Yang-Sheng.com - Cover should go hereyang-sheng.com/wp-content/uploads/YS_JANFEB2014_final.pdf · 8...
Transcript of Yang-Sheng.com - Cover should go hereyang-sheng.com/wp-content/uploads/YS_JANFEB2014_final.pdf · 8...
January-February 2014 1 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Cover should go here
Draft for Comment and Revision
2 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng Editorial Board
PublisherEditorKevin W Chen PhD Editor‐in‐ChiefMichelle Wood AssociateEditors Master Mantak Chia
Helen Hu LAc OMD Roger Jahnke OMD LAc Rebecca Kali
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care professionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
Solala Towler Chris na J Barea
MedicalEditorSharon Montes MD WebMasterJeffrey (Mengzi) Song LayoutEditorMarguerite A Zietkiewicz
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc
Cindy Borgonzi‐Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Shawn Cartwright MBA Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Katrina Everhart MA Ginger Garner MPT ACT Chiuan Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT
Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li‐Jun Ma MD PhD
Elizabeth Mackenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT Jeffrey (Mengzi) Song MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc
Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
ConsultingEditorsMaster Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Faxiang Hou Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc Guan‐Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
January-February 2014 3 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Volume 4 No 1 wwwYang‐Shengcom (ISSN 2326‐277X) Jan‐Feb 2014
CONTENTSDepartmentsColumns
FromtheEditor编者的话 5
FromtheDoctor医生之窗 6AldquoNewrdquoLoveStory
byNadiaLindaHoleMD
ExperienceExchange经验交流 11WhyMyNumberOnePriorityisNurturingMySpirit
byRavenCohan
MeditationinMotion动中冥想 16ASimpleTaijiTechniquetoCalmtheMind
byEricBorreson
FeatureArticle精选文章 18LifesChallengestheNinePalaces
byCZinniaMaravell
TalesoftheDao道的传说 22TheWayofWuWei
bySolalaTowler
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法27FibromyalgiaandDancing
byJoyceDelRosario
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探索 30Part1TheDivergentorDistinctMeridians
byMartyEisenPhD
BookReviews书评36ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMe
byMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
ResearchUpdate科研动态38Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
compiledbyKevinChen
TheDancingDoc舞 医 48CultivatingthemindndashMindMatterConnections
bySharonMontes
SeasonalHarmony季节的和谐 52SpringndashRenewalReinvention
byEllasaraKling
PictureCreditsCover Rebecca Kali p 5 provided by Author p 6 ClipArt Shu erstock p 7 Web ClipArt p 8 Shu erstock p 9 ClipArt Author p 11 Shu erstock p 12 ClipArt p 13 Dreams me ClipArt p 14 ClipArt Author p 16 Shu erstock p 17 Shu erstock Author p 18 Dreams me p 19 Shu erstock p 19‐21 Shu er‐stock p 22 Calligraphy by wwwart‐
virtuecom p 23 Shu erstock pp 24‐25 Shu erstock p 26 web Author p 27 ClipArt Dreams me p 28 web pp 29‐30 Shu erstock p 31 ClipArt Shu er‐stock p 32‐33 Shu erstock p 34‐36 Author provided p 37 ClipArt p 38 Shu erstock ClipArt pp 39‐42 Dream‐s me p 43 Internet Dreams me p 44 Shu erstock pp 45‐48 Dreams me p 48 ClipArt p 49‐51 Web p 52 Shu erstock pp 55‐57 Robert Pease Photography h p
wwwrobertpeasephotographycom
InThisIssue5 From the Editor
18 Feature Ar cle
48 The Dancing Doc
30 Scien fic Qi Explora on
38 Research Update
51 Comedy Moment
52 Seasonal Harmony
53 Support Yang‐Sheng
4 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
January-February 2014 5 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
DearReaders
Iamhappythatourthemeforthis irstYangShenissueof2014isNurturingSpiritThisisawonderfulway to experience the second half of the quietwinter season aswell as prepareourselvesforanexcitingyearofgrowthwhenspringarrives
Our selection of articles for this issue offers a wide variety of information as well aspracticaltipsandmethodsofself‐nurturing
A ldquoNewrdquoLoveStory byNadia LindaHoleMD is an amusing and interesting look atwhatallowspeople to live long lives Itsnot justdietandexercise a lotof ithas todowithloveRavenCohanshowsWhyMyNumberOnePriorityisNurturingMySpiritByRavenCohanshares her journey to self‐realization through many different and diverse but compatiblesystems offering a wonderful blueprint showing the successful merging of Western andEasternteachingandpractices
SimpleTaijiTechniquetoCalmtheMindByEricBorresonThisverysimpleandeasyOpenandCloseHandspracticeisveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelaxationandcalmingWhenfeelingstressedtakeamomenttopracticeopenandcloseandyoull indthatyourstresslevelwillimmediatelybereducedAlsoonthetopicofmindisCultivatingthemindndashMindMatterConnectionsbySharonMontesanexplorationofjustwhatwereallymeanbyldquomindrdquoandhowitreallyconnectswiththeBody
FromtheDaoistperspectiveTheWayofWuWeibySolalaTowlerWuwei (ooway) isoneof themostdif icult yetpivotalconceptsinDaoistphilosophyRoughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquoThetruemeaningofthephrasewuweiissomethinglikeldquonotdoinganythingthatisnotnaturalrdquoorldquonotdoinganythingthatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquo
ADaoist Practical Journal Come LaughWithMe by Michael Rinaldini (Shifu Li Chang Dao) a book reviewed byMichelleWoodWritteninadiary‐entrystyleShifuLiChangDaosbookcertainlylivesuptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
Inthis issuesfeaturearticleLifesChallengestheNinePalacesbyCZinniaMaravelldiscussestheareasof life inwhichwemay face challengesRather than a psychological approach she offers suggestions to effectwellness energetically through theExtraordinaryMeridianchannelsFibromyalgiaandDancingbyJoyceDelRosariooffersanalternativefor ibromyalgiatreatmentdancingStudiesshowtheef icacyofdanceinterventiononpainwhenperformedonceortwiceaweekwithmoderateintensity
OfcoursewehaveourregularcolumnsthebackboneofYangShengwithDrMartyEisensScienti icQiExplorationandDrKevinChens Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdatesandthemostdeliciousSeasonalHarmony inwhichEllasaraKlingoffersnotonlyinformationbutrecipestoexcitethepalateandhealthebody
PleaseenjoythisissueandNurtureYourSpiritthroughout2014andalways
Manyblessings
Michelle
From the Editor 编者的话
Disclaimer Information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is for the general information of the reader While we attempt to include a wide variety of information on subjects related to Y ang-Sheng opinions expressed are those of the authors of articles and do not necessarily state or reflect the views of Yang-Sheng the publisher or editors In addition information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is not intended nor implied to provide medical advice
6 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
A New Love Story
by Nadia L Hole MD
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 7 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
WanttoLivearemarkableLife
WanttoldquoagewellrdquoAsintegrativeholisticphysicianswecaneasi‐
lywriteyoudoctorrsquosordersforanexhaustingldquotodordquo listsof labtestsandnutraceuticals fromsu‐per food mega vitamins nano‐minerals greenand red ldquoinstantrdquo juices to enhancers for yourstem cells adaptogens for growth hormonecordycepsfortelomeresashwagandhaforadren‐als sepiaorvetiver for libidoandsoonnot tomention the newest other state of the artldquoprovenrdquo therapies ndash from EEG brain wave en‐trainment to quantum vibroacoustic ldquoQi ma‐chinesrdquoandmore
Baby boomer or not howmuch timemoneyandenergydoYOUreallywanttospendonagingldquowellrdquoANDndashWiththeeverescalatingdemandsofmoderndaylifeisShangri‐Lajustadreamfor‐evertoeludeus
WaitMaybetherersquoshopeHaveyouheardofthepeople
wholdquoforgettodierdquo
Researchers have discovered 5 pockets in theworld ‐ Loma Linda inMexico Nicoya in CostaRica Sardinia in Italy Okinawa in Japan andIkaria inGreece ‐where remarkablenumbersofpeopleliveremarkablelivestoremarkableagesEldersregularlyoutlivetheelderlyofmoreindus‐trialized nations by over a decade with signi i‐cantly less morbidity from cancer cardiac andotherchronicdiseaseInterestingly3ofthe5areislandcommunities
Ikaria an isolated Aegean Greek island topstheworld longevity listwithmorepeople livingpastage90thananywhereelseintheworldof‐tenstillsociallyANDsexuallyactivewithvirtual‐lynodementia OurAloha state ofHawaii inci‐dentally tops the US longevity list with the UScapitolWashingtonDCatthebottom
Whatsecretsdotheseislandsandoureldershavetoteachus
YearsagotwoGreekimmigrantsYiannisKari‐malis and war vet Stamatis Moraitas got unex‐pected news ndash Yiannis a diagnosis of stomachcancer Stamatis lung cancer Doctors gave eachonly months to live In lieu of costly westerntreatment and hospitals both chose to returnHomeinsteadtotheirnativeIkaria
When Yiannis and Stamatis returned hometheydidnotcomehometobottlesfullofpillsanddays scheduled full of appointments practicesandorspecialdiets
YiannisandStamatisreturnedHometoatime‐less life style formany of us forgotten ‐ simplewalks talks dances siestarsquos sipping cupsof teaandbreakingbreadtogetherwithfamilyfriendsandcommunityBothhappilyeachoutlivedtheirdoctorsbydecadescancerfree
8 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Interestingly in Ikaria and here in Puna Ha‐waii the native diet of choice is a ldquopoormanrsquosrdquoindigenous diet with food all harvested freshfrom land or wild high in organic local greensand grainswith plenty of raw dairy raw honeyfreshherbs ishandgameRegularexerciselikeherding goats walking dancing and swimmingand weekly community gatherings are a part oflife
Beforeyoujumponaplanetoisolatewhateveractive anti‐aging ingredients there are in Ikarianor Hawaiian native herbs teas honeyhellip StopWith sincere gratitude for goodmedicine fromall traditions ndash are there possibly other deepersecrets(RealFood isGoodMedicineYS JulAug2012)
Myparentsbothphysicians fromYale inChi‐nawereraisedonaldquopoormanrsquosdietrdquoAsprize‐winning ball‐room dancers they happily stoleeverydance loortheycouldwellintotheir80rsquosTheyalsoabsolutely lovedtheirworkasdoctorshelpingpeopleMyfatherjustcelebratedhis90thbirthday
One of my favorite Hawaiian near‐octogenarians is Uncle Sam a four‐time PurpleHeartvet Likemyparentshedoesnrsquotpaymuchattention todiet orexerciseUncle lives lifepas‐sionately tokeepAlohaalive His joy isprotect‐ingourbelovedHawaiiasaparadiseforourchil‐dren One of his dreams is to re‐create prisonsliterallywithoutwalls for convicted ldquooffendersrdquowithgrowing theirown foodandsacredHawai‐
ian teachings chanting and community as theirrehab
Recently I ran into an aging mosque couplewhomIhavenrsquotseenforyearsBothradiatedhap‐piness and health and looked far far youngerthanyearsagoTheirsecretldquoJustprayingrdquo
One of themost revered elders in integrativemedicine the late cardiologistDrLeeLipsenthalMDpastpresidentofAmericanBoardofIntegra-tive HolisticMedicine who when diagnosed withterminal esophageal cancer wrote Enjoy EverySandwich -LivingEachDayas if itWereYourLastspokeoftenaboutthevitalimportanceofconnec-tivitytouchrelationshipsandloveinthepracticeofmedicine and theirmeasurable outcomes formorbidity andmortality Lee wrote ldquoBeing fullyalive I discovered has nothing to do with thepresenceorabsenceofdiseasehellipItrsquosreallyaboutenjoyingthesimplicityofliferdquo
WhywastetimeonoldhurtsInsteadlikemyparentsLee loveddancing Ioncehadthehonorof dancing with him As one of our colleagues
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
2 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng Editorial Board
PublisherEditorKevin W Chen PhD Editor‐in‐ChiefMichelle Wood AssociateEditors Master Mantak Chia
Helen Hu LAc OMD Roger Jahnke OMD LAc Rebecca Kali
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care professionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
Solala Towler Chris na J Barea
MedicalEditorSharon Montes MD WebMasterJeffrey (Mengzi) Song LayoutEditorMarguerite A Zietkiewicz
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc
Cindy Borgonzi‐Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Shawn Cartwright MBA Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Katrina Everhart MA Ginger Garner MPT ACT Chiuan Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT
Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li‐Jun Ma MD PhD
Elizabeth Mackenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT Jeffrey (Mengzi) Song MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc
Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
ConsultingEditorsMaster Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Faxiang Hou Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc Guan‐Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
January-February 2014 3 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Volume 4 No 1 wwwYang‐Shengcom (ISSN 2326‐277X) Jan‐Feb 2014
CONTENTSDepartmentsColumns
FromtheEditor编者的话 5
FromtheDoctor医生之窗 6AldquoNewrdquoLoveStory
byNadiaLindaHoleMD
ExperienceExchange经验交流 11WhyMyNumberOnePriorityisNurturingMySpirit
byRavenCohan
MeditationinMotion动中冥想 16ASimpleTaijiTechniquetoCalmtheMind
byEricBorreson
FeatureArticle精选文章 18LifesChallengestheNinePalaces
byCZinniaMaravell
TalesoftheDao道的传说 22TheWayofWuWei
bySolalaTowler
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法27FibromyalgiaandDancing
byJoyceDelRosario
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探索 30Part1TheDivergentorDistinctMeridians
byMartyEisenPhD
BookReviews书评36ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMe
byMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
ResearchUpdate科研动态38Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
compiledbyKevinChen
TheDancingDoc舞 医 48CultivatingthemindndashMindMatterConnections
bySharonMontes
SeasonalHarmony季节的和谐 52SpringndashRenewalReinvention
byEllasaraKling
PictureCreditsCover Rebecca Kali p 5 provided by Author p 6 ClipArt Shu erstock p 7 Web ClipArt p 8 Shu erstock p 9 ClipArt Author p 11 Shu erstock p 12 ClipArt p 13 Dreams me ClipArt p 14 ClipArt Author p 16 Shu erstock p 17 Shu erstock Author p 18 Dreams me p 19 Shu erstock p 19‐21 Shu er‐stock p 22 Calligraphy by wwwart‐
virtuecom p 23 Shu erstock pp 24‐25 Shu erstock p 26 web Author p 27 ClipArt Dreams me p 28 web pp 29‐30 Shu erstock p 31 ClipArt Shu er‐stock p 32‐33 Shu erstock p 34‐36 Author provided p 37 ClipArt p 38 Shu erstock ClipArt pp 39‐42 Dream‐s me p 43 Internet Dreams me p 44 Shu erstock pp 45‐48 Dreams me p 48 ClipArt p 49‐51 Web p 52 Shu erstock pp 55‐57 Robert Pease Photography h p
wwwrobertpeasephotographycom
InThisIssue5 From the Editor
18 Feature Ar cle
48 The Dancing Doc
30 Scien fic Qi Explora on
38 Research Update
51 Comedy Moment
52 Seasonal Harmony
53 Support Yang‐Sheng
4 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
January-February 2014 5 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
DearReaders
Iamhappythatourthemeforthis irstYangShenissueof2014isNurturingSpiritThisisawonderfulway to experience the second half of the quietwinter season aswell as prepareourselvesforanexcitingyearofgrowthwhenspringarrives
Our selection of articles for this issue offers a wide variety of information as well aspracticaltipsandmethodsofself‐nurturing
A ldquoNewrdquoLoveStory byNadia LindaHoleMD is an amusing and interesting look atwhatallowspeople to live long lives Itsnot justdietandexercise a lotof ithas todowithloveRavenCohanshowsWhyMyNumberOnePriorityisNurturingMySpiritByRavenCohanshares her journey to self‐realization through many different and diverse but compatiblesystems offering a wonderful blueprint showing the successful merging of Western andEasternteachingandpractices
SimpleTaijiTechniquetoCalmtheMindByEricBorresonThisverysimpleandeasyOpenandCloseHandspracticeisveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelaxationandcalmingWhenfeelingstressedtakeamomenttopracticeopenandcloseandyoull indthatyourstresslevelwillimmediatelybereducedAlsoonthetopicofmindisCultivatingthemindndashMindMatterConnectionsbySharonMontesanexplorationofjustwhatwereallymeanbyldquomindrdquoandhowitreallyconnectswiththeBody
FromtheDaoistperspectiveTheWayofWuWeibySolalaTowlerWuwei (ooway) isoneof themostdif icult yetpivotalconceptsinDaoistphilosophyRoughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquoThetruemeaningofthephrasewuweiissomethinglikeldquonotdoinganythingthatisnotnaturalrdquoorldquonotdoinganythingthatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquo
ADaoist Practical Journal Come LaughWithMe by Michael Rinaldini (Shifu Li Chang Dao) a book reviewed byMichelleWoodWritteninadiary‐entrystyleShifuLiChangDaosbookcertainlylivesuptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
Inthis issuesfeaturearticleLifesChallengestheNinePalacesbyCZinniaMaravelldiscussestheareasof life inwhichwemay face challengesRather than a psychological approach she offers suggestions to effectwellness energetically through theExtraordinaryMeridianchannelsFibromyalgiaandDancingbyJoyceDelRosariooffersanalternativefor ibromyalgiatreatmentdancingStudiesshowtheef icacyofdanceinterventiononpainwhenperformedonceortwiceaweekwithmoderateintensity
OfcoursewehaveourregularcolumnsthebackboneofYangShengwithDrMartyEisensScienti icQiExplorationandDrKevinChens Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdatesandthemostdeliciousSeasonalHarmony inwhichEllasaraKlingoffersnotonlyinformationbutrecipestoexcitethepalateandhealthebody
PleaseenjoythisissueandNurtureYourSpiritthroughout2014andalways
Manyblessings
Michelle
From the Editor 编者的话
Disclaimer Information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is for the general information of the reader While we attempt to include a wide variety of information on subjects related to Y ang-Sheng opinions expressed are those of the authors of articles and do not necessarily state or reflect the views of Yang-Sheng the publisher or editors In addition information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is not intended nor implied to provide medical advice
6 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
A New Love Story
by Nadia L Hole MD
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 7 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
WanttoLivearemarkableLife
WanttoldquoagewellrdquoAsintegrativeholisticphysicianswecaneasi‐
lywriteyoudoctorrsquosordersforanexhaustingldquotodordquo listsof labtestsandnutraceuticals fromsu‐per food mega vitamins nano‐minerals greenand red ldquoinstantrdquo juices to enhancers for yourstem cells adaptogens for growth hormonecordycepsfortelomeresashwagandhaforadren‐als sepiaorvetiver for libidoandsoonnot tomention the newest other state of the artldquoprovenrdquo therapies ndash from EEG brain wave en‐trainment to quantum vibroacoustic ldquoQi ma‐chinesrdquoandmore
Baby boomer or not howmuch timemoneyandenergydoYOUreallywanttospendonagingldquowellrdquoANDndashWiththeeverescalatingdemandsofmoderndaylifeisShangri‐Lajustadreamfor‐evertoeludeus
WaitMaybetherersquoshopeHaveyouheardofthepeople
wholdquoforgettodierdquo
Researchers have discovered 5 pockets in theworld ‐ Loma Linda inMexico Nicoya in CostaRica Sardinia in Italy Okinawa in Japan andIkaria inGreece ‐where remarkablenumbersofpeopleliveremarkablelivestoremarkableagesEldersregularlyoutlivetheelderlyofmoreindus‐trialized nations by over a decade with signi i‐cantly less morbidity from cancer cardiac andotherchronicdiseaseInterestingly3ofthe5areislandcommunities
Ikaria an isolated Aegean Greek island topstheworld longevity listwithmorepeople livingpastage90thananywhereelseintheworldof‐tenstillsociallyANDsexuallyactivewithvirtual‐lynodementia OurAloha state ofHawaii inci‐dentally tops the US longevity list with the UScapitolWashingtonDCatthebottom
Whatsecretsdotheseislandsandoureldershavetoteachus
YearsagotwoGreekimmigrantsYiannisKari‐malis and war vet Stamatis Moraitas got unex‐pected news ndash Yiannis a diagnosis of stomachcancer Stamatis lung cancer Doctors gave eachonly months to live In lieu of costly westerntreatment and hospitals both chose to returnHomeinsteadtotheirnativeIkaria
When Yiannis and Stamatis returned hometheydidnotcomehometobottlesfullofpillsanddays scheduled full of appointments practicesandorspecialdiets
