Elizabeth Bailey
A Chinese proverb says: “You don’t need a great doctor to treat an illness – but you need a true master to stay healthy!” Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become very popular in this country. How does it work?
Yin and Yang: the basis of TCM
The well-known Chinese symbol yin and yang stand for the relationship between rest and movement, day and night, hot and cold. These are opposite energies. A prerequisite for good health and well-being is that yin and yang are in balance with one another. Yin: material or material, calm, dark, cool. Yang: active, dynamic, bright, hot. According to Chinese teachings, the two forces in nature, in humans and animals, and the entire universe reach their optimum state when they are in balance. In Chinese medicine, yin represents the substance or matter in the body, while yang encompasses mobility, movement, and energy. According to this, physical ailments occur when yin and yang are imbalanced.
TMC diet (Chinese dietetics)
Diet plays an essential role in traditional Chinese medicine. TMC nutrition is based on the principle of the five elements earth, water, fire, wood, and metal. In the TMC diet, these five elements stand for the five flavors, and their effect is assigned to different organs. With the help of TMC nutrition, balance and harmony between yin and yang should be created – the prerequisite for good health. According to the principle of the 5-element diet, foods can be assigned to either Yin or Yang and thus have either a cooling and purifying effect (Yin) or a warming and energizing effect (Yang).
Acupuncture in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture is the most common treatment method of traditional Chinese medicine in Germany. Specific points on the skin are pricked with fine needles. Invisible energy channels (meridians) provide the orientation for this. According to Chinese medicine, an acupuncture treatment gets the vital energy Qi flowing again unhindered. Studies have shown the effect of acupuncture on various complaints and diseases.
How does acupressure work?
Acupressure is a TCM healing method related to acupuncture. It is also supposed to get the Qi flowing evenly again. The difference: While fine needles are inserted into the skin in acupuncture, the skin points are stimulated in acupressure by pressure. Acupressure can also be performed without a therapist.
Acupressure Instructions: If the spot hurts slightly when you press it, you have found the right point. Start the acupressure with little pressure, later you can rub or press a little harder. Use the tip of your thumb or index finger to do this. For some points, the fingernail can also be used. In the case of pain, on the other hand, just gently stroke the area. If you want to stimulate bodily function, massage counterclockwise. If you want to dampen a function, the movement is carried out in a clockwise direction.
How does the Tuina massage work?
The term Tuina is made up of the syllables “Tui” = push, push, and “na” = grab, pull. This also explains how the Tuina massage works. The therapist treats the patient from head to toe, pressing and grasping the tissue with small, circular movements. This is how blockages are to be solved. Tuina is successfully used for complaints of the musculoskeletal system, and back and joint problems. Therapeutic Tuina massages are very intense and sometimes painful.
Qigong: What does the theory of movement say?
The movement meditation Qigong is part of traditional Chinese medicine. Translated, the term means Constant practice (gong) to get more energy (Qi). Qigong aims to gain new strength while reducing stress and tension. Jerky and exhausting actions are frowned upon. Hands and legs move in harmonious, flowing, and rounded figures.
An example: You stand in a relaxed, upright position, preferably outdoors, and imagine your feet are rooted to the earth. Hold your hands lightly on your stomach. Deep relaxation soon sets in. Release your hands and slowly move them up over your head. As you do this, turn your palms up until it appears as if you are supporting the sky. Breathe in calmly throughout the process. Imagine oxygen penetrating deep into your body through the palms of your hands. Now gradually bring your hands back down to the starting position and breathe out for a long time.
