The year is 1988, I am in a pre-competition intensive training camp for rhythmic gymnastics. One of our coaches, Coach Annie is doing mental training with us. This is the first time we have ever done anything non-physical in training. She gets us all to lie down on the training carpet. She leads us through a small relaxation exercise and then she asks us to imagine ourselves performing our routine as perfectly as we can, without any mistakes. She tells us to do this as often as we can, but we never really get to this again as a group; trust a 14-year-old to do extra work outside of regular training. About 8 years later, I am in university taking a psychology-in-sport class. Our professor is telling us that research and studies are showing us that athletes who use visualization and mental training in combination with physical training perform better than those who do not. This fascinates me, as I had already had a taster 8 years before. I ask myself what it is that one is training when one does mental training. Some will say that it is training the Mind, but what is the Mind and where is it?

Interestingly, when many in society speak of the Mind, we point to our head; I was researching the Mind on the internet and Wikipedia’s first image is of a head with symbols in it. In the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries online, it states that the noun ‘mind,’ when referring to the ability to think, refers to “the part of a person that makes them able to be aware of things, to think and to feel.” This definition does not specify any parts of the body, which is quite wise of Oxford Dictionaries to do so, as there is quite a lot of scientific evidence available these days which show us that what we define as faculties of the Mind are actually not only located in the head, i.e. brain, but everywhere in the body. Often times, what is defined as the Mind is referring to cognitive functions such as perception, reasoning, awareness and memory, psychological capacities of both conscious and unconscious, as well as feeling, motivation and behavior. The definition of Mind in the West encompasses a very broad dimension, as such it can become very vague and often times gets misconstrued as just the brain. What is clear is that the Mind is not just in the brain; hence, the term Bodymind has begun to be in more common usage over the last few decades.

In Chinese Medicine, what has been translated as Mind is actually called 神 shén. The Chinese character shén has two parts, the radical on the left means god or deity, on the right it means to explain. Together they mean god, spirit or expressive. Shén in Chinese Medicine refers to the mental ability on one hand, as well as the emotional and spiritual aspects of a human being. Mental activity and consciousness are said to dwell in the Heart. The Chinese medical scholar, Giovanni Maciocia states that “five functions are affected by the state of the Heart: Mental activity (including emotion), Consciousness, Memory, Thinking, Sleep.” The Chinese medical view goes further to describe Will Power Zhì as residing in the Kidneys, Thought Yì  in the Spleen, the Ethereal Soul Hún as related to the Liver and the Corporeal Soul Pò corresponding to the Lung. Therefore, for thousands of years the Chinese have viewed the Mind as being in the body as well as in the head; this corresponds to the Bodymind concept.

When I ponder back to my time as an athlete at 14 years old, using visualization techniques to perform better physically, I realize that the seeds of Bodymind were already being planted in me. I was already being trained to view my being as a whole being, not as the sum of parts, all it needed was regular practice. Now, I still prepare my intellectual Mind for exams or presentations by warming up my body, as I did as a gymnast and dancer, by stretching and moving my physical body. Just as I still do visualizations of my Tai Ji Quan/ Qi Gong form when I am on public transportation and can’t practice it physically. For me, the Mind is the Body and the Body, the Mind.
 
 
Reference
Macioca, G. (1998). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. London: Churchill Livingstone.
 
 
 
Image by AdinaVoicu on Pixabay

A couple of months ago, I was asked to contribute an article to the journal of our Swiss TCM Professional Organization, TCM-FVS. It was to be about Endometriosis and how it can be treated with Tui Na Massage. I went through the process of researching the current available research and treatment methods for Endometriosis in biomedicine, as well as my own knowledge and experience in treating this condition.

First of all, to understand the word Endometriosis, we must understand its Latin-Greek description. Endo as a prefix, means “inner” or “within,” Metr- is “uterus,” together they refer to the inner lining of the uterus. Osis as a suffix to any word means “disease” or “abnormal.” It helps to have studied medical terminology in university. Endometrium refers to the inner lining of the Uterus. Therefore, Endometriosis refers to abnormal endometrial lining. In a healthy human uterus, the endometrium thickens and sheds with every menstrual cycle, flowing through the cervix, into the vagina and out of the body. In Endometriosis, some hypothesize that there is an incomplete or even a backflow of menstrual blood, causing a stasis of blood not only in the Uterus, but also on the organs surrounding the Uterus, like the uterine tubes, ovaries, rectum or intestines. When the endometrium does not completely shed but remains stagnant in the Uterus, this is called Adenomyosis, not Endometriosis. The most common symptom for both conditions is pain, before or during menses, dysmenorrhea, or even with sexual intercourse, dyspareunia. There are finally other newer hypotheses being suggested. I say "finally" because this hypothesis is almost a 100-years old proposed by Sampson and has not been proven or unproven. It is the oldest of the hypotheses, as Endometriosis has been ignored as a condition in biomedical field for a long time and many observe the reasons to be a neglect of female-health issues; not taking women-s health complains as serious health conditions.

