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Glossary of Terms

This is a glossary of common terms in Traditional Chinese Medicine excerpted from the book, 7 Times a Woman. If you do not see a term you want defined, please see Appendix B in the book.

Acupuncture (针砭, zhēnbiān, or 针刺, zhēncì) – Refers to inserting tiny needles into specific points in the body called acupuncture points. Acupuncture points (also used for acupressure) are places where energy pools along energy pathways. The greater concentrations of Qi (energy) located at acupuncture points make them more powerful locations to move Qi through the entire channel.

Blood (血, xuè) – In Traditional Chinese Medicine contains the Qi and houses the Spirit. Blood is the physical manifestation of Qi and is inseparable from it. Qi gives life to the Blood, while Blood gives Qi physical form. Blood is moistening and lubricates the sinews and tendons and nourishes the skin and hair.

Jing (Essence) (精, jīng) – The product of what is inherited from the parents and what is taken in from the environment (through eating and breathing). It is stored in the Kidneys but also circulates throughout the body. It is influenced by diet, lifestyle, and herbs. It relates to the individual’s constitution which is possible, yet difficult to alter. Kidney Jing guides our maturation, development, and reproduction. It is the slow, fluid movement of the Kidney Jing that is described in the 7 year cycles women experience.

Meridians (经线, jīngxiàn) – The pathways or circuits of energy flow through the body, also called Channels.

Moxibustion (moxa) (艾炷灸, àizhùjiŭ) – A central therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine, often used with acupuncture during treatment. The leaves of Ai Ye (mugwort) are dried then formed into cones, sticks, or left loose, after which it is called “moxa.” Moxa can be burned directly or indirectly on acupuncture points to warm the meridians and stimulate the flow of Qi.

Qi (气, qì) – Literally translates as “life force energy” or “vital energy.” It is insubstantial. Qi can be felt (and seen by some), but it does not have form. It is what enlivens the body; like electricity that lights up a house. Qi has six functions within the body: transforming, transporting, holding, raising, protecting, and warming.

Shen (神, shén) – The spirit of the Heart and can also be translated as “consciousness.” In TCM, the Heart houses the Mind. It also refers to the overarching spirit of the person. The Heart Shen is the part of a person that is conscious of being and integrates the other spirits of the four other spirits: the Hun, Po, Yi, and Zhi. Imbalance in the Heart causes the Shen to scatter, leading to mental and emotional disturbances.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (中医, zhōngyī) – Often used to describe the standardized traditional medicine of China created by post-revolutionary China. It is also used to describe the broader traditional medicine that evolved in China and Taiwan. Some propose using a broader term such as Traditional Asian Medicine to include Japanese, Korean, and other evolutions of the medicine. TCM relies on acupuncture, moxibustion, qigong, herbal medicine, cupping, gua sha, and massage. In Asian countries it also includes bonesetting and chiropractic adjustments.

Yang (阳, yáng) – Relates to the insubstantial, Qi, the sun, heat, movement, excess, rising, morning, back side of the body. Exists only in relation to Yin.

Yin (阴, yīn)– Relates to substantial, Blood and body fluids, the moon, cold, stillness, deficiency, sinking, evening, front side of the body. Exists only in relation to Yang.

By |2019-03-26T14:29:30+00:00December 30th, 2017|Acupuncture, Nurturing Life Project, Period Care, Second Spring, Sexual Cultivation, Traditional Chinese Medicine|Comments Off on Glossary of Terms
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Tongue Diagnosis

The tongue is a part of the interior of our bodies that we can see. The tongue is slower to change as compared to the pulse. By using both tongue and pulse diagnosis, acupuncturists are able to get a clear picture of a patient’s current state of health, and what what may have gotten him/her there.

Many patients have a combination of patterns occurring at the same time, making real world diagnosis more complicated than the straightforward explanations below. First we will look at the tongue body then the tongue coating.

tongue-normalNormal Tongue
A normal tongue is pink, not too big and not too small, with a very thin white coating.

