​​One morning last week, I was sitting eating my breakfast at the dining table, looking at the flower that my son received from his graduation ceremony the evening before. It was a red Gerbera, with a long stem and fine petals. The night before, I had hastily found a container to put it in as we got home. But at that present moment of observing the flower, I realized that the container, rather low and broad, did not hold or support the Gerbera at all. What this flower being needed was a long, slim vessel. So, right after my breakfast I went to look for one and I imagined I found the right one to complement it. This got me wondering about the word "complement." 
 
The noun "complement" in English comes from French, referring to "means of completing; that which completes; what is needed to complete or fill up." As a verb it means to "make complete." If one were to begin an internet search with the word "complementary," we get suggestions like "complementary colors," "complementary angles" and "complementary medicine." 
 
Looking at the picture above, the color wheel, we see a chart for complementary colors used by artists and graphic designers to create contrasts that catch the eye, as well as the attention. In the middle are the 3 primary colors and when we want to find the complementary color for let's say red, we add blue and yellow together and we get green. These 2 colors are complementary to each other. The outer circle shows us the complementary colors in opposition to each other in different shades of the primary and secondary mixes. This color concept is really about how one color enhances the other.

​Then there are complementary angles referring to 2 angles that add up to 90°, which is a right angle. This is basic geometry we learned in math class. For example, if an angle is 30°, then the other will be 60°, adding the sum total to 90°. In this case, the 2 angles complete each other.
 
To have a complement is to be made whole and completed. I like this description to explain Complementary Medicine. This term was created in the 1980s to describe medical and therapeutic practices that did not/were not allowed to be fitted into conventional medicine. Chinese Medicine has landed in this category in the West, as it did not fit into the model created by the dominant allopathic medicine. To be very honest, I find that it is rightfully so. When I understand the word complementary as being "made whole," I am proud to say I practice this form of medicine. Then, my focus is to help a person be/feel whole and well; not cut up into pieces and detached from her/himself. For me the focus of medicine is the person, the individual and what their body-mind needs to be healthy. In feeling healthy and thriving, the individual feels empowered; thus, being able to live well and make healthy life-style choices for her/himself.
 
As I go back to the example of my son's Gerbera, I observe the being as it is and try to understand what it needs to thrive in its environment. I help it by providing the appropriate container and the nourishment, that it may feel safe, nurtured and supported enough to grow for the time that it is with me. As we know, we are not here in our present state or situation forever; life is finite, we should cherish the time we have been given and have gratitude for the experience. As such, I also know that at one point this being will have to go to its next stage of life and I, who have provided this container must learn to let go, to give this being the possibility to move on. In doing so, I am a complement to that being. 


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Image Color Wheel by vector portal-pixel77
Image Angle by bjus

​I never really thought about when my journey to becoming a healer began until a few years ago. As a child, my mom would get us kids to give her leg massages in the evening, after a long day standing. I guess, it was her way of keeping in Touch and connection to us, as we in my Asian family didn't continue getting hugs when we reached school-age. Often during these moments of Touch, we would share about my day in school or stories from my mom about her childhood. I can now see that the seed of becoming a healer was being planted then when I was about 7 years old; that I would one day choose the path of Touch as my livelihood. Of course, like in gardening, one can plant many seeds but only some will come to fruition, with the right amount of nourishment and environment conducive to growth for that particular seed. As I began studying Chinese Medicine over 20 years ago, I became aware how Touch came very naturally to my hands. What I had felt in my hands and my being as a younger person, became illuminated through the view of Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Qi Gong and Tui Na hand techniques.
 
Many methods of massage exist all over the world, as I stated in my last blogpost. I imagine that different traditions imparted this knowledge very differently: orally, by physical demonstration and/or by writing and drawing. As historians look for clues as to the when massage began to exist in human societies, they are finding images from Egypt and writings in Mesopotamia around 2000 BCE, writings around 700 BCE in China and Greece and 500 BCE India and Thailand. These culture where we have found physical evidence of massage or the laying-of-hands, are cultures that recorded information in the form of writing and drawing early on, as such we have evidence of massage's existence. However, I am confident that humans already knew of massage and healing with hands much earlier on than the physical evidence shows. We, in the Chinese tradition, are lucky to have written records passed down to us in an unbroken line till this day.   
 
