yuanqi

other than the ren pts on that channel (i.e. ren 17) you can use lu7 for ren and you can use spleen4 to open the chong, both which run up the middle of the body, specifically lung7, as it opens the ren channel and is the master point. qigong or pressing, stimulating acupts shouldnt cause a problem. at all. everyone in america probably has some sort of liv/sp disharmony as was mentioned, if you have a spleen problem then the liver is generally overacting on it, if you have any unfulfilled desires or are just living life then you generally have liver qi stagnation, period. however, these probably are not the cause of a solar plexus problem but could be in a round about way as its close to the hypochondriac region LOL. For that matter, anything in Chinese medicine could be looked at as affecting something else. LOL but seriously solar plexus is vague as it can be many different places on it and you didnt really say what the problem is other than weak or messed up and healers saying its blocked. if it is a simple blockage and a channel problem then acupuncture would ease it without question, keep pressing the points and use the ones i mentioned or see a nationally certified acupuncturist. No MD, DO, DC that practice it unless they happen to be board certified in it.

The only herbs that are generally cooked for long periods are the really hard substances and they are cooked first. then the other stuff is added. an hour is too long. 20 min first batch and 30 for the second is the general rule, however sometimes we might want to cook them 30 for the first depending on the ingredients. the ones you are using are ok at 20 and then 30 min. if you cook too long you can destroy the properties of the herbs. for instance somethings are charred and that can make them stop bleeding etc etc. sometimes we bake them first to enhance the properties or change them. so its important to cook them the right way. enough of the volitile oils are escaping in the steam anyway so use what i am saying as a general rule. its hard to determine what you are using (ie grade, quality, size etc). the normal dose for dang shen is between 6-9 grams. if you have long looking stalks then thats about 1 good one or one and a half. for bai zhu its 4.5-9 grams. thats a couple pieces if they are decent sized. for huang qi the dose is between 9-15 grams so if you have the ones that look like tongue depressors (high quality) then a couple of those, maybe 3. if you have short little pieces that are cut and have what looks like a little bark on them then you might use a small handful. now these are just the doses that we learn in school and are guidelines to use. each individual is unique and has certain issues so the dose maybeuppped or lowered. in china these doses would be higher generally. so i cant tell you how much to use other than what i have mentioned as guidelines. if you use too much huang qi for instance and you have alot of yang or liver yang rising then you may end up with a headache as it raises the qi. matter of fact they are all qi tonifiers and generally we would add other herbs to them to make a proper formula. these three are great but as a rule you need other herbs to moderate and address other issues, not just qi tonifiers. if you have a weak immune system and get colds frequently and are fatigued then these three can help with that among other things. a good qi tonifying formula is si jun zi tang. it has ren shen, bai zhu, fu ling, zhi gan cao in it. very simple and a classic spleen qi tonifier. if you looking for lung qi then that is a different formula. all depends on the goal. hope this helps

why not make the limit 50 people? thats a cool 10 grand for one days worth of "work" if they all pay at the door. Why not do it for free?

you dont need a double boiler. just dont use aluminum. stainless works fine, i use clay. after bringing to boil, set on low to simmer, first batch at 20 min. strain after done. add slightly less water to herbs and bring to boil again, then simmer this time 30 min. strain and mix the two. then drink. you never cook those herbs for 45 minutes and you should never burn them, if you do then there is something wrong with what you are doing. after boiling and simmering twice then discard. this is the traditional method i was taught in school. a guideline to use for amount of water is enough to cover the herbs, and slightly less the second time. however, when using only three herbs you can use as little as 8-12 oz and when it done you should end up with 1 oz or slightly more. people drink it like tea when its a medicine. you will see the Chinese drink it something thats a little more than an oz and its sometimes quite thick as the boil and simmer it down to be what it is supposed to be which is medicine.

Grandmaster is the first clue here. Americans tend to call themselves that. My Taekwondo instructor was one of the first few 9th dans outside Korea. Never called himself master or grandmaster, although he was.

