Traditional Chinese Medicine - TCM podcast

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-13-medical-qigong/ Imagine ability to control all aspects of your given life energy as you wish, using only the power of your mind. To use it in such way in order to restore and maintain health, slow down aging, or protect yourselves against injury. Such ability is simply explained as understanding and knowing transformational processes in nature. Chinese culture calls it Qigong 气功. It’s a rare and somehow mystique discipline known to few. Practicing Qigong activates development of abilities to sense and control life energy known as qi. “Qi” 气 has numerous translations such as: the life force, the spirit breath, air, or oxygen. “Gong” 功 translates as: work, skill or accomplishments. We might translate Qigong as life energy workout. How about qi? Chinese believe that qi is our life energy. Qi has its limits and when we consume it up, we simply die. Traditionally Qigong practice is used in order to prevent illnesses, promote better quality and extend life. Qigong practice correspond to three categories of people: mere people, soldiers/athletes and spiritual people (monks, priests), and therefore Qigong is broadly divided as: Medical qigong, Martial art qigong, and Spiritual qigong. The largest category is Medical Qigong. It consists of exercises with aim to slow aging, prevent disease, and cure illnesses. The qi circulates along the body throw very specific channels known in Chinese as jing luo 经络. By Chinese point of view, health is represented by continuous, free, balanced, and harmonious flow of qi, throughout all parts of the body. Qigong practice requires control, and it involves breathing exercises, body postures, and mental meditation in order for qi to go back into proper circulation. Qi is flowing through body just like a blood does inside specific channels. Qigong meditation is basic training in developing the mental control to move your qi. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that diseases appear due to malfunction/imbalance of flow of qi, either a blockage, deficiency or an excess. Traditional Chinese Medicine rose from the empirical observation of nature. It began more than 5000 years ago. Chinese civilization understands that we are part of the nature by mutual interconnection of body and mind, space and time, with dynamic process of constant change between man and nature. For the whole to function harmoniously, every part must remain in balance. Traditional Chinese Medicine is divided into four main branches: Acupuncture, Herbs and Food therapy (Chinese pharmacology and Dietology), Tuina - massage therapy (Orthopedics, chiropractics), and Medical Qigong (Physical exercises and Physical therapy). Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-12-six-healing-sounds/ Music has one of the most prominent functions in Chinese culture for over 3000 years. Music has been used for all life and death situations. Confucius believed that music is the best way to teach people about social and moral ethics, such as showing appropriate social manners and being tolerant and respectful. Taoism believes that music promotes self-cultivation and self-realization, promoting people to achieve inner and outer balance. For over 2000 years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been using many non-traditional modalities of healing, such as music and sound therapy in order not only to diagnose and cure illnesses but also to treat soul-mind-body disorders. Traditional Chinese music therapy Music therapy has been widely used in China in dealing with mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) the mental disorders are closely attached to emotional disorders. Music can influence emotions if the pitch, frequency, timbre, and volume are properly adjusted. Also, music can influence the flow of Qi – vital energy. In TCM, particular actions and emotions correspond and mutually affect different organs and body parts. In ancient China, one of music’s earliest purposes was for healing. It was believed that music has the power to heal the heart, enrich the mind, and harmonize a person’s soul. Hence the age-old saying: “Music before medicine”, (Chin. 樂先藥後, yuè xiān yào hòu). During the time of the Yellow Emperor (2698–2598 B.C.), people discovered the relationship between music, the five elements, and the human body’s five internal and five sensory organs. The Chinese character for “medicine” (藥 yào) even stems from the character for “music” (樂, yuè). TCM Music Therapy employs the theory of five phases and pentatonic musical scale in order to analyze and treat illnesses. The pentatonic music scale was firstly defined in Chapter of Music, from the Book of Rites (Chin. LI Ji 礼记) from 51 B.C. to 21 B.C. Chinese believe that the Pentatonic scale primary sounds are imprinted at the beginning of the universe, as that the humans and nature are the One. The music represents the bridge between the human body and the universe, and each human organ has its corresponding sound in nature. There are five scales and six characters in nature, and correspondingly