YiannisandStamatisreturnedHometoatime‐less life style formany of us forgotten ‐ simplewalks talks dances siestarsquos sipping cupsof teaandbreakingbreadtogetherwithfamilyfriendsandcommunityBothhappilyeachoutlivedtheirdoctorsbydecadescancerfree
8 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Interestingly in Ikaria and here in Puna Ha‐waii the native diet of choice is a ldquopoormanrsquosrdquoindigenous diet with food all harvested freshfrom land or wild high in organic local greensand grainswith plenty of raw dairy raw honeyfreshherbs ishandgameRegularexerciselikeherding goats walking dancing and swimmingand weekly community gatherings are a part oflife
Beforeyoujumponaplanetoisolatewhateveractive anti‐aging ingredients there are in Ikarianor Hawaiian native herbs teas honeyhellip StopWith sincere gratitude for goodmedicine fromall traditions ndash are there possibly other deepersecrets(RealFood isGoodMedicineYS JulAug2012)
Myparentsbothphysicians fromYale inChi‐nawereraisedonaldquopoormanrsquosdietrdquoAsprize‐winning ball‐room dancers they happily stoleeverydance loortheycouldwellintotheir80rsquosTheyalsoabsolutely lovedtheirworkasdoctorshelpingpeopleMyfatherjustcelebratedhis90thbirthday
One of my favorite Hawaiian near‐octogenarians is Uncle Sam a four‐time PurpleHeartvet Likemyparentshedoesnrsquotpaymuchattention todiet orexerciseUncle lives lifepas‐sionately tokeepAlohaalive His joy isprotect‐ingourbelovedHawaiiasaparadiseforourchil‐dren One of his dreams is to re‐create prisonsliterallywithoutwalls for convicted ldquooffendersrdquowithgrowing theirown foodandsacredHawai‐
ian teachings chanting and community as theirrehab
Recently I ran into an aging mosque couplewhomIhavenrsquotseenforyearsBothradiatedhap‐piness and health and looked far far youngerthanyearsagoTheirsecretldquoJustprayingrdquo
One of themost revered elders in integrativemedicine the late cardiologistDrLeeLipsenthalMDpastpresidentofAmericanBoardofIntegra-tive HolisticMedicine who when diagnosed withterminal esophageal cancer wrote Enjoy EverySandwich -LivingEachDayas if itWereYourLastspokeoftenaboutthevitalimportanceofconnec-tivitytouchrelationshipsandloveinthepracticeofmedicine and theirmeasurable outcomes formorbidity andmortality Lee wrote ldquoBeing fullyalive I discovered has nothing to do with thepresenceorabsenceofdiseasehellipItrsquosreallyaboutenjoyingthesimplicityofliferdquo
WhywastetimeonoldhurtsInsteadlikemyparentsLee loveddancing Ioncehadthehonorof dancing with him As one of our colleagues
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 3 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Volume 4 No 1 wwwYang‐Shengcom (ISSN 2326‐277X) Jan‐Feb 2014
CONTENTSDepartmentsColumns
FromtheEditor编者的话 5
FromtheDoctor医生之窗 6AldquoNewrdquoLoveStory
byNadiaLindaHoleMD
ExperienceExchange经验交流 11WhyMyNumberOnePriorityisNurturingMySpirit
byRavenCohan
MeditationinMotion动中冥想 16ASimpleTaijiTechniquetoCalmtheMind
byEricBorreson
FeatureArticle精选文章 18LifesChallengestheNinePalaces
byCZinniaMaravell
TalesoftheDao道的传说 22TheWayofWuWei
bySolalaTowler
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法27FibromyalgiaandDancing
byJoyceDelRosario
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探索 30Part1TheDivergentorDistinctMeridians
byMartyEisenPhD
BookReviews书评36ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMe
byMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
ResearchUpdate科研动态38Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
compiledbyKevinChen
TheDancingDoc舞 医 48CultivatingthemindndashMindMatterConnections
bySharonMontes
SeasonalHarmony季节的和谐 52SpringndashRenewalReinvention
byEllasaraKling
PictureCreditsCover Rebecca Kali p 5 provided by Author p 6 ClipArt Shu erstock p 7 Web ClipArt p 8 Shu erstock p 9 ClipArt Author p 11 Shu erstock p 12 ClipArt p 13 Dreams me ClipArt p 14 ClipArt Author p 16 Shu erstock p 17 Shu erstock Author p 18 Dreams me p 19 Shu erstock p 19‐21 Shu er‐stock p 22 Calligraphy by wwwart‐
virtuecom p 23 Shu erstock pp 24‐25 Shu erstock p 26 web Author p 27 ClipArt Dreams me p 28 web pp 29‐30 Shu erstock p 31 ClipArt Shu er‐stock p 32‐33 Shu erstock p 34‐36 Author provided p 37 ClipArt p 38 Shu erstock ClipArt pp 39‐42 Dream‐s me p 43 Internet Dreams me p 44 Shu erstock pp 45‐48 Dreams me p 48 ClipArt p 49‐51 Web p 52 Shu erstock pp 55‐57 Robert Pease Photography h p
wwwrobertpeasephotographycom
InThisIssue5 From the Editor
18 Feature Ar cle
48 The Dancing Doc
30 Scien fic Qi Explora on
38 Research Update
51 Comedy Moment
52 Seasonal Harmony
53 Support Yang‐Sheng
4 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
January-February 2014 5 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
DearReaders
Iamhappythatourthemeforthis irstYangShenissueof2014isNurturingSpiritThisisawonderfulway to experience the second half of the quietwinter season aswell as prepareourselvesforanexcitingyearofgrowthwhenspringarrives
Our selection of articles for this issue offers a wide variety of information as well aspracticaltipsandmethodsofself‐nurturing
A ldquoNewrdquoLoveStory byNadia LindaHoleMD is an amusing and interesting look atwhatallowspeople to live long lives Itsnot justdietandexercise a lotof ithas todowithloveRavenCohanshowsWhyMyNumberOnePriorityisNurturingMySpiritByRavenCohanshares her journey to self‐realization through many different and diverse but compatiblesystems offering a wonderful blueprint showing the successful merging of Western andEasternteachingandpractices
SimpleTaijiTechniquetoCalmtheMindByEricBorresonThisverysimpleandeasyOpenandCloseHandspracticeisveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelaxationandcalmingWhenfeelingstressedtakeamomenttopracticeopenandcloseandyoull indthatyourstresslevelwillimmediatelybereducedAlsoonthetopicofmindisCultivatingthemindndashMindMatterConnectionsbySharonMontesanexplorationofjustwhatwereallymeanbyldquomindrdquoandhowitreallyconnectswiththeBody
FromtheDaoistperspectiveTheWayofWuWeibySolalaTowlerWuwei (ooway) isoneof themostdif icult yetpivotalconceptsinDaoistphilosophyRoughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquoThetruemeaningofthephrasewuweiissomethinglikeldquonotdoinganythingthatisnotnaturalrdquoorldquonotdoinganythingthatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquo
ADaoist Practical Journal Come LaughWithMe by Michael Rinaldini (Shifu Li Chang Dao) a book reviewed byMichelleWoodWritteninadiary‐entrystyleShifuLiChangDaosbookcertainlylivesuptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
Inthis issuesfeaturearticleLifesChallengestheNinePalacesbyCZinniaMaravelldiscussestheareasof life inwhichwemay face challengesRather than a psychological approach she offers suggestions to effectwellness energetically through theExtraordinaryMeridianchannelsFibromyalgiaandDancingbyJoyceDelRosariooffersanalternativefor ibromyalgiatreatmentdancingStudiesshowtheef icacyofdanceinterventiononpainwhenperformedonceortwiceaweekwithmoderateintensity
OfcoursewehaveourregularcolumnsthebackboneofYangShengwithDrMartyEisensScienti icQiExplorationandDrKevinChens Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdatesandthemostdeliciousSeasonalHarmony inwhichEllasaraKlingoffersnotonlyinformationbutrecipestoexcitethepalateandhealthebody
PleaseenjoythisissueandNurtureYourSpiritthroughout2014andalways
Manyblessings
Michelle
From the Editor 编者的话
Disclaimer Information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is for the general information of the reader While we attempt to include a wide variety of information on subjects related to Y ang-Sheng opinions expressed are those of the authors of articles and do not necessarily state or reflect the views of Yang-Sheng the publisher or editors In addition information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is not intended nor implied to provide medical advice
6 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
A New Love Story
by Nadia L Hole MD
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 7 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
WanttoLivearemarkableLife
WanttoldquoagewellrdquoAsintegrativeholisticphysicianswecaneasi‐
lywriteyoudoctorrsquosordersforanexhaustingldquotodordquo listsof labtestsandnutraceuticals fromsu‐per food mega vitamins nano‐minerals greenand red ldquoinstantrdquo juices to enhancers for yourstem cells adaptogens for growth hormonecordycepsfortelomeresashwagandhaforadren‐als sepiaorvetiver for libidoandsoonnot tomention the newest other state of the artldquoprovenrdquo therapies ndash from EEG brain wave en‐trainment to quantum vibroacoustic ldquoQi ma‐chinesrdquoandmore
Baby boomer or not howmuch timemoneyandenergydoYOUreallywanttospendonagingldquowellrdquoANDndashWiththeeverescalatingdemandsofmoderndaylifeisShangri‐Lajustadreamfor‐evertoeludeus
WaitMaybetherersquoshopeHaveyouheardofthepeople
wholdquoforgettodierdquo
Researchers have discovered 5 pockets in theworld ‐ Loma Linda inMexico Nicoya in CostaRica Sardinia in Italy Okinawa in Japan andIkaria inGreece ‐where remarkablenumbersofpeopleliveremarkablelivestoremarkableagesEldersregularlyoutlivetheelderlyofmoreindus‐trialized nations by over a decade with signi i‐cantly less morbidity from cancer cardiac andotherchronicdiseaseInterestingly3ofthe5areislandcommunities
Ikaria an isolated Aegean Greek island topstheworld longevity listwithmorepeople livingpastage90thananywhereelseintheworldof‐tenstillsociallyANDsexuallyactivewithvirtual‐lynodementia OurAloha state ofHawaii inci‐dentally tops the US longevity list with the UScapitolWashingtonDCatthebottom
Whatsecretsdotheseislandsandoureldershavetoteachus
YearsagotwoGreekimmigrantsYiannisKari‐malis and war vet Stamatis Moraitas got unex‐pected news ndash Yiannis a diagnosis of stomachcancer Stamatis lung cancer Doctors gave eachonly months to live In lieu of costly westerntreatment and hospitals both chose to returnHomeinsteadtotheirnativeIkaria
When Yiannis and Stamatis returned hometheydidnotcomehometobottlesfullofpillsanddays scheduled full of appointments practicesandorspecialdiets
YiannisandStamatisreturnedHometoatime‐less life style formany of us forgotten ‐ simplewalks talks dances siestarsquos sipping cupsof teaandbreakingbreadtogetherwithfamilyfriendsandcommunityBothhappilyeachoutlivedtheirdoctorsbydecadescancerfree
8 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Interestingly in Ikaria and here in Puna Ha‐waii the native diet of choice is a ldquopoormanrsquosrdquoindigenous diet with food all harvested freshfrom land or wild high in organic local greensand grainswith plenty of raw dairy raw honeyfreshherbs ishandgameRegularexerciselikeherding goats walking dancing and swimmingand weekly community gatherings are a part oflife
Beforeyoujumponaplanetoisolatewhateveractive anti‐aging ingredients there are in Ikarianor Hawaiian native herbs teas honeyhellip StopWith sincere gratitude for goodmedicine fromall traditions ndash are there possibly other deepersecrets(RealFood isGoodMedicineYS JulAug2012)
Myparentsbothphysicians fromYale inChi‐nawereraisedonaldquopoormanrsquosdietrdquoAsprize‐winning ball‐room dancers they happily stoleeverydance loortheycouldwellintotheir80rsquosTheyalsoabsolutely lovedtheirworkasdoctorshelpingpeopleMyfatherjustcelebratedhis90thbirthday
One of my favorite Hawaiian near‐octogenarians is Uncle Sam a four‐time PurpleHeartvet Likemyparentshedoesnrsquotpaymuchattention todiet orexerciseUncle lives lifepas‐sionately tokeepAlohaalive His joy isprotect‐ingourbelovedHawaiiasaparadiseforourchil‐dren One of his dreams is to re‐create prisonsliterallywithoutwalls for convicted ldquooffendersrdquowithgrowing theirown foodandsacredHawai‐
ian teachings chanting and community as theirrehab
Recently I ran into an aging mosque couplewhomIhavenrsquotseenforyearsBothradiatedhap‐piness and health and looked far far youngerthanyearsagoTheirsecretldquoJustprayingrdquo
One of themost revered elders in integrativemedicine the late cardiologistDrLeeLipsenthalMDpastpresidentofAmericanBoardofIntegra-tive HolisticMedicine who when diagnosed withterminal esophageal cancer wrote Enjoy EverySandwich -LivingEachDayas if itWereYourLastspokeoftenaboutthevitalimportanceofconnec-tivitytouchrelationshipsandloveinthepracticeofmedicine and theirmeasurable outcomes formorbidity andmortality Lee wrote ldquoBeing fullyalive I discovered has nothing to do with thepresenceorabsenceofdiseasehellipItrsquosreallyaboutenjoyingthesimplicityofliferdquo
WhywastetimeonoldhurtsInsteadlikemyparentsLee loveddancing Ioncehadthehonorof dancing with him As one of our colleagues
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
4 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
January-February 2014 5 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
DearReaders
Iamhappythatourthemeforthis irstYangShenissueof2014isNurturingSpiritThisisawonderfulway to experience the second half of the quietwinter season aswell as prepareourselvesforanexcitingyearofgrowthwhenspringarrives
Our selection of articles for this issue offers a wide variety of information as well aspracticaltipsandmethodsofself‐nurturing
A ldquoNewrdquoLoveStory byNadia LindaHoleMD is an amusing and interesting look atwhatallowspeople to live long lives Itsnot justdietandexercise a lotof ithas todowithloveRavenCohanshowsWhyMyNumberOnePriorityisNurturingMySpiritByRavenCohanshares her journey to self‐realization through many different and diverse but compatiblesystems offering a wonderful blueprint showing the successful merging of Western andEasternteachingandpractices
SimpleTaijiTechniquetoCalmtheMindByEricBorresonThisverysimpleandeasyOpenandCloseHandspracticeisveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelaxationandcalmingWhenfeelingstressedtakeamomenttopracticeopenandcloseandyoull indthatyourstresslevelwillimmediatelybereducedAlsoonthetopicofmindisCultivatingthemindndashMindMatterConnectionsbySharonMontesanexplorationofjustwhatwereallymeanbyldquomindrdquoandhowitreallyconnectswiththeBody
FromtheDaoistperspectiveTheWayofWuWeibySolalaTowlerWuwei (ooway) isoneof themostdif icult yetpivotalconceptsinDaoistphilosophyRoughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquoThetruemeaningofthephrasewuweiissomethinglikeldquonotdoinganythingthatisnotnaturalrdquoorldquonotdoinganythingthatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquo
ADaoist Practical Journal Come LaughWithMe by Michael Rinaldini (Shifu Li Chang Dao) a book reviewed byMichelleWoodWritteninadiary‐entrystyleShifuLiChangDaosbookcertainlylivesuptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
Inthis issuesfeaturearticleLifesChallengestheNinePalacesbyCZinniaMaravelldiscussestheareasof life inwhichwemay face challengesRather than a psychological approach she offers suggestions to effectwellness energetically through theExtraordinaryMeridianchannelsFibromyalgiaandDancingbyJoyceDelRosariooffersanalternativefor ibromyalgiatreatmentdancingStudiesshowtheef icacyofdanceinterventiononpainwhenperformedonceortwiceaweekwithmoderateintensity
OfcoursewehaveourregularcolumnsthebackboneofYangShengwithDrMartyEisensScienti icQiExplorationandDrKevinChens Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdatesandthemostdeliciousSeasonalHarmony inwhichEllasaraKlingoffersnotonlyinformationbutrecipestoexcitethepalateandhealthebody
PleaseenjoythisissueandNurtureYourSpiritthroughout2014andalways
Manyblessings
Michelle
From the Editor 编者的话
Disclaimer Information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is for the general information of the reader While we attempt to include a wide variety of information on subjects related to Y ang-Sheng opinions expressed are those of the authors of articles and do not necessarily state or reflect the views of Yang-Sheng the publisher or editors In addition information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is not intended nor implied to provide medical advice
6 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
A New Love Story
by Nadia L Hole MD
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 7 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
WanttoLivearemarkableLife
WanttoldquoagewellrdquoAsintegrativeholisticphysicianswecaneasi‐
lywriteyoudoctorrsquosordersforanexhaustingldquotodordquo listsof labtestsandnutraceuticals fromsu‐per food mega vitamins nano‐minerals greenand red ldquoinstantrdquo juices to enhancers for yourstem cells adaptogens for growth hormonecordycepsfortelomeresashwagandhaforadren‐als sepiaorvetiver for libidoandsoonnot tomention the newest other state of the artldquoprovenrdquo therapies ndash from EEG brain wave en‐trainment to quantum vibroacoustic ldquoQi ma‐chinesrdquoandmore
Baby boomer or not howmuch timemoneyandenergydoYOUreallywanttospendonagingldquowellrdquoANDndashWiththeeverescalatingdemandsofmoderndaylifeisShangri‐Lajustadreamfor‐evertoeludeus
WaitMaybetherersquoshopeHaveyouheardofthepeople
wholdquoforgettodierdquo
Researchers have discovered 5 pockets in theworld ‐ Loma Linda inMexico Nicoya in CostaRica Sardinia in Italy Okinawa in Japan andIkaria inGreece ‐where remarkablenumbersofpeopleliveremarkablelivestoremarkableagesEldersregularlyoutlivetheelderlyofmoreindus‐trialized nations by over a decade with signi i‐cantly less morbidity from cancer cardiac andotherchronicdiseaseInterestingly3ofthe5areislandcommunities
Ikaria an isolated Aegean Greek island topstheworld longevity listwithmorepeople livingpastage90thananywhereelseintheworldof‐tenstillsociallyANDsexuallyactivewithvirtual‐lynodementia OurAloha state ofHawaii inci‐dentally tops the US longevity list with the UScapitolWashingtonDCatthebottom
Whatsecretsdotheseislandsandoureldershavetoteachus
YearsagotwoGreekimmigrantsYiannisKari‐malis and war vet Stamatis Moraitas got unex‐pected news ndash Yiannis a diagnosis of stomachcancer Stamatis lung cancer Doctors gave eachonly months to live In lieu of costly westerntreatment and hospitals both chose to returnHomeinsteadtotheirnativeIkaria
When Yiannis and Stamatis returned hometheydidnotcomehometobottlesfullofpillsanddays scheduled full of appointments practicesandorspecialdiets
YiannisandStamatisreturnedHometoatime‐less life style formany of us forgotten ‐ simplewalks talks dances siestarsquos sipping cupsof teaandbreakingbreadtogetherwithfamilyfriendsandcommunityBothhappilyeachoutlivedtheirdoctorsbydecadescancerfree
8 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Interestingly in Ikaria and here in Puna Ha‐waii the native diet of choice is a ldquopoormanrsquosrdquoindigenous diet with food all harvested freshfrom land or wild high in organic local greensand grainswith plenty of raw dairy raw honeyfreshherbs ishandgameRegularexerciselikeherding goats walking dancing and swimmingand weekly community gatherings are a part oflife
Beforeyoujumponaplanetoisolatewhateveractive anti‐aging ingredients there are in Ikarianor Hawaiian native herbs teas honeyhellip StopWith sincere gratitude for goodmedicine fromall traditions ndash are there possibly other deepersecrets(RealFood isGoodMedicineYS JulAug2012)
Myparentsbothphysicians fromYale inChi‐nawereraisedonaldquopoormanrsquosdietrdquoAsprize‐winning ball‐room dancers they happily stoleeverydance loortheycouldwellintotheir80rsquosTheyalsoabsolutely lovedtheirworkasdoctorshelpingpeopleMyfatherjustcelebratedhis90thbirthday
One of my favorite Hawaiian near‐octogenarians is Uncle Sam a four‐time PurpleHeartvet Likemyparentshedoesnrsquotpaymuchattention todiet orexerciseUncle lives lifepas‐sionately tokeepAlohaalive His joy isprotect‐ingourbelovedHawaiiasaparadiseforourchil‐dren One of his dreams is to re‐create prisonsliterallywithoutwalls for convicted ldquooffendersrdquowithgrowing theirown foodandsacredHawai‐
ian teachings chanting and community as theirrehab
Recently I ran into an aging mosque couplewhomIhavenrsquotseenforyearsBothradiatedhap‐piness and health and looked far far youngerthanyearsagoTheirsecretldquoJustprayingrdquo
One of themost revered elders in integrativemedicine the late cardiologistDrLeeLipsenthalMDpastpresidentofAmericanBoardofIntegra-tive HolisticMedicine who when diagnosed withterminal esophageal cancer wrote Enjoy EverySandwich -LivingEachDayas if itWereYourLastspokeoftenaboutthevitalimportanceofconnec-tivitytouchrelationshipsandloveinthepracticeofmedicine and theirmeasurable outcomes formorbidity andmortality Lee wrote ldquoBeing fullyalive I discovered has nothing to do with thepresenceorabsenceofdiseasehellipItrsquosreallyaboutenjoyingthesimplicityofliferdquo
