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I read at several places on the web that the fascia network is what's anatomically backing TCM's concept of meridians. Everywhere that I saw this provided some sort of reference anatomy trains. How endorsed is that view, have there been clinical studies linking the two ( fascia network to meridians )? Since the meridians work, as in they do have practical applications ie treatments based on them, they must have some sort of anatomical linkage, but is fascia this linkage or it remains an unknown what the linkage is ?

Dear Dao Bums, Where do you get your herbs in the European Union? In my country I get K'an Herbs and their other department Mycoherb from a local TCM company. Sometimes I also get already formulated herbs from Pine Mountain, Seven Forests & White Tiger from a Dutch TCM company that I know through local TCM connections. However, when I want to buy raw, single herbs, I need to get them from German or British Amazon, or sometimes I'm lucky and find them in specialised teastores or bazaar-like shops in the big cities where I live. However, lately I'm looking for american ginseng & dendrobium, and no matter where I search, I can only find them being shipped from outside of EU (e.g. USA or China). The problem with getting them from the US or China is that the delivery will be more than 1 month, and when you finally receive it, you have to pay extra tolls because it's from outside the EU. So I'm desperately searching for a place in the EU, because then delivery is usually within 7 days, and trade within EU is toll-free. Do you have any good places within the EU to get raw single herbs?

Let me preface this by saying that I never felt any inclination whatsoever to be a doctor.Zero.Nada.Not even in dreams. I don't even like much to interact with people, at all. In this aspect I'm the stereotype of the introvert that prefers to be alone. And yet...yet I realized now that for a while(the last three or four years?) I've kept thinking of "the healing arts"/medicine. Once in a while I would talk(with my family) about learning more about anatomy to develop my massage skills, joke about learning acupuncture to "pin myself with the needles", try breathing techniques to lessen the pain, or as it happened today, search about therapeutic methods. I was even taking notes about thermotherapy/heat therapy just right now. Why?No idea. I know next to nothing about how the body works or how ultrasound can be used to alleviate pain or reduce swelling. I even enjoy reading the books/posts that talk about it(the art of healing or how the body heals itself, regeneration and etc.), but at the same time I feel no interest in being more proactive about it and maybe "use it to help others". ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Am I somewhat being led towards a more "medically-inclined life"(for some odd reason), or is it all just in my head and I should stop trying to seek issues where there are none?

Dear Dao Bums, What I wanted to share today was my very interesting discovery about the parallels between the TCM and qigong meridian system, and the chakra, nadi and petal system in Yoga and Sri Vidya. The two channels in the agyna chakra: Ksham (क्ष) is the left side of the forehead, it is the left, outermost bladder meridian in TCM. Ham (हं) is the right side of the forehead, it is the right, outermost bladder meridian in TCM. The bladder branches into 2 channels on each side of the spine, i.e. 4 channels in total. An innermost and an outermost on each side of the spine. The four channels in the muladhara chakra: Sam (सं) is the left, lower kidney meridian (i.e. from the muladhara chakra and down to under the foot) Vam (वं) is the right, lower kidney meridian (i.e. from the muladhara chakra and down) Sham( शं) is the upper part of the right kidney meridian (from muladhara chakra and up through the body, through the lung and finally into the brain) Ssam (षं) is the upper part of the left kidney meridian (from muladhara chakra and up) The six channels in the swadistana chakra: Lam (लं) is the left, lower part of the spleen meridian (running from svadistana chakra and down to the big toe) Bam (बं) is the right, lower part of the spleen meridian. Bham (भं) is the right, upper part of the spleen meridian (running from svadistana and up) Mam (मं) is the innermost bladder channel to the right of the spine, running from swadistana chakra and up alonside the spine Yam (यं) is the innermost bladder channel to the left of the spine, running from swadistana chakra and up alonside the spine Ram (रं) is the upper part of the left spleen meridian (from swadistana and up). I can't wait to journey through the rest of the chakras and nadis, and clear the channels even more (nadi shuddhi). I'll keep you posted as I discover more If you'd like to know a bit more about the background, read on: There are mantras for 6 chakras and their individual nadis. There are 2 nadis in the agyna chakra, 4 nadis in the muladhara chakra, 6 in the swadistana, 10 in the manipura, 12 in the anahata, 16 in the vishuddi. That means you need to memorize a total of 50 sanskrit letters and their mantra, which is going to take some time Saying the sound of the sanskrit letter in the "petals" of the chakra, activates the nadi. Saying the sound of the sanskrit letter in the middle of the chakra, activates the chakra. All of this knowledge is from Hinduism, namely the Yoga and Sri Vidya tradition, as taught by Guru Karunamaya. I've written about my experiences with it here: The method is simply "sandwiching" an empowered mantra from your guru in between the sanskrit letter for each channel. This 1) activates the channel, 2) sends energy from your guru mantra into the channel, 3) closes the energy inside the channel. For example: lam aum nama shivaya lam. So far, I've only mastered the agnya, muladhara and swadistana (which I've described above), so the next one I'll work on memorizing and opening is the manipura chakra and its 10 nadis Be blessed by the Divine! May we all enjoy good health, long life, prosperity, happiness, wisdom and peace

