How interested are you in your health? While you can always take in medications to help you recover from a disease, did you know that some ancient health practices can work wonders too? Did you know that Chinese medicine, for instance, is highly regarded by many?
What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
WebMD defines Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM as an ancient system of health and wellness that is now used in China for many years.
What TCM Does?
To understand TCM’s functioning, it becomes necessary first to recognize its counterpart, Western Medicine. Western Medicine is the practice of treating illnesses with the help of drugs, radiation, or surgery. Where conventional medicine focuses on the treatment of diseases, TCM stresses on your overall wellbeing to help you live better.
Skeptics often inquire about the safety and effectiveness of this type of therapy. We’re here to clarify those doubts.
The Ideology Behind TCM
Contrary to Western Medicine’s logical and scientific approach, TCM is all about finding the right balance between harmony and energy.
TCM’s Vitalness
The main idea behind TCM relies on the principle of Qi, pronounced Chi. The belief interprets as the ‘life force’ that flows within us, sometimes referred to as the body’s ‘Vital Energy.’
Qi or Chi always runs throughout your body has certain qualities. They are ‘Yin and Yang.’ Yin denotes the darker ‘heavier’ aspects of life; on the other hand, Yang balances on the lighter side of the flow. The Chinese philosophy describes how opposite or contrary forces interconnect and complement the body.
Yin: Female, Cold, Dark.
Yang: Male, Hot, Light.
TCM plays around the idea that when both the aspects of the Yin and Yang work in unison, you feel healthy and well. And when they fluctuate, you feel sick.
4 TCM Practices
The principle of TCM boasts several practices to liberate your wellness; some of them include:
Acupuncture:
More than 3 million Americans found relief with this traditional Chinese practice. Acupuncture is an ancient healing practice with Chinese roots. Thin needles placed at specific points in the body alleviate pain and, in many cases, treat diseases too.
Cupping:
You may have noticed athletes with purple circles on their skin in the 2016 Summer Olympics. This discoloration of the skin is a result of heated cups that create suction on your skin in a process called Cupping.
Meditation:
Only ten minutes of meditation, you can improve your cardiovascular health as well as psychological wellness. While meditating repetition of a word, phrase, or sound in a seated position with a good posture is common practice. It is best to meditate in a place free of any distractions.
Moxibustion:
It is a TCM with many general applications and a higher level of recognition. Moxibustion Medicine Therapy consists of burning dried ‘Mugwort,’ an aromatic plant on particular points of the body. This technique is indirectly used with acupuncture or in a more direct approach burnt on the patient’s skin.