latest from the blog
Working with the Solar Plexus
A knotting sensation in the gut area is often associated with worry. In Chinese medicine this stuck energy can affect the spleen which is responsible for extracting energy from the food that we eat and sending that chi up to the lungs. This is the beginning of a process called the transformation of chi. In Western physiology we think of internal organs breaking down foods until it becomes soluble to the body as sugars, proteins, etc. In Chinese medicine the transformation of chi is how the internal organs break down foods and the air that we breathe into energy that is soluble to the body. The movement shown in the video will help unlock the solar plexus and help the energy move along.
It has been interesting to me that in my study of the Taoist five element associations and the Tibetan Buddhist five element associations I have not come across a mention of shame. I believe that it fits in this area. In Taoism spleen and stomach are associated with the earth element. On the level of our “personality” it is our sense of self in relation to the world. From the moment we are occupying a physical body we begin to experience sensations which fit into the three categories, like, don’t like and don’t care. Based on that we begin to carve out an individual identity separate from everything else, “I like, I don’t like”, “I want, I don’t want”, “I am this, you are that” and so on. In a conventional reality a little separateness is a good thing. It helps one to be inspired to create our visions and dreams. Worry occurs when a part of ourselves feels so separate from everything else that we do not feel that we are supported by anyone or anything. Shame, I believe is often at the root of this complete separateness. A part of us believes that it is bad, flawed in some way. This part is not connected to the other parts of ourselves and of course not anything on the outside.
This movement will not heal our shame or worry. It will help move the energy; it will help with exploring our feelings as they are experienced on the body. One thing I have learned in my personal journey with shame is that just naming it changes it. Connecting to the parts of myself that carry shame allows me to speak for it and that is the first step to healing.
Video Working with the Solar Plexus
Wearing Masks
There are many feelings around the wearing of masks due to the Corona Pandemic. Although this has become a very politicized and emotionally charged subject there...
This video blog discusses how to take a holistic approach to the Corona virus. Your health and wellness was entirely your responsibility before the Corona virus, and still is! Learn how to complement the recommendations of the CBC with the principles of Classical Chinese Med...
Healing Sounds Practice
This video shows a practice of all of the Healings Sounds. The sounds can be done individually or combined as a practice. We have explored with each sound how trying to avoid specific feelings, a mov...
The Earth Element
The Earth Element is yin/yang in its most equal and balanced state. The Earth is the foundation on which we establish value-ness of our world, and thus gives the concrete sense ...
The Wood Element
The wood element is rising Yang which is the opposite of the metal element. It is the spring time and the energetic tendency is creation. The aspect of personality is called the ...
The Healing Sound for Fear and the Kidneys
Kidney and bladder are the organs associated with the water element. Winter is the season of water and the manifes...
The Healing Sound for shock and disassociation
Heart and Small intestine, Pericardium and Triple Warmer are the organs associated with the fire element. For the purpose of the healing sounds, he...
Lung and Large Intestine are the organs that are associated with the Metal Element. The manifest aspect of nature for the Metal element is space or vacuity so it is easy to understand the association of these organs whose function is taking in and eliminating. In Classical C...
The Associations of the Fire Element
Many people have asked me to post more associations of the Taoist five elements. Presently we are in the summer season which is the Fire element. In the Taoist 5 element model the fire e...
Chi Kung Movement Routine
This is the last video in this series. It shows all of the movement combined in a simple movement routine that can be done on a daily basis. It is a wonderful way to be present to what we are feeli...
Working with Neck Tension
As we move through life we occasionally encounter obstacles that prevent us from doing what we want to do. Energy rises to the eyes, throat and hands in response so we can remove or move around the...
Flight or Fight
When we encounter an object or situation that is frightening to us the energy descends very quickly to the legs and feet. This feeling is often described as flight or fight. The energy has descended so...
Being Present in the Body
The next pair of movements we are going to explore are for the heart and pericardium. In Chinese medicine the heart houses our Shen. We do not have an exact translation in English for the word Shen...
Working with Sadness
Feelings are an experience of the movement of energy in the body in response to an object, situation or person. An emotion is the label our minds give to that experience of moving energy, or feeling. It...
Working with Chi
Everything is energy and in Chinese medicine we hear of energy, or chi referred to as Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang does not imply an inherent and unchanging state. Rather it is a label used for energy in a specific st...
Wow, summer is here! It feels like yesterday I was writing about winter skin care and now it’s time to think of the sun. It is interesting to me that in many warm weather cultures the more sun the more clothing people wear for protectio...
What Does Beautiful Mean to You?
A couple of weeks ago I was a speaker at The International Congress of Esthetics and Spa at the Ph...
Happy spring! Those of us in Philadelphia are welcoming spring with yet another snow storm. None the less, it is still spring and I am completely ready. Winter certainly takes a toll on our skin and many clients are asking me about holistic ways to repair and ...
Happy spring! Those of us in the Philadelphia are welcoming spring with yet another snow storm. None the less, it is still spring and I am completely ready. Winter certainly takes a toll on our skin and many clients are asking me about holistic ways to repair ...
Happy spring! Those of us in the Philadelphia are welcoming spring with yet another snow storm. None the less, it is still spring and I am completely ready. Winter certainly takes a toll on our skin and many clients are asking me about holistic ways to repair and renew their ski...
Hello, I have been home all week with a case of Bronchitis and I want to share a great herbal remedy used in Tibetan medicine. Dr Phuntsog Wangmo, a wonderful Tibetan physician trained at the Tibetan Medical College in Lhasa, Tibet shared this with me some years ago. It is a gre...
My intention with starting this blog is to share my experiences as a holistic practitioner, educator and as a 61 year old woman. We live in a culture that sets up so many exclusions based on race, gender, size, religion and age. That’s...