Articles

Zongzi are a traditional food during the Dragon Boat Festival. The story behind these dumplings started over a thousand years ago during the Warring States period, when there were seven kingdoms in China who were constantly battling for dominance.

Michael McCulloch, L.Ac., MPH, PhD, Epidemiologist will discuss Blood Stagnation and its deadly effects. This is a LIVE webinar broadcast approved for 2 NCCAOM PDAs and approved for 2 Live CEUs from California Acupuncture Board. The live broadcast will take place on June 30th from 10am-12pm PST.

Harmonizing is one of the eight treatment methods used in traditional Chinese medicine. In the contemporary practice of TCM, harmonizing prescriptions fall into four sub-categories: Shao Yang disorders, Liver and Spleen disharmonies, Stomach and Intestine disharmonies, and malarial disorders.

A phonetic play on He 荷 “lotus” and He 和 “harmony”, this is a delicious, calming, and nourishing dish; a perfect treat for these tumultuous times! Steaming rice in dried lotus leaves infuses the rice with a smoky, roasted tea fragrance.

"The Book of Changes contains the measure of Heaven and Earth; therefore, it enables us to comprehend the Tao of Heaven and Earth and its order. Looking forward, we contemplate with its help the signs of the Heavens; looking down, we examine the lines of the Earth. Thus, we come to know the circumstances of the dark and the light. Going back to the beginning of things and pursuing them to the end, we come to know the lessons of birth and death."

Rice congee, or porridge, is a traditional staple of Cantonese cuisine eaten in the morning hours, between 7-11 AM, when the Stomach and Spleen Qi are ready for nourishment, gently warming the digestive system and preparing us for the day’s opportunity. It is also a recuperative food that can be supportive to recovery following a long period of illness.

Insomnia (bù mèi 不寐, shī mián 失眠) is difficulty sleeping. Insomnia includes inability to sleep, difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking, restlessness at night, a disordered sleep cycle and dream disturbed sleep. In Chinese medicine, insomnia is primarily associated with instability or agitation of the anima, the shén and hún.

From the view of traditional Chinese medicine, several emotions make up what we presently describe as anxiety. On close examination four emotions stand out as comprising what we call anxiety. According to TCM theory, the emotions of fear, pensiveness, grief and anger cause the Qi to sink, stagnate, dissipate, and rise respectively.

When the Shen, frequently translated as “Mind”, is disturbed this can cause someone to experience sleep complications. We will take a deeper look at three formulas for Calming the Shen that lead to a more peaceful sleep, An Mien Pian, An Shui Wan, and An Shen Bu Xin San/Wan.