He shows that despite being a difficult condition to treat, patients can derive huge benefits and increased wellbeing through these simple approaches.

To learn more about effective natural treatments for painful bladder syndrome, and common co-existing conditions, including allergies, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue, see Painful Bladder Syndrome:Controlling and Resolving Interstitial Cystitis through Natural Medicine.

Philip Weeks is a leading expert on natural medicine and nutrition and is a master herbalist and acupuncturist. He is an engaging, informative presenter and is renowned for his deep understanding and knowledge of ancient medicine. He is well versed in Ayurvedic, Arabic, Chinese and Greek medicine and utilises these systems by making them relevant to today. Philip is known for his pioneering, passionate and positive approach to helping people achieve their optimum health. He is a frequent lecturer on herbal medicine and holistic health. 

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved

Click here to read the extract

Praise for the first edition of Principles of Kinesiology:

“A well-crafted book, ideal for newcomers to the subject, whether lay or professional…an accurate and balanced guide to this fast-growing area of healing.”

- Leon Chaitow ND, DO, MRO, naturopath, osteopath and acupuncturist, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies

“A much-needed book…to get help with your pain, stress and improve your performance with energy balance and muscle facilitation.”

- John F. Thie DC, founder and author of Touch for Health

Maggie La Tourelle has worked in the field of holistic healthcare for thirty years as a practitioner, teacher and writer integrating kinesiology, counselling, psychotherapy and NLP. She is an honorary member of The Kinesiology Federation, and a member of The Association for Therapeutic Healers, The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Scientific and Medical Network and the Guild of Health Writers. She lives in London, UK.

Anthea Courtenay is a freelance writer, journalist and translator based in London.

Click here to read the excerpts.

‘Quantum Soup is a gourmet preparation of philosophical snaps and snails, sharks’ fins and puppy dogs’ tails to tickle the sophisticated palate and provoke happy, healthful belly laughs. Confucius say: “Number One good recipe!”‘

- Joseph Campbell

‘Quantum Soup is an elegant, wise and playful expression of Taoist and Zen Buddhist sensibilities in a Western setting – a philosophical entertainment with a collection of anecdotes, aphorisms and koan-like ruminations, all served up in appetizer portions.’

- Los Angeles Times

Chungliang Al Huang is the founder of Living Tao Foundation, an international cultural-arts network for lifelong learning, and the director of the Lan Ting Institute, a cross-cultural study and conference center at the sacred and historic Wu Yi Mountain, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the People’s Republic of China, and at Gold Beach on the Oregon Coast in the USA. He has written many classic books including Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essense of Tai Ji; Essential Tai Ji; and The Chinese Book of Animal Powers, all of which are published by Singing Dragon.

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved

]]> http://www.singingdragon.com/blog/2013/04/huang-extract-april2013/feed/ 0 http://www.singingdragon.com/blog/2013/04/becoming-aware-of-the-energy-body-by-damo-mitchell/ http://www.singingdragon.com/blog/2013/04/becoming-aware-of-the-energy-body-by-damo-mitchell/#comments Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:56:52 +0000 Singing Dragon http://www.singingdragon.com/blog/?p=3471 ...]]> Anybody engaging with the internal practices of the Daoist tradition will no doubt encounter many difficulties along the way: many of the terms are written in metaphorical language, teachings are often contradictory and on top of that there is the crisis of faith often caused by the question, ‘is this experience real or is it my imagination?’ Even with the help of an experienced teacher there will be times when students will find themselves fumbling in the dark with practice yielding more questions than answers. These are challenges which any seeker of the way faces and it is the role of a concrete system of practice to help guide the practitioner through this darkness towards the state of conscious elevation which is the goal of all Daoist arts.

One aspect which can cause a great deal of confusion is around the meridian system. Is the idea of energetic pathways of Qi running through the body purely a conceptual framework or is it in fact an actual part of the human body-system? Whilst some may accept the concept of meridian pathways purely on faith others will disregard it on the basis that they have been brought up in a science-based society where logic prevails. In my opinion both of these stances have their own limitations. I have always sat somewhere in the middle; I am ready to accept that which has been a part of an unbroken lineage for millennia but I am also prone to retaining an element of doubt until proven through my own experience. It was this position I took when considering the meridian system.

