Some Practical Acupuncture Points

March 1, 2010 by Danny | No comments

Some forms of acupuncture can be practiced anyone, not just by specialist. Whether for healing or as part of your health regime, you can do acupressure at home. But there are three hundreds sixty-five acupuncture points. Remembering where they are and how to use them is not easy, even for a trained acupuncturist.
I recently bought a three book set called “The Secrets of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Health Regime.” The author is Dr. Wu Guo Jong. He is a TCM doctor working in Beijing, China. In the book he mentioned using some acupuncture points as part of an everyday health regime. I think what he suggests is easy and useful for everybody, so I would like to share them with you.
1. LI 4 Acupuncture Point – He Gu – Large Intestine Meridian
Chinese Name: He Gu “http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/8-12/200781210309.html”
English Name: Union Valley
Location: On the dorsum(back) of the hand, approximately at the midpoint of the second metacarpal bone, in the belly of the first interosseus dorsalis muscle. (between your thumb and first finger)
Contraindication: Do Not Needle If Pregnancy is known or suspected

Actions & Effects:
Releases the exterior for wind-cold or wind-heat syndromes
Strengthens the wei qi, improves immunity
Regulates the sweat glands, for excessive sweating tonify LI 4 then disperse KD 7 and vice versa.
Any problem on the face – sense organs, mouth, teeth, jaw, toothache, allergies, rhinitis, hay fever, acne, eye problems, etc.
Toothache, use both LI 4 & ST 44 – LI for the lower jaw & ST for the upper jaw.
Headache, especially frontal and/or sinus (yangming) area.
Chronic Pain.
Influence the circulation of Qi and Blood – Use the four gates, LI 4 & LV 3 to strongly move the Qi and Blood in the body clearing stagnation and alleviating pain.
Promote labor or for retained placenta.
Use your thumbs to press your He Gu point. Then, using medium force and speed, rub in tiny circles for two to three minutes.

2. PC 6 Acupuncture Point – Nei Guan – Pericardium Meridian
Chinese Name: Nei Guan “http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/8-20/2007820144316.html”
English Name: Inner Pass
Location: On the anterior forearm (inner wrist), 2 cm superior to the transverse wrist crease, between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis muscles (in the middle of your inner arm).

Actions & Effects:
Similar to PC 3, but more for Chronic Heart symptoms from Qi stagnation.
Opens and relaxes the chest, chest tightness, asthma, angina, palpitations.
Insomnia a/or other spirit disorders of an excess or deficient nature, mania, nervousness, stress, poor memory.
Nausea, seasickness, motion sickness, vomiting, epigastric pain.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Use your thumb to press your Nei Guan point. Then, using medium force and speed, rub in tiny circles for two minutes. Do once on the morning and once on the evening.

3. UB 40 Acupuncture Point – Wei Zhong – Bladder Meridian
Chinese Name: Wei Zhong “http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/8-17/2007817165550.html”
English Name: Bend Middle
Location: At the midpoint of the popliteal fossa (behind the knee).

Actions & Effects:
As the Lumbar Command Point, useful for all lumbar related issues: acute low back pain, sprain, muscle spasms, etc.
Main point for heat conditions such as summer heat, heatstroke and heat exhaustion.
Main point for all skin related issues: itching, oozing, inflammation, etc.
Good local point for leg and/or knee pain.

Put your foot on the low chair. Use your middle finger to press your Wei Zhong point. Then, using medium force and speed, rub in tiny circles for two to three minutes.

4. ST 36 Acupuncture Point – Zu San Li – Stomach Meridian
Chinese Name: Zusanli “http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/8-16/200781615595.html
English Name: Leg Three Li
Location: On the leg, one finger breadth lateral to the tibia’s anterior crest, 3 cm inferior to ST 35 in the depression to the lateral side of the patella.

Actions & Effects:
Tonifies deficient Qi a/or Blood.
Tonifies Wei Qi.
All issues involving the Stomach a/or the Spleen.
Clears disorders along the course of the channel – breast problems, lower leg pain.
Earth as the mother of Metal – will support Lung function in cases of asthma, wheezing, dyspnea.
Psychological/Emotional disorders – PMS, depression, nervousness.
Use your thumbs to press your Zu San Li point. Then, using strong force and slow speed, rub in tiny circles for two minutes.

