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Tai Chi, A Movement Form Of Yoga Combined With Meditation
As you make your way to work every morning, you may have passed a group of people standing in one place and moving their bodies in slow movement. You may wonder if that is actually exercise since nothing energetic is happening. But, this is exactly what the ‘Supreme Ultimate Force’ or Tai Chi is.
What is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is defined as a movement form of yoga combined with meditation. Despite many of its sets or movements being rooted in the martial arts, they are performed gracefully, softly, and slowly. Amid much guessing as to its origin, Tai Chi is said to have started with the legendary Chang San-Feng in the 12th century.
In principle and practice, Tai Chi developed with several of the tenets of Chinese philosophy, including both Confucianism and Taoism.
Chen Man Ching, Tai Chi master said in 1947, “When one practices the form he must keep relaxed. Over time, they may find that it will become part of their mental and physical state”. To fully understand the meaning of Tai Chi, no amount of rushed efforts to understand the art of Tai Chi will bring that about. Permitting Tai Chi to search for the inner chi and empower the body entails lots of practice and patience. You start achieving a harmony of soul, mind, and body once your inner chi has been located.
Benefits
There are several benefits that Tai Chi has to offer. People in China believe that Tai Chi can treat depression, arthritis, high blood pressure, treat heart disease, etc., strengthen tendons and muscles, and prolong. Stamina can also be increased with Tai Chi. Jo Li, a university student who has practiced Tai Chi enthusiast for the last 2 years, recently realized that he is able to run for a longer period of time without easily becoming tired. Research shows that Tai Chi produces benefits in endurance and oxygen uptake and has aerobic benefits.
For those who think that Tai Chi is merely for people who don’t want to do strenuous exercises or just for seniors, think again! Doctors now recommended it as an optional fitness regimen for pregnant women because it is slow-moving and gentle. For pregnant women who have never performed any kind of exercise before, Tai Chi can be extremely beneficial for them because it lowers the risks of injury for these women. Yoga and other ‘passive’ exercises, entail a certain amount of movement that could be difficult for pregnant women in later stages of pregnancy.
Dealing with changes in work, lifestyle, and body size can be very hard and stressful for a lot of pregnant women. This is where the meditation aspect of Tai Chi plays a role. Deep breathing methods as well as assisting the mind to concentrate on the repetitive and slow movements of the breathing can provide remedy to these external changes. Patience is also taught in Tai Chi and improving such a virtue would certainly come in handy when the baby arrives. What’s more important to a woman then stability when she is pregnant? In 1996, the Emory University conducted a research that showed practicing Tai Chi helped reduce the risks of falling by almost 50 percent.
Tai Chi helps both children and mothers-to-be. A 26-year-old English teacher named Anne D’Souza, has brought in Tai Chi exercises to her class to before lessons. She observed that after the exercises, the children, come into class prepared for their subjects and a lot of calmer. They also fared better in class. Tai chi can also increase performance, focus, and concentration as observed by the American Journal of Medicine and Sports. Tai chi was so successful for Mrs. D’Souza class that she shared the exercise to her fellow teachers to use on their students.
The rising number of people performing Tai Chi exercises proves its popularity and the regard people have in it. All over the world, people are practicing Tai Chi so much so that even an event named Tai Chi Day is held on the last Saturday of April, each year. This happening started in 1999 and now is recognized by the UN World Health Organization and is recognized globally. Celebrations include free classes and mass Tai Chi exercises in most cities.
The great number of Tai Chi exercises has captivated a lot of people so much that a glance a heartland estate around 7 am or 7 pm, will ensure a show of small groups of people amassed and practicing Tai Chi enthusiastically. When schools are out for the holidays, around June and December, you can see a lot of children joining the neighborhood ‘uncles’ and ‘aunties’ participating in Tai Chi actively.
Tai Chi is the way to a better life, mentally and physically. According to master Chen Man Ching,” Tai chi is the great ultimate, encourages the timid, invigorates the debilitated, raises the sick, and strengthens the weak”.
