  We believe that wind is the vehicle which carries pathogens into the body so sitting in a draft is sitting in Big Wind. 

Years ago, I visited a friend whose baby had just died.  We were sitting outside, in a draft, and I remember wondering about the potential of illness.  Because it was such a sad time,  our energy was very low and the next morning I work up with a screaming cold.

When we eat, our body takes energy from the food and sends it to the Lungs.  The Lungs then turn some of this energy into Defensive Qi and sends it to the area between the skin and muscles, so the quality of the food we eat is important to our immune system.

Besides protecting the body, Defensive Qi has other functions:  it keeps the skin moist and warm, it partially nourishes the muscles and it controls sweating, thereby regulating body temperature.

If Defensive Qi is weak, it will fail to hold fluids in the body leading to day-time sweating.  Conversely, if one has a cold, herbs are given which induce sweating and the expulsion of the pathogenic Wind-Cold factor.

As I mentioned, Wind is the vehicle through which pathogenic factors invade the body.  Wind-Cold creates cold symptoms like a runny nose and eyes.  Wind-Heat creates heat symptoms like fever and dryness.  Wind-Cold can turn into Heat if not treated in time. Wind-Damp creates a feeling of heaviness and aching muscles.

Often the invading pathogenic factor creates blockage in the area where Defensive Qi flows resulting in stagnation in the joints.  The type of pain is explained pertaining to climatic factors too, i.e. Wind will lead to pain moving from joint to joint and will mostly be in the upper part of the body.  Cold leads to intense pain in one joint.  Dampness will result in swollen joints, usually in the lower part of the body.
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Invading pathogenic factors create many more situations, this article is intended as an example of how TCM looks at conditions so differently to the view of Western Medicine.

ChinaHerb have a number of fabulous products with interesting names.  A knowledge of the basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine can help to understand why they work.

The premise of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is that to be healthy, the body and mind must be in balance.  Where there is cold – provide heat; where there is damp – induce dryness and so forth.

The words Yin and Yang encapsulate this perfectly.  Yin refers to dark, moist, cold, quiet, night, etc and Yang refers to bright, dry, hot, active, day etc.  (Yin and Yang explain a world of other stuff as well).

When we are conceived, we receive a precious substance called Pre-Heaven Essence from our parents.  This, basically, forms our constitution.  We can’t increase this Essence, but we can enhance it through what we eat and drink as well as our lifestyle.   The nourishment which we receive from our food and drink creates Post-Heaven Essence.  Together these Essences are stored in an area between the kidneys called the Gate of Life (Ming Men).

Because the kidneys are so closely related to Essence and the Fire of the Gate of Life, they are understood to be the source of Yin and Yang in the body.  Kidney-Yin is the root of all the Yin energies in the body as well as being the foundational substance of living.  Kidney-Yang is the root of all Yang energies as well as the force for all physiological activity.  At puberty, some Pre-Heaven Essence matures into Kidney-Essence which generates menstrual blood and sperm.

As we age, Essence gets used up, and as it starts to decrease, signs of Yin deficiency appear.  Yin-deficiency means that the symptoms seem like a hot condition but are not caused by heat, rather by the absence of Yin.  Symptoms include night sweating, dry mouth or skin or vagina, and dry and irritated eyes.  Many menopausal symptoms are related to Kidney-Yin deficiency.

The herbal formula for Nourish Root Yin is specific to nurture Yin and the kidneys and can be used as a supplement to support the elderly.

Key Symptoms and Signs for Use: 
Feeling hot in the chest, palms and soles 
Night sweating 
Tinnitus, loss of hearing, dizziness 
Sore and lassitude of back and legs 
Dry mouth and throat, or dry vagina, and dry skin 
Dry and irritated eyes 
Constipation from dry stools 
Aging
Tinnitus
Hyperthyroidism
Hypertension
Diabetes
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Chronic disorders of kidney
Chronic optic problems
Constipation
Growth and pubertal delay
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By Margie Candy. https://www.virtualagentmargiecandy.com/
Margie.va2rep@gmail.com

I had eczema on the outer thenar section (the fleshy part between the joint and the wrist) of my thumb for over a year, then it moved to the other side as well.  Why on earth have eczema just there?

I visited my friend for a SCIO session and her machine informed me that I had a gluten sensitivity.  As soon as I stopped eating so much gluten, the eczema cleared up.  I have a sensitivity, not an actual allergy but as soon as I do eat, say, a slice of bread and a biscuit, there is a slight tingling in this region.

