Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: August, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #6
There is a famous Chinese poem created in the 7th century China. The famous part of the poem reads:
Years after years, age after age, flowers look alike.
Age after age, years after years, man is never the same.*
年年歳歳花相似
歳歳年年人不同
劉廷芝『代悲白頭翁』
*My own translation.
Flowers bloom the same way every year, but a person who looks at them is not. Man is transient and not everlasting. The poem has a tone of lovely sweetness and beauty contrasted with the uncertainty of human conditions. It has an undertone of the ominous.
Perhaps, people adore the poem because of its ambiance of sweetness. We cling to the hope rather than an uncertain doom.

Human mind is never certain. Along with happiness and joy, we carry the fear of uncertainty. Anger, fear, and love are, therefore, inseparable. We cannot define and understand the human mind, but we feel the emotions to empathize with a person. May it be your loved one, a partner, a friend, or a total stranger, we can certainly try and console.
As I mentioned in the past newsletters, ancient Chinese left nothing in understanding human ailments. They knew from the very start that a certain emotion created an illness. 2000 years ago, they knew what emotion would manifest as what illness and where in the body system. Above all, they knew how to treat it.
For example, there are acupuncture points named specifically for the sadness, the will, the anger and the soul, the worry (or over-thinking) and the intelligence, and the spirit (mental and emotional). Another is the Gate (門) point. All the Gate points named the Spirit (神) are important in psychological and psychosomatic healings. Additionally, there are quite a few points named the Devil* that take care of special and unusual situations and therefore are important even though they are not often used.
*Devil (鬼) point is either an unique name or an additional name to a certain point. The name is not commonly used today but is in the ancient texts.
Readers who read my past newsletters would know that the Will is the Kidney Element and is the base of the action when the Liver Element activates the excitement. Anger turns to the Soul, the Soul leads to the destiny. The Soul manifests as respect and confidence which are the Heart Element, and when the Intention in the Heart Element merges with the destiny, the purpose takes over, and one is on the way to self-actualization, knowing who he really is ("I Am").
What happens if one Element is weak or sick, and how does the imbalance affect the body and the psych? To explain, I need to talk briefly about the notion of the Five Element. For now, I want readers to understand that the Kidney Element is the mother of the Liver. The Liver Element is, therefore, the son. Liver Element is the mother of the Heart. The Heart Element is, therefore, the son.
I start from the Kidney Element. The kidneys have a very close relationship with the heart. Arrhythmia, for example, immediately affects the kidney function, or any kidney failure affects the heart conversely. There are many reasons for arrhythmia, and one of them is the stress. Excessive stress causes the blood acidic level to rise up, affecting the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system. The adrenal system is particularly affected since it is responsible in regulating the stress related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
When arrhythmia happens, its energetic immediately manifests on the left arm at PC-4 (Pericardium point named Xi-Men: = Xi-Cleft Gate: on the flexor aspect of the forearm, about three fingers width distal to the crease of the elbow, a Japanese point) and travels to PC-6 (Nei Guan = Inner Pass: guan also means the Gate: on the flexor aspect of he forearm, about an inch and a half proximal to the crease of the wrist), and immediately flips and transfers to SJ-5 (Wei Guan = Outer Pass: exactly opposite side of PC-6 on the forearm), then runs through the San Jiao channel as electric sensation. In this case, one must immediately open the first Gate, HT-7 (Shen Men = God or Spirit Gate: at the wrist joint, the proximal border of the pisiform bone), to restore the irregular Qi flow and to calm the Qi and the mind. For irregular pulse, HT-4 (Ling Dao = Spirit Pathway: at the radial side of the tendon, about one inch proximal to HT-7) is also a good
point. The difference between the two is that when acute, HT-7 is better, and for a regulation of the heart beat, HT-4 works well. In addition, a combination of PC and SJ points or a combination of PC and Sp points is highly recommended.
Once the energetic goes through the left arm, it enters the body and manifests at around Du-11 on the back (Shen Dao = God or Spirit Pathway: at the fifth thoracic vertebra). If one were to chase the energetic with acupuncture, he will end up at Ren-14 (Ju Que = Great Gateway: on the midline of the abdomen, slightly inferior to the apex of the xiphoid process)* Therefore, if one were to prevent arrhythmia and other heart ailments, Ren-14 becomes an important point.
*Of course, not all symptoms follow the course, but I think this is a very good example of how a certain energy runs through our body. Notice that all the names indicated here have either Gate, Pathway, or Gateway. Chasing it with acupuncture following the course is very interesting.
Arrhythmia is scary, and fear is the Kidney Element. Fear will directly attack the joy of Heart Element, and once the joy is displaced with fear, the mind is disturbed. Kidney is the mother of the Liver. When the Liver is weakened, its anger or depression element further aggravates the mind. If one is weak minded, manic may set in, throwing all emotions out of balance. In Oriental Medicine, this is called the Shen (Spirit) Disturbance. If the neurosis is due to the weak heart, it gives oily sweat on the palm of the hands (where Pericardium and Heart channels run).
When the autonomic nervous system is in imbalance, one becomes more fearful and frightened by a sudden sound or even a negative word. He may have weird, fiery, or scary dreams. Anxiety makes him act more agitatedly and nervously and starts to worry everything in the daily life.*
*Whether you agree or not, I am just giving one sample assessment.
To restore the mind (the Spirit), one must treat the autonomic nervous and adrenal systems. I write how to do so in the next newsletter.