Dr. Marco Dibonaventura – Board Certified Acupuncturist and Herbalist in King of Prussia, PA
Diagnosing And Treating Conditions The Traditional Chinese Medicine Way
Chinese Herbal medicine is a major branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that also includes Chinese massage therapy (Tuina) and acupuncture in Cleveland among others. In China, herbal medicine has been used for hundreds of years and is supported by a rich and long history of research, use, and development.
The diagnosis and therapies used in Chinese herbal medicine are unique and are all based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. For instance, the common cold can be diagnosed as “cold-wind infiltration” and herbs that warm cold and eliminate wind may be recommended. Prescription herbs provided by practitioners are usually taken in pill form, in powder form, or boiled into a tea.
Unlike a Western trained physician who sees a cold as just a cold, a practitioner of TCM looks at a person’s general well-being and health. This practitioner will find out if the Yin and Yang of the patient and his other energetic forces are in balance, or if he is in excess or deficiency in one or the other. According to TCM theory, Yin and Yang are the two complementary and opposing forces in nature, Yin, refers to the female force while Yang refers to the positive.
A doctor of TCM’s recommendations addresses the patient’s specific excesses/deficiencies. To him, a cold is more than just a cold, brought about by an external pathogen. The excesses/deficiencies in the patient’s body also play a part in his sickness, which have left him vulnerable.
The TCM language of the five elements and Yin, Yang is too limiting and too simple by comparison. Medicinal herbs however, work wonders, especially when used alongside lifestyle changes and acupuncture.
The Importance Of The Season Of Spring In Traditional Chinese Medicine
Spring is the season of creativity, new growth, of birth, and of expansion. In the cycle of the five elements, this is the energy of wood. Spring is the season when we reclaim our creative self. Our spirit should express itself in the world in order to be healthy. Aspects of the spirit or soul in Oriental Medicine are ascribed to bodily centers. Each of the soul’s aspect or element feeds its unique energy to the body. We must bring our souls back into our bodies to heal and become whole again. Spring is when illnesses that originate from the loss of power become healed.
The energy of Wood is the energy of assertion and righteous anger. It is expressed through constant frustration and anger and when it’s out of balance that can lead to resignation and sadness. One of the wood organ system meridians is the Liver, which is most affected by these emotions. The animal soul or “Hun” resides in the liver. In Western Psychology, the “Hun” is similar to the term known as the anima which is our creative self that makes adjustments in the world. It is our self that grasps for what we need and encourages movement. In Chinese tradition, the Liver prefers order. Similar to the growing plant that pushes through the darkness of the soil, our spirit is designed to reach for what it needs. According to Chinese medicine, the Liver ‘combs’ the blood; it keeps the life force or Chi smoothly flowing in various directions. Without action our ideas and dreams become literally stuck in our bodies. We become that frustration in our bodies when we are anything less than the self we are truly meant to be since our spirits needs to express itself in the world.
An imbalanced Liver will manifest physical symptoms that tell you to pay attention to the calling of the soul to reorganize our lives. Typical PMS symptoms include: sadness, tears, irritation, frustration, breast tenderness and bloating. Fibromyalgia symptoms include: depression, fatigue, and muscle pain. Symptoms of allergy include stuffiness, sinus pain, and red itchy, tearing eyes, tearing, itchy, red eyes, which can occur due to an imbalanced Liver. Impotence and Migraines are also signs of Liver imbalance. All the choices you make not to display your creativity, acknowledge what you are really feeling, or act assertively can all lead to an overburdened Liver. When your Chi does not flow freely, it slows down in the Liver. Like friction, this stagnant energy, generates heat that rises in the body. Blood congeals and the tendons and muscles are not nourished causing restricted movement and pain.