These four acupuncture points can be stimulated once or twice a day. Try to do both sides. After two weeks you should be able to feel an improvement in your health problem

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Meditation

February 19, 2010 by Danny | No comments

In Buddhism there are many kinds of meditations. I think every religion also has their own way of doing meditation. I find that Meditation is also getting popular in North America because of the efforts of the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist monks.
Within Buddhism there are many different kinds of meditation. Some are easy and can be practiced at home by yourself. Some are of a high spiritual level where you need a good teacher to guide you and correct your errors. Regardless of the kind of meditation you are doing, whether Buddhist, Taoist or Yoga, when we talk about how to meditate, it always starts with how to breathe right. We all know breathing is essential and a necessity of life. But breathing also affects your psychological and subtler physiological processes.

When you are angry, nervous or afraid, your breath is fast and short. Your pulse speeds up too. If you are able to calm your breathing, taking deep and slow breaths, you can also slow your heart rate. People usually breath 14~18 breathes per minute. Research involving meditating monks, found when they breath 4~6 times a minute their pulse is also very slow. They also have greatly altered brain waves.

We believe that the history of meditation is several thousands years old. In India, before Sakyamuni Buddha, meditation already existed in Brahmanism. Brahmans believe that through meditation practice you can get mystical powers. Buddhism also believes meditation practice can cultivate mystical powers but the ultimate goal is to reach Satori (enlightenment). In China Taoist meditation practice started with Chi Kung meditation. Practitioners focus on their Chi (energy) encouraging it to flow through all the body’s meridians. They then focus on their spirit part hoping they can become immortal.

Now, when modern people do meditation I don’t think they want get mystical powers, achieve enlightenment or become immortal. Mostly just want to find a way to release the stress of living. But I find some people feel frustrated after they trying meditation because they can’t calm down their mind; they have too many thoughts. When some people see “Meditation” they automatically think “calm”, “peace” or “empty mind”. These preconceived notions interfere when they are doing meditation because they tell themselves they must have these feelings and when they don’t they feel frustrated.

In Buddhism, meditation means “Focus Observe”. This means that when you are doing meditation you try to focus on one thing (you can focus on your breath, one thought, a sound…etc.) then observe it. At the beginning you might have a lot of feelings from your body (itching, pain, heat…etc.) and a lot of thoughts in your mind but you still just observe them and don’t follow them. You don’t let your mind be distracted from your single focus. If you think your mind has too many thoughts you can try this: Your mind is just like the blue sky, your thought are like clouds. When a thought comes it’s just like a cloud. No matter if it’s a white cloud or a dark cloud, behind all clouds there is always the blue sky.

There are many places that teach meditation for free, like Vipassana Meditation centres, local meditation groups, Buddhist temples or even some Buddhist monasteries. You can go take a course there then go home and practice by your self. There are also some places that teach expensive meditation courses. You have to pay a lot of money to learn how to meditate! Usually I don’t like that. Meditation is not like buying a car, house…etc. When you buy things, paying more money usually means getting better quality. Meditation is different from buying an object. When you want to do meditation it means you want to find a way to release your mind and spirit. If you pay a lot of money to take a course you already expect to get something from the course so how can you release your mind and spirit?

Here is one easy way to do meditation: Do some warm-up or stretching first to relax your body. In Yoga meditation the stretching is very important because when your body is soft enough then the energy can go through your body.
Next rest your tongue tip on the ridge behind your upper teeth then breathe through your nose down your Dan-Tien with every breath. The Dan-Tien is here:
The “Sea of Chi”, or “Chi Hai”, is usually 1.5 inches below your umbilicus/belly button for an average sized person.

You can find your Dantien this way. Place your hand flat against your belly. With fingers together, thumb up and fingers below, put your thumb directly over your umbilicus. The “Sea of Chi”, an acupuncture point, is directly beneath your ring finger. Place your other hand beneath the first hand. Your second hand is now over your Dantien. The Dantien is part of a larger area that includes the “Hinge at the Source” or “Guan Yuan”.

When you breath-in try taking a deep, fast breath. When you breath-out, exhale as slow as you can, focusing on your breath. You can sit on a seat cushion or on a chair. You can even stand but most importantly you want to keep your spine straight from neck to hip.

In the beginning you can try to meditate for 15~ 20 minutes at a time then gradually lengthen it. Sometimes you will feel good, sometimes you will have bad feelings but you just want to observe it and fixate on it. You need to persevere with your practice. When your breathing can slow to 4~6 times a minute you will find your mind and body feel different than before.

