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The Tao of Health
Conscious Connections
Preparing for a Healthy Future: An Interview
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the problems affecting the Social Security and Medicare systems, tied to the ever-escalating cost of conventional health care. Kitty has good insight about how these issues play out in people’s lives so ‘Along The Way’ (ATW) sat down with her to find out what she thinks is a good personal approach to health care today and for the future.
ATW: We read in the news regularly now about how social security and Medicare benefits will be drastically reduced for the tens of millions of ‘baby boomers,’ and too many people know from personal experience right now how expensive conventional health care is, to a point where many can’t afford what they need. How does Oriental medicine fit into this scenario?
Kitty: Well, people have always tried to stay healthy; Ralph Waldo Emerson, a 19th century American philosopher summed it up this way: “Health is the first wealth.” What’s different today, is that our conventional health care system is so technology driven, and while many of its tests and procedures are useful, they are also so expensive that it’s benefits are becoming of little value to the millions of people who can’t afford them. So it’s important for people today to know about the ancient Chinese doctors and philosophers who knew that people of their time—like people today—needed an affordable, natural way to stay healthy to be able to live the best life possible. Their successful methods and treatments, thankfully, are still available today in what’s being called Oriental Medicine.
ATW: Based on what you’ve written in other articles on this website, it seems like the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies to how Oriental medicine works. And since it seems like people, in general, have moved away from the belief that ‘technology” will fix all of our problems, what does Oriental medicine offer in way of “prevention?”
Kitty: Developing a “preventive” mindset is the first step, and the catalyst for taking that step is the situation you mentioned: existing systems that we’ve become dependent on are not as dependable as we thought they were. It’s similar to the way we depend on the grocery store to have the food we need. It’s a great convenience that none of us want to do without, but because it’s so convenient we have forgotten how to grow food in our own gardens. Oriental medicine is built upon ‘common sense’ — a sense which isn’t so ‘common’ anymore. The way I practice Oriental medicine helps people learn how to get back in touch with that sense, while at the same time rebuilding their resistance to disease.
ATW: What do you tell young people about maintaining and protecting their health?
Kitty: Kids feel like they’re immortal, and that’s a wonderful feeling; a testimony to the power of health that runs through them. This feeling of immortality is also a danger because the habits and attitudes young people form today, directly affect their health in middle and later years of life. I find that Oriental medicine benefits people most when they’re still young and strong. And children are most likely to reap the benefits of Oriental medicine if their parents understand the basics of 5 Element Diet and Nutrition and what used to be called ‘physical education, and in Oriental medicine, we call Chi Kung.
ATW: So you’re basically suggesting that people need to think “outside-the-box,” because Oriental medicine is so different from the conventional medicine they’ve been relying on since they were children?
Kitty: Considering that ‘the box’ is disintegrating (as represented by the skyrocketing cost of conventional medicine, and the unwinding of the Social Security and Medicare systems), the affordability and effectiveness of Oriental medicine should be part of everyone’s set of health care options.
It’s time to open up to new possibilities to make sure you get the health care you need.
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Oriental Medicine: How It Works
Lot’s of people contact BIOM asking: ‘How does Oriental medicine work?” Along The Way (ATW) sat down with Kitty and asked her how Oriental medicine works in general, and about her unique approach.
ATW: In a recent talk you gave, you said that “pain and discomfort are not isolated things.” Would you explain why that’s true?
Kitty: Sure. The 5 Element Theory says that any feelings of pain or discomfort you may have are associated with one or more of your internal organs. Something is wrong in an ‘energetic’ sense regarding how your Chi is flowing in your body. For example, think of a garden hose: when the water pressure is good, and the hose is not kinked, the water flows strongly and steadily to where it needs to go. On the other hand, if there’s a bend in the hose, or if the water pressure is weak, the water won’t be able to flow to where it needs to be.
ATW: So, to follow your analogy, you’re saying that ‘energy’ or ‘Chi’ nourishes the body they way water invigorates a plant?
Kitty: In a simple sense, that’s right. Let me give you some examples to clarify the relationship between how energy flows in your body and how you feel.
ATW: Great. That will help a lot of people better understand how Oriental medicine works.
Kitty: It’s common for people today to experience ‘deficient” energy,’ meaning that it’s not getting through the ‘hose’ with enough force and volume to keep the foundational organ energy operating at an optimal level. Deficiency reduces circulation, and the weakest part of your body will show symptoms first. For example, deficient kidney energy often shows up as a weakness in the knees, deficient liver energy can make your tendons weak, deficient energy in the stomach can weaken the muscles, and so on. These relationships are clearly laid out in the 5 Element Theory chart.
ATW: It is an amazing system. After many years of receiving Oriental medicine treatment myself, and observing the 5 Element Theory relationships in my own body, it’s like having a ‘road map for health’ with clearly marked rest stops all along the way.
Kitty: Yes, it’s important, as with many things in life, for a person to know where they’re going and how to get there; and it’s vital for maintaining good health.
ATW: So getting back to your point about stagnation and pain or discomfort: What do you do for a person with those symptoms?
Kitty: My task is to figure out how to get rid of the acute problem — the discomfort or pain — which is referred to as the “branch” part of the problem in Oriental medicine, and then figure out the “root” cause to prevent the problem from coming back. I do that by getting the energy to flow properly along the meridian leading to the weak organ so it can balance and strengthen itself.
ATW: Can you give an example?
Kitty: Take the case of a relapsing cancer: if you treat the tumor only, you’re only treating the symptom — the “branch.” A tumor is a very serious ‘symptom,’ but it’s only an indicator of a much deeper problem — the “root” — nonetheless. If the treatment of the tumor doesn’t address what’s causing the “stagnation” to the part(s) of the body associated with it, you can cut the tumor out, or irradiate it, but there’s a significant chance the same conditions that originally caused the tumor will maintain a susceptibility for its return.
