Traditional Chinese Medicine

Therapy Guide

Tai Qi and Qi Gong are both Energetic Exercise systems from China.  Qi Gong dates back thousands of years. Tai Qi appears to have its origins in the 12th century.

The word Qigong (pronounced chi kung) is a combination of two ideas: “Qi” meaning air, breath of life, or vital energy of the body, and “gong” meaning the skill of working with, or cultivating, self-discipline and achievement. The art of Qigong consists primarily of meditation, relaxation, physical movement, mind-body integration, and breathing exercises. Practitioners of Qigong develop an awareness of qi sensations (energy) in their bodies and use their mind to guide the Qi. When the practitioners achieve a sufficient skill level (master), they can direct or emit external Qi for the purpose of healing others.

There are thousands of styles of Qi Gong and many of the techniques are for specific purposes , some for health , others for Martial Arts.

Tai Qi Chuan refers to the martial arts that the current systems of Tai Qi developed from. There are several different styles of Tai Qi popularly practiced. Common to each of the different Tai Qi systems is a slow motion movement routine.

Beyond that the differences depend on the teacher. One thing that Tai Qi is not, is slowed down Karate or Kung Fu. The principles of genuine Tai Qi differ fundamentally from those of harder style martial arts. Tai Qi as a martial art maintains its own autonomy.

Although the benefits Tai Qi and Qi Gong are wide-ranging and not limited to those listed below, its practice is of particular value in four regards:

   1. The cultivation of Qi or life force energy.
   2. Exercising and conditioning the body on a very deep level.
   3. Learning to understand and apply the inner structure of the body.
   4. Learning to be focused in the moment.

These four areas are pretty much all encompassing. Any other benefits of Tai Qi and Qi Gong can arguably be assigned to one of these categories. Some of these ideas may seem a bit foreign and difficult to grasp at first, but concealed within these concepts is the benefit that they have to offer. It is however, the actual living of these principles that enables the Tai Qi practitioner to experience renewed health and well-being on all levels. Tai Qi students may also experience the feeling of being more integrated both within themselves and with their environment.

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Therapy Guide

Shiatsu (Japanese from shi, meaning finger, and atsu, meaning pressure) - is a massage technique originating in Japan.

Developed by Tokujiro Namikoshi it was refined and practiced throughout his life. In 1953 he introduced it to the West at the Palmer Chiropractic School. By 1964 The Japanese Ministry of Health reviewed the regulations and acknowledged Shiatsu, Massage Therapy and Anma as unique and independent therapeutic methods.

A common misconception is that Shiatsu was based on Oriental or Chinese medicine , it was not. It is based on modern anatomy and physiology and is not related to Acupuncture, Moxibustion or Anma therapy.

Therapy Guide

Acupuncture (from Lat. acus, "needle" (noun), and pungere, "prick" (verb) or in Standard Mandarin, zhēn jǐu (針灸) is one of the main branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM (others being herbal medicine and tui na). It is a therapeutic technique from that framework intended to restore health and well-being. The term acupuncture is often used by Westerners to refer to Chinese medicine generally. The technique involves the insertion of needles into "acupuncture points" on the body by trained practitioners. The needles most commonly used in present-day practice are made of stainless steel and are of approximately the same diameter as a medium thickness guitar string (from approximately .01" to .02"). Acupuncture and related practices predate modern concepts of science, and some but not all of its traditional indications have been verified in modern studies and clinical practice.

Therapy Guide

In the context of physical health, weight loss is the process of reducing body weight, typically by losing fat.

To achieve weight loss, more energy must be expended than taken in. This can be achieved by reducing the amount of food consumed, increasing physical activity or a combination of the two.

For healthy weight loss, most experts recommend a combination of healthy eating patterns and regular physical exercise.

Other methods of losing weight include the use of herbal medicines or drugs that decrease appetite and/or increase physical activity. Examples of these are fenfluoramine, ephedra, nicotine or cocaine.  Surgical options are also available. Liposuction removes targeted area of fat and tissue while bariatric surgeries can result in large weight loss by reducing the size of the stomach or reducing the absorption of food energy. Surgical and drug options may have serious side-effects.