How often have you treated someone with a variety of [apparently unrelated] symptoms, only to point out to them that they are all connected because they all related either to one organ/meridian network or to one climatic state? How relieved was that person when you gave them the ‘picture’ in TCM terms? I imagine they were very relieved, because this is what I see every day.

Make use of these images to enhance what you are already doing. Give your client some ‘homework’ to work on. If their Earth Element is deficient you can certainly ask them to dig in the garden but what if they don’t have one! Invite them to visualise their garden, have them create a lush, thriving garden that they tend to in their visualisation. Have them ‘weed’ out the toxins. If they have too much dampness, have them imagine that their garden is lacking in sunlight and they can clear overgrowth to allow more light and warmth in.

This may seem too simplistic to be of value but sometimes it’s the simple things that can do the most good. In our modern highly, technological age we are often too removed from reality to understand that simplicity has great value. Dr Jerry Alan Johnson, in his amazing thome: Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy: A Comprehensive Text, (p.73) states, “The goal of the Qigong doctor is to alter (if possible) the Toxic Qi patterns and help the patient’s body recognize that the formation of the disease is a mistake. In order to reprogram these patterns, the Qigong doctor often assists the patient in using guided meditations that employ vivid imagination, colorful visualizations, and positive affirmations. These images are used to encapsulate the disease and return it to the divine light.” A perfect decscription of both imagery and alchemy.

My clients all appreciate the fact that I include them and engage them in their healing process and often comment that other acupuncturists simply put the needles in and go away – which we know works – but these days many more people want to take an active part in their own healing process. And what better way to achieve it since you already know the information, all you have to do is include it when you give treatments. After all this is the 21st Century and all that we practise in TCM is oh so new age yet oh so ancient!!!

Selected Bibliography

Sheikh, Anees and Pachuta, Donald, Guided Imagery Workshop Training Manual, American Imagery Institute. 1987.
Wilhelm, Richard, The Secret of the Golden Flower : A Chinese Book of Life. Penguin Books London. 1984.
Cleary, Thomas, Immortal Sisters : Secrets of Taoist Women. Shambala Publications Boston. 1989.
Yasukawa, Sally, Metaphysics and Alchemy of the Tao : Reclaiming the Feminine Spirit of Life. Thesis published by Lindlahr Books Perth. 1997
Huang, Runtian, Treasured Qigong of the Traditional Medical School. Hai Feng Publishing Co, Hong Kong. 1994.
Chia, Mantak, Taoist Ways to Transform Stress into Vitality. Healing Tao Books New York. 1985
Chopra, Deepak, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. Rider Books London. 1993.
Dyer, Wayne, Real Magic : Creating Miracles in Everyday Life. Harper Collins Australia. 1992.
Brennan, Barbara Ann, Light Emerging : The Journey of Personal Healing. Bantam Books New York. 1993.
Johnson, Jerry Alan, Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy : A Comprehensive Text. International Institute of Medical Qigong, Pacific Grove California. 2000.

As I mentioned earlier, we are all modern day alchemists even without employing guided imagery. However, when we do make use of the mind we take that healing to another level. Carl Jung regarded mental imagery as a “creative process of the psyche to be employed for attaining greater individual, interpersonal and spiritual integration”. In other words, an alchemical process. 

Dr Deepak Chopra in “Ageless Body, Timeless Mind” tells us that it is the mind and it’s beleifs that cause cells to age. Change your mind around thinking about age or illness and you can change, because mind directs Qi, Qi controls body. Again, an alchemical process. 

Although alchemy conjures up images of the Dark Ages and underground cults with strange apparatus trying to turn base metals into gold, the real gold is what they were all looking for. And the real gold, I believe, is in finding the truth of our beingness and the understanding that we have powers and abilities far greater than we are ordinarily lead to believe. For me me this has been realised over and over during years of involvement in Chinese medicine and Taoist philosophy and represented in the transformations that have occurred in many clients. Many times real healing has occurred simiply in someone recognising themselves in a pattern of TCM as explained according to traditional imagery. 

