by Angela Tian Zhu | Jun 29, 2013 | Seasons
(To Help Prevent Depression & Dementia)
Even it has been cold and raining, I was still looking forward to visiting friends last weekend and staying with them at their holiday house near a National Park. Although it’s winter that area is still beautiful.
The day before I was going to drive there they informed me that a friend had suddenly died from a heart problem and another passed away after a long illness. His father was in hospital in a critical condition.
What does Winter, Coldness and Dampness has to do with this?
More people get sick and pass away during winter time. In addition, depression and mental health tends to worsen in winter. Why is this?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we recognise Yin and Yang energy. Yang energy is considered warm, moving, stimulating, rising and expanding. Yang energy is found in substances, functions and capabilities with these characteristics.
Yin energy is considered cold, inhibited, restraining, falling and contracting. Yin energy is found in substances, functions and capabilities with these characteristics.
Hence in winter, when it is very cold or damp, people need to have sufficient Yang energy to resist the coldness and dampness of Yin energy in nature.
How does winter dampness and coldness affect us?
- Coldness and dampness can increase your blood viscosity.
- The low temperature makes capillary blood vessels contract to hinder circulation. Thus it is easier for your blood pressure to increase and for your heart to work harder. This increases the likelihood of heart problems, strokes and, in the long term, dementia.
- Cold weather can also weaken the immune system, and make the endocrine system imbalanced. Thus asthma, bronchitis, flu, colds and diabetes all worsen.
- The cold can harm the digestive system and aggravate ulcers.
- The cold weather can cause imbalances in the chemicals in the body, creating winter depression.
- Coldness and Dampness can make Arthritis worse.
We need Yang energy to cope with low temperatures during winter to prevent these problems. People who are Yang deficient may become sick or very sick.
What makes us Yang deficient?
On a cold and rainy day I went to a birthday party where I saw a six year old boy. He had so much mucus pouring out of his nose and was coughing heavily with a lot of phlegm from his chest that it nearly choked him. I couldn’t take my eyes off him; he was wearing a tee-shirt with shorts and eating ice-cream!
Energy of Yin and Yang deficiency is built up during a period of time when we experience the following:
- Stress and emotions, worrying, anger, fear, sadness, grieving – too much of any of these
- Irregular or poor lifestyles – not getting enough sleep, staying up too late, not eating regularly
- Not keeping warm enough, drinking and eating too many cold things
- Overusing energy by working too much or too hard
What should we do to strengthen Yang energy in winter?
- Have a balanced level of exercise and don’t sweat too much – if you sweat too much, you will lose a lot of Yang energy
- Make sure to wear enough clothing, and especially keep your feet, legs, lower stomach and lower back warm. Drink and eat warm things
- Spend as much time as possible in the sun to receive the Yang energy from the sun
- Try to avoid dampness by wearing dry clothing, and avoid going out straight after washing your hair or having a shower
- Hibernate enough during winter – don’t stay up late and avoid stress and emotion
Tips: The following foods and drinks are great for increasing Yang energy:
- Tea – ginger tea, Goji berry tea, red date tea and cinnamon tea (except for pregnant women)
- Nuts – walnuts (very beneficial!), sesame
- Soups. Ginger lamb soup (good for Yang energy)
- Orange coloured vegetables and root vegetables (e.g. carrots, radishes, pumpkin, beetroot, etc.)
Note: If you have heat in the body, such as a sore throat, fever or feel hot, you should not follow the above tips.
Have a great hibernating winter to help you have a healthy next spring!
Traditional Qi’s two concepts are prevention and wisdom.
Written by Angela Zhu, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi instructor.
by Angela Tian Zhu | Jun 6, 2011 | Wellbeing
All objects, plants and animals that can stand must have a “column”. For example: houses, buildings, towers, trees and upright animals. Humans are no exceptions.
From the point of view of vital energies and Qi Gong theory, where is the human’s “column”? People often think of the spine as the “column”. But what part of the body supports the spine? Why can our spine bend and curve? Why does our spine compress and lose flexibility as we get older? Why do some people have scoliosis during puberty?
1. Where is a human’s “column”?
From the point of view of vital energies and Qi Gong theory, there are 4 components in the “column”: Hui Yin (between the anus and genitals), Dan Tian (under the navel, inside the stomach), the spine, and Bai Hui (on top head of the centre-line of the body, between the ears)
It is the Dan Tian that supports the spine to be upright, grow and move. When the Dan Tian‘s energy deficient then the spine maid curve and bend.
2. What is the “column”?
Hui yin is the biggest yin energy point, Bai Hui is the biggest yang energy point. The “column” combines the yin and yang energy to reflect the human body’s natural cycle of birth, growth, ageing, sickness and death. The changes in the “column” reflect these different stages of life. The “column” also represents the condition of a person’s energy level, mental state and body health.
3. Why do we need to maintain the “column”?
- Hui yin is the biggest yin energy point, and Bai Hui is the biggest yang energy point; when they connect in the column the yin and yang energy can rise and fall smoothly to adjust, balance and harmonise the body’s inner environment.
