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Showing posts from March, 2015

The Power of Breath

Wonderful insights on breathing from my teacher, Master Chunyi Lin: Not only does breathing give us life, but also the quality of our breathing affects the quality of our lives. It is the major source of the energy that allows our body to function. The better we breathe the better the energy is that we take in and process to help our body function. And obviously, breathing is what keeps us alive. After three days of going without food we may feel hungry, but we are not dying; however, if we go without breathing for twenty minutes, we will die. This is how Chinese medicine understands breathing: When you inhale, the lungs get energy that is divided into three parts. The first part goes directly to the kidneys to help strengthen the life force. The second part goes to help digest the food we take in. The third part goes to help purify the blood. If the lungs get good energy, it means every part of the body gets good energy too. ...

The Five Flavors and your Health

Hello, my friends, Today's post has information from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) as it relates to foods, more specifically, flavors. The five flavors of food include sweet, sour, pungent, bitter and salty. Sweet foods , such as sugar and honey, will neutralize the toxic effects of other foods; however, they also affect the stomach and spleen, and they can cause digestive disturbances and lead to weight gain. Sour foods ,  such as pears and plums, can prevent diarrhea or excessive perspiration within the body, and they affect the gallbladder and liver. Pungent foods , such as parsley and chives, affect the large intestine and lungs and promote the circulation of energy within the body. Bitter foods , such as lettuce and hops are important for the small intestine and heart and are recommended to reduce body heat. Salty foods , such as kelp and seaweed are know to affect the bladder and kidneys, and they can prevent hardening of glands and muscles and are used to tr...

Happy Chinese New Year!

Hello, my friends, This is a little late, but Happy Chinese New Year!  Here is my annual letter which contains advice and predictions from my Chinese Masters. Enjoy! Happy New Year of the Goat (or Ram or Sheep)!
 2015 is the year of the goat, but you may see it referred to as the “Year of the Sheep” or ‘Ram” too. The confusion stems from the Chinese character “yang”, which means ‘horned animal’. The Chinese zodiac calendar is based on the lunar calendar, and in 2015 the New Year officially began on February 19th. When we look in the rear view mirror, most will breathe a sigh of relief to leave behind the hectic pace and confrontations characterized by the horse year. Based on the ancient wisdom of the I-Ching, the Year of Ram, in 2015, represents Wood and Earth Elements. Each Element possesses unique characteristics. Wood and Earth elements are oppositional energetically, leading to continued conflicts, earthshaking disasters and dry weather. Additionally, the year of the R...