Applying imagery in TCM 

We know in TCM that mind leads Qi and that Qi controls body ~ while we can choose acupuncture points and herbs to effect change at the level of the Qi, we can also provide additional infomation regarding these points and herbs. This immediately forms the basis of an alchemical process whereby the client engages their mind and adds it’s weight to the whole of the healing process. I have found this to have remarkable results and while it’s use in TCM is not so well documented, it is certainly well documented in both medical and non-medical arenas. 

Dr Don Pachuta from the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland uses the imagery inherent in Chinese medicine to help people with life threatening illnesses with great results. In fact, it was while attending an intensive training in guided imagery with the American Imagery Institute in 1987 that Don awoke in me the power and use of images in healing in Chinese medicine [particularly the Five Elements] encouraging me to take it further. Other doctors who use imagery in healing are Dr Carl Simonton from Fort Worth, Texas and Dr Bernie Siegal, a surgeon at Yale, New Haven Hospital who both use visual images to aid their cancer patient’s healing process. 

Since Chinese medicine is replete with images, it really doesn’t take much to incorporate some simple practices into your clinical work. The theories of Yin-Yang and Wu Xing [Five Phases/Elements] provide us with a wealth of imagery that can simply be included in the healing process. 

The Five Elements – Wu Xing – Five Phases of Transformation 

Due to the unusual nature of my TCM training [apprentice to a Taoist Healer/ Acupuncturist] I was given in depth information regarding the Five Phases of Change or the Five Elements as we commonly know them. I was taught that this symbolic representation of Qi flow had many and varied uses, and that somehow it represented a process of spiritual development. [Note: I ultimately wrote a thesis on this to complete a Diploma of Metaphysical Sciences and will submit a future article on my findings.] 

The Five Elements or Wu Xing in it’s simplist form is a most useful beginning place for the use of imagery and thus alchemy. Being that it is a symbolic representation of the macrocosm and the microcosm, the colours ascribed to each Phase are said to be colours of balance (Chia, 1985). Therefore, simply employing the colour associated with the particular organ/meridian system you are regulating opens your healing to the use of imagery and the realm on inner alchemy. 

For example, you are treating a person with a disharmony in their Wood Element/Phase. Regardless of the problem, while the person is lying on the table ask them to think of their liver/gall bladder being surrounded and permeated by green liquid. Since green is the colour associated with the Wood Element/Phase, visualising the liver and gall bladder being surrounded and permeated by a liquid of this colour has cleansing, nourishing and regulating effects [Chia, 1985, & Huang, 1994]. 

Another simple imagery is from Medical Qi Gong [Huang, 1994]. Expanding on from the above imagery, you can take your client through each of the five zang and their associated colours [viz: Kidneys deep blue; Liver green; Heart red; Spleen yellow; Lungs white]. Simply have them visualise or imagine the organs being surrounded and permeated by a liquid of the appropriate colour [except for the Lungs, have the liquid transform to a gas]. Spending a couple of minutes on each organ, breathing slowly and deeply, while also thinking that the colour is cleansing and nourishing that organ system. 

This is a Qi Gong exercise that strengthens the functions of the viscera, dredges the channels, maintains the balance between Yin and Yang, regualtes Qi and blood, expels toxic energy and replenishes deficiency. [Huang, 1994]

The following are some of these findings together with guidelines for incorporating such methods into your own practise of TCM, to enhance the healing process and to empower the individuals you work with to take an active part in their own healing.

Definitions

Imagery: mental picturing; the use of images to enhance healing states; engaging a persons mind in the process of applying healing modalities.

Alchemy: transforming dense matter into something lighter – traditionally believed to change lead into gold.

Chinese medicine is full of images. All Chinese characters are pictograms, providing an image rather than simply a word. The names of acupoints provide us with splendid images that can be made use of in the healing process [when we know them rather than using the easy channel numbering system]. By simply telling your client the nature of the point’s function in regard to their condition allows their mind to take part in the healing process. The correspondences of The Five Elements is also another area we can make use of, and it is the main one I use because it is very versatile and simple.