Each element has a corresponding yin and yang meridian partner. While the yin energy channel or meridian processes the predominant emotion of that element, the yang meridian processes the mental attitude. The Gall Bladder is the Liver’s partner. Shoulder and neck tensions as well as headaches may develop from the Gall Bladder meridian. Tension in the Gall Bladder is combined with too much need to control. The energy of Wood that has become balanced confers the capacity to act assertively and to flow with the environment.
Nothing but an open neutral mind can unblock the free movement of Chi in the body. According to an ancient Taoist saying:
Blood precedes energy
Energy precedes mind
Mind precedes spirit
Spirit precedes the Tao
The concept of Chi, which is the bioelectrical energy flowing throughout the body underlies Oriental meridian therapy. Chi becomes emotion, thought, movement, digestion, etc. depending on what it moves through. Hurts, injuries, and feelings are all energy expressions flowing in a certain way. ‘E-motion’ is a word that actually means ‘to move out’. We often experience physical or emotional tension if we fail to express an emotion, which only blocks flow of our energy. Mind then becomes a series of crystallized patterns that reduces our awareness. This generates armoring or physical tension in our musculature. The Nei Ching says: there is blockage where there is pain. It is believed that the Tao can break through anything that gets in its way. Acupressure or Acupuncture in Walla Walla enables the Chi to circulate freely again, causing the energy to change because that is its nature. This is often felt as streaming of energy or tingling and can be accompanied by expressions of emotional and physical release such as tears and sighs. The root of the term emotion gives us a clue to how it can be understood. The “E” means “out” and thus E-motion actually means to move out. Essential to healing is the freeing up trapped attitudes and emotions. In Oriental medicine, there are no psychosomatic sicknesses because bodily processes and the emotions all have common energy channels.
When the Liver is overwhelmed with drugs and chemicals, all our emotions have their own biomolecules that can build up in the blood. With a toxic Liver, emotions tend to stay longer in the body. The Liver biochemically does hundreds of processes that detoxify poisons and maintain and clean the quality of blood. The job of the Liver is to eliminate excess neurotransmitters and hormones such as adrenalin and estrogen from the blood. It removes lactic acid and allows endorphins to keep circulating. Glycogen is stored in the Liver. This organ changes the glycogen back to glucose in order to supply a constant amount of energy to the brain. The Liver has many more functions and all are vital to a sense of steady well-being.
The Liver, on a physical level, can be healed with the plants of spring. Nutrients from the earth are extracted by the plants and the plants take in sunlight to synthesize chlorophyll. In plants, energy production is related chemically to energy production in the human body. Chlorophyll absorbs the energy of the sun that excites the electrons and the plant houses the energy as ATP and releases Oxygen. The body imbibes the chlorophyll from plants and substitutes the magnesium with iron in an intricate chemical process to produce hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin transports oxygen in the blood, vital for generating energy on a cellular level. Magnesium is required in more than 300 enzyme reactions, these are some of the reasons the Liver does well on a green diet. Chi and blood benefit from green plants helping them to flow abundantly and constantly in the body.
Blockages often arise and like a young plant a person may develop around them. The body surprisingly releases more pain alleviating biochemicals to difficulties than to delightful experiences. Obstacles to goals often arise that pushes a person back on Tao or on the right path. This is the Taoist way of saying we create our own experiences. Jupiter is the planet associated with the Liver and the wood element. Through openness and faith, a person can grow and expand — Jupiter’s entry into a chart, in astrological terms, will provide the person with that energy. Saturn with its balance in the chart, represents the limitations, like rocks in the way of the new plant. Spring has the energy that usually sends us the message to “just do it”. Your body may be requesting for a change if you are experiencing any of the Liver symptoms listed above; therefore, listen.
The element of wood is a beautiful symbol for the natural desire to become what one truly is, to express oneself and, to make changes in the environment. It has an energy that’s the same as a blade of grass pushing upward to the earth reaching for the light. Wood contains all the other elements and organizes them as a plant develops from a seed and the spirit matures according to one’s individual Tao or the plan of his soul.
