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Cheng Man Ching

Cheng Man Ching

by | 77,Jan, 2021 | Portrait

The master of the “five excellences”

Of all the modern Tai Chi masters, none has had as much impact as Professor Cheng Man-Ch’ing. He died on March 26, 1975 in Taiwan, and is remembered today as the “Master of the Five Excellences” for his mastery of five arts: calligraphy, poetry, painting, medicine and Tai Chi Chuan.

Cheng Man-Ch’ing was born on July 29, 1902 in Yongjia, China. As a young man, he became seriously ill with tuberculosis. A local doctor suggested him to practice Tai chi chuan to cure himself. Cheng then embarked on the study and practice of Tai Chi. He completely cured his illness.

In his thirties, Cheng became a student of the great master of Tai Chi Chuan, Yang Ch’eng-Fu. He studied with him the Yang form from 1928 to 1935, enduring many difficulties to learn this art. Although he himself became a great Tai Chi master, Professor Cheng, with his legendary modesty, always disparaged his own skill over that of his teacher. He used to say, “If Tai Chi were a human body, all I have is the thumb. My teacher has the whole body!”

Man-Ch’ing created his own form, the 37-step form, based on the traditional 108-posture Yang form he had studied with his teacher.

A Tai chi chuan school in New York

After a brilliant career as a doctor, senator and martial artist in Taiwan, Professor Cheng had to expatriate to Taiwan like many other martial arts masters and Chinese intellectuals. There he founded the school of Tai Chi Chuan “Shr Zhong”, or “The right rhythm”. He then left in 1964 for the United States, where he opened a Tai Chi school in New York, in the Chinatown district.

He returned to Taiwan in 1974 for the publication of his book of commentaries on the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzeu, a work that was particularly close to his heart. Thus, he declared to his relatives, once his work was completed, “If I have to die, I will have no regrets.”

Today, Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s legacy lives on through his poetry, his painting, those he healed, those to whom he passed on his teaching and who in turn pass it on to students all over the world.

The 37-step form

Cheng Man-ch’ing is known in the West primarily for his t’ai chi ch’uan. Here are some of the characteristics of his “Yang style short form” or “37 step form.”

It eliminates most of the repetition of some of the movements in the long Yang form. It is much shorter than the Yang long form as it is practiced in about ten minutes as opposed to twenty to thirty minutes for the Yang form.

The Yang long form is a very short form.

The hand and wrist are open, but relaxed, which Cheng calls the “beautiful lady’s hand”. The Cheng style is characterized by the“swing and return”, in which the momentum of one movement initiates the next.

These modifications allowed Cheng to teach more students, including many Westerners, in a shorter time. His shortened form became extremely popular in Taiwan and Malaysia. Finally, he was one of the first Chinese masters to publicly teach t’ai chi ch’uan in the United States.

 

Ten solutions against anxiety

Ten solutions against anxiety

by | 55,Jan, 2021 | Health for everyone

 

Here are ten natural solutions to treat anxiety

   In this time of Covid crisis, more and more people are suffering from anxiety attacks and even chronic anxiety. Here we offer ten effective solutions and techniques to deal with these emotions without resorting to chemical drugs.

1. Exercise

The first remedy to combat anxiety is the practice of a sports activity. Indeed physical activity has an antidepressant and anti-anxiety effect. It is not only a question of walking, but of practicing an intense activity that will make your heart work and thus stimulate the whole metabolism. This will automatically mobilize your attention enough to put your mental anxieties and ruminations in the background. And the more you push your limits, the more you will increase your self-esteem. What’s more, an intense practice releases endorphins, which act similarly to opium, generating a state of well-being.

2. Breathe

Breathing slowly and deeply provides a soothing effect. You can find many breathing exercises, especially in the Prânayama. They always consist of conscious, abdominal and ample breathing. For example, you can count 4 during the breath, keep your lungs full for 7 seconds, then exhale for 8 to 10 seconds, and so on. This conscious breathing will again mobilize your attention. What’s more, slowing down the breathing rate and breathing through the stomach provides indoor calm and safety.

3. Challenge yourself

Imposing a difficult or unpleasant routine at first, will strengthen the will and determination. Persistent and progressing, the mind strengthens and self-confidence grows. It’s up to everyone to choose their own challenge. For example, one can decide to get up early morning, when we would prefer to stay in bed, to go for a walk, run, or meditate.

