welcome ...

Winter has arrived! Winter is the most 'Yin' of all seasons and offers us the opportunity to become more receptive and introspective. It is a time to store our physical and spiritual resources, slow down and draw energies inward. In Chinese Medicine winter relates to the Water element which is represented by the Kidneys and Bladder. The Kidneys are the foundation of all 'Yin' and 'Yang' in the body and act as our body's battery pack, giving us energy and stability and the ability to cope with stress. This includes the Western medical attributes of our adrenal glands which are especially connected to Kidney Yang. This yang function warms our bodies, fuels our metabolism, gives us energy yet keeps us grounded. If our Kidney energy is in disharmony we experience fear and insecurity, when it is in harmony we feel inner strength, self-confidence and stay calm.

Foods should be hearty, slow cooked and warming. The salty and bitter flavors are indicated as they promote a centered quality which helps us store energy. Bitter foods include turnip, celery, asparagus, oats, rye, quinoa and lettuce while salty foods such as miso, seaweeds, barley and millet can be used. Tips for staying healthy in winter are: stay active, keep your feet warm (see health tip) and neck protected from the wind, get more rest as well as winter sun whenever you can - it lifts the mood and gives us extra vitamin D to keep colds away! Enjoy this cozy cool time, and may the resources you gather prepare you for the new beginnings ahead in Spring ...

The Healing Point Team

health tip • hot foot bath

This is one of our favourite health tips, great all year round and particularly in winter. The Kidney meridian (energy channel) orginates at the bottom of our feet. The kidneys play a very important role in Chinese Medicine, as they are regarded as the foundation of all Yin and Yang, and can be likened to the two main energy batteries of the body. An important aspect in protecting our Kidney energy therefore is to keep our feet warm at all times. In addition, 6 out of the body’s 12 major meridians either orginate or end in the feet. Warming our feet allows better circulation of these meridians while we rest at night, thus facilitating faster cell repair and regeneration of the whole body and a deeper quality of sleep. As the meridians in the feet all connect to the head, warming their circulation will calm the mind and can relax the shoulders and chest thus reducing stress and anxiety. Regularly taking a hot foot bath before bed has a cumulative effect and can improve conditions such as insomnia, night time urination, sciatica, low back pain as well as dispelling colds. Because the feet are connected to the head and brain, improving their circulation can even be linked to reducing dementia and improving longevity.

Just fill a bucket with plain hot water and soak your feet for 10 mins straight before going to bed. Be waterwise and use the water in the morning on your garden. Keep your feet happy with this easy tip. Its a nice ritual to end the day and is fun and suitable for the whole family!

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shibashi Qigong course • starts 23 sept

Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi has quickly become one of the most popular forms of Qigong with over 10 million people practising worldwide. It consists of 18 gentle and flowing movements and was developed by renowned Chinese Qigong Master Prof Lin Hou-Sheng. Shibashi is a beautiful and graceful, yet highly effective Qigong form that is deeply relaxing and a joy to perform. Its effortless flow is a result of deep relaxation cultivated on the inside, encouraging tensions held deep within the body's tissues to soften and release.

The Shibashi movements are simple and easy to learn. Course fee includes a DVD of Sifu Wing Cheung performing Shibashi, wall charts and an instruction manual, all designed to effectively support your learning process. Whether you have some experience in Qigong or you are a total beginner, Shibashi it a fantastic Qigong form to improve your wellbeing on all levels.
Read more ...

