Traditional Chinese medicine is first concerned about the prevention of disease and then if an illness develops, treating the root cause and the associated symptoms. In the interests of promoting health and well being, the doctors of old China saw four areas that were of paramount importance to increase the bodies reserves of energy and stimulate it's innate abilities to fight disease. Those four categories are as follows:

1. DIET-

This approach to diet can be used as a daily guideline or something that is adopted during times of stress or debilitation, it also lends itself to weight loss and to the prevention of problems caused by processed and fast foods. Before making any significant changes in diet or lifestyle it is recommended that you consult with your health care provider first.

bullet Eat a variety of fresh foods and emphasize organic food sources.
bullet Eat mostly vegetables and whole grains (esp. brown rice) with small amounts of everything else.
bullet Eat mostly cooked and warm food, which is not too sweet, not too greasy, and not too spicy.
bullet Eat moderately and chew well.
bullet It is recommended to drink a cup of warm beverage with meals.
bullet Avoid food and drink that is chilled, cold, or frozen.
bullet Avoid processed sugar, white flour, alcohol, tobacco and coffee.
bullet Consider taking daily vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements as directed by your health care provider.

2. EXERCISE-

This includes any activity within your personal range of physical fitness. Before starting a fitness program please consult your doctor first if you are suffering from a health problem or are over 35 years of age. Exercise provides positive stress that will counter bad stress and improve health overall. Some examples to get started with are:

bullet Exercise walking, moderately paced
bullet Gentle Hatha Yoga
bullet Moving and Static Qi Gong
bullet Gentle, slow moving Tai Chi Chuan

3. REST AND RELAXATION-

Rest is a must for all of us, it is essential in countering stress and burnout.

bullet Regular patterned sleeping schedule, try to be asleep no later than 1:00 am.
bullet Do not eat 2-3 hours before sleeping.
bullet Have daily down time spent on fun or personally enriching activities.
bullet Eliminate habits and lifestyle features that clearly cause stress.
bullet Try to balance life with 8 hours of work, 8 hours of free time and 8 hours of rest.

4. HEALTHY MENTAL ATTITUDE-

This can include any skills, routines or habits associated with feeling at ease with yourself and the world. I recommend a balanced diet, daily moderate exercise, relaxation techniques, self inquiry, meditation (see Further Reading below) and regular down time spent on fun, personally enriching activities. The key is to find an approach and life style that works for you and stick with it.

Traditional Chinese medicine often recommends the use of various relaxation and meditation techniques to promote healing, health and well being (called Qigong in Chinese). The technique called "The Relaxation Response" is a modern version of these ancient methods adapted for our time and culture. The Relaxation Response elicits a state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress (e.g., decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension). If practiced regularly, it can have lasting effects when encountering stress throughout the day and can improve health.

There are two essential steps to eliciting the Relaxation Response:

  1. Repetition of a word, sound, phrase, prayer, or muscular activity.
  2. Passive disregard of everyday thoughts that inevitably come to mind and the return to your repetition.

The following is the generic technique:

  1. Pick a focus word, short phrase, or prayer.
  2. Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
  3. Close your eyes.
  4. Relax your muscles, progressing from your feet to your calves, thighs, abdomen, shoulders, head, and neck.
  5. Breathe slowly and naturally, and as you do, say your focus word, sound, phrase, or prayer silently to yourself as you exhale.
  6. Assume a passive attitude. Don't worry about how well you're doing. When other thoughts come to mind, simply say to yourself, "Oh well", and gently return to your repetition.
  7. Continue for ten to 20 minutes.
  8. Do not stand immediately. Continue sitting quietly for a minute or so, allowing other thoughts to return. Then open your eyes and sit for another minute before rising.
  9. Practice the technique once or twice daily. Good times to do so are before breakfast and before dinner.

Regular elicitation of the Relaxation Response has been scientifically proven to be an effective treatment for a wide range of stress-related disorders. In fact, to the extent that any disease is caused or made worse by stress, the relaxation response can help.

The Relaxation Response can be brought forth through many techniques in addition to the method above, such as imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, repetitive prayer, meditation, repetitive physical exercises, and breath focus.

Further reading:

Stress reduction-

bulletThe Relaxation Response, Herbert Benson, M.D.
bulletFull-Catastrophe Living, Jon Cabot-Zinn, Ph.D.

Medical Qi Gong classes for patients:

This is a series of ongoing classes at Gregory's clinic in Oakland, please contact his office for further details.