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The 7 keys to healing

The 7 keys to healing

by | 2121,Sep, 2022 | Health for everyone

Cultivating an art of living

to regain health

   Healing from a cold or indigestion is easy. The body heals itself. But how do you get over chronic ailments that have been around for years, or a serious illness? Healing can then become a real quest that requires commitment, courage, perseverance… and faith. Here are some keys to entering the virtuous circle of healing.

1. Understanding the disease

No one is immune to being affected by a serious illness one day, or to suffering from chronic disorders (allergies, migraines, diabetes, depression…).

Yet health is our natural state. It corresponds to a state of harmony according to Chinese medicine. Illness is therefore the result of disharmony.

It is necessary to question the source of this disharmony in order to resolve it. Illness is a warning signal that invites us to clean up our lives and make changes.

An important obstacle to healing is resistance to change. The patient will invent excuses not to go towards what can be beneficial to him. Overcoming this type of self-sabotage requires real introspection. This work, however painful, plays an essential role in healing.

 

2. Being the actor of one’s recovery

Healing cannot be bought. For it is not the doctor who heals the patient, but the patient who heals himself with the help of the therapist. It is therefore ineffective to unload one’s burden on the doctor by relying on him or her to perform miracles. Too many patients adopt a passive attitude, hoping that the doctor will cure them without them having to do anything. This is pure illusion!

The therapist accompanies the patient in his healing, he brings his energy, his tools. But healing is first and foremost the patient’s business.

3. Challenging oneself

Human beings need security. He finds it in known territory. So the patient will naturally seek this security in his way of life… and therefore in what he knows.

But if an unsuitable lifestyle has led to the disease, healing implies questioning it. We will therefore first look for the cause of the disease. Then we will make improvements in our lifestyle.

This includes our thoughts and emotions which play a big role in our health. This may involve a concrete change: of work, of place of living, even of spouse in some cases… And this is where the main challenge lies.

And this is where the main challenge lies. You have to be courageous enough to explore unknown territories. In clinics, we sometimes see people prevent themselves from taking treatment for reasons that seem derisory compared to the expected benefit. Some will refuse to try acupuncture even once for fear of needles. Others will be so disgusted by the Chinese herbal potion that they refuse to swallow it. The ego has a thousand ways of preventing us from changing, and therefore from healing.

4. Think health

Allopathic medicine focuses on the disease. It likes to name diseases, even going so far as to create names for syndromes that it admits it cannot treat! Moreover, by focusing on the symptom, it omits to treat the cause.

Moreover, the chemical treatments she proposes generate side effects, and therefore new ailments. This leads to a vicious circle that distances the patient from his health.

On the other hand, traditional medicines use natural techniques (dietetics, plants, massage, acupuncture, etc.) to restore and preserve health. These will restore harmony in a holistic approach.

As the balance is re-established, the patient regains his or her capacity for self-healing.

Thinking “health” means not obsessing about the disease, whatever it may be. Many patients identify with their illness to the point that it becomes part of them. Their illness becomes their thing; “my illness” they will say.

It is by honouring life that we keep illness at bay! This requires a healthy lifestyle, which includes practices to improve health and longevity.

5. Be resolutely positive

The body and mind are closely linked. Cultivating a positive state of mind therefore has a positive impact on healing and will lead to concrete actions such as :

  • Change your diet,
  • Take a significant break from work,
  • Go on a nature retreat,
  • Fasting,
  • Practicing a physical activity….

Of course, the journey is rarely linear. There will be gaps, temporary setbacks, moments of doubt, discouragement. This is part of the process. Being positive gives you the courage to persevere.

6. Learning to manage emotions

Emotions play an important role in our overall balance. Chinese medicine associates each organ with an emotion, and therefore if the emotion is excessive, or repressed, it will attack the associated organ.

It is therefore essential to be aware of our emotions and to learn to distance ourselves from them.

Some will consult a traditional doctor (Chinese, Ayurvedic, naturopathic), or a psychotherapist. Others will start practicing meditation, qi gong, or a martial art. These disciplines allow people to learn to manage their emotions and to know themselves better.

7. Return to universal rules

Nature has its rules. Man, being part of this nature, must respect them to be healthy (see article Yǎngshēng).

Unfortunately, most people, especially city dwellers, live against these rules. Giving ourselves the means for a healthy life is therefore about getting closer to Nature and its rhythms… and thereby to our nature.