The Benefits And A Short History Of Tai Chi
Whenever the West thinks of “martial arts,” it unavoidably thinks of punching, kicking, and body contact rather than meditative, rhythmic, slow body movements to help promote, inner peace, calmness, and relaxation. But that’s exactly what the defensive art of tai chi is all about: meditative rhythmic exercises to help the person attain tranquility and peace. This article will attempt to discuss tai chi’s background, foundation, and benefits and how and where to get started.
The History of Tai Chi
Tai chi is a type of Chinese defense art that is several hundreds of years old. It has its origins in an oriental system known as TCM or traditional Chinese medicine. (Tai chi is the exercise performed by folks who perform graceful and fluid exercises in parks all over China, and by more and more people throughout much of the modern world).
In some documents, tai chi goes as far back as two and a half thousands of years ago and entails a sequence of contemplative slow body movements that were primarily designed for the defense arts and for promoting calmness and inner peace in people.
A few famous tai chi masters have demonstrated an ability to effortlessly throw an attacker to the floor with both spectators and the attacker unable to clearly see how it was done. Their motions utilize extremely subtle movements and strong internal energy that go unnoticed by most of the people who observe. This movement explains the phrase “five ounces can turn aside a thousand pounds.” A tai chi artist with this high level of skill can harness a tiny amount of energy to offset the significantly more powerful external force of an attacker.
Chi or Qi
According to traditional Chinese medicine, all persons are considered minute representations of the universe, and are deemed to make up the never ending interplay of the five elements of earth, wood, fire, water, and metal. TCM states that these elements move throughout all the organs of the body in a corresponding manner as the five phases of universal Chi, with chi defined as vital energy or life energy, being the basic force in the body that moves through invisible and internal channels known as meridians. One attains a state of good health when the comingling of these elements bring about the balanced and smooth flow of chi. One can say that the reason they study tai chi is to help their chi flow in a smooth manner.
Qigong
Tai chi is a discipline that sprang forth from the ancient practice of Qigong. This Oriental practice combines movement, breath, and mind to produce a natural and peaceful balance of energy which can be applied for recreation, self-defense, or work. Qigong is similar to yoga which has a wide variety of postures and movements that have been developed throughout the centuries. There are over 3,000 different versions of Qi gong and five important traditions: Buddhist, martial arts, medical, Confucian, and Taoist as well as two essential types: “hard” and “soft.” Soft qigong is also known as inner qigong, of which an example is tai chi.
The Three Most Popular Forms of Tai Chi
Yang, wu, and tai chi chih wu are the three most popular forms of tai chi. In its most basic form, the yang style has 24 movements (in the traditional form, it has 108 movements), and is challenging because your knees are bent most of the time and you need to maintain a wide stance.
In its shorter form, the wu form comprises two to three dozen movements (in the traditional form, it has a hundred movements), uses higher stance than the yang style in which the knees are not quite as bent and is much gentler than the yang style because it uses a narrower style.
There are 20 movements in the tai chi chih style and they use also a higher stance than the yang or wu, but with much less weight transfer from one leg to the other. For beginners, it may be easier to use the wu style to improve balance since it uses a narrow and high stance which fosters balance.
Regardless of what style you use, they all should be performed in a graceful, deliberate, and slow manner with each motion seamlessly flowing into the next without hesitation.
Tai Chi Benefits
Some practitioners firmly believe that tai chi can help extend life and slow down aging; boost thw flexibility of tendons and muscles, and help in the treatment of cancer, depression, skin conditions, digestive disorders, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other conditions. The bad news however, is there hasn’t been a lot of studies that could establish solid scientific proof that it truly works for a wide range of health problems. In a specialized tai chi research where several studies on one subject was reviewed, (known as a meta-analysis), the author comes to the conclusion that while there is proof that support the positive outcomes of tai chi on balance, fitness, and health, a lot of the research has been constrained by the type and duration, the small numbers of subjects, and the wide variation of tai chi styles used. Taking into account these limitations, the following is a list of some of the recorded benefits of tai chi.
