by Angela Tian Zhu | Apr 20, 2011 | Women's Health
A few years ago, a patient came to me, she told me she was not able to get pregnant for a few years, everything was fine after the checkups under the western medicine system. She told me that it could get very painful when dysmenorrhoea occurs. Her legs, hands and stomach area always felt cold. She was worried about not getting pregnant. She got depressed about that, but still nothing happened. I took a closer look at her; she was wearing as singlet, short pants and slippers. Her face looked pale; the coating of her tongue was grimy and white. When I was examining her pulse, I felt the pulse was deep and slow. I touched her abdomen, it was very cold, and she said it felt warm and comfortable when my hands were on her abdomen. From Traditional Chinese Medicine’s view, her symptoms were diagnosed as uterine cold, deficiency in Yang energy. I applied treatments to warm up her uterus, clear the cold, replenish the energy for her, I also told her to make sure to keep her abdomen and feet warm, and eat warm food, avoid cold drinks and swimming during the menstrual period. A few months later she got pregnant.
I always think: as the combination of eggs and sperm gives rise to the next generation, the right temperature in the uterus needs to be ensured. It is just like chicken eggs and duck eggs. Little chickens and ducks will come out of the egg only some days after if they have been kept at the right temperature. The eggs would not become a chicken if the temperature is too cold, also the eggs would be cooked if temperature is too hot. Similarly, if temperature in the uterus is cold, the combination of eggs and sperm would not result in a foetus. Also, if the eggs or sperm itself is cold, it is hard for them to combine.
1. Why would the uterus be cold?
A. External cold factor.
There are many young girls who don’t care about the cold affecting their bodies. This affects puberty, menstrual period, and sometimes would cause difficulties for pregnancy.
For example:
-
Sitting on a cold floor too often (especially wet floor)
The coldness comes through the bottom to the abdomen. It is easier for the abdomen to get affected by the coldness during menstrual period or when one is tired.
-
Not paying enough attention to keep warm in the stomach and back area
Some young ladies often wear clothes that do not cover the navel and the waist at the back, they wear sandals and shorts no matter what the weather is like. Wind, cold and dampness could attack the body from the navel, go through the waist and back to the uterus. The cold could go through the feet to the legs and finally reach the abdomen. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the channels which are located on the inside of the feet and legs will eventually lead to the abdominal area. Thus, lack of awareness to keep warm in the stomach, back and feet would cause cold in the uterus, sometimes resulting in difficulties in pregnancy.
-
Swimming during the menstrual period
The body becomes sensitive, the endocrine system changes and the cervix opens during the menstrual period. The body is easily getting cold during this time. When people are swimming at this time, the cold would go into the uterus directly or indirectly. Thus, swimming is not a proper activity to participate in during the menstrual period.
-
Cold from the rain
Wearing wet clothes after the rain is another possible cause for the uterine cold.
B. Internal cold factor.
-
Too much cold drink
This is not only bad for the stomach energy, it also causes uterine cold. So does ice-cream and frozen food from the fridge. The accumulation of the cold in uterus will result in dysmenorrhoea, irregular menstrual period and it could lead to difficulties in pregnancy.
-
Deficiency in Yang energy causes cold.
Coldness damages the Yang energy. Cold is Yin, heat is Yang. The cold Yin energy is constrained by Yang energy. When the cold has accumulated too much the Yang energy is not able to constrain it, the cold will damage the Yang energy. Thus, deficient Yang energy would lead to internal cold in the body. When the internal cold accumulates in the uterus, sometimes pregnancy will be difficult to occur.
C. Internal cold and external cold
Although there are differences between internal cold and external cold, they interact and affect each other. Deficient Yang energy indicates an internal cold in the body. When this happens, the body could be affected by external cold easily. When the external cold attacks the body and further damages the Yang energy the result is internal cold. Both factors would cause difficulties in pregnancy due to cold uterus.
2. How to prevent uterine cold:
- Do not sit too much or too often on cold and wet floors or chairs.
- Keep warm in the feet, stomach and back area. Wear clothes that cover the navel and back. Wear socks or stockings and shoes in cold weather.
- Do not swim during the menstrual period.
- Change clothes after getting wet in the rain as soon as possible.
