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How Asian therapies can help you

01-04-2022

2022

Health articles

Looking for a new way to approach that health niggle? One or more of the holistic Asian therapies may be just what you need. Good Health; issue 1214; p142 - 145; Text Available

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caption@P@ 1 142 can help you Looking for a new way to approach that health niggle? One or more of the holistic Asian therapies may be just what you need. By Charmaine Yabsley you’ve ever been to an acupuncturist, kinesiologist, reflexologist or had your dosha determined then you’ve probably already got some idea of how Asian therapies can help your health and happiness. “Asian therapies cover a wide range of treatments, such as acupuncture, meditation, kinesiology, cupping and herbal medicine,” explains Dr Shura Ford, doctor of Chinese herbal medicine at the Ford Wellness Group. “They work to treat the body as a whole, not just the problem or illness. By balancing the body, it’s believed that you’re treating the source of the problem, not the result.” For thousands of years various forms of holistic medicine have been practised in the East. And now, increasingly in Australia, we are turning to the healing powers of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic therapies and other treatments that had their origins in Asia. Here, we discover some of the wisdom they offer and show how you can make them part of your life. LEARN HOW TO BALANCE So what’s the secret of the East? “It’s all down to adopting a balanced approach to life,” says Dr Ford. “Asian therapies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are entirely about balance, as it’s believed that disease and illness are viewed as a disharmony of the body’s energies.” If you’re after true wellness, it’s imperative to find that fine line between movement, emotions, environment, diet, rest, work and play. “This is what we call yin and yang,” says Dr Ford. “A person who is always busy is very ‘yang’ in nature and will find rest and stillness very challenging, but it is the very elixir they require. Conversely, a person who is very slow to move finds it difficult to be motivat

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caption@P@ 1 143 There’s a TCM saying: ‘You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes per day, unless you are too busy, in which case you should meditate for an hour’. This, Ford says, is all about putting yourself fi rst and fi nding time to do so, rather than being a slave to your to-do lists. Visit a meditation centre to check out courses on meditation, or download meditation apps on your phone. “Listen to a meditation at night to help you deal with stress or to beat insomnia,” recommends Dr Ford. gm1214asi2p143 - 142 2014-10-17T12:38:56+11:00

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caption@P@ 1 144 TREAT YOUR BODY AS A WHOLE Book yourself a cupping session to help detox and heal your system. “Cupping works by creating a vacuum in a suction cup over various parts of the body,” explains Dr Amanda Waaldyk, a Chinese medicine doctor at Angea Fertility Clinic in Melbourne. “By briefl y heating the air in an inverted cup, a vacuum is produced when the air cools after the cup is quickly applied to the skin.” “Acupuncture and other Asian therapies, such as cupping, refl exology and iridology, can be used to treat the signs and symptoms of imbalance such as headaches,” says Dr Waaldyk. “For instance, a headache is a message from your body that something is wrong. Taking a painkiller will mask that message but if you seek out the cause of the imbalance you can ensure that the pattern is not repeated. A Chinese medicine doctor will use herbs or acupuncture points associated with the head or with pain, and will delve into how and why the headache exists and where the imbalance lies.” USE FOOD AS MEDICINE Is your back sore, do you have a pounding headache, or is your stomach playing up again? Rather than treating the problem, Asian therapies look at your entire body and treat any imbalances which may be causing these symptoms. “It’s about giving your body what it needs,” says Dr David Lee, program leader at Endeavour College of Natural Health. “Your body is your best doctor. Signs such as discomfort, aches, pain, loss of function, insomnia, indigestion, or lack of energy are all indicators that you need to take a look at your lifestyle.” Chinese medicine practitioners work to re-establish balance by using a range of therapies such as diet, exercise, a change of environment, acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Many Chinese people do exercises such as tai chi, as well as making dietary changes, and using feng shui as part of the treatment for their illness. “Your body is your best healer,

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caption@P@ 1 Food is crucial to wellbeing, according to Ayurvedic principles. “There’s an Ayurvedic saying: ‘When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need’,” says Pole. “If you’re a vata, eat lots of soups, enjoy sweet, sour or salty foods and reduce foods that are cold, dry or hard. Avoid yeast, refi ned sugars, coff ee, tea and poor-quality oils,” he says. Pitta types should add aloe vera juice to their morning drink and should enjoy foods that are cool, refreshing and in liquid form, advises Pole. Exclude foods that are spicy, salty or sour as well as alcohol, coff ee, tea, yeast, chocolate, cheese, yoghurt and meat. If you’re a kapha, eat spicy, bitter or warm foods or add some warmth with ginger. “Drink lemon juice with a pinch of fresh ginger root before each meal,” says Pole. “If you avoid yeast, salt, cheese, yoghurt, refi ned sugars and fl our, you’ll help to ease congestion, which many kapha types suff er from.” Pole recommends the following as a general rule for good digestion for all: “We should eat until the stomach is half-full of food and one-quarter full of water, with the remainder left for digestive energy to circulate.” PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CRAYMER/ TRUNKARCHIVE.COM/ SNAPPER MEDIA / CORBIS “Ayurveda off ers a highly personalised approach to each and every person, assessing their particular needs,” he says. An individual treatment plan, which involves prescribing dosha-specifi c foods to eat or drink following the assessment, can heal a range of illnesses from acne to diabetes to IBS. So what dosha are you? While this is a generalisation and it’s advisable to see an Ayurvedic practitioner for specifi c advice, you can still ascertain your dosha fairly easily. Keep in mind you can be a combination of two or all three doshas. Vata body types tend to suff er from stomach troubles and may have trouble putting on weight. Pitta