Tongue Body

tongue-juttingJutting Tongue
This tongue to “v” shaped and juts out forcefully. The tension in the tongue is indicative of the tension held in the body. It is a sign of Liver excess (Liver Qi Stagnation or Fire). Possible symptoms include muscle tension, stress, irritability, depression, and PMS. If the tongue veers to one side this indicates Liver Wind and potentially stroke or convulsions.

tongue-puffyPuffy Tongue
Also known as a enlarged or fat tongue. This indicates Phlegm and is a sign of congestion of body fluids. Phlegm is implicated in many modern diseases including sinus or lung congestion, excess weight, irrational thinking, obsessive thoughts, fatigue, foggy thinking, chronic joint pain, high cholesterol, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and channel blockages.

tongue-smallSmall Tongue
A tongue that is smaller than normal indicates a deficiency of substance in the body, namely Blood Deficiency or Yin Deficiency. Common symptoms include anxiety, restlessness, tinnitis, insomnia, night sweats, and female hormone deficiency.

tongue-scallopedScalloped Tongue
Teeth marks on the sides of the tongue indicates Spleen Qi Deficiency. This can present as weak digestion, food allergies, fatigue, poor muscle tone, a tendency to bruise, low immunity, and organ prolapse.

Assessing Tongue Color

tongue-redRed indicates Heat (inflammation and/or toxicity). Symptoms can include thirst, constipation, irritability, acne, excess hunger, bad breath, strong body odor, and excessive bleeding.

tongue-palePallor indicates Cold or Deficiency (Qi, Blood, and/or Yang). Symptoms may include feeling cold, fatigue, emotional sensitivity, insomnia, lack of physical strength, and knee and low back weakness.

tongue-purplePurple or bluish indicates Blood Stagnation. Physical trauma, longstanding emotional stress, uterine fibroids, heart issues, or other conditions impeding healthy blood circulation. There may be difficulty sleeping, stubborn depression, pain, stiffness, and stuck emotional patterns.

tongue-redtipRed Tip The very tip of the tongue corresponds to the Heart. A red tip indicates Heart Heat, or emotional unrest. This can manifest as stress, anxiety, or insomnia. If the tip has a cleft it indicates longstanding or constitutional tendency towards emotional issues. Petechiae (little red dots) indicate Wind Heat; a cold with fever and yellow phlegm, typically bacterial in origin.

Tongue Coating

tongue-white-coatThick White Coat
A thick tongue coating indicates Dampness. This is a pathological accumulation of fluids associated with digestive impairment. Common signs include weight gain, abdominal bloating, cloudy urination, mucous in the stools, edema, excessive vaginal discharge, poor digestion, and loose stools.

Thin Yellow Coat
The coating is thin, but distinctly yellow. This indicates Heat, either internal (inflammation) or Wind Heat (cold with fever, typically bacterial in origin).

tongue-yellow-coatThick Yellow Coat
The tongue appears heavily coated and yellow. This indicates Damp Heat, the combination of Dampness and Heat (fluid accumulation mixed with inflammation). Commons symptoms include excess weight, feeling hot, anger, Liver/Gallbladder issues, and red weepy skin conditions.

tongue-mirroredScanty or Mirrored Coat
The tongue looks shiny, like liver. This indicates Yin Deficiency and the patient may present with insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, thirst, low back pain, tinnitis, hot flashes, and night sweats.

Common Combination Patterns

tongue-various bigger-words

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By |2019-03-26T14:29:30+00:00December 29th, 2017|Detox, Detoxification, Diagnosis, Nurturing Life Project, Period Care, Postpartum Care, Second Spring, Traditional Chinese Medicine|Comments Off on Tongue Diagnosis
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Basic Grounding Meditation

Daoist tradition plays great emphasis on grounding before embarking on any type of spiritual development such as a meditation practice. This helps avoid two of the primary pitfalls of spiritual development:

  1. Getting spacy, ungrounded, unbalanced, and otherwise incapable of functioning in this world.
  2. Entity attack or influence.

This basic meditation grounds you in your space and connects you to the earth in preparation for deeper practices.