You can choose to experiment with cold showers or baths. This practice is very powerful to strengthen the immune system. It also increases the secretion of endorphins, a source of pleasure and of well-being. It therefore has both a stimulating and relaxing effect.

What’s more, simply succeeding in your challenge builds self-confidence. Anxiety will be automatically reduced.

4. Pratice benevolent actions

In anxiety, one tends to confine one’s thoughts that loop in one’s head. As a result, we forget that contact with others can bring us joy and comfort. Paying attention to others, their smiles, giving them services: all these little benevolent acts are contagious and bring us in return a well-being. Anxiety will diminish, and the love and benevolence that we have radiated will come back to us in return.

5. Meditate

The practice of meditation is becoming more and more popular. Indeed, it has highly beneficial effects on the physical and mental. It is particularly effective in teaching us to regulate our emotions, and to distance ourselves from our thoughts. Meditating, unlike relaxation, is not lying on your bed listening to relaxing music. Although relaxation can be interesting too.

Meditation is practiced in lotus position, half-lotus, or tailor, spine straight, knees on the ground. Once well positioned, you just have to breathe deeply, relax, welcome your emotions, observe your thoughts and let them pass as you watch a train pass by. Whatever emotion overwhelms you (anxiety, anger, or fear), the worst is trying to fight it. The most effective is to welcome it, feel it physically, and breathe. It will then subside over time. Finally, to be sustainably beneficial, meditation requires at least once a day, for at least 20 minutes.

 

6. Pratice an art

femme en train de peindre

The practice of an art brings joy, and obliges, by the concentration it requires, to put on hold haunting thoughts, worries.

The focus that this practice requires in the learning phase forces us to surpass ourselves, and progressing in an art increases self-esteem.

What’s more, the more we master it, the more the practice of an art elevates our soul, gives us pleasure and joy. And anxiety is forced to retreat!

7. Improve your lifestyle

Anxious people have a great interest in paying close attention to their diet, and their lifestyle in general. The temptation in case of anxiety may be to distract with alcohol, cigarettes, or to abuse coffee. If alcohol can temporarily make us forget the anxiety, it does not solve anything and may even increase it once the euphoric effect has subsided. It is also important to get enough sleep time, to eat healthily and at regular times. Finally, it is essential to spend time in contact with nature, which has a balancing effect on our whole mind-body.

8. Essential oils

The essential oil (HE) of marjoram shell, which balances the nervous system, is effective in combating anxiety. It can be applied to the plexus, hollow located above the stomach, which is the seat of emotions. This is where you feel a feeling of oppression when you are anxious. Use: Pour 5 drops of HE into a teaspoon of vegetable oil (calendula, sweet almond…). The plexus is massaged into circles with this mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. You can also use lavender which has a soothing effect.

9. Qi gong

Directly linked to Chinese medicine, the practice of qi gong is a real goldmine to improve health, both physical and mental. The qi gong consists of simple postures or sequences of movements, to be practiced slowly and in conscience. It requires breathing deeply and relaxing, while listening to your body. The qi gong allows vital energy (or qi) to flow throughout the body, thus balancing this energy while increasing it. This means that it is both energized and relaxed.

This practice also helps to regulate our emotions by reducing their impact. You should quickly feel the benefits, even if again, only a regular practice can make a real impact on your health. It is advisable to learn qi gong with a master in qi gong, who can observe and guide you. 

Because under its apparent simplicity, the qi gong requires real learning to deliver all these treasures.

10. Acupuncture

If you suffer from chronic anxiety, or panic attacks, don’t hesitate to use outside help to start your healing process. Acupuncture is particularly effective in treating anxiety. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a holistic medicine that works by rebalancing the overall energy of the individual.

It therefore not only treats the physical but acts as a regulator on emotions. Indeed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), of which acupuncture is a part, each organ is linked to an emotion. For example the liver is associated with anger (or frustration), the kidneys with fear, the lungs to sadness etc. Anxiety is associated mainly with the spleen (and stomach). In a few sessions you should feel much more relaxed, and less anxious. This will give you enough energy to practice the techniques recommended above to maintain this state over the long term.

