The Way of TCM

Traditional Chinese Medicine has greatly shifted the way that I perceive health and the human body. The basic idea is that the body is part of a togetherness of mind, body and spirit. This trifecta has the innate ability to heal itself. Any 'symptoms' of dis-ease are considered to be the bodies way of helping itself  maintain a sense of homeostasis at that certain point in the persons journey. Rather than seeing the bodies 'symptoms' in a negative way, my way of thinking has changed to a  positive curiosity about the 'clues' of the inner workings of the self, including the 'trifecta' of the bodymindspirit. 

Five Element Theory incorporates this same type of thinking using Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood, which shows us that we as humans are nature. Our body systems correspond in a complex yet simple way to the way of nature. It's an interesting concept to link your preferences of seasons, climates, etc to a sort of body profile of the self. All of this information leads to an awareness of the self, which can help immensely on the road to self discovery and evolution. 

I appreciate this idea of health, especially in a world so full of prescription fixes. The goal is to know your body, your self, loving it throughout, so that you can be on the preventative versus the desperation of 'fixing' an already chronic dis-ease or 'condition'. In the case that you do venture on to an 'alternative' path at the point of disease, oriental medicine chooses to work with the body, rather than against it. Loving it versus, fighting it. In fact, invasive techniques are last on the list according to the Taoist Hierarchy of Methods of Healing, meditation being the first! :)

1)Meditation 2)Exercise 3)Nutrition 4)Astrology 5)Feng Shui 6)Massage 7)Herbs 8)Acupuncture 9)Surgery 

Of course to each her own and everything in life is situational. My favorites on the list are meditation, exercise in the form of a casual stroll, taichi/qigong & yoga, nutrition, massage (of course!), herbs and acupuncture (most recently). 

I am repeatedly amazed at the effectiveness of even the most seemingly simple things. Just breathing properly can do wonders for us humans, we love O2!  Meditation offers me a sense of clarity, peace and connection with my soul. Qigong is just the same with an additional plus of moving energy throughout the body or even storing it for later ;). Time is an illusion with both of these practices, can feel a difference in myself even after 5 minutes and can sometimes be there for an hour and feel like I've just gotten started. Breaking the cycle of the day to day rush and taking the time for the self is key...still working on that one. Massage has helped me to make a connection to my physical body in ways that previously I was completely unaware of. Massage also has a way of putting me in a sedative state where I intuitively know my body is working towards greatness. Herbs and Acupuncture though relatively new to me have brought me some experiences that are progressive towards positive change. 

Am always thoroughly excited to do any sort of Oriental Medicine technique. There is definitely a sense of safety and trust in the way that the person is treated. I really feel like that sense of trust/love is what allows the guards to come down and the real healing work to begin. Am a believer that the healing comes from the heart and soul. When you believe and love what you're doing in any method of healing, that can really make a difference in your health. Am grateful for so many things in regards to my journey at Oriental Healing Arts Center, now Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture and Massage Therapy, but the perception of health and self really is life changing <3 

PS- Have to share...have been gaining a connection to my true intuitive self and of course the guides of the universe. Am so excited for progress in this department, that I love to share experiences! Have been reading all about flower essences and just started a journey with one of them. Last night I slept so peacefully and had a dream about this yellow flower with gorgeous little blooms. It had a long stem, that had tiny booms in clusters at the end of the stem that were almost flat looking. 

Just google imaged the essence that I'm taking, Golden Ear Drops and there it was...those yellow blooms, the exact description and image I had seen in my dream! It brought me to tears to have that strong affirmation that yes! you are in the flow of life, you are in exactly the right place at exactly the right time and I am here to help you on your journey of soul evolution! Just gotta say thank you and I love you golden ear drops! 

Lots of Love- Monica*
 

Little Shaolin - Taoist Teaching & Healing Clinic

Back in 2002 I was on my second educational tour to China. The group I was with was visiting Wudang – well known for being the birth place of Tai Chi. This was a 22 hour train ride from Beijing, followed by a walk through a small village, followed by a long bus ride way up into the jungle-like mountains.


Wudang was beautiful, peaceful, and in the middle of nowhere. No computers, some electricity, and hot water turned on only at specific times of the day. The hotel had concrete block walls with holes left out for windows, no screen. Down below, the neighbors caught a chicken or goat each night and slaughtered it on the back porch for dinner. I remember having a zucchini-like squash cooked in a delicious variety of ways for almost every meal, since it was the most abundant locally grown food, and locally grown was all that was available.


We were there to study Tai Chi and QiGong and there wasn’t much to distract us from this incredible journey of self-cultivation.


One day, we took a trip to a nearby Taoist monastery where we had been invited to meet the monks that lived off the land and watch them perform Tai Chi. The monastery was ancient looking and had the feeling of many, many lives being lived there. This day was pure blue sky sunny and about 108 degrees F. No fans, no air conditioning, just cool water to drink and a little shade.


Standing in the hot sun, we were watching the monks do Tai Chi, when all of a sudden a man in our group turned very pale and collapsed. No doctors, no hospital, no telephone or anything else one usually thinks of in an emergency situation.

The monks immediately sprang into action. They carried him through a doorway behind us and laid him on the floor. A monk ran up and showed me a small glass vial with purple liquid inside (Chinese herbs), the look on his face obviously asking if it was ok to administer the liquid. I shook my head “yes” and he lifted our friend’s head and poured it into his mouth.

Another monk showed me an acupuncture needle – his big needle, only one, looked about 200 years old and not washed often. Again the questioning look of “can I do acupuncture on him?” “Yes” I motioned back. What else do you do in this situation?


The monk quickly visually scanned our friend’s body, then knelt beside him and stuck the needle in, pulled it out fast. He did this to about 9 different acupoints, then stepped back to do another visual scan. (In my travel diary I noted all the points used.)


Our friend opened his eyes, sat up a little, and said “I feel ok – thank you! Xie Xie!”


The monks brought him lots of cool water and were happy to see him doing much better. He left a large cash donation in gratitude for their emergency service.

In watching all of this, I was so impressed by how calm everyone was, and how they knew exactly what to do on the spot to take care of the situation. I thought, “This is what I want our school to be like one day! People can walk in and no matter what they have going on, we’ll know how to care for them using these wonderful and very old healing methods.”


This was the seed planted that has now sprouted into the Little Shaolin Clinic. I hope we make our monk friends, so far away, proud of what they inspired.  And thanks to our own Shifu for instilling the depth of cultivation involved in the strong foundation we have to work with.

See:  http://www.touchoftao.com/LittleShaolin.htm


~Cynthia McMullen, School Instructor, Master Massage Therapist & Oriental Bodyworker, Medical QiGong Therapist. Relieving pain and harmonizing symptoms since 1999.