In Chinese Medicine, conditions such as Endometriosis, which is by no means the only female uro-genital condition, have mostly to do with stagnation; stagnation of Qi, Blood, Dampness, Phlegm. These cause blockage in flow and can result in physical masses, when not brought into motion over a long period of time. For Chinese Medicine, the result of the stagnation is only one part of the picture; we ask the questions of how and why, the process of which this stagnation is occurring. If we were to view the body like a river, flowing with water, nourishing and creating little ecosystems wherever it flows; then the Uterus would be one of these areas of movement and life. Like in a river, if the amount of energy and water is lacking, there will be too little movement and nourishment; thereby, causing stasis and/ or deficiency. Sometimes in a river, we also find debris from upstream, garbage that shouldn’t be there but is, which can cause blockage and changes in flow, as well as change the environment within the river. This is also what can happen in our bodies, as such we maintain regular flow of Qi and Blood in the body with Tui Na Massage, Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine.

In my research, observation and experience about treating people with Endometriosis, I have found that every person’s story is different, as such needs an individually-tailored strategy. I have also found that we in our modern society tend to look outward, instead of inward for answers and solutions; we try to find the info about our own bodies outside us, instead of within us. So often the clues and answers are right there within us, we just have to take time to connect, listen and feel, in order to understand.

I have attached the article I wrote in English, which appeared in German in the June 2025 Yin Yang TCM Fachmagazin. But before you read it, place your hands on your abdomen and connect with your being inwards.
 
 
The Healing Power of Touch: Tui Na in the Treatment of Endometriosis

 
Image by SimonLeeMaryan on Pixabay

“She has got to stand up for herself,” “He won’t take this lying down,” “Does that sit well with you?” – These are some of the common English phrases used in everyday speech. Without even thinking about it, we reference our physical posture, which our physical bodies manifest, in descriptions of actions and situations we experience in our lives. No matter how much we may want to deny it, our physical body shapes us and the reality around us. Even the word that we use to describe that we can comprehend what another person or situation is trying to convey to us, the verb “to understand” or “verstehen” in English and German respectively, is a physical posture reference.

Our physical bodies shape our reality and our experience of the world. We often forget this and in fact, take a very important detail for granted: we as human beings are the only species of mammals who can stand and walk upright for long periods of time. This is called Bipedalism. Often I observe my cat stands on her 4 legs, which is Quadrupedalism, rubbing on my lower leg. I never realize how tall she could be if she stood up on 2 legs until she does for those short moments and I am astounded that she almost reaches my hip; she expands from about 30 centimeters to 80 centimeters, which is more than double her quadrupedal height. This makes me understand the advantage humans have over other animals; that we Homo sapiens appear bigger to other animals, giving us a kind of watchtower-sight of things as well as appearing bigger, therefore, providing a size advantage over other animals, such as to my cat. I get proof of this whenever I play-rough with her on the ground, she gets overly enthusiastic and tries to attack me, but if I stand up to my full height, she retreats and acknowledges my dominance. In this case, size does matter. Standing and walking on 2 legs do have advantages.

Our human bodies took about 6 million years to become bipedal, as seen in the current fossil records found all over the world. Standing on 2 legs changed our anatomy and therefore changed our posture. In addition to lying, we can stand as well as sit upright. In fact, being upright is the ideal posture for balance as well as energy-optimal alignment for our bodies; if we do not have an upright posture, the muscles and connective tissues of our back, shoulders, hips, chest and abdomen cannot completely perform contraction and relaxation, thereby creating tension and pain in the body. But this is only the physical aspect of life in the human body. The moment we slump in the spine, not only do we have compression of organs, connective tissues and muscles, which then adjust the blood circulation of the whole body, our senses, such as our sight, perceive a different view of our external environment, the nervous system begins to be affected, triggering a whole host of events; thereby creating a change in our emotional mood. Our external view of the world, along with the physiological changes, affect our internal one. If you don’t believe this happens in your body, just try it for yourself for a 30-minute period but not longer, to prevent lasting negative effects to your being.