Alchemists in ancient China made use of their mind to guide and transform their Qi to attain healing as well as spiritual transformation, as detailed extensively in the manual of spiritual alchemy: The Secret of the Golden Flower (translated by R. Wilhelm, with commentary by C.Jung).

As modern alchemists, practitioners of Chinese medicine use acupuncture, acupressure and herbs to aid the transformation of dense matter [physical body symptoms] into something lighter [harmonious Qi flow] in the bodies of their clients.

So, what is imagery?

As the definition above tells us, imagery is the use of mental images to enhance healing states. According the Drs Sheikh and Pachuta of the American Imagery Institute, “Mental picutres extend a powerful force and can be used constructively in the healing process.”

The imaging modality is largely dependent on the right hemisphere of the brain, which permits continued information processing following perception, and lends a sensory character to ideas and feelings. The lexical or linguistic mode is predominantly coordinated by the left hemisphere of the brain, and is particularly effective in integrating extremely diverse phenomena into one language label that permits very rapid subsequent retrieval.

The point is that verbal logic is linear, whereas the image is a simultaneous representation. “The quality of simultaneity gives imagery greater isomorphism with the qualities of perception and therefore, greater capacity for descriptive accuracy.” (Sheik 1975) Think about it for a moment. If I ask you to think of a garbage can, what immediately comes to your mind? The letters that spell garbage can or a picture/image of a garbage can that is familiar to you? I suggest it will be the latter because the image of a garbage can [or anything for that matter] has more likeness with our perceptions and familiarity of such items.

Due to the fact that images do lend a sensory nature to ideas, the use of images in healing then shifts the mind from it’s usual rational, logical way of thinking and dealing with it’s dis-ease, to an irrational and illogical way [which in Jungian terms means connecting with the unconscious]. When we can move to the irrational and illogical, we are less restricted by our beliefs of how something has to be. This then allows for ‘miracles’ to happen and for even spontaneous healings to occur.

If you are wondering what science would make of such an idea I suggest you look up a lecture given by brain scientist, Dr Jill Bolte Taylor, you will find it listed on the website of TED Talks [http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229]. Jill had a stroke on the left side of her brain, and instantly experienced the vastness of possibilities available to us when we are able to shift our focus from our often over-loaded, rational, box-world left hemisphere and move into our irrational, creative and expansive right hemisphere.

While the practise of Qi Gong or Tai Ji Quan is not exactly the same experience, they do provide you with the opportunity and ability to be able to shift from one to the other more readily. Giving you greater access to the power of your whole mind. This is also much the same as the experience of regular meditators, musicians and artists.

Why is this important? We are so programmed into believing that we have no control over our bodies and that simply by eating healthy food, drinking pure water, doing a bit of exercise and breathing fresh air will keep us in good health. Certainly this is true especially if the food is so fresh that it’s life force or Qi is still in tact [if only!!] and the exercises are Qi Gong or similar, otherwise we are only working on the physical level and neglecting the Qi.

You can elevate you health by using your mind to inform and activate your Qi. However, if your levels of Qi are low, it is very difficult to increase them this way.

Qi is the body’s vital life force; it is the formless aspect of life which disappears at death. Often referred to simply as energy, Qi is really much more than our understanding of energy. It can also be perceived of as Light.

The concept of Qi is fundamental to Chinese medical thinking. In fact , ordinary members of Chinese society know and understand the idea of Qi. There is, however, no English word, phrase or even idea that can adequately capture it’s meaning. Although we use vital life force or energy to gain an impression of the Chinese perspective, it still does not fully convey the concept as the character for Qi would to a Chinese person [particularly one educated in classical Chinese]. The character is made of two parts: one part is the character for rice and the other, reflects the notion of steam rising from cooked rice; this combination gives the imagery of something light, etheric and potent coming from nourishing food.