Agreed. It is mis-dx'd alot. Its funny b/w western herbs and eastern philosophy of their use. I have friends that are Registered Herbalists that combine both. And I thought Chinese Herbs were hard enough, combining both is great if done right! Over my head unless we use it too. LOL

Dr.Ted Cibik-PA Dr.Dennis Alexander-FL Dr.Jerry Johnson-CA-Semi Retired J.Michael Wood, MMQ-TN Dr.Bernard Shannon-CA-Took Jerry's place These are the real deals, some have been board members or are board members of the national qigong assoc and some studied in China and have certifications from there. It would help for a practioner to see and tx him. Then they can prescribe the appropiate qigong. There are others as well but I am currently not up to date with them. As a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, these are the people that come to mind that I would try and see. Or if he is up near Ya Mu go see him. Ya Mu mentioned some herbs and other products, there are some on the market that can help somewhat. Teasel is poplular but from a TCM perspective teasel doesnt help with an inflammatory disease, it tonifies Yang (yang being warm in nature) so it may not only not work it may make it worse. unless of course the person suffers from yang deficiency. LOL So if he were to try some herbs try to get a proper formula from a practioner based on how he presents. Good luck.

The extraordinary vessels are used for many different reasons. They are paired together in the following manner. SI3 and UB62 LU7 and KD6 PC6 and SP4 SJ5 and GB41 The first one opens up the Yang Qiao and Du channel The second opens up the Yin Qiao and Ren channels The third opens up Yin Wei and Chong channels The last opens up the Yang Wei and Dai channels More specifically SI3 opens Du Ub62 opens up the Yang Qiao Lu7 opens up the ren Kd6 opens up the Yin Qiao Pc6 opens up the Yin Wei Sp4 opens up the Chong Sj5 opens up the Yang Wei Gb41 opens up the Dai (dai wraps around the waist) You can use them for all sorts of different reasons, from internal problems to esoteric type of treatments and relaxation among many other things. There are points called coalescent points that are opened when these pairs are used. For instance the Yang Wei Sj5 is the "master point" and Gb41 is the coupled point, they have about 16 regular points that are "opened" when they are used that consists of points on the UB channel, The SI channel, The ST channel, the Du channel etc. These have actions on the EOVs and since only the Du and Ren are the only ones to have points of their own, the coalescent points are considered shared points. so if you dont like alot of needles, then you can sometimes just use the EOV's and attach Ion Pumping Cords (a Japanese thing) and have very very powerful treatments. They are used in the pairs in Chinese Acupuncture and particularly in Japanese Acupuncture. I studied both in school. Other questions I can answer as well if you are specific. Sometimes however, the "why" can be answered and sometimes that is just how it is. LOL I had alot of Chinese professors that gave you answers and sometimes they just said this is that way because it is. In Deadman there are reasons for things like why SI3 is on the hand but opens the Du. Many times it has to do with the divergent channels and by virtue of their pathways or sometimes it can be due to the external/internal relationship of organs etc etc etc, it is too much to list here. For instance, SI3 is considered Taiyang, as is the Bladder. The bladder channel runs on the back as does the Du so it can treat the back, also the SI is internally/externally related to the HT so it can also calm the spirt due to this relationship. This is why I would need specifics.

samurai swords I was going to write a long email going in detail but i think another thread should be started in regards to that, not that i want to even participate. The truth is many qigong authorities consider Yintang or the third eye, the 6th chakra (whatever you want to call it) to also be the location of the upper dantian. not the tip of the nose. the third eye is the seat of your spiritual vision. it is also the place where qi/prana is raised to at death in some practices to merge with the Universal Consciousness (insert whatever name you want here). so why is it given sooooooo much attention if we are to focus on the tip of the nose to go inward?? i will not drop names. this info is all over the place. but then again, 99.9% of whats out there to be bought or had isnt Truth anyway. i dont speak the name of my teachers or my Guru, as they dont seek students or publicity and you have never heard of them i am sure. regardless of "when" the translations were done, my point was the information was taken from archaic Chinese, which is difficult at best to translate properly. nowadays people are translating the translations! this was the only point i had. i was just giving you something to ponder. thats all. Enough on this subject, let it go back to a thread on beginning Taoist practices. If i offended you I apologize, perhaps I should have not agreed with Spectrum's post without clarifying. It was an oversite on my part. It really doesnt matter how one practices as long as they practice. Eventually we all will find truth....