Covid-19 crisis and anxiety

Since the beginning of the epidemic, psychiatrists have witnessed a flood of children and adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders, various phobias including the fear of suffocation. Others are in an anxiety-depressive state, where fear is mixed with the guilt of transmitting the virus, or the fear of seeing their parents die.

On the adult side, it is not better, with the precariousness of many professional situations, the fear of losing one’s job, not to mention the promiscuity generated by confinement. In short, anxiety has never been better! Moreover, all the measures taken during this crisis, from the wearing of the mask to the confinement, all go opposite to the solutions against anxiety as you will see in this article.

Emotion of fear

Emotion of fear

by | 33,Mar, 2020 | medicaltcm

Fear is associated with the water element in TCM

Fear is part of the palette of human emotions. It manifests when the situation eludes us, when we have, or think we have, no more control. Physiologically, it corresponds to a strong release of adrenaline, resulting in an increase in blood pressure and pulse.

In other words, fear is a consequence of the analysis of danger which allows the subject to flee from it or to fight it. By extension, the term can also designate apprehension linked to unpleasant situations.

There are two types of fear: external fear and internal fear.

  • External fear is a reaction to an external situation that the individual seeks to avoid.
  • Internal fear is an internal fear connected to an often negative emotion (eg, low self-esteem).

Fear takes different forms depending on how an individual feels and describes it. This can range from being cautious to extreme paranoia. Fear therefore includes different emotional and cognitive states including worry, anxiety, terror, horror, panic and fear.

Chinese medicine and fear

In TCM, fear or anxiety is directly linked to the kidneys. This state, if prolonged or persistent can seriously harm daily life.

In TCM, the lower back is the Palace of the Kidneys. So the kidney void is the root of all low back pain. Most of the time, all the energetic imbalances of the Kidney are manifested, among other things, by pain in the lower back and knees.

In TCM, we talk about the Kidney to speak of the organ made up of a yin kidney and a yang kidney, but also of the whole of the functions of this pair of organ. The Kidney governs birth, growth, development, aging processes and reproduction. It is on him that sexual functions and fertility rest. We owe him the endurance, the will, the energy we have.

The Kidney assumes the energy management of the body and the balance between Yin and Yang. The Kidneys also control the bladder and anal sphincters. Fear will cause qi down, causing kidney disease. Therefore intense fear can cause urinary or anal incontinence.

Kidney void (or kidney energy void)

A person’s kidney vacuum can manifest as the following symptoms: poor willpower, dental problems, hair loss, brittle bones, fluid retention or edema, urinary problems (leaks, incontinence …) reduced hearing …

Kidney emptiness can be caused by repeated physical exertion, overwork, old age, sexual excess in men, close pregnancies.

Fullness of the Kidney (or excess energy of the Kidney)

In case of excess energy of the Kidney, we will notice in a person a great recklessness, an exacerbated sexual excitement, night sweats, heat in the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands, insomnia.

How to get strong kidneys

  • Sleep

    • The kidneys, like batteries, recharge between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. Lack of sleep during these hours inevitably results in a weakened kidney.

  • Eat properly.
    Certain foods strengthen the kidneys such as soy, duck, dried beans, lentils, nuts and dried fruits, oysters, sea shrimp, vegetables or roots (carrot, potato, turnips, etc.), apples, pears.
  • Hydrate properly.
    Drink fluids such as water or unsweetened fruit juices regularly and in reasonable quantities. All drinks not exceeding 1.5 liters on average per day.
  • Move.
    Here we can distinguish two kinds of activities. : intense activities causing a high heart rate, and more meditative activities such as tai qi or qi gong. The latter are highly indicated because they allow the qi to circulate freely, thus protecting the body from external attacks.
  • Avoid chemical drugs.
    See article on drugs harmful to the kidneys

Yǎngshēng: nurturing life

Yǎngshēng: nurturing life

by | 2929,Jul, 2019 | Health for everyone

Techniques to preserve health

  “Nurturing life” is the literal translation of Yǎngshēng, this little-known branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Yet Yǎngshēng holds an essential place. It is a set of methods and recommendations to preserve health and increase longevity. Because cultivating health is the primary goal of TCM, which considers health and not disease. In fact, Yǎngshēng is still taught today in Chinese medicine schools. Su Wen says, “Waiting to get sick before treatment is like waiting to get thirsty before digging a well, or waiting for the war to be declared to forge weapons. Is not it late? “

” Nurturing life. The expression itself is inspiring! It invites us to get closer to Nature and to respect its rhythms and rules. Understanding the essence of Yǎngshēng sheds light on how to transform our lives to live healthier … and happier.