Rise in Self-Confidence and Decrease in Fear of falling
In a large group of 70 year old and older seniors who performed tai chi on a regular basis, researchers discovered that the recurrence of fear of falling was lessened from 55 percent to 32 percent. Self-confidence and confidence about not falling, in general, may be one of tai chi’s unintentional benefits, but one that is definitely worth pursuing. In an identical research on seniors, 55 percent of participants who practiced tai chi ascribed their increased self-confidence to better balance. The authors came to the conclusion that “along with the perception of enhanced physical and mental control, an overall sense of improvement in general well-being was achieved that motivates older people even more to continue exercising.”
Reduction of Stress
For adults of all ages, the demands of living can be an extremely challenging experience. While we may not be able to directly refer to research that show a decrease in stress when performing tai chi (although a certain study suggests that people who performed tai chi said that mental control was one of its benefits), the mental concentration, movement, and breathing required of practitioners of tai chi may be just the distraction they need from their frantic lifestyle. The body-mind connection deserves particular attention since it has been shown that, when combined with eye-hand coordination and body movement, breathing can help bring about calmness. Among people who practice tai chi or yoga, the sense of calm and inner peace is indisputable, and perhaps, a person looking for a physically active and creative way to boost their physical and mental health to relieve stress should be willing to give tai chi a try.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia symptoms frequently flare up without relief and are one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions connected to severe painful symptoms and serious impaired health. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia has no known cause and cure. In a research performed on 39 people suffering from this disease, it was shown that after performing tai chi two times, one hour a day, every day for six weeks, the health-related quality of life and symptoms improved. For the other people suffering from this condition, this is certainly great news.
Walking
The pace of walking slows done with age and studies indicate that it may be related to an increased chance of falling. However, one study showed that people who performed tai chi was able to walk more steps than people who did not practice tai chi. There is a clear association between walking and a low incidence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic conditions, and if tai chi can improve walking, therefore, it’s definitely worth trying.
Aerobic capacity
As a person ages, his aerobic capacity is lessened. However, according to studies, conventional types of aerobic exercise can be enhanced with regular training. Researchers conducting a meta-analysis study reviewed seven studies that focused on the impacts of tai chi on aerobic capacity among adults (average age 55 years). The researchers discovered that people who performed tai chi for a whole year (108 postures using traditional yang style) experienced higher aerobic capacity than people about the same age living sedentary lives. The authors concluded that tai chi should be considered a type of aerobic exercise.
Endurance & Strength
A study observed the effects of tai chi among 60 to 70 year old adults who performed tai chi for 12 twelve weeks three times a week (via one hour classes). The subjects were then subjected to a battery of physical-fitness examinations to record their flexibility, endurance, muscle strength, and balance before the start and after the end of the study. Within six weeks, substantial improvements were statistically recorded. After the end of the study, further improvements in each of these areas were still being seen. The heads of the study concluded that tai chi is an effective way to improve balance, increase flexibility, and bolster muscle strength in the lower and upper body of older adults.
Prevention of Falls and Balance
A majority of the studies on tai chi has been performed in older people in the field of fall prevention and balance. This area of study is vital since injuries associated with falling are the number cause of disability, injury, or even death among seniors. Hip fracture is one of the most serious fall injuries these people tend to incur; actually, 50 percent of all seniors hospitalized for hip fracture never return to their former degree of function. Since tai chi motions are deliberate and slow with body weight shifting from one leg to the other in line with upper body movements (with one leg occasionally in the air), it can help improve balance and people have long assumed it decreases fall frequency and promotes balance. This theory has been strongly supported by and credited to some research.
Another study compared 65 year old and older men who have over 10 years experience in practicing tai chi with men with similar ages who have led sedentary lives (have not done tai chi or any other physical activities). The study showed that the men who practiced tai chi had better scores on tests of cardiovascular function, flexibility, and balance. One other study which included the participation of 22 women and men aged 22 – 76 years with mild balance problems showed significant improvement in function in the Romberg test (a standard balance test) after eight weeks of tai chi practice.