in the human body exist five Zang-organs (yin in nature) and six Fu-organs (yang in nature). Chinese believe that elements in nature are made of five substances: earth, water, fire, wood, and metal. These five elements have various corresponding aspects, such as internal body organs, seasons, musical notes, color, etc. Chinese pentatonic music scale is composed from five notes or sounds — jiao, zhi, gong, shang, and yu — and is usually performed on classical Chinese musical instruments: - jiao note corresponds to the wood element and influences the liver; - zhi is linked to the fire element and is connected to heart and blood flow; - gong belongs to the earth element and has an influence on the spleen; - shang is linked to the metal element and nourishes the lung yin; - yu sound is linked to the water element and is connected to the kidney yin. In traditional Chinese medicine Shen (spirit) (Chin. 神) is the reflection of the vitality of the human body. Shen governs all psychological and physiological activities. Music is regarded as the best connection with Shen. In TCM, the psychological and physiological processes can be translated into Qi, blood, emotions and cognition. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-11-acupuncture-anaesthesia-and-ping-pong-diplomacy/ The availability and accurate application of existing information and therapeutic procedures are certainly the most important reasons for achieving tolerable perioperative analgesia, which means that it is now almost completely possible to eliminate unnecessary pain. Insufficient pain relief after surgery is described as morally and ethically unacceptable. Anesthesiology is a scientific discipline, a branch of clinical medicine, that studies the procedures of inducing insensitivity. The term anesthesia (Greek an estos - without feeling) means reduced sensitivity of the whole or individual parts of the body and is achieved by means that depress the nervous tissue locally or the CNS completely. Numerous terms have been used to denote nervous tissue depression (analgesia, hypnosis, anesthesia, sedation, etc.), which in fact represent the pharmacological basis of certain preparations. That is why it is accepted that we use the term anesthesia for any form of nervous tissue depression, distinguishing between general anesthesia and local anesthesia. General anesthesia should cause (but does not necessarily always cause) immobilization, relaxation. Local anesthesia is a procedure that causes insensitivity to pain in a particular part of the body by administering drugs that interrupt the conduction of impulses through nerves in that region. Mao Ze Dong initiated a plan for the development of Chinese medicine through the following phases: from 1945 to 1950. "Cooperation of Chinese and Western (modern) medicine", 1950 - 1953 "Teaching of modern medicine by Chinese doctors, 1954 - 1958" Teaching Chinese medicine from by doctors of modern medicine ”1950 - 1958 "Unification of Chinese and modern medicine", and finally in 1958, "Integration of Chinese and modern medicine" was initiated. Mao said: "In the future, there will be only one medicine guided by the principles and laws of dialectical materialism." When physicians decide on the best anesthesia technique for outpatient or day surgery, they must necessarily change their approach over traditional hospital general anesthesia. First, the patient must go home quickly and safely; secondly, the side effects that can be tolerated in our hospital settings, such as nausea, vomiting, and pain, are completely unacceptable in modern conditions and can potentially prolong discharge home and even result in unforeseen complications overnight. Acupuncture anesthesia is not a new concept in Chinese medicine. It is worth mentioning two doctors from the time of ancient China. In Chinese medicine, in the book Records of Great Historians (94 BC), Qin Yueren (407-310 BC) is mentioned as the first physician to use anesthesia in heart transplantation. The book states that Qin Yueren used acupuncture anesthesia. He is the most important physician of Chinese medicine and is considered the father of Chinese medicine and acupuncture. He is known in the literature under the nickname Bian Que. He lived at about the same time as Hippocrates (460-377 BC), the father of modern medicine. It is worth mentioning the doctor, surgeon Hua To (110-207 AD). He was the first Chinese doctor who found and perfected an anesthetic called Ma Fei San. This anesthetic is a combination of cannabis, wine and medicinal herbs. Dr. Hua It is usually compared in its virtuosity with the Indian doctor Jivaka who lived in the age of Buddha 500 BC and is considered the first surgeon in Chinese medicine to have valid surgical procedures in place. Until 1847, i.e. the arrival of Peter Parker in China, these two doctors did not have a worthy successor to mention. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/epidose-10-the-alchemy-of-poisons-in-chinese-medicine/ At first glance, medicine and poisons seem to belong to opposite sides. However, in China’s pharmacology, poisons are widely used as healing properties. At some point, it emerged the idea that the usage of strong poisons can contribute to enhancing life or even regaining immortality. Chinese medicine doctors patented medical techniques in order to apply the right amount of poison for medical purposes. Chinese medicine classified poisons according to their healing power but not toxicity, which was second of importance. A traditional saying in China express their fundamental view of poisons: Use poison as an antidote.(Chin. yi du gong du以毒攻毒 ) In ancient China, it was popular using poison to cure poison. To accomplish that goal Chinese used to drink realgar wine which contains arsenic sulfide. A popular custom they practiced in order to protect themselves was wearing Five poisons amulets (Chin. wǔdú qián五毒錢), which contained pictures of the 5 poisonous animals (snakes, scorpions, centipedes, toads, and spiders). Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides wrote De Materia Medica (50-70 CE) which is the foundation pharmacopeia of medicinal plants in Western pharmacology and contains more than sixty toxic drugs, such as opium poppy, mandrake, and hemlock, collected to treat diseases. Unlike Greek medicine which prescribed poisons regarding their toxicity, Chinese medicine, prescribed drugs because they contain poisons. Du (Chin.毒) – historically has two equally important meanings in China, a healing toxic and a poison. It exists different concepts of well-being in ancient China and contemporary times. Chinese pharmacology in its foundation sees a completely materialistic world as useful in the scope of healing. Chinese medicine incorporates mild procedures, e.g. food therapy, with the function to balance the body, mind and spirit, and connect it to the universe, and use toxic drugs that might brutally destroy or expel pathogenic agents. Throughout history, Chinese medicine doctors have often used herbal and mineral substances containing du. Aconite (Chin. Fuzi 附子), for instance, is a very toxic herb grown in southwestern China and is in fact one of the most frequently prescribed drugs in Chinese medicine. Chinese doctors in ancient times included many toxic substances in the drugs in order not only to cure but also to extend life. It was a popular belief that it's possible to shape the transformation of the body into higher states of being and achieve longevity. Such a process included purification of the body, and the highest goal to attain was immortality. Most of the drugs used for the higher purpose could be used regularly on a daily scale, such as minerals, cinnabar, arsenic, and sulfur. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-9-feng-shui-origin-and-practice/ The art of divination in China has a vast tradition which foundation traces goes to several millennia. Such art incorporates China’s political and social fabric. During history it had various purposes; when to take part in war or when to seek peace, when to plant and harvest, or to schedule important events such as weddings and funerals. Very unique to divination in China is a symbiosis of astrology and geomancy. Purpose of Chinese divination is to unearth mysterious events and to position and balance humans to be in harmony with the flow of time and space. Analyzing stars and planetary positions and chronological movements, and the earth’s unique physical features, we can discover characteristic situational patterns in life. The very first unification of China brought Art of divination to be state law adopted in 3rd BCE. From the foundation of the empire in 221 BCE, until its collapse in 1911 AD, Chinese imperial state continuously employed professional diviners and sanctioned official texts about their art. Chinese astronomy incorporated astronomical advances from India in the 9th century following the arrival of Buddhism, and in the 18th century following European missionaries which in turn greatly influenced Chinese astronomy. Crucial point for Chinese divination and astronomy marked Emperor Qianlong Hong Li 弘历 (1736-1796 CE.) who ended dispute in choosing correct methods for selecting times and orientations, as rectify calendrical and geographic practices publishing set of rules and principles known as Treatise, within Bureau of Astronomy, a subunit of the Board of Ritual. Treatise is considered the official reference manual for imperial diviners and almanac makers. The Chinese art of divination and astrology contains the very core of traditional culture and philosophy. Divination in China was considered neither supernatural nor superstitious. The information with which the art dealt was thought to derive from the natural universe itself and not from a transcendent power. In relation to earth energies Chinese culture isn’t the only one to recognize the places and landscape energy and its effects on people. Many ancient cultures recognized in which way earth energies influence people as well. Most of the old Catholic and Orthodox churches were built over an old animistic worshipping place. Metaphorically and literally, those places continued to be an ideal place to continue worshipping the gods without judgment