I originally studied the meridian pathways in the conventional manner. As part of the Tui Na massage training I undertook alongside my martial arts training, I read textbooks on Chinese medicine and was guided towards locating the various points of the meridian system by my teachers. In this way I developed a working, theoretical understanding of the meridian pathways which I was utilising daily in my practice of Chinese medicine, Qi Gong and the martial arts. It was not until I was introduced to the Heavenly Streams practice of connecting with the meridian system and sending my awareness along their length that I began to understand with no doubt whatsoever that the meridians existed.  Through learning how to breathe in a certain way and direct my attention to specific ‘entrance’ points on the meridians I learnt to ‘retune’ the frequency of my mind. Like a radio switching between stations I was able to use the points to translate the energetic realm for me bringing the flows of Qi into the realm of direct experience. Now these pathways I had studied for so long could tangibly be felt. I experienced the flow of information along their length and began to feel the comparative differences between the different channels. I encountered blockages of different types along their length and found that I could move them through focused concentration; as a result I learnt how clearing these blockages had a knock on effect to the physical realm of my body and my health improved.

Further exploration led me to understand how various body functions could be controlled through these points, for example one point in particular started me sweating as soon as I put my mind onto it. I did not increase in body temperature but rather just felt as though the pores opened allowing fluid to escape them. Other points allowed me to change my body temperature, energy levels and even my mind-set; I had connected with and learnt how to interface with the energetic ‘control panel’ of my body. Over the years I have learnt to refine this until I am able to adjust the various functions of my body to help me rid myself of illness when in the early stages, change my mind if my moods are working against me or even to prepare my body for internal training. Progression has even enabled me to now see the meridian pathways during my practice; the information of the Qi being connected with is translated visually by my mind and through this ‘inner vision’ I am able to observe the various fluctuations of Qi taking place within my energy body.

When teaching, I encourage students to engage in the same practices. Through periods of sitting and connecting through the same entrance points I have taught my students to connect with their own meridian pathways. It is always rewarding to see the face of a student who, for the first time, feels their own energy body; especially if this is a student who has already worked on a purely theoretical level with the meridian pathways up until this point.

There are numerous benefits to experiencing your own meridian pathways. For those interested in improving their own health it is possible to change the very ‘energetic blueprints’ of your own body-system. Great insight into how your body functions and what causes it to move out of balance can be had from exploring the flows of Qi through your own body.

For Qi Gong or Nei Gong practitioners it is very important to feel your own meridian pathways once you wish to move beyond the earliest stages of development. Trying to work with your own Qi without being able to feel where it is flowing is like trying to find your way through the darkness without a light. I believe that many of the problems people have caused themselves through incorrect Qi Gong training could have been avoided if people had taken the time to learn to feel their own Qi flow before going too deep into their training. Any health problems from incorrect training can clearly be felt developing within the energy body long before they manifest as a physical or psychological imbalance. I was taught that students of the Daoist tradition would originally have spent much time studying the energy body before they moved past even the most preliminary of breathing exercises; these studies would have focused largely on experiential feeling of the meridian pathways supported by theoretical teachings and charts.

Perhaps some of the greatest benefits of connecting with your own meridian system can be had by those practicing Chinese medicine modalities such as Shiatsu, Tui Na or acupuncture. Is it possible to accurately treat somebody’s energetic imbalance if you have not experienced this Qi flow for yourself? It is possible to learn every function of every point in the body by memorising lists and developing a theoretical understanding but this should be secondary to actually experiencing what happens when the individual points are stimulated. It is my opinion that experiential understanding of the meridian points and pathways needs to be an integral part of any sincere Chinese medicine practitioners training.

The meridian system is the energetic connection between the energies of Heaven and Earth; it sits at the point between the physical world and the realm of pure consciousness. It is the pivot of human creation, development and eventual demise. In life we begin to learn about the physical body as soon as we are born. We learn how we can control this vessel we find ourselves within and through this vessel we explore our connection to the physical world. What we are not often encouraged to do is to explore the nature of our inner world, the world of our energy body and for this reason our minds are no longer able to ‘tune into’ the realm of Qi. Thankfully this is an issue easily remedied.

As a general rule of thumb I believe that a fairly high level of energetic connection is attainable within a year of daily practice. Obviously this length of time will vary from person to person but a year’s practice is what I have seen from teaching my own students. Over the first few weeks a student can begin to feel the easier parts of the meridian pathways which are generally the lengths of Qi flow on the forearms, fingers, lower legs and toes. From here it seems to take around a year of daily practice for the whole energy body to open up to your awareness. From here it is possible to use this foundation of feeling the meridians to be able to scan their length for imbalances and change their nature through controlled use of the body’s meridian points. The key is to progress steadily and slowly; do not rush anything. Take your time, persevere and most importantly: have fun with the process.