Hey, it's me again! So, I've been looking for TCM herbs lately and I've found a formula that might be safe for use and also very powerful, the name of it is GAN MAI DA ZAO TANG, and it's composed of GAN CAO (Radix Glycyrrhiza uralensis), FU XIAO MAI (Semen Tritici aestivi levis) and DA ZAO (Fructus Zizyphi jujubae), but I can't find the right dosage of each herb in this formula. I read this mixture is used as a decoction, so I should put them together, boil the water and then let it simmer for 15 minutes. Any of you know the right dosage of each herb? Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone, Like the title suggest, are there any good TCM herbs suppliers in EU that sells online? I need some single herbs Thanks

Started reading this book: Chinese Qigong by The Publishing House of Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine And am surprised to see how here they seem to write of Qigong as a scientific system and not so much focus on it in a spiritual(awakening/enlightment) kind of thing.Sometimes it even seems like they're being skeptical of Qigong itself(or at least, the Qigong that is linked to spirituality) and consider this more of an "alternative health system" of sorts. For example, some of the chapters and sections: Chapter One: General Survey -Section Two: The theoretical basis of Qigong - Qigong and the Viscera Chapter Two: Maneuvers of Qigong -Section Two: Dynamic Qigong - Iron Crotch Qigong(not gonna lie...I laughed when I read that) It is both strange and interesting seeing this kind of "pragmatic"(?) view of something that I'm just so used to seeing being constantly linked with Daoism and all the spirituality that comes with that.

Hello everybody! My name is Charles, I am from California and I am 22 years old. I usually figure problems out on my own but cannot solve this problem that has been haunting me for almost two years now. I'll give a quick rundown of the problem and the steps I have taken to solve it. I have been smoking weed just about everyday from the age of 17 to 21. At 21 I left my job because it was stressing me out so much, I had never felt that much stress before in my life. After working there for two years I finally quit but was left with a feeling that my "soul was tired". That's the only way I could explain that feeling. As time went on I was having a hard time finding a new job and my money was getting low so I left the stress of a secure job to the new stress of being broke and lost in the world. The bottom line was that I was heavily stressed. So that led me to smoking more and more weed and it eventually got to the point where if I wasn't high I would be highly emotional which wasn't like me. I then started having random emotional breakdowns for no apparent reason. But then after 6 months of being jobless I went to go smoke some weed and I had my first panic attack ever. I just remember my hands and feet got really cold and I felt this very intense electricity through my body all while I was in my car alone. After that I couldn't drive so I had my sister pick me up and take me home. I went to sleep early that night and when I woke up I realized that the world looked strange. Something I know now as "derealization". It has been a year and a half since then and I will list off the symptoms I've been having. Tinnitus, Dry Eyes, Dark Cirles, Fatigue, Insomnia, Weak Knees, Energy in my head, Bloating which causes me to constantly burp, A locked left ankle that lasted for two weeks, and Ulcers in my mouth. I also have anxiety now which I've never had on this level and/or constantly. Now that that's out the way I have tried it seems everything under the sun to get my body back to normal. I did a detox, Somatic Experiencing, Acupuncture, Worked on my Root Chakra, Excercise, Walk as much as I can, Ground as much as I can etc.. I'm sure there's a lot more that I've tried but those are the main points. After googling multiple things over the year I have come across many explanations of why this is happening but nothing sticks. I am from the Western society so everybody that I talk is trying to push drugs on me but I know that's not the route I'd want to go. There are thousands of people with this same problem that live with it for years, even decades but this is not a life to live at all! Anyways, it wasn't until I came across this user on here named "Lush Lemur" and he has given me the most hope out of everything I've researched. He tells his problem AND how he solved it. He went through the same ordeal as me except his wasn't triggered by weed. He explains that he had Derealization as a symptom of Kundalini Syndrome and he used reverse breathing to fully cure himself and get back to normal. He also noted that conserving jing was essential to this practice as he stores it in the lower dan tien. That statement alone got me thinking... Have I depleted my jing essence and this brought upon and anxiety disorder? The one thing I didn't mention was that I have made masturbation and sex an every night occurance for the past 10 years. I rarely ejaculated more than once a day but nevertheless it's a problem. Since reading Lush Lemurs' post a month ago I immediatley started my semen retention journey and have been successful thus far. I have not seen any improvement but at the same time I have not been doing reverse breathing nearly 200 times a day as he suggested as it causes my chest to tighten (yes, i am doing it as gentle as possible). I do have nearly every symptom of a depleted kidney yin energy so I went to acupuncture yesterday and got treatment for that. I would message Lush Lemur but it says that he cannot recieve messages sadly. So I am posting this here in hopes for some feedback from you kind people as this is my life on the line here. Thank you! I'll respond to all suggestions.