about people's beliefs and doctrines. Similar respect for the universal energies and man-made structures can be seen in the Egyptian Pyramids, at Delphi and in various structures and mounds built in North and South America. Relations of people with the built and natural environment are affected by many inseparable elements such as feng shui, electromagnetics and radio waves, natural earth energies in general, way of building, building materials, systems and design, and finally history. Feng shui represents the most developed and sophisticated forms of geomancy. Feng shui observes particular design, layout and residential and work places, and how these factors influence our health, wealth, career, relationship, etc. Its foundation is based on the flow of Qi or energy in the external environment, and what effect produce on people. Different sources of qi in external environment influence our living space. In general, qi is greatly accumulated in the water. When a house is located near the ocean, on the peninsula, it gets too much qi from the ocean. To reduce its exposure to abundant yang without affecting great scenery, we should surround the house with trees. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-8-yi-jing-the-book-of-changes/ Ancient culture of China has made great contributions to world culture. Book of Changes is one of the most precious contributions of Chinese culture, which has exerted a great influence on Chinese philosophy, literature, historical study, as well as natural and social sciences. The Book of Changes is the very basis of Chinese culture, the principal source of Chinese philosophy. social sciences and natural sciences. It has greatly influenced the history of Chinese civilization. Its importance lies not only in what is covered in the Book of Changes and Commentaries on the Changes, the two Component parts of the book, but also in some 3000 related works on Yi philosophy (philosophy of Changes). Many ancient schools of thought that derived from this philosophy, and the comprehensive system of in science it nurtured. All this makes the Book of Changes an inexhaustible well and unlimited treasury of human knowledge. The Book of Changes is a pivotal link between the past and the future. It has organically combined ancient and modem Chinese civilization, joined the lifelines of Chinese culture and vigorously promoted its development. The Book of Changes, or its essence, has two major connotations: Yi philosophy and Xiang Shu (Divination). Xiang Shu is the basis of Yi philosophy. It is the charm and attraction of Xiang Shu has made Yi philosophy more popular than any other system of philosophy.According to Chinese legend Yi Jing originated with the mythical Fu Xi, one of the earliest legendary rulers of China (2800 BC-2737 BC), reputed to have had the 8 trigrams revealed to him supernaturally. Fu Xi was said to have found the eight trigrams that form the sixty-four hexagrams on the shell of a tortoise. The meanings evolved from then on, but the book was used mostly for predicting natural events until King Wen wrote the first expositions on the sixty-four hexagrams about 3,000 years ago. These were the first comments that included social and political connotations. Each inquiry to the oracle will result in a hexagram reading and possibly additional line readings. A hexagram is made up of two trigrams. There are eight possible trigrams: cosmos, thunder, water, mountain, earth, wind/wood, fire, and lake. Each trigram is made up of three lines. Each line is either broken or solid, corresponding to the complementary forces Yin (negative) and Yang (positive). Every time a coin is thrown, one line of the hexagram is determined, thus, six throws decide a hexagram. These eight trigrams were conceived as images of all that happens in Heaven and on Earth. At the same time, they were held in a state of continual transition, one changing into another, just as transition from one phenomenon to another is continually taking place in the physical world. There are sixty-four different hexagrams, and each hexagram has six changing lines, any one of which may or may not apply for any particular reading. The hexagrams and lines in their movements and changes mysteriously reproduced the movements and changes of the macrocosm. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-07-goodbye-boring-hello-adventure/ In its very essence, Chinese culture is strongly connected to its root and historical events. Modern Chinese culture is strongly influenced by Confucian ideals. One of the very basic foundations of the Confucian tradition is a deep respect for teachers. China represents an ancient civilization of at least five thousand years. In ancient China, people treated etiquette as the most important part of the culture. The concept of hierarchy: monarch-subject relationship and father-son relationship are the core concept of the etiquette. Under the influence of the strict feudal hierarchy order and high ethical and moral standards, people pursuit the ethical morality of respect for seniority. Lǎoshī is the Chinese word for “teacher.” It has two