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False And Genuine: Detachment From Material Desires

February 13, 2010 by Danny | No comments

Do you like delusions or truth? Many people keep a false front; projecting success and joy. Other people look on, believing this is reality, feeling envy. Culture and media supplies people with images of what success is, like a BMW. Then people delude themselves enough to repeat it parrot style. Real is simple and natural, but it is difficult, because you have work against the influence of media and culture. Especially when everybody is inebriated only you stay sober.
Recently I read a News article called “Millionaire Gives Away Fortune Which Made Him Miserable” The article says: Austrian millionaire Karl Rabeder is giving away every penny of his £3 million fortune after realizing his riches were making him unhappy.
Mr Rabeder, 47, a businessman from Telfs is in the process of selling his luxury 3,455 sq ft villa with lake, sauna and spectacular mountain views over the Alps, valued at £1.4 million.
Also for sale is his beautiful old stone farmhouse in Provence with its 17 hectares overlooking the arrière-pays, on the market for £613,000. Already gone is his collection of six gliders valued at £350,000, and a luxury Audi A8, worth around £44,000. His entire proceeds are going to charities he set up in Central and Latin America, but he will not even take a salary from these.
“For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness,” he said. “I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years,” said Mr Rabeder.
But over time, he had another, conflicting feeling.
“More and more I heard the words: ‘Stop what you are doing now – all this luxury and consumerism – and start your real life’,” he said. “I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things that I did not wish for or need.
I have the feeling that there are lot of people doing the same thing.”
However, for many years he said he was simply not “brave” enough to give up all the trappings of his comfortable existence.
The tipping point came while he was on a three-week holiday with his wife to islands of Hawaii.
“It was the biggest shock in my life, when I realised how horrible, soulless and without feeling the five star lifestyle is,” he said. “In those three weeks, we spent all the money you could possibly spend. But in all that time, we had the feeling we hadn’t met a single real person – that we were all just actors. The staff played the role of being friendly and the guests played the role of being important and nobody was real.”
Since selling his belongings, Mr Rabeder said he felt “free, the opposite of heavy”.
But he said he did not judge those who chose to keep their wealth. “I do not have the right to give any other person advice. I was just listening to the voice of my heart and soul.”
“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/7190750/Millionaire-gives-away-fortune-which-made-him-miserable.html”
THe Chinese Taoist philosopher named Zhuangzi (Chuang-Tzu), in his book Nanhua zhenjing Chapter 18: Perfect Enjoyment tell us like this: “Is there a way to be perfectly happy in this world or not? Is there a way to live longer or not? If there is, what can you do and what can you depend on to accomplish those things? What should you avoid and what should you accept? What should you move towards and what should you stay away from? What should you enjoy and what should you hate?
The things admired in this world are having wealth, being moral, living a long life and being famous. What brings enjoyment are having a comfortable place to live, eating flavorful foods, wearing beautiful clothes, looking at pretty colors, and hearing delightful music. What’s looked down on are being poor, being vulgar, dying young, and those who are filled with hate. What’s disliked are not being physically healthy, not having flavorful food to stimulate the taste buds, not having fancy clothes to wear, not being able to see bright colors, and not being able to listen to delightful music. If someone doesn’t acquire those things, they become depressed and anxiety-ridden. Those are stupid ways to treat the body!
The wealthy cause suffering to their bodies and make themselves sick because they try to accumulate more and more riches, but they never seem to get enough. That’s treating the body as being superficial.
People who want to be moral spend all their time day and night wondering if others see them as being kind or not. That’s being negligent towards the body.
If a person spends their whole life worrying about when they’re going to die, then their lives would simply revolve around worrying and they’d just be extending their misery. That’s taking yourself even farther away from your body.
People of high morals could be lined up so the rest of the world could observe how good they were, but that wouldn’t be enough to keep them alive. Can we really determine whether what we think is good is really goodness or really not goodness? Even if we decide that someone is good, that’s still not enough to keep them alive. If we decide that someone isn’t good, that might be enough to keep other people alive.
Therefore it’s been said:
“Faithfully listen to admonishments. Squat down and obey. DO NOT disagree.”
When Zi Xu (an adviser to the kings of the state of Wu who was forced to commit suicide) disagreed he suffered great injury to his body. If he hadn’t disagreed, then he wouldn’t have ended up becoming so famous. Can anything really be considered to be good or not?
As for when ordinary people express happiness, can we really determine if their happiness is coming naturally from within them or if it’s a release from unhappiness? When I observe the common people having fun, they socialize with each other in groups, rushing on and chattering incessantly as though that’s the only thing they can do. Even though they all say they’re happy, I’m not sure if they’re happy, but I’m also not sure if they’re unhappy. Maybe they’re just appearing to be happy, but they’re really not? Personally, I find more happiness in not being involved in all that activity, yet ordinary people would find what I do to be very uncomfortable.
Therefore it’s been said:
“In perfect happiness the sense of happiness vanishes. In perfect honorability the sense of honor vanishes.”
In this world, no one can know what results might occur from acting in ways that are considered to be either right or wrong. Even so, if no actions are taken, right and wrong become settled of themselves. To be perfectly happy throughout your entire life – only by taking no actions would it keep multiplying and accumulating. Please try to get the gist of these words. Without taking any actions the heavens are clear, and without taking any actions the earth is stable. Since neither of them do anything, they conform to each other and all living things transform naturally. What wasn’t there before is suddenly there, and there’s no sense where it came from! What is there suddenly vanishes, and it doesn’t even leave an image behind! All living things become involved in all sorts of things, and they go along with what happens and keep developing without even being aware they’re doing it.
Therefore it’s been said:
“Heaven and earth don’t do anything, yet nothing is left undone.”
Among people, who would be able to achieve this type of nonaction?
( Translation by Nina Correa) “http://www.daoisopen.com/ZZ18.html”

