Health and Meditation Corner

Deepen your walking meditation practice

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:39:00 +0000

I have been playing with walking meditation after standing in Cheng Bao Zhan Zhuang posture (embracing the tree) during early am hours in my local park (Botanic Gardens) and introduced a significant element of change in order to deepen the practice: adopting a very slow tempo (+20 s), whereby very single component of the stepping action is slowed down to the maximum; that is, if we consider the heel up phase at the beginning of each step, then make every component tangible as if it were possible to break it down into even smaller components (heel up, rising, rising, rising, rising, etc. (take your time here and mindfully be aware of it as well as your breathing pattern of inhale/exhale) and finish the rising action of the heel as if the process was a stepping itself). Then you will start feeling what the Yiquan masters always talked about:

"All sorts of strengths originate in the void and nothingness, which can only be felt gradually by the tiny edges and corners of the mind-body paradigm."

In addition to that, pause when each foot is right in front of you and prior you start lowering it down to the ground and then maintain the single leg stance for as long as you comfortably can (see picture*).

You can keep your arms using any posture of your liking (I do like the embrace the tree one) making sure any internal tension is noted, carefully observed and then try to relax into it.

Resume extra slow walking and practice the one leg stance with the opposite leg.

Walking meditation has immense and deep benefits and you can walk in this fashion for as long as you like.

Tips for increased awareness and spiritual cultivation:

1. The key point is being aware of every fraction of each movement that is performed. Try to aim at the deepest and slightest changes (if you are capable of going down to the cellular level that's a serious achievement!)

2. Take slow and continuous breaths making sure the belly rises up during inhale and rises down during exhale. Also during breathing shift your focus to the lower dantien:

- When abundant energy is generated and guided to the lower dantien it will naturally flow back to the ming men, whereby Kidney Qi will travel up the spine, stimulate the rest of the internal organs and transformed into Shen; or stored as Jing in the kidneys. Any static or very slow moving Qigong forms, deep comfortable breathing and a relaxed focus on the lower dantien will also stimulate the ming men.

- Any stimulation of the ming men point the ming men will drain any excess of internal heat, increase internal heat in the elderly as they tend to experience cold-related problems, reduce lumbar pain and stiffness, weak knees and fix all sorts of sexual and urinary difficulties arising from kidney qi or kidney yang deficiency. Finally, stimulation of this energetic point by combining breathing and internal awareness will rise the Qi level in the entire body as it acts as an energetic gate for both kidneys (yin and yang).

3. Slow and deep breathing into the lower dantien followed by deep concentration in every single fraction of the stepping components involved in slow walking meditation will increase your awareness to the totality; that is the microcosmos (you as a reflection of the Dao) and macrocosmos (the external aspect of the Dao).

4. Regular practitioners will experience the following health benefits and signs of progress in their spiritual practice:

- Increased awareness.

- Increased memory and concentration

- Reduced sleep, improved sleep quality.

- Decreased food intake due to a more positive conversion of "Gu Qi" (food Qi).

- Health improvement and increased lifespan.

- Attainment of siddhis of various levels (unusual skill, faculties, or capabilities), manifestation and communication with ascended masters, spiritual guides and/or beings from higher astral planes. This subject falls beyond the scope and purpose of this blog but there are plenty of online resources, books and research publications which provide more information if that is your main area of interest.

* Photo courtesy from The Way of Energy: Mastering the Chinese Art of Internal Strength with Chi Kung Exercise (A Gaia Original), Master Lam Kam-Chuen.

Clearing the eight extraordinary channels part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:27:00 +0000

A monk asked Zhaozhou, "What is the living meaning of Chan Buddhism?." Zhaozhou said, "The cypress tree in the courtyard."
(Mumonkan, koan 37)

One of the best exercises to remove deep energetic blockages in our system which are caused imprinted in our karma, is Zhan Zhuang (using Yiquan's terminology) or standing meditation. This excellent exercise doesn't require direct teaching supervision as qi itself will correct and fix any postural and alignment issues. In addition, our internal energy will strengthen if practice is done regularly.

I would recommend standing for 20min a day and adding progressive daily increments of 10min until you are able to stand for 60min without taking a break. Standing longer than that will be recommended for those hardcore practitioners who are seeking for a complete removal of blocked Qi in the eight extraordinary vessels and internal organs. Those who can withstand mental pain are able to stand for many hours will inevitable enter a deep state of relaxation and enter samadhi; that is, the state in which you transcend the bounds of your body, mind, and self-identity and merge into an undifferentiated unity with all that is, the Divine or ultimate conscious level.

Korean Zen Master Kusan provides an insightful first-hand accounts of his experience with standing meditation:

'In 1943... I decided to fight my drowsiness by meditating in the standing posture with palms together in front of me (hapchang). ... Remaining alone, I decided that I wouldn't give up under any pretext, even if I were about to die - such was my determination to continue.

In standing meditation, the hardest part is to get past the first two hours without moving, after which the main difficulties are overcome. Whether sitting, reclining, or standing, it is finally all the same as the body settles into samadhi.

Consequently, although seven full days had passed since I had begun this non-sleeping practice, I felt neither tiredness nor pain in my legs. ... As it drew near to 9 pm on the last day before the ceremony, the clock on the wall made a click just before striking the hour. When I heard that click I took one step over in to enlightenment. .... What did it mean when the clock struck nine? My intense standing practice had removed the obstructions of torpor and restlessness. Its effect was like that of a clear sky completely devoid of clouds. It instantaneously allowed me to enter and abide at the original place. It was in this manner that I stood throughout those seven days and nights.

Those who have their minds set on cultivation should be endowed with spirits that are willing, if necessary, to bore through rocks with their fingers in order to become enlightened.' (Buswell 1992, pp. 65-67)(1)

"Those who endure conquer."

"Moths are attracted to flames, bees to nectar bearing flowers."

1. Buswell, R. E. (1992). The Zen monastic Experience. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Clearing the eight extraordinary channels part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:55:00 +0000

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The eight main psychic channels represent the deepest level of energetic structuring and are different to the standard twelve organ meridians in that they are considered to be storage vessels or reservoirs of energy (and into which the latter can drain their excesses) and are not associated directly with the Zang Fu organs (1). These meridians are the first to form in utero, and are carriers of Yuan Qi (the ancestral energy which corresponds to our genetic inheritance) but as opposed to the twelve organ meridians they do not carry Qi and blood nor do have their own acupoints except the Governing and Conception Vessels.

The main role of these meridians is the following:

1. The Governing Vessel/Du Mai (Yang) controls development of the body's back.
2. The Conception Vessel/Ren Mai (Yin) controls development of the body's front.
3. The Thrusting Vessel/Chong Mai carries energy through the center of the body and controls the body's center core.
4. The Yang Heel Vessel/Yang Qiao Mai controls the development of the body's right and left Yang energy.
5. The Yin Heel Vessel/Yin Qiao Mai controls the development of the body's right and left Yin energy.
6. The Yang Linking Vessel/Yang Wei Mai controls the development of the exterior of the body (and correlates to Heaven energy).
7. The Yin Linking Vessel/Yin Wei Mai controls the development of the interior of the body (and correlates to Earth energy).
8. The Belt Vessel/Dai Mai binds all the channels together (it's the only vessel with a horizontal flow of Qi).

Clearing these channels is vital if we want to make a significant progress in our spiritual path or enjoy a healthy life free of disease. There are several methods of accomplishing this painful task since toxins and blockages (as well as karmic issues from past lives) quickly accumulate in these channels. I am going to discuss one that can be practiced without the need of a teacher since the other methods are dynamic and quite complex; i.e. Baguazhang and Taijiquan.

The method involves a great of visualisation work so you must be patient and diligent (please do not rush your practice as it will block the normal flow of Qi). It is called "Advanced Method of Unification with the Cosmos" and is derived from Tantric Buddhism. It is divided into five parts:

1. Beginning
2. Relax, Expand, Let Go and Retrieve
3. Absorbing Energy from Earth and Heaven
4. Absorbing Energy from Six Directions
5. Absorbing Energy by Spiraling

I will be discussing each of them in future blog entries.

1. Zang refers to the organs considered to be yin in nature: heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney; whereas Fu refers to the yang organs: small intestine, large intestine, gallbladder, urinary bladder, stomach and sanjiao.

Wood energy and Qigong practice

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 08:36:00 +0000

I like to practice around trees because I find it very benefitial to my energetics (born in a fire year 1966 and beloging to a fire sign, horse) which makes sense as it follows the generating cycle of what is called in Daoist philosophy, the Five Elements Theory.

Wood energy nourishes my Qi and I benefit mostly from it; however that might not be the case for someone born in a Earth year as this is energy destroyed by Wood. So ideally this person would benefit from either Fire or Metal energies according to the chart.

I have a simple exercise which serves its triple purpose: clean stagnant qi in the liver and gallbladder as well as their corresponding meridians, energise the Triple Burner and ultimately enhance the Qi of those born in Water and Fire years (ending in 2, 3 and 6,7 respectively).

But clearly this Qigong targets directly the Liver (Yin) and Gallbladder (Yang), as both organs are associated with Wood energy.

Here's the form:

Stand in Zhan Zhuang stance and when you are fully relaxed take your time to raise either the left or right arm to the position shown above. Maintain that position for as long as you can without any sign of exertion or discomfort. Swap arm positioning very slowly focusing on your breathing. When you finish bring your arms down to the lower dantien area as if you were holding a balloon and stay there for a while.

While you hold the posture you can use visualisation techniques like qi running along the L & GB and their meridians (make sure you learn this from a chart...they can be found anywhere online or in a TCM book) or any others of your liking. Alternatively focusing on your breathing and empty yourself starting from the crown of your head all the way down to your feet.

I would like to finish this post by saying that trees have provided me with fabulous meditations and amazing mystical experiences which I am not willing to discuss since they only would feed the ego-mind and are impermanent anyway.