WhywastetimeonoldhurtsInsteadlikemyparentsLee loveddancing Ioncehadthehonorof dancing with him As one of our colleagues
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
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Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 5 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
DearReaders
Iamhappythatourthemeforthis irstYangShenissueof2014isNurturingSpiritThisisawonderfulway to experience the second half of the quietwinter season aswell as prepareourselvesforanexcitingyearofgrowthwhenspringarrives
Our selection of articles for this issue offers a wide variety of information as well aspracticaltipsandmethodsofself‐nurturing
A ldquoNewrdquoLoveStory byNadia LindaHoleMD is an amusing and interesting look atwhatallowspeople to live long lives Itsnot justdietandexercise a lotof ithas todowithloveRavenCohanshowsWhyMyNumberOnePriorityisNurturingMySpiritByRavenCohanshares her journey to self‐realization through many different and diverse but compatiblesystems offering a wonderful blueprint showing the successful merging of Western andEasternteachingandpractices
SimpleTaijiTechniquetoCalmtheMindByEricBorresonThisverysimpleandeasyOpenandCloseHandspracticeisveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelaxationandcalmingWhenfeelingstressedtakeamomenttopracticeopenandcloseandyoull indthatyourstresslevelwillimmediatelybereducedAlsoonthetopicofmindisCultivatingthemindndashMindMatterConnectionsbySharonMontesanexplorationofjustwhatwereallymeanbyldquomindrdquoandhowitreallyconnectswiththeBody
FromtheDaoistperspectiveTheWayofWuWeibySolalaTowlerWuwei (ooway) isoneof themostdif icult yetpivotalconceptsinDaoistphilosophyRoughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquoThetruemeaningofthephrasewuweiissomethinglikeldquonotdoinganythingthatisnotnaturalrdquoorldquonotdoinganythingthatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquo
ADaoist Practical Journal Come LaughWithMe by Michael Rinaldini (Shifu Li Chang Dao) a book reviewed byMichelleWoodWritteninadiary‐entrystyleShifuLiChangDaosbookcertainlylivesuptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
Inthis issuesfeaturearticleLifesChallengestheNinePalacesbyCZinniaMaravelldiscussestheareasof life inwhichwemay face challengesRather than a psychological approach she offers suggestions to effectwellness energetically through theExtraordinaryMeridianchannelsFibromyalgiaandDancingbyJoyceDelRosariooffersanalternativefor ibromyalgiatreatmentdancingStudiesshowtheef icacyofdanceinterventiononpainwhenperformedonceortwiceaweekwithmoderateintensity
OfcoursewehaveourregularcolumnsthebackboneofYangShengwithDrMartyEisensScienti icQiExplorationandDrKevinChens Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdatesandthemostdeliciousSeasonalHarmony inwhichEllasaraKlingoffersnotonlyinformationbutrecipestoexcitethepalateandhealthebody
PleaseenjoythisissueandNurtureYourSpiritthroughout2014andalways
Manyblessings
Michelle
From the Editor 编者的话
Disclaimer Information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is for the general information of the reader While we attempt to include a wide variety of information on subjects related to Y ang-Sheng opinions expressed are those of the authors of articles and do not necessarily state or reflect the views of Yang-Sheng the publisher or editors In addition information included on wwwyang-shengcom and in Y ang-Sheng e-magazine is not intended nor implied to provide medical advice
6 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
A New Love Story
by Nadia L Hole MD
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 7 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
WanttoLivearemarkableLife
WanttoldquoagewellrdquoAsintegrativeholisticphysicianswecaneasi‐
lywriteyoudoctorrsquosordersforanexhaustingldquotodordquo listsof labtestsandnutraceuticals fromsu‐per food mega vitamins nano‐minerals greenand red ldquoinstantrdquo juices to enhancers for yourstem cells adaptogens for growth hormonecordycepsfortelomeresashwagandhaforadren‐als sepiaorvetiver for libidoandsoonnot tomention the newest other state of the artldquoprovenrdquo therapies ndash from EEG brain wave en‐trainment to quantum vibroacoustic ldquoQi ma‐chinesrdquoandmore
Baby boomer or not howmuch timemoneyandenergydoYOUreallywanttospendonagingldquowellrdquoANDndashWiththeeverescalatingdemandsofmoderndaylifeisShangri‐Lajustadreamfor‐evertoeludeus
WaitMaybetherersquoshopeHaveyouheardofthepeople
wholdquoforgettodierdquo
Researchers have discovered 5 pockets in theworld ‐ Loma Linda inMexico Nicoya in CostaRica Sardinia in Italy Okinawa in Japan andIkaria inGreece ‐where remarkablenumbersofpeopleliveremarkablelivestoremarkableagesEldersregularlyoutlivetheelderlyofmoreindus‐trialized nations by over a decade with signi i‐cantly less morbidity from cancer cardiac andotherchronicdiseaseInterestingly3ofthe5areislandcommunities
Ikaria an isolated Aegean Greek island topstheworld longevity listwithmorepeople livingpastage90thananywhereelseintheworldof‐tenstillsociallyANDsexuallyactivewithvirtual‐lynodementia OurAloha state ofHawaii inci‐dentally tops the US longevity list with the UScapitolWashingtonDCatthebottom
Whatsecretsdotheseislandsandoureldershavetoteachus
YearsagotwoGreekimmigrantsYiannisKari‐malis and war vet Stamatis Moraitas got unex‐pected news ndash Yiannis a diagnosis of stomachcancer Stamatis lung cancer Doctors gave eachonly months to live In lieu of costly westerntreatment and hospitals both chose to returnHomeinsteadtotheirnativeIkaria
When Yiannis and Stamatis returned hometheydidnotcomehometobottlesfullofpillsanddays scheduled full of appointments practicesandorspecialdiets
YiannisandStamatisreturnedHometoatime‐less life style formany of us forgotten ‐ simplewalks talks dances siestarsquos sipping cupsof teaandbreakingbreadtogetherwithfamilyfriendsandcommunityBothhappilyeachoutlivedtheirdoctorsbydecadescancerfree
8 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Interestingly in Ikaria and here in Puna Ha‐waii the native diet of choice is a ldquopoormanrsquosrdquoindigenous diet with food all harvested freshfrom land or wild high in organic local greensand grainswith plenty of raw dairy raw honeyfreshherbs ishandgameRegularexerciselikeherding goats walking dancing and swimmingand weekly community gatherings are a part oflife
Beforeyoujumponaplanetoisolatewhateveractive anti‐aging ingredients there are in Ikarianor Hawaiian native herbs teas honeyhellip StopWith sincere gratitude for goodmedicine fromall traditions ndash are there possibly other deepersecrets(RealFood isGoodMedicineYS JulAug2012)
Myparentsbothphysicians fromYale inChi‐nawereraisedonaldquopoormanrsquosdietrdquoAsprize‐winning ball‐room dancers they happily stoleeverydance loortheycouldwellintotheir80rsquosTheyalsoabsolutely lovedtheirworkasdoctorshelpingpeopleMyfatherjustcelebratedhis90thbirthday
One of my favorite Hawaiian near‐octogenarians is Uncle Sam a four‐time PurpleHeartvet Likemyparentshedoesnrsquotpaymuchattention todiet orexerciseUncle lives lifepas‐sionately tokeepAlohaalive His joy isprotect‐ingourbelovedHawaiiasaparadiseforourchil‐dren One of his dreams is to re‐create prisonsliterallywithoutwalls for convicted ldquooffendersrdquowithgrowing theirown foodandsacredHawai‐
ian teachings chanting and community as theirrehab
Recently I ran into an aging mosque couplewhomIhavenrsquotseenforyearsBothradiatedhap‐piness and health and looked far far youngerthanyearsagoTheirsecretldquoJustprayingrdquo
One of themost revered elders in integrativemedicine the late cardiologistDrLeeLipsenthalMDpastpresidentofAmericanBoardofIntegra-tive HolisticMedicine who when diagnosed withterminal esophageal cancer wrote Enjoy EverySandwich -LivingEachDayas if itWereYourLastspokeoftenaboutthevitalimportanceofconnec-tivitytouchrelationshipsandloveinthepracticeofmedicine and theirmeasurable outcomes formorbidity andmortality Lee wrote ldquoBeing fullyalive I discovered has nothing to do with thepresenceorabsenceofdiseasehellipItrsquosreallyaboutenjoyingthesimplicityofliferdquo
WhywastetimeonoldhurtsInsteadlikemyparentsLee loveddancing Ioncehadthehonorof dancing with him As one of our colleagues
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
6 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
A New Love Story
by Nadia L Hole MD
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 7 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
WanttoLivearemarkableLife
WanttoldquoagewellrdquoAsintegrativeholisticphysicianswecaneasi‐
lywriteyoudoctorrsquosordersforanexhaustingldquotodordquo listsof labtestsandnutraceuticals fromsu‐per food mega vitamins nano‐minerals greenand red ldquoinstantrdquo juices to enhancers for yourstem cells adaptogens for growth hormonecordycepsfortelomeresashwagandhaforadren‐als sepiaorvetiver for libidoandsoonnot tomention the newest other state of the artldquoprovenrdquo therapies ndash from EEG brain wave en‐trainment to quantum vibroacoustic ldquoQi ma‐chinesrdquoandmore
Baby boomer or not howmuch timemoneyandenergydoYOUreallywanttospendonagingldquowellrdquoANDndashWiththeeverescalatingdemandsofmoderndaylifeisShangri‐Lajustadreamfor‐evertoeludeus
WaitMaybetherersquoshopeHaveyouheardofthepeople
wholdquoforgettodierdquo
Researchers have discovered 5 pockets in theworld ‐ Loma Linda inMexico Nicoya in CostaRica Sardinia in Italy Okinawa in Japan andIkaria inGreece ‐where remarkablenumbersofpeopleliveremarkablelivestoremarkableagesEldersregularlyoutlivetheelderlyofmoreindus‐trialized nations by over a decade with signi i‐cantly less morbidity from cancer cardiac andotherchronicdiseaseInterestingly3ofthe5areislandcommunities
Ikaria an isolated Aegean Greek island topstheworld longevity listwithmorepeople livingpastage90thananywhereelseintheworldof‐tenstillsociallyANDsexuallyactivewithvirtual‐lynodementia OurAloha state ofHawaii inci‐dentally tops the US longevity list with the UScapitolWashingtonDCatthebottom
Whatsecretsdotheseislandsandoureldershavetoteachus
YearsagotwoGreekimmigrantsYiannisKari‐malis and war vet Stamatis Moraitas got unex‐pected news ndash Yiannis a diagnosis of stomachcancer Stamatis lung cancer Doctors gave eachonly months to live In lieu of costly westerntreatment and hospitals both chose to returnHomeinsteadtotheirnativeIkaria
When Yiannis and Stamatis returned hometheydidnotcomehometobottlesfullofpillsanddays scheduled full of appointments practicesandorspecialdiets
YiannisandStamatisreturnedHometoatime‐less life style formany of us forgotten ‐ simplewalks talks dances siestarsquos sipping cupsof teaandbreakingbreadtogetherwithfamilyfriendsandcommunityBothhappilyeachoutlivedtheirdoctorsbydecadescancerfree
8 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Interestingly in Ikaria and here in Puna Ha‐waii the native diet of choice is a ldquopoormanrsquosrdquoindigenous diet with food all harvested freshfrom land or wild high in organic local greensand grainswith plenty of raw dairy raw honeyfreshherbs ishandgameRegularexerciselikeherding goats walking dancing and swimmingand weekly community gatherings are a part oflife
Beforeyoujumponaplanetoisolatewhateveractive anti‐aging ingredients there are in Ikarianor Hawaiian native herbs teas honeyhellip StopWith sincere gratitude for goodmedicine fromall traditions ndash are there possibly other deepersecrets(RealFood isGoodMedicineYS JulAug2012)
Myparentsbothphysicians fromYale inChi‐nawereraisedonaldquopoormanrsquosdietrdquoAsprize‐winning ball‐room dancers they happily stoleeverydance loortheycouldwellintotheir80rsquosTheyalsoabsolutely lovedtheirworkasdoctorshelpingpeopleMyfatherjustcelebratedhis90thbirthday
One of my favorite Hawaiian near‐octogenarians is Uncle Sam a four‐time PurpleHeartvet Likemyparentshedoesnrsquotpaymuchattention todiet orexerciseUncle lives lifepas‐sionately tokeepAlohaalive His joy isprotect‐ingourbelovedHawaiiasaparadiseforourchil‐dren One of his dreams is to re‐create prisonsliterallywithoutwalls for convicted ldquooffendersrdquowithgrowing theirown foodandsacredHawai‐
ian teachings chanting and community as theirrehab
Recently I ran into an aging mosque couplewhomIhavenrsquotseenforyearsBothradiatedhap‐piness and health and looked far far youngerthanyearsagoTheirsecretldquoJustprayingrdquo
One of themost revered elders in integrativemedicine the late cardiologistDrLeeLipsenthalMDpastpresidentofAmericanBoardofIntegra-tive HolisticMedicine who when diagnosed withterminal esophageal cancer wrote Enjoy EverySandwich -LivingEachDayas if itWereYourLastspokeoftenaboutthevitalimportanceofconnec-tivitytouchrelationshipsandloveinthepracticeofmedicine and theirmeasurable outcomes formorbidity andmortality Lee wrote ldquoBeing fullyalive I discovered has nothing to do with thepresenceorabsenceofdiseasehellipItrsquosreallyaboutenjoyingthesimplicityofliferdquo
WhywastetimeonoldhurtsInsteadlikemyparentsLee loveddancing Ioncehadthehonorof dancing with him As one of our colleagues
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 7 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
WanttoLivearemarkableLife
WanttoldquoagewellrdquoAsintegrativeholisticphysicianswecaneasi‐
lywriteyoudoctorrsquosordersforanexhaustingldquotodordquo listsof labtestsandnutraceuticals fromsu‐per food mega vitamins nano‐minerals greenand red ldquoinstantrdquo juices to enhancers for yourstem cells adaptogens for growth hormonecordycepsfortelomeresashwagandhaforadren‐als sepiaorvetiver for libidoandsoonnot tomention the newest other state of the artldquoprovenrdquo therapies ndash from EEG brain wave en‐trainment to quantum vibroacoustic ldquoQi ma‐chinesrdquoandmore
Baby boomer or not howmuch timemoneyandenergydoYOUreallywanttospendonagingldquowellrdquoANDndashWiththeeverescalatingdemandsofmoderndaylifeisShangri‐Lajustadreamfor‐evertoeludeus
WaitMaybetherersquoshopeHaveyouheardofthepeople
wholdquoforgettodierdquo
Researchers have discovered 5 pockets in theworld ‐ Loma Linda inMexico Nicoya in CostaRica Sardinia in Italy Okinawa in Japan andIkaria inGreece ‐where remarkablenumbersofpeopleliveremarkablelivestoremarkableagesEldersregularlyoutlivetheelderlyofmoreindus‐trialized nations by over a decade with signi i‐cantly less morbidity from cancer cardiac andotherchronicdiseaseInterestingly3ofthe5areislandcommunities
Ikaria an isolated Aegean Greek island topstheworld longevity listwithmorepeople livingpastage90thananywhereelseintheworldof‐tenstillsociallyANDsexuallyactivewithvirtual‐lynodementia OurAloha state ofHawaii inci‐dentally tops the US longevity list with the UScapitolWashingtonDCatthebottom
Whatsecretsdotheseislandsandoureldershavetoteachus
YearsagotwoGreekimmigrantsYiannisKari‐malis and war vet Stamatis Moraitas got unex‐pected news ndash Yiannis a diagnosis of stomachcancer Stamatis lung cancer Doctors gave eachonly months to live In lieu of costly westerntreatment and hospitals both chose to returnHomeinsteadtotheirnativeIkaria
When Yiannis and Stamatis returned hometheydidnotcomehometobottlesfullofpillsanddays scheduled full of appointments practicesandorspecialdiets
YiannisandStamatisreturnedHometoatime‐less life style formany of us forgotten ‐ simplewalks talks dances siestarsquos sipping cupsof teaandbreakingbreadtogetherwithfamilyfriendsandcommunityBothhappilyeachoutlivedtheirdoctorsbydecadescancerfree
8 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Interestingly in Ikaria and here in Puna Ha‐waii the native diet of choice is a ldquopoormanrsquosrdquoindigenous diet with food all harvested freshfrom land or wild high in organic local greensand grainswith plenty of raw dairy raw honeyfreshherbs ishandgameRegularexerciselikeherding goats walking dancing and swimmingand weekly community gatherings are a part oflife
Beforeyoujumponaplanetoisolatewhateveractive anti‐aging ingredients there are in Ikarianor Hawaiian native herbs teas honeyhellip StopWith sincere gratitude for goodmedicine fromall traditions ndash are there possibly other deepersecrets(RealFood isGoodMedicineYS JulAug2012)
Myparentsbothphysicians fromYale inChi‐nawereraisedonaldquopoormanrsquosdietrdquoAsprize‐winning ball‐room dancers they happily stoleeverydance loortheycouldwellintotheir80rsquosTheyalsoabsolutely lovedtheirworkasdoctorshelpingpeopleMyfatherjustcelebratedhis90thbirthday
One of my favorite Hawaiian near‐octogenarians is Uncle Sam a four‐time PurpleHeartvet Likemyparentshedoesnrsquotpaymuchattention todiet orexerciseUncle lives lifepas‐sionately tokeepAlohaalive His joy isprotect‐ingourbelovedHawaiiasaparadiseforourchil‐dren One of his dreams is to re‐create prisonsliterallywithoutwalls for convicted ldquooffendersrdquowithgrowing theirown foodandsacredHawai‐
ian teachings chanting and community as theirrehab
Recently I ran into an aging mosque couplewhomIhavenrsquotseenforyearsBothradiatedhap‐piness and health and looked far far youngerthanyearsagoTheirsecretldquoJustprayingrdquo
One of themost revered elders in integrativemedicine the late cardiologistDrLeeLipsenthalMDpastpresidentofAmericanBoardofIntegra-tive HolisticMedicine who when diagnosed withterminal esophageal cancer wrote Enjoy EverySandwich -LivingEachDayas if itWereYourLastspokeoftenaboutthevitalimportanceofconnec-tivitytouchrelationshipsandloveinthepracticeofmedicine and theirmeasurable outcomes formorbidity andmortality Lee wrote ldquoBeing fullyalive I discovered has nothing to do with thepresenceorabsenceofdiseasehellipItrsquosreallyaboutenjoyingthesimplicityofliferdquo
WhywastetimeonoldhurtsInsteadlikemyparentsLee loveddancing Ioncehadthehonorof dancing with him As one of our colleagues
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
8 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Interestingly in Ikaria and here in Puna Ha‐waii the native diet of choice is a ldquopoormanrsquosrdquoindigenous diet with food all harvested freshfrom land or wild high in organic local greensand grainswith plenty of raw dairy raw honeyfreshherbs ishandgameRegularexerciselikeherding goats walking dancing and swimmingand weekly community gatherings are a part oflife
Beforeyoujumponaplanetoisolatewhateveractive anti‐aging ingredients there are in Ikarianor Hawaiian native herbs teas honeyhellip StopWith sincere gratitude for goodmedicine fromall traditions ndash are there possibly other deepersecrets(RealFood isGoodMedicineYS JulAug2012)
Myparentsbothphysicians fromYale inChi‐nawereraisedonaldquopoormanrsquosdietrdquoAsprize‐winning ball‐room dancers they happily stoleeverydance loortheycouldwellintotheir80rsquosTheyalsoabsolutely lovedtheirworkasdoctorshelpingpeopleMyfatherjustcelebratedhis90thbirthday
One of my favorite Hawaiian near‐octogenarians is Uncle Sam a four‐time PurpleHeartvet Likemyparentshedoesnrsquotpaymuchattention todiet orexerciseUncle lives lifepas‐sionately tokeepAlohaalive His joy isprotect‐ingourbelovedHawaiiasaparadiseforourchil‐dren One of his dreams is to re‐create prisonsliterallywithoutwalls for convicted ldquooffendersrdquowithgrowing theirown foodandsacredHawai‐
ian teachings chanting and community as theirrehab
Recently I ran into an aging mosque couplewhomIhavenrsquotseenforyearsBothradiatedhap‐piness and health and looked far far youngerthanyearsagoTheirsecretldquoJustprayingrdquo
One of themost revered elders in integrativemedicine the late cardiologistDrLeeLipsenthalMDpastpresidentofAmericanBoardofIntegra-tive HolisticMedicine who when diagnosed withterminal esophageal cancer wrote Enjoy EverySandwich -LivingEachDayas if itWereYourLastspokeoftenaboutthevitalimportanceofconnec-tivitytouchrelationshipsandloveinthepracticeofmedicine and theirmeasurable outcomes formorbidity andmortality Lee wrote ldquoBeing fullyalive I discovered has nothing to do with thepresenceorabsenceofdiseasehellipItrsquosreallyaboutenjoyingthesimplicityofliferdquo
WhywastetimeonoldhurtsInsteadlikemyparentsLee loveddancing Ioncehadthehonorof dancing with him As one of our colleagues
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 9 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
putsitDrLipsenthalforsureldquodidnrsquotdancelikeawhiteboyrdquo
My parents Uncle Sam and mosque friendshadnomindfordietexercisesornutraceuticalsDr Lipsenthalrsquos favorite sandwich was a BLTWhatrsquostheircommonsecret