Chinese see everything in the universe, organic and inorganic, as being composed of and defined by Qi. Therefore, everything in the universe is seen to be the result of the movement and changes in Qi. As stated by Ted Kaptchuk in his book “The Web That Has No Weaver”, “Chinese thought does not distinguish between matter and energy [Qi], but we can perhaps think of Qi as ….. energy at the point of materialising.”

Thus, Qi just is and always has been. It is perceived by what it does, and how it functions. Yin-Yang* are expressions of the Qi of anything. So Qi is always seen as being composed of two polarities, continuously moving and adjusting to remain in balance with one another.

*Yin-Yang like Qi cannot easily be explained, however if you think of positive and negative poles of a magnet or electric current you can gain an impression of what is understood by this term. Bear in mind that the original meaning of these words was: Yin – the shady side of a mountain; Yang – the sunny side of a mountain; and these always change according to the position of the sun. This will give you some comprehension of the movement of Qi as well. Nothing is contstant; it can only be defined by its reference to something else.

Western science, which is based primarily on the principles of Newtonian Physics, views energy as an inanimate and impersonal force. The traditional Chinese view is much more aligned with the modern theories of Quantum Physics. Both these systems know that Qi-energy cannot be studied without taking into account the mind’s influence over it. [Chinese Medical Qigong Theory, by Dr J. Johnson].

Now this last point is vitally important because it brings us into direct relationship with our own Qi-energy, and to the first most important rule or principle of Chinese medical philosophy, which is:

Qi controls the body and mind controls the Qi.

Chinese medicine believes that Chi controls your emotional and physical wellbeing, meaning that your life force directly impacts upon your body as well as affecting your emotional state. It also maintains that the mind controls Chi – that is, your thoughts and beliefs govern the way in which your Chi affects your body.

For example, anger impacts on the liver, causing a stagnancy of Chi flow and possibly generating heat in the body. This is because anger is the imbalanced expression of Liver Chi. This can result in headaches, ulcers, indigestion, period pain and premenstrual tension among many other things. Whereas choosing to let go of angry thoughts (and thoughts are all they are) and moving into positive liver emotions such as kindness, trust and responsibility, changes the internal environment from toxic to healthy – or from low-grade energy to high-grade energy.

This is not to suggest that you will suddenly be healed and never experience negative emotions or illness again, nor is it about condoning other people’s poor behaviour. I am simply saying that if you choose to stay with the balanced emotions you will have more chance of being healed and having happy, harmonious relationships than if you were to stay with the negative.

The above affirmations show how to use your mind to control your Chi in moving from low-grade energy into high-grade energy by shifting your focus from points (a) to (b). Now I want to show some of the physical effects these negative emotions can have on the physical body.

Note that these symptoms relate to the Energetic connections of each of the categories. Although in the West we have named the meridians according to the organs to which they are connected, the energetic influences of each of them is much greater than simply affecting the related organs.

Lungs and Large Intestine: Persistent or chronic coughs; colds/flu-like symptoms; asthma; bronchitis; sinus; mucous problems; constipation; diarrhoea; eczema; psoriasis [as the skin is considered the third lung]; pain along the lateral border of the arms.

Kidneys and Bladder: Chronic cystitis; bladder or kidney infections; chronic low back pain; weakness and pain in back, legs or knees; cold feet; painful feet; infertility/impotence; chronic fatigue; no stamina; no vitality; poor memory; poor concentration; ringing in ears; hearing loss, greying hair.

Liver and Gall Bladder: Indigestion; heartburn; nausea; vomiting; ulcers; stomach pain; alternating constipation and diarrhoea; premenstrual tension or PMS; headaches and migraines; neck and shoulder tension and pain; weak finger nails; vision problems; sore/dry/tearing eyes; pain around ribs and sides.

Heart and Small Intestine: Palpitations; angina; panic attacks; insomnia; mind hyperactive at night; mouth ulcers; stuttering; circulation problems; spasmodic pain in intestines; pain back of shoulder and down little finger side of arms.