- Dry your hair after showering before you are going out.
- Try not to drink cold drinks, cold water or eat frozen food, especially during menstrual period. (Do not drink cold drinks on an empty stomach.)
- Take proper treatment if you have a deficient Yang energy type of body with internal cold. (Symptoms of this type of body: likes warm and dislikes cold, cold feet and hands, aching in the knees because of cold, deficient energy, depressed, pale face)
3. How to treat uterine cold?
A. Self – treatment:
- The ways mentioned above to prevent uterine cold;
- Eat warm food and food that are hot/warm. (Please read article “Food’s attribute – cold or hot/warm” for more details)
- Soak your feet in hot water every day for 10 – 20 minutes. Keep the feet warm after the feet are dry.
- Hot bag method: Put a hot bag on the abdomen and another one at the back area to warm up the area every day or every second day.
- Put a few pieces of ginger and brown sugar in tea, boil it for a few minutes and drink it every day.
- Moxibustion. Put ginger on the navel for ten minutes.
- Physical exercise. Tai Chi and Qi Gong are one of the good ways.
- Self – massage at the two acupuncture points called “Sanyinjiao”
Location: 3 cun ( around 3 inches) above the tip of the medial alveolus, on the posterior border of the medial side of the tibia.
B. Other treatments:
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Acupuncture
- Moxibustion
- Qi Gong exercise
- Tai Chi exercise
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by: Angela Zhu (TCM Practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi Instructor)
Translated by: Alan Huang
© Copyright Angela Zhu 2011
by Angela Tian Zhu | Apr 7, 2011 | Traditional Chinese Medicine
…continued from Part 1
3. Wisely using nose in two-directions
Physically
Generally speaking, we use the nose to breath and smell. Normal breathing enables us to breathe in enough oxygen to ensure the circulation of our blood. The “Two-way” function of the nose is breathing in and breathing out. The breath should be even, slender and soft. If you breathe in more and breathe out less, or breathe in less and breathe out more, both show an unhealthy status of your body. (for example, the sickness of the lung and bronchitis) etc.
When emotions fluctuate, an even, slender and soft breath helps to release the stress and deal with difficulties calmly. Otherwise, sicknesses are likely to occur, especially high blood pressure, heart attack and depression.
We smell the flowers, food and other fragrances as well with our nose. Other than the smells from outside, the application of the “two-way” function of the nose goes to the secreted smell from our bodies as well.
For example:
Smell from the mouth:
Bad breath: indigestion or stagnation in the stomach and intestine.
Sour in the stomach: dampness and heat
Smell from faeces and vomit:
Stench: indigestion and stored faeces
Bad sour smell: dampness and heat
Smell from urine:
Stench: detoxification from the inner body
too much alcohol
dehydration of the body
This is good knowledge for mums to diagnose children.
Spiritually
If we know how to use the nose in two directions, try to open our nose to various “smells” in order to prevent sickness and problems in life.
4. Wisely using mouth in two-directions
Physically
Human beings use the mouth to eat and talk. People express their emotions, attentions, needs, judgement and vent by talking outwards.
Spiritually
It is also important to talk to yourself inside. Ask ourselves “How do I feel?” “Why do I feel this way?” “Why do I need to say this?” When the answers come out you will understand yourself and others. If we do something wrong, we will realise it from inside, which will help make it easier to forgive ourselves than the criticism from others. Especially when you feel depressed, you can talk to yourself like talking to a friend, ask yourself: “Why am I unhappy?” “What should I do?” “Is this important to me?” “What if today is the last day of our life, would I still care about it?” The cloudy sky would turn to be a sunny day when you can answer yourself these questions. Train yourself to talk to yourself as if you are talking to a good friend, these help reducing the stress and get rid of the feeling of being depressed, thus release and bring us a peace of mind and the harmony around us. This is the wisdom of “two-way” philosophy apply to the mouth.
