Karma Burning: Temples of Body and Mind

Episode IV

By: Tracy L. Hackett AP, DAOM

The things that actually sustain you are usually simple. Happiness, which we in the US take for granted as the end all, is considered quite ephemeral and not worth chasing after in traditional Hindu philosophy. Contentment or santosha is a favored pursuit since it is sustained by individual decision to do so through discernment and acceptance. The pathway or bridge (tirtha) to this state is found through a devotional form of yoga (bhakti), part of that is inspired by making pilgrimages both near and far. I settled into a daily routine of climbing the scaffolding of the small Krishna temple to reveal the image of the Vishwaroopa deity that lived in my heart. Santosha was easily inspired with the two delicious and generous meals per day at the ashram. On chai breaks I would snoop around the kitchen to learn how to make those fresh scrumptious vegetarian dishes. One of those recipes for a marvelous curry can be found on my website blog. Visit: www.hackettholistichealth.com.

The rich food for my soul India so graciously provided also came in the form of frequent jaunts to some of the ancient glorious temples in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. I learned how to tie a sari from one of the female swamis. She accompanied me into the temple precincts, since foreigners are typically not allowed past the gated walls into the mandala of shrines (mandirs) carefully composing the temple grounds. The placement of deity shrines is based upon mystical geometry (Vastu) of the earth’s telluric currents intuited by scholar priests.

Leave your shoes and camera outside with hands full of flowers to give and an open heart to receive of the universal divine within. It sounds far-fetched until your feet cross the threshold. Although the styles of architecture and murals vary greatly, there’s a fresh lightly floral fragrance in the air punctuated with burning ghee, a feeling of stillness and a profound sense of stepping out of time that instills a sense of Purusha or the universal essence that pervades all things. It was in these sacred spaces that the divine became real and I developed a sense of no division between aspects of myself, the physical world, and the mystical. It inspired me in my humble project to bring a deity to life through synthetic enamel paint such that everyday became a pilgrimage.

The reservoir of santosha building in my spirit would be tested as the toll of heat, humidity, spicy foods, toxic paint fumes, long hours, and the day-to-day challenges of living with a lot of people presents. My symptoms re-emerged in a forceful way. I was tired and frightened, but a new chapter of my healing process opened up when I met a small, wiry, silver-haired doctor. He introduced me to the art of Tamil indigenous medicine: Siddha.

By Tracy L. Hackett, AP, DAOM

QiGong is the core practice of TaiChi and other martial arts. It has been practiced since at least the Neolithic period in China, exemplified by illustrations carved into stone. Dao-Yin, the ancient word for QiGong is also characterized in the Mawangdui silk scrolls from 168 BCE. So what do these legendary practices have to offer to people living now?

A path toward inner peace and deeper awareness becomes more available to you with regular practice. There are many masters and teachers out there with books, DVDs, classes, and workshops. How do you know if it’s even for you? Trying a few simple exercises may give you a reasonable idea of what could be in store for you studying with a teacher who resonates with you.

Let’s start with a preliminary visualization and activity to build a foundation then add what is referred to as the Five Healing Sounds. The beginning of any practice of this nature must start with the cornerstone concept and experience of Qi. Think of Qi as both a particle and a wave. It is part of the substance of things but also that which gives form. There is no concept of ‘zero’ in Yin-Yang theory, no such thing as ‘nothing’ per say. You are a vital energetic being in a soup of energy that is constantly changing form and transitioning through states. All of this flux of matter, energy, and consciousness is of varying densities and vibrations of Qi. All organized aspects of Qi have a vibrational quality. Some of these vibrations are healing and harmonizing, some are not. The pivot is a neutral that rests within the quietest place in our minds and intentions (heart).

We can tap into those inner most intentions, in part, through a meditative practice called the Microcosmic Orbit. Sit in a comfortable position with your feet planted on the floor about hip distance apart. Rest your palms on your thighs with your arms comfortably extended toward your knees. Close your eyes and focus on the sensation of your breath and how its rhythm moves your body. Breathe deeply and slowly, then become aware of your spine and your head sitting atop of it. Place the tip of your tongue just behind your front teeth. Then visualize a pearl of bright, clear diamond-like light at the very base of your tailbone. As you breathe, visualize the pressure of your breath moving that pearl up your spine over the top of your head and down your midline back to the tailbone. Do this circuit three times watching the pearl become larger and brighter each cycle and at the end of the third cycle, visualize the pearl resting at an area about three finger widths below your navel and inside your abdomen between 1-3 inches (depending on your body weight) called the Lower Dan Tian. As you breathe visualize the light becoming brighter, then see it separate into two more pearls. Move one pearl up to your solar plexus (middle Dan Tian) and the third pearl up to the area between your eyebrows (upper Dan Tian). It may take some practice but you can hold the feeling of the three pearls with your breath and inner awareness or mind’s eye. A deep sense on calm typically sets in with this practice alone. Once you feel comfortable with this visualization and feeling the vibrational aspect of your being, you can add the sounds.

The Five Healing Sounds correlate with the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine, which in turn have several other sets of five aggregates (tastes, color, smell, etc.) that have relationships with specific organs and their energetic relationships with the mind-spirit.