Spleen and Stomach: Puts on weight easily and can’t lose it; problems with nutrient absorption; poor circulation; cold hands; sluggish digestion; cellulite; varicose veins; forgetful; “foggy” feeling in head; period pain; menstrual bleeding problems [too little too much]; habitual miscarriage; pain and weakness medial aspect [inside] legs and feet.

These are just some of the more common signs and symptoms you may experience when your emotions [or your diet and lifestyle] cause the Chi to dysfunction.

The Loving Inner Smile

Finally, I want to give you one more technique you can use to help your internal organs in maintaining their energetic balance. It is an integral part of the above practice to be performed simultaneously with repeating the affirmations. This is practise of Taoist Inner Alchemy. It is very versatile, and can be done anywhere, at any time. You can add it to your own daily exercise or meditation practise. Do it before going off to sleep or when you first wake up each day. I do encourage you, however, to do it in conjunction with the above affirmations, as it greatly enhances their effectiveness.

To begin, take some deep breaths to centre yourself and calm your mind. Then think of something or someone that makes you feel really happy and loving. This can be anything, just so long as you can get that joyful, loving feeling. Now hold this thought in your mind and allow the feeling it generates to flow through to your face. Feel how your eyes soften and your lips turn up slightly at the sides in a gentle smile, as if you are looking at your created image.

Now, still holding the thought and the feeling it generates direct your attention to each of your internal organs. Don’t be concerned about their exact location or shape. Trust that your own body knows where to send this loving, happy Chi. All you need to do is name each one, then mentally direct your loving inner smile to that organ. Let it know you appreciate all that it does for you without you having to control it. If you are visually inclined you may visualise the entire process; if not simply imagine that each of your organs are receiving your love and each one smiles back to you.

You can use this process to send love and joy to every part of your body. Particularly if you have an illness, ache or pain somewhere. Instead of saying, “I have a bad ……….[you fill in the blank]” and infusing it with even more negative, low-grade energy, send it a loving, inner smile every time you think about it or feel its presence. In time you will begin to notice a shift in discomfort levels as you help your body to find its power to heal itself.

By giving the mind this positive food on a regular basis you will allow yourself the opportunity to experience bliss and ecstasy in each of your present moments. You will become conscious and in control of yourself and your emotions and your balanced energy will flow out into your life, relationships and creative expressions.

1) Lungs and Large Intestine

When out of balance I express jealousy, envy, defensive pride stubbornness, selfishness, greed and despondency. I can be stoic, hypersensitive and judgemental. I can’t let go of the past. I wallow in self-pity. I crave or dislike spicy foods. My vice is gambling.

When in balance: I am a strong and stable person who is open and receptive. I easily take in new ideas and am non-attached to outcomes, material possessions or emotions. I am a good provider and I handle money well. I have integrity and exercise right judgement.

2) Kidneys and Bladder

When out of balance I express fear, mistrust, suspicion, paranoia, timidity, apprehension. I have panic attacks. I may be foolhardy and I often feel inadequate. I may have an inferiority complex or I may feel superior to others. I crave or dislike salty foods. I overindulge in alcohol.

When in balance: I am a person with dignity and vitality. I have a powerful inner strength and will. I am persistent and have long staying power. I have a gentle inner calmness and alert awareness. I see adversity as a challenge to be overcome. I have healthy sexual relationships. I am not afraid to show my pride.

3) Liver and Gall Bladder

When out of balance I express anger, frustration, resentment, depression, irritation and hostility. I run guilt trips on myself and/or others. I am moody and I get bored easily. I have no motivation to change. My life is stuck in a rut. I can be very competitive and may rush around like a chook with its head cut off. I crave or dislike sour foods.

.

When in balance: I am a responsible, self-motivated person who uses active imagination to make positive changes and choices in my life. I am creative, powerful and kind. I am in touch with my own higher purpose and am committed to self growth. I choose right relationships and am able to define my own boundaries. I have a vision and plan for my future.

