The Parable of the Skilled Physician and His Sick Children

Abdomen Daoyin

Brrrr…The weather is getting cold now.  It makes me think, often people come to the classes with sciatic nerve issues.  For those unfamiliar with sciatica, its is the irritation of the sciatic nerve in the lumbar vertebrae.  It gives rise to pain in the back, buttocks and sometimes all the way down the leg.  It can be a very difficult condition to resolve.

Remember, from a Buqi perspective, many conditions arise from a compression of the nerves in the spine from a long term poor body posture.  In real life this can be working at a computer over a long period of time, working in a vehicle or another sedentary job where you don’t move so much.

There are also other aggravating causes of the sciatic, such as the weather.  Typically when treating students or patients with such issues I find that in that area they have a build up of cold from the environment and some hot information from the inflammation of the nerves.

Treating  them can be straight forward by expelling the binqi locally or through the legs via the panguan meridian.  However, what I like about teaching  Taiji37 and Taijiwuxigong is that I can empower the students to participate in their own healing process.  I can also teach them simple exercises that will strengthen the lumbar area and bring healing forces to the area to dislodge the binqi.  In this respect, the student or patient can go away and practice and work towards resolving the issue.  With the help of  regular classes students maintain the momentum and perseverance and benefit from regular health information transmissions to configure the binqi to leave.

There are many classes around London teaching exercises like the abdomen daoyin which are really effective in addressing all sorts of issues to do with the contraction of the lumbar region.

If you have a musculoskeletal problem, maybe taijiwuxigong can help you work towards resolving it.

• Click here for a handy year planner (its an Excel spreadsheet).

The year planner shows details of the Christmas, Easter and summer breaks along with Wednesday classes that are not running.  Three of them will be this termon the 23rd September, 18th November and 9th December.

• Click here for the flyer

Look forward to seeing you all again.

See you there

As always we will be continuing to build on the good progress students have been making last term.  Some beginning students really made progress in using the earth force (diqi)to activate the dantian developing some quite tangible long force. In Chinese this is called Chan Zi Jing and literally means:  ‘Long without stopping force’ which refers to the long purring vibration that occurs when you practise Taijiwuxigong.

This has moved us forward in our threefold practise objectives:

Above all, it has helped in the self-healing and self-development process, firstly in draining the channels and meridians and secondly, by gaining more spinal strength for the meditation exercises.    If the spine is straighter then oxygenated blood can travel easily to the brain.  Also, if the dazui (C7-T1) area has power this helps to open the central channel .  These health benefits develop more clarity in meditation and later develop latent mental functions. 

Secondly, it was also good spending time showing how the simple Taijiwuxigong exercises improve the quality and application of our Taijiquan practise.  The use of Chan Zi Jing is very common in the Yang Style Taijiquan and is one of the reasons it is well known for its slow flowing movements.  Many Yang Style Taijiquanpractitioners are unaware of these forces but because Taijiwuxigong and Taiji37 train them they are an excellent way to evolve your Taijiquan practise

Lastly, as a Buqi healer I use Chan Zi Jing in creating rigorous vibration force or warmth information in my patients.  Combined with hand techniques, mental direction, knowledge of the body and aetiology, chan zi jing, is an important part of my Buqi practise.

Once, when Dr Shen was a boy practising An, he first felt this shaking.  Starting from the earth coming into his body through his feet it then developed so quickly that his arms started to shake vigourously.  When Professor Yao Huan Zi saw this reaction he told him: ‘Today you have entered the door of Taiji’.

I look forward to opening more doors this spring.

Bertram

Customs and Cultural Habits

The post war English have lost their habit for eating offal and other cuts of the animal.  Often when I advise my patients to eat different cuts of the animal expressions of disgust, bemusment or curiosity follow.  However, there are many benefits to eating parts of the animal that are generally considered strange or unpalatable.  As a culture, the English tend to eat only muscle meats (like chicken breast, rump steak or topside) and have developed an aversion to other parts to the animal.  This aversion is not always found in other cultures.  A walk down my local high street show butchers of Turkish, Afghanis and Pakistani origin selling cuts of meat to a predominantly Muslim market which include along with the usual like liver and kidney other uncommon items like ox feet, lamb feet, chicken gizzards (stomach), lamb fries (testicles), lamb sweet breads (pancreas or thymus gland), lamb neck and a variety of bones.   