So in practice, for example, say you worry too much, thinking through a problem to the point of fixation with multiple competing forecasted narratives of outcomes. This would be considered “Overthinking” and the organ’s energy most negatively affected by this ‘emotion’ is the ‘Spleen’. The organs in TCM theory are partially related to the actual physical organ in your body. The “Spleen” is an energetic pathway of function in your system related to your digestion or assimilation, the energetic aspect of your spirit that is connected to your intellect or “discernment”. The sound or vibration that helps balance the Qi flow in these energetic relationships is: “Hoo”.

It is a sound you make as the breath passes through your lips, different from a sharp, short spoken word, so that you can feel it resonate in your body. The same follows for the other organ relationships. Remember, there is no primacy to these relationships. Each aspect and quality in the system of relationships has its own weight and importance. Think of them sitting on interconnecting circles rather than a line of heirachy. The interconnecting circles concept is related to the meridians, energetic channels, that run along the body creating an integrated system of systems. It is a large concept to digest all at once. Start with the basic meditation and one emotion that you struggle with and let me know how you do.

Tracy L. Hackett, AP, DAOM is an Acupuncture Physician and Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACTCM at CiiS, San Francisco, CA) practicing in Jupiter, Florida. She has found health through holistic medicine herself and brings the same to others since 2005. She specializes in the treatment of pain and GI issues. She has also developed nearly 30 new acupuncture points for the treatment of digestive issues, pain (post-concussion, jaw, neck, low back, pelvic), and neuropathy.

There has been a lot of press recently on this ancient method of pain relief from China. Why would Olympic athletes trust this method to help them maintain top-notch performance while competing for the highest achievement honors in the world?

Because it works to alleviate muscle soreness, spasm, and tension. By creating a superficial ‘bruise’ with the suction, the body’s natural healing response is triggered to repair the ‘damaged’ area.

Cupping Therapy is the method of using glass, plastic, bamboo, or suction cups to create localized pressure by a vacuum. Chinese medicine practitioners have been using this healing modality for thousands of years. In ancient times they utilized this technique by using heat inside glass or bamboo cups. Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine practitioners/doctors of today also use plastic “suction” cupping sets, which also uses a suction to create vacuum type of feel. The “vacuum” made inside the cups causes the blood to form in the area and help the healing in that area. (This “vacuum” technique is utilized by all cupping instruments mentioned above)

Cupping therapy has been found in ancient records dating back 3500 years and it is still used today by many Acupuncturists & Chinese Medicine practitioners/doctors. New advancement in technology and materials have been integrated with cupping therapies and its uses now range for many different treatments and applications.
In Acupuncture & Chinese medicine we utilize several methods of usage with “cupping”, depending upon the patients needs. Only Acupuncturist Physicians and Doctors of Chinese medicine have enough knowledge, clinical experience, & expertise to differentiate the appropriate diagnostic and treatment method for each individual patient.
Acupuncture & Chinese medicine practitioners/doctors use cupping for several different purposes. Here are a few:

1. The body contains Meridians. These meridians are energetic pathways in the body which the energy of life called Qi (“chi”) flows through. It flows through every body part, tissue. and organs. Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians. There are many meridian pathways within the body which these suction cups can be placed. Using these meridian (energetic) pathways, cupping can help to align and relax qi, as well as target more specific maladies. By targeting the meridian (energetic) pathways, cupping strives to ‘open’ these channels – the paths through which life energy flows freely throughout the body, through all tissues and organs, thus providing a smoother and more free-flowing qi (life force). Cupping is one of the best deep-tissue therapies available. It is thought to affect tissues up to four inches deep from the external skin. Toxins can be released, blockages can be cleared, and veins and arteries can be refreshed within these four inches of affected materials. Even hands, wrists, legs, and ankles can be ‘cupped,’ thus applying the healing to specific organs that correlate with these points.
This treatment is also valuable for the lungs, and can clear congestion from a common cold or help to control a person’s asthma. In fact, respiratory conditions are one of the most common maladies that cupping is used to relieve. Three thousand years ago, in the earliest Chinese documentation of cupping, it was recommended for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.  Cupping is also used for facial rejuvenation.

2. Lympathic toxins released – the healing aspect of cupping therapy is through the release of toxins in your body. The suction from the cups can penetrate deep into your tissues causing the tissues to release harmful toxins. The cupping draws fresh blood and lymph into the tissue to accelerate the healing response. It triggers the lymphatic system, clears the blood vessels, and stretches and activates the skin.
3. Myo-fascial, trigger point, musculotendon, Musculoskeletal cupping, is used when there is injury, either chronic or traumatic, the fascia is also affected, not just the muscles, ligaments and tendons. If the network of fascial planes is disrupted due to scar tissue adhesions (sometimes referred to as knots), restrictions in function and mobility will result. Decreasing mechanical connective tissue changes following inflammation or trauma,
Decrease trigger Points (presence of hypersensitive, tender tissue within themuscle belly)
Decrease myofascial dysfunction, scar adhesions, scar tissue
Decrease myofascial syndromes; i.e. faulty patterning due to hypertonic muscles.

***** NOTE: As there are several cautions and contraindications with any treatments modalities and a necessity of a thorough and correct diagnosis of each individual patient is required.

No other practitioner who utilizes this treatment modality has the expertise needed to maintain long term success in health and well being. Only highly trained and knowledgeable practitioners such as an Acupuncturist & Chinese Medicine Practitioners/Doctors should be performing such treatments.