The meridians are energy pathways which flow in a continual loop up and down the body but are divided into 12 main sections and named after our abdominal organs.

The energy is most vital at the fingertips and toes which is the first or last point of the meridian and is known as a Well point.  The energy gradually gathers in flow and depth through four following points called the Spring point, Stream point, River point and finally Sea point which is situated at the elbows or knees.  At the Sea point, the energy is vast and deep and moves into the interior of the body.

On the Yin meridians and according to the Five Elements, the Well points pertain to Wood, the Spring points pertain to Fire, the Stream points pertain to Earth, the River points pertain to Metal and the Sea points pertain to Water.  On the Yang meridians the Well points pertain to Metal and so forth

The Spring points are used to treat Heat conditions and to clear Heat from the meridians.  Liv 2 is great to disperse Liver-Yang so helps with headaches and red itchy eyes.

The Lung meridian runs from just below the clavicle, up over it then down the arm ending in the thumb beside the nail.  My eczema occurred around Lu 10 which is the 10th point along the meridian and the second last one before the end, i.e. the Spring point.  

But why there?

The way I understand it is as follows:  due to emotional issues, huge sensitivity to cigarette smoke and the Fynbos around where I live, my lungs are my weakest organ.  The skin and lungs are closely connected both in western and Chinese medicine.  In TCM the skin is under the control of the Lungs which keep it moist and which also disperses our Defensive Qi in the area between skin and muscle,

Gluten creates inflammation in my system, known in Chinese medicine as Damp-Heat.  Eczema is also a form of Damp-Heat
 Because the rest of me is pretty healthy, the Damp-Heat manifested in an area of weakness – the Lung meridian on the Fire/Spring point.
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Fortunately, I’ve discovered heaps of easy gluten free muffin recipes, so I really can have my cake and eat it.

Both ladies hadn’t been able to fall pregnant for about a year and the doctors said that there was no specific reason.  I investigated possible treatments according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  

The menstrual cycle in Western medicine is largely composed of two main phases; the follicular phase and the luteal phase. 
In the follicular phase, increasing amounts of oestrogen cause the uterus lining to thicken and follicles in the ovary begin to develop.  After several days, a dominant follicle releases an egg which is carried along the Fallopian tubes to the uterus.  This is the ovulation period.

The second, or luteal, phase is dominated by progesterone.  The follicle which housed the egg becomes the corpus luteum and produces progesterone.  If the egg is not fertilized and implanted, the corpus luteum shrivels and dies causing sharp drops in both progesterone and oestrogen.  These hormone drops cause the uterus to shed its lining and menstruation begins.
Traditional Chinese Medicine sees the menstrual cycle in four phases.

Starting at menstruation, the flow of menstrual blood is under the control of Liver-Blood and the Penetrating Vessel.

The follicular phase is when various hormones stimulate the development of the ova and the uterus develops a new layer of endometrium.  In TCM, this is seen to be influenced by Liver-Blood, the Kidneys and the Conception Vessel.

During the ovulation period, hormones mature the egg and weaken the walls of the follicle allowing the fully developed egg to be released into the Fallopian tubes.  Fertilization by sperm usually occurs in the widest part of the Fallopian tubes.  This phase is influenced by Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang, and the Conception and Penetrating Vessels.

The Luteal phase is the period between ovulation and the onset of menstruation and lasts about 14 days.  The corpus luteum is producing progesterone in preparation for pregnancy.  This period must be at least 10 days long in order to support pregnancy.  From a Chinese point of view, this period should be subdivided into two parts; the first part, where temperature rises after ovulation, is influenced by Minister Fire of the Heart, Kidney-Yang and the Governing Vessel.  The second part is under the control of Liver-Qi and Liver-Blood whose movement is essential to move Blood in preparation for the period, and the Penetrating Vessel.

To recap: 
PHASE                                          INFLUENCING ENERGY                          TREATMENT PROTOCOL
1)  Menstruation phase                 Penetrating Vessel                                     Invigorate and move Blood

2)  Follicular phase                       Conception Vessel, Kidney-Yin                  Nourish Blood and tonify Kidneys

3)  Luteal Phase A                       Conception and Governing Vessels,           Tonify the Kidneys, strengthen the Governing,
                                                     Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang                      Conception and Penetrating Vessels,  
                                                                                                                       if necessary, resolve Dampness and tonify the Spleen

4)  Luteal Phase B                      Penetrating Vessel                                     Move Qi, invigorate Blood, warm the Uterus,
                                                                                                                       if necessary, expel Cold and resolve Damp-Phlegm