4) Heart and Small Intestine

When out of balance I express despair, sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, nervousness, self-doubt, intolerance, and impatience. I can be hasty and arrogant. I can be cruel with tendencies towards violence. I have low self-esteem and can sometimes become hysterical. I crave or dislike bitter foods. I misuse my energy in politics or sex.

When in balance: I am a person with an enthusiastic joy for life. I am creative and have great passion for expressing my creativity. I am honest and sincere. I have a heart of gold. I love life and I love myself. Therefore, I choose loving relationships as I am unafraid to open my heart.

5) Spleen and Stomach

When out of balance I express anxiety, worry, indifference, obsessive actions and behaviours. I crave sympathy. I am forgetful, needy, and absent-minded. I crave or dislike sweet foods and I either under eat or over eat. I play mind games.

When in balance: I am a balanced and sensible person who shows a great amount of fairness and compassion. I have an empathetic oneness with everything. I am considerate and generous in all dealings. I am grounded and centred. I nourish and nurture myself. I am honest. I have a quick mind and am creative in thoughts and ideas.

Try writing down all those marked (b). Now read it through from beginning to end. Now you have found the Light in your Soul.

Whereas when a person is happy, feels love and compassion for all and is at peace with life, their cells have different hormones which work together with the body to ward off perverse influences and help maintain a healthy environment.

At a recent conference on Health, Ageing and Longevity in Brisbane, Professor Marc Cohen [Founding Professor of Complimentary Medicine at RMIT Melbourne] said that love is a prime cause for a long, high quality life. He added that, “There is increasing clinical evidence that enjoying loving activities will help prolong life.” That is, love whatever you are doing because if you can’t or don’t love your work or your life it could literally be making you sick!

The power to change is within you

Fortunately you have the power within you to change anger into assertiveness, motivation and responsibility; fear into courage and alertness; anxiety and worry into compassion and contentment; and hate and despair into love, joy and passion for life. Instead of holding onto negative emotions you also have the power to surrender to growth and to trust life. The question is how to effect the change?

The first thing you need to know is that there are both balanced and imbalanced emotions. The second thing you need to know is that whether you choose the balanced or the imbalanced expression, it is entirely under your control. Yes, this is the hard part, but it is not impossible. Begin by becoming aware of the imbalances you experience one day at a time, then by using the power of your mind, choose not to be victimised by your own emotions.

For many years now, people such as Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra and Caroline Myss have been telling us that changing our thoughts, beliefs and patterns of thinking can change virtually everything about our lives, from improving health and slowing ageing to having abundance and happy relationships.

Balanced and Imbalanced Emotions

As I mentioned earlier, there are five pairs of meridian-organ systems in the body. These act something like control centres for specific types of energy that include physical, mental, emotional and spiritual functions.

These five systems relate to the following organs:

Lungs and Large Intestine

Kidneys and Bladder

Liver and Gall Bladder

Lungs and Large Intestine

Spleen and Stomach.

When your body is balanced and healthy there are natural emotional expressions that are said to be “the light of the soul”. An old Chinese proverb states:

When there is light in the soul, there is beauty in the person;

When there is beauty in the person, there is harmony in the home;

When there is harmony in the home, there is honour in the nation;

When there is honour in the nation, there is peace in the world.

What a wonderful world it would be if we would all maintain the light in our soul!

Following are some examples of how our Chi energy system expresses itself emotionally both in and out of balance. I suggest identifying your most recurring negative emotional state by checking the examples marked (a), and then making use of the positive expressions marked (b) as daily affirmations of what that system would be expressing when it is in balance.

Be aware that affirmations work a bit like dropping pebbles into a bucket of water, where the pebbles represent the new thoughts and the water the old. At first very little water is displaced and therefore it can be hard to feel the subtle stirrings of change occurring deep within the psyche. However, with continued persistence and repeated affirming, more and more water [or old ways of behaving] is displaced. Until one day you suddenly realise that a situation has occurred where you might have once respond with negativity, instead you allowed the light in your soul to shine through, maintaining your balance and your true sense of self.