The modern English tend to buy their meat from super markets who sell an often limited range of cuts which are aimed at a popular market who tend to view non-muscle meats with aversion.  Despite this phenomenon traditional English butchers still exist such as in Borough Market where you can buy some delicious pig trotters as well as decent fish mongers.  I once bought a whole cod spine and head for one pound and made about two gallons of delicious stock from it! As well as the nutrition from the bones, fish is high in chromium which helps to regulate weight.  Delicious soups can be also made with ham bones which can be bought from various delicatessens and after boiling for some time the nitrates seem to be less toxic.  Also Morrison’s do some decent cuts for making soups such as pork knee and even pig skin-a must if you want to keep yourself looking young!

Meat and Health

A habit of restricting your diet to only one type or cut of meat, or in the extreme, abstaining from meat all together (vegetarianism) may cause health problems.  In Chinese medicine it is observed that different parts of the animal can benefit different parts of the body.  For example eating chicken gizzards can treat patients with diabetes or drinking soup made from bones can treat osteoporosis. 

Towards the end of the last Yi Jin Jing weekend Dr Shen began treating a girl from Bristol with vigorous neck cracking manipulations to correct her cervical vertebra. He told her she needed to eat richer foods to increase the globulin in her blood.  Enriching the blood would mean there would be sufficient osmotic pressure in her body fluids to keep the spine straight and healthy. Dr Shen went on to concede that although being thin meant she looked attractive, it did not necessarily mean healthy.  He went on to suggest that people often deprive themselves of essential nutrition because of a mistaken belief that they may put on weight or that certain foods, like meat, are bad for you.  People also have a habit of following modern trends expounded in the media that encourage, from a Chinese medicine point of view, unhealthy nutritional habits.  It is understandable that some people like vegetarians may take exception to the idea that meat is an essential part of a person’s diet but it is made withing the context of a paradigm that has developed its theories over several millenia. This has in turn informed and enriched cultural practices like cooking and dining.  Any offence to vegetarians is unintended.    

This article however is about extracting the collagen from the sinews of ox feet that surround the small carpel and meta-carpel bones.  Extracting this and using it in cooking can increase the strength of the spine especially the cervical and thoracic vertebrae.  In addition to this, this extract can be a very palatable way to increase the amount of collagen in your diet.  It improves the viscosity of a sauce in a way that other thickeners like corn flower or tapioca starch (dian fen) just cannot achieve.  Everyone I have given this recipe to and who have tried it find it really delicious and beneficial to their health.

Ox Hoofs

Buying Ox hoofs

Local halal butchers of Pakistani origin or of Turkish origin often see ox hoofs.  When buying the hoofs ask the nice man behind the butchers counter to saw them up for you because you will wreck any knife you try to cut them with.  He should have a saw to cut them with.

Preparation

Wash them, then boil them in a slow cooker for 12-24 hours.  This process dissolves all the sinews. This leads to the hoofs separating into the bones, skin, fat and a gelatinous liquid .  As you run your spoon through the liquid you will see it to be a clear, thick liquid, covered by a layer of the fat.  The skin will be floating around too.   Strain out the bones and skin and discard the bones and keep the skin. Put it into a cold fridge.  When the fat has become hard take it off and you should have a hard jelly underneath.  Divide into portions and freeze.  Take out portions as and when you need them.

Usage

You can add this hard jelly to sir fries, soups or braised meats (about 50-100ml)

For example

Dun Rou (stewed meat (beef in this case)-this is very simple and delicious.

1. Chop 1kg of stewing steak like shin or brisket into cubes.  Shin is especially nice if you keep the bone in the middle. Put into a large deep saucepan with some groundnut oil. 
2. Fry with ginger, spring onion, ChinKiangvinegar or sherry or Chinese wine, soy sauce.  (Generally these four items are used in all stews. Meat can be cold in nature and the ginger heats it up.  it is also necessary in Chinese cooking as it warms the stomach aiding digestion.  The wine (albeit sour in the case of vinegar) helps to remove toxins from the meat).
3. Cover with water and bring to boil.
4. After a few hours the meat will be tender.  You can keep it in the fridge, ready to use when you need to for a quick meal. when ready do the following:
5. Put the meat into a frying pan (the larger surface area will allow the water to evaporate and make the sauce deliciously thick).  Fry until the liquid has evaporated enough for the sauce to become thick (this is called ‘reducing’).  Add three or four tablespoons of the ox hoof jelly and carry on reducing until the sauce is sufficiently thick. season with salt.
6. Garnish with coriander and a few drops of sesame oil.

Variations:

1. Add star anise or five spice power at stage three.
2. Add a tablespoon of sugar at stage six 

Paya (foot soup)- With the skin of the hoofs you can make this lovely Punjabi dish called ‘Paya’. Punjabis also make this with lamb feet.