Damo Mitchell has studied the martial, medical and spiritual arts of Asia since the age of four. His studies have taken him across the planet in search of authentic masters. He is the technical director of the Lotus Nei Gong School of Daoist Arts, and teaches Nei Gong in the UK, Sweden and the USA. He is the author of Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change, and Heavenly Streams: Meridian Theory in Nei Gong, published by Singing Dragon.

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved

Simply download the game board, card set and instructions from these links and with some simple steps you’ll be ready to roar the house down with Lion, shake the walls with the Woodchopper Breath and more.

The game is at its most effective if used with the book, Frog’s Breathtaking Speech – find out more about the book here.

 Michael Chissick has been teaching yoga to children in primary mainstream and special needs schools as part of the integrated school day since 1999. He is a primary school teacher as well as a qualified yoga instructor. He is also a specialist in teaching yoga to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Michael trains and mentors students who want to teach yoga to children.

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved

To receive a free copy of the catalog, please sign up for our mailing list and we’ll get one out to you right away. You may also request multiple copies to share with friends, family, colleagues and clients–simply note how many copies of the catalog you would like (up to 20) in the “any additional comments” box on the sign-up form.

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to get more information about our outstanding new and forthcoming titles such as Heavenly Streams by Damo Mitchell and recent releases in our Discovering Holistic Health series like Principles of Bach Flower Remedies and Principles of Tibetan Medicine. The catalog also contains information about the new paperback edition of Mudras of India by Cain and Revital Carroll and our forthcoming title Vital Face: Facial Exercises and Massage for Health and Beauty by Leena Kiviluoma along with over 150 additional books, DVDs and other resources.

Click this link to see a listing of new and recent titles from Singing Dragon.

To request a copy of the Singing Dragon complete catalog, please click here to fill out our sign-up sheet. Please be sure to click any additional areas of interest as well. You should receive a copy of the catalog within two weeks.

1. training the Jing to transform into Qi
2. training the Qi to transform into Shen
3. training the Shen to return to emptiness.

Initially this theory was a concept without clear differentiation. In Dai family Xingyi Quan, each time one began to train a fist one had to practice it several times with a soft Jin at first and then a few times with a hard Jin before closing the movement. The intention was to practice slowly to begin with, ensuring that the movements were accurate, and to use the Yin energy completely, co-ordinating the movements between hands and feet. Through repeated practice one would collect the Jin in the body, accumulate a ball of Qi and release it with power and sound, with an integrated and explosive force in a single movement. Hebei Xingyi Quan inherited the above method but took a more direct approach, whereby one had to learn the hard Jin at first so that one would achieve power and could apply it quickly. Once one had mastered the fierce and hard way of practice, they would then begin to train the An Jin and Hua Jin.

The practice method of the three Jin is mainly used in the Five Elements Fists. Each fist is practiced in three ways. First, master the hard movement so that you can face the enemy; then begin to practice sets of the form; finally, go back to the beginning to train An Jin. When you are proficient you can train the Twelve Animal forms, before finally training the Five Elements Hua Jin.

The differences and training methods of the three Jin are described in detail below.[1]

Ming Jin

Hard Jin, long distance, extension, stepping hard into the front foot, fierce attacks, arm strength.

This is the power of metal, and explodes forward without thinking of retreat. As the Sword Classic of Yu Dayou states, “Every step moves forward, unmatched under heaven.” The Boxing Classic states, “Rushing up and rushing down the posture is like a tiger, fighting hard, entering hard without blocking.”

Ming Jin requires one to train the six harmony and four tips at first. The three centers (hearts) need to be solid and the Qi needs to sink into the Dan Tian. The body needs to prepare the five bows, and train so that one is stable and low, hard and fierce; one needs to have great courage. The Hun Yuan power, which is stable and accurate, must infuse the whole body, which has the effect of increasing power and speed. When striking one is able to knock the opponent back several feet, like “hanging a picture on a wall” or breaking the wall with a step. The classics state, let one “build one’s foundation, strengthen one’s body, the bones and body become solid like a rock of iron, and the form and energy field are imposing like the Tai mountain.” This is the foundational practice for changing the bones and transforming Jing into Qi.

An Jin

Soft Jin, short Jin, braking feet, blocking hand, the back foot following, using the Jing to hit, the power of the legs.

This is the wood energy; the steps are small, and thus you are able to advance and retreat. Each step is like an encampment. An Jin is the energy of being round outside but square inside: when training the outside looks soft and round and “moist,” but when issuing power the internal is square and hard and at right angles. When you strike your opponent, he will only retreat half a step but will have an internal injury. The classics state, let one “expand and lift their membranes, lengthen their tendons, the expansion is limitless.” This is the practice for training the tendons and muscles, and for transforming Qi into Shen.

