TCM Daily Secret

Studies and research have been published in various medical journals about the specific relations between the right/ left nostrils and certain biological/ mental functions.  The breathing technique of Yogis Alternating nostril breathing is known to warm the body and aids digestion. After eating, yogis lie on their left side and breathe primarily through their righ nostril. They believe that this posture and breathing technique promote the blood flow and heat in the body, which aids in digestion.  A study of Yogi's breathing technique in Philadelphia A few years ago, this claim was studied at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Twenty healhty subjects were provided with a high-fat meal on a different day and asked to lie on their Right or Left side. As the result, those who were instructed to lie on their left side (breathing primarily thorugh their Right nostril like Yogis) experienced significantly less heartburn and lower throat acidity in comparision to those who wer...

Today is the Sping Equinox in the Chinese Calendar. The Spring Equinox, Chunfen, is the fourth of the 24 seasonal days of the year and is halfway between Jingzhe, awakening of insects, and Qingming, clear and bright. It belongs to February in the lunar carlendar and around March 20-21 in the solar calendar.  The Chinese lunar calendar has 24 seasonal days, the first of which is Lichun, the beginning of spring. This year, Lichun fell on January 14 in the Chinese calendar and February 4 in the solar calendar. The second seasonal day was Yushui, Rain water, which was January 29 in the Chinese calendar and February 19 in the solar calendar. Both of these seasons fall in the first month of the lunar calendar, which is the month of the LUNG associated with the traditional Chinese medicine.  February is the month of Large Intestine and includes Jingzhe and Chunfen. Jingzhe fell on March 6 in the solar calendar. If Jingzhe is the wake-up call for spring, Chunfen is the shake-up call f...

  What is brown sugar?  Brown sugar aka turbinado is a type of sugars that is heated to a yellowish-brown color after white sugar produced and refined several times in the sugar-making process. It has a unique flavor compared to white sugar, and the heat applied during the manufacturing process brings out the aroma of raw sugar.  But, this article is focusing on organic sugar obtained organically from brown sugar cane without chemical refining processes. Genuine organic sugar, however, is not easy to find. In my experience, the one shown in the photo is the closest to the one that I have been using for over two decades. (Note that I have no affiliationg with this product, and this is just an introduction based on my experience.) Benefits of organic brown sugar 1. supplies minerals and vitamins to make the skin glow. 2. removes dead skin cells, dirt, and moisturizes the skin. 3. has a lifting effect on fine lines that appear with dry skin. 4. exfoliates the skin. 5. is eff...

  Ten ten about our hands  1. The hands reveal a person's health and character, and the masks of life through palm prints. 2. A handshake is a sign of friendship and clapping hands means praise and encouragement. 3. Rubbing hands is an expression of anxiety or flattery, and repetitive rubbing hands to someone is an expression of apology or asking forgiveness 4. Hiding hands behind the back means being secretive.  5. The right hand communicates with the left brain and vice versa. 6. Close your eyes and put your hands together for just one minute. You will feel your hands to be electrified as if you rub your hands together when you feel cold. 7. Swelling of the hands is a sign of swelling in the body, and tremoring hands is a sign of nervous disorder in the system. 8. The nerves of the whole body are connected to the palm. So hitting the palm is like stimulating the entire body. 9. Someone who does not smile even when the palm is tickled is a person whose nerves are dull, i...

  Traditional Medicine in Asia has long practiced various and unique breathing exercises to improve the flow of QI and Blood in the body and help the organ function smoothly.  A similar technique was introduced in the United States by a gynecologist, Arnold Kegel, who developed the PFE/pelvic floor exercise in 1948. This exercise is known to be effective for urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse in women. In a nutshell, it is an anal tightening exercise you can imagine that you have a straw up in the anus and tighten it as if you're pulling water through the straw.  In Oriental medicine, five organs and six fu inside the human body communicate with the outside world through five spirits associated with those major organs and nine orifices in the body. The breathing techniques introduced here are associated with the aus.  1. Inhale, using force as if drawing the anus and perineum up to the chest, and exhale to relax. This is a very simple technique that can be done...

Repetitive recitaion are an integral part of religous rituals and mind-body practices. It has known to help the mind calm and centered on the balanced state. In Eastern traditional medicine, the vocal repetition is known to help stimulate and circulate Qi and blood.  What & Contraindication A tradtional method derived from the ancient literature, yuk jia zhen, is one of the four major Qigong methods to release evil or excessive Qi out of the body such as heat, dryness, phlegm, turbidity, or wind. In this vein, this practice may need precaution for those who are chronically ill, quickly feeling dizzy, overly sweating accompanied by weak spleen and stomach, or empty heat.   Origin It first appeared in the literature written by Dao Xinging of the Yang Dynasty in China in the 6th Century. Combining the five elements, the four seasons, the five yin organs plus the tripple burner, and the five vocal notes, this vocal and breathing method is to stimulate good Qi and release ...

Microneedling also known as a collagen induction therapy, is a cosmetic procedure that involves creating tiny punctures led to micro-injuries in the skin with the a device called a dermaroller or a dermapen.  These micro-injuries stimulate the production of collagen and elastin as two essential proteins for the healthy and youthful-looking skin. Promoted production of collagen helps to keep the skin firmer and more elastic, which improve the appearance of fine lines, winkles, acne/surgical scars, sun-spots, stretch marks, shagging skins, and even enlarged pores.  Dr. Suozzi, a dermatologist, on the yale medicine acalimed that microneedling is beneficial for skin remodeling.  When microneedling is administered in the acupuncture clinic, the good thing is tailored and individualized treatments depending on each one's underlying conditions associated with skin manifestations.  For example, one microneedling treatment doesnt have to target the entire face at a time rathe...

  Helen Hong, LAc, Dipl, Ch, PhD.                                 1. 1 square inch of skin has 19,500,000 cells, 1300 muscle fibers,  78 nerve   fibers, 650 sweat pores, 100 sebaceous glands, 65 hairs, 20 blood vessels, 1 78 heat sensors and 13 cold sensors. 2.  Why don't I keep getting sick?    Leukocytes are not the only cells that  defend the body by attacking bacteria and other foreign substances that  enter  the body. There are also lymphocytes and macrophages that do the  same.  These cells are called macrophages, but it has recently been  discovered that  macrophages in this genus play a very important role in  immunity, and not just for killing enemies. These 'macrophages' are said to  recognize the antigens that they have eaten, and then pass them on to the  immune system. In other words, the macrophage kills the first...

  Modern health is under threat from a variety of sources. Polluted environments, food produced with pesticides or GMOs, many over-the-counter medications, and the daily stress of survival all present the potential for harms in our bodies at any given time. As a result, medical etiology is increasingly characterized as unknowable. Makoto Kondo, a famous Japanese physician, has made waves in the medical community by claiming that our health is killed by medicine. In this situation, the ways to maintain health and wellness will vary depending on the individual, but I like to introduce here 10 benefits of acupunture to maintain health and wellness. 1. Pain relief : Acupuncture  has been proven to be effective in relieving pain in various parts of the body,  including back pain, neck pain, knee pain, headaches/migraines and arthritis pain. 2. Stress and anxiety reduction :  Acupuncture has been known to have a calming effect on the nervous system, which helps reduce str...