5. Wisely using anus and urethra in two-directions
Anus and urethra are used to discharge waste matter, waste fluid and dirty air. If people only eat and drink and the waste don’t come out, sickness would easily occur to us. The anus and urethra have their “two-way” function. One direction is that the anus and urethra discharge the waste matter, waste fluid and waste air, the other direction is they can hold them too. If we don’t pay attention to the health of the anus and urethra, sickness would follow so that there would be trouble to the “two-way” function. For example: diarrhoea, the infection from the urinary, urinary incontinence, prolapsed of the anus as well as gynaecological diseases and prostate diseases. So pay attention to the “two-way” function in the anus and urethra in order to keep yourself healthy. What’s more, keeping a good “two-way” function of the anus and urethra will help to have better sexual life.
How to ensure a healthy “two-way” function of the nine holes? One of the ways is Qi Gong and Tai Chi. They adopt the Yin Yang Philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine as theoretical foundation. The harmony and health of body and peaceful mind would be achieved through the visualisation, breathing, meditation combined with slow movements involved in the Qi Gong and Tai Chi practices. These two practices are aiming to strengthen the vital Qi (energy) which is the only way to keep the two-directions functioning well. Try this ancient Yin Yang and “two-way” Philosophy to enable you to have a healthy body, a peaceful mind and a harmonious inner and outer environment.
Try these two directions of wisdom to connect to the outside and inside world. Find out how much more peaceful, better and beautiful life can be!
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by: Angela Zhu (TCM Practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi Instructor)
Translated by: Alan Huang
© Copyright Angela Zhu 2011
by Angela Tian Zhu | Mar 31, 2011 | Wellbeing
Ancient Chinese Yin-yang Philosophy delivered us infinite wisdom.
One of the Yin-Yang view points is: Yin is inside, Yang is outside; Yin is entering, Yang is exiting. Yin is giving, Yang is receiving. Open and close. The most important theory is that they need to ‘balance’. Trouble would come if imbalance occurs and things can go wrong with health and life. Human beings have nine holes on the body: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, anus and urethra (females have one more: vulva). Our body is designed to open and close these holes.
To achieve harmony and prevent depression we need to use our senses to apply the “two directions” philosophy to keep inner environment balance and harmony around us.
1. Wisely using eyes in two-directions.
Everyone use their eyes to observe the outside world, like mountains, rivers, flowers, plants, and other people’s appearance, behaviour, attitude, facial expressions etc. At the same time, we should use our eyes to observe the appearance, behaviour, attitude, facial expressions of ourselves too. A terminology in Qi Gong is “picture the inside ”, it’s also called “visualising the inside.”
Physically:
We open our eyes during day time and close them at night.
If we are not sleeping or using the eyes too long, not resting we will damage the vital Qi. (Energy)
Spiritually:
Use wise eyes to observe in a “two-directions” method. Normally people only use eyes to observe the outside world, people don’t pay much attention to the inner world .We need to use our eyes to appreciate not only to observe the mountains, rivers, flowers, plants etc, but also use the wisdom eyes to look at the kindness and inner beauty of other people and things, at the same time, realise the kindness, capabilities, strengths and beauty of ourselves.
We should ask ourselves “what am I looking for,” “why is my behaviour like this? “ Thus we change and improve ourselves. In contrast, if the eyes do not go “two- directions”, we only look into the mistakes made by other people, ignore the ones made by ourselves. Pointing at others by our forefinger, we are not aware that the other three fingers are actually pointing back at us. This would affect the inner harmony and it would lead to depression and hatred in the long term. However, if we blindly blame ourselves with enormous compunction, aren’t we easily getting into “one-way” and putting ourselves into depression? The wise way is that after looking into the weakness of ourselves from inside, we try to improve ourselves in the future. Meanwhile, accept reality and face it objectively. Seeing things in “two-ways” enables a peaceful mind and allows us, to treat people and our self sensibly so we won’t feel depressed.
2. Wisely using ears in “two-directions”
Physically:
Generally speaking, we physically use our ears to hear various sounds from the outside environment. We listen to the opinions, suggestions, and judgement from others. We ignore external sounds when we are sleep. If we listen twenty four hours a day we will damage the vital Qi (Energy).
