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Traditional Chinese Medicine
Wisdom Story – Wealth, Success & Health
by Qineng Tan, L.Ac., Ph.D.
One windy Winter day, a woman looked out her window and saw three elderly men sitting by the side of the road in front of her house. A generous lady, she went out and asked them, “Would you like to come in from the cold and have something to eat?”
The men smiled gratefully, but asked, “Is the rest of your family at home?” When the woman replied that they were not, but would be home a little later, the men said, “We will wait, then.”
Later, when the woman’s husband and child had returned, she went outside again and said, “Please, come in and have some dinner with us.”
But one of the men explained, ‘Only one of us can come in. This man is named “Wealth.” And that one is named “Success.” My name is “Health.” Go in, talk with your family, and decide which of us you would like to invite into your home.
When the woman told her husband and daughter about this, her husband said, “Let’s ask Wealth to come! That way, we won’t have to work anymore.” But the woman said, “Shouldn’t we ask Success to come? Surely that would be the best choice.” Then the couple’s young daughter spoke up, “Why don’t you ask Health to come in? That way none of us will ever get sick.”
So the woman went out again and asked Health to come in. When he got up and began walking towards the house, Success and Wealth followed him.
“But–I thought–” said the woman. Then Health explained, “Wherever I go, Success and Wealth will follow.”
Lesson: Health is our most precious commodity. When we start making room for healthy habits, we will be able to enjoy the success and wealth that comes our way.
All About Moxibustion
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a medical system that incorporates numerous methods for treating disease and illness. One of the tools found in the toolbox of the TCM practitioner is known as moxibustion.
Moxibustion is a technique that involves the burning of mugwort, known as moxa, which is an herb that facilitates healing. The purpose of moxibustion is to stimulate the flow of Qi (pronounced “chee”), strengthen the blood and maintain general health. Qi is translated as life energy. There are two types of moxibustion, direct and indirect. Direct moxibustion uses moxa shaped into a small cone and is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. This type of moxibustion has two subcategories, scarring and non-scarring. Scarring moxa burns until it distinguishes on its own. This may lead to localized scarring and blisters. Non-scarring moxa allows for the moxa to be placed on the acupuncture point, lit, extinguished and removed before it burns the skin. continue reading
Wisdom Story from Dr. Tan – Bian Que and the King
There once was a well-known Chinese physician who lived over 2300 years ago, named Bian Que. One day, the King called Bian Que to him and asked him: “I hear you have two brothers who are also physicians. Can you tell me–who is the best physician? Now, be honest!”
Bian Que answered, “My oldest brother is the best. My second brother is better than me. Actually, I am just average.”
The King was surprised. “But you are the one who is famous throughout China! Why do you say they are better than you?”
Bian Que said, “My oldest brother believes in a lot of prevention. He looks for the source of illness and treats problems before people even feel anything. So, his patients don’t even realize how much he has done for them, and they don’t talk about him much.
“My second brother treats people at the first sign of a disease. They are having some symptoms, so he treats them before they get any worse. Because of this, people notice that he has helped them, and he has become fairly well-known in our home town.
“But me? People come to see me as a last resort, when they are already very sick. I use the strongest herbs, the most powerful acupuncture treatments. I even perform surgeries! In fact, a lot of the time, I can’t do anything to help them because they are already too ill. But sometimes I am able to save someone’s life. That is the kind of thing people like to talk about, so I am the one who has become famous.”
So, the King understood his meaning: the best physician is the one who prevents his patients from becoming sick, not the one who tries to save them when they are already near death.
Heart Afire: The Fire Element
The organs in Chinese medicine are more than just a physical representation. The organs include not only their physiological function, but also their mental, emotional, spiritual and elemental qualities that align with nature and the seasons. Let’s explore the heart.
The heart season is summer, and heart is considered the most yang: hot, bountiful and abundant. Yang is what is bright, moving, outward, hot and loud. Yin is what is more inward, still, dark and cooler. The color of the heart is associated with red, the climate is heat, the flavor is bitter and it’s paired organ is the small intestine (many urinary issues are due to “heart fire” heat descending). The sense aligned with heart is the tongue, and the vessels associated with heart are the tissues. The heart sound is laughing, and the emotion is joy. The heart houses what is known as the shen, which is the mind and spirit. continue reading
Valentine’s Day, TCM and Heart Health
Every February men all over the world flock to the local flower shops and jewelry stores in search of the perfect bouquet or piece of jewelry to express their undying love to their significant other. Why? Nobody knows for certain, but there are at least a couple of theories.
One theory is a Catholic priest, Valentine, was imprisoned for helping Christians escape Roman prisons. While he imprisoned himself, Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him. Allegedly, before his death, Valentine wrote a letter and signed it, “From your Valentine.” Thus, the first Valentine’s Day card was created, or so it is reported. continue reading