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You probably know someone who swears by acupuncture or perhaps you’ve seen evidence of it celebrities who undergo cupping. These are just some of the methods used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which has been practiced in China for thousands of years.
But what exactly is it? And why is it so useful for millions of people looking for a holistic way to stay healthy?
Why Traditional Chinese Medicine Balances Your Qi
TCM is not just a treatment for illness, it can help you stay healthy and avoid getting sick. See it as a holistic whole vision of balance, energy and harmony.
While Western medicine treats each body part individually, as if people were machines, TCM treats you as a whole, complete being. In Chinese medicine, everything works together to ensure that our life force continues to flow.
This life force is also called ‘qi’. It is the unity and life energy that connects all living things. Concentrate your mind and you will feel it flowing through your body and connecting you with the universe. It is in a constant state of ebb and flow, and Chinese medicine is about improving and maintaining the ideal flow of Qi.
Yin and yang are the two definitions of qi, with yin representing the feminine, cold, dark and negative and yan the light, positive, warm and masculine. Since everything in life is a balance of opposites, you need your Qi to flow thanks to a level of yin and yang. Then you feel good, healthy, whole and positive.
Practical yet traditional Chinese medicine
So that’s the theory, but what about practice? In the years I have grown within Chinese medicine, I have learned so much. And while my healing practices often combine Western medicine and other arts, such as Chinese calligraphy, other healers use them separately.
To achieve balance, according to traditional Chinese medicine, you must seek balance between your internal organs and the external elements of fire, wood, metal and water by undergoing treatments such as:
- Cupping (heated glass jars used to create suction on specific points of the body)
- Meditation in different forms.
- Tai Chi and other concentration and movement exercises.
- Moxibustion (burning dried herbs close to the skin).
- Herbs and plants in the form of capsules, tea and powders.
Acupuncture is one of the most commonly used parts of TCM in Western medicine. It has also undergone the most clinical trials and research into other alternative medicine.
Is Traditional Chinese Medicine Safe?
As a TCM practitioner and Master of various Chinese artsI believe in the safety of Chinese medicine and many other experts agree. Of course, you should research your choice of healer just as you would with any other form of healing, treatment or medicine.
The most important area of TCM in terms of possible side effects concerns herbal and plant medicines. These can interact with medications and it is very important to know exactly what you are taking. Scientific research and studies on traditional Chinese medicine show that:
- Acupuncture is a useful treatment for a range of conditions, including chronic pain and side effects of chemotherapy.
- Many Western wellness clinics offer Chinese medicine to treat everything from arthritis to insomnia and menopausal symptoms.
- Tai Chi can help people with Parkinson’s disease improve their balance.
- Cupping helps with pain from skin conditions, including shingles.
Patients turn to TCM for a variety of conditions, including mental health to reduce stress levels. Often people use it in addition to conventional Western medicine, and I think it is especially beneficial for people who are suffering from a range of symptoms but cannot find the underlying cause. Other people I would recommend traditional Chinese medicine, including anyone struggling with chemotherapy, people who have tried Western medicine but not feeling better, and anyone who wants to prevent illness by staying well and balanced.
Try Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2021
TCM is suitable for almost everyone, but I always recommend that you consult your doctor first if you are taking prescription drugs or if you are unsure. This is very important if you have a serious chronic condition, such as liver disease or cancer. There are so many aspects of traditional Chinese medicine that can help people suffering from these diseases, but herbs should be used very carefully and only if you are confident that your doctor is of the highest standard.
Chinese medicine is a complex and comprehensive practice and requires fully trained healers to understand how to use it to promote well-being. Everything in our universe is about balance and it has never been more important to understand the link between our mind, body and soul.
If you’re starting 2021 with a health problem or want to find ways to take more control of your physical and mental well-being, consider practicing some form of meditation, trying Tai Chi, or taking the plunge with acupuncture. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.