Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
TCM is the product of traditional and western doctors in China pooling their knowledge into an integrated approach to health care in the mid-20th century. In China many of the hospitals in Shanghai and Beijing have western and traditional medicine working side-by-side blending the best of both fields. The schools in the united states that teach acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are based on the model developed in China to treat its citizens using traditional medicine alongside western medicine. Originally this was to allow the Chinese healthcare system the capacity to care for the millions of citizens that were now being governed by the PRC, but over time this merging of the two traditions became its own form of healthcare. Today it is now quite common to see Chinese medicine in the form of acupuncture being offered in all the major hospitals in the United States, as well as being a vital part of most integrated approaches to healthcare in America. Acupuncture has become so popular due to its safety and effectiveness that it is now the leading new therapy offered by Physical Therapist (called dry needling) and by many dentists.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese technique for influencing the vascular, nervous, and endocrine systems and their innervations. In old China, these systems were referred to as the different forms and pathways of Qi (Chi) or life force, and in fact the Chinese way of writing Qi is the characters for rice and steam, showing that it was intended to represent the vital energy in food, water, and air as they are digested and transformed into the substances and systems circulating in our bodies that keep us healthy and energized throughout the day. Acupuncture is a painless technique for stimulating these systems and regulating their optimal function and stability. In the language of Chinese medicine when the systems and substances are congested, stagnate, or diminished then illness and pain can manifest. By the stimulation of acupuncture points and channels on the body (which correspond to the vascular, nervous, and endocrine systems) the regulation and circulation of Qi is enhanced and supplied in greater abundance to the vital organs and the extremities for health, well-being, and the reduction of illness and pain.
Chinese herbal medicine
Chinese herbal medicine has been prescribed and refined for many centuries. The first herbalist in Chinese history is Shennong, who is said to have researched hundreds of herbs and recorded his findings. The Shennong Emperor’s Classic of Materia Medica, the first Chinese manual on pharmacology, lists more than 365 medicines and dates to the 1st century A.D. during the Han Dynasty. Many Chinese herbs used could be quite common or familiar to you. Some of them include ginseng (Ren Shen), cinnamon (Rou Gui), and ginger (Sheng Jiang). The basic concept of Chinese medicine is to promote and maintain a balance in your body (Homeostasis). Each herb or herbal formula can influence your body in one direction or another, often referred to as balancing the bodies Yin and Yang. Therefore, with the right formula, Chinese herbal medicine can restore an imbalance in one’s energy flow (Qi/Chi). Chinese herbal medicine is especially effective in treating chronic and stubborn conditions.
Medical Qigong instruction
Medical Qigong is the practice of combining posture or movement, breath regulation or the attention to the breath, and the use of passive concentration to create a synchronized, beneficial effect on the bodies nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system (sometimes called The Relaxation Response). These practices are safe, gentle and can be performed standing, seated, or lying down. With regular practice, these methods can provide the following benefits: Your metabolism decreases, Your heart beats slower and your muscles relax, Your breathing becomes slower, Your blood pressure decreases, Your levels of nitric oxide are increased, Lower stress hormones, Help in relieving pain, Help in curing sleep disorders, Lower anxiety and irritability.
Private self-defense training
Greg is a certified coach in Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) Kung Fu. Ving Tsun is a unique Chinese system of self-defense that can be practiced by everyone; its design is based on angles, body mechanics and structure. Ving Tsun’s key approach is in being simple, direct, and efficient. Greg offers practical private training in self-defense at his location in Berkeley; he also conducts public classes in Oakland and El Cerrito.
TCM is the product of traditional and western doctors in China pooling their knowledge into an integrated approach to health care in the mid-20th century. In China many of the hospitals in Shanghai and Beijing have western and traditional medicine working side-by-side blending the best of both fields. The schools in the united states that teach acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are based on the model developed in China to treat its citizens using traditional medicine alongside western medicine. Originally this was to allow the Chinese healthcare system the capacity to care for the millions of citizens that were now being governed by the PRC, but over time this merging of the two traditions became its own form of healthcare. Today it is now quite common to see Chinese medicine in the form of acupuncture being offered in all the major hospitals in the United States, as well as being a vital part of most integrated approaches to healthcare in America. Acupuncture has become so popular due to its safety and effectiveness that it is now the leading new therapy offered by Physical Therapist (called dry needling) and by many dentists.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese technique for influencing the vascular, nervous, and endocrine systems and their innervations. In old China, these systems were referred to as the different forms and pathways of Qi (Chi) or life force, and in fact the Chinese way of writing Qi is the characters for rice and steam, showing that it was intended to represent the vital energy in food, water, and air as they are digested and transformed into the substances and systems circulating in our bodies that keep us healthy and energized throughout the day. Acupuncture is a painless technique for stimulating these systems and regulating their optimal function and stability. In the language of Chinese medicine when the systems and substances are congested, stagnate, or diminished then illness and pain can manifest. By the stimulation of acupuncture points and channels on the body (which correspond to the vascular, nervous, and endocrine systems) the regulation and circulation of Qi is enhanced and supplied in greater abundance to the vital organs and the extremities for health, well-being, and the reduction of illness and pain.
Chinese herbal medicine
Chinese herbal medicine has been prescribed and refined for many centuries. The first herbalist in Chinese history is Shennong, who is said to have researched hundreds of herbs and recorded his findings. The Shennong Emperor’s Classic of Materia Medica, the first Chinese manual on pharmacology, lists more than 365 medicines and dates to the 1st century A.D. during the Han Dynasty. Many Chinese herbs used could be quite common or familiar to you. Some of them include ginseng (Ren Shen), cinnamon (Rou Gui), and ginger (Sheng Jiang). The basic concept of Chinese medicine is to promote and maintain a balance in your body (Homeostasis). Each herb or herbal formula can influence your body in one direction or another, often referred to as balancing the bodies Yin and Yang. Therefore, with the right formula, Chinese herbal medicine can restore an imbalance in one’s energy flow (Qi/Chi). Chinese herbal medicine is especially effective in treating chronic and stubborn conditions.
Medical Qigong instruction
Medical Qigong is the practice of combining posture or movement, breath regulation or the attention to the breath, and the use of passive concentration to create a synchronized, beneficial effect on the bodies nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system (sometimes called The Relaxation Response). These practices are safe, gentle and can be performed standing, seated, or lying down. With regular practice, these methods can provide the following benefits: Your metabolism decreases, Your heart beats slower and your muscles relax, Your breathing becomes slower, Your blood pressure decreases, Your levels of nitric oxide are increased, Lower stress hormones, Help in relieving pain, Help in curing sleep disorders, Lower anxiety and irritability.
Private self-defense training
Greg is a certified coach in Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) Kung Fu. Ving Tsun is a unique Chinese system of self-defense that can be practiced by everyone; its design is based on angles, body mechanics and structure. Ving Tsun’s key approach is in being simple, direct, and efficient. Greg offers practical private training in self-defense at his location in Berkeley; he also conducts public classes in Oakland and El Cerrito.