Tag: acupressure

Benefits of Consistent Exercise

Exercise benefits

Stay active, eat quality food and manage emotions and stress – 3 key elements to maintaining good health. And it doesn’t cost a fortune to improve all 3; just time and self-discipline.

Pick a method – walk, run, swim, yoga, tai chi, weight training, qigong, stretch. Each has its pros and cons. JUST PICK ONE and do it consistently.

Consistent exercise helps you:

– Lower risk of obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses

– Lose, gain, or maintain weight

– Improve resistance to infections

– Gain high-quality sleep

– Help to balance emotional health

– Prevent and relieve chronic pain

– Exercise increases size of hippocampus and improves memory

– Increase blood and oxygen flow to your brain

– Release accumulated toxins through better blood circulation

– Increase blood flow supplying nutrients necessary to keep brain cells healthy

– Improve your brain function

Tai Chi, yoga and qigong are all methods that increase the flow of energy ( and blood flow) within the body improving health and well-being.

Be well, stay healthy, be wise!

Neuroplasticity – Reroute, Rewire, Reorganize Your Brain

The brain has the ability to continuously form, change and relocate new neural connections to different neural networks throughout our lives. This phenomenon is called neourplasticity.
– This occurs at the beginning of life
– After experiencing a brain injury
– When new learning and memories are observed

Neural connections

Benefits of increase neuroplasticity or brain rerouting:
– Enhanced memory abilities
– More effective learning
– Recovery from brain events like strokes
– Recovery from traumatic brain injuries
– Ability to rewire functions in the brain
– Function loss in one area may enhance functions in other areas

Methods

Methods that have been known to enhance neuroplasticity include:

– Dancing, yoga, tai chi and other mind and body practices increases neural connectivity

– Expanding ones vocabulary increase memory processing and the visual and auditory processes

– Quality sleep enhances learning retention through the growth of the dendritic spines that serve as connections between neurons

– Creating artwork enhances the connectivity of the brain at rest which can boost introspection, memory, empathy, attention, and focus

– Occasional fasting can increases synaptic adaptation, promoting neuron growth

– Use of mnemonic devices with memory training can enhance connections in the prefrontal parietal network and help to prevent memory loss

– Learning musical instruments may increase connections between brain regions helping form new neural networks

– Non-dominant hand exercises can form new neural pathways strengthening the connectivity between neurons

– Reading fiction may increase and enhance connectivity in the brain

– Travel exposes the brain to new environments and various stimuli that forms new pathways and brain activity

Be well, stay healthy, be wise!

Another graphic representation of the 24 Hour Qi Flow Though the Meridians

Energetic Anatomy-12 primary meridians (updated)

The Horary Clock (Circadian Rhythm)

Another graphic representation of the 24 Hour Qi Flow Though the Meridians

Understanding how the human body works and interacts within nature, along with self-awareness are the basis of Traditional Chinese medicine.

The graphic shows what is known as the Horary cycle or the Circadian Clock. As Qi (energy) makes its way through the meridians, each meridian in turn with its associated organ, has a two-hour period during which it is at maximum energy. The Horary Effect is recognizable by measurable increases of Qi within an organ system and meridian during its time of maximum energy.

Awareness of the energy during the Horary Cycle, it may be possible to relate restlessness during a specific 2-hour sleep period or fatigue during a particular 2-hour awake period, as an imbalance in the corresponding meridian.

There are many imbalances that can be effectively addressed by evaluating the Horary Cycle. For example, if someone consistently wakes up at 3:00 AM, there may be a problem with the Liver or Lung meridian and the corresponding organs. This type of energetic disruption in the circadian rhythm can account for some issues like an infant and mother’s sleep patterns, jet lag, night shift problems, and insomnia.

Tai Chi, yoga and qigong are all methods that increase the flow of energy within the body improving health and well-being.

Be well, stay healthy, be wise!

The Horary Clock (Circadian Rhythm) – 24 Hour Qi Flow Though the Meridians

The Horary Clock (Circadian Rhythm) – 24 Hour Qi Flow Though the Meridians

Understanding how the human body works and interacts within nature, along with self-awareness are the basis of Traditional Chinese medicine.

Harmonizing Habits:
5-7am – Wake Up, Move Bowels, Meditate
7-9am – Sex, Breakfast, Walk, Digest
9-11am – Work, Best Concentration
11am-1pm – Eat Main Meal of Day, Walk
1-3pm – Absorb Food, Short Nap, Work
3-5pm – Work or Study

5-7pm – Exercise, Light Dinner
7-9pm – Light Reading, Massage Feet
9-11pm – Calm Socializing, Flirting, Sex
11pm-1am – Go to Sleep, Cellular Repair
1-3am – Deep Sleep, Detox Liver & Blood
3-5am – Deep Sleep, Detox Lungs

Tai Chi, yoga and qigong are all methods that increase the flow of energy within the body improving health and well-being.

Be well, stay healthy, be wise!