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What is ‘Wei Qi’ and how does it relate to the Immune System?

wei qi banner

What is Wei Qi? And How does it relate to the Immune System?

By Warwick Poon

In Chinese medicine theory, every system is described and discussed according to the qi that is performing the physiological action.

In simple terms the production of qi begins when food enters the stomach; food qi is extracted. Food qi is then sent to the lungs, which combine it with air qi, and this forms the basis of the qi that flows into and around the meridians to keep the body alive. When and if there is an excess of this qi, a proportion is converted into Wei (pronounced Way) qi, or “Outside” qi. This is a harder and less permeable qi, and resides mostly on the outside of the body. Its job is to stop pathological qi entering. In our normal Western understanding, we would say this is part of our immune system.

Wei qi is formed in the yin kidney and as explained before, requires a decent amount of meridian qi. Good food and good breathing are mandatory to have a strong immune system. Also, the yin kidney requires strength, to convert the qi, which means that good sleep and regular bowel motions, both of which feed the yin kidney, are also essential.

Finally, the Wei qi has to be conveyed to the surface of the body, and this is accomplished by the action of the Liver yin. For this action to be robust, the liver’s emotional functions of defence – fight or flight, such as anger, frustration or depression should be at a minimum. The more calm the mind is, the more contented and happy the person; the stronger the Wei qi on the surface. It’s no surprise that meditation has been robustly demonstrated to be beneficial to the strengthening of the immune response.

During these times of anxiety, fear and especially for those of us in Winter, the main things that you can do that will increase your immunity to cold and flu’s, of course apart from the usual current precautions like masks, social distancing and washing hands, is to eat well, empty that food regularly, exercise by walking or jogging (breathe deeply), sleep a lot, and stay calm, no matter how angry you may want to be at the crazies that surround you or run the governments.

One final physiological issue to note, is that during sleep, the Wei qi enters the body and dredges the meridians for any bad qi that has managed to enter through the Wei qi, either by stealth or strength. It may have bypassed the Wei qi by travelling into the body whilst attached to food, or a splinter, or a physical droplet of saliva, e.g., from another’s cough.

Alternatively, if it is very strong, it will simply drill straight through the Wei qi, and go directly into one of the more superficial meridians. This can happen when it is attached to cold or dampness; usually both. So, if you are exercising late and are caught in the rain, and come home wet, cold and tired, have a shower, stay warm, have a good sleep that night. And, those who have some, drink a lot of kam wo cha. We sell it at both clinics, and it is easily obtained at a Chinese grocer, provided that they are not sold out. This tea is a Wei qi stimulant, and tonic.

For more information on what you can do to stay well in Winter and for acupuncture treatments for boosting your Wei Qi, come see us at one of our clinics.

If you’d like to get in touch, you can contact us using the link here or call Warwick on 0403 822 593

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Healing Anxiety through Mindfulness

anxiety and mindfulness

Healing Anxiety through Mindfulness


by Aine Marron Anxiety and its relief is a huge topic but for today I will limit this discussion to Mindfulness as a potential healing of Anxiety. Mindfulness has its origins in Buddhism and there is an ancient Buddhist equation:
Fear X Resistance = Suffering.

In other words – when bad things happen, they are made much worse by our resistance to being in that moment. Hence in Mindfulness circles we talk about “leaning in” or “turning toward” whatever it is that is bothering us. This takes practice and courage and most of all it takes kindness, a kind presence  towards Self. And for many of us – that can be a bit of a leap because when we are in the grip of fear our frontal cortex slows down and we become driven by the fear, we identify with the scared part and we are cut off from the True Self that has the capacity to objectively watch the fear arise and dissolve.

One of the reasons we become enmeshed is because Anxiety’s main ingredient is anticipation.  Just think of going to the Dentist and ask yourself in the 24 hours leading up to the visit, how many seconds of pain do you actually endure? Yet the whole 24 hours can be fraught with the dread of the visit so that by the time we get there our muscles are rigid and tight, as if we are already in pain.

Mindfulness helps us to live in the moment. This is relevant because in this current example, even though we have a Dentist appointment at 3pm, we can be aware that there is no pain NOW, at 8am as we have breakfast And at 9am when we go to work, at 12pm when we are having lunch, right through to the actual trip to the Dentist, or even sitting in his waiting room or lying in the chair – no increased pain. Until he pricks the gum with the numbing needle, which takes approximately 2 to 3 seconds, you are not in any further danger of increased pain.

