Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Chinese Principle for Pain Free Living

Bu Tong Ze Tong, Tong Ze Bu Tong. This phrase, taken from the The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine written around 200BC, translates literally as: “when open there is no pain, when there is pain, it is not open.”
This is one of the basic principles of my practice as a pain/massage therapist.  If we can allow the energy (qi) to take it’s natural course of healing, then it pushes against the blockages or stagnation until there’s enough energy pushing on it that it clears it out. Think of river with a dam in it. On one side of the dam, the river becomes a pool of stagnant and rotten smelling water, while the other side dries out, devoid of all life and energy. When the water is flowing, the river is healthy and self cleaning. It's the same with your body, flowing energy means healthy cells and tissue.

Body awareness is another of my guiding principles for living a pain life. In my Tai Chi and Qigong classes, I am constantly urging my students to take a moment to just breathe, and become aware of their bodies. People today are so focused on the destination, they forget to take care and be aware of the vehicle they travel in! Pain is just a signal from the body telling us it needs help.
Some people just live with the pain, saying it's just a part of old age, or results of an old sports injury. Some even seem to wear their pain like a badge of honor!

In time, the pain may lessen, and even disappear, but this doesn't necessarily mean the cause of the pain has been resolved. The human body is an amazing machine, and one of it's talents is to hide or mask pain, so that we can get through our day.  Many of my massage clients are surprised at the number of sore or painful spots I discover on their body. These are areas of blockage, places where the energy has stopped flowing. This creates a cascade effect in the body, blocking blood flow and qi, which in turn causes muscle and ligaments to not function, which creates pain and lack of mobility.

Today is a great day to start taking care of yourself. Move you body - take a class in Tai Chi, Qigong or Yoga. Eat with moderation, and only when you are hungry. Drink water and avoid soft drinks. And yes, whenever possible, get regular massages to stay in the flow!

Tom

Monday, April 3, 2017

Brown Rice is good for you!

Brown Rice is Good for the Body
Many of you know that I love Chinese food, I consider it my comfort food! And now most Chinese restaurants will give you two choices for the rice dish, white or brown.  I recommend the brown rice.
Rice has been a staple in the diet of many cultures for centuries and natural brown rice has been considered a magical healer since way back around 2800 B.C. It was believed to be nature's most perfect healing food because of its delicate, natural balance – offering an optimal yin/yang balance. The ancients viewed brown rice as a food of inner peace, tranquility and divine health. Early folk healers noted the calming serenity brown rice promoted and viewed it as a gift from the gods. What the ancients knew instinctively has largely been confirmed through analysis.

Natural brown rice protein contains eight (out of a total of eleven) essential amino acids, is a valuable source of the B-complex vitamins, plus minerals like manganese, selenium, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, zinc and more. Natural brown rice is an abundant source of many of the elements required for better health and wellness. Vitamins and minerals found in rice promote youthful vitality, soothe the nerves, nourish the hormonal system, enrich the bloodstream, help to heal wounds, assist in regulating blood pressure, work to establish a normal heartbeat and maintain a healthy internal water balance.

It's no wonder the ancients considered natural brown rice to be a food of divine health and longevity. Easy to process internally and fully digested in about one hour – natural brown rice is an ideal food for anyone seeking a rapid and healthy assimilation. It's low in fat, sodium and cholesterol too, making it a wise choice for anyone seeking better overall health, or trying to manage their weight. While the folk healers believed the positive effects of natural brown rice consumption included the restoration of inner peace and tranquility along with youthful vitality – they probably didn't know why. As it turns out, rice is a primary source of meatless protein. When this protein is metabolized into health-inducing amino acids, a total internal rejuvenation occurs.

It's wise to add more rice to your diet, but you need to be aware that although there are natural nutrients in all long grain rice types – not all forms are equally beneficial. The kind of rice I'm referring to is whole grain, brown and organically grown. White rice is completely different and far-less beneficial to your overall health and well-being. Sure it tastes fine and cooks much faster than brown, but white rice has been overly-processed, causing it to lose much of its nutritional value.

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