DrStefanadisDeptCardiologyAthensMedicalSchool writes ldquoThere is increasing scienti ic evi-dence that there are protective health bene itsfrom traditional ways of living involving dietphysicalactivitystatusanactivesociallifeandanoptimisticattitudeldquo
One fascinating study which summarizes theresults of nearly 150 earlier studies found thatldquofriendship (has)asmuch impacton theriskofdeathassmokingdrinkingphysicalactivi‐tyorobesityrdquo
The ELSA study of 10000 aging Brits con‐cludesthathappypeoplearelikeliertostayalivethantheunhappiestpeopleoveragiventimepe‐riod The ldquogrumpiestrdquo people had 3 times thedeathrateasthehappiestHappypeopletendedtoalsostressless
AndrewSteptoeDeptEpidemiologyandPub‐lic Health at U College London and co‐author ofELSAwritesldquoThelinkbetweenpsychologicalwell-beingand long-termhealthandsurvivalwasin‐
dependent of other factors such as age gen-der ethnicity wealth education and baselinehealthrdquo
TimesasisndashAsadoctorIhearmorethanmyshare of heartbreak stories often totally beyondcontrolof thesurvivorsndashunimaginable lossesofhealth loveswork inancessafetysecurityandoftentimes of life itself As a mother daughterfriendbelovedItooknowloss
Face it ‐ If lifechallengesarenrsquotenoughwersquoreALL nowadays being bombardedwith unprece‐dentedsolarandearthchangeswithde initeef‐fectsonourphysiologyandpsycheTimesasis‐Withonebigbangthewholetopicofldquoagingwellrdquocouldbemootinasecondforanyofus
If allwe have is NOW andwe canrsquot pack ourbagsandmovetoanislandlikeHawaiiorIkaria‐hownowcanwepossiblyembody thesecretsoftheislandandourelderswithinourselves
Okinawan elders live a life style culture im‐bued with ldquoIkigairdquo or ldquowhat makes onersquos lifeworth livingrdquo Like their Japanese counterpartsYiannis and Stamatis by living what makeslifeworthlivingtheysimplyforgottodie
WhatrsquosyourIkigai
WhatmakeslifeworthlivingforYOU
Whatsimplejoysdoyougiftyourself
WhoandwhatareyourtrueLoves
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
10 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Whomisittimetobreakbreadwith
Shareacupofteawith
Who and where is your ldquotriberdquo FamilyChildren Loved ones Do they know how youlovethem
Whoneedsahug
What choices would youmake if today wereyourlastsandwich
IfyoucouldgiveyourselfONEgiftforyourlifeforTODAYforyourself
whatwoulditbe
_____________
AfriendofafriendsuggestsldquoPerhapsitrsquostimetowriteanewlovestoryforYourself‐onewithahappierendingPerhapsitrsquostimeforabiggersto‐ry a storybigger thanYouMEour selvesUSrdquoPerhaps itrsquos time no matter what your circum‐stancestosimplyenjoylifehelpotherslivetheirjoy toohellip and Love Love Love as if therersquos notomorrow
Oneoftheoldestwomenintheworldarecog‐nized chocoholic drank red wine daily Whenasked her secret she smiled ldquoI have only onewrinkleanditrsquosbetweenmylegsrdquo
Smiles Perhaps itrsquoshightimeto fall inlovewithYOU
BlessyouandTHANKYOU
Refs
DanBuettnerBlueZoneshttpngmnationalgeographiccomprint200511longevity‐secretsbuettner‐textandhttpwwwnytimescom20121028magazinethe‐island‐where‐people‐forget‐to‐diehtml
Christodoulos Stefanadis MD Hellenic J Cardi-
ol 2011 52 479-480 Unveiling the Secrets of
Longevity The Ikaria Study
LeeLipensthalMDDyingAwakehttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcomlee‐lipsenthal‐mdcoping‐with‐cancer_b_915067html
LauraRowleyldquoHappinessStudySuggestsWellBeingOrLackofItCanPredictIllnessandDeathhttpwwwhuf ingtonpostcom20121015happiness‐longevity_n_1968158html
Dr Nadia LindaHoleMD is a pioneer inbridgingQigongOrien‐talWesternandEner‐gy Medicine Recog‐nized as a ldquomasterrdquo byothermasterswithde‐grees from Princeton
Duke USHS and Oneness Universities she hasserved on the faculties of the American HolisticMedical Association and American Academy ofPain Management among others She is a con‐tributing author for complementary medicinetextbooks consulting editor for ChineseMedicalQigongandco‐founderoftheFreeDistanceHeal‐ingQiProjectBesidesdancingdolphinshealingin theway of Love peace and the practical sci‐enceofldquomiraclesrdquoDrHolersquospassionisbringingamoreheartcenteredQiapproachtomedicine
FromtheDoctor医生之窗
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
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Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 11 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
aiming toward immortality nor do I stay longterminthemuckandmireoflostlowlazyspir‐itual moods I am happier in enjoying all layersthatconnectmetoanempoweredlifeofonewhodoesnrsquothavetoprovemuch(Ihadenoughofthatwhenasayouthuntilintomy40rsquoshellipIwasstrug‐glingtokeepaliveinshowbusiness)EventhoughIkeptperformingasapartofmylifeoveradec‐ademorestudiesofTaoandteachingofitpavedmyway toward thenurturingofmyoncehugelyego‐ledspirit(YestherestillaretracesbecauseIbefriendedego)
My spirit is trainableLikeeveryonetrainedor yet untrained learning to perform self‐awareness techniques is a brave new worldThere are plenty of surprises along the way Ittakesmostpeoplemanydedicatedyearsofprac‐tice to feel it isworkingwellWe all have areas
When I saw the theme of this
monthrsquos issue of Yang‐Sheng it was a
happy moment Ofcoursewhenonespendsagreatdealoftimeinnurturingoneselfitisnrsquotastrange occurrence to have ful illing momentsmoreoften than lostones It isnrsquot some fairytalelife I am living that is 100 magical Years ofheading toward an intention to be better incharge ofmy spirit has blasted away the piningidealofldquowantingtobehappyrdquo
Thisarticlehopestotrackmyeffortsmadetobail myself out of any self‐imposed lsquojail of lowspiritrsquoBynomeansisitdonemagicallyAdjustingmydialsfromlowmoodsandresponsestothingsoutsidemycontrolareeasierThatrsquosagoodthingYearsagoitwasnrsquoteasytogetoutoflowmoodsNow long on this road called Tao Irsquom neither
ExperienceExchange经验交流
Why My Number One Priority is Nurturing My Spirit
by Raven Cohan
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
thatareweakerorstrongerFromChineseAlche‐my exercises I have learned some of the bestwaysIrsquovefoundenablingmetogodeeplyintore‐programmingmyreactivenatureButalsoIhavecomefromanearlierbackgroundofself‐trainingvia Science of Mind tech‐niques of Ernest Holmesfrom back in 1969 Thatbackground also calledldquoReligious Sciencerdquo focusedlessongoingdeeplyintothespiritsoul Every day (andmostoftenmorethanonceaday) some practices I doshallbesummarizedhereina minimal way Other back‐ground practices I did as ayoung woman in my early20rsquos include a meditatingon3symbolsdailyfromtheageof18priortolearningofHolmersquos system b Havingreadspiritualbooksfrom15years of age occurred afterbeing disillusionedwithmyJewishupbringingYet add‐ing Holmesrsquo system becameagreatbackgroundformetobuilduponInfactIfeelmypracticemethodologywouldpossiblynotbe as comfortable without having learned thespiritual mind training system from ErnestHolmesNYCstaffofspeakersOnespeakerwentontobeverywellknownandsheisLouiseHayShe is known for cataloging both diseases andpartsofthebodyeffectedthatareldquospokentordquoinldquospiritual‐mind‐treatmentsrdquo Her work greatlyfurtheredthatofErnestHolmes1887‐1960(YeshewasdeadbeforeIcametohisteachings)
The Neigung practices I learned from GrandMasterMantakChiasince1980wererevealedtomeduringinnumerableclassesgivenbyhimHissolid system enables anyone to go from the
ground loor upward and move most literallythroughlayersofspiritualplacesTraininginthiswayeventuallythroughmeditationsandneigungexercises involvesself‐massage tappingpartsofthebody and certainly a studyof humananato‐myandrooting(whichtrulyhasoneconnectingwithdeepMotherEarthpower)ldquoSherdquoassembles
for you a safety net You areenabled tobe cleansingeverypartof thebodyenergeticallyspiritually emotionally men‐tallyaswellasphysicallyOnebegins to bring out severalsystemsofidentifyingthecol‐ors of spirit bodies aroundyourselfaswellastheorganrsquossoundsandthecolorsofyourorgans in relationship to theive element organs seasonspower animals plants andminerals and virtues withinthestructuresofChineseMed‐icine You methodically learnyouryinandyangorganrsquoscon‐nections to the acupuncturemeridians
In my irst ive years withMasterChiaIwaswellonmy
waytolearningthedeeperlevelsofthesystemItisagreatfeelingtobeoneofhis irst iftyWest‐ernstudentsinhis irstclassin1981inNYCItislikehavingafamilythatmaynotbeofyoursamebloodbutthereisaconnectionaroundtheworldwithsoulsistersandbrothersIhaveknownwellbrie ly or long term Learning many differentmovement systems for me required unlearningtoo Nothing was more challenging than trans‐formingmymuscular dancerrsquos body to one thatreliedmoreonaconnectionwithtendonsfasciaand certainly chiqi rather than the very largeleg arm and shoulder muscles I developed bybeinganacrobaticadagiodancerfromrsquo68‐lsquo80Ittookyearstotransformahardbodytoonethatisstrong like thewonderful Chinese image of silk
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 13 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Itisstrongontheinsidebutitalsoissoftontheoutside
ThereasonIamgoingtoonlyhintatsomeofthemeditative and physical practices I do everydaywhenwakingearlybefore I teach isbecauseno onewould like to do guessworkwith trans‐formativesrequiringspeci ictrainingsTheytaketime to practice to get right (In a way itrsquos liketastingsomefoodthatishalfbakedWouldnrsquotyouprefer the taste of a carefully cooked recipe (orlateronthatwhichtheinstinctsofthecookrsquosrec‐ommendationsbringin)Half‐bakedrecipesaredisappointing and you might even vomit themup) So please donrsquot experiment with this mini‐malized version Any deep practice requires in‐structions from a Universal Healing Tao instruc‐tororother teachersof similaralchemysystemsordifferentonesPowerfulteachingsfromanex‐periencedmasterfulteachercanshowyouwhenyouareonthesamepageasheorsheAsamplingof energy cannot be digested in the same wayWhen you are in the presence of a high‐levelteacheryoumightnotknowituntilyouhavede‐veloped yourselfwithin safetywalls arranged atgradient‐likelevelsNewcomersgoslowlyArenrsquotmany of us when irst approaching somethingnewratherskeptical Tomebeinga littlewaryisagoodthingifitisbalancedwithopenminded‐ness
Why do I think Chinese alchemy formulasworkevenbetterformethanthemeditationsys‐
temsItappedtohelpmebackwhenIwasinmytwenties
1 Itrsquos important that weconnect with organsystemsthatarecolor‐
coded in speci icways I aman artist and relate to that
verywellItalsoisamazingthatsomanybranch‐es of connections correspond to the emotionselements etc and they all have yin and yangsidesEven thepoweranimalsare feltdeeplybymebutthattooktimeItisamazingthatalloftheworldwidehasorhadpeoplewhowere labeledprimitiveanddismissedassuchbyexplorerswhomostly scorned their meditative practices anddances Martial applications gain respect moreeasily
2 AsinmanyYogicsystemsthe chakras are coloredWhatispowerfultomeis
that the rainbow going up thespine seems quite logically orga‐nized Different from the Indian
Yogic system is the numbers of chakras Thenumber of chakras is a bit different in Chinesemedicineas taughtbyChiaMyownsenseofor‐derhas foundaway that Ihavecustomized thatworkswellandisbasedonthepowerfulnumbernine Iamapersonwhoneedsorganizationandthisoffers it ThesystemIhave learnedis inte‐gratedbyme Itrsquos rearranged inparts as some‐onelivingtemporarilyinarentedroommightdoTeachinginmyownwaycomesfromseeingafewthingspreferentially I teachmystudentstostickto what they are taught at irst Master Chiataughtme to do that But if an area strongly re‐quires lsquore‐arrangingrsquo students eventually honortheir inner teacher If students go for teachertrainingfromChiaIaskthemtoperusehisteach‐ing materials (Master Chia himself found many
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
14 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
areas he was taught which have needed adjust‐ments) People change as the times change Thestudents are raiseddifferently than theAncientsMastersandholdtovaluesthatgreatlyvary
3 Humanity loves externalbaths and showers butfew learn to do internal
cleansing Their health restor‐ing transformations can gradu‐
allyemergeoutofthesludgeWerefreshourhab‐its
4 We learn to eatwhat‐everfoodsaremarket‐ed to our gluttonous
natures but few are suppliedwith stepping stones toward
shunning chemical additives and even poisonsOurfoodscanthickenarteriesandIimagineitissimilar to how the oil pipes are now tearing upour Mother Earth especially in our oceansthrough lsquofrackingrsquo The coddling thatwe had aschildren (okayhellip I speak formyself) enabled toeat so much junk food that it took me over 45years to change my habits I joke (but itrsquos nojoke) thathellipldquoIateenoughchocolate inmylifetofeedasmallthird‐worldcountryrdquo
5 Now is the time for any‐one to resolve to movealongwithnewbehaviors
A Horse can ride us toward theneverendingpathwecallTaoIthasitshillsandvalleys You can become one who feels everequipped to hold the reins consciously duringyourjourneyHappyNewSpiritYear
RavenCohan is writ‐ing a book about herstudies with MasterMantak Chia She is aSenior Instructor ofhis system since rsquo10but is certi ied since1983 and has ten cer‐ti ications ShewritesformanylocalSFlori‐
da magazines and some national and internetones plus has nice conversations on groups inLinked In and Facebook She enjoyswriting po‐ems also This photo was taken last summer inthe area aroundMt Shasta California Past andpresentlyherlifeissointerestingandsheenjoysitgreatlyYoumightcareto lookatherwebsitewwwtaoTLCcom Raven lives inHollywoodFLUSA
ExperienceExchange经验交流
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 15 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Check us out
The future belongs to those who believe
in their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
16 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
One of the signaturemovements of Sun style taiji is the openand closehandsOnthesurfaceitisjustasimplemovementofthehandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6or8inchesapart Slowly separate your hands to about shoulderwidth Slowly bring your hands back in to thestartingpositionThatsitOrisitLetslookalittledeeper
This isanexercisetohelpyou become aware of your qiFirst stand inwujiRaiseyourhands in frontofyou at a comfortable height Cross your arms atthewristwith the insides together Hold the in‐sideofyourwristsneareachotheraboutaninchor so apart but not touching Slowlymove yourwrists past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or15timesFocusonanyfeelingbetweenyourwrists
Nextholdyourhandsclosetogetherwiththepalmsfacing
each other but not touching Slowly move yourhands past each other in a small circle withouttouchingRepeatabout10or20 timesFocusonthe feeling between your palms Many peoplestarttofeelawarmthortinglingorpinsandnee‐dleswhilethisishappeningThisisyourqi
MeditationinMotion动中冥想
A Simple Taiji Technique to
Calm the Mind
by Eric Borreson
Find Your Qi
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 17 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Learn to manipulate the qi that you feel be‐tweenyourhandsStartbyholdingyourhandsinfrontofyouaboutchestheightorheadheightasifyouwereholdingaballHoldyourhandsabout6 or 8 inches apart Feel the qi between yourhands Inhaleslowlywhileyoumoveyourhandsapart (open) to about shoulder width Concen‐trate and feel the airmoving through your noseand illingyourlungsItmayfeellikethereisre‐sistance to movement It can feel like it takesforcetoseparateyourhands
Slowlybringyourhandsbackin(close)tothestarting position Exhale slowly while youmoveyourhandstogethertothestartingpositionCon‐centrate and feel the air moving through yournose and emptying your lungs It may feel likethereisresistancetomovementItcanfeellikeittakesforcetopushyourhandsbacktogetherRe‐peatasoftenasyouwish
Open and Close Hands isveryeffectiveathelpingwithrelax‐ation and calming Whenever you feel stressedtake amoment to practice open and close Take
EricBorresonndashastudentandteacher indsteachingtaijiqigongandmeditationtobeapathtoamoremeaningfullifeEricisthefounderanddirectorofMedita‐tioninMotionspecializinginteachingaboutlivinghealthierandhappierlivesHeteachestaijiqigongandmeditationattheprestigiousHeartlandSpaatop10des‐tinationspalocatedinGilmanILInadditionheteachestaiji(Yang24Sun‐styletaiji andDr Lamrsquos Taiji forArthritis andTaiji forDiabetes) at other venuesHeconductsworkshops and teachesprivate lessons on requestHewrites aweeklywellnesscolumnathttperic‐taichiblogspotcom
slow gentle breaths andopen and close your hands You
will ind that your stress level will immediatelybereduced
Calm the Mind
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
18 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Nine Palaces are theninelifechallengesthateachofusfacesWorkingwiththeNinePalacesgivesyouawaytohelpapatientwithemotionalproblemsthatdonotrequireyoutoknowwhyhehastheproblemYoudonothavetoplayatbeingapsychotherapistYou justneedtoidentifywhichofthepalacesiscausingdif icul‐ty Formostpatients it is notnecessary to focusthewholetreatmentonapalacebutyoucanaddpoints to the treatment that address the palacesuch as the opening point for the ExtraordinaryMeridian There are however a few patientswhentheentiretreatmentistohelpthemorgan‐izetheirenergysothattheycansuccessfullymeetthechallengeofthepalace
Theeffortyourpatientmakes tomaintainhisintegritywhilesolvingthesechallengesisataxa‐tionofhisessencejingWhentheessencejingisdepleted people develop illnesses emotionalproblems and other physical symptoms Takingthe Nine Palaces into consideration gives youanother way of analyzing the patientrsquospresentation In general when treating pa‐tientsforaPalaceissueyouwoulduseoneoftheEightExtraordinaryMeridians
FeatureArticle精选文章
Life rsquo s Chal lenges the Nine Palaces
by C Zinnia Maravell L Ac DOM
As you read this article think not only of your patients but of your self Which of the challenges have you not met or would like to resolve better
As an infant it is theparentrsquos responsibility tomaintain your health sothatyousurvivebutasyoumatureitisyourresponsi‐bility to cultivate goodhealth As an adult goodhealth isusually the result
of lifestyle choices eating properly exercisingand restingMost of our patients come to us forhealth problems but a Nine Palaces approachwouldnotbeappropriateunlessthehealthissueisverylongtermorconstitutionalDaiMaiBeltchannel is the bridge between prenatal and post‐natalqisoitideallysuitedtoaddressingconstitu‐
tional or inherited healthconditions
Abundancemeans havingenoughtolivecomfortablyThat is having enoughfood clothing shelter butit isalsoanattitudeofbe‐ingsatis iedwithwhatyou
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
Additional funding is needed to bull Purchase high-quality copy-righted images to vitalize the contents of magazine and web site
bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
Please make check or money order payable to WISH or make a donation by Paypal with a credit card Mail your check or money order with this form to
World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications
January-February 2014 19 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
have When your sense of abundance is weak‐ened you lose a sense of adequacy When youhaveabundanceinyourlifeyoudonotfeelcom‐pelled tobe constantly acquiringmore thingsoreatingmorefoodtofeeladequateWhenyouhavenot successfully created abundance you can ex‐pect to have digestive issues especially damp‐nessThedampnesscanalsomanifestasalackofsenseofdirectionYoucanrsquot see through the fogYang wei maiYang Linking channel works withabundanceproblemsbecause it linksall thepal‐aces togetherand freesenergysoyoucan igureouthowtohaveanattitudeofabundance
The difference betweenthe abundance and theprosperity palace isthat prosperity involvesgiving rather than ac‐quiring Prosperity alsoinvolves a sense ofmovement You feel lifeis goingwellWhat you
dobearsfruitIfyouhaveanattitudeofprosperi‐ty you will be generous to others You feel youhaveenoughtoshareThisexpansivenessisa irequality If you feelmiserly or feel people are al‐ways imposingonyour timeorenergy thenyouhave prosperity problemsDuMaithe Governorvessel as themost yang channel and the home ofmingmen iretreatsprosperityissues
Likehealthrelationshipsstart at birth with theparentsandthenexpandto include other familymembers friends and alife partner UnlikeMaslowrsquos view thatrelationships revolvearound the need to be