Wednesday evenings • 5:30 - 6:45 pm · 6 weeks · Sept 23 - Oct 28 · booking essential

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seasonal recipe • barley mushroom soup

Nothing like a wholesome soup on a cold winter day! Soups are nourishing and warming, promote good blood circulation, replenish the fluids in our body and are easy to digest. Digestion itself is a process of breaking down foods into a warm soup like medium. Soups therefore save the stomach the energy to warm up its content and assist the break down of the hard cellulose walls of vegetables, grains and legumes, making more nutrients easily accessible to the body. Soups can be adapted to the seasons by changing their texture, ingredients and cooking styles. They can be a light appetite stimulating first course or a hearty meal in itself. Follow a recipe or create your own combination of vegetables, grains, legumes, sea vegetables, fish, meats, miso, herbs and spices. Vegetables such as carrot, pumpkin, parsnip, potato, yam, turnip, suede and celeriac make particularly good bases for a hearty winter soup. And if you have a busy lifestyle, cook up a big pot of soup on your day off and freeze portions of it. A stainless steel food flask is a handy way to bring a warm and healthy home-cooked lunch to work. And yes ... research has shown that people who regularly include soups in their diet are able to more easily lose excess weight than people who eat the same amount of calories but no soups! Try out this beautiful barley & mushroom soup ...

Oil the soup pot and saute onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add water, barley, kombu and shitake mushrooms incl mushroom soaking water. (Pearl barley does not need soaking, only whole barley - discard soaking water!) Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 min. Add carrot, celery, bay leaf and dill and simmer for 30 min more, or until barley is tender. Add cabbage and cook 15 min more. Add miso to a cup of broth to dissolve and add to soup. Garnish with minced parsley. For a summer variation add fresh corn, add watercress in spring or fall. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Sahaja from The Great Life www.thegreatlife.com.au
Sahaja has been teaching Macrobiotic/Wholefoods cooking in Perth for 14 years and is a
Macrobiotic Counselor/Educator and Accredited Journey Practitioner.

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our new shiatsu practitioner • Sarah Asphar

For all of you who have been missing Patricia and her wonderful Shiatsu skills, we have great news!!

As of June Sarah Asphar has joined our team. Sarah holds a Advanced Diploma of Shiatsu and has been practising for over 10 years. As the centre manager I had the privilege to be one of the first ones to experience her absolutely wonderful treatment! Here is how I would describe it: At first she palpates your abdomen, known as Hara Diagnosis, to find out which organ systems in your body are deficient or in excess. Then according to her findings she tailors her treatment to bring your whole system back into balance. With thumbs, palms, elbows, feet and knees she applies pressure along the meridians of your whole body top to bottom ... at times mobilizing and stretching your limbs. Sarah also holds a certificate in Tuina Chinese Massage and you'll feel some interesting techniques mixed in that perfectly complement Shiatsu Sarah's touch is warm and confident and she has the ability to tune in, which makes you feel cared for and safe to let go. The result is an overall deeply satisfying experience of being touched all over as well as having your whole energy system balanced according to oriental medicine principle ... what more can you ask for! Needless to say, I highly recommend Shiatsu with Sarah. Click here if you would like to find out more about Sarah... Mandana

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staying well in winter • with Chinese Medicine

This is the time of year when colds, influenza, chest infections, bronchitis, and asthma can be a concern and something to be considered with regard to our health. Related signs and symptoms may include muscle aches, sore throat, cough, runny nose, fever and / or chills, shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest congestion and phlegm.   Unresolved respiratory illness can lead to ongoing symptoms of continuing cough, breathing difficulties, post nasal drip, lingering phlegm and congestion or tightness in the chest, and sometimes tiredness and fatigue that can last well past the initial onset of the disorder.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine we aim to protect the body from external climatic influences and strengthen the internal resources to maintain good health. We view the body as an integral whole with the vital substances of Qi (energising), Blood (nourishing), Yang (warming, activating) and Yin (cooling, calming) sustaining and protecting the body. It is the strength of these substances that keep us well no matter what the seasons may bring.    

A particular type of Qi (energy), known as Wei Qi, protects the body from exterior pathogenic attack that we know in winter as the acute stages of cold or flu. The Wei Qi warms the surface of the body and its function specifically is to expel external pathogens and to stop a further progression of the disorder. When a cold or flu pathogen goes immediately to the chest it suggests that the Wei Qi is not as strong as it could be, and that it has travelled deeper to affect the lower respiratory organ of the Lungs, or the Lungs and Stomach in gastric flu.