Learn how to transform Emotional Stress

Do you sometimes wake up feeling down or depressed for no apparent reason? Or perhaps you frequently feel cranky or frustrated and can’t work out why. Do you tend to hang on to past experiences, the good and the bad, preventing you from living fully in the present? Are you a worrier? Do you easily become impatient or intolerant? Do you have irrational fears that seem to control your ability to have harmonious relationships? These may all be the result of energetic imbalances that affect one or more of your internal organs. This article will give you insight into the energetic nature of emotions as well as some means of regulating imbalances.

In my own search for self fulfilment and happy relationships I have tried many different things, from counselling and psychotherapy to various meditation practices. All of which helped release some old emotional patterns but didn’t necessarily stop me from repeatedly feeling emotionally off balance for no particular reason. Chinese herbs, acupuncture and massage all helped restore balance but I wanted something I could do myself to prevent my downward spirals. I was beginning to have more emotionally stable periods because of the therapy work but then sometimes a mood would overtake me and once again I’d be an emotional nightmare.

It wasn’t until I discovered some ancient Taoist energy practices that I found I could take control of my feelings and come out of the many downward emotional spirals that I had come to think were “just who I was”. I would often wake up feeling down and assume “I had just gotten out of the wrong side of bed” that day, believing that I had no control over these feelings. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

I wish to point out here that there are certain types of emotional states that are the result of particular chemical imbalances of the brain and there are those deep seated emotions which are the result of severe early childhood or past life trauma. These patterns may also require the services of experienced counsellors or psychologists and/or medication in order to reach a point where the methods presented here can help restore balance on a day-to-day basis.

Generally speaking modern society creates large amounts of emotional stress each day. Such as the need to meet deadlines; deal with traffic or transport chaos; eating on the run or eating out too often; the stress of home life versus work, etc. These all take their toll. They drain our life force and can cause us to become undernourished physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This then provides a perfect framework for illness.

Ancient wisdom – modern application

Taoism is the underlying philosophy of energy medicine of the Orient and it has long recognised the impact of emotions on the physical body. It understands that all emotions are regulated by the life force energy or Chi via the meridian network. This is a network of invisible energetic pathways that connect all aspects of the physical body. The main systems of this network associated with emotional energy are those connected to the major organs.

In traditional Chinese medicine it is known that Emotions of any kind are the result of Energy being in Motion [or not in motion, as the case may be!], hence E-motion. When your Emotional Energy is happy, loving, at peace, content, yet continually motivated to grow, your life flows harmoniously. You have less or no dramas and you are generally healthy.

Emotions are intimately connected with Chi and directly influence its ability to function correctly. Positive emotions are integral to the overall health of the body and are classified as generating ‘high-grade energy’. Negative emotions, on the other hand, damage different aspects of bodily functions via their Chi connections and are classified as generating ‘low-grade energy’.

For example, did you know that anger and depression can damage your liver; fear can harm your kidneys; worry and anxiety can harm your spleen and pancreas; hate, sadness and despair can hurt your heart and injure your spirit; and hanging onto past hurts and injustices can impair your lungs and large intestine?

When all things are in balance and harmony within, Chi flows smoothly and evenly, unimpeded to all parts of the body. Negative emotions, however, can cause the Chi to misbehave in a variety of different ways. Disordered Chi may become stagnant; it may move erratically; it may disperse or disappear ; or it may move in the wrong direction. Any of these dysfunctions of Chi have the potential to cause illness.

I have seen the video quoted here presented by Gregg Braden in Sydney a couple of years ago. The following description of this video taken from Gregg’s book, The Isiah Effect, came to me by email from Mary Robertson Reynolds ~ whose websites www.YouAreLoveMovie.com and www.YouAreLightMovie.com are like visual Qi Gong!!