Spiritually:
If we are just listening from the outside it makes us feel lost and negative, not knowing which way to go or distinguish right from wrong. It will make us feel depressed and sad. If we only listen to the negative things, we will get depressed, if we only listen to the positive things, we would lose touch from reality. So we need to use our sense of hearing in both directions, listening to our heart, feelings, intuition, needs and opinions. With the “two-directions” listening we can balance and judge what we hear from the outside, combined with what we hear from our heart. This allows us to achieve the wisdom of listening.
…continued in Part 2
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by:Angela Zhu (Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi Instructor)
Translated by:Alan Huang
© Copyright Angela Zhu 2011
by Angela Tian Zhu | Mar 21, 2011 | Women's Health
All parents want their child to be healthy and happy. Mums always prepare for the health of the baby before pregnancy. They try to keep a healthy lifestyle to ensure a healthy baby comes into the world. Don’t forget it is also very important to ensure the happiness of the baby. The first step of preventing depression starts with Mum!
Modern Medicine holds the view that depression could be inherited, especially from the mother’s side. If the mother is depressed during the pregnancy period or has postnatal depression after the pregnancy, it is possible for the baby to inherit or be affected by the depression. The family’s influences in children’s mental health and attitudes from the time they were born until they are 5 years old is so important that it could affect them all their life.
Example 1: A few years ago, there was a young depressed person, he was born into a well educated family, and he had a very nice family environment during his childhood. However, his mum had a depression problem. He was an A grade student and lived happily and healthy at his primary school. But during the puberty when the body mobilised the energy for blood and hormones to grow, the depression gradually affected his body. It does not matter if the depression is inherited, it could easily attack us at a certain time when our body is changing, especially when there’s a change in the hormones. The smartness, talent, kindness, confidence and happy life of this good child had been gradually and completely washed away by depression. He became autistic, and he lost contact with the outside world, he considered himself being ugly, unhappy and full of resentments every day. So he complains about things already passed by, distorts the things which supposed to be positive. The good things turn out to be immoral through his own mind processing, and what’s more, he considered himself as the victim of everything, and worthless. So he stayed inside every day, gave himself up to daydreams, sleeping during the day and staying up at night. Gradually he lost appetite, he didn’t eat on time, his body became thinner and weaker, he couldn’t concentrate his mind and stoped going to school. A few years passed by like this.
Example 2: There was a party; a kid started crying when he came because he’s late. He started crying a second time because the juice was not what he wanted. After a while, he cried again because he thought other kids didn’t like him. He was either crying or stayed in a corner at the party, he cried when he saw other children playing. I went over and asked: “Why are you crying and unhappy? Why don’t you go and play with other children?” He answered: “Mum always cries and unhappy, she doesn’t go out to see her friends too.” I said: “Ah!”
Young people are the hope of society, and they are the hope and treasure of their parents. Their well-being is directly linked to this hope. The physical health and mental health interacts with each other and they are indivisible. Prevention of depression starts with parents, it starts before pregnancy, after birth and with the mental and attitude family education of the kids during the years from 0 – 5.
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by Angela Zhu (Chinese Medicine Practitioner)
Translated by Alan Huang.
© Copyright Angela Zhu 2011
by Angela Tian Zhu | Mar 8, 2011 | Seasons
I had a patient a few years ago, he suffered from severe headaches and migraines, felt nauseous and vomited. He had no strength and looked grey. He would only get better after one or two days of quiet lying and relaxing in bed accompanied by taking a strong pain killer. Every time the sickness attacked him, he felt down and unwell also from frequent pain killer consumption. When he came to me, I asked, “Do you live on the ground floor or on a higher level?” He answered: “I’m living on the seventh floor. There are ocean views on three sides from the apartment.” I continued asking: “Do you open windows a lot?” He answered: “Yes, always. I enjoy the draft.” I responded, “Ah! Now the reason has been found. The draft is much stronger at high places, you would have headache if you exposed yourself to draft too much.” He replied, “Does that mean I should feel a headache every day if I opened my windows every day, how come I don’t? “ I told him, “when you feel energized your body has the ability to exclude wind, heat and cold from your body. However, when you feel tired, stressed or deficient, your body would not have this ability. And when all those things accumulate to a certain level, you would have headaches or migraines. The reason is that the wind has been staying in your head, so that spasm happens with your vascular and nerves, thus it ends up as a headache or even a migraine. If you only open the window on one side of your apartment, the movement of air is so much softer, with the air coming from one direction only”. The patient felt much better and had less headaches after he followed my advice and taking acupuncture treatments.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that too much draft or wind is a major factor leading to many diseases, it is the leading evil Qi (energy) of the six evils of sickness (wind, cold, heat, damp, dry and heat). The other five evils Qi attach to the wind to attack the human body. Such as wind cold, wind heat, wind damp etc. Thus, wind plays a leading role of all the evil Qi that account for sickness and diseases.
