CHINESE WOMEN IN HAWAI`I:
PRINCIPLES OF TAOIST MEDICINE




Philosophy of Tao includes 'Yin and Yang', the Five Elements, and Twelve Meridians. The main focus of Taoism is on balance between these factors within the human body. Diseases are thought to be caused by internal and external factors. The internal factors are emotional states such as anger, hate, jealousy, grief, and fright. External factors include dryness, heat, cold, and wind.

Taoist medicine could also mean "healing with thought medicine." So you use discipline through energy that you generated in what we call chi kung discipline. Lung Hu Shan [where Master Chang was trained] is famous for chi healing. It's a natural form of healing through touch or communication. Through singing or sound or chants or touch or communication or concentration. Certain patterns of movements, and certain patterns -- how you do your breathing as you inhale and exhale -- promotes benefits in a more effective way. You have the control we call chi and the Japanese call "ki", the energy.

All relevant information, including the patient's symptoms and general characteristics, is gathered and woven together until it forms what Chinese medicine calls a "pattern of disharmony." This pattern of disharmony describes a situation of distress or "imbalance" in a patient's body. Chinese medicine does not try to focus on a specific cause or disease entity, but rather attempt to restore harmony to the individual.

I have this Chinese Lady, she come for treatment, she was referred to me by a psychiatrist. She takes the change of life hormones, she reacts strongly. Every time she eats she's worried about something. I took her pulse, talk to her, find out actually nothing is wrong, I mean everything is fine. The only thing I found is that maybe she has anxiety, she always is afraid. I told her this is a natural thing that she is going through, and the one question that I asked her, I think she is homesick. She want to go back to China to live or see more friends. I tell her to go out and take walks, do some exercises, go out social with her friends. I talked with her husband, maybe he take her a trip every so often a trip to China. He was ok to do this once in a while. Now she is able to eat, she released the worry that she has. Now the psychiatrist wanted to talk to me and find out how I take care, how come so quick. All I did was take her pulse and I just touch a few blockage points and release anxiety and give her energy.