A few posts back, I began introducing Acupuncture Points, which I would like to continue doing. There are 303 Acu-Points on the Regular Organ Meridians; this is not including Acu-Points on the Extraordinary Meridians of the Ren and Du Mai, or the Extra-Points such as the Hua-Tuo-Jia-Ji Points. If we add these together, there would be 390 Acu-Points. Yet there would still be even more Extra Acu-Points that don't lie on a particular channel but are used symptomatically. But let us just say that there are 390 Acu-Points on the body and of these, there are 90 that lie on the back, on and along the spine, as well as the shoulders blades. This accounts for almost a quarter of the Acu-Points on the whole body. This is not a coincidence. The back of the body is what we in Chinese Medicine describe as the Yang aspect of the body. The longest Yang channel, the Urinary Bladder with 67 Acu-Points, has  most of its Acu-Points on the posterior body. Many of these Acu-Points have direct connections to internal organs, as such can directly influence the state of these organs. For instance, BL-15 心俞 Xīn Shū, translated as Heart Transporter, treats issues with the Heart organ such as heart and chest pain, palpitations and arrhythmia. Interestingly when we look at how Western anatomy locates the Heart organ, at the level of the 5th and the 6th rib on the left side of the body, it correlates with the Chinese Medical location of BL-15, at the level below the 5th vertebra. For Chinese Medicine, the Heart also houses the Mind; when we say mind, we refer to the Spirit and the emotions. Some of the other indications for this Acu-Point are also poor memory, anxiety, disorientation, mania-depression and insomnia. As one can observe, this is an important point. Now imagine 88 other Acu-Points like this on the back, connecting to almost all the main internal organs like the Lung, Liver and Kidneys. Then, we realize that the back is a very crucial aspect of the body. In treating these points on the back externally, we can affect the body internally.
 

​Acu-Points can be utilized with different methods in Chinese Medicine. An Acu-Point like BL-15 can be stimulated by metal in the form of Acupuncture needles, by plant and flame with Moxibustion, by external vacuum pressure with glass Cupping, friction with a ceramic spoon with Gua Sha and by hand with Tuī Ná-Àn Mó. My view is that the most versatile and most needed of all methods in our times is the touch of the hand. It is the most basic of all methods, that if a practitioner did not have the ability to touch with the hand, in my opinion, the other methods would be less effective. It is for me like my mom used to say, when we grumbled about not having cutlery to eat with when we were out and about, "Hands were made before spoons." If the skill of the hand is not present, then any tool that is held in the hand would not be able to compensate for the lack of skill. Tuī means to push, Ná is to grasp, Àn is to press and Mó is to rub in circular motion. So, the name for the Chinese system of massage is after 4 techniques that are used in treatment. There are obviously many more hand techniques in the massage. Tuī Ná-Àn Mó can be very vigorous and forceful, resembling chiropractic manipulation; which would make it more a Yang style Tui Na. But it can also be gentle, subtle and mild, sometimes no more than just laying-of-hands on a body area or finger pressure on some Acu-Point; which would be a Yin Style Tui Na. This depends on the practitioner and the needs of the patient. Whether Yin or Yang, the goal of the treatment is to affect the body-mind as a whole in a beneficial way.
 
Very often I have found in my practice of Tui Na that I tend to massage the back, stimulating the Acu-Points, like BL-15 to affect the whole body and their internal organs. In the process of doing that the muscle and fasciae tension from daily life can be released as well as other acute issues like pain resolved, allowing free flow of Qi and Blood through the body. Tui Na doesn't just provide symptomatic relief but deep release of blockages as well as strengthening of the whole body. Like in Acupuncture with needles, each Acu-Point can be stimulated with the hand. What has come to my awareness is that new scientific research is showing why we need or desire our backs to be massaged. Professor Francis McGlone, a neuroscientist, has been researching how a nerve fiber called C-tactile afferent, which responds to gentle touch that activates the area of the brain for positive feelings, is abound on our backs compared to any other area of the body. He hypothesizes that having more C-tactile afferent fibers on our backs has to do with our evolutionary need for social-bonding, as we can't really reach our own backs in order to massage it, but someone else can. Thus, strengthens our social bonds to each other. Professor McGlone's findings fascinates me, as it explains to me what the tradition of medicine I chose to practice is doing from another perspective. The ancient Chinese saw Acu-Points on the back and the current Western science sees C-tactile afferent. Whatever it is, we, as individual human beings, feel it and sense how it affects our lives. In Touch, we bond. Through bonding, we create relationships. In relationships, we find connection. Thus, enabling healing.  
 




