A few hours after the hike up Qingsheng Shan, my neck was starting to feel stiff, my shoulders were achy, and my throat was a little scratchy. Since it was a windy and damp day, this was the prefect opportunity to contract a Wind-Cold (see previous post). One of the TCM treatment methods for a Wind-Cold is an ancient method called Gua Sha. Gua Sha involves palpation and cutaneous stimulation where the skin is stroked by a round-edged instrument, resulting in the appearance of small red petechiae called 'sha' (which usually fades after a few days).
Raising Sha removes blood stagnation and promotes normal circulation and metabolic processes. Gua sha provides immediate relief from pain, stiffness, fever, chill, and cough. Gua Sha can also be used to prevent and treat acute infectious illness, upper respiratory and digestive problems, and many other acute or chronic disorders.
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It's the weekend again, but we haven't had much down-time since we got here. In fact, today's excursion was a 2,000 ft. hike to the top of Qingcheng Shan, a holy Taoist mountain located approximately 40 miles West of Chengdu. The most difficult part of this hike was that it wasn't on flat ground. We must have climbed up at least 3 million steps, some very steep and some very narrow. Wednesday was a long day for us. We had our rotations in the morning, visited the herb market in the afternoon, then went to the Wenshu Temple in the evening. The Wenshu Temple was constructed during the dynasty and is the largest and best preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu. This afternoon we took a field trip to an open air herb market in Chengdu. We spent a few hour walking around just looking at thousands of herbs... some which are unavailable in the United States. We were able to talk with the different vendors (via our translators) and test ourselves by identifying the different herbs. It was awesome to see some of the herbs prepared or cut differently than what we are used to in the States. I really enjoyed this trip because like the many experiences I have had so far, it reconfirmed my confidence and pride in the value of the medicine I am learning. Yay! The weekend is here!! Tantan arranged a day trip for us to see the largest Buddha in the world. We took a bus to Leshan, which was two hours away. Here we spent hours visiting various temples and watching people make offerings to different buddhas. We even saw the medicine buddha. |
About ChristineI just completed a 4.5 year Chinese medical program at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, CA. I am very excited to have this opportunity to study Chinese Medicine where it originated. I will be traveling to Chengdu, Beijing, and Shanghai. |