characters: 老師 and the first character lǎo 老 is a prefix which means “old.” The second character shī 師 means “teacher,” so the literal translation of lǎoshī is “old teacher.” However, 老 in this context just expressed respect and isn't related to actual age at all. “Laoshi” is considered to have knowledgeable merit and impart knowledge to commons. It stands to reason that “laoshi” is a high-ranking role and they should be admired by others. Moreover, as the old saying goes, “a teacher of one day is a father of a lifetime”, so the address “laoshi” has an unshakable position in the traditional thought. Most of the Chinese rulers were firstly educators – teachers. It is considered in all Chinese history lifespan for Confucius to be the greatest teacher of all. Besides morals, ethics and government leading, teacher is a central role in Chinese society. Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.(Confucius) The Republic of China, Taiwan, is truthfully traditional compared to P.R. China. On September 28 is celebrated Confucius' birthday, designated Teacher's Day, which is a national holiday in Taiwan. All public institutions are closed, and from the very early morning, men gather in the Confucius Temple of every city dressed in the Chinese full dress of long gown and cardigan over-jacket. The ceremony is usually lead by the mayor or by the governor. The ceremony involves traditional musical instruments and students dance holding a pheasant's tail feather. Three slaughtered animals—a whole ox, ram and boar—are offered as sacrifices. The ritual, following details set down by Confucius himself, lasts about an hour. When it is over, the crowd that has been waiting outside swarms into the ornate palace-style building, opened only once a year for the occasion, to look at the wooden tablets, sacrificial vessel and instruments. Lǎoshī is also used as a title. We can address an actual teacher as “lǎoshī” or we can use lǎoshī in combination with a family name when referring to a teacher. Chinese students can always call teachers "lǎoshī", including professors at university. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-06-rise-of-nomad-destinations/ The cupping therapy has been used in China for thousands of years. The cupping therapy in its primitive form using cattle horn was used primarily to withdraw pus and blood in the treatment of boils. Cupping was then used as an auxiliary method in traditional Chinese surgery, and in time developed into a special therapeutic method. The earliest records of cupping in ancient China was found written in Bo Shu 帛书 ancient book written on silk. The text were buried 186 BC in Ma wang dui 马王堆 tomb. Through several thousand years of accumulated clinical experience, the clinical applications of cupping have become increasingly wide. During the Qing dynasty 清代 (1644-1911), the original natural horn cup has been replaced by bamboo, ceramic or glass cups. Because cupping is traditionally used in China, the technique has been inherited by the modern Chinese TCM doctors. The ancient Egyptians were the first to use cupping therapy systematically. Ebers Papyrus, the oldest medical textbook 1550 BC, describes bleeding by cupping in order to “remove the foreign matter from the body”. Hippocrates and Galen were also great advocates of cupping. In the early days the technique was used solely for bleeding purposes. In the book of Galen (c. 129-200 AD) on Bloodletting, disease and health are defined in terms of nature. “Disease is an unnatural state of the body”, states Galen, “which impairs a function. Health is a state in accordance with nature, and the cause of the functions”. Here we can see the similarities to the cause of disease and the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): disease occurs as a result of imbalance between the Yin and the Yang. Galen states that: “The nature does its best to restore unnatural states to their healthy condition. The function of the Physician is to cooperate with her. The principal indication for Bloodletting, then, is to eliminate such residues or to divert blood from one part to another by the process known as Revulsion or Derivation”. For thousands of years all medical authors have distinguished two forms of cupping, Dry and Wet. In Dry cupping no blood is actually removed from the body. A cup is drained of air and applied to the skin, causing the skin to swell. In Wet cupping the process begins with dry cupping and is followed by several incisions being made in the skin, in order to collect blood. Among the Egyptians, who introduced bloodletting to Greece, cupping was the usual remedy for almost every disorder, and they no doubt had received it from the more ancient nations of the East, from whom they had derived their other knowledge. In many cases, topical abstraction of blood alone is indicated, and this can only be effected by using leeches or cupping. Leeches have been found so uncertain in their application that various means have been prescribed to make them more effective. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me        