You can also listen to the audio on my podcast below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:26 — 12.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

By |2019-03-26T14:29:31+00:00October 4th, 2017|Daoism, Nurturing Life Project, Podcasts, Weekly Show|Comments Off on Basic Grounding Meditation
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How to Outsmart Heaven, the Daoist Way

When I would get an astrological reading it felt like I was receiving a sentencing. I was told who I was and what was in store with no chance for negotiation. It wasn’t until I began studying Daoism as part of my Chinese medical training, that I was able to embrace it. Ancient Chinese culture also had its rich history of astrology, but being a culture accustomed to adversity, they figured out how to outsmart heaven down to the percentage point.

Daoist master Mantak Chia, well known in the West for his work on Daoist sexual practices, laid out how to mitigate any undesirable shenanigans of the stars during the introduction during his course on Chinese Astrology. He wanted us to understand what our options were before we could feel confined. There are 3 types of luck: Heaven luck, Human luck, and Earth luck.

Heaven luck pertains to the movement of the stars and planets, all of which are beyond our control but constantly exert influence over our lives. The time we are born sets a certain course for our lives, and it is helpful to time our activities to work with the movements of heaven. But, this is only 33% of what happens to us.

Earth luck our physical environment; things like our geography, the quality of our water, etc. Feng shui is the Daoist system to assess and create the most supportive environment for our who we are and what we want to accomplish. Feng shui takes into account your astrology, the astrology of the home, the climate, the flow of the neighborhood, the materials the home is built out of, etc. and offers ways to play up the good and mitigate the bad. This is the second 33% of what happens to you and it is within your free will.

Finally Human luck is your personal development. It is entirely your choice. This is where nutrition, lifestyle choices and self-care choices come into play. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage…all of these build body’s strength. Chinese facial Diagnosis (Mien Shiang) allows us to see our innate gifts and challenges as they evolve in real time. Qigong and tai chi were developed to maximize our Human luck potential. This comprises the final 33%.

So your free will outnumbers your destiny 2 to 1. This is a good thing or a bad thing depending on how proactive you are and how the heavens choose to shine on you.

By |2019-03-26T14:29:31+00:00January 27th, 2017|Daoism, Feng Shui, Nurturing Life Project, Spirituality|Comments Off on How to Outsmart Heaven, the Daoist Way
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Unseasonably Hot Winter and Our Health

Climate change is difficult to grasp or believe in if you are not a climate scientist….unless you are a gardener. Having a garden tunes you in to nature’s cycles. Even a small yard has microclimates. The sun, humidity, and wind are different. Even small fluctuations in sunlight, rain, and temperature triggers a response from plants, and this is magnified if you grow orchids.

Most of us are far removed from these observations. We tune into our devices now. However, even if our minds have grown obvious to these subtle changes, our bodies still respond, just as the plants and all other living things do.

This year we had a cold spell, by Florida standards, for about a week in late November. After this the weather warmed to spring-like temperatures, though it remained dry like the winters are here. One and half months of warm weather and the plants are furiously putting out flowers and new growth.

We skipped winter, the time we hibernate, turn inward, and contemplate. It is the time wisdom is cultivated and our bodies concentrate deep reserves. These reserves will be the fuel for the explosion of growth in the spring. This is easy to see in the orchids. The deciduous dendrobiums (shí  hú, 石斛) fill their thick pseudobulbs (stems) with the bountiful rain, sunlight, and food offered them during the spring and summer monsoons of their native habitats. Then they turn inward during the autumn and winter when the land becomes dry and cold. They shed their leaves and look lifeless. As the weather warms they come back to life with a profusion of flowers. Any disruption of temperature, light, or humidity and they cease to bloom and develop.

I looked in my backyard and the dendrobiums and phalaenopsis are in full bud, something that should not be happening until at least February.

phalaenopsisbud

Phalaenopsis in bud in early January.

dendrobium_bud

Nobile dendrobium in bud in early January.

dendrobium_newgrowth

New spring-like growth in nobile dendrobium.