Many of my clients advise that the worst thing about anxiety is the loop that can happen – the fear of being afraid. It’s a type of trance. So we need to employ tactics that “wake us up” from the cycle or the story of the fear/anxiety. One suggestion is to mindfully conjure a feeling of connectedness, bringing to mind someone you feel loved by or a path, person or place where you feel connected. From here it is often easier to find the part of you who cares about waking out of the trance and is able to dis-identify with the fear and step into the Self/Observer which is able to simply be aware of each thought, each emotion, each sensation. Robert Assagioli’s Dis-identification exercise comes to mind:

I have a body, but I am not my body.
I have emotions, but I am not my emotions.
I have a mind, but I am not my mind.
I am a pure centre of awareness, the observer, an impartial witness of all thoughts, feelings and sensations. For a longer version of this see here
You might like to record it onto your phone to have it handy if you need it.

Note: If the fear is trauma related, mindfulness may not be the best route to take.  Mindfulness Meditation can in this case exacerbate the problem and should not be seen as a one-size-fits-all approach.

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Tips for Overcoming Anxiety

Flower essence

Tips for Overcoming Anxiety

By Therese Poon

Deep Breaths & Fresh Air
Sometimes when we’re feeling unwell and symptoms of overwhelming anxiety, nausea, tension and fear arise, we can feel as if we just need to escape ourselves in some way but are trapped in whatever state and thought patterns we’re currently experiencing. One option you might want to try, if logistically possible, is to go outside for a walk (or run) and take very deep and very slow breaths. It may seem simple, but often in those moments, it’s a struggle and difficult to get yourself to do it, so the suggestion is to try practicing these things now, so you can do them later if needed.
By taking deep, slow and controlled breaths the mind, which can feel locked in the head, now begins to journey down and into the chest and hopefully all the way down to the stomach area. For a breath to travel all the way from the nose to the stomach, it has to cover a longer distance and therefore will promote a slower and more full breath, than one that goes from nose to lungs (chest area). So by thinking about filling the stomach with air, instead of the lungs, we now have our mind in our stomach and our “Qi” there too. Massage the Ear
Pressing the top of the ear, along the sides and pulling down on the earlobe can be a great practice to adopt at times when the head is full and you may feel ‘trapped’ inside your own thoughts. Pressing using the index finger and thumb is the strongest way to activate the points along the ear. And pressure needs to be strong and noticeable, to the point of making the ear feel very hot. But not so hard that you cause damage (piercing/bruising etc).  Repeat this pressing motion along the top, side and earlobe to the tip, finishing with pulling quickly on the earlobe, up to 9 times each side.  Then with closed eyes, focus on the sensations around the ears with a slow and steady breath. It’s often hard to explain these types of techniques in writing, so if anyone wants a demonstration or a bit more of an explanation feel free to get in touch and I will happily talk it through in more detail. Bach’s Rescue Remedy Flower Essence
Not strictly Chinese medicine here, but I’ve seen miracles occur from this remedy so I always have a bottle in clinic. In Chinese Medicine terms, Rescue Remedy can help cool the Heart Qi and support the Kidney Qi to recover from getting over-anxious or over-excited. It’s available in most health food stores and you can talk more with the staff there about its effects, uses and contraindications etc…

Of course these are just ideas you can try and if they work for you, that’s great! It may reduce the frequency of anxiety attacks just to know you have a remedy for it. But if it’s very severe or you’re worried about it, always ask for help and support and follow your doctor’s advice.

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A Chinese Medicine Approach to Anxiety

Anxiety 1

A Chinese Medicine Approach to Anxiety

by Warwick Poon

Anxiety in Chinese Medicine is a function of two organs not communicating properly, namely Kidney and Heart.

Heart is the thinking organ. Heart energy is not associated necessarily with heart attacks, in the short term. It has more to do with deep thinking and consciousness. If the Heart energy is too low, then fainting or passing out will occur. If it is too strong, then sleeplessness will result. A balanced Heart energy will result in long term, deep and clear thinking. When it becomes too hot, the deep thinking will begin to enter the area of over-thinking, and the clear thinking will become pinpoint and micro level thinking.

Kidney is the coping organ. When a person needs to cope with a situation, no matter if it is a good situation or a terrible one, it is the Kidney energy that is used to find a healthy balance. Energy patterns are subject to habits and associations, just like the rest of our anatomy. Learning to walk took about a year and a half. But when you could finally walk, habit allowed you to do so, without thinking about it. You just walk. Likewise, when you first encountered a dangerous situation like say a big dog, what you did to survive that, whether it was to pat it, or to run away from it, then that is the action that you tend to adopt for the next few times that you encounter the same type of dog. This forms an emotional habit.

