By: Tracy L. Hackett, DAOM

Food sensitivities are an increasingly prevalent problem over the last twenty years as food producers take more license adding chemical additives and non-nutritive ingredients into processed foods. Singling out processed foods is relevant because our bodies have evolved to recognize certain molecules as nutrients and to absorb that ‘bio-information’ through our intestinal lining then to excrete those that are not as waste. However, if the gut lining becomes too permeable, undigested food particles, microbes, wastes, and toxins can enter the blood stream. Since these particles are haven’t been digested properly, even though something may be a nutrient source, the immune system is triggered to fight against the ‘intruder’. If this occurs over time, voila, you develop food allergies with the accompanying symptoms. The symptoms can intensify and become more complex.

How does Leaky Gut Syndrome get started in your GI tract and what are the symptoms?

The lining of your gut is a dynamic, tight mesh-like structure made of proteins has a bacteria and yeast (“flora”) lining it that adapts to the contents it’s exposed to. The normal positive flora in your intestines adapt to the types of foods you consume. If your gut microbiome or a molecule integral to the lining, zonulin, is compromised by inflammation or food additive chemicals and over processed food ingredients, a disruption of normal cell function can occur in the ability of intestinal wall to maintain tight permeability. If the disruption becomes severe or the inflammation persistent enough dysfunction and disease like colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis or worse can be the result.

If the toxic additives or improperly digested food particles pass through the lining, your immune system is further triggered leading to body and joint pain, fatigue, headaches, skin problems, sleep and mood disruption. As toxins accumulate in the tissues and joints, aggravating inflammation further to the sensitive internal tissues of the gut, the body is bombarded with ingested “information” that can trigger the immune system. Stress can also wear down the body’s defenses and normal filtration processes of waste and non-nutritive molecules. All of this combined can lead to what is called a “leaky gut”. You may infer from the previous description that your gut is leaking the wrong kinds of molecules or larger food particles into the blood stream that are not broken down to the right degree so trigger the immune system. Fissures and inflamed areas can open to allow larger particles to pass through.

Symptoms of food sensitivities show up quickly after irritants are ingested, but can gradually worsen and intensify with repeated exposure over time. Typical symptoms that can start as intermittent then become constant include:

• sneezing and runny nose
• stomach pain after eating certain foods
• gastritis, reflux, diarrhea, cramping, gas, abdominal pain
• sudden onset of patches of very itchy skin and/or hives
• sudden onset acne
• recurrent mouth sores
• genital/anal itching or irritation
• headache or migraine
• unusual or intense food cravings
• fatigue, malaise, foggy headedness
• strong body and waste odors

Other symptoms may occur as well that are not listed here. This list of symptoms may also indicate presence of or beginnings of illnesses other than food sensitivities. Oftentimes food sensitivities are precursors to severe food allergies, which can be life-threatening.

So what to do if you find yourself in a situation where you haven’t really developed a serious allergy but feel anxious over some of the nagging symptoms that things may not be going so well with your digestion?

1. Clean up your diet. Cut out the usual suspects* for a couple of weeks and see how your symptoms change. Journal any symptoms that crop up after eating to track any possible patterns of food sensitivities.
2. Drink a large glass of water in the morning that has raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in it. This will help clear your stomach and gently encourage your liver’s to detoxification process.
3. Get appropriate testing done. There are some great tests available to assess allergies, nutrient absorption, GI dysfunction, and gut flora composition. Set up an appointment with a qualified healthcare provider, like myself, to help you get the right tests. But more importantly understand what the tests results mean and get a practical treatment plan to help your heal. This type of healthcare and many tests are not covered by insurance, so make sure you know about costs so you can budget accordingly.
4. If going through extra testing doesn’t appeal to you, clinical assessment may be enough to yield the answers you need. An Acupuncture Physician or Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, can help you with the time-tested acupuncture and herbal medicine or supplementation solutions to encourage healing and better digestive regulation.
5. East-West Functional Medicine is available at my clinic, where I can help you with a complete holistic method. I create treatment plans that combine the best of contemporary holistic medicine and only the supplements and/or herbal formulas you absolutely need. The protocol is tailored specifically to you and your particular digestive concerns.

If you have any questions about this topic or how holistic medicine may help you, contact me directly by phone or email.

*Start with the 6 Whites: refined flour/gluten, refined sugar, sodium, dairy, alcohol, and low quality fats.

