Approaches to strengthening organs

[thaddeus]

I've been thinking about what it means to strengthen an organ through exercise. Let's use kidneys, since it's a good place to start for overall well being. Some approaches are moving the limbs or torso that carry the meridian, theory being that chi builds up from the motion and spills into the organ system. Another strategy is to pull or lenghten that meridian to get the 'kinks out' so energy can flow better to and from that organ. There are strategies to apply pressure through breath or externally (by pushing against a solid object). Somehow the breath and pressure 'strengthens' the organ through not understood ways. One can also use the mind and various images of colors and vapors to mentally stimulate the organ. There are sounds, which I don't completely understand, but it exists..

Any I missed? Any explanations?

T

[QiDr]

Supplementation Qi Gongs work much the same way that Qi Gongs used for martial and spiritual achievement work. The combined forces of breath, posture and mind-will are brought to bear on particular organ systems and the metabolism (Yang and Yuan Qi), of the organs are increased. This is a good thing if the organ in question is functioning at a lower metabolic level than is optimal, but if the organ is hyperfunctional, supplementing Qi Gong will only worsen the condition.

Dirrigation Qi Gongs are used on hyperfunctional organs or on channels and network vessels that are sluggish or blocked. Dirrigation Qi Gong dredges the channels and organs the way one would dredge a canal. All of the accumulated debris; old tennis shoes, shopping carts and other flotsam that find their way into canals create blockages to the flow of water in the canals, so the county goes around on a semi annual basis to dredge the canal to restore the free flow of water. This is similar what we are doing when we utilize dirrigation Qi Gong, only instead of using backhoes and tractors, we use the combined force of breath, posture and mind-will to restore free flow to our channels and health to our organs.

Dirrigation Qi Gong is usually used only when the organ is hyperfunctional or the meridian system is blocked. Using dirrigation on a weak organ system or on channels that are already free flowing can cause vital bioenergy to be drained away which in turn aggravates the deficit condition or weakens the meridian network.

The example of the kidney is good because it is the end of the line as far as the body's ability to nourish itself is concerned. Every other organ system needs to be fully operational and full to capacity of their respective source energy before the kidney recieves the overflow. The kidney is also the most internal organ and is most prone to stagnation and accumulation. So, for the kidneys, instead of working directly on the organ, the focus can be on the gate of life (ming men), increasing the yang qi in the gate of life warms the kidney as well as the other organs which leads them eventually to nourish the kidney.

Chinese physiology is complex and you ask a good question, did this help?

[Taomeow]

I incorporate, among other things, the dietary/herbal approach. The system I use more than most is wuxing/yin-yang. Example:

 

If I want to strengthen the kidneys, I take into account the following facts when choosing foods and herbs that nourish and tonify them:

 

their Phase is Water;

they store jing;

have affinity to the salty taste;

are partial to "slow yin";

store zhi;

are controlled by Metal (lungs,) depleted by Fire (heart), blocked by Earth (spleen), and provide nourishment for Wood (liver);

generate bones, and open into the ears;

store ontogenic and philogenic memory;

and so on.

 

Then I do the following:

favor Water-based foods over dry foods;

use jing-nourishing herbs, foods, and animals (ginseng, "slow yin" foods like congee, deer antler, sea horses);

use salted, pickled, fermented foods like live sauerkraut, kimchee, miso, assorted brine-pickled homemade veggies;

keep them warm at all times;

don't use zhi in any practices;

control them with pungent foods, avoid bitter foods, avoid sweet foods, and take the burden off them by nourisning their child organ (liver) with plenty of sour tasting foods;

eat bone broths and protect the ears (keep them warm, and keep them open, i.e. listen, and keep them from working too hard, i.e. don't listen to anything too loud);

make sure I don't repress new memories and restore, via assorted "know thyself" practices, any and all that were repressed in my early developmental history (repression taxes Kidneys more than anything else).

 

This is more fun than I can begin to tell you.

[thaddeus]

I incorporate, among other things, the dietary/herbal approach. The system I use more than most is wuxing/yin-yang. Example:

 

This is more fun than I can begin to tell you.

Actually this is very cool. I tend to do many of those things naturally now and have been incorporating them into my daily life..

what is 'zhi'?

Thanks..I'm curious, though, 'how' one could make the organ 'stronger', rather than just avoid hurting it. How can one exercise it??

 

 

So, for the kidneys, instead of working directly on the organ, the focus can be on the gate of life (ming men), increasing the yang qi in the gate of life warms the kidney as well as the other organs which leads them eventually to nourish the kidney.

Chinese physiology is complex and you ask a good question, did this help?

Yes, very good concepts. But what would be an example of a 'dirrigation' exercise vs. a strengthening gong?

I guess I'm not very clear on that..

Thanks!!

T

[Treena]

Zhi is will or willpower.

 

From a medical qigong perspective, and ain't it great how all the terminology is close but never quite the same?, the idea is to purge, tonify, and regulate the organ in that order.

 

Stagnation, use a healing sound. Tonify by bringing in healing light, organ colours, massaging, and such. Regulate by doing the microcosmic orbit or some other balancing type exercise that is appropriate to what's going on with the person. There are so many, each specific to the imbalances that can occur.