Similar things happen with qi patterns. If you were tired and had a poor sleep the previous night, then you would be likely to have low Kidney energy. So you will attempt to deal with the situation with fear and trepidation. The next time that a similar situation happens, no matter how rested you are, habit will squash the Kidney energy, and you will cope with the new situation in a similar way to the way that you survived it the last time. That is why, when a certain situation reminds you of that first time, the fear resurfaces.

These two organs by themselves will not cause anxiety, but when both are low, they can bring about an unease. When you think about a situation very deeply, whether real or abstract, and then combine that with a lack of ability to cope with the possible outcomes that you imagine, an anxiety arrives. Finally, the ‘coup de grace’ is that the Heart is also in control of the short term memory, and you may forget the original thoughts.

Now you are in a state of anxiety, with fear feeding the over-thinking, and the over-thinking feeding the fear, and you have no memory of why it began. This then gives you no weapons for attacking or controlling this spiraling out of control. In my clinic experience, the most common response is to curl up and try to sleep all day long, in an attempt to strengthen the Kidney energy, and calm down the hot Heart. The second most common response is to try to calm the Heart thinking with drugs of some kind, either self dispensed or pharmaceuticals. These can sometimes unfortunately damage the Kidney energy at the same time as calming the Heart energy. This can put the person at risk of further anxiety in the near future.

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Back in the Mind

Back Pain in the mind

Back in the Mind

By Aine Marron

As explained by Warwick, Kidney and Bladder plus Liver and Gallbladder are the organs most commonly implicated in regard to lower back pain. As most of you know, organs have an emotional job to do as well as a physical. From a mind/body perspective this can mean that the emotional component contributing to back problems includes Fear (Kidney), Stress (Liver) and Decision Making (Gallbladder).

Additionally, Large Intestine which feeds Kidney is implicated and is responsible for discharging both physical and emotional waste – so if you are holding onto a grudge or resentment for instance, this can contribute to Kidney being starved which results in your Fearlessness diminishing. Bladder is a sister organ of Kidney and just as it can “leak” physically, it can also be responsible for emotional leakage……you find yourself not quite being able to control your emotions and saying things you never intended to say out loud. In addition to Decision making Gallbladder also controls Courage and having the strength of your convictions once having made a decision.

So as you can see, there can be quite a few factors contributing to a lower back problem that might help explain why, say gardening or sport, hurts your back one week but not the next!  From simple draughts to stress levels which tighten the muscles and tendons, to the yin/yang balance of the above mentioned organs – there is a lot to consider.

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Avoiding & Supporting Back Pain

Stretch the back

Avoiding and Supporting Back Pain

By Therese Poon

Waist-Deep Baths
As mentioned in Warwick’s article above, it’s good to avoid cold on the lower back whenever possible. If you’ve noticed that your back/waist/legs have been exposed to a lot of cold during the day, it’s a great idea to go home and have a waist deep bath. The reason the waist-deep option is better than a ‘full-body’ bath is so that only the feet, legs, waist and lower back are warmed up and opened and therefore more ‘Qi’ will send it’s attention to those areas.
It’s also very important not to expose the upper body to cold when doing this type of bath, so make sure the room isn’t subject to cold or draughts. This is best as a short remedial type bath rather than a relaxing ‘music, candles and a good book’ type bath. It’s more effective when simply warmed to the point where the skin goes quite pink and still has steam rising from the skin when you remove it from the water. If you let the water get too cold or ‘luke-warm’ it won’t be as effective. Stretching 
The bladder meridian… runs all the way down the back and leg so a great way to keep the Qi supple and moving is to stretch it regularly. The best stretches I’ve found for the bladder meridian are:
‘Childs pose‘ like the position in the picture above.
Calf stretches, by placing a yoga block or just a large/thick book on the floor, placing the ball of the foot on the book and the heel on the ground, then leaning the whole body forward until you feel the stretch on the back of the lower leg (the calf muscle).
Hamstring stretches, by placing the heel of the foot out in front of you on a raised surface (bed, sofa, desk) and then leaning forward until you feel the back of the upper leg/thigh (The hamstring muscle) begin to stretch.
Keep in mind you should never strain your stretches to the point of shaking or causing internal stress, but they do need to be noticeably felt.
Always hold your stretches (statically without bouncing or moving) for a minimum 30 seconds and maximum 3 minutes. And you should always hold each stretch for the same amount of time each side. Otherwise you might feel a little lop-sided afterwards.

These 2 techniques can be done on a regular basis to avoid the possibility of straining the back, but also if you’ve lightly strained it, you can try these 2 techniques to see if they’re able to offer some relief.