 

What is happening to my orchids is also happening to us. I predict that our wood element will lack fuel for full expansion in the spring and we will need to supplement. In the meantime our water metabolism is being interrupted.

Earth Overacting on Water (土乘水)

“When late summer overacts in winter, the spleen/Earth element will overact on the kidneys/Water element.” – Huangdi Neijing Chapter 4

When earth overacts on water, water does not flow and gets backed up. (Think stagnant swamp.) Fungi and bacteria thrive. We call this spleen dampness in Chinese medicine where the spleens function to transform and transport our food and drink into useful fuel is impaired. We become lethargic, retain water, and don’t digest our food and drink. Pathogens that thrive in warm, sticky environments such as parasites can take root. The urinary tract (water element organs) will be particularly vulnerable to infection and dysfunction. Florida is a swamp and there is already a year-round tendency to dampness, it will just be more pronounced this season. To counteract this you can do the following:

Diet: Eat easy to digest, simple foods without a lot of spice or complexity. Favor cooked foods with small portions of raw pungent foods at every meal like daikon radish, arugula, and mustard greens. Bitter-tasting food and drink are highly effective to combat dampness, such as lettuce, endives, watercress, bitter melon, ginger tea, and green tea. Avoid fried foods, sugar, salt, and alcohol.

Feng Shui: To control excessive earth, add wood element to control it. Display objects made out of wood in your home and plants, and wear greens. You can also drain earth by increasing your metal. Keep your space organized, minimize clutter, and wear simple, light-colored clothing. Avoid yellows and earth tones.

Your animals will be likewise affected and will benefit from similar changes in diet and lifestyle. You will want to step up fungus prevention in your plants, particularly your orchids, with neem oil or other anti-fungals.

For more on how to stay healthy year-round see my book 7 Times a Woman.

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By |2019-03-26T14:29:31+00:00January 2nd, 2017|Nurturing Life Project, Traditional Chinese Medicine|Comments Off on Unseasonably Hot Winter and Our Health
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Heal Blood Deficiency with Chinese Medicine Diet and Lifestyle

BLOOD IN CHINESE MEDICINE?
Blood (血 xuè) encompass the Western concept of the word and much more. Blood and Qi are as inseparable and interconnected as Yin and Yang. Qi moves and directs the flow of Blood, while Blood provides substance through which Qi can move and nourishes the organs that produce Qi.

Functions of Blood in TCM:

  1. Houses the Shen. Shen is often translated as “spirit” but it also encompasses the concept of “mind” and “consciousness”. If Blood is deficient the Shen “has no home” and becomes scattered and disordered. This explains why patients with Blood deficiency often feel mentally scattered, have difficulty focusing or remembering, feel emotionally vulnerable, anxious, timid, are easily frightened, suffer from palpitations, and have trouble sleeping. (If Blood is stagnant, as often happens after trauma, it also has mental/emotional ramifications: depression, severe insomnia).
  2. Moistens Organs, Tissue, and Meridians. Healthy Blood gives our skin a rosy glow, provides luster and life to our hair, and gives us strong nails. Blood deficiency is implicated in many skin issues that have symptoms of dryness, itching, and pallor. Healthy Blood lubricates our tendons and muscles. Chronic tension and stiffness is a sign of Blood deficiency. Blood nourishes the eyes. Deficient Blood causes blurred vision and other vision issues.
  3. Allows For Sensation and Movement. Localized blood deficiency can lead to a lack of sensation and function such as numbness or atrophy.
  4. Anchors Qi. The moist substance of Blood keeps Qi from moving upward recklessly as in some cases of headaches and tinnitis.
  5. Menstruation. Healthy shows itself in normal menstrual blood that is red and of medium volume. Symptoms of Blood deficiency include delayed period (body takes a long time to build up the uterine lining), pale blood, and scanty volume.

WHAT WEAKENS BLOOD?

  • Excessive mental work and stress.
  • Excessive or pathological bleeding such as internal bleeding or heavy periods.
  • Qi deficiency.
  • Caretaking.