ATW: So there are relationships between the symptoms I feel and my internal organs?
Kitty: Absolutely! Remember the devastating tsunami that struck South Asia in 2004? Because of our scientific understanding, we know the wave was caused by an earthquake under the ocean. There was a cause, and an awesome effect. The wave — the ‘symptom’ — didn’t just become a wave out of nowhere, and it’s the same with illness and discomfort in our bodies, these problems are the ‘effect’ of a deeper cause.
ATW: So the meridians, or energy channels carry my energy or ‘Chi” all around my body; and when I feel ill, or have pain, by making sure the meridian associated with that part of my body is clear, allowing for a strong flow of energy, the internal organ associated with my problem will strengthen, and that’s how healing takes place?
Kitty: Generally speaking, you’ve described the process quite well. Let’s take a look at severe knee pain, to help readers understand this foundational relationship in how Oriental medicine works.
The “Chi-” or “energy-carrying” meridian to the urinary bladder and the kidney go through the back of the knee. For a variety of reasons, people today have weak knees which creates conditions for tears to ligaments, wearing away of cartilage, displaced knee caps, and other extremely painful conditions. Based on the examples I gave earlier, let’s consider these ‘symptoms” of the deeper problem, called “deficiency.” So if you have a knee-related problem you have some considerations to take into account, and choices to make on how to treat the problem. One option some people choose today is to surgically replace the knee; though when you take into account that a reason for your knee problem may be a chronic bladder infection, because the bladder channel goes through the knee, you see that you have more options for addressing severe problems than you know about. Remember the tsunami (severe pain) didn’t happen on it’s own, it was caused by the earthquake, which in this example would be a problem in the urinary bladder or kidneys.
ATW: So how would you use Oriental medicine to treat a situation like this?
Kitty: In a nutshell, as long as you can open a channel so that the energy flows to the supporting organ, and keep it open, a problem generally clears up; and I emphasize generally because nothing in life, is absolute.
ATW: And how do you know when the organ is balanced and the stagnation is gone?
Kitty: The problem begins to dissipate and the problem goes away ... (Kitty chuckles out loud and says ...) And sometimes so does the person who had the problem.
ATW: Why are you laughing?
Kitty: Because once an acute problem or symptom has been dealt with, that’s the time to develop an ongoing treatment or maintenance plan, to continue balancing your energy and strengthening your immune system so that similar or new problems are less likely to develop.
ATW: That’s been my personal experience. When I had a problem that was acute, I needed more regular treatment, but once the problem cleared up, less frequent treatment was needed; in fact, I actually enjoy coming in every few weeks for a ‘tune-up.”
Kitty: I think that’s a wise choice, because often after the original problem clears up, people start to slide back into the habits and behavior that caused the problem in the first place. By coming in once a month, even if you’re feeling good, you’re able to build up your energy, rather than have it gradually run back down. It’s like putting on a clean shirt, no matter what you do, it’s going to get dirty and needs to be washed. Same with our bodies. Life is full of stresses, pathogens, and the like, and you need to get cleaned up on a regular basis.
If you’d like to know how Oriental medicine can help you with your specific health situation, or how to get started, contact Kitty — (206) 842-6936 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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Oriental Medicine: Picking A Treatment Plan That Works for You
The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Just as managing and growing your financial assets is a complex undertaking, where having a trusted advisor can make the difference between success and failure, so too with managing your health. You want a financial advisor who can show you how to invest in ways that generate more money, and you want a ‘health advisor’ that can help you increase your ‘energy.’
Call any time you have a problem or need information — (206) 842-6936 — and you will usually get a return call from Kitty within 24 hours — sooner for emergencies.
Treatment Options
When you invest in your health at BIOM you have three basic plans to choose from, each tailored to what you need to get and stay healthy.
Short Term (Less than three months)
Short term treatment is for acute situations. It is suggested that you receive treatment one or two times a week at the outset — depending on the severity of your problem — until the symptoms diminish and come under control.
Intermediate Term (3 – 12 months)
Your body has a variety of rhythms — heart beat, digestion, menstruation — and so many more, and the focus of Oriental medicine is to understand and map out what your particular rhythms are so they can be predicted and planned for.
And because rhythms is a function of cycles taking place over a period of time, the more time we spend looking at your body’s particular rhythms, the better able we are to ‘tune up’ your health. To do this, an intermediate term treatment plan works best. Here you would plan to come in for treatment every three to four weeks over the period of ‘four seasons”; another way of saying one year, but with a specific focus on understanding how your body reacts to and copes with the unique challenges each season of the year presents to your health.
Long Term (12 months and longer)
Education is a significant part of the treatment process at BIOM, so after the intermediate phase of treatment, your body and health are well understood, by me, and by you; including what works to improve your health and what weakens it. At the one year mark, and beyond, it’s suggested that you come in for treatment once or twice a month to monitor your body’s predisposed weaknesses, address any flare-ups due to unique circumstances, and to generally work on continuing to build and maintain the strength of your immune system.
Maintaining Your Health
As a wise doctor once said, “Maintaining your health is like keeping your clothes clean: you may put them on fresh today, but just by doing the normal day to day things, they get dirty and need to be washed and mended. Same with your body and your health.”
Regardless of your situation, there’s a way to make Oriental medicine work for you, so that you’re strong and healthy to work on those things that bring you joy and fulfillment. Contact Kitty — (206) 842-6936 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) — to get started today.
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