My Shiatsu treatment protocol was as follows:
During menstruation           Day 1 – 5        Blood is moving which relies on Liver-Qi and Liver-Blood
                                                                   If too little Blood – Move Blood 
                                                                   P6, Sp6, Sp10, UB23, UB24, K3, K5, CV4,CV5 
                                                                   If too much Blood – stop bleeding   
                                                                   GV20, CV6, LI11, Sp6, Sp8, Sp10, Liv1, Liv2
After menstruation             Day 6 – 14       Kidney phase   Blood and Yin and empty 
                                                                   Lu7, Sp6, Sp10, UB23, UB24, K3, K6, Liv3, Liv8
Mid cycle                                                   Blood and Yin gradually fill up the Penetrating and Conception Vessels
                                                                  St25, St28, St29, St30, Sp6, Liv3, Liv8, UB23, UB24, K3
                                          Day 14 – 28     Sp4, Sp6, GB34, GB41, Liv8, UB23, UB24, K3
Before menstruation                                 Yang rises to prepare to move Blood.  Liver-Qi moves in preparation to move Blood                                                                          Sp6, UB23, UB24, K3, K5, K6

The treatment included a typical shiatsu massage, tracing of the meridians and the specific and concentrated working of the applicable pressure points.  Treatments were an hour long once a week.  In the first instance, the lady fell pregnant within 4 weeks, in the second instance, within 6 weeks.  Both delivered healthy girls.

​Correct, in many parts of the world, the main component of sand is silica.  In fact, silica is the second most abundant element on the planet – the most abundant is oxygen. 

According to Wikipedia, silica is most commonly found in nature as quartz.

​Silica is astonishingly useful.  It is the main ingredient in the production of glass and optical fibres.  In food production it is used as an anti-caking agent in powdered foods like spices and non-dairy coffee creamer.  It is even used in the manufacture of wine, beer and juice to help remove particles in the liquid.  It aids the powder flow when tablets are formed and because of its natural absorbency, it’s used in cosmetics and toothpaste.  And it makes great cat litter.
So how do we get it?  Silica, in the form of silicon dioxide, reacts with water in the soil to form small amounts of Orthosilicic Acid (OA) which plants can absorb.  Some of the plants that contain a good quantity of silica are avocados, flaxseeds, onions, wheat, rice, cucumbers, alfalfa, beets, brown rice, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, bell peppers, soybeans, bamboo, and the herb horsetail. 
The problem is that we aren’t benefiting too much.  The silica content in foods has diminished over the years because of over-production of land, food processing and the way we cook food.  When plants absorb silica from the soil, it does not go to every part of the plant, it tends to be deposited in the parts which we remove, e.g. the outer part of grain which is shed prior to grinding the grain into flour.
So why do we need it?  Well, it helps to hold us together; silica is the key ingredient in collagen.  Collagen makes up about 75% of the dermal layer of the skin and is responsible for its elasticity and resilience.  As collagen decreases, wrinkles form, so silica slows down the skin’s ageing process.
Internally, silica is one of the trace minerals that your bones must have to improve their strength and density.  Bone tissue is composed of silica, along with calcium and magnesium, which gives it strength.  Silica also helps to build healthy hair and nails.  It is of benefit in high blood pressure, arthritic pain and for strengthening gums and teeth.

​Many people with muscular or skeletal problems will visit a physiotherapist or chiropractor who may insert acupuncture needles into various places on the body.  Unless the therapist has training in Traditional Chinese Medicine, they are usually inserting the needles into trigger points as opposed to acupuncture points.

Dry Needling:

A trigger point is a muscle knot. Muscles are made up of bands of fibres wrapped into bundles.   If the fibres contract and knot, they are known as hyper-irritable spots.  Because the muscle has become tightened, it is unable to lengthen and contract like healthy muscle tissue.  This in turn, can pull on tendons and ligaments associated with the muscle and can cause pain in the related joint.  Stretching a muscle with a heavily contracted trigger point can further damage the ligament or tendon by tearing it.

When muscle fibres contract, they use biochemical energy, and depletion of these biochemicals can lead to the accumulation of toxins, such as lactic acid.  The tightened muscle fibres constrict capillaries and prevent them from carrying off the fatigue toxins to the liver and kidneys for recycling.

Clusters of trigger points are not uncommon in larger muscles.  A key trigger point is one which refers pain along a nerve pathway and treatment of this trigger point can resolve satellite points.