lovedandacceptedtheChinesetakealessemotional look at relationships Whatyouaretryingtodoishaverelationshipswith the world that allows you to ful ill
yourdestinyForexam‐ple an ascetic maychoose tobealone to ful‐ill his destiny Relationshipsare a ire issue If you are havingdif icultywith the relationship pal‐ace youmay put some of your ownneeds aside just to stay in a relationship Con‐versely youmaynotbe acceptingof others Youmayhaveproblems evenphysically standingbe‐causeemotionallyyoucannotstandup foryour‐self TheYangQiaomai theYangMotilityvesseldealswith thepresent andhowone appreciatesoneselfSelfacceptanceisthekeytohavingrela‐tionshipsthatsupportyourcontinuedcultivationOnthephysicallevelitishowyoustandandpre‐sentyourselftotheworld
In the past creativitywasseen as the fruit of a rela‐tionshipbecauseitreferredto having children Thechild makes you eternalWe can interpret creativitymore broadly to includeanything you produce that
canendurepastyourlifetimesuchasartmusicliterature inventionscorporationsetc It iswhatyouwill takepride inasyoudie In somesenseyourabilitytocreategivesyourlifemeaningYoumayhaveaproblemwith thecreativitypalace ifyou are dissatis ied with the choices your chil‐dren have made or have dif iculty completingprojectsorareoftendaydreamingaboutmakingyour mark on the world Creativity involves theYinWeimai YinLinkingvessel andYinQiaomaiYin Motility vessel TheYinWeimai helps to
balance qi and bloodwhich have becomeexhaustedfromthinkingaboutthefuture
TheYinQiaomaiprovides the formmuscles for keeping your orientation
in the world and helps youhavethe lexibilitytocreatesomethingnew
20 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The adventure palacemakes you want to leavethecon inesofyourfamilyorarelationshipandexpe‐riencesomethingnewItisabout not feeling you arestuckinarutItcanbesat‐is ied through traveling
tasting new food learning a foreign languagemeetingpeopledifferent fromyourself Ifyoual‐ways talk about takinga cross‐country road tripbut never take it get helpwith this palace TheYin Qiao mai works with this palace because ithelpsthepersonhavethestrengthtoadapttothenewsituations
The career palace involvesnot only your desires butsocietyrsquos willingness to fa‐cilitate the ful illment Forexample can you get theeducationyouneedtomeetquali ication standards foranoccupationDoyouhave
theresources intelligencedeterminationtopre‐pareyourselfThecareerpalace isnota jobbutan occupation that nurtures your soul Doesthe occupation give you a feeling ofabundance self worth People of‐ten identify themselves by theiroccupationor jobandseetheworldthroughthevalues of that profession Typical career palaceproblemsarefeelingtrappedinajobthatdoesnotuseyourtalentsorlosingajobyoureal‐ly liked Challenges to thispalace are treated withChong Maithe Penetratingvessel because Chong maigoestotheheartwhichhous‐es the Shen spirit and down tothelegsSymbolicallythelegsrepre‐sentaction theability tomove to‐wardwhatyouwant
Wisdomevolves natural‐ly from satisfy‐ing the otherpalaces Wis‐dom is self reli‐ance and ac‐
ceptance You are comfortable with whoyou are It is knowing thatwhatever happens inlife youwill be able tohandle it This is treatedwith Ren mai Conception vessel The Ren maiconsolidatestheqineededtosolveproblems
The home palace is thesanctuary where you indpeace within yourselfHomeisacceptingthateve‐rythinghasahappyendingReturninghome is the ideaof dying and returning tothe Tao There is no need
for treatment if the person has successfullymetthechallengesoftheotherpalaces If thepersonhas not determine which palace is causing themostproblemsandhelpthepatientwiththatpal‐ace
CASESInmy practice there is a patient whowas born very prematurely Since in‐
fancy she has had allergies and digestive issues I have been treating her on the
paired channels of Dai mai and Yang weimai Just recently she reported that shevisited a friend with cats and did not
haveaproblemShesaidsheisfeelingmuch less stressed now thatshe knows she will not havean allergy attack every time
she goes somewhere unfamiliar Thedecreasedstressmayimproveherdigestion
FeatureArticle精选文章
January-February 2014 21 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Anotherpatientisan85yearoldwomanwithlungcancerSheisveryawarethatshe isdy‐ing For the last several years she has beencomplainingabouther childrens life choicesand lamenting the fact that shehasnotwrit‐tenmore books I have been treating her forcreativitypalaceproblemsand the complain‐ingisnotasstrident
A youngwoman came tome forweight lossand smoking cessation She said both prob‐lemswere caused by emotions Her problemis thatshe feelscaught ina job thatdoesnotallow her to use her education I have beentreating her on Chongmai and she says shecannowresisteatingwhensheisnothungryandstopssmokingforafewdaysatatime
Just recently I have started to work with awoman who has satis ied most of the NinePalaces She inds her career rewarding hasseveralcreativeoutletstravelshasgoodrela‐tionswithherfamilyandfriendsalthoughshewould like to establish an intimate relation‐shipShehashadrecurrentbreastcancerHerproblems are in abundance and prosperityShe feels she never has enough money alt‐hough she is living comfortably and feelsguiltyaboutnotbeinggeneroustoothersSounlikeaMaslowtypemodelyoucansuccess‐fully satisfy higher level needs but still be
strugglingwithwhathewouldconsiderbasicneedsThereasontheChinesemodelisdiffer‐entisthattheChineseareviewingabundanceandprosperity as states of being rather thanpurelyphysicalconditions
WhenyouaretreatingapatientforaNinePal‐ace issues you need to let the patient knowthat itmaytakethreetosixmonthsforthemto feel more comfortable with the life chal‐lengerepresentedbyapalaceForthisreasonit is importanttomakesurethatyouandthepatient have a trusting and caring relation‐ship
C ZinniaMaravell is a li‐censed Acupuncturist work‐ing in Washington DC ShewastrainedinTCMbutstud‐ies Five Elements acupunc‐ture with Niki Bilton andDaoistacupuncturewithJef‐freyYuenZinniateachesYo‐gainthetraditionofKhrish‐namacharya She is an au‐
thorizedmeditation instructor in the ShambhalaBuddhist tradition She teaches the Mind BodyStress Reduction program pioneered by JonKabat‐ZinnShehasaBAfromBrynMawrCollegeandanMBA from theUniversityofChicagoHerwebsiteiswwwattentivedragoncom
This Spring
Learn about these complementary principles and what drives these two natural forces that make up all aspects of Life
Iden fy the feminine and male characteris cs of your Yin‐Yang
Read about the theory and history of this ancient Eastern philosophy
Find out why these two interdependent forces cannot exist one without the other
Yin Yang
Coming to ou r page s
22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
jacirc atildex| (oo way) is one ofthe most diffciult yet
pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy Roughlytranslateditmeansldquodoingnothingrdquo
The true meaning of the phrase wu wei issomething like ldquonotdoinganything that isnotnaturalrdquo or ldquonotdoinganything thatdoesnothaveitsrootsinDaordquoItcanalsomeannotoverdoing
Laozi says
Over illing a vessel is not as good as stop-pingbeforeitis illed
Oversharpenabladeanditwillloseitsedge
Pileupgoldand jadeanditwillbeimpossi-bletoguardit
Ingoingafterrankandtitlesinanarrogantand haughty way you will bring about yourowndownfall
Withdrawwhentheworkisdone
ThisisthewayofDao-9
Wuweiistheoppositeofyuweioractionwithuseless effort It is when we attempt to imposeour will onto any situation that we often meetwithdisappointmentandevendisaster
ThepathofDaoisthepathofnon‐resistanceIfat any time on yourpathof self‐cultivation youencounter resistance that isnotDaoTo tryandforceanythingtohappenndashevenifitissomethingthat would be good and of great bene it to theworldorforyourselfndashthatisnotDao
Zuangzi says
ItiswhenwegiveupourpersonalviewsthatweseethingsastheytrulyareInseeingthingsastheytrulyarewearriveatcompleteunder-standingTo reach completeunderstanding isto reach truehappinessTo reach truehappi-ness is to reach completionTo reach comple-tionistoenterDao-Chapter2
ManyofusarefullofopinionsandjudgmentsWethinkweknowtheanswerstoeverythingandwe are sure that we are right and if only otherpeoplewould listen to us theworldwould be a
The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler
TalesfromtheDao 道的传说
httpwwwart-virtuecomgalleryrecentLi_WuWeijpg Calligraphy by wwwart-virtuecom
January-February 2014 23 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
betterplaceButZhuangzitellsustoldquogiveupourpersonalviewsrdquoWhatdoeshemeanbythis
Perhapshemeans thatwhenwearequick topassjudgmentquicktovoiceanopinionquicktodecidewhatwelikeanddonrsquot likewemaymissout on some of the greatest experiences of ourlivesWemay be so stuck in our smallworld ofopinions and viewpoints we can never see thewiderworldthatsurroundsus
Inthe irstchapteroftheZhuangziwearetoldabout amagical ish that turns into a bird Andnotonlyabirdbutagiganticbirdwhosewingsldquoare spread out so far that no one knows justhowfar theygoWhen itheaves itselfoutof thesea and into the air its greatwings are like bil‐lowing clouds across the skyrdquoNot only that butitswingsbeatsofastthattheseabeneaththemisldquowhipped and roiled its waves reaching threethousandlirdquo
Thisgreatbirdrisesuphigherandhigherintotheskyldquountil it isninetythousandli intotheairSo high Then the great and mighty bird Pengtravelsforhalfayearuntilitarrivesatitsdestina‐tionrdquo
Meanwhile down below a cicada and a dovelookupandlaughatthismightycreature
ldquoWhen we want to ly up into the lowerbranches of the elm or the sandalwood tree wejust lutter our wings as hard as we can OfcoursesometimeswedonrsquotmakeitandfallbacktotheearthNomatterwejustpickourselvesupand tryagainEventuallywemake itWhat isallthis talkofneeding to lyninetythousand li intotheskyAndwhy ly forsixmonths toreach theSouthernlandsIsitsoimportantrdquo
ZhuangzicallsthissmallunderstandingldquoSmallunderstandingrdquo he says ldquois no match for greatunderstanding Small knowledge cannot under‐standwhatgreatknowledgeknowsrdquo
Daoists are very interested inwhatwemightcallldquothebigpicturerdquoHowcanwethinkweknowwhenweonlyseesuchasmallpartofthebigpic‐tureHowcanwepresumetojudgeotherpeoplewhen we barely know ourselves How can wethinkweknowwhattodotosavetheworldwhendonrsquotreallyknowwhattheworldis
It is likewhenwewatch amovie on a televi‐sionscreenAt irstthepicturelookssosmallWeareawareoftheTVandtheroomitsitsinTheneventuallyoncewegetcaughtupinthemoviewecease to see the room and even the TV set In‐steadwearetransportedintothemovieandthatisallwesee
ThisishowweliveourlivesWedonrsquotseethebig picture only the small part of it thatwe arefocusedonwhichisusuallythepartweareinIfinsteadwecouldpullourfocusbackandseethewholepicturewhatisonthescreeninfrontofusandwhat is all around it all aroundus thenwewouldhaveamuchdifferentviewingexperience
24 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The problemswe face today ndash the degenerat‐ing health of humans animals the forests seastheverylifeoftheplanetitselfongoingwarsbe‐tweennationsaswellasindividualsndashcanbead‐dressed and even healed by the teachings andpractices of themasters of Dao both in ancienttimesaswellasmodernThesefearlessexplorersofinnerspacehavegivenusadviceguidanceandpracticalwaystohealourselvesandourplanetinthischallengingtime
Laozi says Thosewhovaluetheirownwell-beingequal-
ly with the rest of the world can be trustedwiththeworld
Those who love their life as if it were thewholeworldwillbetrustedwithallthingsun-derheaven-13
ZhuangzilikensthisstatetothatofadrunkenmanwhofallsoutofacartBecauseheisnotcon‐sciousofriding in thecarthealsonotconsciousoffallingoutofitHeissolooseheisabletofallinsuchawaythathedoesnrsquotgethurtldquoIfsuchse‐curity is gotten from winerdquo Zhuangzi asks usldquohowmuchmoreisgottenfromspontaneityrdquo
Whatthismeansisthatwemustbecomeverysensitive to themoment toourownenergyandto the energy of those around us Not only thatbut we must become sensitive to the energy oftheworldaroundus In thiswaywewillbeableto remain loose like the drunkard yet awake atthe same timeWewill be able to use eachmo‐mentfullyInthiswaywewillwhilelivingfullyinthepresentalwaysbereadyforwhatevercomesnext
My friend and mentor Chungliang Al Huangsaysourfutureisbehinduswhileourpastisbe‐foreusWhatdoeshemeanbythisPerhapsitissomething about howwe are alwayswell awareofourpastsometimesitevenhauntsusButour
future ishard to see it isbehindusDaopeoplesay how we respond to the present moment iswhatwillbuildthefutureNiHuaChingsays
ldquoSometimes you do better in life and othertimesyoudopoorlyWhenyourcycleishighyouenjoy your life more than when you are havingdif iculties ina lowcycleToharmonize the lowof your life donrsquot become excited by the highpointsordepressedbythelowAlwaysrememberthehighisbuiltbythelowYoushouldrespectthetimeswhenyouareinalowcycle Whenpeo‐ple have a low cycle they think of it in an emo‐tionalwayand feel terribleTheywant todieorkillthemselvesTheyfeelboringunattractiveanduninterestingTheydonrsquotrealizethattheirlowcyclecanmakethemwiseLifeisbuiltupbyeachuninterestingmomentnotjustbyexcitementrdquo
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
Why are you unhappy
Because 999 per cent
Of everything you think
And of everything you do
Is for yourself mdash
And there isnt one mdash Ask The Awakened
January-February 2014 25 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
ThisisaverydeepteachingldquoLifeisbuiltupbyeach uninteresting momentrdquo This is somethingthatmostpeopledonotwanttohearTheyhavegrownupthinkingthatitisonlyintimesofgreatsufferingorgreatadventureorgreatspiritualre‐alizationsthatourlifeisbuiltnotldquoeachuninter‐estingmomentrdquo
Many spiritual seekers today believe that ifthey justmeditatehardenoughand longenoughand are able to somehow kill off their ego thenthey will reach a state of enlightenment and alltheir worries and problems will be over Thentheywillbeable tosee intothe futureandldquostepoffthewheelrdquoandthentheywillbeabletowriteabestsellingself‐helpbookandgoonthelecturecircuitandchargelotsofmoneytotellotherpeo‐pletodowhattheydid
What I am trying to do here is not denigrateself‐help books or spiritual teachers and guidesWeallneedteachersandguidestohelppointthewayWeallneedinspirationfrominspiringteach‐ers
But the work the day‐to‐day work ndash of becomingcentered and clear andgrounded and spirituallyopen ndash is up to us If wedonrsquot do our own workthenwhenateacherdoesappearwewillnotbeabletounderstandthemorusewhattheytellusinaliber‐atingwayWecanreadallthe spiritual books in theworld but if we donrsquot ap‐ply those teachings toldquoeach uninteresting mo‐mentrdquoitisawasteoftime
Much of the modern life‐styleisdesigneditwouldseem to de‐sensitize us
One of theworstways this happens iswhenwewatch television Watching television especiallyfor longperiodsof time isextremelyharmful Itdisrupts our qi disturbs our shen and distortsour understanding of reality It dumbs us downandelevatesoursenseof theworldasadanger‐ousandchaoticplaceItassaultsournervoussys‐temwithblaringads for thingswedonrsquotneed Ittriestoconvinceusthatwewillmissoutongreatthings if we donrsquot watch all the new shows in‐cludingtheso‐calledrealityshowsWhoserealityisthisDoesithavetobeyours
OfcoursenotItiswhenweunplugtheTVandbegin to experience the world around us andwithinusinadeepandcalmmannerthatwecanwewill indoutwhatwehaveactuallybeenmiss‐ingbybeinghypnotizedbytheTV
TheDaoistsmakeadistinctionbetweenmind‐fulactivityandmindlessactivity
26 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Zhuangzi says
Webecome so involved inmindlessactivitythatwe loseallsenseofourselvesWe feelwearedrowningand losingourwayandnothingseems to bring back the feeling of being safeandwhole-Chapter2
It is this strong sense of disconnect from thesourceofourbeingndashDaondashthatcreatessomanyproblemsintodayrsquosworldItisthisgreatsenseofdis‐connectwiththesourceofallbeingthatisatthe very root of so many of modern societyrsquosproblemsThehugeproblemofdrugandalcoholabusendashwhichisalsoabilliondollarsayearbusi‐nesswithtentaclesallovertheworldndashexistsbe‐causeofthisdis‐connectPeoplewanttogetout‐sidethemselvestheywanttofeelstrongandfreeandnothavetoworryabouttheirday‐to‐dayex‐istence So they turn to drugs or alcohol to givethem the strength and experience that they lackin their own being at terrible costs not only tothemselvesbutalsotosocietyatlarge
The other end of the spectrum is this move‐menttowardreligiousfundamentalismbothEastandWestPeoplearesosurethattheirexpressionofthedivineistherightoneandthattheirsetofrules are the right ones and anyonewho thinksdifferentisaheathenasinneroranin idelReli‐gious extremism creates schisms and even out‐rightwars
Laozisaysthatwhenweloseoursenseofawedisasterfollows
Zuangzi says
Let things unfold naturally and let yourmindbefreeAcceptwhatyoucanrsquotcontrolandcontinuetonourishyourinternalspiritThatisbestYoumustbewilling toact inaccordancewithyourowndestinyNothingissimplerthanthisandnothingismoredif icult-Chapter4
SolalaTowler ‐hasbeeninvolved with Daoistpractices such as TaijiQigong and meditationover 25 years He haspublishedTheEmptyVes‐sel the Journal of DaoistPhilosophy and Practicesince 1993 Mr Towlerhas written a number ofbooks on Daoist thought
andpractice includingChaDao theWayofTeaandtheInnerChaptersofChuangTzuandleadstours toChina to studyQigong andotherDaoistpracticesinthesacredmountainsofChinaInad‐dition he has recorded four CDs of meditationrelaxation and movement music using TibetansingingbowlsbothChineseandNative luteandharmonic overtone singing You can ind moreinformation about Solala on hiswebsite httpwwwabodetaocom
TalesfromtheDao道的传说
January-February 2014 27 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Fibromyalgia‐whatisit
Fibromyalgiaisaverycommonsyndromeinwhichpainispresentinjointstendonsmusclesandsofttissuesofbodywhichpersistsformorethan3monthswithout any apparent cause like tissue damage or in‐lammationInthissyndrome11pairedtenderpointsoutoftotal18canbe identi ied on palpation Pain can be aggravatedwith poor sleepinghabitsexertioncoldweatherandstress
Ifyouarehavingthesameproblemwhichisaffectingyourdailyac‐tivitiesandqualityoflifethenyoumustvisitapainclinicassoonaspos‐sible before your symptoms are exacerbated because there is no suchtreatment thatcancompletelycure ibromyalgia that iswhypainman‐agementshouldbeyourprimaryfocustoimprovethequalityofyourlifeandreducedisability
VariousstudieslikeWigersSetal(1996)andBuschAetal(2007)have shown the positive effect of aerobic exercise in reducing thesymptoms of ibromyalgia while improving the quality of life of pa‐tientAsweknowthatdancing isalsoa typeofaerobicexerciseandtherearesomemythologiesroamingaroundthatdancingcanworsenthesituationwhichiswhywearegoingtodiscusstheeffectofdiffer‐enttypesofdancingonthelifeofpatientsof ibromyalgia
Dance‐atypeofaerobicexercise
Fibromyalgia
and Dancing
by Joyce Del Rosario
MethodofSelf‐Healing自愈法
28 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
To understand the usefulness of belly dance in patientswith ibromyalgiaBaptistaAetal(2012)conductedasingleblindcontrolstudyinwhich80patientsof ibromyalgiawererecruitedHalfof themwereplaced indancegroupandhalfwereplaced incontrolgroupDancegroupwentthrough16weeks belly dancewith 2 sessions of danceperweekBothgroupswereassessedafter16and32weeksandtheresultsshowed that dance group showed marked improvement inpain reduction emotional featuresandmentalhealth there‐foreitcanbeusedtoreducepainimprovequalityoflifeandtoimprovefunctionalcapacityinFMSpatients
Biodanza literally mean the dance of life which is anamalgamationofmovementemotionandmusicBiodanzaisscienti icallyprovenforreducingstressimprovingcom‐munication skills and relationships On the other hand itcanalsohelppatientswith ibromyalgiaasCarbonellBetal(2010)conductedacontrolledtrial59womensufferingfrom ibromyalgiainwhich27womenwereplacedinBio‐danzainterventiongroupand32wereplacedinusualcaregroupwith a follow‐up of 3months Results showed thatBiodanzainterventionfor3months(onceaweek)showedimprovements in pain BMI body fat percentage and i‐bromyalgia impact inwomenwhichshowsthatBiodanzadancecanbehelpfulinmakingapatientrsquoslifebetterwhoissufferingfrom ibromyalgia