I am aware of the two different systems. As a practitioner of Oriental medicine the Tao is close to my heart. I am not here to argue with you. I was agreeing with Spectrums Post. There are many different paths that lead to the same place and I can respect that. I am also aware of the system you are putting forth and understand that they are valid, of course they are as I used to practice them! However, one thing to consider is this-the techniques come from ancient texts that were written in archaic Chinese. According to my past teachers and instructors the chances of proper translation of those texts is slim and none, this could be the reason why the "tip" has been used in some circles and the "root" in others. Most probably originated in one place to begin with and over time, to suit individual needs and cultures have been changed. Just something to think about....

Your welcome.

well you would think that with that much practice it would happen. but i know some that have practiced alot longer than me and still cant do it. i am sure there are many reasons. but one shouldnt cut it, at least not in the true Kriyayoga path. its also hard to say if it actually does connect the du and the ren as i stated earlier as the tongue behind the teeth on the hard palate is really the place but who's to say the khechari doesnt. I know from my studies in taoist esoteric thought that alot of how and what they practice must have came from India in the first place. Elixir of immortality for instance, never knew what that was and how to actually have it happen etc until I became a Kriyaban in the true tradition. LOL it has cleared alot of allegory up that i studied for years in the taoist thought. no disrespect to the Tao mind you. LOL I am still a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and taoist thought is a huge basis on how we practice and where our medicine comes from.

FYI-the information on this site isnt correct, but it does show a few things that could be of help.

I can do the Khechari mudra, although I learned it from my Guru in Kolkata and practice under strict guidance per His instructions. I do not use it for the microcosmic orbit or other Taoist techniques. In Oriental medical school they touch on the orbit as it is such common knowledge. It connects the du and the ren channels which make up the orbit as we were taught in school. Whatever you do, do not cut, snip, slice or whatever just so you can do the Khechari. This is not the true way. There are stretching exercises that some schools of thought use, most exteranlly oriented. The true way is to use the techniques taught in Kriya Yoga which are considered internal. everything is internal and this must be the focus. Some practice for years and cannot get it, some practice 15 plus years and cant get it, some get it eventually, others in a short time span. This is all based on the grace of the Guru and your individual Karma. Snipping it and being able to do it will not yield the end results you seek. As for the Full Lotus, yes it is important to sit in a proper asana such as this, however, even without Full and only using Half lotus, if you can do Khechari it makes little difference.

some good advice from the rest. for pain, traumeel that was mentioned before is good, its made in pill form as well as in ointment (although i dont know if you can order the pill form unless a practioner), works well from all the people i know and recommended it to, especially using both at the same time, also available to different types of practioners in injectable form, which is by far the best method to take care of the pain immediately. i dont know if acupuncture injection therapy is available in austrailia but if so that would help alot, usually a cocktail of guna shoulder with vit b 12 and traumeel seems to work well in injections for that. herbs are one thing that will help as well especially combined with acupuncture. there are a multitude of chinese herbs that can take care of the pain and help heal the shoulder, maybe you can find an acupuncturist/herbalist to consider getting treatments from. laser therapy is also great provided the person has a adequate laser and not a pen light. LOL good luck

i dont think i heard anyone suggesting to forego allopathic tx's there chief. it has its place, there is no doubt about it. most are suggesting alternative methods to CONSIDER that can be used in conjunction with standard tx. none of the answers are irresponsible, they are suggestions.