Additional reasons to perform tai chi:
1. It can be performed alone or in a group (look for a tai chi teacher willing to teach the exercises in your workplace during lunch hour).
2. It’s noncompetitive.
3. It’s done at your own pace.
4. It can be done anytime and at any place
5. It requires no special equipment or clothing and uses very little space.
6. There is very low risk of injury
7. Movements exert very low stress on your joints and muscles and are gentle and low-impact.
Tao chi movements are extremely diverse, and as people become more accomplished, they can add more movements to their routine.
How much tai chi do I need?
Not enough tai chi studies have been done to indicate what the maximum amount of tai chi is to garner meaningful benefits. Research has demonstrated impacts in as little as an hour of training a week. Still, as with dancing or any new type of activity, in the beginning, there is a sharp learning curve and a lot of people might find performing the exercises two or three times a week to be a more effective way to perform tai chi. Among tai chi circles, it is a traditional wisdom that an individual may need to practice tai chi for at least a year before he or she becomes proficient.
Eastern Healing Solutions, LLC
10875 Grandview St #2200
Overland Park, KS 66210
(913) 549-4322
http://www.overlandparkacupuncturist.com
Bone Setting Massage Therapy
Deemed to be one of the oldest forms of manual curative therapy in the West, bone setting massage is an extremely effective type of neuro-muscular massage that’s been performed by bonesetters in French and other European countryside. These methods are quite useful in resolving several issues associated with the locomotive system specifically, the nerves, joints, and muscles. Even within the initial treatments, the outcomes can be astonishing.
The aim of bone setting massage is to bring back the normal functionality of the mobility of the joints and the various muscle tissues of the body. The practitioner works on the tension using relatively heavy pressure at several parts of the body: capsules muscles, tendons, or ligaments.
Bone setting massage is different from a ‘cracking’ technique and more of a deep work on internal organs and body tissues. The functional and structural interconnections of the body are regulated once the mobility of the joint and the tissues’ functionality is restored and the sick state of the person is resolved.
A lot of the current modern osteopathic methods originate come from this provincial practice; nowadays, the scientific bonesetter and osteopath have almost the same level of skill!
When is bone setting massage used?
Bonesetting massage works extremely well for any type of pain, complaint, or problem associated with the nerves, ligaments, joints, tendons, or muscles.
It can be used for:
• Neuralgia – cruralgia, cervicalgia, brachalgia, lombalgia, dorsalgia, and lombo-sciatalgia.
• Blocked or painful joints
• Loss of joint mobility
• Muscle contraction – lumbar and dorsal pain, stiff neck, and lumbago
• Tendonitis – sub/supraspinatus tendonitis, tennis elbow or epicondylitis, Achilles tendon, rotuliana, golf elbow or epitrocleitis, etc.
• Inflamed joints – bursitis, capsulitis, polyarthritis, periarthritis, relief for arthritis
• Muscle pain: muscular tensions or contractures, strained or pulled muscle
• Calcaneal spur, sprains, intercostal syndrome, or carpal tunnel syndrome
• Blocking & pain caused by old accidents
• Reverberation in the spine and unbalanced pelvis
• Blocked or painful shoulder or radiating shoulder pain
Counter-indications: malignant metastasis and tumors, significant organ lesions, infectious or inflammatory disease, and acute forms of illnesses. You may need to consult with your doctor or healthcare provider in case of suspicious conditions.
Comments regarding the treatment
Certain pressure can cause pain or sensitivity. But, when done on the painful area on a regular basis, it will facilitate the relief and the release of deep tissue ailment. If within 24 hours following treatment, you still experience pain in the treatment area, there’s no need to be alarmed. This is usually a sign that your body is working to address your condition. One session of bone setting massage therapy usually lasts an hour.