NoteItcanbeconcludedthatdancethera‐pycanbeaneffective itemto includeinyour i‐bromyalgiatreatmentplanbut itshouldbekeptinmindnottoexertyourselftoomuchtoobtainmaximumresults Inprior studies thedance in‐terventionwasperformedonceor twiceaweekand intensitywasalsomoderate If youwant tostartdancetherapygoto ibromyalgiatreatmentclinicandaskyourhealthcareprofessional thatwill guideyouabout this therapyafterknowingyourconditionwithaphysicalexamination
References1httpwwwncbinlmnihgov
pubmedhealthPMH0001463
2 Nampiaparampil DE Shmerling RH A re‐view of ibromyalgia Am J Manag Care 2004Nov10(11Pt1)794‐800Review
3 ClauwDJ Fibromyalgia an overview Am JMed 2009 Dec122(12 Suppl)S3‐S13 doi101016jamjmed200909006Review(link)
4httpanswersyahoocomquestionindexqid=20110330131345AA66v94
Bellydanceand ibromyalgia
Biodanzamdashadanceoflife
January-February 2014 29 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
5BuschAJBarberKAOverendTJPelosoPMSchachter CL Exercise for treating ibromyalgiasyndromeCochraneDatabaseSystRev2007Oc‐t17(4)CD003786Review(link)
6WigersSHStilesTCVogelPAEffectsofaer‐obicexerciseversusstress
7 management treatment in ibromyalgia A45 year prospective study Scand J Rheumatol199625(2)77‐86(link)
8httpwwwbiodanzacoza
9 httpwww ibromyalgia‐symptomsorgdance_therapieshtml
10 Baptista AS Villela AL Jones A Natour JEffectivenessofdanceinpatientswith ibromyal‐gia a randomized single‐blind controlled studyClin Exp Rheumatol 2012 Nov‐Dec30(6 Suppl74)18‐23(link)
If you can talk you can Sing If you can walk you can Dance
- Zimbabwian proverb
30 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The Distinct or Divergent Meridians derivetheir name from the fact that they diverge fromthe12regularMeridians Theydivergefrombigjoints such as the shoulders elbows hips andknees except for the Liver Divergent MeridianbranchingfromthedorsumofthefootTheirim‐portanceisthattheirpathsmakeinternallinkag‐eswhicharenotmadebytheprincipalMeridiansHence they can be used to understand the ac‐tions and indications of some acupoints and thecourseandsymptomsofsomediseases
The Yang Divergent Meridians separate fromtheirYangPrincipalMeridianentertheirrelatedYangOrganandtheirexternallyinternallypairedYinOrganandjointheirPrimaryMeridianinthesupraclavicularfossaneckorface
The Yin Divergent Meridians diverge fromtheirYinPrincipalMeridiansconvergewiththeirexternallyinternally related Divergent MeridianintheheadregionandthenjointherelatedmainYangMeridian Hence the twelveDivergentMe‐ridians are divided into six pairs according totheirinternalandexternalrelationscalledtheSixCon luences The pathways in the Six Con lu‐ences will be described in Section 4 Only the
KidneyHeart andLungDivergentMeridians en‐tertheirpertainingYinOrgan
The Divergent Meridians do not have theirownacupuncturepointsTheyrundeepintothebodyreachingtheOrgansbutnotasdeepastheprincipalMeridians
OnlyWeiQicoursesthroughtheDivergentMe‐ridians
(a) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationship between internally and externallypairedMeridiansandZangfu Thishelpsexplaintheactionofsomeacupuncturepoints
For example LI4 (Hegu) and LI11 (Qu Chi)are used to treat Pathogenic Heat attacking theLungMeridianbecausetheLargeIntestineDiver‐gentMeridianreachestheLung
The Stomach Divergent Meridian enters theHeart and so many Stomach acupoints can beusedtotreatdisordersoftheSpirit(Shen)
Points on the Bladder Meridian are used totreat a disharmony of the Heart and Spirit be‐cause theBladderDivergentMeridian linkswiththeHeart For instanceB62 (Shenmai) isusedforepilepsyinsomniapalpitationsandmanicde‐pression
Par t 1 T he DIVERGENT OR DISTINCT MERIDIANS
byMartyEisenPhD
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
1Introduction(1234)
2 SomeFunctionsoftheDivergentMeridians
January-February 2014 31 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
(b) TheDivergentMeridians connect regionsandOrgansnotinterconnectedbythetwelvereg‐ularMeridians
B57(Chengshan)andB58(Feiyang)canbeused for treating hemorrhoids and other rectaldiseaseseven though theBladderMeridiandoesnot circulate through the rectal region becauseitsDivergentMeridiansdo
InChinesemedicinetheHeart(Fire)andKid‐neys (Water)play an important inbalancing thebody The primaryMeridian of the Kidney con‐nectswiththeHeartbuttheHeartMeridiandoesnot connect with the Kidney However BladderDivergentMeridianrelatedtotheKidneyspass‐es from the Kidneys to the Heart strengtheningthecommunicationbetweentheseOrgans
The Liver and Gallbladders Meridians donrsquotconnectwiththeHeartHowevertheGallbladderDivergent Meridian travels to the Heart whichhelpsexplaintherelationshipsbetweentheLiverandGallbladderwiththeHeart
(c) TheDivergentMeridianshelpcirculateQiandBloodtotheheadandface
All six principal Yang Meridians travel to theheadandfaceTheonlyYinmeridiansthatcircu‐late there are the Heart and Liver MeridiansHowever the Yin Divergent Meridians providepathwaysfortheYinMeridianstocirculateQiand
BloodtotheheadandfaceviatheirlinkwiththeYangDivergentandprimaryMeridians
For instance the LungMeridian only ascendstothethroatNeverthelesstheLungprovidesQito the nose as a consequence of the connectionbetweentheLungDivergentandtheLargeIntes‐tineprimaryMeridians
(d) The Divergent Meridians strengthen therelationbetweentheMeridiansandtheHeart
TheDivergentHSSIBGLivandSpMeridi‐ans all pass through the Heart The Kidney (K)Divergent Meridian ascends to the root of thetongue meeting the Luo Connecting Channel ofthe Heart Note the relation between theHeartandKidneysin(b) AbranchoftheSanJiao(SJ)MuscleChannellinkswiththerootofthetongue
32 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
The SJ DivergentMeridian is dis‐tributed to thePericardium ofthe chest ThePericardium (P)DivergentMerid‐ian convergeswith the SJ Me‐ridian ThustheKPandSJDiver‐gent Meridiansare indirectly re‐lated to theHeart Theener‐gyfromtheLung(L) and LargeIntestine (LI) Di‐vergent Meridi‐ans do not entertheHeart
This helps ex‐plain why symp‐toms involving
the Heart appear in disease syndromes of otherOrgansandcanbetreatedbyusingacupointsontheir principal Meridians For example cardiacand hypochondriac pain appears in GallbladderpatternsmaniaandepilepsyinBladderpatternsandpanicandpalpitationsinStomachpatterns
This gives credence to the statement that theHeart istheKingoftheFiveZangandSixFuOr‐gans and houses the Shen which appears inChapter71oftheSpiritualPivot(LingShu)
(e)TheDivergentMeridianshelptolessentheseverityofsomediseases(34)
Pathogenic or Perverse Factors (or Energy)called Xie (Evil) Qi indicates any disease factoreither exterior (eg Wind Damp Cold Heat) orinterior(egPhlegmInteriorWindFireStagna‐
tionofQi) Zheng (Upright)Qi is not typeofQibutisallofthebodyrsquosQiinrelationtoitscapacityto ightpathogenicfactorsAllofthepathologicalchanges and developments of a disease are thestagesinthestrugglebetweentheUprightQiandthePathogenicFactors
Xie Qi can enter the principal Meridians andthentrytopassupaMeridianandeventuallyen‐ter itsOrgan If theZhengQi is tooweakXieQienters the Organ However if the Zheng Qi isstrongerbutnotstrongenoughtodrivetheXieQicompletelyoutoftheMeridianitwillbedivertedinto the correspondingDivergentMeridian TheXieQiwillstillreachtheOrganbuttheproducedsymptomswillbelesssevere
Although onlyWei Qi circulates in the Diver‐gentMeridiansthecirculationisnotthesameastheusualWeiQicirculationpatternWeiQicircu‐latesoutsidethemainMeridiansthroughtheskinandmusclesin50cyclesin24hoursDuringtheday(midnighttonoon)itcycles25timesfollow‐ingtheYangMeridians
LI ndash S ndash SJ ndash G ndash SI ndash B ndash LI ndash
During the night (noon through midnight) itcycles25timesfollowingtheYinMeridians
K ndash H ndash L ndash Liv ndash Sp ndash K ndash
ThecirculationofWeiQiintheDistinctMeridi‐ansfollowsitsownpatternItstartsintheMerid‐iansofthelegsandthenthroughthearmMeridi‐ansandcompletesthefollowingcycleinaday
3QiCirculationintheDistinctMeridians(4)
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 33 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
B ndash K ndash G ndash Liv ndash S ndash Sp ndash SI ndash H ndash SJ ndash P ndash LI ndash L ndash B ndash
It is stillWeiQi and is derived basically fromtheWeiQiwhichcirculates50timesduringaday
When the Perverse Energy reaches an OrganviaaDivergentMeridianitisreacteduponbytheZheng Qi However the Distinct Meridian con‐tainsWeiQiwhich ispartof thereactionanditwill reach itsmaximumeitherduring thedayornight if it isaYangorYinMeridianrespectivelyThisWei energywill reinforce the Organrsquos reac‐tionHowevermostsymptomsarenotproducedbythePerverseEnergybutbythebodyrsquosreactionagainst them Since the strength of the Wei Qiwill increase or decreasewith its daily 50 cyclerhythmssowilltheproducedsymptomsThusifthe predominant symptom is intermittent theDistinct and not the Principal Meridian may beinvolvedandthisshouldbeinvestigated
ThepathwaysoftheDistinctMeridiansarenotaswelldeterminedas thoseof theprincipalMe‐ridians Both a Yin and Yang Distinct Meridianusually depart from their Principal Meridiansnearso‐calledAccessPoints(4) EachYinDiver‐gentMeridian convergeswith its internally ex‐ternally related Yang Divergent Meridian whichthen rejoins its Yang Principal Meridian fromwhichitdepartedThisrejoiningpointiscalledaReturnPoint (4) Ina fewcombinations theRe‐turnPointisonadifferentrelatedPrincipalMe‐ridian
TheQi low through an internally externallyrelatedpairofDistinctMeridians isactivatedbyneedlingtheAccessPointsbilaterallyonboththeYinandYangPrincipalMeridiansandtheReturnPoint bilaterally on the Yang PrincipalMeridianThedirectionofenergy lowis frominside(Yin)tooutside(Yang)andfrominferior(Yin)tosupe‐rior(Yang) The lowfromtheYinandYangAc‐cessPointsgoes to theprimaryandcoupledOr‐gansandthentotheReturnPointsuperiorly lo‐catedonthecoupledYangPrincipalMeridian
The pathways are only drawn on one side ofthebodyinthediagrams
TheFirstCon luence(a) The Bladder Divergent Channel
It departs from the Bladder Meridian in thepopliteal fossa and runs to a point 5 cun belowthesacrumThenitwindsroundtotheanalre‐gion connects with the bladder and dispersesintothekidney Followingupwardalongsidethespineitdispersesinthecardiacregionemergesat theneckandconvergeswith theBladderMe‐ridian
ItsAccessPoint isB40(WeiZhongorBendMiddle) and its Return Point isB10 (Tian ZhuorCelestialPillar)
4 PathwaysoftheSixCon luencesoftheDivergentMeridians(1234)
34 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Bladder Divergent Channel
(b) The Kidney Divergent Channel
It departs from the Kidney Meridian in thepoplitealfossaandcrossestheDivergentBladderMeridian on the thigh Running upward it con‐nectswiththekidneyandcrossestheDai(BeltorGirdle)Meridianataboutthelevelofthe7ththo‐racicvertebraThenitascendstotherootofthetongueandemergesattheposteriornecktojointheBladderMeridian
ItsAccessPointisK10(YinGuorYinValley)anditsReturnPointisalsoB10
Kidney Divergent Channel
Thecoupletsregionofin luenceisthekidneysbladder the ano‐rectal region the coccyx de‐scending colon and the anterior surface of sa‐crumandvertebralcolumn(2)
TheSecondCon luence(a) Gallbladder Divergent Channel
Departing from the Gallbladder Meridian onthethighitcrossesthehipjointentersthelowerabdomeninthepelvicregionandjoinstheLiverDistinctMeridianTogethertheytraversethelat‐
Scienti icQiExploration气的科学探
January-February 2014 35 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
eral aspects of the abdomen and pass betweenthelowerribstoconnectwiththegallbladderandspreadthroughtheliverThenthepathwaypass‐esfurtherupwardstocrosstheheartandesopha‐gusanddisperseinthefaceFinallyitenterstheeye and rejoins the Gallbladder Meridian at thelateralcanthus
ItsAccessPointisG30(HuanTiaoorJump‐ingRound) and its Return Point isG1 (Tong ZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
Gallbladder Divergent Channel
(b) Liver Divergent Channel
Separating fromtheLiverMeridianon the in‐stepitrunsupwardtothepubicregionwhereitconverges with the Gallbladder Meridian Onetextsaystheseparationoccursattheinguinallig‐ament(2)
Its Access Point is Liv 12 (Ji Mai or UrgentPulse) which is not near its point of departure
fromitsmainmeridiananditsReturnPointisG1(TongZiZiaoorPupilBoneHole)
The couplets regionof in luence is the lateralabdominal region and hepatobiliary structures(2)
Liver Divergent Channel
MartyEisenPhD a retiredscientist who constructedmathematicalmodelsinmedi‐cine He has studied andtaught Yoga Judo ShotokanKarate Aikido Qigong Pray‐ing Mantis Kung Fu and TaiChiDrEisenstudiedChinese
Medicine through apprenticeships and corre‐spondencecoursesHisnewAmazonKindleandhard copy books ldquoHealthy Exercise for Seniorsand Non‐Athletesrdquo describes classical Yoga TaiChi and Qigong to encourage practitioners tolearn more about these arts For more infor‐mation about Dr Eisen please visit httphomecomcastnet~carolezak
36 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
IthoroughlyenjoyedShifuLiChangDaosbookanditcertainlyliveduptothetitleitisindeedamarvelousjournalchroniclingtheeighteen‐yearjourneyofMichaelRinaldinispersonalprogressasaDaoistpriestandpractitioner
ForoneIlovewhatChristinaBareaalsoaDaoistPriestintheDragonGatelineagesaidinherFor‐wardtothebookldquoThemostpowerfulpartofthebookliesinitssincerityMichaelisunafraidtoshowwhat every seeker inherently goes through Hiswords are not complicated he expresses on paperwhatistruetohisinnernatureHeputsintopracticetheconceptofldquonottwordquoallowingthevirtueofhisintegritytoprevailWhatyoureadinhisbookisanaccuratere lectionofwhoheisItsadaringworktosaytheleastrdquo
InMichaelsbookIappreciatedtheinsightsandlearnedthevaluethatsolitaryretreatsofferforthepurposesofawakeningsandrealizationsIalsoobtainedadeeperunderstandingofseveralmeditationandqigongmethodsandofDaoistalchemyOneofthemostinspiringmomentswashisretellingoftheexperiencewhenhefollowedthe lowofuniversalenergiesandintuitivelycreatedanewqigongform
ADaoistPracticalJournalComeLaughWithMebyMichaelRinaldini(ShifuLiChangDao)
2013ISBN978‐1484865330pb147pages
AreviewbyMichelleWood
Editor‐In‐Chief
YangShengMagazine
__________
Book Reviews 书评
January-February 2014 37 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
IlovethatheharmoniouslyblendsChristianityand Buddhism and Daoism Perhaps it is one ofthegreatsecretsoftheUniversethatMichaeldis‐covered across the decades of his journey theheart of all practices is in Compassion andOne‐nessldquoItwaslikeaveilofdarknessorillusionhadliftedanditwasperfectlyclearthatallthingsarebasically pure energy and in harmony with theGreat Dao the Great Buddha and the GreatChristrdquop10
Asamysticwhohashadmyowndirectexperi‐ences of the underlying Truth of the Universe Iespecially appreciatedMichaels deep sharing ofhis connection to Universal Oneness ldquocrackingthematrixrdquoashecallsit
The nugget I take away from reading ShifusbookisthatthegoalofNotTwoisveryobtaina‐ble if one applies oneself with dedication andcourageonecanhavetheexplicitawarenessandexperienceofOneness
MichaelsbookisavailableonAmazoncom
httpwwwamazoncomDaoist‐Practice‐Journal‐Come‐Laughdp1484865332
38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
MeditationPrograms forPsy‐chological Stress and Well‐being A Systematic Reviewand Meta‐analysis JAMA In‐tern Med2014 Jan 6 [Epubahead of print] By GoyalMSinghSSibingaEMetal
Manypeoplemeditatetoreducepsychological stress and stress‐related health problems Tocounsel people appropriately
clinicians need to knowwhat the evidence saysaboutthehealthbene itsofmeditation
OBJECTIVE To determine the ef icacy ofmeditationprogramsinimprovingstress‐relatedoutcomes (anxiety depression stressdistresspositive mood mental health‐related quality oflifeattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleep
Mind‐BodyMedicineResearchUpdates
Compiled by
Kevin W Chen PhD
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
painandweight)indiverseadultclinicalpopu‐lations EVIDENCE REVIEWWe identi ied ran‐domized clinical trials with active controls forplacebo effects through November 2012 fromMEDLINE PsycINFO EMBASE PsycArticlesScopus CINAHL AMED the Cochrane LibraryandhandsearchesTwoindependentreviewersscreenedcitationsandextracteddataWegrad‐ed the strength of evidence using 4 domains(risk of bias precision directness and con‐sistency) and determined the magnitude anddirectionofeffectbycalculatingtherelativedif‐ference between groups in change from base‐line When possible we conducted meta‐analyses using standardized mean differencestoobtainaggregateestimatesofeffectsizewith95con idenceintervals
FINDINGS After reviewing 18 753 cita‐tionswe included 47 trialswith 3515 partici‐
January-February 2014 39 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
pants Mindfulness meditation programs hadmoderate evidence of improved anxiety (effectsize038[95CI012‐064]at8weeksand022[002‐043] at 3‐6 months) depression (030[000‐059]at8weeksand023[005‐042]at3‐6months)andpain(033[003‐062])andlowevi‐dence of improved stressdistress and mentalhealth‐related quality of life We found low evi‐denceofnoeffector insuf icientevidenceofanyeffect ofmeditation programs on positivemoodattentionsubstanceuseeatinghabitssleepandweight We found no evidence that meditationprogramswere better than any active treatment(ie drugs exercise and other behavioral thera‐pies)
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cliniciansshould be aware that meditation programs canresultinsmalltomoderatereductionsofmultiplenegative dimensions of psychological stressThus clinicians should be prepared to talkwiththeir patients about the role that a meditationprogram could have in addressing psychologicalstress Stronger studydesigns are needed to de‐terminetheeffectsofmeditationprogramsinim‐provingthepositivedimensionsofmentalhealthandstress‐relatedbehavior
==================
Sit breathe smile Effects of single andweekly seatedQigongonbloodpressureandqualityof life in long‐termcare ComplementTher Clin Pract 2014 Feb20(1)48‐53 By Free‐manSRHanikSALittlejohnMLetal
Long‐termcare(LTC)facilitieshouseindividu‐als with diverse combinations of cognitive andphysical impairmentsand thepracticeofSeatedQigongeliminatescommonexercisebarriersThisstudy hypothesized 1) a single session wouldlowerbloodpressure(BP)andimprovequalityoflife(QOL)inageneralizedLTCpopulationand2)theseresponseswouldbeattenuatedwithchron‐ic(weekly)SeatedQigongpracticeTenresidents(6 female86plusmn7years)participated in1Xweek
SeatedQigongsessionsfor10‐weeksBPandQOLwere assessed pre‐ and post‐session at baselineandfollowing5‐and10‐weeksofQigongSystolicBP was signi icantly reduced immediately post‐session after 10‐weeks of Qigong (P=003) yetunchanged at baseline and after 5‐weeks (allPgt005) Diastolic BP and QOL remained un‐changed (Pgt005) A session of Seated Qigongelicits a hypotensive response with exposuresupportingthenotionthatrepeatedsessionsmayprovideadvantageoushealthbene its
___________=================
Managing stress and anxiety throughqigongexerciseinhealthyadultsasystematicreviewandmeta‐analysisofrandomizedcon‐trolled trials BMC Complement Altern Med2014Jan914(1)8byWangCWChanCHHoRTetal
40 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
BACKGROUND An increasing number ofstudies have documented the effectiveness ofqigong
exercise inhelpingpeople reducepsychologicalstressandanxietybut there is a scarcityof sys‐tematic reviews evaluating evidence from ran‐domized controlled trials (RCTs) conductedamonghealthysubjects
METHODS Thirteen databases weresearched for RCTs from their inception throughJune2013Effectsofqigongexercisewerepooledacross trials Standardized mean differences(SMDs) were calculated for the pooled effectsHeterogeneitywasassessedusingtheI2testTheriskofbiaswasassessedusingtheCochranecri‐teria
RESULTSSevenRCTsmettheinclusioncri‐teria Two RCTs suggested that qigong exerciseimmediately relieved anxiety among healthyadultscomparedtolectureattendanceandstruc‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 tured movements only Four RCTs suggestedqigong exercise relieved anxiety (pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐07595CI‐111to‐040)andthreeRCTssug‐gested that qigong exercise reduced stress(pooled SMDthinsp=thinsp‐088 95 CI ‐122 to ‐055)among healthy subjects following one to threemonthsofqigongpractice compared towait‐listcontrols
CONCLUSIONS The available evidence sug‐geststhatqigongexercisereducesstressandanx‐ietyinhealthyadultsHowevergiventhelimitednumber of RCTs and theirmethodological lawsfurtherrigorouslydesignedRCTsareneeded
httpwwwbiomedcentralcom1472‐6882148
=========================___________
