A True Story of Psychosomatic Illness

A Chi Gong master in China told me that one day he came across a young man in the neighbourhood who was bullying a young boy. The Chi Gong master told the young man to stop. The young man turned toward him and tried to hit him. The Chi Gong master defended himself, and using his fingers, he pressed a certain point on the young man's shoulder, telling him that he has pressed and blocked a certain acupressure point on the young man's shoulder, and that if he apologized and promised to stop bullying others, the Chi Gong master will release the acupressure point. The young man didn't believe and walked away.

A few days later, the young man's mother accompanied the young man to apologize to the Chi Gong master and begged him to release the young man's acupressure point on the shoulder because the area around where the Chi Gong master had pressed was all red and swollen! The Chi Gong master was taken by surprise, because he didn't really block any acupressure point to cause the swollen shoulder. What he told the young man the other day was just a tactic to stop his bullying and scare him off. However, instead of telling the young man that nothing was wrong with his shoulder (which would be hard to believe at that point since it's all swollen), the Chi Gong master pressed a few places on the shoulder of the young man and told him that the acupressure point has been released, while also reminding him not to bully others anymore. The young man's swollen shoulder returned to normal soon afterwards.

The Chi Gong master explained that the swollen shoulder of the young man was a result of the young man's suspicion and fear of something going wrong with his shoulder because his acupressure point had been blocked. He wondered what would happen to his shoulder since the Chi Gong master said that his acupressure point had been blocked. By consciously and/or subconsciously focusing his thoughts on the shoulder, the blood flow to that area increased, eventually causing the shoulder to swell up. Since his swollen shoulder was a result of his mind power, the Chi Gong master uses the young man's mind power to cure him by pretending that he has released the acupressure point, thus releasing the young man's psychological concern of his swollen shoulder. Blood flow returns to normal so the swelling subsided.

Emotions and Mind Power on Health

For a long time, emotional health was considered separate from physical health in the scientific world. Now, some doctors start to see the connection between emotions and physical health. We are finally catching up with our ancestors who knew this all along. According to the teachings in Chinese Medicine, different emotions affect different organs in our body. We will look into this in more detail later. In the next article, I'd like to share with you a true story that shows the manifestations of emotions or mind power on the physical body.

Importance of Physical Activity

Our body needs a balance between physical activity and rest. Today, most people's daily work does not include any physical exertion. Rather, it consists mostly of sitting at a desk, and usually in front of a computer, for 8-10 hours a day. This sedentary lifestyle is sorely lacking in physical activity.

Imagine a pool of stagnant or sluggish water. Dirt and rubbish will accumulate. Eventually, the water will become murky and may even give out a bad smell. In contrast, the water in a running brook is clear and full of vitality. The same goes for our body. When we lack physical activity, our circulation becomes lethargic, thus metabolic waste is not eliminated efficiently. Over time as the waste accumulates to a certain level, the person will become ill. Therefore, to compensate for the extended hours that we spend sitting, we need to exercise.

Understanding Our Body's Needs

Throughout the ages human beings live relatively close to nature. With the coming of the industrial age, people started moving away from the countryside and lived in cities instead. The change in our living environment and the advent of modern technology resulted in us living in a more and more synthetic world. This also led to a dramatic change in our life styles when compared to a hundred or two hundred years ago. Instead of working in the fields, people moved to work in factories during the industrial age, and now in offices. Since the invention of electric light, our working hours are no longer limited by daylight, and production increased. All these are good in terms of progress. However, some of the resulting changes in our life style go against the nature and needs of our body. So we need to pay more attention and cater to our body's needs, both physical and emotional, in order to avoid paying the price of health.

Top Secret Fat Loss

Click Here for The Secret Fat Loss ebook!

Nature and Us

Health is not the opposite of being sick. It should encompass wellness as well, meaning that the body's internal organs are functioning at their optimum so that the person is full of energy and is mentally alert.

So how do we achieve that state of optimum health and wellness? Well, in this information age, a lot of knowledge related to health is also being passed around by emails and other means on the internet. I presume that you've already heard of some typical advice, which includes exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, sleeping early and rising early. But to have health and wellness requires more than that. It requires that you know your body well, and treat it properly so that it will serve you well. If we know the principle of healthy living, it may not be difficult to reach the age of 100 while still enjoying life to its fullest.

The principle of healthy living is to live in harmony with nature. To do that, we need to know the relationship between nature and us. We are a part of the universe, and a part of the intricate system of nature and life on earth. Since nature is forever changing and fluctuating such as the seasons and the tides, we, being closely linked to nature, needs to follow and adjust ourselves to it in order to achieve harmony. This is the underlying principles of yin and yang. Our ancestors knew how to follow the laws of nature, probably better than us, though they are not as scientifically advanced as we are now.

For example, nature has designed watermelon to grow in tropical areas and to ripen in summer to let people enjoy the cooling fruit. Apart from nourishing us, watermelon also replenishes our body fluids lost during sweating. Nowadays, watermelons are cultivated in green house and are available all year round and everywhere in the world. However, studies have shown that the nutrients in watermelons that ripen during other seasons are less than the seasonal ones. This is true for all fruits and vegetables.

Therefore to obtain the best quality and quantity of nutrients that your body needs at different times of the year, your diet should consist of seasonal produce harvested in nearby areas where you live.

Health - Our Most Valuable Asset

Health is something that we all take for granted most of the time. Only when we get sick, we then realize the benefits and importance of being healthy. But why wait till we get sick before we start cherishing our health? Without health we loose out on life itself. We may not be able to enjoy certain kinds of delicious food, or do not have the energy to join in fun activities or even social gatherings. It is much easier to maintain good health to avoid getting sick than to try bringing back good health after one falls sick.

In today's hectic society, people tend to put the responsibility of their health in the hands of the medical profession. The medical profession is of course there to assist us when we get sick, but to maintain our health and well-being is our own responsibility. Getting sick is no fun. For the seriously ill, it can also become a financial burden and/or psychological burden to the family and loved ones.

None of the above information is new, but it seemed that they have not been given the attention they deserve, as many still lead unhealthy lifestyles and the number of people stricken with serious illness such as cancer continues to be on the rise. Let's not be in one of those unfortunate statistics by doing our best to keep ourselves healthy. On the other hand, some people may strive to be healthy, but they may not know how or may not be using the right method. With an interest in health and wellness, I'd like to use this blog to share with you the methods and tips in attaining health and wellness.