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-05-the-dark-side-of-being-an-expat/ Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) accounts for 8% of primary-care visits in the United States and has a lifetime prevalence of 18%. At present, 13% of the elderly population and 10% of younger adults are being treated with antidepressant medications. Lifetime prevalence for major depressive disorder is 16.5%. Other common conditions include: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a lifetime prevalence of 6.8%; panic disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 4.7%; bipolar disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 3.9%; and obsessive–compulsive disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 1.6%. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) represents complete medical practice originating from ancient China through thousand years of clinical experience. TCM has primarily independent as foundation medical health care system in China and Southeast Asian countries, and integrative medical approach, providing first choice medical therapies. TCM, and acupuncture, has wide range of clinically proved therapeutic applications and approaches to treating psychiatric disorders. TCM searches for holism between all living things in nature. Speaking of humans, TCM considers that body, mind, and spirit are interactive and interdependent. Everything is affected by each other, and in particular the spirit substitutes the existence of body and mind. It is rather exceptional perception to view psychiatric or emotional disorders through this lens of holism rather than using a more-reductionist approach of modern medical systems. By TCM point of view, spirit is connected with God, the Universe or with Nature, if you wish. Having such connectivity, the spirit is the source of wisdom and, ultimately, health. According to modern TCM theory, the human spirit is an energetic opening of the autonomic nervous system. It can be influenced negatively by illness, but alternatively maturation and cultivation of spirit, can lead to healing. If any of the six senses got negatively affected (sixth is intuition), spiritual cultivation may be achieved by number of activities, such as arts, meditation, yoga, etc. It means that any kind of spiritual illnesses and physical manifestations alternatively can be treated only by cultivating spirit. Treating a person with emotional disorders using TCM firstly we have to relieve physical suffering. Secondly, through the process of cultivation, spiritual energy is nourished and purified, and finally, negative energy is transformed into positive energy, thus promoting an energetic balance. Result of our action is harmonization of mind, body, and spirit. In addition to Chinese herbal medicine we use acupuncture, qigong, yoga, tai ji quan, tuina, as TCM medical disciplines for addressing the spiritual components of emotional disorders. Main function of TCM in the global arena is for the betterment of mankind. According to TCM theory, the human body consists of five Zang and six Fu organs, which are characterized by the five elements (五行) namely Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth, in the realm of the “Five Element” theory. The Zang-Fu organs are functionally interlinked with each other by generating and restricting mode of action, resulting in an optimally functioning body by maintaining a holistic Yin-Yang balance. Disease will develop when this balance is distorted, as in the cases of over-restricting and counter-restricting. Furthermore, the Zang-Fu (i.e. all visceral organs) interplay responds to environmental conditions, and these conditions—referred to as “external evils”, can distort the Yin-Yang balance and result in disease. TCM theoretical and clinical practice adopts a holistic approach in making diagnosis of diseases, with the categorization of symptoms into various patterns of Zang-fu (internal organs) disorders.  Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-04-the-digital-nomad-lifestyle-facts/ Anxiety is a mental illness that can impact an individuals daily life. It is the most common mental illness in the U.S, affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population. Approximately 8% of children and teenagers experience an anxiety disorder with most people developing symptoms before age 21. About 12% of people are affected by an anxiety disorder in a given year and between 5-30% are affected at some point in their life. Anxiety disorders occurs about twice as often in women than they do in men, and generally begin before the age of 25. The most common are specific phobia which affects nearly 12% and social anxiety disorder which affects 10% at some point in their life. They affect those between the ages of 15 and 35 the most and become less common after the age of 55. Rates appear to be higher in the United States and Europe. Only about one-third of those suffering from an anxiety disorder receive treatment, even though the disorders are highly treatable. How to define anxiety? Anxiety is an overwhelming long term subjective unpleasant emotion, often accompanied by nervous behavior