We are like the spider.
We weave our life and then move along in it.
We are like the dreamer who dreams and then lives in the dream.
This is true for the entire universe. The Upanishads (500 BCE)

Practitioners born in Fire or Water years will really benefit from practice alongside trees as opposed to anyone born Metal (0,1) or Earth (8,9) years who probably will enjoy more mountains and rock formations or any natural water features. Practice should never end, it is a constant progression aimed at slowly removing karmic hindrances and attaining a harmonious balance with the dynamic forces of the natural environment.

Dandelion: liver and kidneys benefactor

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Sat, 01 May 2010 08:05:00 +0000

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Dandelion is an excellent herb with liver healing properties which is is cultivated largely in India as a remedy for liver complaints. The plant is found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of water ways, and other areas with moist soils. Scientific studies conducted on this herb by French scientist Henri Leclerc showed its effectiveness on chronic liver problems related to gallstones.

I regularly consume this herb to keep my liver and gallbladder flushed and free from the toxins I daily absorb by the mere fact of living in modern society. Dandelion consumption has also the added benefit of nourishing and cleansing the kidneys.

To prepare a herbal tea simply add pour two spoonfuls of both dried leaves and roots in a teapot and then add two glasses of filtered hot water (but not too hot) and let it sit there for about 20 mins. I wouldn't recommend adding any sweeteners to the brew.

Enjoy the benefits of this great little herb often called a "weed."

Pulsing beings

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:55:00 +0000

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Right after my early morning circle walking practice around my faithful companion, a young silver birch tree, and with the grass still humid after last night's rain, I stood there in wuji stance for few minutes with the purpose of cooling down, and suddenly I saw myself as a pulsing being of light, with a large pearl in the same location as my third eye emanating a golden radiance.

I didn't have the feeling of having a body and a mind or anything else but pure energy; from that very moment I realised the powerful bondage of the mind acting as a blocking mechanism in our eternal journey to spiritual liberation.

We truly are prisoners of our own minds; ghosts of our real selves; we recreate the everyday conditioned reality since the very moment of our birth and this goes one forever with every single lifetime as a result of repetitive karmic actions determined by greed, hatred and delusion. However, subtle-energy and spiritual practices such as baguazhang, vipassana or Sufi whirling will help us raise our normal conscious state free from the conditioning of the ego-mind and those conditions. In that instant like a powerful flash, I experienced the core of my eternal existence: a vibrating spirit with no-self in the middle of nowhere even though I was located at a public park in suburban Brisbane.

Spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Sufism, Hinduism and Taoism call this ultimate state Nirvana, Heaven, Moksha or returning to the Tao, giving the illusion that is a place to go. But the reality is far from the written word as this sublime state resides within each of us and we all are given the opportunity to peel off layers of mind to reveal that inner pure and immutable core.

My advice is to start acting now because death is an unworkable matter that occurs at any time unlike life, which is a long slow process with numerous ups and downs with no guarantees of success, yet every bit of work you do in relation to spiritual cultivation does counts toward the final goal.

In the meantime, enjoy the ride!

Boost your spiritual progress

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:07:00 +0000

Image courtesy of Jonathan Stacey Images

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There are three factors that will enable us boost our spiritual practice and promote higher states of consciousness:

1. Earth dynamics.
2. Man-made structures built around sacred sites.
3. Influences caused by the collected power of focused human intention.

By Earth dynamics I am referring to the energetic system of the Earth itself as a giant organism (Gaia) with a vast meridian system that has nodes or active points where energy vibrates at a higher level. These points are called "power spots" and examples of such locations are Uluru rock in Australia, Mt Fuji in Japan, Machu Picchu in Peru and Mt Kailash in Tibet. There are also mini power spots and you can find them in your own location, just read the natural environment in order to find them as Earth's energy vibrates there at a higher level compared to the surroundings. Generally speaking mountains are rich in yang energy whereas water pools, streams and springs are powerful yin features.

On the other hand, humans have built sites for millennia in specific locations (churches, temples, mosques, pyramids, etc) and applied specific sacred geometric symbols that mimicked the mathematically repeating patterns of nature and encoded them in the architecture they created at the sacred sites in order to generate specific fields of energy and influence in human consciousness.

The concentrated power of human intention has a close relationship with the Earth, which itself has the ability to record the energy and intention of humans who have visited a sacred site or a power location and interacted at these points for the solely purpose of energy work or spiritual cultivation. Monks, nuns and pilgrims with their moving, dancing, chanting and praying for thousands of years in temples, monasteries and shrines have continuously charged the fields with love and compassion, healing and divinity. These sites have become strong magnetic points which not only have helped to raise the conscious level of our planet but also acted as archives of the spiritual goals and accomplishments of mankind.

I have attended retreats at Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan and Thailand and highly recommend to anyone involved in the spiritual path to attend retreats at these locations, or alternatively make pilgrimages to Earth's power spots and sacred sites in order to attain higher states of consciousness. These energetic sites have the mysterious ability to awaken and reafirm within us wisdom, peace of mind, respect for our planet and compassionate love to all sentient beings. In our current tumultuous times, a renewed interaction with the Earth at that level can help in the transformation of human consciousness and therefore healing of the Earth. As Gautama Buddha once taught:

"Everything is interconnected. Everything affects everything else. Everything that is, is because other things are."

More on liver health

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:15:00 +0000

A research article published on March 14, 2008, in the World Journal of Gastroenterology states that the prevalence of gallstones in adults of industrialised countries is approximately 10% and is showing a tendency to rise. Data for pediatric patients is scarce. According to their results, idiopathic gallstone disease and complicated disease presentation were much more frequent than expected from previous studies, and it presented as complicated disease in 58% of patients, especially in adolescent girls.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105946.php

There are several methods used to flush liver and gallbladder of gallstones and other impurities. This method requires the use of:

1. Malic acid
2. Epsom salts
3. Extra virgin olive oil
4. Fresh citrus juice (lemon and grapefruit)

The cleanse is carried over a period of 7 days, in which the first 6 days we soften the gallstones and expand the bile ducts, and in the last day the liver and gallbladder's impurities are flushed out.

Here is a photo of what was released after the 4th and 5th flushes out of a 6 flush treatment (yes, it takes time to remove all the gallstones produced as a result of half a lifetime living in post-industrial society):

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Days 1 to 6: Take one tablet of malic acid three times a day. Morning, midday and evening are good times.

On the evening of day 6 and after taking your last malic acid tablet:

1. Take one tbsp of epsom salts dissolved in cold water.

Two hours later

2. Take one tbsp of epsom salts dissolved in cold water.

Two hours later

3. Mix 1/2 cup of extra virgin oil with 1/2 cup of citrus juice of your choice (lemon and red grapefruit are the best choices).

Go to bed straight away. Rest for 8 hours.

Day 7:

1. Take one tbsp of epsom salts dissolved in cold water.

You would have started going to the toilet for your first or second evacuation already. Expect to release a good amount of bile and gallstones; however, small gallstones are the one most commonly flushed in the first 2-3 cleanses, after that you'll be removin larger gallstones.

WARNING:

1. Make sure you are able to TOLERATE THE INTAKE OF EPSOM SALTS before you attempt to consume 3 tablespoons.

2. People unable to tolerate the intake of epsom salts may suffer negative reaction, even death.

3. DO NOT MODIFY ANY OF THE QUANTITIES DISCUSSED IN THIS POST WITH REGARD TO THE INTAKE OF EPSOM SALTS OR YOU CAN SUFFER FROM ILL-HEALTH OR EVEN DEATH DUE TO MAGNESIUM TOXICITY. One tablespoon of Epsom salt contains approximately 35 g of magnesium sulfate, which is 3.4 g (287 mEq) of elemental magnesium. This is a considerable amount, considering that the recommended daily allowance for an adult is only 300 to 400 mg per day.

I have never experienced any issues with the intake of "epsom salts" but remember that is you and not me who will perform a liver cleanse.

After each flush, I recommend taking the following concoction to heal and nourish the liver:

1. Finely grated linseed/flaxseed (2 tbsp)
2. Finely grated milk thistle (1 tbsp) or finely grated dandelion root (1 tbsp) + leaves (1 tbsp) to support kidney function, as liver and kidneys are correlated with each other both in physiology and pathology.
3. Juice of one large lemon or two small ones
4. Three ice cubes
5. 250 mL of purified water

Blend them all up and drink slowly.

One final word: Do no expect to remove all gallstones in one single flush since the large ones will be either calcified and/or sitting at the posterior side of the liver. Some people have removed all gallstones in 10 flushes, others required up to 30 for total success. I recommend a minimum of 15 to be safe and from there see how the liver feels.

Good luck and happy liver!

Standing meditation

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:35:00 +0000

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This meditation system has been practiced from time immemorial in human civilization but the Chinese system developed it into a very detailed and identifiable method. The practice itself is quite straight forward: one must stand in one spot without moving as long as possible. Well, as simple as it sounds there is much more to it. Firstly, it is vital following two of the most important points of the practice: central equilibrium and sung (relaxation). Secondly, the inner aspects of the practice which will unveil the secrets of the universe and the flow of the vital energy in our psychic channels. Third, the role of the mind in this particular meditation method.

There are many variations of performing standing meditation but regardless of the posture one has chosen to practice, relaxation (sung) is the common element to all of them and to the method itself. In addition, practicing in a natural environment and at higher altitudes will definitively boost the effects of the exercise. If you can practice next to an old tree as they are old souls and their Qi is of a very pure, filtered quality. Certain types of trees have an association with a particular colour according to the Five Elements (Wu Xing); therefore the colour of their Qi has a direct relationship with one of the five organs of the human body (kidney, spleen, heart, liver and lung)(1).

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Important aspects of the practice:

1. Preparation

Stand in the Wu Ji posture:

#Stand comfortably with your feet shoulder width apart.

#Make sure your toes are pointed straight ahead.