Not only is this change personal, the people around us judge us by our posture all the time, even if they deny it. The moment we walk into a room, judgements are already made just by how we are perceived by our posture. Upright posture conveys confidence, assurance and professionalism. If we were going to a job interview, this would be a positive advantage, if the potential employers were looking for someone competent. These first impressions set the stage for the rest of the interview and interactions. We only have to look up the word “upright” in a Thesaurus in order to understand how perceptions of our physical uprightness are not just physical: “decent,” “honest,” “honorable,” or “conscientious.” People read these moral attributes from our upright posture, even though we in society constantly declare that we are objective and unemotional.

Chinese Medicine designates the Jing Jin, Sinew/ Tendino-Muscular Channels as foundations of upright posture. These channels flow as suggested by their English translation, in the areas of the tendons, muscles, as well as ligaments and fasciae; these include externally on the area of the skin, as well as internally in and around the internal organs. Jing Jin are defined as conduits of Wei Qi, Protective Qi. By this, we can deduce that the Chinese attribute upright posture to the protection of the body. As such, exercise practices such as Qi Gong and Tai Ji Quan are an essential part of Chinese Medicine in maintaining health. I will discuss Jing Jin in future blogposts.

Do you remember as a kid how the adults around you would nag you about your posture? – “Sit up straight,” or “Don’t slouch.”  I hate to say it but they were right; if we had listened then and made adjustments to our bodies, we are probably reaping the benefits of their wisdom. If however we didn’t, it’s never too late. It takes a little more time and awareness as an adult but it’s still possible to make adjustments. It's all about practice, keep at it!
 
 

 
Image by Alexas_Fotos on Pixabay

The other day, a friend and I watched a movie made in the year 1931. It was fascinating as the credits for the movie came at the start of it, unlike these days where it comes at the end. It made me think of all those moments I was at the movie theatre, when the credits and the music played at the end of the movie and most of the audience would just be walking out; most of us do not pay much attention to the names and job titles, that move at a rapid pace and are projected in so small a font, one would maybe catch one name out of every ten. There are often almost a thousand names but most of us aren’t even aware of who they are or what they do, except for the main actors and possibly directors or producers, who get bigger fonts and spaces for their names. These are the people we never see in the movie but are essential in the production of the film.

Back in the day when I was a teenager, I had daydreams of being an actor; of being the star of a movie, walking down the red carpet, being looked at and being admired. I was a rhythmic gymnast from age 12 to 16, as well as a dancer till 30, so being put in the spotlight was part of my life for a little bit, whenever I was on the competition floor or on the dance stage. When I became a coach at age 17, I learned to hold space for my gymnasts; this included multiple training sessions in a gym giving instruction, listening to lots of music, editing to fit the music pieces into a-minute-and-a half sequences, doing choreography; repetition day-in and day-out. Then competition day came, I woke up early with the gymnasts, did hair and make-up for them, led warm-ups and waited with the nervous gymnasts till their turns to perform came. Then when their minute-and-a-half routines were in progress, I had no control over the situation, I just had to stand by and watch in the background. If they performed as we had trained and were successful, then they were on the podium receiving their medals and flowers; I was on the sidelines clapping joyfully for all the fruits of our labours. If they didn’t perform well and they were emotionally down, I was there to console them and hold their hand after. There are no medals for the coaches. That is the life of a background artist.

In university, I minored in dance; every Spring we had a big stage production. One Spring, I was part of the dance production class, meaning that we learnt everything from performing on stage, to doing lighting, tech and music, to setting up props; we dressed in black, ran around doing jobs backstage looking inconspicuous but at the same time making sure that the performers were making their cues and being in the right place at the right time. Those backstage-helpers were there for most of the rehearsals and all the performances, but were not on stage at the end of the show, taking bows or receiving applause in front of the audience. In fact, when everyone went home, they were cleaning the stage front as well as back, and packing up material. It is essentially one of those jobs that we see on the movie-credits rapidly moving up the screen, that not many notice - the background artist.