The Applications And Uses Of Cranial-Sacral Therapy
CST or Cranial-Sacral Therapy is a gentle technique that uses a very light touch to work with the body. A therapist trained in CST places his hands lightly on the neck and head in order to ‘listen’ to the body and how it responds to their touch. There is no manipulation, pulling, or wrenching involved. As the pelvis or sacrum is attached to the skull through the vertebrae and spinal cord, subtle motions of the dural fluid in the spinal cord and the sacrum and can be felt as the cranium is held. Just applying this process can exert a powerful force that can balance the entire body. After a CST session, changes may be experienced in the spirit, mind, and body.
What are the uses of Cranial-Sacral Therapy?
Since Cranial-Sacral Therapy is extremely non-invasive and gentle, it is a perfect form of treatment for practically everyone; from newly born infants to seniors. Mothers usually bring their babies for treatment related to difficult or traumatic births. A sense of clarity of mind, wellbeing, and calmness is usually the outcome as CST enables the body to release fear and tension that’s been deeply buried in the body. In a session of CST, clients can be cured of a wide variety of health problems including car accidents/ whiplash, vertigo, tinnitus, stress, epilepsy and seizures, scoliosis, poor memory, neck pain, migraines, loss of sense of smell, insomnia, headaches, hay fever, eye problems, eye motor dysfunction, ear infections, dyslexia, depression, deafness, chronic bad posture, cerebral palsy, brain-fog, blocked sinuses, autism, anxiety, ADD and TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint problems (the hinge of the jaw, which, if misaligned can lead to poor digestion, as digestion begins with the process of chewing.); indeed, a lot of emotional, mental, and physical, issue may be treated with CST.
How long does one session of CST last?
A typical CST session may take 20 to 30 minutes to finish. Some therapists may use additional procedures to complement KORE Therapy treatment while others use a ‘top-up’ session in between KORE Therapy treatments.
What should I expect from a CST treatment session?
Some people experience a wide variety of sensations including buzzing, tingling, or warm sensations; a sense of relaxation and ease; a feeling of tranquility and peace; a feeling of balance; revitalization; seeing different patterns and colors when their eyes are closed; a sense of emotionally, mentally, and physically letting go; emotional, mental, and physical remembrance of past events; a connection with their Higher Self or a Higher Spirit; and a sense of deepening self- and body- awareness.
How many treatment sessions do I need?
In order to get the best results from a CST treatment, you may need to go through a couple or more sessions of treatment. As the treatment progresses, the client and therapist will decide on the number of sessions the client needs.
What is unique about CST?
By simply using a gentle and simple listening touch, CST can provide a person a profound peace that enables his body and mind to rest deeply in order for natural healing, harmony, and balance to take place. This is a treatment that promotes and recognizes the connection that links the spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of a person. Within the peaceful state of mind generated during a session, these strands can become more completely incorporated, as each helps the other to help the body heal itself.
Some Of The Great Benefits Gua Sha Therapy Has To Offer
Oriental medicine experts define gua sha therapy as a traditional East Asian medicine healing technique that’s sometimes known in the West as ‘scraping,’ ‘spooning,’ or ‘coining.’ Gua sha uses a scraping device or tool that’s uni-directionally pressed stroked over a lubricated area of the body in order to deliberately produce a temporary ‘sha’ or petechiae, which represent a discharge of blood in the sub layer of the skin.
In simple terms, gua sha therapy includes the use of a scraping tool (bone or jade) to scrape the affected surface of the skin to generate bleeding capillaries or petechiae. Petechiae are not the same as bruises and instead of pain, the patient feels extremely relaxed and calm.
The Benefits of Gua Sha
The following are some of the great benefits gua sha therapy has to offer:
1. Alleviates pain
Gua sha therapy reduces inflammation in people, which can dramatically alleviate chronic pain and myalgia. Research has shown that gua sha possesses therapeutic effects especially when it comes to inflammatory diseases, such as chronic hepatitis. This is the time when an inflammation of the liver can lead to premature death, over time. Regardless of health ailments and problems you’re suffering from, gua sha treatment can be useful to you.
