We take it for granted that people just get sick.  We assume that it’s normal that every once in a while we’ll get a cold, or indigestion, or need some type of surgery at some point in our lives.  But, do we ever question whether this situation really is normal?  Do we ever wonder why we get sick?  According to one of the earliest Chinese Medical texts, the Huang Di Nei Jing, dated to the first century BCE, “The antique people lived amongst the animals and used movement to ward of cold, and recluse shelter to ward off heat; internally they did not have any attachments and envies; externally they did not have need for bureaucratic composure, these were tranquil, satisfying times, and as such, evils were unable to penetrate deeply...But the world is different now, with misery present in the interior, and suffering damaging the exterior; along with the loss of the ability to follow the four seasons...hence minor diseases manifest with severity, while major diseases imperatively cause death.”  It appears people have been getting sick for a long time!  No wonder it seems normal now. Read More

Chinese medicine can oftentimes treat Shingles more quickly and effectively than anti-viral drugs, and without the side effects.

Shingles is a painful skin condition mostly found along the abdomen, inguinal groove, and lower back. It is caused by a flare-up of the same virus that causes chicken pox, herpes zoster, and occurs when an individual is sick, stressed, of advanced age, or in any other way immune compromised. When someone recovers from chicken pox, they never get rid of the virus. It lies dormant in the nerves, (primarily the dorsal nerve), held in check by a strong immune system. When the immune system is weakened there is the potential that the herpes zoster virus flares up as Shingles. Although Shingles will usually clears up on its own in a few weeks, it is an incredibly painful condition that most people seek treatment for. Read More

Most people don’t realize that Chinese Medicine excels at treating the common cold and flu.

Cold and Flu season can be a miserable time of year, especially if you’re one of the unfortunate people who seems to get sick from every passing sneeze or cough. As most people can’t afford to take off work anymore, they’re left dragging themselves out of bed, sniffing, aching, and feverish, to drag themselves into their job.  Read More

We are master escape artists in our ability to hide from the truth.  We have a grass is greener mentality.  We always think it’s better somewhere else - better house, car, job.  While personal progress is often a virtue, affording us better access to life’s essentials, when applied to our spiritual lives, not only does this mentality get us absolutely nowhere, but it keeps us in the same painful perspectives and relationships to life we are trying to escape from.  The relationship that most people have to their lives is one of discomfort, shame, and fundamental alienation and isolation.  For this reason, the modern approach to spirituality is to seek for happiness outside oneself.  Traditionalists pine for happiness in the afterlife.  The new age movement has cornered the market on manic projection.  But, is anyone truly happy right now? Read More

Chronic illness affects more than just our body, it affects our mental well-being, as well.  Those fortunate enough to be healthy and free of illness often have a hard time finding sympathy for those who are sick.  However, all people who suffer from any chronic illness, such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or candida, know how deeply, negatively impactful, the condition can be on all aspects of their lives; from energy and vitality, to being able to sleep and feel well-rested, to being well enough to maintain friendships, and to the foods someone eats, among other things.  Physical or functional illness often dramatically affects our overall emotional well-being in a negative way, making us more likely to feel hopeless and depressed. Read More

What brings us to spiritual practice? This is a very important question. On the one hand it asks us to recognize what we may hope to find through practice. On the other hand, by recognizing what we want, we’re forced to truly acknowledge what we think we don’t have. In this way, we must be very honest with ourselves. We have to actually deal with who we are in the present moment.

This honesty is absolutely crucial. Our tendency, as thinking beings, is to project outward, to plan, to dream, and to fantasize. Very rarely, if ever, do we actually look at who we are right now. From a certain point of view, it’s much easier for us to dream about what it would be like to be at peace, or to fantasize about what it would look like when we finally ‘wake up’.  Read More

The holidays are here, and as you cook your turkey diner you are probably reminded of just how stressful it is.  As we reflect upon the holidays, it is perhaps fair to say that stress is the most ubiquitous shared experience common to people living in industrialized countries.  It is, in fact, our love affair.  Most of us, culturally, are workaholics, weekend (week-long) warriors, and/or weekend bingers, fueled by adrenaline, caffeine, alcohol, and poor diet.  Whether or not we think we may, or may not, have any of these characteristics, statistically we would probably describe ourselves as “stressed and burned out”.  The reason for this, in all likelihood, stems from learned inappropriate boundaries, in which we undervalue ourselves and consequently find ourselves overly obligated to our jobs, family, and most importantly to own preconceptions.  Therefore, we oftentimes sacrifice our own personal truth for the idea of how we think our lives are supposed to appear.  It’s no wonder that we find ourselves in a state of chronic, nervous tension. Read More