Treatment of tactile impairment in youngchildren with autism results with qigongmassage Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2013Dec36(4)12‐20bySilvaLSchalockM
BACKGROUND Following the inclusion ofsensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteriafor autism evidence has emerged showing thattactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismaresevereuniversallypresent anddirectlyrelated to delay of early self‐regulation mile‐stones required for social development Parent
January-February 2014 41 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
touch is themost effectivemeans of stimulatingearlyself‐regulationyetparentsofchildrenwithautism avoid touch because their children re‐spondabnormallyto itThissuggeststhattactileabnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch inautism and that treatment of tactile abnormali‐ties may improve developmental outcomes Wehave developed a qigongmassage treatment fortactile abnormalities in young children with au‐tismHereweevaluatewhethertactileabnormal‐ities decrease following treatment and whethertreatmentresultsinimprovedself‐regulatoryout‐comes
METHODSWeretrospectivelyanalyzedourqigongmassagedatabase for treatmenteffectontactile abnormalities self‐regulatory delay andparenting stress Five‐month interval data wereavailable for 129 childrenwith autism aged 3‐6yearsOfthese12997receivedtreatmentand32were in the wait‐list control condition Therewerenodifferencesbetweentreatmentandcon‐trol groups by age gender or severity of tactileimpairment
RESULTSTreatment resulted in signi icantdecreases of tactile impairment self‐regulatorydelayandparentingstress(plt001onallpairedt‐tests)meandecreaseswere255245and358respectivelyResultsweresigni icantcom‐paredtocontrols[F(3122)=1127plt 001]Inthe pretreatment data tactile impairment wasdirectly related to self‐regulatory delay post‐treatment both variables decreased proportion‐ally
CONCLUSIONResultsdemonstratethattac‐tile impairment inyoungchildrenwithautism istreatable with a qigong massage protocol Thedirect relationship between tactile impairmentand self‐regulatory delay pretreatment and theproportional decrease of both following treat‐ment suggest that tactile impairment is a causeofself‐regulatorydelayandthatqigongmassage
isapromisingavenueto improvedevelopmentaloutcomesinautism
httpwwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3838308====_________
_=========================___________
A systematic review andmeta‐analysis ofqigong for the ibromyalgia syndrome EvidBasedComplementAlternatMed2013635182byLaucheRCramerHHauserWetal
OBJECTIVES The ibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic condition with only few evi‐dence‐based complementary and alternativetherapiesavailableThispaperpresentsasystem‐aticreviewandmeta‐analysisoftheeffectivenessof Qigong for ibromyalgia syndrome MethodsThe PubMedMEDLINE Cochrane Library Em‐base PsycINFO and Cambase databases werescreened inDecember 2012 to identify random‐izedcontrolledtrialscomparingQigongtocontrolinterventions Major outcome measures werepainandqualityof lifeandsecondaryoutcomesincluded sleep quality fatigue depression andsafetyStandardizedmeandifferences(SMD)and95con idenceintervalswerecalculated
RESULTS Seven trials were located with atotal of 395thinspFMSpatients Analyses revealed lowquality evidence for short‐term improvement of
42 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
pain quality of life and sleep quality and verylowquality evidence for improvementof fatigueafter Qigong for FMS when compared to usualcare No evidence was found for superiority ofQigong compared to active treatments No seri‐ous adverse events were reported DiscussionThissystematicreviewfoundthatQigongmaybeausefulapproachforFMSpatientsAccordingtothe quality of evidence only aweak recommen‐dationforQigongcanbemadeatthispointFur‐ther highqualityRCTs are required for the con‐clusivejudgmentofitslong‐termeffects
httpwwwhindawicomjournalsecam2013635182
___________===================
Yogas Impacton In lammationMoodandFatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors A Ran‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 domized Controlled Trial J Clin Oncol 2014Jan27[Epubaheadofprint]ByKiecolt‐GlaserJKBennettJMAndridgeRetal
PURPOSEToevaluateyogas impacton in‐lammationmoodandfatigue
PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomizedcontrolled3‐monthtrialwasconductedwithtwopost‐treatmentassessmentsof200breastcancersurvivors assigned to either 12 weeks of 90‐minute twice per week hatha yoga classes or await‐list control The main outcome measureswere lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated productionof proin lammatory cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and in‐terleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and scores on the Multidi‐mensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐ShortForm(MFSI‐SF)thevitalityscalefromtheMedi‐calOutcomesStudy36‐itemShortForm(SF‐36)and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression(CES‐D)scale
RESULTS Immediately post‐treatment fa‐tigue was not lower (P gt 05) but vitality washigher(P=01)intheyogagroupcomparedwiththe control group At 3 months post‐treatmentfatigue was lower in the yogagroup (P = 002)vitalitywashigher(P= 01)andIL‐6(P= 027)TNF‐α(P=027)andIL‐1β(P=037)werelowerfor yoga participants comparedwith the controlgroupGroupsdidnotdifferondepressionatei‐ther time (P gt 2) Planned secondary analysesshowed that the frequency ofyogapractice hadstronger associations with fatigue at both post‐treatment visits (P = 019 P lt 001) as well asvitality(P= 016P= 0045)butnotdepression(Pgt05)thansimplegroupassignmentmorefre‐quent practice produced larger changes At 3months post‐treatment increasingyogapracticealsoledtoadecreaseinIL‐6(P= 01)andIL‐1β(P=03)productionbutnotinTNF‐αproduction(Pgt05)
CONCLUSION Chronic in lammation mayfueldeclinesinphysicalfunctionleadingtofrailty
January-February 2014 43 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
anddisability Ifyogadampensor limitsboth fa‐tigue and in lammation then regular practicecouldhavesubstantialhealthbene its
___________======================
Psychological immunological and physio‐logical effectsof a LaughingQigongProgram(LQP)onadolescentsComplementTherMed2013Dec21(6)660‐8byChangCTsaiGHsiehCJetal
OBJECTIVESOneobjectiveofthisstudywastoassesstheeffectsoflaughteronthepsychologi‐cal immunological and physiological systems ofthebodyAnotherobjectivewasto introducetheLaughingQigongProgram (LQP) as amethod ofstandardization for simulated laughter interven‐tions
DESIGNArandomizedprospectiveexperi‐mentalstudyoftheLQPwasconductedinagroupof adolescents (n=67) in Taiwan During study‐hall sessions experimental subjects (n=34) at‐tended the LQP for eight‐weeks Simultaneouslycontrol subjects (n=33) read or did their home‐work All subjects were tested before and aftertheinterventiononthefollowingRosenbergSelf‐Esteem scale (RSE) Chinese Humor Scale (CHS)andFaceScale(FS)aspsychologicalmarkerssa‐liva cortisol (CS) as an immunological markerblood pressure (BP) heart rate (HR) and heartratevariability(HRV)asphysiologicalmarkersof
the bodys response to stress Mood states (FS)weremeasuredbeforeaftereachLQPsession
RESULTS Mood states (p=00) and humor(p=004 p=003) improved in the experimentalgroup no signi icant changeswere found in thecontrols(p=69p=60)Theimmunologicalmark‐erofstresscortisollevelsdecreasedsigni icantlyfor thosewho participated in the LQP (p=001)suggestinglowerlevelsofstressaftercompletionoftheprogram
CONCLUSIONSTheLQPisanon‐pharmacologicalandcost‐effectivemeanstohelpadolescentsmitigatestressesintheireverydaylife_
====================
ThesustainingeffectsofTaichiQigongonphysiologicalhealthforCOPDpatientsaran‐domized controlled trial Complement TherMed2013Dec21(6)585‐94ByChanAWLeeALeeDTetal
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining ef‐fectsofTaichiQigonginimprovingthephysiolog‐icalhealthforCOPDpatientsatsixthmonth
DESIGN A randomized controlled trialSubjectswereinthreerandomlyassignedgroupsTaichiQigonggroupexercisegroupandcontrolgroup
44 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
SETTINGThe206 subjectswere recruitedfrom ivegeneraloutpatientclinics
INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong groupcompleted a 3‐month Tai chi Qigong programExercise group practiced breathing and walkingasanexerciseControlgroupreceivedusualcare
OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomesincluded six‐minute walking distance and lungfunctions Secondary outcomes were dyspneaand fatigue levels number of exacerbations andhospitaladmissions
RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed asteady improvement in exercise capacity(Plt001) from baseline to the sixth month Themean walking distance increased from 298 to349meters(+17)Nosigni icantchangeswerenoted in the other two groups Tai chi Qigonggroup also showed improvement in lung func‐tions(Plt001)Meanforcedexpiratoryvolumein1s increasedfrom 89to 99l(+11)Nosigni i‐cantchangewasnotedintheexercisegroupDe‐teriorationwas found in the control groupwithmean volume decreased from 89 to 84l (‐567) Signi icant decreased in the number ofexacerbationswasobservedintheTaichiQigonggroupNo changes indyspnea and fatigue levelswerenotedamongthethreegroups
CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustain‐ing effects in improving the physiological healthandisausefulandappropriateexerciseforCOPDpatients___________
===============
Yogaandmeditation incardiovasculardis‐ease Clin Res Cardiol 2014 Jan 25 [Epubaheadofprint]ByManchandaSCMadanK
Yoga is a holistic mind‐body interventionaimedatphysicalmentalemotionalandspiritu‐
ResearchUpdate 科研动态
alwellbeingSeveralstudieshaveshownthatyo‐gaandormeditationcancontrolriskfactors forcardiovascular disease like hypertension type IIdiabetesandinsulinresistanceobesitylipidpro‐ile psychosocial stress and smoking Some ran‐domized studies suggest that yogameditationcould retardoreven regressearlyandadvancedcoronaryatherosclerosisArecentstudysuggeststhattranscendentalmeditationmaybeextremelyusefulinsecondarypreventionofcoronaryheartdiseaseandmayreducecardiovasculareventsby48 over a 5‐year period Another small studysuggests that yogamay be helpful in preventionof atrial ibrillation Howevermost studies haveseveral limitationslikelackofadequatecontrolssmallsamplesizeinconsistenciesinbaselineanddifferentmethodologies etc and therefore largetrialswith improvedmethodologiesarerequiredtocon irmthese indingsHoweverinviewoftheexisting knowledge and yoga being a cost‐effectivetechniquewithoutsideeffectsitappearsappropriate to incorporate yogameditation forprimary and secondary prevention of cardiovas‐culardisease
___________===================
Reorganization of the brain and heartrhythm during autogenic meditation FrontIntegr Neurosci 2014 Jan 137109 By Kim DKRheeJHKangSW
January-February 2014 45 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
The underlying changes in heart coherencethatareassociatedwithreportedEEGchangesinresponse to meditation have been explored Wemeasured EEG and heart rate variability (HRV)beforeandduringautogenicmeditationFourteensubjects participated in the study Heart coher‐ence scores were signi icantly increased dur‐ingmeditation compared to the baseline Wefoundnearsigni icantdecreaseinhighbetaabso‐lutepower increase in alpha relativepower andsigni icant increases in lower (alpha)andhigher(above beta) band coherence during 3~minepochsofheartcoherentmeditationcomparedto3~min epochs of heart non‐coherence at base‐line The coherence and relative power increasein alpha band and absolute power decrease inhighbetabandcouldre lectrelaxationstatedur‐ingtheheartcoherentmeditationThecoherenceincrease in the higher (above beta) band couldre lect cortico‐cortical local integration andthereby affect cognitive reorganization simulta‐neouslywith relaxation Further research is stillneededforacon irmationofheartcoherenceasasimplewindowforthemeditativestate
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fnint201300109full
___________==============
A phenomenology of meditation‐inducedlight experiences traditional Buddhist andneurobiological perspectives Front Psychol2014 Jan 34973 By Lindahl JR Kaplan CTWingetEMBrittonWB
Thescienti icstudyofBuddhistmeditationhasproceeded without much attention to Buddhistliterature that details the range of psychologicaland physiological changes thought to occur dur‐ing meditation This paper presents reports ofvariousmeditation‐inducedlightexperiencesde‐rived fromAmericanBuddhistpractitionersThereportsoflightexperiencesareclassi iedintotwomain typesdiscrete lightformsandpatternedordiffuse lights Similarphenomena arewell docu‐mented in traditionalBuddhist textsbutarevir‐tually undocumented in scienti ic literature onmeditation Within Buddhist traditions thesephenomena are attributed a rangeof interpreta‐tions However because it is insuf icient andproblematic to rely solely upon the textualsources as ameansof investigating the causeorsigni icance of these phenomena these qualita‐tivereportsarealsoconsideredinrelationtosci‐enti ic research on light‐related experiences inthe context of sensory deprivation perceptualisolationandclinicaldisordersof thevisualsys‐tem The typologies derived from these studiesalsorelyuponreportsofexperiencesandcloselymatch typologies derived from the qualitativestudy of contemporary practitioners and typolo‐
46 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gies found inBuddhist literary traditions Takentogether these studies also provide evidence insupportofthehypothesisthatcertainmeditativepractices ‐ especially those that deliberately de‐crease social kinesthetic and sensory stimula‐tionandemphasizefocusedattention‐haveper‐ceptualandcognitiveoutcomessimilartosenso‐ry deprivation Given that sensory deprivationincreases neuroplasticity meditation may alsohaveanenhancedneuroplasticpotentialbeyondordinary experience‐dependent changes Byproviding and contextualizing these reports ofmeditation‐induced light experiences scientistsclinicians andmeditators gain amore informedviewoftherangeofexperiencesthatcanbeelic‐itedbycontemplativepractices
httpwwwfrontiersinorgJournal103389fpsyg201300973full
___________====================
Mind overmatter ‐what dowe know aboutneuroplasticity in adults Int Psychogeriatr2014Jan21‐19[Epubaheadofprint]ByValka‐novaVEguiaRodriguezREbmeierKP
ResearchUpdate 科研动态 BackgroundAnincreasingnumberofstud‐ieshaveexaminedtheeffectsoftrainingofcogni‐tive and other tasks on brain structure usingmagneticresonanceimaging
METHODSStudiescombiningcognitiveandother tasks training with longitudinal imagingdesigns were reviewed with a view to identifyparadigmspotentially applicable to treatment ofcognitiveimpairment
RESULTSWeidenti ied36studiesemploy‐ing training as variable as juggling workingmemory meditation learning abstract infor‐mationandaerobicexerciseThereweretraining‐relatedstructuralchangesincreasesingraymat‐tervolumedecreasesincreasesanddecreasesindifferent regions or no change at all Therewasincreased integrity in white matter followingtraining but other patterns of results were alsoreported
CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be an‐swered are Are changes due to use‐dependenteffectsoraretheyspeci ic to learningWhatarethe underlying neural correlates of learning thetemporal dynamics of changes the relations be‐tweenstructureandfunctionandtheupperlim‐its of improvement How can gains be main‐tainedThequestionwhetherneuroplasticitywillcontributetothetreatmentofdementiawillneedtobeposedagainatthatstage
___________=================
EffectsofBuddhismWalkingMeditationonDepressionFunctionalFitnessandEndothe‐lium‐Dependent Vasodilation in DepressedElderly J Altern Complement Med 2013 Dec28 [Epub ahead of print] By Prakhinkit S Sup‐papitipornSTanakaHSuksomD
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this studywere todetermine theeffe ctsof thenovelBud‐dhism‐basedwalkingmeditation(BWM)and thetraditional walking exercise (TWE) on depres‐
January-February 2014 47 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
sion functional itness and vascular reactivityDesignThiswasarandomizedexerciseinterven‐tionstudy
SETTINGSLOCATION The study was con‐ducted in a university hospital setting SubjectsForty‐ ive elderly participants aged 60‐90 yearswith mild‐to‐moderate depressive symptomswererandomlyallocatedtothesedentarycontrolTWEandBWMgroupsInterventionsTheBWMprogramwas based on aerobicwalking exerciseincorporating the Buddhist meditations per‐formed3timesweekfor12weeks
OUTCOME MEASURES Depression scorefunctional itness and endothelium‐dependentvasodilation as measured by the low‐mediateddilation(FMD)weretheoutcomemeasuresusedResults Muscle strength lexibility agility dy‐namic balance and cardiorespiratory enduranceincreased in both exercise groups (plt005) De‐pression score decreased (plt005) only in theBWMgroupFMDimproved(plt005) inbothex‐ercise groups Signi icant reduction in plasmacholesterol triglyceride high‐density lipoproteincholesterolandC‐reactiveproteinwerefoundinboth exercise groups whereas low‐density lipo‐protein cholesterol cortisol and interleukin‐6concentrationsdecreasedonlyintheBWMgroup
CONCLUSIONS Buddhist walking medita‐tionwaseffectiveinreducingdepressionimprov‐ingfunctional itnessandvascularreactivityand
appears to confer greater overall improvementsthanthetraditionalwalkingprogram
KevinWChenPhD ndashisanassociateprofessorat the Center for Inte‐grative Medicine Uni‐versity ofMaryland DrChen was educated inthe universities of bothChina and the UnitedStates and has years of
experience and training in blending eastern andwesternperspectives and in thepracticeof life‐nurturingmethodsAsalong‐timepractitionerofQigongYangShengheisoneofthefewscientistsin the US to have both hands‐on knowledge ofmind‐body practice and an active research ca‐reer in mind‐body medicine which is fundedthrough grants by the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and various foundations Dr ChendevoteshiscareerandlifetothepracticeofYangSheng and promotion of self‐healing andmind‐body‐spirit integration through the non‐pro itorganization World Institute for Self Healing(WISH)(httpwwwwishusorg
48 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
ldquoI awoke at the train station As long as I kept my attention on the
present moment I was fine I became stressed when I turned my
attention to the futurerdquo
ParaphrasefromThisAmericanLiferadiointerviewwithDavidMacLeanauthorof
TheAnswertotheRiddleIsMe
When I sat behind my computer screen towritethiscolumnIthoughtIwasgoingtowriteabout winter as the time for rejuvenating thenervoussystemwithanemphasisonquietmedi‐tative activities to cultivate lovely qualities ofmind Instead we will explore a de inition ofldquomindrdquodifferentlocationsoftheembodiedbrainthatconnectsuswithmindhowmindisare lec‐tionofenergyandchemistryandhowwecanusemindfulnesstonourishourbeing
What exactly is the ldquomindrdquo What comes toyourmindwhenwe talk about ourmind Beforewe can have a meaningful conversation aboutnurturing or cultivating our mind we have tohave someshared ideaaboutwhatwe think theldquomindrdquois
Oneofthebestde initionsofldquomindrdquoisdevel‐opedbyDrDanSiegel
Mind is a regulatory process that can bemonitoredmeasured observed andmodi iedThisde initionis furtherclari iedbyaddingthatthemindregulates the lowofenergyand infor‐mation(httpdrdansiegelcom)
WowIlovethisOnceIfoundthisde initionIcouldcontinueaconversationPleasenoticethatthis de inition does not clarify the location ofmind or include the word brain Lets leave the
Cultivating the Mindmdash Mind Matter Connections bySharonMontesMD
TheDancingDoc
January-February 2014 49 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
conversation about localized and non‐localizedmindforanothertimeandfocusonanembodiedconnectionwithmindthebrain
Oftenwhenwethinkof amind‐bodyconnec‐tionweseethebraintissueinsideourheadLetusexpandthevisionofembodiedmindtoincludeacoupleotherbrainsPleaseexpandyourvisiontoincludetheldquobrainsrdquothatlivesinourheartandinourbellyResearchhas shown that theheart‐braincreatesamuchlargerelectromagnetic ieldthanourhead‐basedbrainThiselectromagneticield has not only beenmeasured but has beenshown to in luence and be in luenced to others(Onewebsitethatdistillssomeofthisresearchishttpwwwheartmathorgfree‐servicesarticles‐of‐the‐heartenergetic‐heart‐is‐unfoldinghtml)