#There is a gentle, relaxed bend to the knees and they tend to push lightly outwards as opposed to collapsing inwards.

#The pelvis is tucked slightly forward so the lower spine is straight.

#The shoulders are loose and relaxed, not raised up, hands hang loosely at the sides.

#The head is held up as if suspended by a string and at the same time make sure the chin is slightly tucked in.

#Breathing is done through the nostrils and is slow, soft, and deep (breathe into your kidneys and exhale through mouth). Also imagine the breath as "white thin silk." Never force or rush through this step as it is the most important of all.

#Eyes closed or Yin & Yang eyes (partially open) but without focusing on anything.

2. Execution:

#Follow your breath with your mind, feeling where it goes inside of you.

#Slowly scan your body from head to feet looking for any tension or discomfort. If any is found, use the mind to gently guide the breath there and as you exhale, imagine the tension flowing down and releasing into the Earth, dispersing.

#From this point on onwards, it is best to focus on your breathing (Buddhist anapanasati meditation) rather than focusing on specific energy centers or doing any sort of visualization work because these methods sooner or later will lead to a tense state since we are expected to achieve something tangible or set ourselves to a specific goal. Here the mind has a strong play; so to avoid problems, it is better to focus in our breathing - and in the same way working on achieving a fully relaxed state-, as breath awareness allows one to be anchored in the present moment and prevent thoughts about the past and future from rising.

#Start standing for a minimum of 5 mins (or less if you feel discomfort) and build slowly the standing time for a period of several weeks until you can stand for a minimum of 30 mins. Some people will need to stand longer to get the full benefits of the exercise, others find that standing for 10 mins is enough. It is better standing for 10 minutes while one is completely relaxed and peaceful than two hours with excruciating pain and looking forward to finish the exercise. In this last case the only achievement will be the development of a condition called scattered Qi, which I don't recommend to anyone.

3. Closing off:

#Bring the focus of your mind back to the lower dantian (point that is located about three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel). Imagine a warm flow of energy filling this center.

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#Finish by sending down into the Earth and through the Kidney 1 point of your feet (yongquan in Chinese) which are located on the soles, at the indentation near the front part, between the 2nd and 3rd toes in line with the heel.

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Note:

1. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the organs are not exactly equivalent to the anatomical structures defined in western medicine; they refer to the energies associated with them.

Liver health

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:53:00 +0000

The liver is our body's most important organ after the heart, performing many important functions including metabolism, detoxification, and formation of important compounds including blood clotting factors. It also filters, regulates, and stores blood. Stress, poor diet, and over-medication are common problems in our modern society. These may lead to stress and functional damage to the liver.

As a result, "sluggish" liver has become a common ailment. It may affect memory, sleep, thyroid, body weight, and other body functions (namely tendon and joint elasticity).

Liver functions

The liver is the most important organ after the heart. It performs hundreds of functions including:

1. Circulation: transfer of blood from portal to systemic circulation, activity of the liver's reticulo-endothelial system (kupffer cells) in the immune system. The liver stores and regulates the blood and is responsible for nourishing every cell in our body. Every part of the body depends on blood from the liver for nourishment and sustenance.

2. Excretion: formation and secretion of bile for digestion and cleansing of blood; removal of ammonia from blood; excretion of substances filtered from the blood by the liver such as heavy metals or dyes.

3. Metabolism: carbohydrate, protein, lipid (fat), mineral and vitamin metabolism; manufacturing and storage of many nutrients such as glucose and vitamins; production of heat through metabolism.

4. Protection and detoxification: removal of foreign bodies from the blood (phagocytosis); detoxification by conjugation, methylation, oxidation and reduction.

5. Production; formation of urea, serum albumin, glycogen and blood coagulating proteins such as prothrombin, fibrinogen and heparin; erythrocyte (red blood cells) destruction.

6. Regulation of hormones: inactivation and elimination of hormones through the bile or urine. Since estrogen and androgen are both growth hormones which stimulate cell division, elevation of their levels in the blood due to the liver's failure to remove them efficiently can cause their accumulation in tissue. This in turn may lead to abnormal growths such as uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, breast cysts and breast cancer, prostate enlargement or prostate cancer. Excessive estrogen is also the most common cause of painful menstruations.

The liver also regulates body functions which affect emotional and mental activities. In a diseased condition, the liver's blood storage and regulatory functions are affected, and bleeding or clots can result. When liver blood is deficient, nourishment to tendons and blood vessels is curtailed, the joints become stiff, and muscles become spasmodic and numb. Blood deficiency in the liver may even lead to stroke, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, deafness, fainting or convulsion. When the liver blood is so deficient that it cannot nourish the eyes, night blindness or blurring may result. If the liver is affected by stress or unhappy feelings, its vitality may be repressed and the sides hurt, and hiccups or hernia may develop. The bowels may become constipated and sleep may be disturbed causing nightmare or insomnia.

The liver is the most emotion sensitive organ and its weakness is often connected to emotional sensitivity. Individuals who are emotionally sensitive are more prone to weak liver even if they do not have a poor diet or are not taking herbal medication regularly.

Liver causes heart attacks

The structural position of the liver as a bridge between the returning blood from the digestive system and the lower part of the body to the heart makes the liver an important organ for the health of the heart. A weakened and swollen or congested liver can obstruct the venous blood flow to the heart causing heart palpitations or even heart attacks. In other words a healthy liver is essential for maintaining an adequate amount of blood flow to the heart and the heart can only pump the blood it receives.

Age-related vision and memory loss: the importance of the liver

According to the Chinese, the liver and kidneys are the organs that "age" us. That is why almost all longevity herbs used in Chinese medicine are liver and kidney tonics. Without a clean, efficient liver and healthy kidneys, blood is not filtered clean. "Dirty" blood, loaded with toxins or waste products, is heavier and more sluggish. This causes poor circulation and reduced capacity to carry oxygen and nutrients. As a result, tissue and organ cells are undernourished. If this condition persists the cells will deteriorate and inevitably age. The eye and brain cells are especially affected because the blood has to flow against gravity to reach them.
In an article on Alzheimer disease in the January 1988 issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter, malfunction of the liver and kidneys was mentioned as one of the causes leading to Alzheimer disease. Brain tumour, which physically blocks blood flow to the brain, was also cited as one of the causes.

The brain is only 2% of our body weight, yet it needs 20% of our oxygen supply. If the toxin-loaded blood from a weak liver has limited capacity to carry oxygen, the brain cells are affected most.

Constant fatigue

When blood is loaded with toxins due to a weak and inefficient liver, there is limited capacity for the blood to carry oxygen and nutrients which are necessary for energy production. The result is constant fatigue. A clean and efficient liver which produces cleaner blood would help energy production because clean blood can carry more oxygen and nutrients.

Liver problems: liver congestion and stagnation

Liver congestion and stagnation are common liver problems. Yet conventional medicine does not understand them and has no test to detect them. In hepatitis or liver inflammation, liver enzyme levels in the blood are elevated because of the ruptured liver cells which contain high contents of liver enzymes. However, in liver congestion or stagnation, liver cells are still intact and liver enzyme levels in blood are normal. Therefore normal clinical tests which rely on liver enzyme levels as a measure of liver condition cannot detect liver congestion or stagnation.

Some patients -with badly congested livers following the traditional Chinese medicine approach- had blood tests performed which showed no abnormal liver condition because they simply could not detect liver congestion. Once their livers became healthy again through a lengthy jouney of self-healing (see Liver cleansing section below), most of their chronic health problems disappeared.

According to Traditional Chinese medicine, all internal organs work as a team in the body; the liver is considered the "General" or "Chief Commander". Unfortunately, many of our modern prescription drugs are damaging to the liver or kidneys. Over the counter drugs such as painkillers can also cause liver toxicity. Therefore it is not surprising that many people over the age of 50 develop liver weakness or toxicity. Even among healthy people who are not dependent on drugs, the liver has been filtering blood day and night throughout life without being "cleansed." Over the years, circulating blood has deteriorated in quality which goes unnoticed. The end result is often a feeling of sluggishness and heaviness due to poor circulation. Studies linking liver damage to excessive or long-term use of painkillers have been reported.

Weakening of the liver and eventual toxicity are usually slow processes. In many cases the only sign of liver weakness is poor digestion and low energy level. Most people pass this off as something that happens with age. As a result they do little or nothing about it until it is too late. Fortunately, nature has endowed our liver with excellent regenerative powers. If we are able to understand the early signs of degeneration, we have an excellent chance of restoring it to optimal functioning with proper care.

Chinese herbal medicine

"Chinese Gentian" (Lung-tan Tsao) has been known for thousands of years to be useful in the treatment of fever, rheumatism and general debility. It is also said to benefit the liver, aid digestion, strengthen the memory and give lightness and elasticity to the body. It is primarily used in the treatment of acute hepatitis, acute conjunctivitis, acute tonsillitis, jaundice and most liver disorders. It is also helpful in alleviating "sluggish liver" which can be caused by hormone therapy, medications or other problems such as stress or poor diets.

In addition the Chinese herb "Bupleurum" increases "energy flow" in the liver. A combination of both herbs with daily morning exercise and diet control will lead to a significant improvement as judged by reduction of arthritic pain, stiffness, endometriosis in women and improved quality of sleep. This improvement is gradual but steady.

I then came across information on apple juice (or malic acid tables) fasting and olive oil/grapefruit juice liver and gallbladder cleansing. I decided to give it a try. The result was dramatic. After just the first cleanse, my pains, alergies and arthritis all disappeared. Apparently, malic acid in apple juice is excellent in dissolving the stagnant bile accumulated in the liver. I was really amazed by the amount of stagnant bile driven out by the apple juice.

Liver cleanse program

Details of the apple juice fasting and olive oil/grapefruit juice cleansing procedures are given in gallbladder flushing.