It is within everyone’s reach to make the first step! This can start with reducing sugar and alcohol consumption, practicing an art, or an activity such as climbing, boxing, dancing, meditation, spending time in nature … the list is endless. Let’s explore the tracks that Yǎngshēng offers us.

Living in harmony with your environment

Health results from balance and harmony. Man can be in good health only if he lives in harmony with his environment, and in respect of the cycles of Nature. This includes going in the natural sense of life, or in other words “in the sense of the current”.

Who says harmony says moderation. Yǎngshēng thus recommends to ban excesses in all areas of life: food, sexuality, emotions, etc.

An excess of activity can be as harmful as an excess of sedentary. Harmony, and therefore health, is in a good balance.

 

The quest for balance

Yǎngshēng offers techniques that cover all ages of life, from birth to death. This includes :

  • Improve diet
  • Exercise regularly
  • Practice an art
  • Manage your rest
  • Improve qualitatively your sex life
  • Meditate

Indeed, when the mind is calm and clear, the disease cannot enter. “A man in peace will not get sick,” says an old Chinese saying.

Yǎngshēng attaches particular importance to adapting to the seasons. For example, in the spring, it is recommended to get up earlier, when the days are longer, and to exercise more at sunrise. In contrast, we should spend more time sleeping in winter, when the nights are longer. This adaptation to the seasons includes, of course, the diet. In the spring, which corresponds in Chinese medicine to the organ of the liver, one should favor foods that support the liver, or even practice fasting.

Breathe

Breath is the source of life. It starts with the first cry of the newborn and stops with the last breath. However, if the baby breathes naturally by swelling the belly, while growing up, it limits its breathing from the nose to the level of the diaphragm!

But a deep breath is essential to life. The more we breathe consciously, the more we benefit from the benefits of breathing. The simple act of breathing fully allows us to be more relaxed, to better nourish our organs, and to live more serenely our emotions. Techniques like Prānāyāma help develop a full and conscious breath.

Eat well

As for the Greek philosopher and physician Hippocrates, dietetics is the first of the disciplines of Chinese medicine. We cannot hope to be in good health if we eat the processed products offered by the food industry. In Cambodia, for example, the massive intake of white sugar and glutamate in food has become commonplace, killing just a thousand people!

Seasonal products that are freshly harvested and grown naturally should be selected. It is important to prepare them with love … and consume them with pleasure!

Controlling the body and mind

Life is movement, according to Taoist philosophy. Physical exercise is therefore recommended. It must be adapted to the age, and the season. The practice of qi gong is one of the royal ways to cultivate mind and body, with tàijíquán, meditation, yoga etc. Qi gong consists of a series of slow postures and movements that relax the joints and restore a harmonious flow of qì – or vital energy – throughout the body. The regular practice of qi gong can increase qì and control the circulation. Qi Gong is based on conscious breathing, relaxation, posture, and visualization. It is in itself an extremely powerful self-treatment practice. It helps calm the mind and better regulate our emotions.

Indeed emotional disorders, stress, are major factors of disease, especially in our contemporary world that has broken this harmony with Nature. But Yǎngshēng advocates taking care of our thoughts and emotions. This allows us to cultivate harmonious relationships with our fellow beings, an essential condition for health, longevity … and happiness!

Profit of inestimable value

Do not wait to practice Yǎngshēng and enjoy its benefits:

  • Better immunity, so better health
  • Increased self-confidence
  • An increase in creativity
  • A better emotional balance

 

  • A clearer mind
  • More vitality
  • More joy of life

You can already start with the following three points:

  1. Do 3 times a week for at least one hour of exercises including cardio exercises
  2. Eliminate sugar (alcohol), reduce salt, replace snacks with fruits
  3. Sleep for at least six hours between 10 pm and 6 am, hours that allow optimal recovery

Diabetes: TCM’s solutions

Diabetes: TCM’s solutions

by | 1515,Mar, 2019 | medicaltcm

Diabetes can be prevented, and also treated by TCM

Diabetes is experiencing alarming growth worldwide. A WHO report counted 422 million adults with diabetes worldwide in 2014, compared with 108 million in 1980. Cambodia is no exception, with 230,000 cases reported in 2015. In some regions, the rate of diabetics reaches as high as at 10% .