Image Tui Na by Okapi     
Image Back Acu-Points by Elaine

Remember the time when you were a child and you had a bellyache or bumped your head, and cried? What did your mom or dad do? They may have taken you in their arms and rubbed your belly or your head where it hurt. Then, the pain eased and you felt better. This is the power of Touch; the most powerful healing tool that is innate to us humans as well as almost every animal on Earth.
 
One of the first things that a human baby experiences as it comes into the world is to be touched; by the midwife/doctor who is present at the birth as the baby exits the birth canal, as well as by its mother, as the baby is presented to the mother to be fed. What I never really thought about until recently, is how an embryo begins to be touched in-utero by its mother already at the time of conception by the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, as well as how early this embryonic being starts to feel Touch. Touch is the first sense to develop in a human being; already by week 8 of pregnancy a human embryo has touch receptors on its face, by week 12 on its palms and soles and by week 17 the abdomen. By the third trimester, the fetus can sense and respond to Touch from external sources, like when its mom puts her hand on her belly. We humans like to be Touched as well as like to give Touch. This is our way of connecting and communicating with each other. What is extremely interesting is that we can often sense the intention of the person giving the Touch, without even the person saying anything. If someone had an intention to hurt us, we would feel the discomfort in us build up and we get a sense of distress, as well as a feeling we should get away from this individual. Just as we would be able to distinguish if the person was giving us caring Touch, that is intended to soothe, nourish and bond.
 
For the longest time Western science doubted the power of Touch. Even till the 1960s babies were separated from their mothers after birth and placed into a sterile crib, because science thought that it was more "hygienic" for the babies to be alone in a crib than to be with its "germ-rich" mother, as well as that it was more convenient to put crying babies in a separate space. Parents of the time were told not to "spoil" their child with Touch and thus, we have a few generations of post-World-War-II humans deprived of healthy Touch. In human children and animals, Touch and the lack of it has shown to affect physical and emotional development. At some point experimentations with premature babies were conducted, where scientists realized that those premature-born babies who received Touch developed better and were healthier than those left in glass incubators without Touch. The effect of Touch in this early stages of a pre-mature-born baby's life has been shown to have an effect on the child up to 10 years after birth. It is important to remember that the lack of healthy Touch in children is a phenomenon of the industrial age. Before our parents were working in factories and offices, babies/children were right there with their parents, sometimes on the body of their mothers on the field in agricultural and hunter-gatherer societies.
 
Once again in our era of the 2020s, even with the knowledge that we have from previous Touch studies, we have been pushed into the infamous "social distancing," to protect others from our germ-rich presence by not only not Touching but also not being in the physical space of our loved ones. We are already becoming aware how 2 years of the lack of Touch and connection has affected us individually but scientists are also observing these effects on a societal scale. If you are living in a collective environment, i.e. family and friends, chose not to engage in social-distancing measures and continued to Touch one another, then you have been lucky! Studies are showing us that mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, are on a rise as a result of social distancing. I watched a very good documentary on Touch. It explains what we currently know of Touch from the scientific perspective but if we really are truthful, we already know deeply in our own inner selves that Touch is essential to life. 
 
In almost every culture in the world there is some form of Massage or the laying-of-hands that has been practiced since probably human life existed on Earth. It began with our mothers/fathers holding us, nursing us and nourishing us as babies. Later, this Touch sense developed into more complex awareness and technique of the body's mechanism of connecting and healing. One of the first things that I pass on to students who come to study Chinese Medicine with me is to be aware of the intention of their Touch when they lay their hands on a patient. Then after that comes technique, which is secondary. If we, the receiver of Touch, can sense the intention from the Touch, then why not Touch each other with positive intentions. We can send healing to each other by just something as simple as a gentle Touch of the hand on the arm of a colleague or a gentle hand-rub on the back of your partner after a long day or a hug with your teenager after a heated debate on teenage issues. We all have the ability to heal in our hands and in our being, we just have to make the first move to connect with each other. 
 



 
Image from Pixabay by bingngu93      

 
What first drew me to study Chinese Medicine or more specifically Acupuncture and Tui Na massage, the 2 bodywork methods of Chinese Medicine, is that you have it all on your own body. I can be anywhere, at any point in time and if I feel some sort of symptom coming on, such as a headache, I could press an Acu-Point on my own body to relieve it. This does not mean that the symptom may completely disappear, as it may be that I have to change the environment or situation that I am in, in order that the headache can dissipate completely. But being able to press a point on my own body to relieve the pain, till I can alter the space that I am in, is quite empowering.
 