I find that more olive oil is needed to get results the first time. After 6 days of drinking one glass of apple cider per hour from 8 am to 8 pm (or alternatively 3 capsules of malic acid divided in three parts each day); then the late afternoon of the following day take one tbsp of epsom salts diluted in a glass of purified water, then another tbsp of epsom salts 2 h later and finally 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil mixed with 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice. The first thing in the morning take 1 tbsp of epsom salts and finish the whole cleanse with another tbsp of epsom salts 2 h later. Many of the gallstones will be released in the morning after taking the last 2 tbsp of epsom salts, and they will tend to float and will tend to be green, white and black.

However several cleanses are required to completely remove the gallstones and should be carried out once a month. Some people will require anything between 5 to 15 cleanses others up to 30. It will all depend on how your health history related to this organ: poor diet, excessive alcohol or drug consumption or abuse, medical prescriptions, emotional disorders and excessive stress.

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However, some people who have accumulated gallstones for years decided to try this liver and gallbladder cleansing procedure. They did not get any result the first time. There was one difference between their procedure and mine: they did not use the Chinese Gentian and Bupleurum combination before the cleansing, like I did. The reason could be explained by the fact they probably had a congested liver (many people with gallstones are likely to have congested livers) which made it difficult for the apple juice/malic acid to penetrate.

The Chinese Gentian and Bupleurum is also found in commercial form and called "Chinese Bitters". For certain conditions such as gallstone problems or absence of gallbladder (removal by surgery), it is best used in conjunction with another herbal tincture called "Coptis" which stimulates bile flow.

Restoring liver health

Nutritional deficiency is a common problem for individuals with liver disorders. Most nutrients pass through the body without being assimilated if the liver is weak. I was taking many vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements for years without any effect. My improvement came only after my liver was cleansed and strengthened. It was after my experience that I realized that supplements taken by individuals with weak livers may end up as waste products for the body to dispose because the supplements cannot be digested or assimilated.

As described above, I restored my liver to health in less than a year by cleansing it with Chinese Bitters, by liver and gallbladder flush and by eliminating all liver and kidney weakening foods such as white flour, white sugar, caffeine, chocolate, deep fried foods, all citrus fruits, tomato, banana, cold drinks and foods which chill the liver and kidneys. I took supplements or foods rich in Vitamin B's, C and minerals to nourish my organs and used the various Chinese herbs to increase "Qi" in the liver. Also performing daily morning exercises which involve stretching and deep breathing, like Tai Chi Chuan, are highly beneficial.

Exercise stimulates blood circulation. When blood circulates better, all organs function better. Stretching and deep breathing kind of exercises early in the morning provide the most benefit for anyone with sluggish liver. According to Chinese medicine, the liver works hard to filter our blood between 1 to 3 am during our sleep. A fair amount of blood may be still retained in the liver when we wake up in the morning if the liver is congested. Early morning exercises help to bring the blood out of the liver into the circulating system. One of the symptoms for the excess blood retained in the liver is waking up in the morning with stiffness or numbness in the fingers or dizziness due to lack of blood circulation.

Stress congests the liver and constricts the blood vessels. It causes poor blood flow and the whole body becomes sluggish. Furthermore, it is believed in Traditional Chinese Medicine that anger (especially suppressed anger) injures the liver, grief injures the lungs, fear or fright injures the kidneys and worry injures the spleen. As mentioned earlier, all these organs support each other and work together. Disharmonies in one of these organs tend to produce an imbalance in the corresponding emotions and vice versa.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, cold and raw vegetables such as salads tend to weaken the spleen unless the individuals who consume them are robust and strong ("Yang" type person). This could be the reason why many vegetarians look pale because of their weak spleen although Vitamin B12 deficiency may also be responsible. Also, most vegetarians eat a lot of salad, even though cooked vegetables are better to eat. One of the common signs of weak spleen is dry lips or frequent thirst. Chronic diarrhea or loose bowel may be another sign of weak spleen. Since the spleen is an important organ for red cell production, weak spleen is a common cause of anemia, especially in cases that do not respond to iron supplements.

People who suffer from heart palpitations since their early teenage years are deemed according to Western Medicine as having a hereditary weak heart and they warn their patients they might faint easily throughout their lives. Well, they are right in that prediction until their livers are restored from the TCM approach since they will never faint again and their heart palpitations vanish.

In addition, once the liver becomes healthier vision also improves. The Chinese have a saying: "The liver opens into the eyes. When the liver is harmonised, the eyes can distinguish the five colors". Clean and nutrient-rich blood from a healthy, efficient liver can flow easily and nourish the eye tissues better. Stimulation of blood flow to the eyes by massaging also helps. Massaging the pressure points for blood circulation to the eyes twice daily, morning and night while you lie flat in bed. In this position blood does not have to flow against gravity.

Five Dietary Habits to Avoid

1. Eating big or rich meals will make the energy more stuck. People with liver qi stagnation may suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Typical signs of Liver Qi Stagnation are mood swings and signs of Liver Invading
Spleen such as digestive pain and alternating constipation and diarrhea. A key
suggestion is to eat small meals since the worst pain will occur when the patient
would overeat. Filling the stomach only 1/2 full or 3/4 full would be a good idea.

2. Avoid hard to digest foods which may vary from individual to individual but in
general includes fried foods, excessive dairy and meat, rancid or hydrogenated
fats, and overly processed foods full of chemicals.

3. Complex meals can also increase stagnation. Make food-combining suggestions
that encourage easy digestion without being too rigid. The most basic idea is to
eat fruit separately. It is also less congesting to eat a protein-rich food with
vegetables rather than grains or potatoes. Separating dairy foods from meat also
leads to lighter meals.

4. Some people love the stimulation of hot, spicy foods. Since Liver Qi Stagnation
will often increase heat in the body and may even develop into Liver Fire Rising
those chilies and curries would only make the situation worse.

5. People with Liver Qi Stagnation gravitate to drink caffeine. On the short term the
Stagnation is relieved and their moods lighten; however, later in the day, the
caffeine wears off and the Stagnation returns with greater effect. Similarly a person
with this pattern may be drawn to sugar treats or smoking marijuana to find relief
but the returning symptoms are worse once the temporary lift has past.

References:

1. Harper, H.A., Review of Physiological Chemistry, 14th ed., Lange Medical Publications (1973).
2. A Barefoot Doctor's Manual, the American translation of the official Chinese Paramedical Manual, Running Press, Philadelphia (1990).
3. Neufeld, W.P., MD The Liver Causes Heart Attack, Morning Dawn Publishing Company, Surrey, B.C., Canada (1987).
4. Selkurt, E.E. (editor), Physiology, 2nd edition, Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1966).
5. Chinese Medicinal Herbs, compiled by Li Shih-Chen, translated by F. Porter Smith, M.D., and G.A. Stuart, M.D., Georgetown Press, San Francisco (1973).

May health and the vital energy (Qi) be with you!

Shen (the spirit)

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:45:00 +0000

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Cultivating the spirit is not an easy task due to its close relationship with the mind. When the mind is not steady the spirit is scattered and therefore subdued to the impulsive nature of the emotional mind (Xin). Buddhists and Taoists train themselves to be free of emotions in order to build a strong "shen" which is completely under their control.

The way they do it is by activating the wisdom mind (Yi) which keeps the "shen" in its natural residence: the upper tantien (head in Western terminology). When the process of death has taken place the spirit abandons its vessel (physical body) and it is called Hun using Taoist terminology.

Buddhists and Taoists firmly believe that once the spirit reaches a higher and stronger state, resulting from your own karmic evolution as a being and the adoption of specific internal training exercises (already reviewed in this blog in previous entries), human beings are capable of sensing and feeling more sharply, and your mind is more clever and inspired. Besides, these highly evolved human beings are more in tune with the spiritual world, which is Yin in nature (as opposed to our Yang world). It is believed that when the spirit has has reached this higher, sensitive state it can trascend the mind's normal capacity, which is naturally and solely connected to the Yang side of reality. Ideas beyond the usual grasp can be understood and controlled, and these human beings can sense and communicate with the Yin world. Chinese call this level of spirit, Ling Shen or supernatural shen.

It is thought that when physical death has occurred this supernatural shen will not dissipate right away as it holds your energy together as a ghost (Gui). It is known as a Ling Gui. However, most sentient beings, unaware of their spiritual energy due to the barriers created by their minds and society as a large, do not live a spiritual life and their spirits grow weak, and a as a result they are in constant need of a physical vehicle during their wanderings in what Buddhists call Samsara or the eternal cycle of life and death. Although, if a sentient being has cultivated their spirit during their lives it will remain without a shell for a long time after the physical body is dead and have plenty of time to be reborn.

Few, on the other hand, are capable of breaking through the illusory state of the mind and achieve what is called spiritual enlightenment; in this case, the supernatural spirit is strong enough to live without the need of a vehicle and has overcome karma and the cycle of rebirth forever.

Unfortunately most humanity is unaware of these natural and subtle processes thinking that beyond life there is nothing that science cannot explain. It is quite popular to read online statementes like the following:

I am an atheist. I don't believe in God or an afterlife. I may not believe in life after death but I wholeheartedly believe in life before death.

This point of view is valid but they seem to forget that there is a reason for all of this. Let me ask you: What are the underlying processes that shape life itself? What is the creating mechanism that allows some humans to do evil and reap rich rewards in life? Why so many people live good lives, full of kindness and compassion, full of giving and love but they suffer, often worse than those who lead lives of cruelty and total self-gratification?

Buddhists and Taoists believe that when the human being is alive they have the power to use Jing and Qi to nourish Shen to make Ling strong. When this Ling Shen is built up to a high level, your will is able to lead it to separate it from the physical body even when you are alive. In the last meditation I attended in Asia, I came across with some Western spiritual meditators whose eyes where overflowing with life force, a clear sign that the spiritual alchemical processes were fully engaged, as well as witnessing spiritual experiences people would claim as supernatural but which really are a mere by-product of spiritual practice. Seeking them is not advisable either as they can easily deviate the practitioner from the ultimate goal reinforcing the social construction of the "I", ego.