I wonder if there are any good books about the five elements and how to balance them through diet/environment? I also seek a deeper understanding about the balance of these elements. I found out that I'm low on fire and really high on water. I also see that I'm low on metal while wood and earth are good.

Greetings everyone. I am an experienced tcm practitioner here are some pictures of my herb garage: https://imgur.com/a/3M8MVCR And that is only a fraction of what I have in storage. I have tested almost 300 herbs in my body at this point. Not including mineral substances. I used tcm and herbs to completely occur extreme anxiety and psychosis that was ruining my life for years. Through this herbal journey I have become very very in tune with how different substances affect my body. At this point I can ingest herbs outside of the Chinese pharmacopoeia and with decent confidence say what their classical categorization would have been. The reason I am joining this forum is I want to add qi gong to my daily practice to enhance the energy manipulation I am achieving with herbs. Primarily I want to enhance kidney yin as that is the main deficiency I suffer from. Any classic routines for the enhancement of kidney yin?

Hi everyone This is my welcome post and I thought I would initiate a discussion about something I have been interested recently. Do you know any specific schools (UK), or Qigong systems which allows you to do Qi transmission in order to heal others. I have a background in Chinese Medicine, hence in my understanding that is partially whats happening during Acupuncture or massage, etc. However I am looking for a system which is more specialized in using such a healing method. In regards to my experience I mostly practice Yang style TaijiQuan and TaijiJian with some Qigong exercises on the side. Thanks

Hello everyone, In the past years, I have occasionally read some threads in the daobums forum, but I never bothered signing up. Now I did, because I want to start practicing inner energy work properly. I want to do so in order to increase my vitality and gain better health primarily. Secondarily, I am also interested in experiencing subtle energy flow within my own body. Lastly, I would also like to develop myself spiritually. I am aware, that spiritual development is probably prioritized by many people, but I guess I am still very much attached to this physical world, which is why improving my physical health is very important to me. Well, other than that I am actually really curious about one thing: Has anyone been able to reconcile the practical/theoretical differences between systems like Daoism and f.e. Vedic teachings? Has any comparative literature been written on this subject, ideally from a practitioner's point of view? F.e. I have always wondered why in Daoism the fifth element is metal, whereas in the Vedas the fifth element is space or aether. I am also curious, if the different conceptions of energy pathways in the body can be reconciled in some way? TCM has twelve main meridians, whereas Ayurveda speaks of thousands of Nadis. Can the differences of the chakra system and the Dan Tian system in Nei Gong be reconciled? Obviously practitioners from both traditions reach great heights of mastery, so does that imply, that there are many methods, which will lead to the same outcome? If so, how can methods, that differ so much in terms of theoretical concepts of metaphysical understandings, lead to the same outcome? To my materialist mind, it would make much more sense to assume, that there is one correct way of how to conceptualize the nature of reality, even down to those levels of reality, that go beyond the purely physical. Anyways, I am looking forward to learning more about all this.. Peace Entob

My Naturopath/LaC employer is mostly retiring soon and will likely be selling some of his books and supplies related to oriental medicine. His wife also has a large amount of TCM materials in Chinese and so basically at this time, I am putting together a list if there are some people who might be interested in making offers on any of the materials. Hopefully this drive link will work: https://drive.google.com/open?id=11Vhlz74OJMwJNFu9oQoeLYRqIzhbTScqh Also other related materials including a vintage ultrasound, ear candling stuff really old Bach Flower essence kits that are unopened and according to the people that make them, they don't lose their efficacy when passed the expiration date.