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: July, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #5
As I explained that if the Liver Element were to have a meaning, anger must turn to the exact opposite emotion such as excitement. Only then, one is ready to transform the element to the next stage, which is the Heart Element where love resides.* We know anger destroys love, and so does fear (the Kidney Element). Many relations get stuck in the negative emotions because they are easy to congeal and cloud our minds. We are not really trained to deal with them either. In many situations, we learn, rather forcefully, through a case-by-case situation. Learning and coping with anger and fear come from experience. It takes some imaginations to transform anger into excitement, a leap of faith, so to speak. If one is not capable of the transformation, he feels destitute, and depression takes over since he cannot reach out to love. I must remind you that depression is very much a component of the Liver Element, too. The difference between anger and
depression is that anger is a stronger emotion, going mostly outward, and depression is a heavier emotion, and mostly sinking and going inward (or, anger could be Liv Excess and depression could be Liv Deficient).
If we examine anger, fear, and love, the Three represents the trigram of emotions. They are inseparable. Fear is an anticipation of loss, especially of love, and the loss of love creates anger or despair. But, love does not come about unless there are hope and excitement. The reason why love is so hard to reach is that, for most of us, the heart is the chamber of the most inner feelings of our consciousness. It is the most private sanctuary of our emotions. If exposed, we feel vulnerable. We all are expert in shutting down the Gate to the heart, and it is never to be pried open. It is the realm that no one touches. Since it is the core center of self, it must be maintained by the stability and the continuity.
Unlike the Liver Element that is easy to be agitated (like the wind), the Heart Element must be stable. This is true in physiology of the heart. In order for the heart to function well, it must keep the beat steady. Although it is constantly moving (the Yang element), it must be always cool (the Yin element) to maintain not only the body temperature but emotions as well. The brain functions in the similar manner. If there is heat in the brain, for example, in a case of meningitis, high fever, severe headache, confusion, etc. may occur. If there is heat in the heart, it may cause stroke or mania.
I mentioned about the Small Heart within the Heart, which carries the Intention (Yi = 意).
This Intention is more private than the Intention that resides in the Spleen (the Earth Element*). It is the consciousness of most inner feelings as in the longing for love. When the Heart is in balance and is harmonious with the Yin and the Yang, it connects with the mind and asserts itself with self-confidence. The Intention becomes purpose, and the purpose becomes action. The consciousness (or the subconsciousness) of the Heart Element leads to the self-actualization and to one's destiny. This is the realm of "I am."
Hypnosis is nothing more than making a false statement into truthful. Whenever we say, "I am," the subconsciousness has no other choice but to make you "WHO YOU ARE." What is impossible becomes possible. The Intention becomes the manifestation. There is one trick in attaining the goal. You must ALWAYS address in the present tense, and not in the future tense. "I Will Be" never work: always "I AM."
Anger, fear, arrogance, and ignorance are the pass to the wrong side. They make you not to see the potential. Unfortunately, many of us listen to the brain (analytical/Yang) more than the heart (intuition/Yin). How often do we hear sentences like "I do not have time," "I don't have money," or "I'm not good enough," and refrain from our heart's desire? Caroline Myss thinks it is because the communication between the heart and the brain is blocked by the will that resides in the throat. The heart intention is blocked up at the throat and does not connect with the mind (therefore, words do not come out). I mentioned about the similarity of the brain and the heart above, but the brain's thought and the Intention of the Heart are often times polar opposite. Both must connect, and the only way to do so is to get into our subconscious mind.
How do we get into the subconscious mind by acupuncture. How do we place the Intention back to the Heart? How do we open the Gate for the Heart? These are the goals of my next newsletter.