The foundation of Buddhist and Taoist training is to strengthen the spirit, nourish it, and grow it until it is mature enough to separate it from the physical body. In order to accomplish this, one must know where the spirit resides and use the wisdom mind in order to keep the emotional mind under control to avoid the shen becoming restless.

In our modern times, often stressful and highly competitive, we must take action if we wish to cultivate our spirit, subject that seems to be a taboo according to the conventions set by mainstream society. A good method to break through all of this mental pollution is engaging ourselves in traditional eastern practices such as Qigong, meditation, Yoga and Internal Martial Arts. Practising in the local park is a bonus since the concentration of negative ions (the ones that are associated with the life force) is higher. Living in a quiet environment is also benefitial for the same reasons.

Let me finish with some wise words I found in the Tao Te Ching:

"Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations."

Triune brain

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:56:00 +0000

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The past twenty years have given modern culture substantial chance to understand that spiralling consumption jeopardizes our planet. But even in the difficult circumstances society is facing, mainstream opinion seeks only to return to the norm of self-satisfaction and eternal expansion. It is a prime case of what psychologists call congnitive dissonance, believing one thing but doing the opposite: like a 40-a-day smoker, we know our behaviour will kill us, but we can't stop. One may ask, why?

Medical-scanning science makes the asnwer increasingly clear. Western culture and its influential role on other cultures overstimulates the wrongs parts of the human brain -the primitive areas that are awe-stricken by modern life- into feeling beset by famine and poverty. This in turn creates great forage for consumerism, but it threatens to send us into ecological disaster.

This grey-matter crisis results from the way human neocortex, the intelligent brain we evolved in the Pleistocene era, runs alongside far older systems driven by primordial instinct. American neuroscientist Paul MacLean refers to this as the triune brain, a structure resembling an archeological site inhabited by successive civilisations. At the core of its structure is the reptilian brain, responsible for arousal, basic life functions and sex. The old-mammal brain, which learns, recalls and emotes, surrounds it. The new-mammal neocortex sits on top.

It is interesting that many esoteric spiritual traditions taught the same idea of three planes of consciousness and even three different brains. Gurdjieff for example referred to Man as a "three-brained being." There was one brain for the spirit, one for the soul, and one for the body. In similar fashion, we also enter upon the chakra paradigm - the idea that points along the body or the spine correspond to nodes of consciousness, related in an ascending manner, from gross to subtle depending upon the level of awakening experienced by the spiritual practitioner in its karmic journey to merge with the Absolute.

Eat seasonally!

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:53:00 +0000

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All fruits and vegetables have a particular time of year when they are at their peak. Eating according to the seasons is an important part of a healthy and sustainable diet: it has a host of benefits for your health, your hip pocket, the environment, and local business.

Until quite recently, seasonal eating was universal -without modern technology or transport-, we relied in our skills to take advantage of the best growing seasons for each food, and to last through the times of scarcity. Today, the globalized food market has given us the "convenience" of being able to buy any food at any time of the year. This has greatly reduced our awareness of the seasons and the environment, at a time when this awareness is most badly needed.

Foods that are not in season locally will have been shipped from another part of the world, unnecessarily using up energy and emitting greenhouse gases through transportation. Eating seasonally encourages you to buy local produce, which will not only reduce your carbon footprint, but also save you the labor costs of transport and storage, as well as supporting your local economy. You can heighten these benefits by boycotting the supermarket and buying from farmers’ markets and food co-ops instead! As well as paying less, you will be helping local farmers to build a very sustainable food industry.

Eating seasonally will raise your deeper appreciation for the uniqueness of
each season, and for the range of tastes, colors and textures it provides. The seasons give us a long-forgotten sense of the wonderful natural cycles that Western rationalism ignores.

Seasonal food also plays a role in holistic health; generally, fruits and vegetables appear during the season in which they are best for your body. Rich, full-bodied apples, pears and pumpkins are winter foods, whereas light, juicy, refreshing mangoes, watermelons and cucumbers are suited to summer.

Most importantly, though, fresh food in season is unbeatable in terms of taste, nutritional value and variety. Most out-of-season food has been grown in artificial conditions, picked prematurely and shipped halfway around the world, giving it ample time to deteriorate and lose nutrients; this food is also limited to those varieties that can survive long-distance travel. The vitality and freshness of seasonal food is a pleasure to which very little can compare.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), on the other hand, is based on the belief that all humanity is part of the natural environment and that health or balance can only be achieved when one follows the "natural law" by adapting to the changes of the seasons and the surrounding environment. The concept of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) was developed through ancient Chinese rituals of observing nature’s ever-changing cycles. These are related to the different seasons of the year, to organs in the human body, temperatures, colours and tastes, to name but a few associations, all of which have some relevance to our health and well-being. By knowing and understanding these elements, we can discover how specific foods can help to balance the extremes of each season and comprehend what unique opportunities for healing arise with each.

If we take for instance the summer season, according to TCM this season is linked to fire and the climate associated with it is heat. Excess heat (yang) is seen as being adverse to the heart, as this organ is ruled by the Fire element. When someone becomes over-heated they develop symptoms such as fevers, thirst, insomnia and hot flushes. One way to compensate this excess heat during summer is to ensure our diet includes cooler (Yin) foods in order to balance out the excess energy. Hence salads and fresh fruits should be eaten accordingly. There are also specific Chinese herbs that are known for having a cooling effect in the human body.

Remember eat healthy and according to the season!

Qi/Chi (the vital energy)

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:29:00 +0000

In traditional Chinese culture, chi (氣, pinyin qi, and pronounced as "chee") is the permeating force that gives life to the Universe. Its literal translation is "air" or "breath". Vedantic philosophy refers to this concept as prana (breath), which suffuses all living forms but is not itself the Atman or individual soul. Finally, the ancient Greek called it pneuma (breath, spirit or soul). Other mystical traditions have used different terms to identify the life force, i.e. mana in Polynesian (Hawaiian and Māori), Melanesian and Micronesian cultures which refer to it as the impersonal force existing in the Universe that is intrinsic to people, animals, and inanimate objects.

On the other hand, Western cultures are reticent about acknowledging chi simply because it is not tangible or measurable. Hence, pseudo-science. However, if you remove yourself from technology and advanced and complex thinking and then go outside to the natural environment and simply start to "feel" and breathe in and out then you will be a step closer to this elusive concept. Because this is how chi can be felt, by stripping ourselves off mental concepts, by letting ourselves go. It works!

Chi in the human body comes in two forms:

1. Yuan Chi or Congenital Chi. It is the chi that we are born with. It is essentially limited and the quality and amount of this Qi represents our basic constitution. This type of chi resides in the kidneys which is converted from the converted original jing (essence) received before birth.

2. Hou Tian Chi or Acquired Chi. It is derived from the foods we eat and the air that we breathe. The quality of acquired chi depends on our lifestyle habits such as food quality, balance of emotions, physical exercise and so forth. This type of chi resides in the [i]middle tantien[/i](solar plexus).

Both types of chi combine in the xia tantien (lower tantien), which is located in the lower abdomen, approximately three inches below the navel, and together they circulate down, passing into the Governing Vessel (Du Mai channel, back part of the upper body, yang) from where they are delivered to the entire body.

The original chi is also called "Water Chi" (Shui Chi) because it is able to cool down the acquired or post-birth chi, which is called "Fire Chi" (Huo Chi) as it is absorbed into the body externally (yang energy). "Fire Chi" brings the body to a positive-yang state, which stimulates the emotions and confuses the mind (notice for example how alcohol confuses our emotions since it is yang energy in its extreme form and as a result drunk people lose control of their minds). When the "Water Chi" cools your body off, the mind will become clear, neutral and balanced. We can say that "Fire Chi" sustains the emotional part of the body, whereas "Water Chi" supports the wisdom part.

Once the both types are mixed, the resultant Chi will not only circulate to the Governing and then down to the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai channel, front part of the upper body, yin), but will also replenish the "Thrusting Vessel" or Central Channel (Chong Mai, yin and yang) which will lead the combined Chi (yin and yang mix) directly up through the spinal cord to nourish the brain and energize the spirit (shen).

It is very important to cultivate "chi" since it will lead to the following benefits:

1. Purification of the lower centres of the energetic body and transmutation into spiritual energy.

2. The structure and functions of all the organs and viscera are improved, including the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, kidney, gall bladder, small intestines, stomach, large intestines, bladder, pericardium.

3. Alteration of brainwave patterns.

4. Synchronization and coherence of the hemispheres of the brain.

5. Regeneration of neurons.

6. Natural regulation of the limbic system and areas related to generation and storage of emotions.

7. Control of the shift between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

8. Activation of brain areas with unknown functions.

9. Massage of the brain and cerebellum.

10. Stimulation of the thalamus, hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary glands to release unique secretion of hormones.

11. Opening of the sinuses and stimulation of the olfactory bulb.

12. Improvement of eye sight.

13. Reactivation of major nerve plexus.

14. Control of mental, emotional and consciousness states.

15. Development of special functions of the body, mind-psyche, spirit and soul.

16. Functions of the Nervous and Endocrine Systems are improved.

17. Activation of the natural micro movements of the cranial sutures.

18. Circulation of the cerebrum-spinal fluid in the medulla oblongata and the brain

19. Accession of each vertebra of the spine.

20. Re-establishment of the original independency of each vertebra.

21. Decompression of the inter-vertebral discs.

22. Lengthening and balancing of the vertebral muscles and spine muscles.

23. Self-treatment and rehabilitation of arthrosis, arthritis and rheumatism.

24. Regeneration of the marrow and bones.

25. Joint mobility, regeneration of cartilage, decalcification.

26. Loosening and opening of the joints of the limbs.

27. Regaining of full motion and flexibility.

28. Optimization of the exchange of mass-matter/energy/information on the cellular level.

29. Regeneration on the cellular level.

30. Lymphatic systems and nodes are cleansed, detoxified and brought to full working capacity.

31. Functions of the circulatory and lymphatic systems are improved.

32. Positive influence on a series of nerves that are directly connected to the heart regulation of arrhythmias and cardiac weakness with optimization and expansion of cardiac output and input.