I believe the biggest role of the background artist I have played so far is being a Mother, and I capitalize the `M,´ as it is a role so often overlooked. Many years ago as I worked as a dance coach for an artistic gymnastics academy in California, one of my bosses, Donna told me to enjoy my time and the attention then, as I had just gotten married, because once I had kids, she said everything would be about the children and everybody would ask how your kids are doing and not how you are. She was right. As a parent, not only is one the child-bearer, nurturer, care-giver, one is also the taxi-driver, psychologist, manager, etc. This is THE ultimate background artist job. One has to play every role possible, except being the center of attention, unless things do not work, in which case the Mother is often given the fault. There are often no credits given when things work out and let’s not talk about the salary, there is no financial renumeration. One of the most important “jobs” in life and is seldom positively acknowledged by our society. What we get as Mothers is one day in the year as acknowledgement, in most places on the second Sunday in May, which has been exploited by capitalism to sell us more stuff.

Let’s give real credit where it is due to the most essential background artist, who makes things work rain or shine. This Mother’s Day, let’s do something different, let’s not get stuff for our Mothers but gift them something real and meaningful, like time together or a home-cooked meal or a hand-made gift. Gift your Mom from the Heart and be present with her, leave the store-bought stuff in the store!




Image by Sevda from Pixabay

One of the fundamental basis of Chinese Medicine is Qì 氣. Qì (Pin Yin romanization, which is pronounced chee), has been described as “vital energy,” “vital force” or even “universal energy.” It’s sometimes spelled as Chi (Wade-Giles romanization), or Ki (Japanese spelling and pronunciation). In Chinese Medicine there are many different types of Qì, just to name a few: Yuán Qì (Original Qi), Zhēn Qì (True Qi), Yíng Qì (Nutritive Qi) and Wèi Qì (Defensive/ Protective Qi). Many blogposts ago, I wrote about Qì and what its Chinese character means, and many blogposts before that I wrote a little about Wèi Qì as well as how it is key to understanding allergies, such as Hay Fever.

But Wèi Qì is so much more complex than just allergies and immune system. The Chinese character for Wèi  衛  has a few parts: the first radical on the left 彳 chì means “step” and added together with the component on the right it becomes 行 xíng, meaning “to walk.” The middle character component, I recently learnt from a continuing education class, refers to “a guard” or “a man with leather armor.” All together they create “a guard who walks back and forth to protect.” Therefore, Wèi Qì refers to Qi that is always in motion to protect and defend when needed.

As a student in Chinese medical school, we learnt that people who caught colds and flus easily have a Wei Qi deficiency and that the Wei Qi is very connected to the Lung and Spleen Qi. So we would treat the appropriate Acupuncture points and give the famous herbal formula, Yù Píng Fēng Săn (Jade Wind Screen Powder). With the proper diagnosis and appropriate use of this formula, patients often got better within a month or so. One of my strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic was and still is to strengthen the Wei Qi. It can also manifest as bladder symptoms like chronic urinary tract infection UTI, which have often manifested in female patients, being exposed to cold external conditions. But through my practice and observation of different patients over the years, I have come to realize that Wei Qi deficiency is much more than catching colds or viruses easily, chronic UTIs and allergies. I started to realize that some patients would come in reporting how they felt “exposed” emotionally and physically, like they felt unprotected when they went out into the world. They would feel like they were being invaded by others energetically. I started to link this to Wei Qi deficiency and to treat them as such, often times it has worked. Also, by learning to set healthy boundaries in their lives, which is also a manifestation of Wei Qi, in my opinion, this has served to help them feel more secure within their beings.

As a student with my teachers in Tai Ji Quan/ Qi Gong/ Shao Lin Quan we learned to do some techniques of energetic practice they would call Iron Shirt Qi Gong. It is a martial arts method in which, as the name implies, one creates a layer like an iron shirt around the body, to protect against hits and attacks from opponents as well as to strengthen one’s body part to create an iron-hard effect with a punch or a hit. This reminded me of a movie which I watched in university in the 1990s, Iron and Silk, a true story of how Mark Salzman goes to China to teach English and learns Wu Shu, among other things. His master, Pan Qing Fu, is known as Iron Fist. Master Pan spent hours over decades punching a steel block; as such, his fists were as hard as iron. Though he has acted in films, this man’s skill was real, unlike a lot of Hollywood films (there is even one with this name but is not the real deal). This I believe is Wei Qi condensed into the fist. Iron Shirt Qi Gong could be used for martial purposes but I believe it is applicable to everyday life, not for assault but for protection. This, I have come to understand, is Wei Qi being activated with energetic practice.