DIET TO STRENGTHEN QI
There is an old Chinese saying that it takes “40 parts of Qi to make 1 part of Blood”. Building Blood takes more time and requires high protein foods. The best foods to build blood are animal products: liver (or desiccated liver pills), chicken, and bone marrow broth. Chlorophyll-rich greens are very important. Vegetarians will take a little longer and are more dependent on Chinese herbs. Try to eat organic as much as possible. MacClean and Littleton recommend a diet of 30-40% carbohydrates, 40-50% vegetables, and 20-30% protein.

Specific foods to strengthen Blood: liver, eggs, chicken, beef, bone marrow, bone broth, pork trotters, oyster, mussel, tempeh, miso, quinoa, rice, beans and legumes (especially black beans), carrots, beets, go ji berries, longan berries, mulberries, jujube dates, black sesame seed, wheatgrass, blue-green algae, spinach, kale, collards, swiss chard, dill, cilantro, parsley, dark beer (small quantities).

Avoid or limit: excessive raw food, chemicals, refined food.

LIFESTYLE TO STRENGTHEN BLOOD

  • Rest during menstruation and postpartum.
  • Balance self-care with nurturing others.
  • Balance activity with rest. Sleep an extra hour after a tough workout or a hard day.
  • Practice meditation, qigong/taichi, or other stress-relieving activity.

TIMES WHEN BLOOD IS WEAKENED

  • Women during menses, postpartum, and menopause.
  • After a period of blood loss.
  • Periods of stress and extreme mental exertion.

For more information on Blood and how you can improve your health check out my books 7 Times a Woman and The Postpartum Recovery Program.

 

 

By |2019-03-26T14:29:31+00:00June 20th, 2016|Acupuncture, Diagnosis, Nurturing Life Project, Traditional Chinese Medicine|Comments Off on Heal Blood Deficiency with Chinese Medicine Diet and Lifestyle
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Heal Qi Deficiency with Chinese Medicine Diet and Lifestyle

From 7 Times a Woman and Clinical Handbook of Internal Medicine; Volume 2:

WHAT IS QI?
Qì 气(氣) is the energy that animates our bodies and all of life. Qi is a difficult concept for Westerners to grasp and has been further confused by changes in language. You may see Qi spelled “chi” which is from an older romanization of Chinese characters created by Western missionaries called Wade-Giles. In the 1950’s Zhou Youguang created the official romanization of Chinese used today. In Japanese it is pronounced “ki”.

The concept of Qi may be foreign to modern life, but is similar to the understanding of energy in many cultures. For example, we find the concept of prana in Hinduism, mana in native Hawaiian culture, axé in Candomblé, and lüng in Tibetan Buddhism.

The Chinese character is made of two radicals:

  • 米 (mǐ) = rice
  • 气 (qi) = air/steam

acupuncture model 1

The visual of steam emanating from cooked rise gives us a clear  picture of Qi; it is insubstantial, it transforms, it is hot, and like rice in ancient China, it is vital to life. Qi is present everywhere in our bodies and the world around us. In our bodies, there are concentrated pathways of Qi (rivers of energy) known as meridians. It is easier to access and affect the way Qi flows in the body by stimulating these meridians. This is the basis for acupuncture, qigong/taichi, and Chinese masssage.

In the body Qi performs 6 major functions:

  1. Transforms Substances. For example, Qi transforms food and air into usable fuel in the body, unusable substances into urine, and Qi into Blood. Weak Qi means weak digestion and an inability to draw nurturing from the environment. It causes Blood deficiency and other weaknesses.
  2. Transports Substances. For example, Qi transports vital nutrients extracted from food and blood from the heart to the uterus for menstruation. When Qi is weak it can cause stagnation and blockage because there is not enough Qi to move substances.
  3. Protects the Body. Qi circulates on the surface of the skin, protecting the body from external invasion of pathogens. Weak Qi means weak immunity.
  4. Holds in Substance. Qi holds in body fluids like keeping blood in the blood vessels, urine in the bladder, and sweat from seeping out indiscriminately. Weak Qi can allow substances to come out excessively or at inappropriate times such as spotting or early menses, urinary incontinence, spider veins, and spontaneous sweating.
  5. Raises the Organs and Tissue. Qi keeps the skin and organs raised up in their proper place. Weak Qi can cause conditions such as uterine prolapse or sagging skin.
  6. Warms the Body. Qi is a function of Yang, and provides the heat necessary for the bodies functions. Weak Qi can manifest as coldness.