33. The blood is enriched, revitalized, cleansed and purified.

34. Arteries and veins are cleansed, elasticized and strengthened.

35. Improvement of peripheral blood circulation.

36. Circulation increases and smoothens becoming fully optimized.

37. Changes in blood biochemistry.

38. Change in hormone levels.

39. Influences on DNA.

40. Auto-therapy for chronic and autoimmune disease.

41. Strengthening of the immune system.

42. Rehabilitation and maintenance of the immune system.

42. Oxygenation reaches the utmost fulfillment of its purpose.

43. Changes in the skin's electric resistance.

44. Creation of high coherence and negentropic fields.

45. Control of the metabolism of the body-mind system.

Note: I have experienced that Vipassana meditation also produces identical physiological, psychological and spiritual changes.

Additional Recommended Reading:

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, The Root of Chinese Qigong. Secrets for Health, Longevity & Enlightenment, YMAA Publication Centre, Washington, MA, USA, 1997.

Jing (the essence) and Kidney Qigong

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:14:00 +0000

The essence of life is one of the Taoist three treasures, the other two being chi (vital energy/life force) and shen (spirit). Note that Buddhism doesn't follow this system as it is mainly preoccupied with the mind (more Yang) as opposed to Taoism which centres its entire system around the concept of subtle energies (more Yin). Hence, we can say that Buddhism (developed in India, South) is a "fire" system as opposed to Taoism (developed in China, North) which is "water" in essence.

Jing manifests in humans and animals in three different forms:

1. Blood. It includes all the vital elements carried in the bloodstream, including white and red cells and nutrients absorbed during digestion.

2. Hormones. These can be further divided into the hormones themselves which are segregated by various glands throughout the endocrine system, and the human reproductive cells or gametes (sperm-masculine and ova or eggs-femenine).

3. Different fluids produced by the human body: lymphatic, synovial, tears, perspiration and urine.

Jing is what it makes you as a human being since it is produced by the combination of your parents' jing during the sexual act. After you are born you start to absorb the jing of food and air, converting them into the vital energy, chi, which supplies your body's energetic needs.

In Qigong (Chi Kung) training, knowing how to conserve the original jing (the one carried over from the parents) is very important since it will enable to live a longer and healthier life. Activities such as emotional ups and downs and sexual overindulgence will deplete your original jing faster than other people and as a result your body will degenerate faster as well. These explains why men on average have a shorter lifespan than women because of excessive seminal discharged (females ovulate on average once a month).

On the other hand, kidneys are considered in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) the residence of original jing. So nourishing the kidneys is an excellent way of keeping the original jing strong. There is an specific Qigong exercise which targets this area.

KIDNEY GIGONG

This gong can be divided in three different sections which must be all completed in one single session:

1. Elevating the kidneys

This technique will cure inflammation of the urinary bladder; kidney stones, urine containing blood, womb bleeding, frequent urination, and nocturnal emission.

1.1 Sit straight with your feet touching the floor about a shoulder width apart. Sit with only one-third of your hips on the chair. Don't lean back on the chair with your back. Place your hands naturally on top of your knees. Alternatively, you may stand with your feet shoulder width apart and with your hands overlapping on your xia tantien (point located just below your navel and above the pubic region).

1.2 Place your mind at your huiyin area (middle point located between your anus and your genitals). Exhale slowly, draw in and hold up your huiyin area slightly. Inhale slowly and release the huiying area as you push your stomach out.

Note: don't do more than 20 repetitions at a time.

2. Strengthening the kidneys

2.1 Sit straight with your feet touching the floor about a shoulder width apart. Sit with only 1/3 of your hips on the chair. Don't lean back on the chair. Place your hands naturally on top of your knees.

2.2 Breathe naturally until your tantien is full with chi. Exhale slowly, draw your abdomen and hold up the huiyin area slightly. At the same time, lead the chi from your tantien to your coccyx and up to the mingmen point (located right the opposite side the lower tantien in the lower area of your back, in the depression below the spine), then separate into two paths around your waist and meet at your navel.

Inhale slowly and release the huiyin area as you push your stomach out. At the same time, lead the chi from your navel to the xia tantien.

Note: don't do more than 20 repetitions at a time.

3. Chui sound to ensure kidney health

3.1 Use the following diagram as a reference:

(Diagram of the kidney channel)
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Stand or sit with your feet shoulder width apart, and arms to your sides. Inhale, begin rising your hands up towards your lower back with the back of your hands facing your body. As your hands reach kidney level, bring both hands forward towards your belly button with your finger pointing down. As you raise your hands, lead the chi up from your yongquan points (see the diagram that follows) on the bottom of your feet, up along the Kidney Channel on the inside of your legs, into the tailbone, up along the lower part of your spine, and into your kidneys.

Continue the arm movements and bring your arms up in front of your chest (along the Kidney Channel) until they are right below your collar bone and turn your palms to face each other.

3.2 Exhale, make the Chui sound (pronounced as "chway"; that is, as in "way" with a "ch" in front; lips slightly pursed on the initial "ch", then relaxed and open on the final "way") and make sure you open your mouth slightly with your tongue drawn in, and the corner of your mouth pulled slightly to the sides. At the same time, squeeze in with your hands as though you ere holding a ball, and squat down. Keep your upper body as straight as you can, hold up your huiyin area, and pull your abdomen in. As you exhale and make the chui sound, use your mind to lead all the impurities from your kidney channel and kidneys out of your mouth.

Note: After completing section 1, stand up slowly and repeat sections 1 and 2 for a total of 6 times. Purifying and strengthening the kidney is a very slow process as we are dealing with energy and possible emotional blockages which are tedious to dissolve.

Additional Recommended Reading:

1. Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, The Root of Chinese Qigong. Secrets for Health, Longevity & Enlightenment, YMAA Publication Centre, Washington, MA, USA, 1997.

2. Master Shou-Yu Liang & Wen-Ching Wu, Qigong Empowerment. A Guide to Medical, Taoist, Buddhist, and Wushu Energy Cultivation, The Way of the Dragon Publishing, Rhode Island, USA, 1997.

The Three Treasures

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:53:00 +0000

Also called sanbao in Chinese; they are the practical side of Taoism, in other words, essence (jing 精), vital energy (chi 氣) and spirit (shen 神). Do not confuse these terms with the basic Taoist virtues of ci 慈 (compassion and kindness); jian 儉 (moderation and simplicity); and bugan wei tianxia xian 不敢為天下先 (humility).

In Qigong practice (working with chi or vital energy) we nourish these three elements because they are all linked and work as a whole. The basic idea is that the essence provides the raw fuel for the vital force to work and this one in turns nourishes and strengthens the spirit.

Modern society and western science denies the existence of these Taoist concepts saying they are pseudoscience as there is no scientific proof to them. Well, I have been dedicated my life to the practice of Qigong, Buddhist meditation and Internal Martial Arts for the past seven years and I can prove them wrong. These energetic levels are very subtle and cannot be perceived by using the mind since only a meditative state will allow the individual to understand, experience and cultivate them.

In fact, they are so intertwined that you must pay a great deal of attention to them during the course of your training. If you keep them strong and healthy, you will live a healthy and long life. If you do otherwise, you will become sick frequently and will age fast. Please bear in mind that no external training (running, swimming, cycling, fitness and weight training, etc.) will allow you to achieve what internal training is capable of. Not in a million years. Why is that? Simply because internal training will work on the subtle forces that are dormant in all human beings as well as in the external structure, whereas external training will work only on the latter (cardiovascular, musculoskeletal systems, flexibility, co-ordination, etc.).

I will write separate entry posts about each of these in the following days.

In the meantime, I will suggest you to go and check if in your local area there are any Tai Chi, Yoga or meditation classes available which will in turn boost your energy levels as well as improving your current health.

Tooth health

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:01:00 +0000

According to the wikipedia:

Tooth decay is caused by specific types of acid-producing bacteria which cause damage in the presence of fermentable carbohydrates such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose. The mineral content of teeth is sensitive to increases in acidity from the production of lactic acid. Specifically, a tooth (which is primarily mineral in content) is in a constant state of back-and-forth demineralization and remineralization between the tooth and surrounding saliva. When the pH at the surface of the tooth drops below 5.5, demineralization proceeds faster than remineralization (i.e. there is a net loss of mineral structure on the tooth's surface). This results in the ensuing decay.

Tooth health starts with a correct diet and your energetic makeup. People born in the yang fire years; that is, years ending in 6, have to minimize the consumption of acidic foods or they run the risk of developing teeth problems, namely dental caries.

However, dental decay is so widespread in modern society that I am surprised Governments do not pay enough attention to this important health condition. Some resort to the use of water fluoridation programs which in turn not only do not reduce the incidence of cavities but also it is unethical to force medication onto people.

Anyway, I personally do not see how putting chemicals on our teeth, or in our bodies, is going to stop a problem caused by a poor diet and lifestyle.

What do we do then? Take a proactive approach to teeth health. Start by looking at your dietary patterns and see whether they are correct or not.

First. Make sure your diet consists mainly of whole foods.

Second. It incorporates both nutrient dense grains(1)(not bread and cereals as they are processed and lead to various health conditions including tooth health) and seafood.

Third. A list of foods to avoid. It is important not to cheat here:

1. Sugar – White sugar, brown sugar, organic ougar, evaporated cane Jjice, corn syrup, commercial jams.

2. Flour & grain products – White flour, wheat flour, organic flour, any unsoaked grain products. Examples: bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts, breakfast cereals, muffins, pastries, tortillas, bagels, and sandwiches (most store bought flour products even from the health food store, or organically labelled need to be avoided).