*Love is a broad subject and is subjective, and I do not wish to discourse here. For now, let me place love in the Heart Element.
*Earth Element: belongs to the Spleen where the Intention and the Worry reside
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 1, No. 17: July, 2008
In The Beginning
When our ancestor did not have technical knowledge to observe and understand a human body, they relied on empirical observations of the external manifestation to infer the functions of organs within. They were apt to grasp the nature, or, the Intention* and the manifestation of diseases, and they perfected the observation of the exterior and the insight to the interior. They emphasized the human body as a whole to the relationship with the natural phenomena they experienced; such as day and night, light and dark, hot and cold, four seasons, etc. By regarding a human body as the small universe* (therefore, a part of the Universe), astronomy and Ba Gua were further refined to incorporate physics and mathematics. By applying and establishing laws, they strived to attain the fundamental truth that transcended time (The Tai Qi). To the day, the fundamentals of Oriental Medicine have not changed over millenniums.
*Intention: Yi (意)
*Small Universe: we are made of atoms that are constantly vibrating (the energy).

Most Commonly Asked Question
Everyone asks me if a particular symptom is treatable by acupuncture. To this, my answer is 99.9%, yes. I cannot think of a single symptom which acupuncture cannot treat. If we treat the body as a whole and bring everything in balance (homeostatic balance), then every possible symptom can be treated. It means by treating all major organs, namely, the Liver, the Heart, the Spleen, the Lungs, and the Kidneys, all diseases could be treated (or, one might say, all disease are the results of imbalance with the five organs). This is called the Tai Qi Treatment. Millions of diseases are deduced to the five elements, then to the Three*, then to Yin and Yang, and finally the Tai Qi (Oneness). This fundamental approach has not changed for millenniums.
Therefore, I do not like the idea of specialization in acupuncture. Specialization is a western idea, and it is against the spirit of ancient Chinese who established and perfected acupuncture 2000 years ago.
Consequently, I do not use fancy equipments. I believe in basic treatment with needles (Yin) and moxa (Yang). My mentor once told me that if there was pain, then it was not acupuncture. My treatment is very comfortable, and most of my patients fall asleep.
*The Three: could be interpreted as the Heaven, the Earth, and the Man, or the Liver, the Kidneys, and the Spleen, or the Upper (Jiao), the Middle, and the Lower, etc.
Western Medicine And Oriental Medicine
In western medicine, there are too many names for disease or symptoms that do not have cures. I will be very much ashamed of myself when I discover a new disease and name it Frank Aoi Disease, if I do not know the cure. For example, the restless leg syndrome or the fibromyalgia. The causes of the symptoms are unknown, yet doctors will prescribe you pain killer drugs (just because they have names). My MD used to say that fibromyalga is in the head. But the symptom is real. We need to address more on a treatment.
On the contrary, Ancient Chinese treated all diseases without fancy names. They had general terms and they paid more attention on treatment than discovery. They strived to treat no matter how weird and strange a disease may be. If you have a modern disease, most likely, ancient Chinese had already treated it 2000 years ago ("been there, done that"). Of course, western medicine excels in many areas of medicine. But it is time to reexamine the benefits of oriental medicine, and a good doctor should know the two disciplines well.