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.

Recipe modified by: Tracy Hackett, AP, DAOM

I learned this recipe in the kitchen of the ashram where I painted a temple ceiling in Kerala, India. Mohan made delicious food everyday for dozens of people. It is my hope that I’ve done his masterful curry justice. The modifications I’ve made are in the types of vegetables, the addition of onion, and the amount of chili (!). It is difficult to find here many of the unique and flavorful vegetables easily picked up in the village markets. Most ashrams and observant Hindu households do not use garlic and onions. They are thought to congest the higher function of the mind. If you have the time, make the curry sauce portion the day before so that the spices have time to mingle and marry.

Ingredients:

Sauté together:

½ c. Sesame oil

1 tbs. Black mustard seeds (add these to the oil first and wait until they pop before adding the rest)

6-8 Curry leaves

1tsp. Salt

1 ½ tsp. Fresh ground black pepper

1 small sweet Onion finely chopped

2 oz. Fresh Ginger finely chopped

½ or 1 small Serrano chili finely chopped

Add to the slightly browned sauté:

2 chopped Tomatoes

2 tbs. Tomato paste

4-6 oz. Coconut cream

3 tbs. Turmeric

1 tsp. Tamarind paste

2 tsp. packed brown sugar

*2 c. vegetable broth or coconut milk (this amount is variable to your taste use more for a thinner sauce or soup)

2-3 tbs. Peas flour (this is a thickening ingredient and very important for classic texture and body)

Combine and add to simmer during the last 10 minutes of cooking:

1 tbs. ground Cumin

2 tbs. ground Coriander

½ tsp. ground Cardamom
1 ½ tsp. ground Cinnamon

½ tsp. ground Allspice

½ tsp. ground Nutmeg

1/8 tsp. Amchur powder

A pinch + to taste of Chili powder

Roast or sauté separately from curry sauce:

½ c. Zucchini diced small

½ c. Red pepper diced or julienne

½ c. Peas

1 c. Sweet potato or pumpkin (parboil in advance)

½ c. Carrot diced

1 c. Green beans

*Spinach (do not sauté, use as a bed under the curry instead of rice for paleo version, ladle piping hot curry on top large handful of spinach leaves, it will cook with heat of the sauce)

Stir prepared vegetables into curry and serve over basmati rice or bed of spinach, then garnish.

Toppings for garnish:

Cashews (gently dry fry)

Finely grated coconut (gently dry fry)

Fresh cilantro

People in Kerala are mainly vegetarian. If you prefer a heavier dish with more protein these are suggested types to use:

Paneer (Indian farmer’s cheese)

Seitan (tofu-based protein)

Chicken (stew in roasted breast and thigh into the curry for richest flavor)

Fish curry has a very different seasoning profile and fewer vegetables…more great dishes to come!

The Path to Holistic Healing

By: Tracy Hackett, AP DAOM

Female Trouble

The scaffolding was a motley structure that creaked and shuddered as I tiptoed across the clattering plywood sheets to work in my bare feet. It was my tenuous nest that supported my reach toward the heavenly spheres to see and to paint “the god”. It wasn’t an easy task to get it there. The Brahmin priests were dubious as to whether I had permission to access this mystical level and decided to throw a few monkey wrenches my way. They were none too happy that my feet hovered above the Vishnu shrine in the center of the temple, even while doing work within the purview the semi-divine.

Shoes are not allowed in Hindu temples and foot washing is typically done before entering. There is special insult that feet can cast by pointing them in the wrong direction, since they are the lowest and dirtiest part of the body. It is disrespectful to sit with your feet directed toward a teacher, for instance, or to indicate toward or touch something or someone with your feet. The very worst possible case would be to have your feet anywhere near or above the deity in a shrine. Yes, welcome to my world of no possible way to win on that point.

The head priest, Ayyar Swami, was a blue-eyed man with a smooth bronzed coffee complexion and very fine features under coifed white hair. He had been performing pujas (daily rites) in the converted Ayurvedic hospital temple shrines for at least fifty years. His wrought facial expressions and snorts toward me every time I passed made it clear that my presence was not welcome. I, of course, was totally unaware of all of the rules I was breaking and just thought he was senile. Then the priests sat me down, within my first few weeks of trying to get started, since my hard-headedness did not relent to their obstructions and delays for supplies and preparations. I was told “We have done the horoscope for this work and it is not auspicious. Perhaps you shouldn’t do this work. The time is not correct.” My response was “Well, my passport stamp gives me one year to finish this. If you want an unfinished deity picture hanging out in the main temple, that’s up to you.” “We are not concerned for this. Maybe you could get hurt or have some misfortune. We are concerned about that.” “Oh, I see. So the head swami who invited me to do this work is wrong, is he? He said that the timing was just fine. Are you saying he didn’t understand?” “Oh no! No, no, no, we are sure that he is right.” “Great, so the scaffolding will go up this week?” “Yes, this week itself your supports will be there.”

IST was the time zone I was in, but the actual name was “Indian Stretchable Time”. One week in rural India is equivalent to about two weeks anywhere else, if you are very lucky. The scaffolding eventually went up. I set to work and went up at 5 a.m. every day after my 4 a.m. yoga practice in the dark, but got into yet another tangle with my quiet routine anyway. Another thing frowned upon in a temple is a woman during her menses. They sat me down again. “Uh, madame, you know it is not acceptable that a woman go to the temple every single day of the month. You must take off one week every month.” I was not going to capitulate. I was on a schedule. “How would you know where I am in my cycle? Not every woman has one. Not every woman has bleeding for seven days.” The priest addressing me averted his eyes. “It is your honor then that will tell you when to stay out.” “So what is the problem with this anyway, especially since I newly find myself in the semi-divine category as well?” “That may be true, but the blood is a filthy thing and cannot be in the temple.” “Really? So are you saying that ‘the god’ puts a baby in some filthy stuff to grow up in the mother?” “Well, no, but it’s leaving the body, not being used, so it’s become filthy. There is downward energy with it that pulls down the sacred energy in the temple also.” “I see. Wow, that’s amazing this filthy stuff can defy the flow of divine energy like that with such powerful downward movement.” The priest smiled and shook his head with that special wobble many South Indians use to neither agree nor disagree, but merely acknowledge they heard you speaking. I then asked, “So, do you take a shit every morning?” He grimaced at my pointed question and grumbled. “Yes, I thought so. Now there’s some powerfully moving downward filth for you. So, if you will excuse me, I have some demigod work to attend to.” Some traditions are meant to be defied on their prima facie nonsense and inability to meet a simple Occam’s razor test.

The youngest priest, ThirumminiSwami, was a wild-eyed man with unkempt flowing black tresses and simple grace in his gait. His devotion to the Divine was carved in his very figure. He did the puja in the shrine of the pretty little temple I worked in every sunrise and sunset and during the day for many special times of the moon calendar in between. He never spoke to me directly nor through an interpreter, but he gave me blessings and prasad (consecrated sweet food) frequently. There is no mistaking a kind heart no matter the language. He was a beautiful person who was gentle towards me every single day and placed my daily flower gifts on the feet of the deity in the shrine with a smile.

By: Dr. Tracy L. Hackett

Pre-dawn I awoke into the inky, sultry breath of the Kerala jungle. I couldn’t see my hands in front of my face and eyes wide, I lifted them up to stretch inside of my mosquito net to remember where indeed I was and that I was still in a body. Haunting sounds of unknown birds and lions roaring reverberated across the nearby reservoir. It was hard to tell if they were near my door or below the balcony or miles away. My flashlight investigation confirmed that I had indeed left off in the same place my deep black-out sleep had started the evening before. Giant flying roaches, oversized fairy-like katydids, creeping stick bugs, hand-sized moths were all pounded furtively at the lifeless beaming light bulb screwed into the wall outside my door. Ducking through that, I made my way into the massive open-air meditation hall and practiced a taichi routine to settle my nerves and then some yoga as I waited for the sun to come up.

Eventually, people filtered into the hall for the morning meditation. Chai was served afterward and I began to get acquainted with the swamis and staff of the ashram. People from all over the world, and more importantly from all over India, came to this simple but sprawling sanctuary for retreat.

It was an idyllic setting, to say the least, and welcoming on all accounts (mostly), but I was filling a role that is normally reserved for upper caste males. My ignorance of this fact was short-lived as I set to work that very day. The priests did their level best to disabuse me of my assumption that this deity painting was perfectly fine in my capable hands. Those are stories are numerous and quite funny in hindsight, but for another time. The process of overcoming the cultural obstacles and finally getting the “scaffolding” up and the ground of the ceiling prepared took nearly three months and substantial negotiating efforts.

The temple that I was to paint was transformed with row upon row of sapling trees cut and roped together with jute line and topped off with 3/8” plywood sheets that teetered on the uneven tops. I had to mask a miserable fear of heights and figured out early that this set up was yet another tactic to deter me from my objective. The ascent to the top was a two-stage rickety mess of a thing. A hand-fashioned bamboo ladder with rungs too far apart brought me to a landing made of old doors, then a metal ladder of ½” rebar took me to my new worksite for the seven or so months. Since the plywood sheets didn’t cover the entire scaffold area, I needed to slide them around while up there and arrange them in overlapping configurations to prevent them from cracking and bowing as I stood and stepped. Most of the village men who were tasked at helping me prep the ceiling surface wouldn’t even go up there. The few who would ascend had ulterior motives that were not appreciated. at. all. Swatting advances, changing crew, and avoiding a 19’ fall from my perch turned out to be the least of my problems as my work commenced.

I had to work fast to get the 39’x17’ four-panel vaulted ceiling from its cob-webbed blank state into a painted celebration of one of the central themes of the Bhagavad Gita. The Vishwaroopa is the presence of Krishna that Prince Arjuna bore witness to after goading his mysterious friend and advisor to show him who he really was. The popular representation of this overwhelming revelation of divine power and majesty is a central figure with “honey-colored” skin, 19 heads that included popular Hindu deities and 22 arms each holding weapons. The deity image is obviously packed with symbolism, some of which I will go into later on. The rudimentary ceiling plan I had received from the swami/ashram director two years earlier had neglected to include the 5” planar gutter in between each of the panels. This required a significant re-scaling of the over one hundred scale-sized situ drawings I created from an elevation model of the ceiling I had made. They were meant to speed my process and ensure a reasonable degree of accuracy in the perspective shifts. My drawing of Siva now looked more like Elvis. Make a plan and the gods laugh.

In my twenties, on a windy May day in New York City was the first time I experienced an unexplainable grand mal-like seizure. It was the beginning of a long, winding journey toward health and wellness, something I had taken very much for granted until that fateful day. Over the next five years, I had become so heavily medicated that my doctors were informing me that I would soon require monitoring for my liver and kidney function. The next shock came when I was told I would have to give up an unexpected pregnancy because the medications were teratogenic and I had not known early enough to stop them in time. It was so devastating to me that I was spurred into action to find a new way forward.

Yoga, a very strict diet, and nutritional supplements over the next few years got me going in the right direction but the seizures hadn’t completely stopped and stimulants like coffee and chocolate would set them off. In spite of that, I accepted a commission to paint a mural on a temple ceiling in India. I was ready for another radical shift, and boy did I get one.

I landed in Kerala’s Trivandrum airport in August of 1999. It was cooler than I expected, it was kind of like Florida in April. A dear friend had given me a suit salwar (a long fitted top with billowy pants to wear underneath and a shawl-scarf to drape over the shoulders) to change into on the plane, so I thought I was ready. Hah. I left the airport doors and was met by a throng of taxi drivers lobbying for my fare. Quietly pushing my way through, one driver approached with that calm, cool grace so many Indians are known for and asked me where I was going. “Neyyar Dam”, I said. “Oh, I know where the ashram is. I can take you.” Off we went.

The Commodore is a car out a history book. They are almost always ivory white with a design that hadn’t changed since the British brought them over in the 1940s. They are built like tanks and leave much to want in the way of suspension. He made this car his own by fitting it out with cheetah print upholstery and an array of dashboard-ready Hindu god figurines that were lovingly dressed with small fresh flowers and incense smoke burning from the ashtray. The winding and hilly dirt roads did not deter my driver from taking all of them on at top speed. Bouncing around, hitting my head on the roof several times, and rebounding off of almost every surface of the back seat was my introduction to getting around in the lush palm tree rainforest brought to life with a vibrant ancient culture wisking by my window.

The Sivananda Dhanwanthari Ashram was very quiet when I arrived. The call of unknown birds echoed through the vast gardens. I walked up the long path toward main building where the resident Ayurvedic doctor looked up from the plants he was tending to greet me. Jayaram had so much mischief all over his face from that first moment that I burst out laughing. “Oh, laughing already? For what?” “Nothing”, I said, ”I’m just jetlagged. Where is everyone?”. Once he figured out who I was exactly, it was clear I had missed the ashram van dispatched to pick me up. “They are waiting for you at the Centre in Trivandrum”, he looked at me rather crossly. “I’m very sorry. I really didn’t know about it. Is there any possibility of getting some water and a place to sleep?” Jayaram said, “Yes, that’s possible. You are looking very pale.” He gave my cheek a hard pinch and studied the result with a stern look. “Not just because your are so white already…what’s wrong with you?” “Nothing, really. I just need to sleep, please”. Unconvinced, grabbed my wrist, taking a quick pulse, abruptly released it giving me a penetrating look. Silently, he took me to a simple lovely room with a sweeping balcony that overlooked the jungle. I was home…at least for a little while.

Here are some tried and true tips (that I use myself and with patients) for keeping a dewy soft complexion and avoiding surgery or chemical injections (number 1 is very important, so the best is for last):

2. Hydration – sometimes drinking water isn’t enough. Do you know what your electrolyte balance is like? Electrolytes help with water absorption, among other important vitalizing functions. The most sophisticated electrolyte mix that I offer in my clinic is sea plasma, which comes in sterile vials, and is foundational to cellular life.
3. Cleanse – Shea butter soap for cleansing is about all you need. Keeping your skin clean is foundational to a healthy appearance. Again, be careful of the chemicals in skincare products. Up to 70% of what you put on your skin gets into your bloodstream.
4. Moisturize – take a look at the label on your moisturizer and make sure you know what every ingredient is. Some of your may say, that’s simple! It’s coconut oil, which is an excellent choice, but if you would like to maximize your benefits trying Skin Blessing serum maybe for you. It is a blend of organic oils that is available at my clinic. I have been using it for 15 years. It is formulated for sensitive skin.
5. Exfoliation – is your best weapon for dealing with the signs of aging. My personal favorite is the Clear+Brilliant laser treatment. It is a natural treatment, since the tool is light itself. Clear+Brilliant is a non-oblative fractional laser which means that the treatment penetrates to only the surface layers of the skin stimulating the even sloughing of the dead surface layer of skin that sinks into wrinkles while promoting collagen production, muscle release and blood flow to the surface.
6. Heal and protect – anti-oxidant mixes that are best for your unique skin presentation are a great way to protect your skin from the inside. Your sunscreen should have natural ingredients, like Stream2Sea, that will protect your skin and the reefs.
7. Plumping – not all injections are created equal. Would you like the natural fullness and youth of your skin back? Saline, peptide, and nutrient injections can help stimulate better muscle and skin tone without chemicals for a natural look and no impediment to your beautiful expressive face.
8. Stimulate collagen production – the best is the Clear+Brilliant laser treatment since it evenly stimulates collagen production across the entire treated surface while the laser naturally tightens skin and reduces pore size.
9. Tone facial and neck muscles – a simple massage routine for your skin and jaw exercises help tone, release, and relax facial muscles. I will be posting a series techniques on my blog in the coming weeks. Tight muscles and habitual muscle movements are the underlying source of fine lines and deeper wrinkles. Acupuncture can help plump out deeper wrinkles. Fine lines are smoothed away with Clear+Brilliant laser treatments.
10. Healing acne – many times acne is a sign of an internal imbalance in your gut, but there is the fact of the bacteria present below the surface of your skin. There is a holistic way to treat acne with herbal medicine. Each case is unique so it is best to get an assessment with a qualified clinical herbalist for a tailored treatment.

The number one beauty tip is simple and easy, smile. It sounds a little corny, but in sincere practice, it yields authentic rewards. Find gratitude in your heart, feel it as a living sensation of a smile in your chest and let that energy flow up to your face. Smile for the life that you have and find joy in the simple things. For instance, if you have too many chores to do at home instead of letting it drag you down, tell yourself “I’m so fortunate to have the clothes, clean water, and machines to wash my clothes” or if your task is to make dinner “I’m blessed with so many fresh food choices, let me see how I can make meals that reflect the best.” These little morsels of gratitude will contribute to your well-being and stress reduction in ways you would not believe until you try it. It’s a little bit of magic.

Tracy L. Hackett, AP DAOM, is an acupuncture physician and doctor of acupuncture and eastern medicine in Washington DC and Jupiter, Florida. She provides all of the treatments mentioned in the above article.

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.