1. In a hot frying pan roast about a half to a tablespoon of gram flour. Add a teaspoon of cumin seed and half a teaspoon of caraway seed. 
2. Add a tablespoon of butter ghee together with the cooked skin of the hoofs. 
3. Add some water to make a soupy broth. 
4. Cook for about 20-30 min until it has thickened. 
5. Spoon it out into a bowl and garnish with plenty of chopped coriander, fried onions, ginger slices and chopped green chillies.

Pig Trotters – this is more of a traditional European dish.  I once made this lovely stew with a homemade cyser.  Cyser is a welsh mead made from fermented honey and apple juice.  You ferment it until it is the strength of wine and it tastes like an apple and honey sherry.  It was superb. An alternative for people with less time on their hands I suppose would be the following:

1. Get the butcher to split the trotters and then cut across (otherwise you will damage your knife).
2. Fry the trotters in ground nut oil for a minute or so.
3. Again use ginger, spring onion and soy sauce as in the the recipe above.
4. Cover with cider and cook until the trotters are done.  This is called ‘braising’. 

Note: many producers use saccharine in their cider- I try to avoid them as i don’t like the taste. However, you may like the taste.  Try it and see what you like! Organic ciders may be a bit too expensive.  You can also use Calvados (a french spirit from apples).  Lidl do a good quality cheap one.  But combine it with water.  You can also make your own cider or cyser.  If you are interested drop me an email and I’ll give you some pointers.

Forthcoming articles

I have had this article in draft on my hard drive for about two years but one of my students asked me the question at the beginning of the article and I thought I should post what I have. It is still not finished as I want to add some more recipes including how to cook with Chinese herbs and medical functions of offal parts and some photos.  Look out for forthcoming posts.

A few of the Taijiwuxigong books ‘Spontaneous Movement for Health and Happiness’ are for sale to students who come to Bertram’s London classes. 

It is an excellent book where Dr Shen presents a lucid and compelling exposition of the Taijiwuxigong system.  For my own training it has furnished me with a clear paradigm in which to understand the exercises and interpret the reactions that arise from their practice.  Furthermore, it expounds the core principles of Taiijiwuxigong so that the practitioner can practice in a safe and purposeful manner.

If you wish to purchase one see me at the classes.

Buqi presents a fresh perspective as to why disease arises and can treat many health issues because it works on the pathogenic narrowing of the vertebrae which link to all the parts of your body. 

• For example and narrowing of the vertebrae in the lumber region may be the cause of a malfunction of the sexual organs, decreased libido, bladder and prostate problems and sciatic nerve pain. 
• Moving up the spine we find many common diseases such as asthma, and reparatory problems have an origin in the thoracic vertebrae. 
• Contracture of the neck may cause high blood pressure and hypertension, hormonal imbalances, hemiplegia and stroke.  

These are just some of the wide ranging applications of Buqi healing. More blogs providing case studies to follow.

Read more about Buqi here

For treatments with Bertram at the Kailash Centre call 07816978810 

For directions to Kailash click here

As we practised the next day, Shen came round as I was pulling this rather large Ox across the school assembly hall to the inspiring sound of ‘hEEEEEEEave!’,

‘Pulling!,

‘Pulling! Very hard – pulling!’, he exclaimed in his characteristic Chinese syntax.  As I persevered with the exercise he stated very confidently:

‘Very hard pulling-Flu quickly finishing!’

He turned to attend to other students who were pulling equally large Ox and I paused to reflect on what he had said (and sneak a cheeky 2 minute break in as well).  I certainly felt a lot better for doing the exercise and I had sweat dripping down like I had been in a steam room.  By evening I was really tired but the characteristic achy/drained feeling had left.  I thought the medical function of the exercise:The movement of the exercise allows the practitioner to bring force up into the body through the legs and into the spinal column.  This is accompanied by a physical stretching of the spine and its ligaments creating space in the joints of the spine.  This helps to restore the spring and suppleness to the nuclei of the inter-vertebral discs. Each of these vertebra have nerves connecting to glands and organs. For me at that time I needed to work on the area of T12 where mingmen is located.  If you want to find it yourself put your hands on your hips then open out your thumbs and it’s about there where your thumbs are.  Mingmen means life gate in Chinese and is responsible for the hormonal secretion of the adrenal glands. When I treat patients using this area it helps to activate their energy system when they feel they lack energy and strength.  This exercise helps you to activate this area yourself and also the rest of the spinal column which has an effect on the hormonal system increasing the body’s immunity to disease.  So the moral of the story is, next time you are feeling poorly go out and pull an ox by his tail.

Translation notes: When translating Chinese chraracters into the Romance languages there are different translation systems.  So to the beginner the difference between Chi Kung and Qigong or Tai Chi Ch’uan and Taijiquan can be confusing.  I generally like to use Pinyin (the latter translation used amongst the Chinese) and not the Wade-Giles system(the former).

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