How can such a phenomenon be explained? The risk factors are essentially linked to a poor lifestyle: sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, excess of refined foods, overconsumption of sugar in particular, alcohol, not to mention emotional factors linked to an overly stressful lifestyle.

One can of soda contains 10 spoons of sugar

In Cambodia, the consumption of sugar has reached alarming proportions: multiplication of sodas stuffed with sugar, ubiquitous use of white sugar in the kitchen, sweetened condensed milk in coffees and various drinks. Drinking a can of soda is like eating 10 teaspoons of sugar!

It is however pleasing to see that more and more Khmers are aware of the damage caused by sugar. Indeed, the body is made to assimilate naturally occurring sugars in food and does not need additional sugar. So any other sugar intake will generate imbalances in the overall functioning of our body.

Diabetes is not a fatality

But diabetes is not inevitable! If some people have a predisposition linked to a genetic terrain, most type II diabetics can reverse their disease, or even cure, by reviewing their lifestyle, their diet, practicing a sport, and respecting the work rhythms – rest.

And type I diabetics can also improve their condition.A clinical study conducted by the University of Newcastle and published in Cell Metabolism has shown that significant weight loss in patients with type II diabetes from the diagnosis could restore the insulin production thus generating healing.

A closer observation showed them that this loss of weight causes a reprogramming of the pancreatic cells which thus find their normal functioning. So they proved that we could cure diabetes, contrary to popular belief.

The solutions of Chinese medicine

Diabetes is known and treated for over 2000 years by Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM). In Chinese, diabetes, Xiao ke or “useless thirst syndrome” is identified as a global disharmony; It is also linked to a yin deficiency.

To avoid Xiao ke, you must abstain from to:

  • drink alcohol
  • eat sugar, or foods or drinks with added sugar
  • eat too much fat (fried foods)

And above all, we must move! Regular and intensive physical exercise is essential to avoid diabetes.

Acupuncture and pharmacopoeia

TCM does not measure blood glucose levels. It applies a personalized treatment for each patient after a complete diagnosis. First of all the palpation of the Chinese pulse, the interrogation, the observation and the palpation of the body…

The patient is treated by acupuncture and Chinese pharmacopoeia. This treatment gradually restores the energy balance in the body, allowing the organs to regain their natural and therefore healthy functioning.

TCM does not measure glucose levels in the blood. It applies a personalized treatment for each patient after a complete diagnosis. First, the palpation of the Chinese pulse, the interrogation, the observation and the palpation of the body …

The patient is treated by acupuncture, and the Chinese pharmacopoeia. This treatment gradually helps to restore the energy balance in the body, allowing the organs to return to their natural functioning, and therefore healthy. Of course, the Chinese doctor will also accompany its treatment of recommendations in terms of diet and lifestyle.

The more the patient agrees to review his diet and lifestyle, the more likely he is to heal. The Chinese doctor will be able to recommend to him the practice of qi gong whose benefit on health has been proven since ages. The diabetes is not irremediable. But it is better to follow the precept of this great 13th century Chinese doctor, Zhu Zhenheng: “Maintaining health is better than treating the disease.”

The benefit of Qi Gong on diabetes

Qi Gong has been practiced for over 2000 years in China, especially for its therapeutic effects. This discipline – practiced regularly – has a beneficial and regulating effect on the entire metabolism. People with diabetes will benefit from its practice.

In an article published in 1984, Dr. Zhan Ke Fu recounts his own experience. Diabetic, using insulin, he decided to practice Tai Ji Qi Gong. After 15 days of regular practice, he stoped insulin. Three months later, his blood sugar and glycosuria returned to normal.

Five other patients participated in an experimental study, practicing Tiao Xi Bu Gong, another style of qi gong, every day for three hours. After three months, the results were such that the five could stop all their hypoglycemic drugs or their insulin. When tested six months later, the blood glucose levels of these patients remained normal.

Qi gong lessons at Essence of health.