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: June, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #4
In my past few newsletters, I have been mentioning about the transition of Liver elements. For example, I mentioned about a transition with the Five Element or one Chakra to the other. Each transition must happen to complete the cycle of being a human. I also mentioned about a Smaller Heart within the Heart which contains the Intention (Yi).
Explained simply, when anger, the Liver element, turns to excitement, the Soul manifests, and it becomes the destiny. For the Soul to take place, the excitement must be acted. The action is helped by the Will which is the Kidney element. Will is the mother of action. Once the action becomes the destiny, it radiates and creates respect and confidence which are the Heart element. Now the Intention(Yi) has the purpose. It transforms to the realm of "I think therefore I am." Self-actualization happens and one is on the right course of destiny.
How does acupuncture actually heal a person to help synchronize the transition? I am presenting one of the ways to harmonize emotions below. If it reads highly technical to some, I apologize. However, the process is highly intuitive and you do not need the knowledge to interfere with your experience (Remember? Do not think in the brain-last newsletter). Part of it, I already presented in the Simple Thing You Can Do For Your Health No. 16.
Psychosomatic Healing With Acupuncture Points
Goal:
There are three Dantiens. Wellknown one is at the about one inch below the navel. Any marshal artist would know that this is the center of the force, the Qi.
However, there are two more. One is the Brain and the other is Ren-17 (the Receiver of Emotion). In order to heal a person, the three Dantiens must be balanced and harmonized. Once this is done, the Ren energy flows downward. The Ren and Du energies flow in one complete circle. (Regular flow of the Ren energetic is upward to meet with Du).
Heart has a direct connection with the uterus. Ancient Chinese called it the Bao Mai (the pulse of Heart/Uterus connection). Heart has a Smaller Heart inside which carries the Intention (Yi). When the Intention (Yi) goes out from the Smaller Heart, the problem manifests as palpitation or other heart ailments and reflects at Ren-9. Ren-9 is the Water Point, but it is also called the Carrier of Sadness. Emotional problems show up here as tenderness upon palpation. It is the Bao Luo (the energy line of Heart/Uterus connection) connecting area. It is also connecting with the lumbar sacrum area.
Ren-17 is called the Receiver of Emotion. Any tenderness here at the fourth intercostals between the nipples indicates emotional distress. All emotions go to the point.
Yin Wei Mai (an extra meridian line) connects with Ren-22. It connects with Ren-17 and all the other Ren points. Importantly, it opens Du-20 at the apex of the head and dissipates fear.
Cong Mai (an another extra meridian line) runs through Ren-21. Ren-21 is called the Sextant, an instrument to measure the angles of stars for navigation. Its objective is to balance Ren-17 and Ren-6 in harmony.
Yin Tang, the Third Eyes, opens all the gates in the body (in acupuncture, there are 36 points named Gate where illness come and go). It is the upper Dantien. Since it is the upper, it balances the Middle (Ren-17) and the Lower (Ren-6).
Once the Ren energy starts to flow downward, fear is dissipated and the three Dantiens are harmonized, and a person is ready to heal (need a demonstration and a class session to understand. I occasionally offer such session for free. Check out my Meetup.com group for schedules). Sometime, the experience is profound. One thing to note is that since this is a highly intuitive process, any result is fine: there is no bad or failed attempt as long as a practitioner has a good intent. Do not over analyze the process or the result. Let go what you know, and just let it happen.
I have made a diagram below, but it is not what I really wanted (sorry I do not know how to fix it in the webpage).