1. What is draft?
Draft is usually an artificial wind channel. It is the wind between two windows, two doors, two buildings, two walls, two objects etc. The higher the building, the stronger the wind; the thinner the wind, the sharper it could be. Australia is surrounded by ocean, there is strong ocean wind around us. Of course, this provides an advantageous condition for the draft to take place.
2. Why is it dangerous? Which part of body does the draft attack us?
Draft is sharper than natural wind. It could penetrate our skin, organs and body, especially when we feel deficient or sick. Children and the elderly are specially affected by it. The draft always prefers to ‘bully’ the weaker part of our body, stay there and make trouble.
IFs:
- If the wind attacks the joints, people feel sore in the joints, it ends up as arthritis.
- If the wind cold or wind heat attacks the head (or people go out with wet hair), it could probably lead to headache, earache, sore throat or toothache.
- If the wind cold or wind heat attacks the stomach, it could probably lead to abdominal distension, abdominal pain or diarrhoea.
- If the wind cold or wind heat attacks the chest and lung, it will lead to cough, sore throat or cold.
- If the wind cold or wind heat attacks the neck or waist, it will lead to neck pain or sore back. (Note: It is easy to be attacked by draft when driving, improper sleeping positions make it easy for the wind to attack our body too)
- If the wind attacks the muscles, people would feel weak and have muscle pain.
- If the wind attacks the body after sex, it goes into the body deeper because the sexual arousal consumes lots of energy and blood. It is more possible to happen to males who can easily fall into deep sleep after ejaculation to be attacked by cold wind. A most common chronic disease of the central nervous system called Multiple Sclerosis is related to the wind attack after sex according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
- If the wind attacks the skin, it will lead to itching and skin disease.
3. The hazards to children
- If the wind attacks children, they will easily get ear ache, ear infection.
- It will accelerate getting a cold, (making it last longer),cough,asthma or bronchitis.
- It leads to headache.
- Babies and young children are suggested not going out when the wind is strong.
- It makes children unsettled and tired.
4. How to avoid draft
- Avoid staying in the draft. For example, draft in a café, restaurant, or inside the house etc.
- Only open the door or window on one side of the house.
- Open only other doors or windows during the night that let a soft wind blow into the bedrooms.
- Put more clothes on when you are surrounded by High-rise.
- Pay attention to avoiding draft when you are wet after exercise, and have wet hair and the time when you feel tired or after sex.
- It is important to keep your navel and waist warm. Especially for women, it will affect menstrual and it might be harder to get pregnant because the uterus has a cold environment.
- Keep your neck warm. Neck is the window of the body and it easily catches the wind.
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by Angela Zhu (Chinese Medicine Practitioner)
Translated by Alan Huang.
© Copyright Angela Zhu 2011
A few years ago, a patient came to me, she told me she was not able to get pregnant for a few years, everything was fine after the checkups under the western medicine system. She told me that it could get very painful when dysmenorrhoea occurs. Her legs, hands and stomach area always felt cold. She was worried about not getting pregnant. She got depressed about that, but still nothing happened. I took a closer look at her; she was wearing as singlet, short pants and slippers. Her face looked pale; the coating of her tongue was grimy and white. When I was examining her pulse, I felt the pulse was deep and slow. I touched her abdomen, it was very cold, and she said it felt warm and comfortable when my hands were on her abdomen. From Traditional Chinese Medicine’s view, her symptoms were diagnosed as uterine cold, deficiency in Yang energy. I applied treatments to warm up her uterus, clear the cold, replenish the energy for her, I also told her to make sure to keep her abdomen and feet warm, and eat warm food, avoid cold drinks and swimming during the menstrual period. A few months later she got pregnant.