Hua Jin

Elastic strength, twisting strength, the mystique of change, the wonder of dissolving.

At first one needs to develop a dragon’s waist—to twist and turn, to use opposing energy, and to hit slowly. The steps are lively—you will be moving in a zig-zag triangle—and the applications of the steps come from the Twelve Animals forms. The Five Fists contain more than six ways of dissipating the opponent’s energy. This form contains six changes and the fists attack in eight directions. The classics state, “Cleanse and empty the inside, lighten the body, the signs that indicate the interior is clean and empty: the flow of the Shen and Qi can be used, moving in a circle without hindering the moving and turning of the body, and one is as light as a feather.” Hua Jin is not categorized as bright or dark, hard or soft. Ming Jin is Yang and An Jin is Yin; thus, Hua Jin is a mixture of Yin and Yang, with Yin and Yang interpenetrating each other. The Shen and the intention penetrate the whole body, washing the bone marrow; this is training the Shen to return to emptiness.

The three Jin, from a theoretical perspective, are divided as above. Thus, Ming Jin is Jin or power that is easily seen; An Jin is hidden and cannot easily be detected; Ha Jin is negating the enemy’s force and returning it to the enemy.

During the training process, each level of training of the Five Elements has a strict demarcation. As with hand work, foot work, and body methods, each fist has a unique and fixed training method. It is a complete and complicated process.

Ming Jin is in the hands; the An Jin is in the elbows; Hua Jin is in the body. Ming Jin is hard; An Jin is soft; Hua Jin is elastic.

Ming Jin trains the Jing; An Jin trains the Qi; Hua Jin trains the Shen.

Ming Jin goes out and returns in a straight line; An Jin only begins when stillness reaches its zenith; Hua Jin remains inside and is not revealed.

Ming Jin uses power; An Jin uses Jin; Hua Jin uses the intention.

Finally, they all interpenetrate each other, shifting the soft to the hard and shifting the hard to the soft. Hua Jin is in complete control of Ming Jin and An Jin, mixed into one body.

The three Jin are shown within the Xingyi Quan system, with form and intention, as below:

• The Five Element Fists contain the three Jin:
  Ming Jin: Pi Quan, Zuan Quan
  An Jin: Beng Quan, Pao Quan
  Hua Jin: Heng Quan

• The Twelve Animal forms are also divided into the three Jin:
  Ming Jin: Tiger, Horse, Chicken, Eagle
  An Jin: Bird, Snake, Bear, Alligator
  Hua Jin: Dragon, Monkey, Swallow, Sparrowhawk

Emmett Hutchins told us long ago that Ida Rolf always marked her occupation as “Posture Teacher” in her IRS forms. She also made us realize that we are not the therapists as Rolfers; gravity was/is the therapist and we are the educator, invoker, or facilitator that hopefully helps the client find that gravitational line and adhere more closely to it and express more fully from it. The basis of Rolfing as she taught it was the idea that we didn’t fix symptoms on clients; we helped get them right in gravity and hopefully the symptoms fixed themselves. While I allow myself to look at and try to assuage symptoms in my work, I’m still more interested in helping that client become even more of themself; that’s the healing I’m able to offer.

Recent studies coming from Harvard Medical School are beginning to examine not only the role of placebo, but the effect of telling the client/patient that the treatment being given is placebo. Interestingly, even people who are told their treatment is a sham are getting better. What’s that about?

I believe it’s because the first step to ‘healing’ anyone is to help them realize that they are worthy of happiness. If we can sit with a client in a non-judgmental fashion and let them see that we acknowledge their pain, they feel the strength of that offered hand… it’s just easier to be in pain when someone is there and lets you know they feel your pain. And if the pain is acknowledged, it’s easier to let it go… what we resist, persists.

So, even more importantly, have we as facilitators of health taken the time to look deeply and fearlessly at our own pains? Or are we the kind of therapist who busily ‘fixes’ others without ever looking at our own situations, our own fears, our own weaknesses? To me a true ‘healer’ is someone who has committed to doing their own work first so that they can non-judgmentally sit with the client/patient, truly listen and create space for that person to express the pain, grief, shame, and guilt and get through it and on with their life. That’s healing, and that’s what I hope to achieve when I endeavor to help others ‘heal’ themselves.

