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The Influence Of Taoism In The Development Of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Since the dawn of Chinese culture, Chinese Medicine and the Tao have been intimately intertwined. Shamanic healers called the Wu were the very first healing practitioners and they were usually women.
Their gifts helped them to perform exorcism rites and when needed, went into trance states to formulate healing rituals and ceremonies. It was believed that the exorcism practices of burning aromatic woods and incense and shaking spears formed the earliest basis for moxibustion and acupuncture therapy. The Wu are believed to be the precursors of today’s Taoist healers. The rituals and methods of the Wu were practiced for more than a thousand years, while Taoist philosophy, as depicted by Lao Tsu and the Tao Te Ching, developed as a school of thought not until 400 BCE. The offshoot of these traditions was carried into the traditional systems, and in the healing and ritual practices of the Taoist monks or Tao shih. These monks used visualization-meditation and even song and dance to diagnose and address illnesses. They dynamically invoked these states to discern the spiritual entities that may be at the root of an illness. They combined herbal medicine and hands on energetic healing with exorcism rites to treat the person as a whole.
In the Taoist philosophical system, the importance of Nature and adhering closely to its laws as a basis model for the perfect life has obviously been integrated into Winter Park Chinese Medicine. The periodicity of the circulation of Chi and the importance of being in harmony with the seasons are all examples of this. Some parts of the Nei Ching also expose a Taoist influence alluding to a life desired by those in antiquity who were able to live past a hundred years without any loss to their mental or physical mental capacities. When the Yellow Emperor asked his teacher Po, what made these people live such a long and healthy life, his teacher replied;
“The people of antiquity comprehended the Tao. They lived their lives based on the principles of yin and yang. They acted and consumed moderately, they did not waste their strength to unseemly behavior. Therefore, they were able to preserve their strength and lived their years in health and mirth.”
Taoist healers played a major role in the establishment of Chinese Pharmacopeia. The quest for magical pills and elixirs that could bestow immortality on the user gave impetus for experimentation on a broad variety of animal, plant, and mineral products. The mercuric-cinnabar, Reishi mushroom, and Ginseng radix were all thought to possess supernatural qualities that could enhance health and prolong longevity. The Chinese emperor Chin Zhi Wang was alleged to have sent ships to the islands of Japan to find a magical mushroom that could bestow immortality on the user. He sent a second expedition when no one returned from the first. When the second expedition also did not come back, it was assumed that the explorers failed to find the mushroom and fearing the wrath of the Emperor, decided to settle in Japan were they contributed greatly to the development of Japan.
The influence of Taoism can also be clearly seen in the development of Qi Gong, a form of Chinese exercise therapy. Qi gong originated from ancient Taoist breathing postures and techniques which strove to preserve and purify the body. Hua To, an ancient and famous Chinese healer invented a technique called the “Play of the Five Animals” which is based on his observations of animals and their distinctive characteristics. This technique is still practiced today and is one the most ancient Qi Gong practices designed to improve health and treat health problems.
Today’s Qi Gong techniques are widely used in the West and China to maintain and balance Chi circulation through the collaterals and channels. The application of the external discharge of Chi from practitioner to patient is also becoming well known and more and more popular by the day.
Most of the systems of Qi Gong systems that are used these days can be traced back to millennium-old Taoist traditions and the quest for immortality. The practice later on, integrated Chinese medical practices into healing system performed by the Taoist priests. According to Share Lew, graduate of the Yellow Dragon Monastery in Canton and Taoist Master, herbal medicine, tuina, and moxibustion plus the application of external discharge of Qi Gong energy are all components of the healing techniques that were taught in several monasteries and temples. As part of their basic training, Taoist Monks had to learn these techniques and principles. This allowed them to serve better the individuals which comprised the lay members of the temples in the cities.
While the principle of the Tao was accepted by all of the schools in China, the impact of Taoist philosophy was a very huge factor in the evolution of Chinese Medicine. By establishing a connection to the relationships of human beings to the theories of natural law, Chinese Medicine took on a style and flavor that solidified its place in the realm of holistic medicine in the 21st century.
Uses Of Moxibustion Therapy
A form of heat therapy in Orlando, moxibustion involves burning of pieces of dried plant near or on specific areas of the skin. Moxibustion means moxa (mugwort plant) and bustion (burning). Thus moxibustion means the burning of moxa plant. Artemesia Vulgaris (Mugwort) is a common weed that can be found all around the world. For hundreds of years, it has been used for medicinal purposes in some countries especially in countries of East Asia where it is a very important procedure in treating a wide variety of diseases and ailments. Oftentimes, Chinese medicine practitioners combine moxibustion therapy with acupuncture.
The Aroma Emanating from Moxibustion Therapy
Moxa is chosen for its powerful healing abilities since the heat from dried moxa goes through deeper into the skin whilst providing the skin with gentle comforting heat. Moxibustion treats a small area of the body which helps enhance blood and energy (chi) flow along the meridians (energy channels) generating a change in temperature on different areas of the skin that, in turn, facilitates a flow. A significant rise in white blood cell count has been seen in regions of the body where moxibustion is administered.
How Moxibustion Therapy Is Done
Moxibustion can be used in a variety of ways. One way it’s done is through a process called direct moxibustion. In the method, the practitioner places a small piece of moxa on acupuncture points (acupoints) and directly burns it on the skin. Because this procedure may cause small burns, it’s only used in serious ailments and conditions. The practitioner may sometimes put salt, garlic, a piece of ginger or some other herbs between the burning moxa and the skin to protect the skin and enhance the impact of the treatment. In another technique called the warming needle technique, the practitioner will burn a small piece of moxa stick that’s attached to the topmost tip of an acupuncture needle. This procedure enables the heat to go deeper into the acupoints along the needle.
In the indirect moxibustion technique, the practitioner lights a piece of moxa stick and holds it very near the acupoints carefully avoiding the flame to burn the skin. He may move slowly the stick over the acupoints to give the heat the opportunity to go deep into the acupoints.
Uses of Moxibustion Therapy
Moxibustion can be used for a wide range number of conditions. Its most common usage is for the alleviation of symptoms caused by weak circulation and low energy. A lot of patients say that moxibustion feels like a gentle but profound warm feeling that deeply relaxes them. This is an experience that can never be felt with other superficial heating technique.
The most ideal use of moxibustion therapy is for treatment of “cold dampness pattern” that results in joint pain and ache like arthritis. Many aching and painful joint conditions get exacerbated under cold or humid climate. Because of moxibustion therapy’s warm nature, it is reputed to help tonify the yang energy of a person and treat such illnesses as spontaneous sweating, cold feet and hands, chronic fatigue syndrome, and low energy. It can also treat a lot of gynecological problems and in breech conditions, where it rectifies the position of the unborn baby. It also an ideal treatment for flu and cold; it’s more like getting a flu shot, except that it works regardless of the virus strain since it strengthens immunity.
Spokane Chinese medicine practitioners frequently combine moxibustion with acupuncture to boost and circulation to energize patients suffering from low energy. Give us a call to find out if moxibustion can help treat your condition.