Chapter 4 – Medicineless miracles

“The video tape we were learning from had been recorded at the Huaxia Zhineng Qigong clinic and Training Center, the “medicineless hospital” in the city of Qinhuangdao, China. The footage began by showing a female patient lying on her back in the clinical setting. She appeared to be fully awake and conscious, not anesthetized, and there were no indications that an anesthetic would be used. The woman was loosely clothed, and her shirt had been modestly drawn up to expose her lower abdomen. In the lights of the video and the hospital room, her stomach glistened with the preparatory gel that appeared shiny and wet. Seated to the patient’s right, the nurse practitioner moved an ultrasound wand across the taut, smooth surface of the woman’s stomach.

Directly behind the patient were three male practitioners. Dressed in white medical jackets, they were standing only inches from her side. The men appeared to be very focused standing quietly near her upper body. One of the men began a motion with his hands, silently moving them through the air above the woman’s face and chest.

The video next showed the ultrasound image, allowing us to peer into the woman’s bladder during the procedure. The lining and curvature were clearly present. In this image, something else began to appear, something that should not have been there. ‘You are looking at a bladder cancer,’ our instructor explained, ‘a tumor approximately three inches in diameter inside the woman’s bladder.’

We were seeing the tumor as it actually appeared in the moment, captured by the ultrasound wand. The camera zoomed in on the screen as we witnessed an event for which Western science has no explanation. Anticipating what was about to happen, our room became very still. Even the old folding chairs stopped squeaking while our group watched, in awe, as the miracle unfolded before our eyes.

While the nurse continued to monitor the event through the ultra sound, the three men standing behind the patient worked together. In unison, they participated in a mode of healing that has been known for centuries. The only sound that betrayed the process was coming from the men themselves. They repeated a single word again and again, a word that became louder and more intense as the healing progressed. Loosely translated into English, they were saying, ‘already gone, already accomplished.’

The shift began slowly, almost indiscernibly. The cancerous form began to quiver, as if responding to some unseen force. As the movement continued, with the rest of the image in perfect focus, the entire mass began to fade from view. Within seconds, the tumor appeared to melt before our eyes. In only two minutes and forty seconds, the tumor was gone. It had simply disappeared! A healing had occurred, one so complete that the ultrasound did not even indicate scarring in the tissue that the tumor had invaded. The patient, still awake and conscious, appeared to be relieved by what she heard in the room. The nurse and the three men conferred among themselves, then nodded in agreement; their process had been successful. Politely, each bowed from the waist and softly clapped his hands, acknowledging their accomplishment.

At first, our conference room was silent. Then I heard sighs that gave way to gasps and cheers for what we had witnessed. What had just happened? How had a cancerous tumor, three inches in diameter, disappeared from inside the woman’s body without even the tell-tale scars of such a condition, in a matter of minutes?”

The thing to understand about this apparent miracle is that it only occurred because the group’s focus was on feeling and envisioning healthy cells and being unattached to the outcome [~ collectively holding the vision of healthy bladder cells whilst directing Qi from their hands over her abdomen in the vicinity of the tumor]. I witnessed similar treatments in Hangzhou at the Zhejiang TCM Research Institute [without the ultrasound] and without the intensity of focus, as usually it was only one practitioner and many patients! Nonetheless it was impressive. One Qi Going doctor told us that his treatments worked because his Qi was very strong [he trained Qi Gong 4 hours every day] and his patients’ Qi was very weak and therefore more easily able to be regulated by his. He only worked 4 hours a day too.

This is the essence of Qi Gong Mind-Body balance ~ that anything not in harmony with natural balance simply disintegrates or is transformed into pure Qi. For this to be able to occur it is necessary for your mind to be able to single-mindedly focus while your heart and feeling centre unconditionally release attachment to a particular outcome.

Again, doing your Qi Gong program every day serves to focus your mind while at the same time develop your Qi so that it has more strength both for your own health and healing as well as for your ability to apply it to whatever you are focusing on. Whether making dinner, doing the washing or giving healing it makes no difference ~ mental focus and the power of your Qi will keep you in the flow and your task will also flow.