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Back Pain according to Chinese Medicine

Back Pain v2

Back Pain according to Chinese Medicine

by Warwick Poon

In the Zang Fu system, back pain is generally considered a Kidney deficiency in Chinese Medicine.  Firstly, the Large Intestine can be nominated as a source of the trouble, as it has the job of feeding energy into the Kidneys. Secondly, it can sometimes start with insomnia, which is going to drain the Kidney energy, leading to Kidney deficiency. If the Kidneys are deficient enough in energy, then lifting something too heavy, or the wrong way can put more strain on the back than the amount of Kidney energy can deal with, and pain will be the outcome.

Another way that we can explain back pain is to use the meridian system.  We understand that the meridians supply the energy to the muscles, tendons and bones that surround them. When a particular meridian is low in energy it is supplying less energy to the surrounding tissues, and they therefore cannot function as well as they should.  The two major meridians that deal with the lower back are the Du or “Governor” meridian, which goes from the tailbone to the top of the head and the Bladder meridian, which runs down either side of the spine . The Liver and Gall Bladder meridians can also effect the lower back to a lesser degree.  One of the most common problems with the back can be the Bladder divergent meridian, which diverges from the main meridian at the neck, and goes deep inside, through the spine area, and then rejoins the normal meridian at the back of the knees.

Sleep builds Kidney energy.  If you have experienced a bad night of sleep, or been working through the wee hours, then the next day you will be more susceptible to a lower back strain so you will need to be more careful about lifting heavy objects.  It’s not uncommon after a bad night to get up and hurt your back simply by getting up the wrong way or twisting in bed the wrong way.  The Large Intestine also feeds the Kidney energy. If you are constipated, then also beware of the strain on the lower back.

And finally, beware of the cold. Cold is an entity in Chinese thought, and it tends to make the body, and the body parts shrink, and tighten up.  This will have the effect of making the meridians’ diameter smaller, and allow less energy to pass through them.  So, when the back is exposed to cold, it will naturally be less able to cope with whatever work is assigned to it, simply because it has less energy flow to apply to it. If you have a delicate back, keep it warm and away from draughts.

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Technology Meets Transpersonal Counselling

Tech Meets Transpersonl Counselling

Technology meets Transpersonal Counselling

By Aine Marron

I like computers and technology and I’m so old I can still remember when they revolutionised the admin world and rendered dull pen and paper work, not to mention the messy handling of carbon paper in typewriters, extinct!  I was convinced that part of their purpose was to make a boring job more fun!  Computers were supposed to save us time and increase communication but I am not totally convinced that they succeeded in these objectives. Companies and individuals need to hire IT experts to ensure smooth operations, there is much talk of the addictive nature of social media actually reducing face to face communication skills and it turns out we will say things in emails or on social media that we would never say to someone’s face, or even in a hand-written letter – so cyber-bullying has become a new source of suffering in Earth school.

Nevertheless, technology has its place in the therapeutic realms. I offer a psychosensory technique called Havening Touch which can alleviate the symptoms of trauma, anxiety, phobias and stress. Based on neuroscience, it raises one’s delta waves and they have now invented a device/app that allows us to measure this process.  I’ve always been a fan of bio-feedback as it helps us identify which of our limited beliefs or negative thought patterns are contributing to symptoms. I’ll be putting one of these machines in my letter to Santa this year!

Last November, I went to an IFS training in Florida and I was inspired by the many therapists I met who work almost 100% online with clients. I’ve taught meditation online but traditionally counselling was thought to require the verbal and non-verbal cues that are best observed by physical presence. However, what I have discovered is that online therapy has many advantages that can help counter-balance this disadvantage. Apart from the obvious carbon neutral convenience of the client attending from the comfort and privacy of their own home or office, I am finding that for some people, the challenge of therapeutic intimacy can be alleviated. Clients have reported that “going inside” can be easier with the therapeutic “witnessing” or “guidance” being offered from a distance. They feel less self-conscious and dis-inhibited. The presence of another human being, however caring, can sometimes inhibit our inner explorations whereas in an online communication, the prompting and witnessing can still occur but it does not disturb the inner-reflective tracking. So Skype or Zoom counselling is a growth industry and I enjoy how it enables me to offer my services Australia-wide and even World-wide. Call me if this is something you think might work for you.