and symptoms of worries, phobias, physical symptoms such as muscular tension, restlessness, fatigue, etc. Anxiety however is not the same as fear, which is a our immediate response to a real life danger and threats, whereas anxiety is the expectation of future threat. Sometimes due to long term exposure to life threatening events, anxiety can be appropriate reactions, but when experienced regularly the individual may suffer from an anxiety disorders. Acute anxiety refers to sporadic, stressful panic attacks which dramatically influence our life’s. Chronic anxiety on the other hand refers to general - long, drawn out daily symptoms that reduce quality of life of individuals. It is important to note the risk of anxiety has a tendency to transform to depression and possibly even lead to a suicide. Anxiety causes an individual to be fearful, worried, or stressed about daily activities that we may feel are normal. For me anxiety is an interesting topic. In my 10+ years clinical practice, majority of my patients were diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders has changed rapidly in the past century. Modern medicine has produced diagnostic criteria, pharmaceuticals, and different therapies, increasing public awareness of these conditions. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-03-dating-as-a-digital-nomad/ From the very beginning, the ancient China remained directly or closely sacrificial. It is unfortunate but ancient China was built upon sacrifice. Sacrificial elements were of utmost meaning in the ancient China. Very alike European cultures, ancient and medial China followed the evolution from blood sacrifice to non-blood, re-presented as it is believed “morally correct” sacrifice, and to the ethical systems, such as Taoism and Confucianism, that evolved from it. The status of individuals in ancient China was determined by the perceived degree of his or her association with the supernatural. In ancient China, supernatural capabilities were common to virtually all Chinese medical doctors. They all had supernatural capabilities that were all documented in medical texts. Shang dynasty (1766-1046 BCE), sacrifice consisted in humans and animals and, to a lesser extent, wine and food, and as practiced later in Japan, tools, weapons and clothing. There is clear evidence of a shamanic culture existing in early Asian civilization, and many shamanistic practices are believed to lie at the foundation of Chinese Medicine. By the sixth century B.C., the link between shamans and the medical practitioner was clear. Confucius is quoted as having said that “a man without persistence will never make a good shaman or a good physician”. Shaman - wu 巫 is a person who can mediate within the powers of nature. Shamans are viewed as bridges between natural and the spiritual world. Shamanism dates back to 40-100 thousand years ago, and is considered to be the oldest spiritual and healing practice known to humankind. Virtually all cultures around the world evolved from shamanic cultures. Most shamans begin their spiritual paths during a life-threatening illness, having started a spiritual journey and communication with the gods, spirits and ancestors which in return later become the source of their powers. After recovering from the illness, they go through a ceremonial practice of cleansing. Archaeological excavations have found records of the shamanistic use of divination dating back to Shang dynasty (c.1766 – c.1050 B.C.)... Link: https://www.meer.com/en/44155-shamanism-in-chinese-medicine Religious practice in ancient China dates back over 7,000 years ago. Long before the Confucius, Lao Zi and the Buddha got accepted and developed philosophical and spiritual teachings, the people believed, developed and worshipped personifications of nature and concepts like "wealth" or "fortune" which eventually developed into a religion. Such thoughts and beliefs still influence religious practices today. Evidence suggests Chinese mythological symbolism from the 12th century BC carved in the Oracle bone scripts. Legend of creation were passing down for over a thousand years before was written in books such as Classic of Mountains and Seas 山海經 (4 BC - 2 BC). The first writer to record the myth of Pangu was Xu Zheng 徐整 during the Three Kingdoms period (220 – 280 AD). Pangu 盘古 was the first God – Creator, equivalent to concept of God found in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Pangu is creator and founder of the Heavens and the Earth. Creation story goes as follow: In the beginning of time, there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. This chaos coalesced into a black cosmic egg for about 18,000 years. Within it, Pangu was born inside of this egg, and the perfectly opposed principles of Yin and Yang became balanced. Having been realized he was trapped within it, Pangu woke up from the egg. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-02-getting-rid-of-time-consuming-habits/ Most people, when they face Chinese Medicine at some point, are primarily interested in how TCM can benefit their health, which conditions it can treat and how it works. Few people would ever wonder about its origins - when, and more importantly, why the ancient Chinese began to treat diseases by puncturing the body with bare needles or use herbs to relieve sickness. So far only few researchers paid attention to these questions; most Chinese Medicine textbooks and acupuncture practicums mention origin of TCM as uniform theory without much coherently identified evidence. According to standard, widely used theory in P.R. China acupuncture had its origins early in the Late Stone Age (the Neolithic Age, c. 8000-3500 BC) and developed gradually over many thousands of years through a process of trials and errors. The traumatic nature of acupuncture, and it's treatment protocols may appear quite crude by modem standards. We do recognize long history in China full of various inventions and discoveries. However, if the accepted knowledge is correct, we are confronted with a great mystery. Why did acupuncture, unlike any other healing system, appear only in ancient China and nowhere else in the classical world? As a matter of fact, it was a great and relatively sudden invention based on theory as well as practice, which occurred in classical China, not long before the birth of Christ. The Western Han Dynasty arose over 2000 years ago. This is a considerable span of time in the overall history of human civilization. However, in the context of China's 4000 years of recorded history, the civilization of the Western Han was actually more modern than primitive. The previous centuries had seen the blossoming of Chinese culture during the intellectual give-and-take of the Spring and Autumn (110-416 BC) and Warring States 415-221 BC) Periods, and the subsequent territorial unification of China by the Qin Dynasty (221-201 BC) laid a foundation for the cultural integration of the diverse states. Acupuncture was one of the fruits of this rich period of Chinese history. Many aspects of Chinese culture, including technology, geography, philosophy and social relations, contributed to the invention and development of acupuncture. For example, through their work with flood control the Chinese ancestors learned to use dredging to remove obstacles and direct the flow of water through riverbeds, the channels of the Earth. This led to the realization that needling could be similarly used to remove obstructions and stimulate the flow of Qi through the meridians, the channels of the body. The holistic application of the same principle allowed the classical Chinese both to control flooding and to treat disease and disorder. This intuitive association between the channels of the Earth (the macrocosm) and the channels of the body (the microcosm) may seem strange to modern readers, but holism, the awareness that each part mirrors the whole, was one of the most fundamental principles of classical Chinese philosophy. Chinese holistic thought regards humanity, society and Nature as an organic, unified whole. The human body is seen as a microcosmic image of Nature. It is believed that Human and Nature are similarly constituted and governed by the same laws, and that their disorders can therefore be similarly managed. The invention of acupuncture was a direct outgrowth of this holistic philosophy. Web: https://www.meer.com/en/42163-the-origin-of-acupuncture-and-moxibustion  Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-01-its-time-to-reveal-some-secrets/ To learn the law of creation requires great knowledge, wisdom or even an enlightenment. Such knowledge is the gate to a higher level of consciousness. Taoism is an ancient knowledge and wisdom we can trace back 5000 years throughout Chinese history. The word "Tao" (Chin. 道) has many meanings such as; road, channel, path, or principle. We can understand that Tao is the force which keeps the universe balanced and ordered. Human’s goal is to become one with the Tao, to be synchronized with nature, and to achieve intuitive knowing of life through life experiences. If we follow the principles of Tao, in time we can achieve knowledge of effortless action - Wu Wei (Chin. 无为), and virtue - De (Chin.德). “Wu Wei” in fact represents knowledge of doing nothing and to let things take their own course, and understanding of human inner nature and compatibility to the greater universe. “De” is the term which means active living, or to practically follow inner nature of everything in accordance with the Tao. The Tao is eternal and infinite, without idea of “ego” or "self". The way humans see each other in self-observation and the way we project ourselves, in Taoism is considered as main cause of pain and sadness. It is believed that during process of self-awareness we have tendency to isolate ourselves from the others. Such experience ends up in illusions, that all organisms are individually separated and exclusive, and not part of the same world. Humans only see natural manifestations and end processes. As it is not possible to destroy ego, our main purpose is to follow universe patterns and the main source. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

Traditional Chinese Medicine - TCM podcast (Trailer)