A big hello to everyone here from South Africa! By way of introduction, i have been captivated for quite some time with eastern philosophy; the spiritual, martial and medical elements and practices; the alchemical and esoteric mythology and everything in between. i hope to gain a better insight and understanding from all of the scholars and teachers here at [Dao Bums] as well as share where i can. Looking forward to conversing with all of you soon ....

Hi all I'm from Ireland, i'm an acupuncturist and work with tuina tai chi and qigong. been deep diving the i ching in relation to a style of acupuncture recently and would like to know a bit more. not even sure which questions to ask yet! This seem to be the place to big wave from Ireland

Greetings. I've read the forums from time to time & found good information here in the past so decided to join proper. Have taken many ideologies from different places throughout my life and have constructed a belief system that is again in transition. Been practicing Yoga and Qigong regularly, many years of different Yoga styles, Qigong is new. Have been practicing the Spring Forest method and would like to learn more traditional methodology to have the option of weaving the two together or practicing another form. I am interested in a spiritual wellness as well as mind-body wellness. I've begun meditation over the past 2 years which really isn't a lot of time. Focusing on breath work. Have worked with TCM practitioners quite a bit over the years though my knowledge feels limited. I wish to more fully participate from a more informed mind. Am happy to read on different modalities a roots of said practices. Am interested in learning how things are connected from Taoist perspectives as have found some of my beliefs and practices here in the past. I feel the need to look deeper. Pleased to be here. Moon Yin

Hey! The deal is this: I am putting together an exhibition about chinese medicine where I will illustrate the relation between anatomy and energy, between medicine and cultivation. There are some topics I will take up with my pictures: -direct relationship between anatomy and energywork -illustrations of movement of qi -illustration of healthy qi movement contra diseased qi movement Now, practitioners of chinese medicine and cultivators, i need your help. I am 80% handyman when it comes to my artwork, and I want to broaden my spectrum of ideas. What are creative ways to illustrate these things? And, do you have any other ideas of what you would want shown through an image? So far I have only made two images: 1. cultivation. This image is a more anatomically-oriented version of the neijing tu combined with some elements from the xiuzhen tu. 2. internal and external pathways shown with anatomy and the three dantian. So, please everybody, give me your opinions and ideas for how I can make a really awesome exhibition in october, and if lucky help evolve the way we imagine our body and mind. best wishes, j

Using all my spare time for over a year I have developed a web app to make some suggestions to answer a few commonly asked questions on this forum; Which path to take? How can I heal / cure myself of “x” health issue? I have this problem in my meditation, what do I do? The app is centred around providing effective and practical suggestions derived specifically for each individual user. The best thing about it is that you can get a lot of the great benefits of TCM and put things into practice right away without needing to learn piles of TCM theory. All you need to do is answer a questionnaire that takes 10-15 minutes, after which the app will generate a customised health cultivation program for you. Meditation, exercise and diet issues are addressed for each individual user aimed at bringing the body back into a state of balance where the possibibilty of extraordinary health can be achieved. However I would like to say that although the underlying capabilities are working, it is a work in progress and has a pretty basic looking interface. In the future I hope to make it look fancier, but until then when I can review the situation, the whole system is free to use. In the meantime I would be greatful if you could give me some feedback, inform me of any problems you face while using the webpage, or if you find the app useful it would be great if you 'liked' the facebook page (you can find it on the front webpage of the site www.healthcultivation.com). This app shouldn't take the place of advice given by your doctor. If you have health issues you should always see your doctor first. Check out the app at: Online TCM Diagnosis To use the diagnosis system you must create a login account (free), so that your answers get saved when you proceed to the next step, saving you from needing to re-enter answers at a later date. I spent heaps of time making this so i hope some people can benefit from it.

Hello Taobums, I feel honoured to have joined such an interesting community of likeminded individuals. I''ve been reading different topics for some time now and I thought it was about time I joined and shared in the discussions with some of my Taoist experiences...