Movingtothebelly‐brainwetalkaboutchem‐istry as the property that connects and in lu‐ences Author David MacLean had a loss ofldquomindrdquo and sense of self that was triggered bytakinganantimalarialdrugMuchofthechemis‐try that affects our quality of thought and emo‐tionoriginates inourbellyAlthoughindifferentplaces the belly‐brain and the head‐brain bothdevelopfromthesameembryonictissueThebel‐ly‐brainactuallycreatesagreateramountofneu‐rotransmitters than the head‐brain In fact 95percentofourserotoninisproducedinourbelly
Weare indingevidencethatthetypesofbacteriathatlineourintestinecanpredisposeustowardsemotional resilience or depression What am IdoingwhenIprescribeanantibiotic forachildWhat are we doing when we offer our ldquomindrdquoprocesseddead food It furtheremphasizes theimportanceof the foodweofferourmindbodybrainasprovidingthebuildingblocksforchem‐istrythatpromotesagoodqualityofmind
When I thinkof food Iactually thinkofmorethan the physical food that I put in my mouthOneofmydailymindfulpracticesistopauseandaskmyselfldquoWhatamIhungryforrdquo
Whilesometimestheanswerisfoodndasha lavorortexture‐moreoftentheansweristobenour‐ishedby somethingelse It couldbequiet alonetime or connecting time with people I love ItcouldbesleepordanceItcouldbetimelearninganewskillItcouldbemusicorartFrequentlyIamhungryfor moretimeoutsideconnectingtoearth and sky Sometimes it is just pausing andletting themomentunfoldbeingopentoreceiv‐ingwhatshowsupwhenIalignwithldquomindrdquo
Earlier this week I reached a state of over‐whelm paper projects information people Icompletely lost touch with my alignment andcenter Life offered much more than I could
httpwwwpd4piccomneural-pathways-fake-artistically-think-facehtml
50 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
gracefullydancewithYIKEShellip stress I openedmy of ice door to ind my luffy white‐furredblack‐eyed dog wagging her tail and holding aballinmouthhellipaskingtoPLAYImmediateresetthere was the answer to my question not con‐sciouslyasked
OKnowAswelookatunityshowingupastheiveelementsWhatareyouhungryfor
AND Nothing This moment is complete
Yours in the dance with 10000 things
SharonMontesMDndashpracticedandtaughtfam‐ily medicine in medicalschoolsfor17yearsFormermedical director of Univer‐sity of Maryland Center forIntegrative Medicine DrSharon Montes is currentlylivinginLovelandColoradojoyfully dancing with10000 things and prepar‐ingtoopenaLifestyleMedi‐cine practice Her email is
thedancingdocgmailcom and her blog siteishttpdrsharoninfoblogspotcom
TheDancingDoc
Wood ndash clear vision order in thoughts and environment movement creativity learn something new bitter flavor
Fire ndash to touch or be touched connec-tion with self and others laughter humor play
Earth ndash gratitude giving and receiving abundance remembering the sweetness of life grounding connecting with the planet singing savoring the gifts of the senses
Metal ndash respect rhythm releasing inspiration and awe integrity
Water ndash deep listening being heard stillness wisdom patience a bath drinking more water more sleep
January-February 2014 51 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Comedy Moment 开心一刻
So a Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor and asks can you make me one with everything
rArr Ever stop to think and forget to start again
rArr My life has a superb cast but I canrsquot figure out the plot
rArr I used to be indecisive now Irsquom not sure
52 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
I n the very beginning of the Nei JingHuangDiinquiresofQiBohowitisthatpeople do not live (we presume health‐
fully)toaveryoldageInessenceQiBorepliesthatpeoplenolongerknowhowtoliveproperlyand therefore deplete their energies in a widemanner ofways This bit of conversation fromtheNei Jing tellsus that thousandsofyearsagopeople in generalhadalready lost themeans toengenderahealthybalancedlifeonadailybasisAs a well‐known aphorism states The morethingschangethemoretheystaythesame
Perhaps as a Universal response to a wide‐spreaddesirebymodernpeopleforlivesthataremore balanced harmonious healthy inspiringand natural systems such as Qigong Taiji (andother internal martial arts) Chinese medicinemeditationyogaandothershavebecomepopu‐lar throughout the Western world It is fromthesepractices thatwecan learnhowtoengen‐der our health create balance harmony calm‐ness andapeacefulheart ina fast‐pacedworldthatswirlsabout inwhatcanbeadizzyingpat‐tern
It is throughourdailypractice of our chosenenergy cultivatingmethods thatwe can becomeevermoreharmoniouswiththeUniversalexpe‐rience balance and calm in our daily lives andmaintain and increase our health It is throughthemoment‐to‐momentchoicestofollowNaturetake the time to truly engage inqualitypracticeandmake these things part of our 247 ratherthan compartmentalized practices that are notintegrated into our lives thatwewill ultimatelyreap the harvest of our dreams Utilizing theprinciples of our energy practice in our life is away to renew and reinvent ourselves and ourlives Manifesting these principles at work forexamplemay be a challenge but it is onewell‐worth engaging in This is a way to nurture Qiourselvesandeveryonethingaroundusaspartofourenergylife
FIVEELEMENTTHEORY
SpringSeasonATimeofNewBeginnings
Winter has left and Spring arrives with newgrowthWenowhavetheopportunitytonurturethebeginningsofthenewreality Theenergetic
Spring ndash RenewalReinvention
by Ellasara Kling
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 53 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
direction of the season as exhibited by thenewgrowthwesee isupwardandoutwardThisisthebeginningofYangrisinginnatureForexample tree sap rises and signals buddingSeeds underground respond to the warmergroundanddampnessIttakesalotofenergyforaseed togerminateandbreak through its shellandthenthegroundtoformasprout
Many people think that Spring is a time tostarta ldquodetoxrdquoof somesortActually ifone fol‐lows the Season and nourishes themselves ap‐propriatelythebodywillperformitsownSpringCleaning inanaturalandeasywayThisseasoncallsus toperformmoreactivityafterourWin‐terrestThetissueoftheseasonistheTendonsIt isaterri ictimeofyeartostart(ordomore)stretchingwalking Ifwalking lookaroundandlet your eyes the sense organ of Spring enjoythe budding beauty that is SpringWind is theenvironmental factor of Spring It is im‐portanttoldquoprotectrdquooneselffromtheinvasionofwindanddampnessatalltimesbutespeciallyinthe Spring The invasion ofWind can look likecramps itchiness tremors painsaches thatmovearoundthebodythecommon cold and othersymptoms Remember tokeep your head and chestcovered
Foods for this seasonareoftengreen(thecol‐oroftheSeasonandnewgrowth) and have aslightly sourbittertaste Asparagussorreldandelion greens andsprouts are examples ofthose combined qualitiesEven so too much sourshould be avoided espe‐cially if you are someonewithchronicpainoranxi‐ety The sour taste does
strengthentheLiverbuttoostrongaLiveren‐ergycanoverpower theSpleenStomachsystemModerationisalwaysagoodruleofthumb Eat‐ingtheSweettasteisbalancingfortheLiversys‐temHavingsweetsintheirnaturalformsuchaspiecesoffruitorsweetvegetablessuchasfennelispreferabletolotsofaddedre inedsugars
Asalwayseatinggreasyfoodsandovereatingis hard on the LiverGall Bladder and should beavoidedToomuchcan leadtoLiverHeatSymp‐tomsofthisincludeangerirritabilityfrustrationdryredeyesheadachesandmanymorepossibil‐ities Watercress citrus fruits such as lemon orgrapefruit can help relieve Liver Heat Simplemealsprimarilyconsistingofcookedgreenvege‐tablesbeanssomegrainswithsmallamountsofmeats ish as a complement will help supporthealthinthisseason
Flowing freely an lexibility are LiverGallBladderSpring conceptsThemorewe do toldquogowith the lowrdquo and to be lexible in our out‐look themorewe canattune to this seasonanditssometimessurprisinggifts
54 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Relaxation Self-Massages FlexibilityandacalmrelaxedapproachtolifearekeytoharmonywiththeSpringSeason Hereareafewsimpleself‐massagesyoucanperformalmostanywheretore‐leasetension
1 Close your eyes Turn your headveryveryslowlytotheleftasfarasitwillgo without strain Then turn your headvery very slowly to the right as far as itwill gowithout strainDo this 3 times ineach direction Be sure to move yourheadneck very slowly ndash the slower thebetter ‐‐ and only go as far as you canwithout any strain Be certain to keepyour shoulders relaxed Do not be con‐cerned about how far you have turnedyourneckDistanceisnotasimportantasthe slow speed and keeping your shoul‐dersrelaxedRemembertobreathe
2ShrugwithbothofyourshouldersSitstraightinyourchairandrelaxyourshoul‐dersPullyourshouldersupashighastheywillgotowardsyourearsandthenjust letthemdropDothis3‐5timesRemembertoalways only go as far as you can withoutany strain Breathe in when raising yourshoulders and breathe outwhen releasingthem Can you feel the connection to yourwholetorsoasyoudothis
3 With your mouth (lips) closed butyour teeth not touching take the secondand third inger of each hand and placethem softly on your face where your jawhinges With very light pressure massagethis spotwith small circles for10 secondsin each direction (forward towards thefront of the face and backwards towardstheears)Thereisnoneedtoapplyadeeppressure
4 Startingatthetopofyourearswithyour thumband index ingers Place yourthumbonthebackoftheearandletyourindex ingerfallnaturallyonthefrontsidePressinggentlyontheearldquoWalkrdquoyour in‐gers from the topofyourears to thebot‐tomof theear lobesbypressingyour in‐gers against the ear and inching themdownwards Giveyourlobesaslightgen‐tletugattheend Dothis3times(Ifyouarewearingearringspleaseremovethemirst)
5 Placing the base of your palms oneithersideofyourlowerjawandallowingyourhands ingerstorelaxsoftlyandnat‐urallyonyourfaceverygentlyverysoftlymove your handsupwardsuntil the baseof your palms are on your cheekbonesThenmoveyourhandsout towards yourears until your thumbs touch the placewhereyourearsconnecttoyourfaceandcircle back downwards to your startingposition Your hands ingers should bebarley touching your face Do this threetimes Ifyouwearglassespleaseremovethem There is no pressure on the eyesbut the hands need to ldquosliderdquo over themThe ingersareonthehairlinebeforethehandsmoveoutwards
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 55 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
SomeFoodsThatAreParticularlyGoodForTheSpringSeason
ApplesArtichokeBambooshootsBeanCurd(tofu)ndashusenonGMOorganicBeefLiverBeePollenBeets Black Gram (dal) Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Bok Choy Cashews Cauli lower Celery ChickenChickenLiverClamsCrabDandeliongreensDatesDillEggsEggplantFennelGarlicGingerGreenveggies in general Green Bell Pepper Honey Kiwi Lemon Lime Lotus Lychee Mulberry Mush‐roomsNettleTeaOatsParsleyPeanutsPepperPeppermintPicklesRadishesRhubarbRyeSaf‐loweroilScallionSesameoilSpinachSproutsndashallkindsTurkeyVinegarWatercressWildRiceWol berryandmore
AsparagusSoup
Ingredients
2TBgrapeseedoil1tspsalt1tspwhitepepper‐ground23cupceleryleavesonlyminced(theinnerleavesfromtheheartoftheceleryndashnostalks)frac12cupscallionwhitesthinlysliced1smallclovegarlic‐minced1cupwater(orchickenbrothorvmildvegeta‐blebroth)1lbasparagusstalksndashreadbelowforprepara‐tion3cupsalmondmilkndashunsweetened1cupcoconutmilk1cupalmondmeal lourndashthickeneralterna‐tivelyusecornstarchorrice lourndashadjust
amountsaccordinglyRedpepper lakes
Directions
Preparing the asparagus stalks breakoff thewhite ends of the stalks and cut the stalks intobitesizepiecesSetthetipsasideIfyouareusingthickstalksofasparaguscutthestalks intoverysmall pieces otherwise they will be stringywoodywhencooked
In a heated wok or large skillet heat the oiland add salt and pepper celery leaves scallionwhites and garlic saute lightly until the leavesbegintowilt
Add the water stir Add the asparagus stalksandcoverLetsimmerlightlyuntiltheasparagusis about to turn bright green (donrsquotwait until itbecomesvgreenoritwillovercook)
RECIPES
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
56 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Add the almond milk and coconut milk andstirheatthisthrough
If you are using almondmeal lour then addthatnowIfyouareusingcornstarchorrice lourmakeaslurryandadditslowlytothesoupstirthoroughlysothatitiswellblended
Adjustyourseasonings
Heatthroughandserve
Optionaladashofredpepper lakes
Asparagusclearsheatisgoodforbloodcircula-tionurinationconstipationnourishesKidneyYinmoistenstheLungsandmuchmore AlmondsaresweetandrelievestagnantLungQi
BeanSproutswScallionsWatercressPeanuts
Ingredients
2‐3TBGrapeseedoil
3TBmincedscallionwhites
1TBgratedginger
2largeclovesofgarlicndashslicedlengthwise
1TBvinegar
12ozbeansprouts
1 large bunch watercress ndash remove the toughstems
1TBsesameoil
1TBslicedscalliongreen
frac14cuptoastedpeanuts
Redpepper lakesndashoptional
Directions
In your heatedwok or large skillet heat 2‐3TBoil(startwithless)addatonetimethescal‐lionwhitesgingergarlicsprinkleonthevinegarandsauteuntilfragrant
Addthebeansproutsallatonceandtossintothe spices just as the sprouts begin towilt addthe watercress and toss everything throughHeat through and plate Sprinkle with scalliongreens toasted sesame oil and peanuts ndash formorepungentheataddredpepper lakes
Thisdishisgoodforamongotherthingsdispel-lingheatanddampnessrelievingsorethroatsWa-tercresswhichisbothsweetandpungentin lavorisgoodforrelievingcoughs
Photos by Robert Pease Photography
Seasonal Harmony 季节之和谐
January-February 2014 57 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
FreshSpringPeaswDillIngredients
Peas
Salt
Dill
Waterbroth
Directions
Bringwaterorbrothtoasimmerandaddfreshpeasandalittlesalt(ifusingwater)
Whenthepeasarealmostbrightgreenremovefromtheliquidandtosswithdillndashleavesonlynostalks
Thissimplesidedishcanbeanaccompanimenttoalmostanymeal
DillisknownforspreadingQithroughoutthebody PeasareusedforYinDe iciencyespeciallySpleenYinDe iciencyanddigestion
CeleryGingerTeaIngredients
1TBgratedfreshginger
3TB inelychoppedcelery3cupswater
Directions
Putallingredientsinasaucepanandbringtoaboil reduceheat and simmer for a fewminutesDrinkwarm
This tea is good for dispelling LiverWind andDampnessastheyareunderstoodinTCM
The information in thisarticle isbasedon the theoriesandprinciplesofChineseMedicineFiveElementTheoryEllasara apractitionerofWuMingQigonghasbeenstudyingwithMasterandDrNanLuformanyyearsandhasparticipatedinspecialclassesthroughTCMWorldFoundationandtheTaoofHealinginNewYorkCity
Forcommentsquestionsconsultationsellasara00gmailcom
TeaForTheSeason
WishingyougoodhealthRemembertosmilefromtheheartatallthings
Phot
os by
Rob
ert P
ease
Pho
togr
aphy
58 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 4 Issue No 1
Yang-Sheng is an E-magazine and a network run by the non-profit World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH a 501(c)(3) organization registered in New Jersey) and all of our writers editors and contributors are volunteers since we do not have a stable financial support at this moment Y ang-Sheng promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing positive thinking and health preservation which represents a new direction of future medicine and healthy living However we are young and our resources are very limited especially in light of our dreams and vision Since no one can really profit from a self-healing system except for practitioners themselves our programs are largely run by volunteers sponsors and donations To help Y ang-Sheng survive and develop your generous contribution is urgently needed Your financial contributions will help Y ang-Sheng and WISH to continue its course to advance a completely new medicine and to build a unique community of our own that is dedicated to a healthy happy and harmonious life for all
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bull Make the contents of Yang-Sheng available in other media ndash an audio and video enhanced publication available in many forms and multiple ports bull Pay for experts and professional writers in the special field to write special columns or tips and answer commonly- concerned questions for our readers (such as web seminars) bull Pay for translation service or software to make Yang-Sheng available in other languages especially in Chinese and Spanish and translate more of proverbs tips and stories of Yang Sheng from Chinese into English bull Pay for professional management staff to run daily editing and communication business with appropriate compensation so that they are dedicated to what they are doing for us bull Build a more professional web site with online database and information tips to guide people daily life-nurturing and mind-body practice in different situations and healthy conditions bull Publish Y ang-Sheng magazine both online and in-print to let more people have access to the life-nurturing knowledge and to share their experiences bull Initiate online support networks and database for healthcare professionals to search for mind-body medicine and Yang Sheng practices bull Sponsor lectures workshops and conferences on life-nurturing related subjects
Yourdonationsaretax‐deductibleaspermittedbylaw
Make Your Donation online at httpyang-shengcompage_id=5337 or print out and mail the form below Your Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________________________ State (or province) and Zip _________________________________________________________ Telephone ______________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________ Here is my contribution of
$1000 $500 $200 $100 $50 $_________
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World Institute for Self Healing Inc (WISH) PO Box 1976 Ellicott City MD 21041 USA
Thankyouverymuchforyoursupport
January-February 2014 59 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Columnists Ken Andes LAc DAc Cindy Borgonzi-Areglado Eric Borreson Timothy Booth Salvatore Casano RN PhD Cindy Cicero Chris DrsquoAdamo PhD Felice Dunas PhD Marty Eisen PhD Ginger Garner MPT ACT PYT Chuian Gee Nadia Linda Hole MD Helen H Hu LAc OMD Dan Kleiman Ellasara Kling Aihan Kuhn CMD Dipl OBT Linda Lazarus LD Lilly Lei MD Violet Li Phoenix Liu PhD George Xavier Love OMD Li-Jun Ma MD
Elizabeth Machenzie PhD Mark Melchiorre LAc Sharon Montes MD Steffany Moonas PhD Narij Naik MPharm Mika Ono Rodney J Owen Rebekah F Owens LMT NCTBM Rena Reese MS Michael Rinaldini Andy Rosenfarb LAc ND Arthur Rosenfeld Bonnitta Roy Chun Man Sit Jessica Sommar MSc Michael Winn Yuan Wang OMD Yang Yang PhD Doe Zantamata Tina Chunna Zhang Sam Zhao
Publisher amp Editor Kevin W Chen PhD MPH
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Wood
Medical Editor Sharon Montes MD
LayoutArt Editor Marguerite A Zietkiewicz Associate Editors
Master Mantak Chia Helen Hu OMD LAc Roger Jahnke OMD LAc
Rebecca Kali Christina Barea-Young MMQ DP Joy E Staller BA Solala Towler
Mission Statements
wwwYang-Shengcom
Yang Sheng A Community for Health Happiness amp Harmony
Yang‐Sheng (養生 Nurturing Life) is a FREE e‐magazine and a network for health care pro‐fessionals ‐ complementary medical practitioners Qigong Tai Chi Yoga Reiki and other mind‐body and spirit cultivators It promotes methods of self‐healing positive mindfulness and health preservation Yang‐Sheng merges traditional knowledge with modern scientific research and clinical evidence and combines ancient wisdom with modern experience to support health and well‐being
Your participation contribution sharing and feedback are truly appreciated
We welcome new columnists to join our editorial team to work toward the same goals
Consulting Editors Master Kenneth Cohen Effie Chow LAc PhD Livia Kohn PhD Tianjun Liu OMD Nan Lu OMD LAc
Guan-Cheng Sun PhD Lama Somananda Tantrapa Master Zhongxian Wu Tony Zhuo OMD
bull To build up a virtual community for all qigong taiji yoga reiki meditation practitioners and other spiritual cultivators To share experience and knowledge to support each otherrsquos practice and to illuminate higher spirituality
bull To create a network and platform for those who are seeking health happiness longevity and harmony in life through their own effort sharing and exploration
bull To promote self-healing self-empowerment and positive mind power through feasible daily practice and effective clinical applications