The Chinese call Acupuncture, 針灸 Zhēn Jiǔ,which actually refers to both Acupuncture and Moxibustion. The Zhēn character has a metal or gold character on the left, which also contains the character for Earth, 土 Tǔ, and threading a string through a hole of a needle on the right. Jiǔ has the Fire character below and above the phonetic character to create the sound Jiǔ. In English, the word "Acupuncture" first presents itself in the late 17th century; a combination of Latin for needle, acus, and punctura, pricking. This is most probably a description from observations from Western physicians who traveled East Asia at that period in time. As you read these two descriptions of what we call Acupuncture in the West, you come to realise that the Chinese refer to more than just the "pricking of needles" when it comes to Acupuncture. They are referring to the elements of Metal, Earth and Fire coming together, with precision of "threading a needle." Moxibustion is performed with the burning of the plant Artemisia vulgaris on or by an Acu-Point. For me this incorporates the elements Metal, Earth, Fire and Wood. If you have ever had direct Moxa, you will also have had Water being used to moisten the skin. Hence, all of the 5 Elements are being incorporated into a treatment.
 
Even the translation for the word Acupuncture Point is not the same as what the Chinese understand. As Ellis, Wiseman and Boss explain:
 
'The word "point" indicates a linear coordinate, i.e., the intersection of two lines, a dot on the skin suitable for the insertion of needles or the application of some other stimulation. The Chinese character for acupuncture point,  穴  xuè, brings to mind a "cave" or "hole." The meaning is clear from the two parts of the character: the top portion represents a roof, while the bottom portion is a character on its own, meaning to divide or remove. The combined meaning of the two parts is a dwelling that is made by removing dirt or rocks, i.e., a cave, a hole, a den.' (Ellis, Wiseman, Boss, 1989)    
 
In the West, students of Chinese Medicine are taught the names of Acu-Points with an association to an organ and a number, for instance Large Intestine 4 (LI-4). In the Chinese-speaking world, students are taught in traditional names, some a thousand years old, depending on the lineage that their teacher holds. The Acu-Point I mentioned before, LI-4, is named 合谷 Hé Gŭ in Chinese, meaning Union Valley. As you can already observe from this name, there is an image of a valley where two mountains unite. One interpretation of this name is that it refers to the location of Hé Gŭ, between the "mountains" of the thumb and the index finger, where there is a valley-like depression. 
 
This Acu-Point is on the Large Intestine channel, as such it will treat issues with digestion like diarrhea. It is also used to treat headaches as it is the control point of the head, regulating the face, eyes, nose, mouth and ears, as well as pain in other parts of the body. It also helps in treatment of colds and flus. One other very special indication is that it induces labour or stimulates uterine contractions to aid in menstrual cramps. Hé Gŭ is also what we call a Yuan-Source Point; it is one of the Acu-points in a category of points that hold the Source of Qi for its designated organ channel. As you may have observed from its indications, this is a special Acu-Point that is used often as it can have profound effects on many parts of the body.
 
You can locate this Acu-Point by making a fist with one hand and covering the fist with your other hand cupped over, as in the image. Where the thumb of the top hand lands is where Hé Gŭ is located. This is the called the "palm-hold-fist" greeting, the way many Chinese people greet others since thousands of years. When you press on this Acu-Point you will feel a sensation that is stinging or heaviness, which is the stimulation that you want to have in order to affect the body. 
 
I find pressing Acu-Points on my own body a very good way to be connected to my being. The points do not always manifest the same sensation, as our bodies are in constant flux within and with our environment. Try finding Hé Gŭ on yourself, begin your own journey to yourself.   
 
    
 
 



Reference
Ellis, Andrew / Wiseman, Nigel / Boss, Ken (1989): Grasping the Wind. Brookline, MA, USA: Paradigm Publications
 
 
 

Image Mountain Lake by GSquare on Pixabay
​Image Palm-Hold-Fist by Elaine

The Chinese character for Centre or Middle is, 中 Zhōng in Mandarin. I recently looked up a Wiktionary etymology of this character and it describes 2 versions of this pictogram: one being a target, the rectangle box being shot through by an arrow, the second, derived possibly from a more ancient character as in the image above, being a flagpole with a drum being beaten by the wind, placed in the centre of a field to gather people together and to detect the direction of the wind. The meaning of this character, Zhōng, is either "middle" or "centre" or "to hit the centre" or "to attain."  