The cultivation of Wei Qi has to come from many different aspects, not just physically but mentally as well as emotionally and energetically. It is something we need to work with our Bodyminds and not just on a material level. If there is anything that I am sure of, it is that many of the health issues of our time have a lot to do with our Wei Qi deficiency as individuals and as a society. It has been one of my aims to understand Wei Qi better. Even after years of study and practice of Chinese Medicine, I am finding even more depth to the subject. I am still on my journey of exploration into Wei Qi.




Image by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay

Just recently, my husband and I were on vacation; we went out into nature daily and did some hiking. As we were out on the trails, I noticed how different people behaved and reacted as we passed each other. I learnt about hiking etiquette only in my 20s when I lived on the west coast of the USA; I didn’t hike before that, in the urban environment of the capital city of Malaysia. I learnt then that you greet people with a simple, “hello” or “good day,” when you meet someone on the trail and make a short moment of eye contact. This is a way of gauging, acknowledging that we are safe and mean no harm to one another; that we are fellow hikers on the trail with no ill intent. I found this to be “civilized” and essential as a human being, just plain common courtesy. I adopted this practice in my life, even in the urban-setting where I live and work, especially when in a building.
 
This however is not always the experience on the trails or for that matter, in the urban surroundings, here in Europe or in North America in the 2020s; I am finding that people are no longer greeting each other. In fact, they even avoid eye-contact and provide no acknowledgement that you are even present. I perceive this as a lack of manners, and sometimes downright rude when you greet them and they don’t even react or acknowledge in kind. It’s basic human decency to greet one another when you go into public space, which for me again is respectful and a sign of education. Growing up in an urban, big-city environment, where more than a million people live, I can see how this basic human courtesy can get lost, as people hurry around and there is a certain anonymity in the mass. But on a trail or even in a smaller town, it should be customary to greet someone we meet on the way.
 
A few years ago, a film was released “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” One part that stood out for me, in this action-comedy film, was a fight-scene in the pub. It is violent, so if that disturbs you, don’t watch it. However, the fight is well choreographed and it describes a very simple idea, “Manners maketh man” - The way one behaves towards others, reflects the person’s values as a human being on the inside. It is an old proverb that has been in existence since 14th-century Britain. In the film, the scene shows how a master warrior-spy defends his student by fighting ruffians, who have a hold on the student. Nothing is as it seems, as the master is clothed as a well-dressed, middle-aged gentleman, hiding his ability to fight as well as his weapons. The ruffians on the other hand are crude, vile and arrogant, displaying their aggression, brute force and weapons openly. They are rude and insulting to everyone around, in contrast, the master is polite and subtle, flaunting neither his skill nor his intentions; this is a sign of a true master and someone confident in their own abilities. He teaches them a lesson by beating them at their own game, mirroring their violence, but with proper manners and style - “Manners maketh man.”  
 
There are certain rules that humanity abides by, determined by the society we live in; a kind of living code. If we follow these, we are welcomed into these communities, if we do not, then we may be ostracized. In this day and age, we are not only face-to-face with one another, but online behind a screen as well, making communication more complex and prone to misunderstandings. Therefore, good manners are even more essential than before to prevent confrontation and aid living together successfully. However, many seem unaware or unbothered. The social bonds we used to have are deteriorating, we are becoming laxed about simple things that were once commonplace. Many are too preoccupied with the creation of their digital persona, that they have forgotten the most simple, basic rules of living with others. I came across an article called Hiking Etiquette on the US National Park Service, which defines 7 points of hiking etiquette and states the ‘”golden rule”: treat others the way you want to be treated.” I am in agreement with this, not just for hiking but also for life.
 



Image by Gianni Crestani on Pixabay

This past New Moon marked the beginning of the Chinese Lunar Year. We have entered into the year of the Wood Snake which lasts until the New Moon in February 2026. For these next few weeks until the next coming Full Moon, Chinese all over the world will be celebrating this new year phase, which is the coming of Spring in the Northern hemisphere, with food, drink, fire-crackers/works together with family and friends. This is the time when all the astrological predictions and anticipations for the new year start to get thrown around. The Snake is not one of the most “popular” versions of the 12 animals. The Dragon or the Tiger are especially popular years, if one is not female; Tiger female children are/were often considered undesirable as they are said to be proud and willful. But why would the Snake not be well liked?