 

QiDr raises a good point about not overdoing things when in balance. Moderation is really a good idea. Overdoing anything is not good. Listen to the body. But also realize that purging out stagnation from organs can be a hell of a process as you get to 'relive' some of the emotion anyway as it's going out. What's the difference between qi deviations (things going wrong) and funky feelings as a natural part of purging? That's what someone trained in these things can help the practitioner to figure out.

 

The qigong exercises are often described as being like herbal medicines: specific for each person, a certain amount is ideal, and actually doing the exercises is necessary.

 

A great way to figure out if you're deficient or in excess organ energy-wise is to learn to read pulses. TCM is quite complex, but Five Element is definitely do-able. Hmmm...I'll go check on a website and post in a bit.

[Treena]

A website for good acupuncture info is: http://www.yinyanghouse.com. Though it's changed a bit so I can't find the five element pulse method just now. Learning any Chinese Medicine method of diagnostics can be helpful. And it's all fascinating.

 

Love TaoMeow's food/herbal approach as well! Food and the body, dynamic, changeable, effective.

[QiDr]

what would be an example of a 'dirrigation' exercise vs. a strengthening gong?

I guess I'm not very clear on that..

Thanks!!

T

As Treena said, purging is an example of dirrigation but not the organ, we only dirrigate meridians.

Coursing the Qi through the meridians using breath and mind-will to push the Qi through any blockages (usually found at acupoint sites) until you feel a smoother flow of Qi throughout the system.

[thaddeus]

A website for good acupuncture info is: http://www.yinyanghouse.com. Though it's changed a bit so I can't find the five element pulse method just now. Learning any Chinese Medicine method of diagnostics can be helpful. And it's all fascinating.

 

Love TaoMeow's food/herbal approach as well! Food and the body, dynamic, changeable, effective.

Pulse reading would be cool, but I need to find an authentic TCM doctor who can show the ropes. However, from what i understand it can't really be taught. Which makes all the 'methods' taught in 3 year programs or books a bit suspect to me.

I remember once I did taiji under the full moon for a bit one night and got my pulse read the next day. The doc said I had the power of a horse!

T

[Treena]

Pulse reading would be cool, but I need to find an authentic TCM doctor who can show the ropes. However, from what i understand it can't really be taught. Which makes all the 'methods' taught in 3 year programs or books a bit suspect to me.

I remember once I did taiji under the full moon for a bit one night and got my pulse read the next day. The doc said I had the power of a horse!

T

 

 

Hey T,

 

Pulse reading can definitely be taught, be interested to know why you heard otherwise. It does, however, take a lot of practice to refine, and it's helpful to have feedback from people in the know.

 

Eventually with the pulses you get to the point that you start recognizing a whole lot of, lot of! Deficiency and excess are where you start from. Then you get to recognize dampness and all sorts of things. A good mix of TCM and Five Element.

 

If you can find an acupuncturist friend or relative, they can be invaluable in aiding with the pulse refining.

 

And love the taiji under the full moon. That'd be a lot of good moon mojo, for sure.

[thaddeus]

Hey T,

 

Pulse reading can definitely be taught, be interested to know why you heard otherwise. It does, however, take a lot of practice to refine, and it's helpful to have feedback from people in the know.

 

Eventually with the pulses you get to the point that you start recognizing a whole lot of, lot of! Deficiency and excess are where you start from. Then you get to recognize dampness and all sorts of things. A good mix of TCM and Five Element.

 

If you can find an acupuncturist friend or relative, they can be invaluable in aiding with the pulse refining.

 

And love the taiji under the full moon. That'd be a lot of good moon mojo, for sure.

How did you learn it? I'm very interested in it. I read something on the pulses and it was immediately apparant that you needed someone to teach you..on top of that, I feel like everything else, you have to pick it up by doing it *alot* and trial and error. But I would love to start somewhere...

thanks!

T

[Treena]

How did you learn it? I'm very interested in it. I read something on the pulses and it was immediately apparant that you needed someone to teach you..on top of that, I feel like everything else, you have to pick it up by doing it *alot* and trial and error. But I would love to start somewhere...

thanks!

T

 

I learned from a combination of textbook and acupuncture friends' feedback...and lots of pulse taking. The text I used is Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture by Hicks, Hicks, and Mole.

 

How you hold the hand to take the pulse is to stand on the left side of the person. Take the person's left hand in your left hand, as if shaking hands and use your right hand to take the pulses. Opposite on the other side.

 

Here's some of the text:

 

Taking the pulses

 

When taking the patient's pulses the practitioner goes through these stages:

 

- First, place the middle finger over the radial styloid [the bony 'table' on the inside, thumb side of the wrist] until the tip reaches the radial artery. At the same time use the thumb as a fulcrum at the back of the wrist.

 

- Next, let the middle finger drop on to the pulse of the middle pulse position.

 

- Having located the middle position, feel the first, second and third positions in turn. The first pulse position is distal to the middle position and is felt under the tip of the index finger. The third position is proximal to the middle position and is felt under the tip of the ring finger. When feeling each position, the practitioner should place only one finger on the artery at a time.

 

 

At first it can be really difficult even finding 'a' pulse. So that takes time. Eventually you can sense the depth variations of the pulses. And that's exactly it. Kind of like playing a small flute.

 

It's interesting to take pulses. It seems to have a calming effect on the person having his/her pulses read. I think it has to do with care. Someone is caring for the person, reading his/her system deeply, witnessing.