It is quite unknown to many that the name for the country China is not what Chinese people call their own country. They call their country Zhōng Guó,中國, meaning "Middle State" or "Middle Country." The modern mainland Chinese call their country Zhōng Huá Rén Mín Gòng Hé Guó, People's Republic of China. "China" was a name given to them by the Persians, or possibly ancient Indians and then adopted by the Europeans. There are many reasons that led to the people of China calling their country Zhōng Guó, which archaeological sources date back to the period known as the Warring States Period, ca. 471 to 221 BCE. But what has then occurred is that the medicine that we called Chinese Medicine, which is called in Mandarin Zhōng Yī,中醫, directly translates as "Middle Medicine." 

It only recently occurred to me that a "Medicine of the Middle" is about finding the Centre, which for me also refers to finding balance. This is true of Chinese Medicine, there is a focus in finding balance within the individual; the individual within her/his social-emotional, physical and spiritual environment. The concepts of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases/Elements, which are the basis of Chinese Medicine, are about balance. Over 10 years ago, I was in a course for Shonishin, Japanese Children's Acupuncture, with Dr. Thomas Wernicke. He got us to lay like babies, in order that we understand the perspective of the world that babies have. One of the important growth milestones for a baby is rolling, either from belly to back or reverse, which typically occurs between the 4th and 6th month in a healthy child. Before a baby can perform this, it must first find its midline, that means hands and feet, right and left must be able to connect with each other. Once they can perform this on a regular basis, the body will be able to tip sideways, and they begin their movement journey towards being upright. This was an illuminating moment for me. I became more aware of my own Centre as well as how important it is to be Centred in order to be alive and thriving. 
  
It has been a few years now since I began practicing Yoga. What has drawn me to practice it regularly in recent years has been the connection I sense with myself internally and externally as well as, what I perceive as a playfulness with my own body(-mind). After spending my early years of life till my 20s dancing on my feet and the next few decades practicing rooting through my feet-legs through Tai Ji Quan/Qi Gong, I find being upside-down on my head, arm and hands just fabulously exciting. My most recent goal is the Handstand; the description of Handstand is very deceiving as it not just about trying to stand on the hands. Through this process, I am evolving a new awareness of balance and my Centre, not just in the literal sense but also in my life. I am finding that balance is not a static place/event; it is a constant fluctuation between stillness and movement. Some days I achieve balance on my hands for 3 seconds and another for just a milli-second. I receive minute information from different body parts like the base of my hand or my phalanges (the bones of my fingers) on where my balance is. I find that I am in constant "conversation" with my body and its different parts. It brings me into the here-and-now, because if for one split second of handstanding I lose my focus, I may fall painfully on my head. I accept all these gratefully as I know deep inside me, a cauldron of deep knowing is in the brewing.
 
As we just passed the Autumn Equinox (time of equal day and night) last week, I had the feeling that balance is being called for. We can all definitely find a little more balance in our lives and what better way than to become aware of our Centres. Take a moment of quietness and stillness in either standing, sitting or lying. Become aware of your body in space. Then, ask yourself, "Where is my Centre?" and just listen to your body answering.
 
 
 
Image Headstand by Aron H.
Image Zhōng Bronz Inscription and Silk Script from Wiktionary
​

When we look at the Chinese calligraphy for Tea, Chá 茶,it shows us how the Chinese view Tea. At the very top stands 艹which is the radical for any plant or part of it that is herbaceous. In the middle is human, rén  人 . Finally, at the bottom is the radical for tree, mù 木 . I see this character as Human being rooted through the Tree in the Earth and Herb to the Heavens. This is my experience of Tea, whether I drink it or be with people who drink/work with Tea; Tea seems to root the person to the Earth and connect their Minds to the Heavens.
 
Camellia sinensis, Tea are divided into 6 types: Green Tea (Lu Cha), White Tea (Bai Cha), Yellow (Huang Cha), Black Tea (Hong Cha), Wu Long Tea, Pu Er Tea or Dark/Fermented Tea (Hei Cha). In my last post, I wrote about Green Tea, which does not undergo any form of oxidation as with White Tea, which are the buds/immature Camellia sinensis. All the other forms of Tea undergo a process of oxidation, which sometimes is called fermentation. Yellow Tea is Camellia sinensis leaves that have undergone very light oxidation to remove the grassy flavor but is often categorized as Green Tea. Pu Er and Dark Tea are sometimes known as Brick Tea. This was the way Tea was able to be transported all over the world including the Silk Road, as they were compressed into a brick/cake form to save space and remain fresh. What we know as Black Tea, the Chinese called Red Tea (Hong Cha) is 100 percent oxidized. Wu Long Tea is a categorization for oxidized Tea from 8 to 85 percent. Here, there are innumerable possibilities for creativity, creating Wu Long Tea that appear like Green Tea or Black Tea but aren't. As such the Gong Fu Cha ceremony was created to enjoy this form of Tea.
  