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Ignorance And Knowledge AS A Barrier

February 1, 2010 by Danny | No comments

When we speak of ignorance I think the biggest issue is people’s fear of being seen as ignorant.
In English ignorant is defined as “1. lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned. 2. lacking knowledge of information as to a particular subject or fact. 3. uninformed. 4. due to or showing a lack of knowledge or training.” (dictionary.com).
Unfortunately colloquial English often defines ignorant as follows: (adj) :not polite; unkind; rude esp. because of a lack of moral behavior.” From “The Dictionary of Informal, Slang and Idiomatic Phrases in Spoken English.” This last definition is a discussion for another time.

The great philosopher Socrates often said his wisdom was limited to an awareness of his own ignorance. Socrates believed wrongdoing was a result of ignorance and those who did wrong knew no better. He is noted for saying; “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing” and “I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.”
In China the Taoist philosopher, Lao-Zi (Laotse), author of the Daodejing(Tao Te Ching), is known to have a similar saying: ”The wise one does not know many things; He who knows many things is not wise.”
So if a person knows himself to be ignorant it is not shameful. Lao-Zi also told us that “He who knows others is learned; He who know himself is wise.”

The opposite of ignorant is knowledgeable. In Buddhism you can find a concept called the “Knowledge Barrier.” This refers to the times when knowledge becomes a stumbling block towards reaching enlightenment. One famous example uses the moon and a finger pointing at the moon as a metaphorical explanation.
Let’s make the moon the state of Enlightenment. All of the Sutras/sacred writings can be likened as a finger. The finger is used to point you towards the moon, showing you the way. A seeker who focuses all his/her attention on the finger doesn’t reach the moon.

Similarly, after many years of martial arts training, I have realized that in Chinese martial arts (Wu Shu) learning forms and learning striking skills (San Da) are not the same. Every school practices their own special kind of style, like T’ai Chi Chu’an, Xing Yi, Ba Gua or Shao Lin. However, even when you can perform a form very well, it doesn’t mean you can use those skills in a real fight. If you want to be good in a real fight, then you have to practice free style sparring very often. For instance, there are a lot of Wu Shu forms made just for performances; we call it “Showy Boxing”. When you see people doing a form on TV, and it looks nice, then it can’t be used in a real fight.

Consider the skills of a person who has read a lot of martial arts books and can do many different kinds martial arts forms but has never practice free style sparring. If he chooses to compete at an Ultimate Fighter event, he will still lose the fight. All martial arts forms are just one way to help us develope our “muscle memory” and release our body and mind. The form’s intent is to keep you relaxed when you face a real fight, so you can be “natural.”
This is why I like the part in the movie “Kung Fu Panda” where the panda opens the Dragon Scroll to find it is blank. “The Tao(Dao) that can be told of is not the absolute Tao(Dao); The Names that can be given are not absolute Names.”

Buddha told us:”… people should remember the unreality of …concepts and ideas. They should recall that in teaching spiritual truths the Buddha always uses…concepts and ideas in the way that a raft is used to cross a river. Once the river has been crossed over, the raft is of no more use, and should be discarded… arbitrary concepts and ideas about spiritual things need to be explained to us as we seek to attain Enlightenment. However, ultimately these arbitrary conceptions can be discarded. …[ To attain Enlightenment] isn’t it even more obvious that we should also give up our conceptions of non-existent things?” For a more complete explanation please go to http://www.diamond-sutra.com/diamond_sutra_text/page6.html
What has the most knowledge? “The Internet”(Divine Google) is our most common response. When we “Google” the Internet we usually get many, many answers. But it doesn’t automatically solve the problems in our life. Why is that?
There are many different answers to life’s questions. People choose, based on ignorance or knowledge. Sometimes the best answers comes from honestly confronting our own ignorance or leave our mind empty. Then we find the path pointing to the answers we need.

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The Chi(Qi) Power

January 31, 2010 by Danny | No comments

Below are some funny pictures.

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