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| Tonic Herbs : Supplemental therapy - Page 2
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SUPPORTING VITALITY
Before I go on, however, with remedial measures, I would like to explain some Oriental concepts of healing that might help you obtain another viewpoint on this problem. This explanation is for those with no background in Oriental systems. I have taken the liberty of simplifying these concepts considerably and hope those who have a more thorough background in these systems will see that a simple explanation can greatly benefit a client so that they can understand why various lifestyle changes will benefit them.
In the Chinese medicine, there is a concept called "Jing," or the energy that is given to you at conception, which is the vital foundation of energy which will carry you through your life. Jing is the substance associated with the slow movement of organic change. It can be described as dark, quiescent, moist, and warm and is the inner essence of growth and decline. In Ayurvedic medicine this concept is the same but called "Ojas." I liken this "Jing or Ojas" to an inheritance that you are given at birth. This inheritance comes from the parents, and, in my way of thinking, includes the incarnating soul's own personal karma and needs. Some people are given a large inheritance and others a minimal one. Thus, we will notice that some people have a strong constitution while others are much weaker. But no matter how much "Jing or Ojas" you are given, it is best to utilize it in a very conscious way.
The aging process occurs when this stored energy becomes spent or exhausted. Most of the signs of aging, such as loss of hearing, teeth, hair , diminished sexual desire, reduced mental clarity and quickness, degeneration of the bones, and the wrinkling and drying up of the skin are largely due to the natural consumption of the Jing or Ojas over time. This energy, according to Chinese medicine is stored in the Kidneys which governs the bones, brain, marrow, nerves, the reproductive organs and their energies. Thus, it is stated that one is, "basically as old or young as the Kidneys are. "
Although Jing/Ojas is the initial and deepest source of vitality it is not the only source of vitality in the body, which brings us to our next concept called, "Post Natal Qi."
Qi can be loosely translated as vital force but in Chinese thought it perhaps can be thought of as matter on the verge of becoming energy.
Post - natal Qi is obtained from the food, air, and water that are consumed each day. The Digestive Fires (enzymes etc) are the capacity of the body to break down food to obtain the life force stored in it. Post -Natal chi can be likened to a Checking account in which we put our energy. Each day we use most of this energy in order to go about our business of living. Anything left over goes into a savings account so that we are not living "pay check to pay check." This is called the "Post Natal Jing." This account taped into when necessary before dipping into our deepest energy resource, Pre-natal Jing.
So to summarize, Kidney Jing/ojas is like an IRA or Inheritance which slowly is utilized throughout life, Post natal Qi is the paycheck we receive each day from our food, air and water, and our "Post Natal Jing" is our savings account which will back us up with more energy if we need it for emergencies.
So the thrust of rejuvenation and revitalization is dependent on our consumption and proper digestion of food, air, and water. If we skip meals repeatedly or live on coffee, donuts, sugar products, sodas, re- circulated air, unclean water, micro waved foods, and denatured year after year then we will find ourselves without any energy in the checking account or the savings account. We will have to cash in the IRA ahead of time and with penalties! When we have to do this then we are shortening our lives, and may experience symptoms of premature aging and diminished well being.
What else can deplete us? Not taking time to rest, being emotionally overly stimulated day after day, upsetting relationships that do not come to a resolution, long term use of pharmaceutical drugs, recreational drugs, alcohol, tobacco, excess noise, excess sexual activity, too much worry, too much stimulation from computers, games, TV; I can go on and on. As you can see our modern life is not conducive in promoting great inner peace and longevity that is full of vigor.
What really amazes me is that so many of my clients do not have time to eat! They grab a bagel in the morning, maybe a piece of fruit for lunch and possibly a little sandwich or a can of soup for dinner. Also, eating and driving is becoming a common practice in our society. On the other spectrum, I see people who are eating too much but their foods lack vital life force or substance. These folks may be big and overweight but "empty" inside with no substance thus they are exhausted, too! When this type of lifestyle is continued for a period of time than the deep jing energy is prematurely drained thus creating the picture of what the Western medical system may call adrenal exhaustion.
When I see the exhausted person the first thing that I have to do is try to give them the viewpoint that their choices in foods and lifestyle each day are more important than taking a few herbs now and then. These basic choices are what create the basis from which herbal therapy can function! To try this or that herb without the basic foundation of healthy diet and lifestyle will only lead to failure. Sometimes taking certain herbs will give us the insight to make the changes needed but the changes have to be implemented because the herbs just won't do it 100%. I also have to tell the exhausted person that the process of healing will be a slow one because rebuilding takes time. I usually tell them that if they do the lifestyle that is nourishing and nurturing for a year, they will feel themselves slowly moving out of "debt" and into a stronger place. According to the Ayurvedic paradigm, it takes 35 days for one drop of ojas to be replaced in the deep tissue. So, education is the first step that I endeavor to take with a client when this type of situation is presented to me.
Even if we have a depleted jing/ojas, we can create a good functioning checking and savings accounts so that we do not have to burn out the rest of the inheritance prematurely.
For example, I had a client, aged 42, who had hair loss, no libido, restless sleep, loose teeth, frequent colds and flu, scattered mind and was constitutionally cold and exhausted. She had eaten a deficient diet for years, mostly raw foods, smoked pot on a regular basis, overworked and lived in a cold damp environment.
The first thing I did was to try to regulate the digestion and encourage her to take in vital food, water and air. The foods were to be organic whenever possible, cooked - soups, stews or casseroles are easy to digests - water should be pure without fluoride, chlorine or other toxins, and the air should be clean - air purifiers as well as the use of essential oil diffusers can be employed.
Along with the foods, a person may need to take pro-biotics, (acidophilus supplementation), digestive aids such as spices, perhaps fennel or ginger tea after meals, or bitters before meals depending on the constitution of the client.
They may also have to implement some exercise into their life to the get the digestive metabolism going. This may be done with simple walking after meals or by using a rebounder ( trampoline), gentle step aerobics, Nordic tract or whatever else a person is willing to do. Rigorous, heavy aerobic exercises, and running may deplete the person too much and thus use up that which you are trying to build. So keep the exercise within the parameters of rebuilding vital force and moving it without depleting it.
What is a Tonic Herb
I feel it is necessary that we clear up the word tonic. Many herbalists use the word tonic to denote herbs that tone up or cleanse the body tissues. This definition was popularized by Jethro Kloss in his herb book, Back to Eden. Most of the herbs listed in his tonic herbs are strong cleansing herbs such as boneset, dandelion, meadow sweet, and willow. This definition and outlook of tonics is very different from what we are discussing in this article. The concept of using the cleansing herbs as tonics goes along with the cleansing techniques which clear out metabolic waste and thus tones the tissue.
What is being discussed in this article are herbs which are "supplementing," or nourish and increase substance and density of the body. I think that better describes the category. I will be adding the word "supplementing" along side of the word tonic to emphasis this quality. Most books on Chinese medicine, however, use the word "tonic" only but please keep in mind that the definition and the quality of the herbs are of a different character than those called tonic in Western herbolgy.
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