My husband and I are Tea drinkers. We drink Tea almost everyday and often in the ceremonial form of Gong Fu Cha. Our favorite type of Tea is Wu Long Cha, which means Black Dragon Tea, referring to the shape that the Camellia sinensis leaf curls up into as it undergoes oxidation and unfurls as you steep it in your teapot. About 15 years ago, we travelled to Taiwan for the first time, which is well-known for its Wu Long Tea, to see where Tea is grown and experience Tea culture. We met people who drink, grow, make and sell Tea. Every corner you turned to there is Tea, whether it's a Tea shop or a place where people just gather to drink Tea. We met intellectuals who studied at the university, Tea farmers, Tea shop-keepers or just Tea connoisseurs. They all had something in common; there is a certain respect for the plant and for life. Taiwan is an island with steep, misty mountain slopes ideal for growing Tea. They make some of the best High-Mountain Wu Long Tea. One can observe these by the way the leaves look, whole and large. I must say that the Taiwanese are some of the friendliest people I have ever met on my journeys throughout the world. If this has an effect on the Tea or vice versa, I cannot say, but the experience of Tea-drinking is definitely enhanced by the company you share it with.   
 
In Chinese Medicine, Wu Long Cha is used for clearing heat and detoxifying the digestive system as a result of food poisoning. It is also good for edema as it is a diuretic. It clears the head and eyes as a result of hangovers from alcohol or tiredness, as well as breaks down grease as a result of a heavy meal. This is often why you will get a pot of Wu Long Tea in a Chinese restaurant to go with a meal in Asia. Wu Long Tea is never drunk with sugar or milk, as these additives will destroy the flavor of good teas. Unlike Green Tea, you use close to 100-degree Celsius heated water for Wu Long Tea. The first flush is to wash the leaves and from the second onward, you drink and savour its essence. If a Tea is of good quality, its flavor will remain for a few flushes. As with any Tea, teabags often do not hold good quality Tea as there would not be enough space for the leaves to expand and therefore often contain crushed leaves. In my opinion, teabags are convenient but lacks the subtlety for "real" Tea drinking. As with humans, Tea leaves need space, enough time to steep and the ideal atmosphere to flourish; this will allow it to display its best qualities. 
 
 
Images by Elaine

Many years ago, as I was reading books on Chinese Nutritional Therapy, which is a big part of Chinese Medicine, a "lightbulb" moment occurred. One book was about treating children's issues by Bob Flaws and how about 90 percent of the time children's ailments have to do with digestive/ nutritional issues. This by the way, in my experience with working with children over the years, is true. The author stated, and I may be paraphrasing it, that "cooking is the beginning of the digestive process." It sparked an awakening in my understanding of food and its transformation within our system. I had never thought about cooking as being food digestion before we ingest it inside us. 
 
In Malaysia, possibly most of Asia and many other parts of the world, food is more than just eating to get energy. It is culture, identity, a socially-binding force, the joy of life...the list of descriptions goes on and on. People in Malaysia talk, cook, eat, breathe and live food. Food is boiled, steamed, braised, stir-fried in a wok, deep-fried, baked in clay...you name it, it gets done. I was exposed to this creativity in cooking early on in life and I too enjoy cooking, as well as eating. But I had never thought of cooking as digestion. What a revelation! But it makes sense! Take rice for instance, if you just took raw grains of rice into your mouth and chewed it, it would be hard and arduous, probably crack your teeth, before you could even swallow a few grains. Would it even taste good and could our digestive system even be able to break it down for energy?
 
The process of cooking is not just a hobby, it is an essential part of life as a human being in order to survive. It goes even further when you look at the theories that have been suggested over the past few years. One such hypothesis was proposed by biological anthropologist and primatologist Dr.Richard Wrangham. He suggests that the human brain evolved to its current size as we began cooking our food. As heating/ cooking what we ate, whether meat, grains or tubers, breaks-down starches, denatures protein and helps kill pathogen, the human body began having more energy to develop other body parts, such as the brain. Through this evolution came other changes in human development and social structure. Crazy to think that something so normal and under- appreciated as cooking could have such an impact on a whole life species and also the whole of the living world since our brain development led us to create a more complex style of living. I watched a documentary on the evolution of the digestive system. Part of Dr. Wrangham's research is featured at the end of the documentary.
 
