Guest guest Posted April 27, 2001 Report Share Posted April 27, 2001 >_____ > >LETTER FROM CHINA >April '01 >A newsletter on and modern China > >by Dagmar Riley >______ > >In this issue: > >NOTE FROM THE EDITOR > >THE 5 ELEMENTS >...(A) Short Revision >...(B) Balancing Lung Disharmonies - 3: Medical (self-)treatment > >BEIJING MEMOIRS OF MY CANADIAN FRIEND ROBIN >...approaching Summer, the Olympics and Tianjin > >DISCLAIMER >SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE information >______ > >Please feel free to FORWARD this newsletter to friends. >______ > >NOTE FROM THE EDITOR >Dear readers, >The next Letter from China will be published on the last >Friday of June (instead of May) because I will >be teaching Qigong in Europe for a month (ah, Spain!). > >For patients and Qigong/Yoga-students in Beijing: >I'll be back June 8th, and Qigong/Yoga courses in the >Kempinski Hotel Health Club will resume the following week. >Stay well! >Dagmar > > >THE 5 ELEMENTS >A) SHORT REVISION: > >The 5 Elements are a symbol for the 5 basic energies of >the Universe. >The 5 Elements are: Wood - Fire - Earth - Metal - Water. > >The Element METAL is associated with: >Autumn - withdrawal - sadness/grief - dryness - lung >- large intestine - nose - pungent. > >Balancing Lung Disharmonies includes 3 aspects: >*your lifestyle >*nutrition >(nutrition is part of your lifestyle, but it's a large >enough issue to be treated separately) >*medical (self-)treatment >including herbal products, acupressure etc. > >For BACK ISSUES of this series, please visit >http://www.topica.com/lists/Letter-from-China/read > >B) BALANCING LUNG DISHARMONIES - 3: Medical (self-)treatment > >Before we start, just a reminder about the safety of >Chinese herbs: >-make sure you understand what the herbs are used for and >whether they are suitable for your imbalance (if in doubt, >ask a qualified TCM practitioner) >-do NOT overdose yourself. Follow the recommendation on the >packaging or ask your TCM practitioner. >-beware of fakes and buy only from reputable dealers. > >Single Chinese herbs are rarely used. They are almost >always part of formulas: As a decoction, a tincture or a >ready-made medicine formula in e.g. pill or bolus form. >For instructions on how to prepare a decoction or tincture, >please read Letter from China April '00 (1). > >SINGLE HERB: Flos Inulae [Xuan Fu Hua][inula Flower] > >Indication: >Asthma, bronchitis, cough, chronic cold lung conditions (one >indicator whether a lung condition is cold or hot is the color >of the sputum: If the phlegm is clear/white, it is a cold condition, >if it is yellow it is a hot condition). > >Function: >Eliminates phlegm, promotes diuresis and opens the inhibited lung energy. > >Energetics: >Acrid and bitter, salty. Slightly warm in nature. > >Channels: >Acts on the channels of the Lung, Large Intestine, Spleen >and Stomach. > >CHINESE MEDICATED DIET: Bronchitis > >1) Apricot Kernel (Semen Armeniacae) >relieves cough, removes phlegm and sends down abnormally >ascending qi. >Acute bronchitis: Bitter apricot kernel, daily dosage >must not exceed 9g. >Chronic bronchitis: Sweet apricot kernel. > >2) Pear (Malum Piri) >clears away pathogenic heat and moistens the lung. >Used for both acute and chronic bronchitis. Pears are >also excellent to moisten the lungs in dry climates, >like Beijing. > >3) Water chestnut (Bulbus Heleocharis Tuberosae) >clears away pathogenic heat, resolves phlegm and promotes >the production of body fluid. >Used for chronic bronchitis of heat type (yellow sputum >or dry cough, constipation), 30-60g each time. > >4) Lily Bulb (Bulbus Lilii) >nourishes the lung and arrests cough. >Used for chronic bronchitis of the heat type (yellow sputum >or dry cough), 15-30g each time. > >5) White Radish (Radix Raphani) >resolves phlegm and relieves asthma. Used for both hot and >cold type of bronchitis. > >6) Honey (Mel) >clears away pathogenic heat and moistens the lung. Used in >cases of chronic bronchitis accompanied by constipation. > > >FOR YOUR SKIN: MASSAGE AND OIL BATHS >The lung governs the surface of the body: skin and hair. >Metal types often suffer from skin problems (dry skin, >eczema etc). Steam baths and a regular massage increase the >blood supply to the skin. > >You can massage yourself by using a Japanese washcloth >(a rough washcloth that removes dead skin cells) during >your shower/bath. Or you can brush your skin after the >shower/bath with a soft skin brush. >Both will remove dead skin, increase blood circulation >in the skin, and make it easier for the skin to get rid of >toxins. > >If you massage with oil, be careful to use pure oils that >do not contain ingredients that may cause allergic reactions. >Good oils to use are sesame oil or almond oil or any other >anti-allergic massage oil. > >If you suffer from dry skin, oil baths are good to alleviate >the symptoms (although they are no cure). Same here: Do not >take perfumed bath oils or oils that include other ingredients >that may cause allergies. There are plenty of medicated oil >baths that do not contain any fancy stuff. > >ACUPRESSURE for Asthma > >Note: What is described as " inch " is actually the width of >the joint that bends your thumb. Thus, an inch is much smaller >for a small child, since you take the width of the child's >thumb joint and not your own to locate the points on the child. > >The classic points for asthma are: > >Point Tian Tu (Conception Vessel 22): It is located in the >depression above the suprasternal notch (above the >breastbone in the large hollow between the two collar bones). >Use the index finger to press inward, then massage downward. > >Point Chuan Xi (Extra point): It is located about one inch >lateral (to the side) of the lower end of the 7th cervical >disc (the last vertebra of your neck). Use the thumbs to >massage hard toward the disc. > >Point Fei Shu (Bladder 13): It is located about 1.5 inches >lateral (to the side) of the lower end of the 3rd thoracic >(upper back) disk. >Use the thumbs to massage hard toward the disk. > >Point Gao Huang (Bladder 38): It is located about 3 inches >lateral to the lower end of the 4th thoracic disk, just next >to the inside border of the shoulder blade. Use thumbs to >massage hard. > >Regularly massage the points for a few minutes. > >___ > >BEIJING MEMOIRS OF MY CANADIAN FRIEND ROBIN > >[i had the opportunity, over the past year, to visit China. >My husband is a refrigeration mechanic who was sent to >Beijing to build an ice rink in a shopping plaza so that >you can skate and shop. Since I love to travel, I quit my >job to follow him. This is the story as it unfolds.] > >Well, Nihao again. Summer is almost here! Over the last 5 >days the sun has been shining and the air has been clear >here in Beijing. The temperatures have been hovering between >20C-27C, all the plants are blooming and the trees are getting >a green hue to them. Everyone is happy to see the colour >after the usual drab browns and greys of the winter. Children >are flying kites from the overpasses of the highways, better >known here as the " flying " roads. Grandparents are proudly >walking with their grandchildren and everyone seems to have >a lighter step. > >I have been walking all over Beijing and just getting the >general feeling of the place. Everywhere I look there seems >to be a frenzy of work going on preparing Beijing for the >Olympics that everyone hopes for. Buildings are going >up rapidly and trees and bushes are being replaced (those >which didn't survive winter). Each day there seems to be >a new building being uncovered and old buildings coming down. >Everywhere there are big road signs reading: " Beijingers are >friends of the whole world! - Olympic Games 2008 " " A new >Beijing and New Olympic Games - Olympic Games 2008 " and so on >in endless varieties. > >The ice rink is imminently going to be started and Michael >will be busy this week bringing the rink floor down to the >right temperature to make the ice. He had met a CTV (Canada) >news crew, who are stationed in Beijing for the next few >years, and they were extremely interested in the Canadian >technology being used to build the ice rink. They decided >that it would be a great news story and so today we spent >the afternoon traipsing through the construction site >filming the pre-opening work being done. When he is ready >to make ice they will be back to film the process and then >again on opening day. We will hopefully be having a skating >party before the official opening for all of our friends. >I am amazed at how many people are anxiously waiting to >skate. Who would have figured? > >Last night we went to a farewell party for our friend >David who manages the John Bull Pub. He is being transferred >to Paris to manage another one of their pubs. Very sad for >us, but since he is from England it will be wonderful >for him. The Chunnel means that he will be able to see home >a lot more often than he has been able to in the past few >years. It was David with whom we had Xmas dinner and we >will forever be in his debt for making our Xmas in Beijing >a little more like home. John and I came up with a great >goodbye gift. There was an article about David in one of >the magazines here so I had it and some pictures and other >memorabilia mounted and framed. We had a nice big matte >and all that were at the party signed it. I think he >really appreciated the memento and I know everyone enjoyed >adding their 2 cents worth to the picture. So we will all >be with him no matter where he goes. > >The big weekend at Amy's farm was this past weekend and she >had 200 people there to picnic, horseback ride and play all >the games that she had prepared for them. The weather was >absolutely perfect and everyone had a wonderful time. I think >that her venture is going to be a great success. It is >becoming very well known around town and people are >constantly coming by for information in regards to staying >there. > >I went to the coastal city of Tianjin with Amy so she could >buy some stereo equipment for the bar at the farm. It was a >gorgeous day and we dined on fresh seafood and strolled >through a huge market where everything was ½ the price in >Beijing. She got 3 VCD players, 2 huge speakers and a stereo with >tape, cd and tuner included. She only paid 2600 Yuan, which >is about 425.00 CDN for all of that!!!! The VCD players alone >were only about $60.00 CDN. I didn't see another foreigner >throughout the whole day and it was only later that I realized >all the people who stopped by the little store we were in >weren't actually buying equipment. They were curious about >the blond who was in the store(Me). They were very polite >though and I think that was why I didn't realize it at the time. > >That's all for now, stay well and happy. > >Robin > >**************** **************************** >Looking for Chinese herbs? >Go to www.1stchineseherbs.com/ for a wide selection of >Chinese herbs. >*****************END ************************ > >_____ >DISCLAIMER >The material in this newsletter is intended for >informational purposes only. I do not prescribe and I >do not diagnose. If you use the information in this >newsletter without the approval of a health professional, >you prescribe for yourself, which remains your constitutional >right, but the author assumes no responsibility. >_______ > >SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE > >The Letter from China is published every last Friday >of the month. >New rs will be forwarded the current issue. > > >by sending a BLANK email to: >Letter-from-China- > > >by sending a BLANK email to: >Letter-from-China- > >for back issues visit >http://www.topica.com/lists/Letter-from-China/read >_______ > 2001 by Dagmar Riley. All rights reserved >worldwide. > > >==^================================================================ >EASY UNSUBSCRIBE http://topica.com/u/?bz8Rt9.bApIuY >Or send an email Letter-from-China- >This email was sent to: victoria_dragon > >T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. >Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. >http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01 >==^================================================================ > _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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