WHAT WEAKENS QI?

  • Too much physical work or working out. Long stretches of cardio particularly weaken Qi. If you feel exhausted rather than exhilarated after a workout you have depleted your Qi.
  • Overthinking, worrying, ruminating, researching, and studying exhaust Qi.
  • Poor or inappropriate diet. The decreasing quality of our food supply (GMOs, pollution, etc.) has a negative effect of everyone’s Qi, but certain people will be more susceptible.
  • Stress.

DIET TO STRENGTHEN QI
To strengthen Qi eat simple, uncomplicated meals and favor long cooking times. Congee, porridge, stew, broth, and soup all break down food and make it easier to digest, requiring less effort by the body to extract nutrients. This is why traditional cultures recommend soup for people when they are sick. Limit raw foods as they require more Qi to break down. Eat smaller meals and eat at regular times. Do not allow yourself to go hungry. Avoid drinks other than tea with meals. MacClean and Littleton recommend a diet of 40-60% carbohydrates, 30-40% vegetables, and 10-20% protein.

Specific foods to strengthen Qi: rice, oats, yams, sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash, pumpkin, peas, green beans, cooked fruit, eggs, most meat and fish (chicken, beef, lamb, tuna). Use cooking spices such as onions, ginger, garlic, clove, etc. Incorporate small amounts of complex natural sweeteners such as honey (though most Americans already eat too many sweet foods).

Avoid or limit: raw fruits and vegetables, soy products, seaweed, salt, brown rice, excessive sweets, dairy, nuts.

LIFESTYLE TO STRENGTHEN QI

  • Eat regular meals.
  • Go to bed by 10pm.
  • Be more active and eat bigger meals in the morning and early afternoon. Practice relaxation and rest in late afternoon and evening. Don’t eat past 7pm.
  • Balance activity with rest. Sleep an extra hour after a tough workout or a hard day.
  • Practice qigong or taichi.
  • Spend time in nature.

TIMES WHEN QI IS WEAKENED

  • Before the age of 6 and after menopause/andropause.
  • During illness.
  • Periods of stress and extreme mental or physical exertion.
  • Women after childbirth and during menses.
  • Men after orgasm.

For more information on Qi and how you can improve your health check out my books 7 Times a Woman and The Postpartum Recovery Program.

 

By |2019-03-26T14:29:31+00:00June 18th, 2016|Acupuncture, Diagnosis, Nurturing Life Project, Traditional Chinese Medicine|Comments Off on Heal Qi Deficiency with Chinese Medicine Diet and Lifestyle
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Growing Bare Root Orchids: An Organic Experiment

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis hybrid

I admit I was a little sad to wake up this morning to one single (albeit beautiful) flowering orchid after we attended the Redlands Orchid Festival yesterday. She was a phalaenopsis hybrid that was too good a deal to pass up. After the Tamiami Orchid Show, Dr. Judith Andrews and I came home with a dozen flowering plants. This time we knew the plants we wanted and that we could get a lot more of them if we purchased bare root plants.

AeridesOdorata

Aerides odorata with new root growth and flower spike.

Bare root plants are usually found in bins at orchid shows for a steal compared to the price if they were potted. They look half dead and unappealing, but with a little TLC they spring back to life. The above Aerides was a bare root cutting I purchased 2 months ago from Robert Palmer Nursery. Even after being abused (I put her in high sun and burned her leaves) she has significant new root growth and a flower spike.

We went to the show with a plan: better plants, long term blooming, and more of them. The problem is, bare rooted plants don’t always thrive. I have already learned to repot every orchid I acquire. For phalaenopsis and paphiopediliums I use fine coconut fiber, fine orchid fir bark, stalite, and sponge rock. For cattleyas, oncidiums, and dendrobiums I use a mix of stalite, sponge rock, coconut chips & charcoal. I have nearly lost  several plants after believing vendors who say,”You don’t have to worry about repotting for 1-2 years.” That may be true in other climates, but in South Florida (or any wet climate) sphagnum moss or regular tree bark can turn orchid roots to mush in a matter of weeks. Orchid vendors pot their orchids to endure neglect and survive, not to thrive in home orchid collections.

Southwest Florida Orchid Society president Barb Murza advised us on how to treat bare root orchids. She explained that they have been through a lot of abuse. They have been shipped from other countries and jostled around. They endure cuts and broken roots leaving them wide open for fungal infections that can wipe them out. She recommends treatment with a systemic fungicide such as Aliete. Further, many successful growers soak any orchid they are repotting (bare root or established) and their growing media in a combination of fungicide, Super Thrive, and fertilizer.

We are growing many of our orchids as medicine so this is not an option. We substituted an organic neem oil-based 3-in-1 fungicide, miticide, and insecticide we use on our fruit trees. We added this to a gallon of water. We then added Super Thrive and the orchid food we are currently using. We soaked each orchid before we mounted or potted them, then we immersed the full pots in the solution after planting. Let’s see how it goes.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at these newly mounted/potted plants, but these are some of the showiest bloomers in the orchid world:

DendrobiumsMounted

Dendrobium chrysanthum, Dendrobium officinale, and Rhynchorides bangkok sunset.

DChrysotoxum

Dendrobium chrysotoxum

Cattleya

Large bloom cattleya hybrid.

Dendrobiums

D. chryseum, D. farmeri, D. hancockii, D. lawesii, D. hancockii, D. fimbriatum, D. thyrsiflorum.

DAphyllum

Dendrobium aphyllum

BroughtoniaNegrilensis

Broughtonia negrilensis

 

By |2019-03-26T14:29:32+00:00May 15th, 2016|Chinese Herbs, Dr. Judith, Feng Shui, Nurturing Life Project, Plants, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Growing Bare Root Orchids: An Organic Experiment
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What Not to Do with Orchids; Dendrobium Anosmum & Dendrobium Phalaenopsis

Some of my favorite orchids are the cascading dendrobiums of the dendrobium, callista, and phalaenopsis sub groups. These display true Fire (startling and fun) and Water (drama and romance) qualities. I began growing orchids last October and I want to share my mistakes so others can avoid them.

Mistake #1: Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Doesn’t Like Cold!

I assumed all dendrobiums could handle the minor cold in southwest Florida. However, this is not true for D. phalaenopsis. These hybrids use plants growing in Australia and Papua New Guinea where temperatures do not get below 50-55° F. I am unclear whether or not I have a Dendrobium biggibum which is even less cold tolerant (min 60°) and looks almost identical.

I left my poor plant outside in the cold this winter (it dipped down to 40°). She lost all her leaves. This year she sent up 1 new shoot and a keiki (from the stress).

Dendrobium Phalaenopsis

I have 2 other D. phalaenopsis that wintered indoors because they were flowering. They have 2-3 new growths and no keikis. However, they have started to lose their leaves on the old stalks anyways. Apparently this is what happens. This plant does not grow into a specimen plant.

Dendrobium Phalaenopsis

Mistake #2: Do Not Allow the Stems of Dendrobium Anosmum to Sunburn or the Stems Will Die

I was very upset to see that one of my favorite plants, a D. anosmum with lovely lavender flowers looked near death. Experts at the Southwest Florida Orchid Society questioned watering, sun, and media, but I couldn’t figure it out. I observed them more intensively and it finally dawned on me what I had done. I mistakenly placed my Dendrobium anosmums in almost full sun this winter because that is what my Dendrobium nobile and lindleyi seemed to like. I then moved them to the area we grow our cattleyas in the spring.  The plants flowered but then showed signs of stress. The first picture shows a D. anosmum var. alba I purchased already flowering that I never put in full sun. It has both strong growth from the base and keikis. This is my healthy model.

DAnosmum2

The second picture shows a lavender variety D. anosmum. All her stems were sunburned. They yellowed, shriveled at the base, and stopped supporting growth at the ends. There is no new growth yet, but a desperate profusion of keikis.

DAnosmum4DAnosmum6

The third picture shows another D. anosmum var. alba (I think they are more rigorous). The stem that was sunburnt dropped its buds and produced keikis. The stem that wasn’t flowered well and then sprouted new growth from the root close to that stem.

DAnosmum1

According to culture sheets these also do not like to get below 50°, although that did not affect flowering or health on unburnt stems. I am attempting to rehabilitate my beloved plant. Hopefully this saves other plants out there from the same fate.

 

By |2019-03-26T14:29:32+00:00May 11th, 2016|Chinese Herbs, Feng Shui, Nurturing Life Project|Comments Off on What Not to Do with Orchids; Dendrobium Anosmum & Dendrobium Phalaenopsis
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Spring Cleaning; Diet and Lifestyle for the Spring Season

Chinese medicine scholar Lorraine Wilcox reminded us that yesterday, February 4, 2016 was the first day of spring, or Lì Chūn 立春. Chinese medicine tells us that if we adjust our diet and lifestyle to each season we increase our health and prevent disease. Spring is the season of the Wood element and the liver and gallbladder organs. It is the perfect time for “spring cleaning”, detoxification, being outdoors, and starting new projects.

Signs of a Healthy liver/gallbladder organ system = compassion, decisiveness, flexibility, courage, regularity

Signs of an Imbalanced liver/gallbladder organ system = anger, depression, trouble making decisions, stiffness, feeling stuck, irregular digestion, hormonal imbalances

If you wood element is strong, following this advice during spring will help you stay that way. If your wood element is imbalanced this is the perfect time to heal it.

SPRING LIFESTYLE

  • Weather is warm and windy.
  • Rising and expansion.
  • New projects.
  • Move more. Eat less.
  • Get up early, go to bed later.
  • Cleansing, especially liver and gallbladder.

Chapter 2 of the Huangdi Neijing Suwen (trans. Unschuld) states:
“The three months of spring,
they denote spreading and display.
Heaven and earth together generate life:
the myriad beings flourish.”

[Spring is a time of expansion and growth]

“Go to rest late at night and rise early.
Move through the courtyard with long strides.
Dishevel the hair and relax physical appearance,
thereby cause the mind to orient itself on life.”[Wood energy is athletic, active, and on the move. Let yourself get messy.]

“Give life and do not kill.
Give and do not take.
Reward and do not punish.
This is correspondence with the qi of spring and
it is the Way to nourish life.”[Generosity and compassion are the positive qualities of the Wood element, and expressing these character traits benefits our liver and gallbladder system.]

“Opposing it harms the liver.
In summer, this causes changes to cold, and
there is little to support growth.”[When we do not expand and growth; express compassion and generosity during the spring we fail to nurture our wood element. We weaken  our liver and gallbladder systems. This means there is no wood to feed the fire element of summer and sets us up for imbalance in the next season.]

DIETpeasprouts

  • Shorter cooking times
  • Raw, lightly steamed
  • Fresh greens
  • Sprouts
  • Limit heavy, salty foods
  • Pungent herbs

Light foods and a plant-based diet are perfect for spring. Include young foods such as new potatoes and immature beets and carrots. Herb/foods such as milk thistle, dandelion greens and roots, and burdock root are especially helpful to cleanse the liver. Make sure to add a little pungent flavor like mustard greens, mint, onions, and broccoli.

By |2019-03-26T14:29:32+00:00February 5th, 2016|Beauty, Detoxification, Nurturing Life Project, Traditional Chinese Medicine|Comments Off on Spring Cleaning; Diet and Lifestyle for the Spring Season
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