2. Stimulates the immune system
Gua sha’s most promising benefits are its impact on the immune system. The immune system becomes activated when this treatment is performed. This speeds up the body’s natural healing processes. In Asian societies, gua sha is frequently used in cases of sicknesses to “allow the illness to escape.”
3. To Slow Down or Reverse Aging
Besides it wonderful therapeutic effects, gua sha can also be used to enhance the appearance of the skin. In this occasion, a much gentler type of gua sha procedure is used: this therapy:
(1) Lessens puffiness under the eyes
(2) Tightens the skin
(3) Smoothes wrinkles and fine lines
(4) Provides plump skin to give it a youthful glow
4. Does Not Use Needles
Similar to acupuncture in Marlton, gua sha provides relief to pain. It is a less invasive procedure, which makes it more appealing to those who have a fear of needles. This therapy is a more preferable choice than acupuncture for people of all ages, especially children.
Now that we know a few of the benefits gua sha can provide, you can talk about your treatment options with a qualified acupuncturist or massage therapist to see how this valuable healing technique can benefit you!
Practitioners should take the time to know your specific conditions to see if gua sha is the proper mode of treatment for you. It can be a great complementary treatment to either acupuncture or massage therapy.
Auricular Acupuncture Is Fast Becoming A Mainstream Form Of Treatment For Sciatica
The ear has one of the most abundant reflex systems in the body. A reflex system is an area in the body where the entire body is depicted in a specific part of the body. Reflex systems are sometimes called “microsystems” and are two-way systems of communication of the body. They mirror the illness of a part of the body and can also treat it. The most well-known reflex systems are foot and hand reflexology. Auricular acupuncture is the appraisal and activation of the auricle or outer ear for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in other regions of the body.
Auricular acupuncture has been used by early Chinese physicians for thousands of years. These doctors exploited the auricle in diagnosis and treatment. Ancient documents reveal Hippocrates pierced points behind the ears to treat sciatic pain and impotence. Medical documents around the Middle Ages in Europe reveal ear treatment for sciatica. In the 1950’s, French neurologist Dr. Paul Nogier created a comprehensive map of the ear repressing it as a reflex system. He devised a model using an upside down fetus as the model image. His research has been confirmed by physicians throughout the globe. Around the 1970’s, Michael Smith a doctor from New York devised a protocol for substance abuse withdrawal by treating five points on the auricle. He established the NADA or the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.
Auricular acupuncture is used by health care providers such as psychologists, massage therapists, chiropractors, physicians, and acupuncturists and is one of the extremely effective though lesser known alternative healing therapies. Acupuncture points on the ear are activated stimulated by ear acupuncture pellets, magnets, lasers, needles, and manual pressure. Without using needles, auricular acupuncture can be as potent as acupuncture. The World Health Organization Director in 1990 said, “Of all the microsystems of acupuncture, auricular therapy is perhaps the best documented, most scientifically developed, and the most widely used and most practical.”
Practically every condition can be treated by auricular acupuncture is one of the best aspects of this therapy. Treatment of conditions such as menopause, headaches, arthritis, anxiety, addictions, insomnia, stress, and pain can be augments with the inclusion of auricular acupuncture. This modality is designed to be a complements to other kinds of therapy. It has not been designed to be a substitute for other proper medical care.
Studies done in China have determined that Auricular Acupuncture can treat more than 200 disorders and diseases and works in 85 percent of cases. The Pain Management Center of UCLA In 1980 performed a double blind research to ascertain the scientific validity of external ear diagnosis. It discovered a 75 percent rate of accuracy rate in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal pain conditions via palpation and observation of the ear. Research conducted in South Australia at Adelaide University, examined auricular acupuncture for the treatment of obesity. It discovered that auricular acupuncture can restrain appetite. The amount of weight lost and the number of people who lost weight was meaningfully higher in the group treated with auricular acupuncture.
All these suggest to an astonishing wellness and health healing modality – auricular acupuncture!