One of the trends that we have at the moment is the Smoothie/ Juicing trend. I hear and read of many who swear by these methods of obtaining nutrients. As with many things in life, what fits some may not fit others. In Chinese Medicine, we have the view that some individuals tend to have heat in their system and others cold; these individuals who tend to heat may benefit from smoothie/ juice drinking, as most fruit and vegetables that have not been cooked have a cooling nature. From the Chinese medical nutrition perspective, this time of year requires us to eat warm food; one aspect is to have food in a certain temperature that our bodies do not have to expand more energy to warm the food further in order to digest and another aspect is that we receive warmth that will help our bodies stay at the ideal temperature of ca. 37 degrees Celsius. This is not to say that we do not eat any fresh vegetables and fruit, but that our food should be predominately warm and then supplemented by raw produce in winter. This will change as the season changes and the temperature warms up. If we look at the nature surrounding us right now in Switzerland, we will notice that there are little to no fruits growing on trees. They have all been harvested before the end of autumn. What fruit we have that are still fresh here, such as apples and pears, are harvested and stored in special conditions to last through winter. Tropical fruits or citrus fruits that we get from the supermarket are imported from places that are still having warm/ temperate climates currently. Therefore, it is best to eat these sparingly, like 1 to 2 fruits a day. Too many will cool our systems down too much and we will either feel cold often or be unable to digest the fruit well, leading to loose stools or diarrhoea.
 
One of the most beloved food for the Chinese is Congee, Bái Zhōu in Mandarin, Jūk in Cantonese or just simply rice porridge. It's rice cooked in a lot of water over a longer period of time. When I was ill as a child, this was the food my mother cooked for me, as I do for my children. But we cook a hardier version with meat in regular life in winter. It is easy to digest, yet very nutritious, providing enough fluids and nutrients. I have fasted on just water and plain Congee over a span of a week, and felt that I could actually perform everyday activities, including working, without feeling drained. It is simple, wholesome and easy to incorporate into your diet, even and especially if you are not used to cooking regularly but want to begin. Be creative, use the classical recipe as a base and then modify the ingredients to create your own personal Congee. Try it and start enjoying the warming nourishment!

Congee Recipe as pdf in English  

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Image Chicken Congee by Maria & Elaine  

As we go through the seasons of the year and I observe the changes of the climate, it reminds me of the Wu Xing or 5-Elements or 5-Phases. This philosophy is not just a Chinese medical theory but one that was/ is observed in all areas of life, as with the Yin-Yang philosophy. The 5-Element philosophy is very old. Historical records display writings and observances of it since the start of the Han Dynasty in 206 BCE, but the ideas of this philosophy are much older.
 
I am impressed by how so many, if not all areas of our lives are influenced by the 5-Elements; whether it be seasons of the year, cooking food, making medicine, breathing techniques or making day-to-day objects/ crafts that we use in our lives. There are traditions all around East-Asia (i.e. China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea) where the 5-Element philosophy is part of normal, daily life. As I contemplate the element that we are experiencing at the moment, the Metal element, I can't help being reminded of the skilled Bladesmith, one who works with Metal to create tools/ weapons. The Japanese are famous for making the best knives and swords in the world. The Katana, the Japanese long sword, is most celebrated for its artistry as well as its sharpness and ferocity. It is a blade so fine and flexible but so resilient, in the hands of a skilled swordsman (or woman), you would be unaware of its cut until it is done. You can tell how many martial arts movies I have watched growing up in Asia. What fascinates me most is not the end product, the sword, itself but the process in which it is made; how the 5-Elements are present in the process to transform raw Metal into a tool, an art form. The Metal is put into Fire to be smelted, then comes the process of the forging, which involves more Fire, Water, Earth and of course to begin with there was Wood for Fire. In the process to create this tool, the 5 Elements were going through the generating and controlling cycles, all in movement towards a creation and transformation guided by the human hand/ mind.
 
I feel this often when I practice Qi Gong, Tai Ji Quan or Yoga. I sense the Elements in me, helping me transform my body, my mind, my being to connect/reconnect within and without. What then manifests outwardly is simply a product of the process, there is no product without the process. So if I perform a headstand, it is a coming together of the elements within and around me to find an inward balance, which then manifest as me balancing on my head in the physical realm. 
 