3. Hydrogenated oils - like margarine and low quality vegetable oils such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, canola, and safflower.

4. Any type of junk, convenience food, or modern fast foods.

5. Coffee, soft drinks and anything with artificial flavors, artificial colours, or artificial ingredients.

6. Alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs (including most prescription drugs & vaccines).

Tooth cleaning techniques: oil pulling.

This is the method I personally use to keep not only my mouth clean but also my entire health system. It is an ayurvedic practice and highly effective.

This is the list of health conditions it will cure (and avoid if you use it in your daily regime of oral health):

Mouth & gum disease; stiff joints; allergies; asthma; high blood sugar; constipation; migraines; bronchitis; eczema; heart, kidney, lung diseases; leukemia; arthritis; meningitis; insomnia; menopause (hormonal issues); cancer; AIDS; chronic infections; varicose veins; high blood pressure; diabetes; polio and cracked heels.

Instructions:

First thing in the morning, before brushing your teeth, eating or drinking, take 1 tablespoon of either sesame or sunflower oil. Put the oil in your mouth, tilt your chin up and slowly swish, suck, chomp and pull through the teeth. Do this for at least 10 minutes. 15 - 20 minutes is better. You want the oil to become a thin, white foam when you finally spit it out. If it's still yellow, you haven't done it long enough.

You can do this 2 more times during the day if you want to detox faster. Make sure you do it on an empty stomach, however. Spit it out in the toilet when your mouth is full and rinse your mouth out well.

Follow by drinking 2 - 3 glasses of water.

Do not swallow the oil: It now contains parasites and bacteria!

Do not gargle in the throat: The oil is meant to be swished in the mouth only.

Do it slowly.

How it works:

The oil pulls all mucous, bacteria and toxins from your body through your saliva. According to Ayurvedic medicine, mucous is a poison that must be removed.

Notes:

1. Keeping the chin tilted up makes sure the oil gets to the back molars.

2. Ayurvedic practice in India says that only sesame and sunflower oils produce favorable results. However, other people report success using other oils as well.

3. If after meals, wait at least 4 hours before you Oil Pull. After drinking, wait 1 hour.

4. A worsening of symptoms is an excellent indication that the disease/ailment is being cured.

5. Do not stop oil pulling if you feel aggravated symptoms or heightened side effects after a day or two. Your body is healing.

6. Will your dental fillings fall out? It's possible but highly unlikely unless there is pre-existing damage or loose fillings.

The oil will start to thin out after a few minutes because saliva is constantly being mixed in and swished about.

*Oatmeal, barley, rice, corn, soy, etc.

Thanks to Earth Clinic for providing the information about Oil Pulling.

Acidic world

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:52:00 +0000

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Earth is becoming too acidic or, using Taoist terminology, excessively Yang. There is nothing we can do about this gradually increasing of the universal Yang energy that is affecting us; however, the effects can be mitigated. Tools such as meditation, Tai Chi Chuan or Yoga are ways of counteracting the effects of that energy in order to avoid stress, weakening of the immune system and illness, disease, reduced life expectancy, and so forth.

If you take a look of our current situation, you can observe that things aren't going that well, regardless of what some may say, especially those who are in control of the economic and politic power of our world. Others prey to their own ignorance give the cold shoulder to anything that involves thinking outside the box.

Let's take for instance the concept of "climate change." In February 2007, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) released a summary of the forthcoming Fourth Assessment Report. According to this summary, the Fourth Assessment Report finds that human actions are "very likely" the cause of global warming, meaning a 90% or greater probability. Global warming in this case is indicated by an increase of 0.75 degrees in average global temperatures over the last 100 years.

Global warming has a negative effect on our planet since it reflects abnormal variations to the Earth's climate and subsequent effects on other parts of it. There is a scientific consensus that human activity is the probable cause for the rapid changes in world climate in the past several decades.

If we have to discuss the underlying philosophical concept of climate change we can easily refer to what Buddhists call "paticcasamuppada"; that is, everything in the Universe is interconnected through a web of cause and effect such that the whole and the parts are mutually interdependent. The character and condition of entities at any given time are intimately connected with the character and condition of all other entities that superficially may appear to be unconnected or unrelated.

We can easily ascertain that climate change will revert back to us since we are parts of the whole itself. Let's take a look at the following world regions:

1. Europe
2. USA
3. Developing countries

Europe: Mainland Europe will suffer greatly from flooding, with many major ports and cities at risk of disappearing eventually. Rises in temperature could damage agriculture in southern climates and take a toll on human life.

USA: This country has already suffered the direct results of climate change. For instance, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city of New Orleans. The frequency and intensity of storms that are hitting the USA could increase if global temperatures rises.

Developing Countries: Developing countries in Central and South America, Asia and Africa will suffer the greatest consequences of climate change. Already prone to very high temperatures, drought and famine developing countries lack the resources to deal with widespread increases in temperature.

This is just a brief description of what climate change can bring to us in the near future.

So in order to adapt to this new world we must start to work in our inner potential, which is essentially Yin in nature, and that can effectively mitigate Yang energy.

Take action now as things in our world are becoming increasingly more difficult.

Mind, body and spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:58:00 +0000

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There is another way not openly taught in Western society traditionally created and nurtured in philosophical and spiritual traditions of the East, namely Chinese Taoism which emphasizes on three different aspects: jing (essence), chi (life force) and shen (spirit). By manipulating these factors we will enjoy health and psychic levels never experienced before. Trust me, 5,000 years of Taoist knowledge and practice can't be wrong.

In Taoism they are also called the "The Three Treasures" (or San Bao) and they need be considered if one has to succeed in Chi Kung (or Qigong using pinyin nomenclature). Buddhists do not pay too much attention to this topic since they indirectly work on them through the mind, which is also an effective way of training the body-mind-spirit concept.

Taoists on the other hand, pay the utmost attention to these components since they are directly related. In here a practitioner learns how to firm his "Jing" and how to convert it into "Chi" (Qi in pinyin). Then the final process would be directing "Chi" to the head and convert it into "Shen" (spirit). Converting is more a process of nourishing or "feeding" the spirit in order for it to grow strong; that is, refining the spirit to end human (emotional) nature.

If you take a look around the world where you live you will realize that this world is emotional, ridden with passion and attachments (delusional) which lastly deviate our true nature from the ultimate reality (Nirvana, Moksha, returning to the source, etc.), which is indeed a state where the mind is stripped leading the spirit to that final state.

This process is tedious and lengthy but according to a famous Taoist saying "The journey is the reward". If you think to much of the outcome or any goal for that matter you will give up no matter how hard you try. Just sit down, relax and enjoy the hard (but of course discipline and effort is required if we are to succeed).

If you keep these three elements strong and healthy, you will live a long and healthy life. If you neglect or abuse them, you will be sick frequently and will age fast.

Jing in Taoist practice is considered the "essence" that is the primal substance from which things are made. When this concept is used in reference to animals or humans, it translates as the very original and essential source of life. When you are born the "original jing" is the root of your life and it is what allows you to grown stronger and bigger. After your birth you start to absorb "jing" through the food and air, converting it into "chi" which supplies your body's requirements.

Taoists believe that the quality of the "jing" you receive depends on your parents' health and living habits before you were born, and therefore it will vary from person to person according to that. If you take a look around you, you can easily detect differences between humans due to the quality of the "jing" received before birth. However, Taoists also believe that you cannot alter the quality of the "jing" you received but Chi Kung training will allow you to improve its quality.

I will discuss in the next post the concept of "chi" (Qi).

Weight loss

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:02:00 +0000

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There are tons of information online about this topic and most are misleading because they lead nowhere, only frustration and pain. The best way to lose weight is to train the mind, plain and simple. If you adopt a healthy lifestyle you will lose weight, I can guarantee you that. If you sit on your bum the whole day you won't lose an ounce of fat.

All those crash diets, pills, and guru-like programs are plain marketing. They just want to make money out of you. The information I provide in my page is 100% free and it will remain like that. The only thing that will ever change this ethos is if I either die or decide to put the page down (following anicca).

Anyway, start exercising and following a sensible diet eating as much fresh food as possible (and organic if you can afford it) and make it part of your lifestyle. Weight-loss is achievable if you are able to follow it consistently and the maintain your achievements over a long period of time.

Fasting is excellent way of losing weight but only when combined with a meditative practice, otherwise you will only crash and burn. I will discuss this method in a separate entry.

Activities that will help you to lose weight without undergoing too much stress are the following:

1. Swimming
2. Hiking
3. Walking for long distances
4. Cycling
5. Cross-country skiing is also great it you happen to live in a mountainous area.

I never advice running due to the excessive stress that it places on the spine and the lower body (knees and ankle joints and ligaments). Same goes with rowing due to lower back strain.

Yin and Yang diet

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Thu, 07 May 2009 07:37:00 +0000

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In order to achieve good health and well-being, one must follow the universal principle of Yin and Yang. Hot and spicy foods are typical yang qualities, whereas cool and soft foods represent yin. There are also neutral foods like white rice, in which yin and yang are balanced. In addition, yin and yang will combine if five specific ways resulting in what Taoism calls the 5 Elements: wood (the resulting energy is expansive); water (the resulting energy is sinking); fire (energy will raise); metal (energy is compact); and finally, earth or balancing energy. Different foods will show some of those qualities:

Wood...wheat, chicken, yogurt, green tea.
Fire...lamb, melon, ginger, oolong tea.
Earth...rye, beef, milk, pu-erh tea.
Metal...rice, tofu, mandarin orange, chrysanthemum tea.
Water...fish, lemon, olive, red (black) tea.

Therefore our diet needs to bear in mind correct food combinations according to seasonal changes as well as your year of birth, which is naturally shaped by the influence of the Wu Xing (Five Phases).