However, implementing these principles comes up against obstacles, one of which is time. Where can I find the time to cook my own vegetables, to prepare my fresh juices in the morning, to meditate, to practice qi gong, or simply to rest?

Choosing to take this time is already a step on the road to recovery.

Spirituality: an essential dimension of health

Largely inspired by the observation and contemplation of nature, Taoism invites Man to be modest in the face of the universe, Nature and its rules. The wise man therefore chooses to live in harmony with the universe, he understands that it is in his interest to respect the laws that constitute it.

Indeed, his health can only be complete if Man accepts this fundamentally spiritual dimension as he accepts his material dimension. Balance is the foundation of Taoist philosophy. This balance is found in the complementary opposites of earth and sky, yin and yang, etc. Nothing in the universe is conceived as intrinsically evil. Good needs evil and vice versa.

By fighting against nature or by wanting to dominate it, the human being finds only misfortune. However, the humble human being can learn from his mistakes, correct them, and thus come closer to a state of harmony, and thus to health.

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Food wisdom

Food wisdom

by | 1717,Aug, 2021 | Health for everyone

Universal principles of food wisdom

 If we look at the way different people eat around the world, we find a food wisdom that transcends socio-cultural differences.

Factors related to the land, climate, and culture of each people influence the way they eat and prepare their food. First of all, the individual naturally tends to like what his or her mother fed him or her during early childhood. The environment also plays a role. People who live by the sea will eat more seafood. Those who live on animal husbandry will naturally eat more meat.

However, all people in the world have always eaten grains, roots, legumes, vegetables, and fruits.

Universal ancestral practices

Throughout the world, there are also constants in the preparation of certain foods in order to preserve them: salting, drying, smoking. Similarly, milk is frequently consumed in a sour or curdled state. This is done to reduce bacterial contamination and to improve its nutritional quality.

The same is true for the lacto-fermentation of vegetables. Here again, it allows to preserve them while increasing their nutritional value. This process is coming back in fashion today.

Green leaves are widely consumed throughout the world, whether it is amaranth, pumpkin, sweet potato and cassava leaves, or wild salads such as dandelion, lettuce, etc. These leaves are rich in beta-carotene, which is a major source of vitamin C. These leaves are rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), iron and calcium. People have always naturally consumed foods that are beneficial to their health, as do animals.

In the same way, the germination of leguminous seeds is an ancestral practice. It increases their bioavailability and thus the absorption by the body of nutrients such as iron, zinc, magnesium, or certain amino acids. This practice is also becoming very popular again among those who are looking for a healthy diet.

The tradition to the test of the agri-food industry

The traditional diets of most societies in so-called “poor” countries are good diets. They include many protein-rich foods: insects, snakes, monkeys, dogs, cats, seafood, snails, etc. They also include wild fruits, rich in vitamin C. All these foods are very beneficial.

With the arrival of urbanization and the development of the food industry, the wisdom of food has been challenged. The basic products have been increasingly refined (sugar, flour…), packaged with salt, sugar, glutamate and more or less toxic additives.

Moreover, television and the media promote these products relentlessly, for the benefit of the food industry, and in defiance of food wisdom. This has generated important changes in eating habits, including in poor countries. We are therefore witnessing a significant deterioration in health.

Reconnect with natural foods

In addition, due to social pressure, some countries have started to consume too much meat, seafood, eggs and other foods of animal origin. These excesses have caused an increase in cholesterol and even cancer.

It is now crucial to return to dietary wisdom. To counter the propaganda and aggressive marketing of junk food vendors, it is important that influential figures speak out publicly to restore balance. The Internet can also play a valuable role in reinformation.

Returning to food wisdom means understanding that commercial interests never rhyme with altruism and people’s health. It is a matter of getting back to fresh and natural products, if possible grown without chemicals. This also implies taking the time to prepare and cook them oneself. Similarly for babies, it is essential to give priority to breast milk and local and natural products.

The principles of Chinese dietetics

The universal wisdoms teach us to:

  • Eat fresh food
  • Have meals at regular times and in peace
  • Eat little
  • Take time to eat and chew
  • Eat fresh vegetables and fruits in large quantities
  • Consume animal products in moderation
  • Abstain from refined sugar and alcohol
  • Ban fried foods
family meal

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.