We often take our bodies for granted until they begin to speak loudly through pain, fatigue, digestive trouble, sleep disturbance, or a serious diagnosis. Ironically, many of us care for our cars more consistently than we care for our own bodies—checking, maintaining, and repairing them before problems grow worse. This series shares real-life-inspired TCM stories to remind us of something simple but easy to forget: the body is not a machine to push endlessly but a living system that needs respect, attention, and care. These stories are not only about living longer. They are about living better—with more energy, balance, and quality in our daily lives. When Sleep Became Impossible: 2. Lessons from a Teacher's Life The body rarely breaks all at once; it warns us in whispers. I remember a patient in her early 40s—a dedicated teacher who spent her nights grading papers and her mornings rising before the sun. Caffeine was her constant companion. Eventually, chronic heada...
Do you still struggle to maintain a healthy weight even after attempting a variety of diets, fitness programs, and weight loss medications? Here, I'd like to share a weight-loss strategy based on the four constitutions that traditional Korean medicine has preserved. When you choose the appropriate routine, exercise, food, and treatment based on your constitution, you will be able to maintain a healthy weight and overall wellbeing. The fact that each patient has a unique constitution explains why, even when the same treatment is given for the same symptom, the results vary from patient to patient. The four constitution types were first proposed by Lee Je-ma, born in 1894. He was a traditional physician and used tailored treatments based on his four constitution types. As in 周 易 /Iching, the basis of ancient Eastern medicine and the repository of the laws of nature and the cosmos, he focused on the four constitution types according to the yin and yang dynamics in h...