Mantak Chia, heavily influenced by the southern school of Complete Reality of Taoism, has elaborated a very good menu outlining most of the foods found today in a Western supermarket and their application using the Five Phases:

5 Elements Menu

One must keep in mind that a yin & yang diet should be tailored to each individual's constitution. An excess of either yin or yang will result in the individual becoming overweight; whereas, a deficiency of either yin or yang leads to becoming underweight. People with an excess of yin tend to have shortness of breath, move slower, are heavy sleepers and retain fluids. Those with an excess of yang tend to sweat excessively, feel hot, are hyperactive, and tend to overeat and drink excessively. These people should eat more yin foods and less yang foods.

A lifelong practice

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:26:00 +0000

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(Liang Zhenpu style Baguazhang)

I have based my training routine around the following two systems:

1. Taoism (Chinese Daojiao).

2. Theravada Buddhism.

In the first case, I have adopted Baguazhang as my main physical exercise due to its great benefits. It will enlarge one's physical, mental, and even psychic horizons. Physically, it will tone and invigorate your muscles and sharpen and soothe your nerves, teaching you to relax and improving your overall health. Mentally, the bodily relaxation will produce a calm mind, one capable of great concentration. Psychically, it will stimulate the various psychic channels of the energetic body, carriers of the life-force which nurtures and sustains the person.

Baguazhang (or Bagua), is one of the three main branches of the neijia (internal family or system) of Chinese boxing. The other two are Tai Chi Chuan and Hsing I Chuan. The name as well as the rationale derive from the system of philosophy growing out of the I Ching (Book of Changes), 3,000 years old, but timeless.

The text describes an ancient system of cosmology and philosophy that is intrinsic to ancient Chinese cultural beliefs. It is centred around the idea of the dynamic balance of opposites (yin and yang), the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change.

Eventually, the I Ching evolved to ethical enumerations becoming a book of wisdom, one of the Five Classics of Confucianism. It became a common source for both Confucian and Taoist philosophy. Baguazhang is based around the concept of continuous change and transformation giving expression to a system of exercise and defense.

I train every Sunday in a small and secluded park located in the city where I currently live. I follow the Liang style, which seems like a mix of both Yin and Cheng styles and it is only found in Beijing area. Liang style is descended from Liang Zhenpu, the youngest disciple of Baguazhang's founder, Dong Haichuan. My teacher is a student of the current lineage holder, Wang Tong, who studied under Li Ziming (one of Liang Zhenpu's students). In Chinese martial arts, the concept of "lineage" is very important since it symbolizes the strong bond between master and apprentice similar to that of father and son.

Aside from Sunday training I practice during the week, 4 times per week depending on how I feel that week since I find Bagua extremely demanding on my energetic system. In addition I find training in Australia very demanding due to yang being dominant which is not really compatible with my own energetic system: I am a fire horse. Horse represents fire (yang) and 1966 is a fire year. In other words, I have to manage this excess yang carefully or I will burn out easily. Check my post about Five Elements Theory.

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I also practice Vipassana daily, early morning and late evening sessions, in which the practice is split into two defined components: walking and sitting. Check my post about walking and sitting meditation. However, I am quite careful with the walking component because Bagua is already taxing the legs during practice, which will lead to overtraining. As a matter of fact, I got a cold this week that ended up in a mild bronchitis from which I am almost recovered because my chi is strong after so many years of practice.

Any form of physical exercise, aside from Vipassana itself, is highly discouraged during retreat because of that very reason.

Fruit juices

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:50:00 +0000

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The best fruit you can drink is found in the fruit shop, where you buy your own fruit and and prepare it at home using a blender/fruit juicer. Add some water or soy milk and you will be set. However, in the process of preparing the juice most of the pulpy part is filtered out; and, as a result, the fibre component of the fruit is lost. Therefore, if you want to obtain the full benefits of fruit consumption then eat it, don't drink it!

All those fruit juices they sell in the supermarket are not nutritionally optimal since they are loaded with sugars, fat, sodium, additives (sweeteners), preservatives and food colorings. In addition, they are addictive in order to increase the sales rate of the food companies that produce them.

These companies use images/messages and product claims that far-fetched. Nutritionally they provide nothing, which warrant adequate control in terms of food labelling and packaging.

Yin and Yang & Five Elements theory

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:50:00 +0000

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Let me give a brief explanation of the ancient concept elaborated by Taoism many thousands of years ago. Yin and Yang symbolize the perspective of balance and continual changeover. Everything in the Universe is subjected to the action of these forces -please, do not bring up the scientific perspective as my discussion goes well beyond that- as nothing escapes to it, and their flux being eternal.

Yin and Yang (we could have called Alpha and Omega but it is not a Greek concept so we must respect Chinese philosophy as their original discoverers of this philosophical idea) represent the dependent opposites that must always be in balance. The opposites flow in a natural cycle always replacing the other. Just as the seasons cycle and create a time of heat and cold, Yin and Yang cycles through active and passive, dark and light, etc. They are in constant struggle for dominance bringing life and equilibrium to the system; however, none of them (Yang as emerging and Yin as withdrawing) will completely cancel the effects of the opposite; that is, if we take for example the model of day-night, then the latter cannot perpetuate itself since the former will quickly appear in order to counteract its effect (darkness).

That principle has many other manifestations; if you take a look at all the phenomena you can observe in the Universe you will notice that everything is grouped in pairs following this model: light-dark, hot-cold, life-death, high-low, proton-neutron, fast-slow, fire-water, activity-inactivity, push-pull, masculine-femenine, etc.

Yin and Yang can also be subdivided in what Chinese Taoism refers to as the Five Element Theory, as both forces will interact and give rise to different energetic manifestations:

1. Wood as generative. Ying and Yang will combine in such way that the blend will manifest itself as an expanding force. For instance, tree growth.

2. Metal as contracting. Ying and Yang will combine in such way that the blend will manifest itself as a solidifying force. For instance, a one-dollar coin.

3. Earth as balancing. Ying and Yang will combine in such way that the blend will manifest itself as an centering force. For instance, soil.

4. Fire as expanding. Ying and Yang will combine in such way that the blend will manifest itself as an rising force. For instance, sun.

5. Water as sinking. Ying and Yang will combine in such way that the blend will manifest itself as an conserving force. For instance, water itself.

These energy phases are constantly changing activity, each one nourishing and controlling the other so that there is a constant circular movement without beginning or end. The interaction of these primordial forces creates harmony in the changing course of nature's cycles. The Five phases of Elemental Energy combine and recombine in countless forms and produce material life. Everything that exists contains the five elements in varying proportions.

The human body itself is the good starting point to understand the action of Yin and Yang and its five manifestations. I will look into this in a further post.

Some thoughts about the life force

noreply@blogger.com (Gerard) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:12:00 +0000

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Life force is an intangible force that guides life in the Universe. It is known as chi/qi in China and Japan (ki) and prana in Vedanta; however, other ancient cultures, like Greece (pneuma), Polynesian (mana) and even in the Old Testament Hebrew Kabbalah (ruah), also discussed the existence of a life sustaining force of living beings and vital energy.

Western society still ignores its existence because its approach to this issue is conceptual, scientific, empirical. Maybe one day Science will prove the fact that chi is a real and tangible but so far all the studies done on this subject are inconclusive.

When I first started getting involved with energetic practices 7 years ago, I didn't have a clue about the idea of "chi", I just kept on practicing my Taoist exercises religiously, day after day. Then one day, persistence payed off: I actually felt strange sensations all over my body, structural and internal changes and deep release of emotional changes and an spiritual awakening that most human are totally unaware of. Soon I started reading various books on the matter and decided to join a local Tai Chi Chuan group I read about its enormous health benefits. Today I no longer practice Tai Chi Chuan, for various reasons, but it's cousin Baguazhang, which I found even more energetically profound than Tai Chi Chuan.

So, what is the best way to understand and prove the existence of this mysterious force? There are several methods:

1. Meditation
2. Chi Kung (Qigong)
3. Various internal martial art practices: Tai Chi Chuen, Baguazhang, Hsing I Chuan, etc.

These will enable you to detach from the influence of those factors that interfere with "feeling the chi." Please don't get me wrong, the life force is always there, otherwise there would be no life on this planet, as chi permeates all living organisms. It is actually being carried in the air by negative ions (tiny, and highy active molecular fragments that carry a negative electrical charge equivalent to that of one elctron). On the other hand, air pollution carries substances such as dust, smoke and various toxic chemicals in the form of large polymolecular ions that carry a positive charge, this will neutralize the effects of the vital negative ions and in turn reduce air quality. In other words, living in big cities is detrimental for your health and be a cause of lowered lifespan.

If you happen to live in a big city, go to your local park early morning and you will notice the invigorating effects of the air in that area due to the absorbing effect of positive ions by the trees. There are other methods of natural ionization such as places where the water flows freely and naturally (waterfalls), where there is a continuous flow of wind over wide open spaces and areas of high altitude (mountains).

The second most important for life-sustaining "chi" is food. You are what you eat, if your diet is deficient don't expect any miracles. You must breathe good air and eat quality food (well I forgot to mention that drinking purified water if you drink from the public water supply is also very important) if you want to live a healthy aging long life. Of course, there are other influencing factors that determine the individual's lifespan but there are beyond the scope of this article.

In future posts, I will discuss some basic energetic exercises (Chi Kung) which will develop and strengthen your life force as well as providing health benefits that external exercises can't simply match. Forget about the idea that running, swimming and going to the gym will help you keep the body of a young person in your 40s, 50, 60s and beyond. But careful, no one can cheat physical death; sooner or later we will all die for birth requires death to exist. I don't want to become too philosophical in my post as my Blog is focused on the practical aspects of Eastern wisdom, namely Taoist and Buddhist. Back to that point, Chi Kung practices won't help you to become a physical immortal but will rise the quality of your life in many aspects: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. External exercises are very limiting in the benefits they provide once the individual reaches a certain age.

Stay tuned for the next post as I will talk about the basic Chi Kung exercise, Zhan Zhuang, which is proven to be very simple and effective yet energetically demanding.