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Common Tech Health Issues

Common Tech Health Issues

Common Tech Health Issues

By Therese Poon

‘Tech Neck’
This term refers to the posture involved in holding your phone in front of you with your neck extended forward, looking down at it for long periods of time. The weight of the head is around 8kg, so all this weight is being held by the neck muscles and over time that can cause strain. To avoid this pain, keep your head up! The best way to do this, whenever possible, is to brace your elbows on a table, bench top or any available platform and hold your mobile in front of you at head height. Tricking the Eyes  
We’ve already mentioned blue lights and how they can affect your sleep in previous articles, but it’s worth mentioning again. The blue light (or even just light coming up towards the face instead of down upon it) can trick the eyes and therefore your ‘Qi’ field into thinking that the sun is coming ‘UP’ and therefore it’s early daylight hours and one must stay awake. Therefore, at night-time, try making the effort to stop using the phone, or turn on a blue light filter. You might also try using more natural lights (like candle-light – obviously, remember never to leave unattended) if you don’t need to be seeing anything clearly.. And finally, if reading, make sure it’s on a surface that doesn’t shine light upwards at you (like many e-readers), but rather use a light that shines down on the surface of the book or an unlit e-reader. Sedentary Lifestyle
It’s so easy to get lost in a TV program, a web search or a computer project where hours tick by before we notice that we’ve been in a single, stationary position for way too long and our body has begun to stiffen or cramp. Regardless of how perfectly ergonomic your furniture and posture are – movement is essential as we are not designed to stay in one position for that long. Here are a few suggestions you might like to try.
1. Try any form of movement – just stand up and stretch, do some torso twists or jumping on the spot. You could take a brief 50 step walk. You coukd use the upstairs bathroom instead of the downstairs powder room – and get the benefit of climbing the stairs.
2.  You might consider investing in a standing desk so that you can continue working in an alternative posture and change it up at regular intervals.
3. If your evening is the sedentary time, perhaps leave the dog-walking until half-way through the evening and break it up that way.
The point is, we can be creative and think ahead how we can restore more movement into our lifestyles. Setting alarms & Habit stacking
Sedentary activities like binge watching or internet surfing lend themselves to mindlessness – and a lack of awareness of time. Hence, we can simply forget to move. With fit bits and phones, the modern trend is to set timer alerts but these can sometimes be tedious and inconvenient, though they are also sometimes very helpful.
Aine, our counsellor advises that we can use existing habits to create new habits and in this way we can do what is good for us – in a more effortless way. This is called Habit Stacking and is based on the neuroscience theory that since things like taking a shower or brewing a cup of tea are deeply embedded in our brains, if we want to start a new habit we simply “stack” it on to an existing habit and by association, it uses the same groove to become a new habit. So saying something like “After I make the tea, I will do 5 sit ups” or “After I watch the news, I will take a short walk or do 10 torso twists”, makes creating a new good habit so much easier!
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Modern Technology and the Traditional Acupuncturist

Modern Tech and the Traditional Acupuncturist

Modern Technology and the Traditional Acupuncturist

by Warwick Poon

Acupuncture is one of the Chinese sciences and is a system of medicine that has been around for three to five centuries.  The system was designed and refined well before the invention of modern medicine, and relies not at all on the technology of today. Within this modality, diagnosis and treatment do not require blood tests, x-rays or digital printouts though the modern practitioner is trained in aspects of Western medicine to enable a better understanding of a diagnosis given by their doctor. One use of technology involves Laser treatments to the acupuncture points and this can be a helpful alternative for children whose points are closer to the skin’s surface and do not require needles to reach them. But for the traditional acupuncturist, technology has little to offer our medicine. Certainly, for those of us who choose to adhere to the more traditional techniques, the view of many is that technology should never dictate a diagnosis.

On the other hand, we live in a world where the smart phone is dominant. It includes a phone, a video recorder, a still camera, a dicta-phone, a note pad, a GPS navigation system, and apps that can do almost anything, including many medical diagnostic tests, such as heartbeat recording and calories burnt. Some can even test blood glucose.

So, what can modern technology do for the traditional acupuncturist?  Well, in my opinion, nothing in terms of diagnosis and treatment. But, there are many other things that a clinic is required to do in the busy world of today. Those of you who have seen me in the city will know that I do all of my note taking in there on my smart-phone.  Intake forms are either electronic or scanned and made electronic, then destroyed once they have been recorded.  The files there are recorded and backed up away from the cloud, and every precaution has been taken to ensure their security, thus preserving privacy.  All receipts are sent via email these days, at both clinics. And now, we are introducing an electronic diary that you can access directly and make your own appointments without even talking or texting us (though this is still, of course, encouraged and will be necessary for appointments with less than a 12 hour lead in). This is one way modern technology is assisting the modern traditional acupuncturist.