Treatment with Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture is made by way of differential diagnostic information that allows the practitioner to assess the strength of the pathogens involved in acute and chronic respiratory complaints.   This information together with that of the constitutional strength of the body and the immune system directs treatment protocols that act to eliminate the pathogens and support and strengthen the body's resources.

As a practical approach, we can assist our Qi and Yang by having warm cooked foods like porridge, soups, and stews during the winter months and limiting our intake of cold food and raw food. In addition, it is advisable to reduce dairy products and wheat as these foods can contribute to the creation of phlegm in the body. Wearing warm clothes will protect us from the exterior cold and dampness, with drafts and exposure to wind both during the day and in the evening being avoided as this can weaken and invade the Wei Qi. Also, when suspecting the possible onset of a cold or flu it is advisable to take extra rest which will support the Qi and make for a quicker and more sustained recovery.   To this effect, fewer complications and exacerbation of any previously existing respiratory illnesses will not occur.   

The winter months are a natural balance within the seasons and with good health we can enjoy this time of the year to the full.

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friday night at the movies • Buddhist Hermit Masters and Food Matters

The last two movie nights were well received and it was fun to get together in a different context. So we lined up another two interesting movies ... hope to see you there!

Amongst White Clouds - Buddhist Hermit Masters of China's Zhongnan Mountains

Friday 21 August • 7:00pm • free of charge • no booking required • (86min movie)

'Amongst White Clouds' is an intimate insider's look at students and masters living in scattered retreats dotting China's Zhongnan Mountain range. These peaks have reputedly been home to recluses since the time of the Yellow Emperor, some 5000 years ago. It was widely thought that the tradition was all but wiped out, but this film emphatically and beautifully show us otherwise. One of only a few foreigners to have lived and studied with these elusive practitioners, American director Edward Burger is able, with humour and compassion, to present their tradition, their wisdom, and the hardship and joy of their everyday lives among the clouds. An unforgettable journey into the hidden tradition of China's Buddhist hermit monks.

Food Matters - You Are What You Eat

Friday 18 Sept • 7:00pm • free of charge • no booking required • (70min movie)

"Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine, And Thy Medicine Be Thy Food." - Hippocrates
'Food Matters' is a hard hitting, fast paced look at our current state of health. Despite the billions of dollars of funding and research into new so-called cures we continue to suffer from a raft of chronic ills and every day maladies. The film features interviews of several world leaders in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kind of foods, supplements and detoxification can be used to treat chronic illnesses as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer. 'Food Matters' seeks to uncover the business of disease and at the same time explore the safe, cheap and effective use of nutrition and supplementation for preventing and often reversing the underlying causative aspects of illness. 'Food Matters' delivers a clear and concise message to the world. Food Matters.

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product focus • MedKlinn Air Sterilizer

Just in time for the flu season and the swine flu scare, this Medklinn Air Sterilizer came to our attention. It uses leading egde German-patented Plasma Ion Technology to generate massive amounts of negative ions , 10-20 times more than other ionizers on the market. It is small, cost effective and maintenance free, there are no needles or filters that require replacing. Negative ions, sometimes referred to as 'air vitamins' are oxygen molecules that are split into highly reactive and unstable single oxygen atoms with a negative charge. These oxygen atoms then ‘micro-oxidize’ most of the substances suspended in indoor air, breaking down harmful toxic gases, tobacco smoke, and offensive odors into harmless by-products, as well as killing airborne and surface-exposed bacteria, viruses and fungi. The result is a fresh smelling mountain air, as some like to describe it.

Research has proven the myriad health benefits of negative ions, such as:

The Medklinn Air Sterilizer destroys:

Medklinn Air Sterilizer is registered with the Australian Therapuetic Goods Administration (TGA) as a medical device and some private health funds rebates apply ... check with your fund! Click here for heaps more information about the Medklinn Air Steriizer, about negative ions, comparisons with other ionizer on the market ... & much more.

At only $290 it is a very reasonable investment offering countless health benefits for the whole family at once.

Now available at The Healing Point. Phone us for more info or a brochure on 9430 8867.

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