Another of the Breath practice that I have gathered on my journey is the 5-Element Breath Sounds. It is a practice that involves the exhalation as a sound. Many of us make sounds quite instinctively, in the form of a sigh or a groan. This practice is a conscious manifestation of Breath to balance the organs and elements. Practice the sounds like it is listed from above to below, as this is the generation cycle. You may notice that the Fire element comes twice. There are reasons for this that I won't get into in this post. Do try the breath sounds and sense how they affect you! 
 
 
 
 

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5-Element Breath Sounds

Element   WOOD 
Organ       Liver
Sound       Sheeee 
Element    FIRE                        
Organ       Heart                     
Sound       Haaaa                               
Element   EARTH
​Organ       Spleen
Sound       Hoooo
Element   METAL
​Organ       Lung
Sound       Tssss 
Element    WATER
​Organ        Kidneys
Sound        Huuuu
Element     FIRE
​Organ        Triple Burner
Sound        Heeee


Image Smith by Dirk Hoenes from Pixabay
Image 5-Element Sheng Cycle by Elaine

I grew up in Malaysia, in the suburbs of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Malaysians, who are of different cultural backgrounds like Chinese, Malay, Indian etc., come together for food. They might have many differences but what connects them is food and their love of it. One of my favorite is Dim Sum, a meal, often a brunch, where different types of food, vegetable, meat, bread, rice, which are steamed, fried, boiled, are served in small portions in bamboo-steamed baskets or plates. A little bit like Spanish Tapas but different. Dim Sum originates from the southern part of China, Hong Kong is very well-known for it. Often in a traditional Dim Sum restaurant, one would sit at the table with an order sheet, your pot of Chinese tea and carts with fresh-made food would be rolled around by servers, shouting the dish's name, and you would just have to call out, tell them how many portions you wanted, they would serve it to you and mark it on your order sheet. Then, the next server would come by and the process continues, until you decide that you've had enough. A very lively atmosphere. It brings people together: families, friends, business meetings, workers, anybody. The meaning of Dim Sum, which is in the Cantonese dialect, is "Touch the Heart." I find that incredible, a meal that touches the heart. So often we think of food as just for the stomach but this one is meant to touch the heart as it brings people together and guess what? In Chinese Medicine, the tongue is the orifice of the Heart. It is all starting to make sense, food that touches the heart by nourishing the receptors of the tongue and bringing people together. 
 
Since the whole quarantine process has been in effect, I have been home with the whole family. Our children have been home-schooling and we have had a lot of time to do things we normally don't get to do. We often cook most of our meals at home normally but now we can take more time, experimenting new recipes. We have made meat dumplings, gnocchi, cakes, smoothies, lemon meringue pie and raspberry tiramisu. It has actually been pleasant to have time. There is a popular American saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." In my case, lemon meringue pie. I may not agree or like the situation but it doesn't help if I grumble about it, so I am making the best of it. I am using this time to "touch the heart" of my family.
 
Another effect of the quarantine/ isolation is that we have been called to practice "social distancing," avoiding all physical contact with people, including shaking hands, hugging and definitely not kissing. We have been dictated to stay away from our elderly family and friends, as well as keep a 2-metre distance from everyone in public. 
 
Since I began studying Chinese Medicine, I have become aware what different body parts represent and how they affect our health. For instance, the shaking of hands, which is very prevalent in many places in the world is the connection of 2 points of the palm of the hands which are on the Heart and Pericardium Meridians, both of Fire element. So, when I shake your hand, I connect my heart with yours. Similarly, when I hug someone, I meet my heart with yours. In Malaysia, there is a tradition, especially among the ethnic Malays where they shake hands with both hands and place both their hands right after onto their chest, emphasizing the Heart connection. This I find beautiful. The lips are a little different from the Chinese Medicine and meridian view, they manifest the Spleen and Stomach, both of the Earth element. The cheeks also manifest the Stomach meridian. Of course, the Spleen and Stomach are organs of digestion but in Chinese Medicine, they produce Qi and Blood, the essentials for life. These are greetings with the touch of the skin and there are many more greetings that do not require touch. For instance, in India and in many places in Asia, they place their 2 palms together in front of the heart to greet each and/or they bow their heads to each other, both are as signs of respect and to honor. I am finding these to be very valuable at the current time.
 
So much of how we communicate with each other is the "touch of the heart." Real connection to each other is from the heart. Even if we aren't allowed to touch or be close to one another, we can still touch each other's heart in simple things like greeting and smiling at each other from afar. This current situation is challenging but it also gives us a chance to evaluate what really is important in our lives.   


Image Dim Sum by Alice Cheung from Pixabay