Welcome to Carnival of Healing #114 at Deepest Health
Hey everyone,
I’m happy to be hosting another Carnival of Healing, this one should help you prepare for the winter’s contemplation with ease. The last Carnival was graciously hosted by Debra Moorhead.com and next week’s will be in the capable hands of the writers at Where We Relax. I’m sure I’ll host again sometime in the future - why don’t you think about submitting a post when that time comes around? You can always check out the Carnival of Healing archives for ideas and, if you have a blog, offer to host the carnival yourself! It’s a worthy pursuit. Now for the posts…
At the always enlightening Urbanmonk.net, we learn something of the truth about loneliness, self-love, ego, selfishness and the often tenuous balance between these features of human existence.
Evan from a great Chinese medicine related blog, Acupuncture is Easy, presents some interesting food for thought concerning the environmental and social aspects of acupuncture in his article, Acupuncture, Ecology and Social Justice.
Abdallah at one of my favorite blogs, Even Unto China, offers us an intriguing perspective on the role of music in true health. He integrates insights from his experience with Islam and his understanding of Chinese medicine theory, with a little Chinese etymology thrown in for good measure. Don’t miss this one.
A late addition to the Carnival, a fantastic beginners article about my personal favorite Classical Chinese Medicine text - the Shang Han Lun. This is put together by a CM colleague and fellow blogger, G. Michael Reynolds over at his blog, Life Giving Sword. I think you’ll really enjoy this article, so take the time to read it through.
Helfgott blog, an up and coming natural medicine blog hosted by Helfgott Research Institute in Portland, OR reveals to us the lesser known benefits of a sweet treat, honey. And yes, before you say it, I know that it seems contradictory for a vegan to support an article about honey. It’s an informative read regardless of your stance on this sensitive issue.
Since exercise is an essential feature of health in any medical system, it seems right to present to you Stanimir Sotirov’s simple and accessible article, What is Pilates? posted at All About Your Body And Spirit.
Roger Knight who writes at The Happy and Prosperous Blog presents a helpful introduction to Homeopathy in his article, Myth, Magic or Medicine Part 1 | The Happy and Prosperous Blog.
Carole Fogarty of the Healthy Living Lounge presents a timely gift for the holiday season, titled, The one and only zen gift to give your children. In this time of hyper consumerism, sometimes it can be helpful to be reminded that sometimes the most profound gifts we give are the least material.
Mark A. Rayner reveals to us The History Of Medicine In A Nutshell at a blog with an intriguing title, The Skwib. I love how this article is both lighthearted and heartbreaking at the same time - not to mention accurate!
At Little Seeds we read about Windhorse, a philosophy of personal empowerment with ancient roots. A truly fascinating read.
In an article somewhat similar to the first in this carnival, Matthew Spears presents Breaking through the chains of identity at his site, Loving Awareness. With both of these perspectives, I think you will be thinking about your identity and its role in your life of deepest health.
Answering a concern that many modern people have, ananga offers an article titled What if I’m Too Tense to Relax? at Living By Design a well designed and informative site on natural health and personal development.
Last but definitely not least, SJ Yee offers a rich anecdotal article, Detoxifying the body, My 10 day Vegan Diet Experience. If you’ve been reading this blog long, you’ll know that this is a topic close to my heart. It’s a short article, but should give a boost to anyone considering trying a vegan diet.
Thanks for reading through these articles, folks. Hopefully they will give you both ideas and inspiration! Happy winter!
Eric
If you like what you read here, you may want to keep updated by using my RSS feed. Want to know more about RSS/feeds? - read more here. Thanks for visiting!
Tags: Acupuncture, blog carnival, Character, ego, exercise, natural-medicine, Personal Development, spirituality, veganRelated posts
Top 5 Reasons to make Classical Chinese medicine your medicine of choice
1. Clinical effectiveness: Chinese medicine, particularly when it is practiced in a Classically-based manner, works. In my scant year of clinical observation, I have seen miracles transpire. I have seen people shackled by various conditions, sometimes all their lives, be simply TRANSFORMED after only a few treatments. Many of you have probably seen this as well. It works for patients - and that’s what medicine is supposed to do.
Yes, I’ve read THAT study, too. Studies have flaws - THAT study has been roundly denounced by a number of people in a number of different ways. I’d be glad to discuss it in another post. Think also about this - Chinese medicine works in a manner entirely different from Western medicine. It’s so different, in fact, that placebo controlled double blind studies may simply be ineffective for displaying what it is that Chinese medicine can do. Clinical studies are another matter, and many show the great effectiveness of Chinese medicine. Where those studies have been negative or inconclusive, I feel that it probably has something to do with the level of Chinese medicine being practiced in the study. That’s why I’m hoping to do (and encourage others to do) clinical studies through Helfgott Research Institute. I’ll certainly post about any future results.
2. Doctors who take their time: When you see a Chinese physician for the first time, you will probably be amazed by the intake process. The process is extremely detailed, and Chinese physicians take all of your concerns under advisement - not just those that fit neatly into a simple diagnostic category. Chinese medicine physicians will not dismiss your concerns as “irrelevant” or “psychosomatic,” they will integrate each manifestation of disease into a full diagnosis that will guide a treatment to rectify the balance of your ENTIRE system.
3. Fewer environmental impacts than Western medicine: Chinese medicine doesn’t employ pharmaceuticals or other chemicals in carrying out treatment or diagnostics. The pollutants dumped into our waterways by the pharmaceutical industry are a significant problem. That being said, there are real environmental issues that the CM profession must grapple with, including the problems inherent in importing herbal products from China. Although that is most certainly a post in itself - I want to point out that many American companies are working to find pesticide-free and sustainably produced herbal products. More of this is surely to come.
4. Good cost-benefit ratio: As we all know, the escalating costs of healthcare are leaving many Americans uninsured, causing nearly unbearable pressure on the hospital system and social services. That the wealthiest nation in the world leaves so many people without access to basic care is reprehenisble. Natural medicine in general represents an answer to this problem. Many treatments by Chinese medicine physicians use food therapy and economically priced herbal supplements. Further, you will find that the average office visit for a Chinese medicine doctor is very reasonable considering the great depth of care you receive. Insurance companies are beginning to pick up the cost of these office visits, which is an encouraging sign.
5. Total integration: This medicine doesn’t “rob Peter to pay Paul,” as the saying goes. When your chief complaint is treated, it is treated in order to integrate your entire self - mind, body and spirit. So, for instance, your ongoing treatment for seasonal allergies isn’t going to create dryness in your mucus membranes, difficulty sleeping and pervasive feeling of anxiety. This will reduce your overall discomfort, as well as keeping costs down - you won’t need to buy medicine to treat the problems that your medicines produced!
There are certainly many more reasons you should make Classical Chinese Medicine your medicine of choice - but I hope this list will provide you with some food for thought as you contemplate your health care options. Remember - YOU DO HAVE OPTIONS!
Tags: balance, china, clinic, disease, ego, environment, food, health, helfgott research institute, law, service, studyRelated posts
-
-
What am I up to?
-
Subscribe to Deepest Health
-