Heart ⇒⇒⇒⇒ ⇒⇒ (Bao Mai) ⇒⇒⇒Uterus
(contains the Smaller Heart & Yi) ↑
Lumbar/Sacrum
↑
Yin Tang⇒⇒⇒ ⇒ Ren-17 (Receiver of Emotion)
(The Gate) (Middle Dantien)
↑ ↑
↑
Ren-22
(Yin Wei Mai, Opens Du-20, Dissipates fear) ↑

Ren-21 ⇒ Chong Mai ⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒Ren-17⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒Ren-6
(Lower Dantien)
↑
↑
Ren-9
(Carrier of Sadness: Yi Missing)
(Bao Luo)

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 2, No. 1: May, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #3
The color green is interesting in a sense that it
represents polar opposites. For example, it is the
color of healing, but at the same time, it is the
color of anger. It is the color of resurrection and
fertility but also the color of toxicity and devilish.
We see the dichotomy in everyday life from the green
of Incredible Hulk to the Irish green.
In Oriental Medicine, the color green represents the
Liver (Wood Element). In my past two newsletters, I
described that anger is the Liver Element. However,
in the Five Humanities (五常) section of
the Five Element, the Liver is designated by the
benevolence (仁). It is the highest virtue
regarded by Confucius.
When a person is capable of emerging from the deepest
and the darkest place where anger takes and turns it
to excitement and joy, transforms himself as a true
healer. He who resurrects from the agony of anger
becomes the leader and the purveyor of peace and
happiness. He is guided without fear. Destiny leads
him. He will preach healthier and better life styles,
heal many, and change history.
Compassion drives him to the highest level of maturity
and fulfillment. In giving, he finds joy and his
place. His intention and purpose are clear and
strong.
In Oriental Medicine, it is said that the Heart has a
smaller Heart within itself. It is occupied by the
Intention (Yi = 意). When the Liver energy
flows smoothly and anger does not agitate it, the
Intention is well planted, and the Heart function is
steady. However, when anger or worry displaces the
Intention out of the small Heart, it creates a
disturbance in the physiology of the heart and in the
energy flow. The Intention is the source of Joy, and
when it is misplaced, anxiety sets in causing
palpitation of the heart. Joy maybe replaced by
depression, and the energy of the Liver gets wobbly
and weaker.
Like the Chakra model, the transition from the Third
Chakra (Manipura) to the Fourth (Anahata) is as
equally important as in the Five Element transition
from the Liver to the Heart. Without the transition,
it is not possible to connect the communication
between the Heart (Fourth Chakra) and the Brain
(Fifth, the Will, and Sixth Chakra). We find the
disconnection daily in our lives. We often yield to
the thought of the brain rather than trusting our true
heart's desire, only to wish the otherwise. When the
Liver and the Heart is well connected, the Intention
and the Joy of the Heart are nourished by the Will of
the Kidney*, and we act and accomplish what we truly
desire.
*Kidney: Will belongs to the Kidney, the Water
Element.
Anger creates tragedies, tragedies create healing, and
the healing brings about the balance. The circle
completes, yet before all this happens, one thing
needs to be experienced. It is the experience of
death and emerging, and the experience belongs to the
other Element that I shall talk about it in a
different chapter.

Simplest Thing You Can Do For Your Health No. 16
In the last newsletter, I described how to balance the
three Dantiens, and I mentioned Ren-17 as the Receiver
of Emotion. One other point which reflects emotion is
Ren-9, which is located about ¾ inch above the navel.
It is simply named as the Water Point by ancient
Chinese. There is only one other point named so
simply: Kid-13, the Qi Point. Since the name of
Ren-9 is simply, the point is for any water related
problem: ascites and fluid stagnation, poison, water
edema, etc. However, this is also a reflex point for
emotion. Press straight down the point gently with a
finger and if you feel pulsation, it could be due to
emotional stress. If this is the case, you want to
warm the navel and the surrounding area by placing
both hands together directly over the navel. Feel the
warm sensation of your hands permeating down through
the abdomen. As you feel the warmth, calm yourself
down by relaxing the muscles around your eyes and
taking deep breathes. With each exhalation, tell
yourself that your eyes are getting heavier and your
body relaxing.
With your right index or middle finger, press straight
down an area about 1 ½ inches lateral to the right of
Ren-9. Go deep if you feel like. It should be a
gentle push straight down to the abdomen. Then check
the Ren-9 pulsation again. The procedure should
reduce it.
Once the pulsation is reduced, bring the left hand to
the heart chest area. Feel the gentle heartbeat and
warmth of the chest. Mentally, connect the two hands.
As you are well connect, search out your emotions,
find out what your true heart's desire is and mentally
speak to the heart your desire (remember, do not think
in the brain).

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 2, No. 1:  April, 2008

Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions

Chapter One
Liver:  Anger, Love, and Redemption #2

"Every nerve ending in my body felt like it was exposed....I was dying from within."                                                                                                   domestic violence victim


Anger is easy and quick to arise.  But, we know little to extinguish it or how to come out from the state.   Since anger is a very strong emotion, we hold on to it longer than our heart desires.  In the back of our head, we wish we could end it, but as it lingers, the personal weakness is exposed, and the frustration builds up.  The frustration pushes away the help and the love, and we feel more trapped as we find ourselves unable to dissipate anger.  We then justify anger and search for the scapegoat.  When anger turns to righteousness, it inflicts psychological damages to a person we love.  It could turn into a daily verbal or physical abuse.  Violent and irrational actions are stemming from trapped emotions, not knowing how to escape from the shell we think we cannot break.

When anger is stored internally.  Angry words are trapped in the mind, and it is constantly fed and reinforced by negative thoughts.  Past negative experiences are amplified, and we feel trapped by a current circumstance even though we may not know clearly what we are angry about.  Our mind constantly spins, searching for an answer in vain.  Insomnia sets in.  The adrenal system goes out of balance.  The blood pressure rises.  The eyes get redder, facial expression becomes distressed, and indigestion becomes constant.

In a case of domestic violence, daily yelling, demeaning phrases, and physical threat become routine.  Nothing is good enough for him since anger makes him forget why he gets angry in the first place.  A victim on the other hand experiences fear, hopelessness, and numbness.  She forces herself to close her most inner feeling, filtering her thoughts to the fear of retaliation.  The sense of entrapment sets in.  She becomes fearful and self-doubtful.  When she speaks, her voice shudders.  Outburst of crying becomes frequent.  Her whole body aches and she feels that she is dying from within.

Both man and woman feel trapped, for anger attacks and displaces the intention and the will.  The original intention moves out from the heart's desire, and the process displaces the will.  The communication between the will of the heart and the brain is lost.  We longer act on the heart's desire, instead, anger becomes abstract, and the brain tries meaninglessly to depicts and define what it is.  Since we loose the intention and the will, we have nothing to hold on to and feel vulnerable.  Now, only thing certain is the anger itself.

If we are unable to come out of anger, we fall into the chasm of dark and lonely place with remorse and regret.  No one can help.  Deed is done.  Time heals us, and sometimes, friends help us.  However, we know the only way to come out from the abyss is by ourselves.

It is unfortunate that we must fall hard to bounce back.  Great healers have come out of the stage.  Some become wiser and find the personal fortitude.  Some learn to be excited without anger.  Some find solace in newfound interest.  It is the beginning of reconciliation and the awakening of true human potential.  Once we find it, it is much easier to move to the next Element* which is the Heart.  Heart rules the joy, and joy heals the Heart.
*Five Element Theory:  Joy belongs to the Heart as anger belongs to the Liver.


Simplest Thing You Can Do For Your Health No. 15
Three Dantiens:
Anyone who does marshal art knows that the power source of his Qi comes from the lower abdomen area called Dantien.  It is located about an inch directly below the navel.
This is the lower Dantien.  There are two more:  the upper and the middle.  The upper is the brain and connected with the Third Eye (Yin Tang).  The middle is on the mid-center of the sternum at the 4th intercostals (mid-center on the chest bone between the breasts), and it is connected with point called Ren-17.  Ren-17 is also known as the Receiver of Emotion.  In healing, the three must be balanced.

Yin Tang, being the Third Eye, opens all the gates* in the body, releases the anterior nape of the neck and then the mid-back.  It then sets Ren-17, the Receiver of Emotion, in position.  Ren-17 then sets all the lumbar vertebrae and the sacrum.  It then sets the lower Dantien.

In healing, especially emotional, you bring your finger to each point and place it gently, starting from the Third Eye.  Take a deep breath and try to be in alpha wave stage we talked about my last newsletter.  When relaxed, bring another finger to the sternum.
Now, two fingers are connected, and you should feel the healing energy going down.  Then bring the finger on the Third Eye, open the palm, and gently place on the lower Dantien.  Feel the warmth of your hand spreading all around the lower abdomen.  Disconnect the finger on the sternum, and gently place the palm on top of the other.  Again, feel the warmth.  Imagine that the warmth from the lower Dantien is spreading all over the body, down to the leg and up to the head and arms.  Once the feeling is complete, disengage the hands, bring finger to the inferior boarder of the supra-sternum notch (the base of the triangle at the nape of the neck) or ½ inch below it.  From here, you can listen to the Heart and connect with the Uterus.  Now all the Dantiens are balanced.  When this happens, you realize that this point looks on the North Star* which is represented by the Kidney meridian of the foot.  North Star being the center of the universe, it is to reflect on the Center* of ourselves.
*gate:  where sickness and emotional distress come and go
*North Star:  astronomy is incorporated with acupuncture, Ren-21 is called the Sextant.
*Center:  whatever you make up and feel connected
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 2, No. 1: March, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #1

I often say to my clients that men are very much
suicidal because they do not try to maintain good
health until too late, in a case of stroke for
example. Women are fundamentally attune to the body*
and I think because of childbearing, they are more
survival oriented. The difference makes the relation
between man and woman difficult. I have seen many
wives crying and worrying about her husband's health
but feeling impotent to convince him to do something.
[*the body: recent surge in heart problems and
diabetes are concerning, however]
Most men do not easily reveal his weakness. He could
be stubborn, difficult, and stuck-headed. He does not
easily admit his faults and mistakes either. His
emotions are congealed, and he surrounds himself with
a shielded and knows less about how to come out from
it than putting up. Such characters are depended on
up-bringing and social circumstances. However, I
believe, it is partly based on the man's spirit or
shall I say fortitude that he sworn sometimes in his
life. It is the conviction that his spirit should not
be easily broken when difficulties arise. It is his
part of making an effort, as a man, and to go out in
the world to supply sustenance for his family.
In Oriental Medicine, the fortitude comes from the
Liver. The Liver is considered to be the general of
an army. It has the greatest influence on others, and
it is the Qi (Energy) mover. If the Liver starts to
fail, all the other organ will, too.
Liver houses the Spirit of Hun, the Ethereal Soul,
which gives the purpose and the guidance to the soul.
It pairs with the Gallbladder, and both are the
decision makers and the sources of determination. As
a boy goes through the puberty age and becomes an
adult, the energetic of the Liver gets stronger and
influences his state of being much so than for girls.
Being an adult male is to have the healthy and strong
Liver and Gallbladder.
As the Liver* energy gets stronger, he is no longer
susceptible to crying. His muscles and tendons grow
stronger. He desires to be independent and to be
individual. The desire conflicts with the mother's
nurturing instinct, and he rebels against her. At the
same time, the strong Liver energy along with the
hormonal secretion desires to mate and to explore sex.
The conflict juxtaposes a secret longing for the
mother and the mother-ness in an opposite sex.
[*Liver: controls the muscle and tendons, stores the
Blood, opens into the eyes, manifests in the nails,
and influences the sexual functions.]

However, the openness of the heart does not belong to
the Liver. If the Liver energy gets imbalanced, he
shuts emotions down and conceals it in the Liver*.
When he does this, he could be irritable and quick to
anger since his emotion has nowhere else to go. He
feels trapped, unable to communicate. He thinks he
can alleviate situations but lacks actions to change.
As he goes through the stage, his congealed anger gets
stronger. He is not only angry at someone or
something, but mainly at himself.
[*Liver: if not controlled, he becomes neurotic and
manic]
Anger is the intrinsic nature of the Liver. It is
such a strong Qi mover. It gives a direction and it
balances with worrying*. It is usually under control
because anger hurts so much*. When anger is properly
handled, it turns to excitement, joy, and bliss. If
not, through anger comes regret and remorse, through
regret and remorse comes repentance and shame, and
through repentance and shame comes humility and
humbleness. If one masters how to control anger, he
is truly a master of life.
[*worrying: the Spleen element, sometimes the Ke
Cycle is needed to be reversed
(Ke Cycle: from the Five Element Theory, the
destructive direction of five organs).]
[*anger hurts: physiologically, it hurts in the
stomach, in the shoulder, the neck, and the temporal
area of the head. One common place to store anger for
men is in the lower back.]
The transition of anger to excitement, joy, and bliss
depends on what the Japanese call it "a paper thin"
trait. There is not much difference between a great
man and an ordinary. Flip a paper, and you are great,
and flip the paper again, and you are ordinary. What
separates us is whether we have a substance or not at
the time it is truly needed. A few have it, most of
us struggle with it. For some, deep fear* hold them
back. Success and failure depend only on a very small
personal trait we all have. It is a click in the
brain saying "I want to change," "I can do it," or
something simply saying "No" or "Yes." It creates a
cross road in our lives.
[*fear: the Kidney element, also the Mother element
of the Liver/anger = I discuss this in later chapter]
Most of us are successful in the clicking, but
sometimes his humility comes too late as in a marital
conflict. As he ages, the Liver energy gets weaker,
and he senses that he is easily swayed by emotions and
is susceptible to tears in the eyes. He becomes
little more sentimental but is more grounded. He
knows that he is no longer invincible and somewhat his
health is failing. Strong emotions are weakened and
he slowly accepts the need to open his heart. As he
looses the Yang (male) energy, he begins to understand
and feels the female side of the energy. However,
this coincides with the wife's Yin (female) energy
loosing out after the menopause. She no longer needs
to deal with the female cycle. As she looses
femaleness, her Yang energy rises, and a desire to be
independent becomes stronger. This is why the time
shortly after the menopause is a crucial period for a
married couple, especially, when all children are gone
from home. She who has given so much love through out
her life wants to be independent more than ever
before. For a husband, he faces with a choice of
keeping his regular appearance or to change his
attitude to open up more. Unfortunately,
most men do not know how to change or his ego blocks
it.
Anger, unhappiness, and regrets are abundant. But the
Liver belongs to the Spring, the beginning of the
season, and the life must go on. As spring turns to
summer, anger will subside, reconciliation will
happen, and our thoughts will turn.

Simplest Thing You Can Do For Your Health No. 14
Abdominal Breathing:
It is blissful if we can be at the alpha brain wave
length at all time. To be in the alpha stage, we must
begin to learn how to breathe. It takes some
practice, but try to breathe air into the lower
abdomen rather into the lungs. The abdomen should
rise before the chest. Concentrate. Breathe slowly
into the abdomen, feel that it is expanding, then as
you exhale, feel the stomach goes down, at the same
time, relax the abdominal muscles. Do this a few
times. Then, as you exhale, start concentrating on
relaxing not only the abdominal muscles, but the
shoulder,
the neck, and the muscles around the eyes.
In Oriental Medicine, the inhalation belongs to the
Kidney and the exhalation belongs to the Lungs and the
Heart. If you find a difficulty in the process, you
need to consider that an appropriate organ maybe weak.
Qi Gong, zen/monk, and marshal art masters all can
breathe air down to the foot*.
[*foot: Kid-3, the Yuan Source of the Kidney (Yuan
Source: origination of basic Energy of the organ0.]
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

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