Small Background of the Speaker:
Dr. Liu Shengrong is a former Chinese Medicine Physician in China. She has practiced Chinese Medicine for 15 years and received her Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) from Academy of Chinese Culture & Health Sciences in Oakland, California. USA. She is a California licensed acupuncturist and certified in Acupuncture and Herbology by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, USA. She is a member of Philippine College for the Advancement in Medicine Foundation Inc. (PCAM). She now teaches Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture in UERM and practicing TCM in Makati and Quezon City.
Yin And Yang:
The representation of Yin and Yang is a Chinese philosophy. It is a Taiji symbol. There is a interdependence between the two, meaning they have opposites but they complement at each other.
TCM's Concept:
Maintaining order than correcting disorder is the ultimate wisdom.
Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient system of health care dated back 3000 years ago. It is a combination techniques of acupuncture, moxabustion, acupressure, Taiji, and Tui Na.
Chinese healing modalities focus on principle of movements. There are three main factors lead to imbalance: emotions, climate, and lifestyle. When you are ill, it is not only get from the outside byt also from the condition of the body.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is not just focus on physical parts but also focus on emotional and mental state of the patient. It is a wholistic way.
Emotional experiences, eating habits, work habits, work and living environment, personal havbits, and social mileu are factors which, when modified appropriately may lead to regain health.
The strength of Traditional Chinese Medicine goes beyond the physical health. It is not just phsycal, emotional and mental state are also included.
Taiji and Quigong:
Taiji and Quigong are mind and body exercises. They emphasizes the function and application of energy known as Qi. Qi is instrictic energy and it is believed it is existed on all living things.
Two Types of Qi:
- Comes from parents : it provides your body with its basic constitution.
- Daily nutrition such as the air and water you drink provide qi.
Taiji and Quigon are now recognized by World Health Organization. It is not superstitions. It is scientifically improved. It is beneficial to chronic illness and common diseases.
Taiji is a prominent part of Chinese culture and closely linked to Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is a series of gentle movement and simple postures designed to improved coordination, relieve stress, and advance physical and mental well being.
Taijiquan is an ancient martial art and developed in China. The purpose is to develope the relationship of practitioner's body and spirit. It is used by all ages for maintenance, calming mind, good health, strenthening legs, better balance, and increasing energy.
Taiji is a physical exercise focuses in the mind while conditioning the body. Twenty minutes practice dissipates stress, and reducess steress related debilities, increases stamina, and strengthens the body and will. It is not just a movement but also to calm your mind. When you do a Taiji, your mind is in the calm stage and your body is in the relaxed stage.
Taiji brings into play every part of the body and benefits all bodily parts and not just the muskoletal system. There are other exercises are good like weight lifting. However, there are no other exercises like Taiji using the mind.
Breathing:
When you move forward and exert energy, you genrally breath out. And, when you move backward, you generally breathe in.
Abdominal breathing:
It is focused on Taiji. It is a relaxed breathing.
When you consciously breathing, your mind is in the calm stage. When you get stressed during the day you should do some deep breathing to settle down. Immediately, you can regain calmness. Every three minutes of breathing, you can gain new strength.
Practitioners have a maxim: let the mind lead the qi and the qi mobilized the body. You have think about it. You have to visualize your movements.
Harmony:
Taiji quan emphasizes becoming one with the nature, harmonizing oneself with universe. It applies the wholistic concept. The whole one become one. The body must be with the universe. That is why you have to sleep during the night.
We are aware of situation around us but it does not disturb us. It teaches us about life experiences. We don't live in the future or cry over the past. The secret is here and now. You deal with things right now. You focus on that point, which is constantly changing. You can't plan or worry about the movemenbt that is coming or mistake that you made. The philosophy of daily life is important for Chinese culture. It is not just a practice.
Health:
IT is correcting the balance of qi and the balance of posture.
Relaxing is the essential. Your muscles, joints, body, and mind should be relaxed. If you don't pay attention to it, the problems will come out.
Qigong:
Qi means vitality, energy, and life force. Gong means practice and cultivate. If we joined these two words, it means to refine and cultivate the energy through practice. It is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It absorbs the vital energy from the universe to recover health, prolong life, and promote spiritual growth.
According to the scientific research, it can promote health, delay aging, boost immune system, enhance circulation, cure diseases, and extend life. It brings the body into a state of balance.
There are many forms of Taiji and Qigong but there are only three regulations:
- Regulations of the Body: same as Taiji
- Regulation of the Respiration: constantly breathing not just by nose or mouth but also by skin.
- Regulation of the Mind: It makes your mind sharper.
Qigong molding one's temperament. It leads you to the state of tranquility.
Two ways to cure diseases:
- Qigong master send external qi to patients.
- Self treatment method such as absorbing the qi from the big tree.
Qigong helps the body remove the blocks and flow the energy throughout the body.
Many people from predominant religious background would be against in this area because of Traditional Chinese Medicine's concept. Let me clarify it to you. Traditional Chinese Medicine has no religious background. It doesn't talk about religion. It is part of the Chinese culture. When you say energy, it doesn't refer to any doctrine or religious ideology. Why should we go against each other just because of the differences in the concept or idea.