In western Judeo-Christian-based culture, the Snake is considered vile and is loathed, as it is the being responsible for the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Most humans and mammals possess a possible evolutionary-based fear of Snakes, with an estimate of one third of humans having a fear and only 3 to 4 percent have actual ophidiophobia (Snake phobia). The ancient Chinese and many other traditional cultures around the world however have honored this animal; the fact that the Snake is one of the 12 animals on Chinese horoscope is one proof of this.

In Chinese mythology, after the Universe and the Earth were created, the goddess,
Nǚ Wā  女媧  descended to the Earth. Mountains, rivers, trees, plants and animals already existed, however humans did not. It is said that she felt lonely and as she knelt down by a river, she saw her own reflection and decided to create human beings out of clay, in her own image.  Nǚ Wā is described as having the upper body of a human and the lower body of a serpent. The Chinese creator of humans is half Snake and half human. Why would Snakes be revolting to the Chinese if the Mother of human beings was half one herself? I believe the repulsion of the Snake comes not from the Chinese themselves but the syncretizing of Eastern with Western belief systems. This is a common occurrence in the modern world, where there is often a merging of traditions and ideas from across the globe, as cultures collide with one another.

In fact, if we look at many cultures from North and Central America, to Africa, to Asia, to Australasia and even to Europe we will observe that the Snake is a creature that is traditionally honored. It is often associated with fertility, renewal, wisdom and are protectors as well as messengers of the Divine. Even the Greek God of Medicine, Asclepius, carries a staff with a serpent entwined on it, which was later adopted by Western medicine as the symbol of medicine and is still in use to this day. In ancient Egypt, Greece and India, the Ouroboros, the symbol of the snake eating its tail, is a representation of the unending cycle of life, death, rebirth. The Snake, as it physiologically sheds its skin, represents the ability of life to transform.

The Snake exists on every continent on the Earth except Antarctica, in dry desert environments, tropical, humid ones, flatlands as well as mountains. There over 3000 different species of Snakes, of which 600 are venomous but only 7 percent can actually kill or wound a human. Maybe instead of fear or loathing of the Snake, we can appreciate it as a living being on the Earth and give it its due respect for its remarkable abilities. For this year of the Snake, let us learn to embody the Snakes qualities of flexibility, resilience, to learn to shed our skins by letting go what has not served us, so that we may transform our lives as well as our world around us.



Image Year of the Snake by ICM
Image Tutanchamun from Wikicommons
 

This morning, like many other mornings over the past years, I took my herbal medicine. One of these is called “Xiāo Yáo Sǎn - Free and Easy Wanderer Powder.” I am reminded of the first time I became aware of the English translation of this formula’s name almost 25 years ago. I was in clinical training at the American College of TCM in San Francisco and I was instructed by my clinical supervisor to obtain this formula in pill form for one of our patients at the clinic. I entered our herbal pharmacy to look for the bottle of pills. I found it on a shelf and looked at the bottle; on it I saw an image of an older Chinese man in traditional garb with his walking stick and small pack, looking out from high into the horizon that spreads over mountains, rivers, waterfalls and trees. Both Chinese in Pin Yin and English names were printed on the bottle, so I was able to distinguish the formula, which I was taught to memorize in Pin Yin. But what stood out for me is the English name and image of the Wandering Daoist; since then it has been embedded into my consciousness.

Not too long ago, I finally got around to attaining the classical Daoist text of Zhuang Zi (365-290BCE), one of the famous scholars/ masters of Daoism. As I looked through the book, I came across the title of the first chapter - “Free and Easy Wanderer.” I found out that this is no coincidence. The Chinese medical experts, who compiled the Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang (Imperial Grace Formulary of the Tai Ping Era), in the Song Dynasty period (960-1279 CE) were themselves scholars of Daoism. They named this formula “Free and Easy Wanderer” for precisely the effect that it should invoke in the individual with her/his use of this herbal combination.