Noah Karrasch is a certified Rolfer and licensed massage therapist, and holds a teaching degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He teaches core bodywork skills throughout the midwest and also works with the Wren Clinic in East London. Noah lives and works in Springfield, Missouri. For more on his work please visit his website:  http://noahkarrasch.com/

For more information, and full instruction on these exercises, see Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change.

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved

What makes treating the chronic complex  patient so difficult? Do you think there is still a lack of understanding about how best to approach this?

I think that practitioners are very scared by complex chronic conditions and can become very overwhelmed. I’ve had so many medical professionals dismiss me because they really didn’t understand what the problem was. Treatment of chronic complex conditions really does require a multi-disciplinary team of people and medical experts, as well as an overarching approach to treatment plans. This can all be overwhelming for one person.

Conditions become chronic and complex over the years. There’s often a long delay in diagnosis (research by the Hypermobility Syndrome Association in the UK suggests that diagnoses can take about 10 years). As an individual gets older, he or she will gather more problems, which makes treatment even more difficult, relating to more bodily systems. If the condition is intercepted younger, these can all be addressed and hopefully better controlled.

How has being an individual with EDSIII (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – Type 3, Hypermobility) influenced the way you treat people in your clinic?

Based on what I’ve experienced, I can certainly spot the condition very quickly in people who haven’t had a diagnosis. Although I can’t officially diagnose, if the symptoms are there, I can get them sent to their GP for a referral to an expert rheumatologist. So in this way it’s really helped some people. I also know what ongoing management they are often going to require, so I can both refer them on to practitioners that I know, and support them with Bowen Therapy in the areas that I know they will need help with.

I’m never overwhelmed by what patients say, and I always believe them. And that helps a lot.

Why did you choose the autoethnographic approach in writing your new book?

That was inspired by an author I quote in the book, who wrote about life with a kidney condition and eventually turned it into a PhD thesis. I thought it was a really good way of framing the book. It uses my story as a basis, but also weaves in the stories of others, to ensure that it’s socially representative of that culture group. But also, this is a personal story. I include some quite personal details, and I hope that this makes it much more accessible to read, not a dry textbook. It really says how the patient feels, from my point of view and from the points of view of others.

In the book, you go into quite a lot of depth on the psychology involved both in having a chronic complex condition and in treatment. Do you think that the importance of this area is underestimated?

Yes. I was actually really surprised how large the psychological section of the book ended up being. There are so many layers to it, trust being a very important one. The issue of trust is so important for any medical professional dealing with a chronic complex patient. Personally, I had been consistently told by a range of professionals that the pain I was experiencing was psychosomatic, and that there was nothing wrong with me. I think that most patients have years of that to contend with. In so many cases these conditions involve a legacies of problems that haven’t been fully handled since a young age. Behaviours change because of pain. That really has an impact on people. They get angry, they get depressed, they get anxious.

I’ve also included a section for the patient on managing chronic pain, cognitive behavioural therapy, and other psychological aids such as goal-setting, pacing, ways of communicating and dealing with doctors.

Medical professionals also need support psychologically in dealing with the complex chronic patient because, as mentioned, treatment can be very overwhelming for them, and quite emotionally draining. If one of your patients comes back every week with little improvement to their pain, it can be emotionally difficult as a therapist to make a positive spin on it and focus on treatment.

Social media seems to be a really supportive, positive force for the treatment and understanding of these conditions. How do you see this developing in future?

I think that because some patients with this condition can become quite disabled, and socially isolated, Facebook, for example, can be a real lifeline for them. It’s a way for them to get mutual support, to learn more about the condition, to realise they’re not alone in their experience. I’ve been staggered by the response to my Facebook page, and how it’s being used internationally to provide support and share information on this subject (but never any medical advice).

How do you hope this book will help professionals working with, and patients with the syndrome?

I hope that the patients will be able to see that there has been, in my story, quite a positive improvement due to the level of care I’ve had, and the experts I’ve managed to have access to. Physiotherapy has been essential in this. I’d like to offer patients hope but also the reality that this is a genetically inherited condition, which is about management, not cure. I hope that the book provides not only treatment information, but validation – they can take the book to their doctors to show them what’s going on. It’s as up to the minute as up to the minute can be in terms of medical research and practice.

In terms of the medical professionals, I hope that they can understand the full impact of a multi-systemic chronic complex condition, what it means to have bodily systems not working very well, and the impact that this has psychologically, physically and socially. I hope this helps them to develop a bit of a more empathetic approach.

I’m incredibly lucky to have been able to have 6 real experts in each field contributing to the book. This means that they’ve been really able to bring the book up to date with the latest research on treatment and medical management of the condition. That’s a real privilege.

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved