One question for spiritual/religious founders

I know that speaking of religion or spirituality on the internet is just asking for trouble, but I've had a recurring thought that I want to share...

Given a hypothetical scenario where you are able to speak to a personified spiritual or religious entity of your choice (Jesus, Buddha, etc.), and were allowed to ask 1 question...

I wonder how many people would ask about the meaning of life, whether heaven exists, or what the path to reach enlightenment is, etc.

I wonder how few people would ask a question like "Is there anything I can do to help YOU?" or "Would you tell me about your life?"

I often think that it is a cruel fate to be iconified and made into a symbol.  I think it makes it difficult to see the person underneath all the fanfare.

There are thousands of people claiming to know the will of Jesus and the teachings of Buddha, but how many people know what Jesus' favorite flower is?  Or Buddha's favorite smoothie recipe?




I've got more thinking to do...

The 3 Aspects of Martial Arts (intro)

In the martial art system that I someday wish to develop, I will emphasize the concept of "3 parts".  It is common for people to view the world as a balance of black & white, Yin & Yang, etc.  Being educated or enlightened expands this thought into single axis spectrum with black on one end, white on another with infinite shades of gray in between.

I'd like to suggest expanding our perception further by adding a third option to this established dichotomy.  I don't think it's important to agree on what the 3rd option is, but rather to begin thinking outside of the "yes" or "no" system. 

On a multiple choice quiz, it is essentially the same as the answer "e. none of the above" - an indication that there might be another answer that has yet to be presented.

Anyways, enough with the theory of the concept of a "3rd" option; I just wanted to establish the idea that thinking of a 3rd option is mentally challenging and stimulating, and I applied it to martial arts.


Let me begin by dividing martial arts into 3 aspects:  Physical, Mental, Skills.

I. Physical :  The 3 "S"s - Strength, Speed, Stamina
II. Mental:  Mental State, Self-Control, Muscle Memory (enforcing synaptic signals)
III. Skills :  Technique, Timing, Observation
 
I will go into the details of each aspect and the components of each aspect in later posts.

Painless vs Intense Acupuncture

Painless vs Intense Acupuncture

There are many different styles of acupuncture - some are painless and gentle while others are a bit more "intense".  

 

If you feel what you would describe as an "electric sensation", but it's not painful, let me reassure you, it was not hitting a nerve.  Nerves are fairly tough, and it is difficult to actually insert an acupuncture needle into a nerve without using a lot of force.

Some acupuncture styles suggest having a strong sensation, referred to as the "Qi Sensation" or "Da Qi" at every point, while others say that patient should not feel it at all.  Although some purists will claim that there is only one right way, it has been proven repeatedly that both types work equally well.

Do not hesitate to ask me or any other acupuncturist about our style of acupuncture - most of us will be glad to let you know about our style and philosophy, and it is important that it is appropriate for you.

How are Acupuncturists different?

How are Acupuncturists different?

Many acupuncture clinics claim to provide the "best acupuncture" but what does that mean to you? 

Let's start with an explanation of different types of acupuncturists.

Acupuncturists trained in Chinese acupuncture and oriental medicine receive their Masters of Science in either Acupuncture (M.S. Acupuncture) or Oriental Medicine (M.S. OM) after completing 4 years of study and clinical internships at an accredited college.

Some acupuncturist are medical doctors (MDs), naturopathic medical doctors (NMDs), or chiropractors who may have taken some seminars on acupuncture or have completed a full graduate program.

Nationally Licensed Acupuncturists (L.Ac) have completed a national board examination set in place by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

As confusing as all these titles are, the most important thing about finding the "best acupuncturist" is realizing that you are looking for "the best acupuncturist for you".

An explanation of Gluten-Free eating.

A fellow acupuncturist mentioned something about "gluten-free" foods, and I wanted to share my understanding with my friends: Gluten is a "glue-like" protein found in many different grains (namely Wheat, Barley, Spelt & Rye) that gives food its chewiness. 

Approximately 10% of the population has a sensitivity to one of the components of gluten (which is formed when digested), and we call that "gluten-intolerance" or "gluten-sensitivity"

0.5%~1.0% of the population have celiac disease, which is one of the causes of gluten-sensitivity.  People who have celiac disease have much harsher responses to gluten.

From Wikipedia: Symptoms of gluten sensitivity include bloating, abdominal discomfort, pain or diarrhea, or it may present with a variety of extraintestinal symptoms including headaches and migraines, lethargy and tiredness, attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity, schizophrenia, muscular disturbances as well as bone and joint pain.

Now here's the important part - for every 10 people that have the symptoms listed above, there is 1 person who has those symptoms because of gluten in their diet.  Or to phrase it differently, for every 1 person who is having symptoms because they are gluten-sensitive, there are 9 people who are having symptoms for a different reason.

Is there anything wrong with "gluten-free" foods?  No, not inherently - but, many gluten-free foods need to use additives so that the food texture seems right.  Do we know all the consequences and dangers of these additives?  Probably not.  They could just as easily cause other health problems.

If you DO choose to eat gluten-free, it is much simpler to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables, or grains which don't have gluten, like rice (brown, or white) and corn.  Even though some rice is called "glutenous" rice (sweet rice), there is no gluten in rice.  "Wild Rice" is a blend of grains, so you have to check the ingredients to make sure there are no gluten containing grains.

The other place gluten is often found is in processed foods where it's "gluey" texture is used as a stabilizer.  Examples include ketchup and ice cream, and many frozen processed foods.


Aside from gluten-intolerance and celiac disease, there are other conditions such as wheat allergies, which, like other allergies is a hyper-active auto-immune response which will cause a variety of "self-defense" symptoms.  This includes inflammation of the skin, the nasal mucous, nausea & vomiting (to purge the perceived toxin), and most dangerously anaphylaxsis (throat swells shut from inflammation). 

Studies have narrowed down the possible cause of wheat allergies to a little less than 30 different proteins, so it is NOT the same as a gluten sensitivity.


If you wonder if you have gluten-intolerance, try eating foods with gluten (wheat, barley, spelt & rye) for a week and journal your symptoms. 
 Follow this up with a week of "gluten-free" eating and journal the changes in your symptoms.

Note both positive & negative changes between the 2 weeks. 


If you think you have wheat-allergies, consult an allergy specialist (aka allergist or immunologist) - you don't want to experiment with analphylaxsis (throat swelling shut) do you?

Women's Self-Defense

I recently watched a documentary on martial arts and it got me thinking about the misconceptions of women's self-defense.  I think that most places teaching women's self-defense emphasize empowerment and preparation, which is great and necessary.  I also think that most places don't make the claim that 1 or 2 sessions of self-defense classes turn you into anything resembling a black belt in martial arts, but I worry that there's very little indicating just how inadequate a couple of sessions really is. 

The 1 lesson in anything is always going to be the largest step forward; going from no knowledge to some knowledge is, in terms of percentages, an infinite % increase in knowledge.  This is also true for women's self-defense: simple precautions such as keeping a watchful eye open at all times and avoiding risky environments can easily make a huge difference to the likelihood of being assaulted. 

But lets discuss the actual "self-defense during an altercation" aspect of women's self defense.  Yes, keys can be used to increase the threat that women can pose to an attacker, but it's rarely specified "how much" more dangerous. 

To use an extreme example, I'd feel more comfortable defending myself against a lion with a knife rather than without, but it's probably not going to be the deciding factor of my survival.  Certain tools in the right hands could make a whole world of difference, while other tools such as guns and tasers allow for more untrained wielders to at least be more dangerous.

I've trained in various martial arts for the last 14 years or so, and I've yet to meet another martial artist, myself included, that doesn't think they'd be terrified if they were suddenly attacked when they were alone.  It seems to be the consensus amongst martial artists that there is no such thing as being too prepared to defend your life.

So if that's the case, should martial artists not let non-martial artist women know this?  Not just mention it in passing, but explain the importance of regular training - that with regular training over years and years, they will just possibly begin to possess the skills and the muscle memory needed to safely defend themselves in certain circumstances?

Yes, some training is better than none, absolutely.  But there IS one stipulation to this assertion: some training is better as long as it does not instill a false sense of security. 

Women's self-defense courses should be an initiation for women, a wake up call that makes women realize that it takes quite a bit of consistent effort to thwart even an average sized attacker, and that they should be working just as hard, if not harder than their male martial artist counterparts to compensate for the size difference?

If a 120lb man who has spent less than 10 hours training martial arts attempting to defend himself against a 160lb man who means him harm, I think most people would guess that the smaller man had better learned quite a bit in his 10 hours to compensate for the weight difference.  Many would say that a measly 20 hours of martial art training would make no appreciable difference (some would say that it depends on what and how they trained, which I would agree with, but my point still stands).

So I think that women should definitely take "Women's Self-Defense" courses if they can, but not for the purpose of "learning to defend one's self", but rather to learn "how hard it actually is to learn to defend one's self".  After which, hopefully, they'll enroll in a (effective) martial arts training program that teaches more than just looking graceful while gently tapping your attackers face with your foot.

If you disagree or have any other questions, please comment below and I will try and respond.  Thanks for reading!

Yin & Yang of Healthcare

I am a martial artist and an acupuncturist - these two go hand in hand. At its essence, both martial arts and acupuncture are about interactions; between individuals, between the mind, body & spirit, between the physical and ethereal.

It is a human necessity to separate the world into smaller parts; without separation, we could not discern left from right, hot from cold, self from other.

Since this is such a fundamental part of life, it is of no surprise that we separate even our own selves into parts. It is vital to our survival that we understand the difference between our hand, head, chest, lungs, heart, etc., so that we may perceive ourselves and our condition.

The purpose of this separation is to allow us to have a different understanding for each component - the lungs are for breathing, the heart is for pumping blood, the brain is for thinking and so on.

It also helps assess appropriate dangers posed to us - we react more defensively towards objects approaching the face than we do objects approaching the arm or legs. Thinking a little bit more abstractly, things which pose danger to the body do not necessarily cause harm to our mind or soul.

A falling object could pose a threat to our body, while a tragic event more directly affects our emotions. (Just for the sake of convenience, I'll make the distinction that my interpretation of the mind "thinks" while the "soul" feels or experiences.)

Endless argument can be made regarding how we can best separate and divide the parts of a whole, but there is no absolute authority we can consult on where the mind ends and soul begins. It is forever a topic of discussion whether a mind can exist without a soul, or whether the body houses the mind and soul, etc., but that is not the discussion which I wish to make.

The inherent danger of dividing the body into such pieces or differing aspects is the danger of losing sight of the whole picture. We easily forget that this process of separating and studying parts is a product of our analysis, and that we are observing the individual parts of an entire system.

It is important to remember that we are the ones who have separated the world into physical and ethereal, within our own minds, to establish our own understanding of the world. It is only our approach and preconceived notions which form our understanding.

Without the filter of our own perspectives, there is no physical existence that is diametrically opposite to an ethereal existence. Existence is a unified whole - we simply like to separate it into its fractions so that we may hope to gain further understanding of it.

According to some native American philosophy, the term "woods" not only include the trees and plants of an area, but all the creatures and phenomena which occurs within.  This is in contrast to a more modern approach which sees the animals as separate entities which live within the woods, rather than a part of the woods themselves.

Our separation of physical and ethereal are very much like this - the distinction between the trees and animals are not inflexible - if one were hunting, one must clearly make a distinction between wood and animal to be successful, but in the case of forest preservation, saving the ecosystem is as vital as saving the trees.

So how can we apply this to our health? If we were to think of the trees of a forest as representing the physical, the tangible and rooted existence of our bodies, the animals would reflect the dynamic and more rapidly fluctuating nature of our spirit/mind/soul.

In Asian philosophy and medicine, this dichotomy is referred to as the Yin (physical) & Yang (ethereal). There are a few important things about this symbol, some obvious, some more subtle. 

The most obvious aspect that most people notice is that each aspect contains within itself some degree of the opposite aspect. Yin can be found within the Yang, and Yang can be found within the Yin. 

A bit more subtle is the realization that Yin & Yang cannot exist in isolation of one another - simply imagine a black and white Yin Yang symbol without either black or white.  The symbol ceases to exist.  What this represents is that both Yin and Yang only exist when we separate something into two different parts.

One of the origin stories of the Yin & Yang is associated with an observation made of a hill - when the sun rises, the east side of the hill was bright and well-lit (Yang = Brightness), while the west side of the hill was cast in shadow (Yin = Darkness).

If there were no hill in this story, there could be no distinction between the bright side of the hill in contrast with the shaded side.

This origin story is also useful in visualizing another characteristic of the Yin & Yang. As the sun rises high, and is directly overhead, the bright portion, the Yang, dominates. The trees and cliffs cast shade upon the ground, representing the small "dot" of Yin during an overwhelmingly Yang time.

As the sun declines to the west, the situation of the hills reverse; the west side of the hill is now lit by the setting sun, while the east side begins to darken in shadows. Once the sun has disappeared over the horizon, the land is cast in darkness, which represents the Yin. Although much darker than when the sun were up, there are still the stars and moon which provide light (Yang) during this time of Yin.

When the sun rises in the east in the following morning, the situation has come full circle and begins again. What this shows is the cyclical nature of the Yin and Yang. The reason why this aspect is often missed is because the the drawn symbol appears static.

In fact the symbol accounts for this limitation and tries to represent its dynamic nature through its distinct "S-shape" division. Rather than a straight line dividing the circle into two hemisphere, the S-shaped division creates the look of two tadpoles swimming around one another. The "tail" ends of the Yin and Yang are intended to show movement, a spiraling or swirling of both sides, perpetually switching places with one another.

Another lesser known characteristic (or perhaps most overlooked) is the fact that the Yin & Yang represents a greater whole. This seems like an obvious statement, and perhaps it is easy to see when observing the symbol, but all too often it is forgotten when applying the concept to reality.

For example...

If modernized "Western" medicine is perceived in opposition to the ancient "Eastern" medicine, much like the Yin opposite the Yang, what seems to be easily forgotten is that both sides are necessary to represent the whole symbol - in this case, representing medicine & healthcare.

That is not to say that every fad diet, reckless prescription, and health craze are particularly beneficial to one's health (as more often than not, it seems quite the opposite), but it does mean that opting for appropriate surgery is not in opposition to holistic or alternative medicine.

Simply put, it is more important to find appropriate treatment for appropriate illnesses and conditions, than to virtuously follow one doctrine over another. It seems wasteful to limit our understanding and awareness when we have such easy access to thousands of years of knowledge at our fingertips.

The most difficult thing is to determine what is appropriate, and I know that there are rarely any easy answers. Being well-informed about all applicable options is ideal, but takes a lot of effort and some education on the fundamentals of health from various perspectives.

Unfortunately, many people seem to think that they must commit to one side; western or eastern, reductionist or holistic, ancient wisdom or modern technology, when in fact, the best choice is somewhere in the middle where the 2 sides are used harmoniously.

The bias formed by committing to one side prevents us from seeing the whole picture.

This behavior may simply be hard-wired into our biology - for millennia we had to know who our enemies and allies were, and dividing the world into "us" vs "them" has been the heart of almost all major conflicts.

Clearly there are going to be differences in groups which can result in friction and turbulence, but perhaps if we recognize that we are simply two parts of a pre-existing whole, maybe we can stop dividing ourselves into quite so many arbitrary groups.

Maybe there is something wonderful/interesting/enlightening that occurs when we see the bigger picture - I don't know, but I'd like to find out.

Stephen Getz, L.Ac.             www.GetzBetter.com