Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

There are many ways to promote and restore our body energy, and Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture is one of them. Well being is all about balance and harmony between body and mind.

Life is about how we react to situations so after banging my head and fighting with everything. I learnt to chose to see an opportunity in every challenge and enjoy the journey of life instead of being worried or complaining.

Acupuncture has helped me several times and I feel restored and balanced after my sessions.

Life as a journey

I have also learnt to observe nature and especially the trees through the seasons, seeing how they react with the weather. It makes me feel calm and centered.

Every year the cycle repeats: Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer and the beauty of the trees appears every season and every year. It is a lesson to learn: embrace the challenge and move on!

Acupuncture also helped me to develop my own techniques to remain balanced which helps me focus on my goals positively.

Firstly, don’t be afraid of the needles! Make sure you choose a qualified and good practitioner such as my friends Margaret and Chris who are featured in this post and will explain more about Acupuncture and how does it work.

So, why use Acupuncture as a way to restore and balance our energy?

Chi Definition – What is Qi?

Originally, the concept of Qi was developed and used by philosophers in ancient China in order to help them understand the workings of the natural world. It was subsequently adopted by Chinese medicine practitioners in ancient China who were looking to better understand the mechanisms that animate and control the human body. Over the course of history, it has been refined and further developed by philosophers and medical practitioners alike.

In the Chinese language (Mandarin) there are approximately 1000 different meanings for and translations of the word Qi. However, none of this accurately conveys the true nature and understanding of Qi.

With respect to Chinese medicine, the best way to understand Qi is by thinking of it as the ‘life-force’ or ‘vital-energy’ that flows in, through and around all things, without which there would be no life.

Qi is the fabric that permeates and connects all things throughout the universe, regardless of size, shape or form.

Chinese medicine

The development of Chinese medicine began around 4000 years ago in ancient China. The main classical text of Chinese medicine is the Huang Di Nei Jing, or Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor.

The Nei Jing served as the basis for the development of Chinese medicine, providing the foundation for subsequent medical classics and texts. This knowledge has been used by philosophers and physicians ever since.

The definition of Chi, due to its holistic nature, is not exclusively limited to what happens within the body. It extends to the environment in which people live and many factors which can influence Qi in both positive and negative ways.

These can range from environmental conditions such as weather, the food and drink as emotional factors such as stress.

A healthy flow of Qi gives rise to overall good health and any blockage to or imbalance of the flow of Qi gives rise to disharmony within the body, leading to illness.

Let The Energy Flow – How Acupuncture can help

The concept of Qi in the context of Chinese medicine follows the idea that Qi is an attributable property of each internal organ of the body. 

From the exterior or skin, through to the muscles and on to the organs at the deepest level. The two most important organs relating to Qi in Chinese medicine are the Lung, which takes clean Qi from the air and the Spleen, which takes nutritious Qi from food.

Each internal organ has its own corresponding meridian, referred to as channels or energy pathways. It is through these meridians that the Qi flows. These pathways are not random, and follow clearly defined routes within the body.

Acupuncture

A practitioner of Chinese medicine can access the Qi of a particular meridian related to the internal organ corresponding. 

At Equilibrium Chinese Medicine, our aim is to identify the root cause(s) of the Qi imbalance and how it is related to an illness. The treatments offered are acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese Tuina massage or various combinations of these therapies.

To supplement the main treatment, a simple dietary and/or lifestyle advice may be offered. The ultimate goal is to empowering the patient to become aware of and control the balance of their own Chi.

Read more about the Energy for 2018 as The Year of the Dog in Chinese culture here