There are more than 600 potential trigger points which tend to occur in the same place in human muscles, so trigger point maps have been created, providing accurate advice on treatment.

Trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid muscle, for example, can lead to dizziness and nausea as well as symptoms which appear primarily in the head and face.  Migraine, sinus headache and inner-ear problems can be due to trigger points in this muscle.

In the muscles, there are special receptors called nociceptors.  The nociceptor associated with trigger point pain becomes activated when the needle is inserted.  It is believed that the pain experienced with this procedure increases a person’s pain threshold, leading to a decrease in pain.  The muscle, too, will decrease in tone as a result.

In my experience, dry needling can be very painful!  Acupuncture on the other hand, is not painful at all, just sometimes, slightly uncomfortable. Many people with muscular or skeletal problems will visit a physiotherapist or chiropractor who may insert acupuncture needles into various places on the body.  Unless the therapist has training in Traditional Chinese Medicine, they are usually inserting the needles into trigger points as opposed to acupuncture points.

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture traces its history back at least 8000 years.  Acupuncture points are chosen along energetic pathways called meridians.  Each meridian has a specific path and is named according to an abdominal organ.  Although the meridians are seen as separate, they do in fact run in a set sequence, so a point worked on one meridian can have an effect on another meridian and its associated internal organ.

Every meridian has a superficial and a deep branch. 

Acupuncturists (and shiatsu therapists) access the superficial flow indicated by the solid line.

Each meridian has a number of points along its length which have specific actions and functions.  For example, on the palm is a point which calms the mind and aids in falling asleep.

Because each meridian is connected to a specific organ, working points on the meridian can assist with imbalances of the associated organ.  For example, a tight chest, asthma or inability to “let go” emotionally can be treated by working Lung 7 on the wrist.  Points are named according to the location and organ name.  Lung 7 is the 7th point along the Lung meridian.

The subject of Traditional Chinese medicine is vast and intricate, and many years of study are required in order to become proficient in this modality.  Understanding the complex relationship of the organs with emotions, flavours, seasons, time of day, voice sounds, and sense organs is an exciting adventure.
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Are you one of those people who carry your tension in your shoulders?  I am, and it speaks volumes about who we are.

In Applied Kinesiology and Meridian Diagnostics, the upper trapezius muscle is related to the kidneys.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the negative emotion of the Kidneys is fear.  What this means, in reality, is that people whose shoulders are super tight are people who don’t easily delegate.  They don’t trust others to do the job properly and feel that they need to do everything themselves.  They “fear” that the job won’t be done properly, and they literally carry the world on their shoulders.  I tend to rewash the dishes after my husband has done them, it takes every ounce of my strength to not do them!  To be honest though, they usually do need to be redone anyway.

In a stressful situation, other than the issue of the dishes, this becomes an area of weakness, so stress will tend to manifest here.  We all have our areas of the body where we manifest our stress.  A lady came for a massage once stating how stressed she was yet her back and shoulders were soft and malleable.  She carried her stress in her stomach and had digestive problems.
So, how do we live with this feeling of burden?  I think that accepting the idea that we believe we need to do everything ourselves is a start; we can begin to question some of our decisions.

Breath helps to release tension beautifully.  Breathe in four to five times to the point where you’re almost taking a deep breath, but not quite, then breathe out.  By the forth breath, when you feel that you really need to take that deep breath, you’ll feel that your muscles begin to relax.  This has something to do with carbon dioxide being a natural muscle relaxant.  This is why people who are hyperventilating are given a paper bag to breathe in and out of.

An effective by painful way to release tension is to squeeze the muscle.  My daughter grabs the top of my shoulders, squeezes and shakes the muscle then releases it quickly.  It’s not pleasant but the effects afterwards are good.
Massaging the shoulders properly is different to sliding fingers over the skin, although this can feel quite nice.  One needs to press the thumbs into the skin then rotate them around the muscle.

My all-time favourite, though, is GB 21.  This is the twenty first point on the gallbladder meridian and is situated right in the middle of the meat on both shoulders.  After warming up the area through massage and rubbing, the thumbs are pressed into GB21 for four breaths.  On the final out-breath the hands are removed, and the shoulders pressed down and out.  Pressing this point has a strong downward energy and can make a person feel a little light headed afterwards but the relief felt in the shoulders is worth it.  A vital consideration is that the point must be pressed with pressure and not with force.  Force is painful whereas pressure feels pleasant.  I often lean into this point with my elbows.
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I’ll probably still need to redo the dishes but I’m going to try to not let them weigh on me any longer.