- Hui Yin connects with the Dan Tian to strengthen the Dan Tian’s energy as a Qi core, which provides the pre and post natal energy.
- The Dan Tian opens up the body, Organs, and especially the column. This strengthens the vital energy and nourishes the blood, improves circulation and makes the inside and outside of the body healthier and younger. Gives positive energy and good attitude.
- The Dan Tian stretches and lifts the spine to help prevent scoliosis and helps spinal fluid reach the brain better. In the long term, this helps to prevent Alzheimer’s, dementia, spinal disease (including cervical and lumber) and balances yin and yang energy in the brain to prevent depression.
- The column improves posture to make people look good and feel more positive.
4. How do we maintain the “column”?
- Lift the Hui yin up into the Dan Tian, use the Dan Tian to push the spine up and legs down concurrently, through to the top of the head and the brain, along the Bai Hui.
- Aligning the Hui yin and Bai Hui; It is best achieved by picturing it: the chin in line the chest bone.
- Walking with heels down and toes up is the better way to open up the body from Dan Tian and “Column”
- Do these whilst standing, walking, and sitting with the column up every day.
In order to have a better understanding of the importance of the “column”, refer to ‘Million-Dollar Point‘ and ‘Dan Tian – Qi Core of Humanity‘.
Traditional Qi’s two concepts are prevention and wisdom.
Written by Angela Zhu, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi instructor.
© 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 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
by Angela Tian Zhu | Feb 7, 2011 | Wellbeing
WHY DRINK WARM WATER to PRESERVE ENERGY
· Nourish our energy. When you drink cold water, you need to spend
extra energy to warm it before your body can absorb it.
· Strengthen the energy of your organ’s blood circulation. When cold water passes your chest, it may cool your heart, lungs, and bronchi and affect your breathing.
· Protect your Stomach energy. Cold water can make your stomach contract, weaken the energy of the stomach consequently affect your digestion.
· Help women’s health. Cold water can give you period pain, and irregular periods.
· Help to reduce allergies. So, the energy can flow better in your body.
· Help mental well-being and enable us to relax.
It makes us sleep better.
I suggest that people with depression, anxiety, tiredness, and digestion problems, drink warm water.
WRITTEN BY ANGELA ZHU 11. JULY 2024
by Angela Tian Zhu | Oct 11, 2010 | Wellbeing
In Chinese medicine stomach Qi is the function of postnatal energy. Stomach and spleen act like a couple. They are together to receive and digest the food and transfer the nutrition to every part of the body. Once we are born we depend on food to survive and the nutrition we receive from the food depends on the spleen and stomach energy together. Without the stomach spleen Qi, life would be very difficult or impossible.
A few years ago I treated a young lady as a patient. She had irritable bowel syndrome which always made her feel very bloated after eating. Some days she would have diarrhoea, some days she couldn’t go to the toilet at all. She always felt tired, couldn’t concentrate and on top of that she was also depressed. After a few acupuncture treatments to strengthen her stomach and spleen, the stomach got better very soon and she stopped feeling depressed.
I had a similar experience with a young man a little while ago who came in to see me for treatments. He told me he was very depressed, tired and didn’t have appetite but felt bloated. At that time it was very hot and humid outside. When checking the tongue and pulse I noticed there was a lot of dampness in his stomach. This problem is often caused by stomach and spleen Qi deficiency. The spleen energy is the energy moving the fluid in your body. Sometimes when it’s humid and you drink cold drinks or eat too much, your body will store dampness. This dampness can make you feel very tired and depressed. The acupuncture treatment helped him remove the dampness and he started feeling much better.
Stomach Qi goes down, and so should the food, making its way into the lower stomach and finally go out of the body as waste. Spleen energy does the opposite and goes up, brings the nutrition to every part of your body. When those functions don’t work, you are deficient or have too much dampness in your body, your body is off balance and you feel depressed and tired. Your body will either store too much dampness or won’t get enough nutrition. Strengthening the stomach spleen Qi will help you have a stronger stomach and will also ease or prevent Depression.
How to treat and prevent Depression
Make sure you eat regularly and healthily. Avoid eating late and big dinners. When you eat late, food stays in your stomach over night and you store a lot of dampness in your body and you will most likely feel very heavy in the morning. Overall this can also make you feel depressed.
When you are angry and stressed don’t eat too much. The stomach is very tight when stressed or angry, which means the stomach hasn’t got enough Qi to digest the food. So when eating a lot you damage the stomach Qi. Try eating little and light. What you should also avoid is cold icy drinks and food. This also damages the stomach Qi and has to make the body work harder having to warm up the food and then on top of it digest it.
Exercise is a great way of preventing and helping depression. It’s also a great way of getting rid of body fat, fluid and dampness, helping strengthen the stomach Qi.
Stomach problems should be treated as early as possible. We recommend Tai Chi, Qi Gong or other exercise. Chinese medicine has lots of ways of helping stomach problems
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by Angela Zhu, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi instructor.
© Copyright Angela Zhu 2010