i agree totally

we are not discussing taking responsibilty

i second that, what a joke. make sure they are truly qualified etc.

both are good suggestions that have been given. wudang is right, in tcm we need to either see the patient or get alot of information to make an accurate dx. it is not like western medicine in that regard so we dont say ok you have this take that. there are many formulas that build the kidneys but as wudang said the kidneys may not be the actual cause according to TCM. and formulas (herbal) and point prescriptions will be different based on what the root cause is and what symptoms are appearing. so it can be complicated and i agree that they should see a tcm doctor in person. also when the kidney organ is actually involved the person should be monitored closely while on the herbal formula. so have the person go to someone that is board certified not only in acupuncture but also in chinese herbology. or any practicing doc from california that has taken that board. also, in some states we do acupuncture injection therapy with herbs, vitamins and homeopathics and that would be excellent especially the homeopathics as there are very little/if any at all, side effects, usually none (its all energetic anyway). you can look up homeotoxicology and acupuncture injection therapy for more information and what states allow it, right now its only a handful if that.

with a proper chinese medical dx, acupuncture will help even if you can only afford once or twice a month, more is better no doubt, with the right herbs, being modified based on your root and symptoms at the time, will help when you are not recieving acupuncture. the herbal formula needs to be modified from time to time based on what you are experiencing. thats the problem with patent medicines, they are a base formula for a general condition. thats why most would use the raw formula for your condition, i understand that it can be time consuming to boil the herbs (PROPERLY) and also dealing with the taste. but it is worth it. i have a pill machine that i use so when making a formula for someone that prefers not to drink the stuff, i make the formula up for them based on what THEY need at the time and can continue to modify it as necessary. that way no boiling, they are getting 100% of the herbs unlike a decoction and i have control over what the ingredients are and what i can take out/add etc. see if you can find a DR where you are that does that. otherwise some of the other suggestions are pretty good. and as far as a tcm practioner closing his practice because he feels he is only helping temporarily and not addressing the underlying cause.....well i cant imagine that personally. tcm teaches us TO search for the root, treat the root and the symptoms will disappear, the root is what you always look for especially in chronic conditions, of course you can treat the symptoms but always always look for the root of the problem. thats the beauty of chinese medicine in treating the whole. if people only got better temporarily then something is being done wrong or not at all, for the most part. and if it happens alot then something is definitely wrong. good luck!

cupping over the sacrum can be done but when its that low then i would use needles actually inserted into the sacral foramen's, actually deep enough to go thru the hole and use e stim there. dit da would help as well depending on the injury, my dit da's are made for anything from pain and swelling to fractures and tendon problems but i also made one up for bruised bone, the speciality herbs in that go deep into the body and penetrate to the bone, also i would burn moxa depending on the specific injury. sorry about the acupuncture not helping you in the past for sports injuries, i know friends that have practices and thats all they do is sport related injuries, perhaps a acupuncture specialist in that area could help if one is available where you live. as far as my dit da goes, yes it will be for sale as soon as the batches i got going are ready, soon they will be available on the web under my girlfriends website as i make sure she is involved in the process as she is also a certified chinese herbalist (NCCAOM certified), i am just a doctor of oriental medicine canidate which includes herbs. i didnt want to actually put it on the net in a mass market thing but this website is given to her customers here so they can order stuff, however its not completed as of yet but will be in the next few weeks. i also carry plasters and ointments made by hand for anything from burns to toxic swellings to injuries due to any trauma that breaks the skin. all the herbs i use are not sprayed with anything and no sulfur that is used to help with preservation, and when a formula i make calls for vinegar processing, or removing the oil of certain herbs first or dry frying etc, its all done by me. i have been selling the dit da for 10 bucks for a 4 oz bottle but may start doing 6 oz for the same price, most on the net i have seen are more expensive than that. so as not to advertise you may email me i think my email is attached here somewhere, if not then p.m. me and i will give you more information.