In our modern-day Western society, Xiāo Yáo Sǎn is one of the most prescribed formulas. In my clinical training in the USA, almost every second patient was receiving this formula in her/his treatment. These days, I still prescribe Free-and-Easy-Wanderer Powder regularly to my patients, as well as take it regularly myself. Why? This is due to its function to move Liver Qi Stagnation and prevent Qi congestion, harmonize Liver (Wood) and Spleen (Earth), as well as tonify Blood. Life in our modern-day world appears to make us feel tight and blocked, as shown in the muscles and joints of our bodies; unable to access our “free nature,” our minds too become stuck. Many of us feel restricted, stuck in a “box” too small for our bodyminds with constraints of time and space, leading to us feeling stressed: get out of the door on time so you get your tram or else you’ll be late for work, which would then make your superior angry with you and may dock your salary or worse fire you, then you wouldn’t be able to buy your basics like food or to pay your bills and rent…the list of things could go on and on, if we let it. But pay attention to what has happened to our jaws, necks and shoulders; they contracted together and tighter as the list went on, manifestation of our Liver Qi congesting. Over a longer period of time of reduced circulation, this would lead to a depletion of Qi and Blood, affecting our Spleen’s ability to digest food and make Blood which is needed to nourish our bodies. Another common modern usage of Xiāo Yáo Sǎn is for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome PMS. This is once again a case of being “forced” into a container too small, too restrictive and undernourished, that the body begins to rebel by causing mental irritation, mood-swings, physical tension and pain.

Xiāo Yáo Sǎn - the formula of over a thousand years, helps with all these and more, but it is not and should not be the sole remedy. What we need is Free and Easy Wanderer mentality, find the Wandering Daoist within ourselves. “Unbox” our bodies and minds! Go out into Nature, breathe, move, walk, dance, sing - release and unbind our Qi and our lives regularly from the constraints of the human world. Let it flow free and easy!
 
 

 
Image by Ansgar Sheffold on Pixabay

I started writing this monthly blog for ICM at the beginning of 2019. That's over 6 years ago now...how time flies! Since this week, our new website has been turned on and all the blog-posts of old did not transfer. I have chosen to just include this first blog-post from February 2019 on the site as well as the ones that were written in 2025 till now. Here we go...

Right at the beginning of my studies in Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, one of our professors asked us why we were studying the medicine. As I began to ponder on the reasons for it, I realized that part of it had an aspect of tradition and my lineage. My family name Yap (Chinese character on the right of the stamp in the picture), or Yè in Mandarin, means "leaf." I never met my grandparents, as they had passed before I was born, so I only had the stories of the Yap Chinese Medical pharmacy from my mother. My grandfather, from what I understand was a farmer in China, who had left around the turn of the 20th century for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Malaya in that time). He sold imported herbs from China and learned to pick his own from the local jungles surrounding KL, as us locals call the capital city. I imagine my fascination with plants and healing may not just be unique to me but rather a continuation of a lineage of "plant people." 
 
I grew up in Malaysia, spent my twenties studying in the US and for the last 21 years, I have been practicing Chinese Medicine in Basel, Switzerland. I find my experiences of living in 3 different continents very enriching, not just the experience of traditions, language and food, but also the energetics of the environment, plants and people. I have come to realize that I am an embodiment of East-meets-West. I often feel Western on the inside yet Eastern on the outside.
 
Movement is nourishment for me. I started training in ballet at 5. It taught me control of my physical body, spatial awareness and ability to move in rhythm to music. As I began my Chinese Medicine studies, I also began a journey with Qi Gong and Tai Ji Quan. These were, still are, for me the application and manifesting of Qi, the practice of the theories I was learning in Chinese Medicine school and books. They opened an awareness of the energetic world that exists simultaneously to our physical. Over the past few years, I have started a practice of Yoga. I love stretching my body and mind. Yoga provides me with a space to play with my body-mind, to find balance in sometimes uncomfortable positions but still being able to breathe deeply and find contentment.   
 
I like listening to stories, of people, places and plants - of how and where they grow, of things and beings they used to play with, and how they become who they are now. I like practicing Chinese Medicine as it provides me with this possibility. Chinese Medicine has also given me new perspectives to view the world we live in and help me develop skills in sensing as well as observing. 
 
It is this that I want to share with others in this blog; the stories and perspectives I have gained, with the hope that it will inspire others to be excited about life, the earth, people, animals and plants. That life is simple, if we allow it to be. To go back to having that child-like wonder of simple things. Dig your hands into the earth and plant a seed, stand on one leg and fall off balance, to go back to the source of who we really are as living beings on this amazing planet.   



Image by Elaine