Chapter II: Overview of E-Dao Self-Healing Techniques
Paida & Lajin Self-Healing.
My dream is that eventually EVERYONE becomes his or her own healer. I believe that the right path to healing should be most direct, simple and accessible. Bound by deep-rooted perceptions of being cared for by professionals and medicare system, people may have long turned a blind eye to the obvious “right path”. I nonetheless believe that it is meant to be manifested through the “simplest healing techniques” — Paida and Lajin.
Chapter II: Overview of E-Dao Self-Healing Techniques
“E-DAO self-healing techniques” are derived from Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) and they differ from self-healing therapies of modern Chinese medicine. For better comprehension, I’ll use plain language to explain the relationship between CCM and “E-Dao self-healing techniques”, where the understanding of several specific terms is of utmost importance.
Forget the disease name
This is the foremost term used to interpret “E-Dao self-healing techniques”, and is also one of the secrets to the success of self-healing we advocate.
Regardless of what disease one has, he/she must first forget its name. Please note that it is the name that should be forgotten, not the disease itself. A disease name is just the tip of an iceberg; there are likely other, more severe underlying diseases that even doctors or patients themselves are unaware of. Disease names are only labels affixed by doctors and drug producers based on known pathological indicators and statistics; yet these labels do not necessarily identify the actual diseases. A set of symptoms, or a disease with a particular name, may have different contributing causes; dispensing prescriptions based solely on a disease name with no regard to its causes may worsen the condition.
Disease names can be very misleading. Here, I'll use two very common ones — hypertension and diabetes — to exemplify my point.
To doctors and patients of hypertension, it is natural that anti-hypertensive drugs should be taken to control blood pressure. The relationship between blood pressure and the heart, liver, spleen and other organs are simply overlooked. As a result, the body’s internal organs are often damaged by drugs taken.
Almost all anti-hypertensive drugs are diuretics that could do damage to the functions of kidneys. This will firstly lead to lowered libido, declined sexual function, prostate disorders and a variety of urinary system disorders such as frequent or involuntary urination, etc.; Secondly, it will lead to insomnia, bone loss, Alzheimer's disease, hair loss, tinnitus, hearing loss, and shortened lifespan; in addition, Western medicine is considered acidic from the perspective of Chinese medicine, and the acidity will destroy the tissues of blood vessel walls, causing blood vessel ruptures that could lead to stroke and heart diseases.
The cause and effect mentioned above could be hard to grasp with only knowledge of Western medicine; however, it is clearly stated in the theory of Chinese medicine that “kidneys govern the bones, their health is shown in the hair, their external apertures are the ears, they control memory, the urinary and defecating functions, and they govern the natural lifespan.” Hence, without intake of anti-hypertensive drugs, as long as the kidney, heart, spleen and liver meridians are cleared, blood pressure will naturally return to normal.
Spleen Meridian ⇩
⇧ Spleen Liver And Kidney Meridian Diagram: The 14 Main Meridian Channels.
In effect, there is no definitive standard for “normal” blood pressure; it relates to one’s age, physique, mood, and many other factors. It also changes from day to day, and fluctuates with one’s mood and activities. Doctors and drug producers set standards and label diseases to establish benchmarks for reference and to facilitate the selling of drugs. Taking anti-hypertensive drugs inevitably induces more disorders, such as liver, kidney, gastric and eye problems, and even more drugs will be needed to treat those diseases. Many hypertensive patients die after years of medication, yet it is found that their deaths are not caused by high blood pressure. In this sense, the name “hypertension” is quite misleading.
Another good example is diabetes, whose name is also misleading due to the use of blood sugar indicators. The doctor tells you that you are diabetic and should take hypoglycemic drugs, and then tells you if your blood sugar is not under control, it will easily lead to heart diseases, even glaucoma in severe cases. This is the kind of knowledge taught in medical schools all along. Without knowing it, doctors are brainwashed by drug producers to act as salespersons for their drugs.
Unfortunately, this has turned the causality upside down. By practicing Paida and Lajin, we’ve
learned that: In all diabetics, Sha will appear when the pericardium and heart meridians on the inner sides of the elbows are slapped. This signals that they already have heart diseases but are unaware. When these people practice Lajin, they will feel pain at the back of the knees and also the base of thighs, which indicates that the bladder, liver, kidney, and spleen meridians are all clogged, i.e. these organs all have problems. Problems with these five organs are the real cause of high blood sugar levels. Further investigation reveals that all diabetics suffer from different levels of emotional problems, such as tension, anxiety, depression and other disorders; such emotional turmoil can lead to endocrine disorders. Let alone adults, most high school students are stressed out before sitting a major exam, thus suffering endocrine disorders or abnormal blood sugar levels.
In short, diabetes is caused by endocrine disorders, which is related to the heart, i.e. a condition due to emotional problems. Some people are obsessed with money, power, status or their children; these obsessions make them tense and anxious all the time. Naturally, the endocrine system will not function properly. There are also some who find relaxation and pleasure solely in dining, and they end up eating and drinking too well, too much, burdening the endocrine system. If hypoglycemic drugs are taken without taking into account the causes, it will only further damage the functions of the heart, kidney, liver, spleen and pancreas.
As a matter of fact, doctors and patients themselves are aware of the negative effects of medication. Descriptions of Western drugs clearly state that they are damaging to kidneys, liver, spleen, heart and other internal organs. Once the internal organs are damaged, the sensory organs and limbs will also be damaged. In effect,
the term “diabetes” implies that there is an underlying group of other diseases; and this phenomenon is referred to as “compound diseases”. According to Chinese medicine, the liver’s external apertures are the eyes. Thus, as long as the liver is functioning normally, the eyes will be healthy as well. This has nothing to do with blood sugar levels. Taking drugs or injecting insulin will damage the liver and lead to glaucoma and retinal detachment. Many diabetics take medicine as prescribed and end up with internal organ and eye problems. When the condition worsens, their feet will ulcerate and could even end up being amputated. Therefore, to cure diabetes, one must not be misled by its name, but should instead identify the actual causes. Diabetics should first be self-assured, joyous, and learn to let go; and practice Paida and
Lajin to clear the heart, liver, kidney, spleen and bladder meridians. When the internal organs are functioning properly, the blood sugar level will naturally return to normal.
This is why in Classical Chinese Medicine, “tempering the heart” is the foremost, external treatment measures are used primarily, and medicine is taken as the last resort. “Forget the disease name” reminds us that there are many diseases behind one particularly labeled disease. “All diseases are compound diseases”, i.e. a complex of many diseases. Diseases indicate the clogging of many meridians, and their causes are also multi-faceted, hence, we should be cautious not to leave out any, or be misled by particular names or indicators; instead, we should focus on holistically enhancing overall health. We should try to cleanse all clogged meridians and not just one of them.
Therefore, Paida and Lajin should be practiced on
all parts of the body in a “carpet bombing” manner,
so as to activate our internal “anti-virus software”
to clear away all diseases in the body.
In view of this, everyone should learn up some common sense knowledge of Chinese medicine. For instance, tinnitus, deafness, hair loss, backache, leg pain, declined sexual function, etc. are all associated with the kidneys; myopia, floaters, failing vision, cataracts, Jin-Suo, etc. are all associated with the liver; in the same manner of deduction, if one gets too fat or too thin, the problem is related to the spleen which governs our muscles.
“Compound diseases”
This term relates to “forget-the-disease-name” concept. People seldom have only a single disease; there are always a number of other diseases behind a known one. Moreover, these diseases are interrelated; they are the causes and effects of other diseases, and are thus called “compound diseases”. In effect, all diseases are compound diseases.
All diseases with known names are so labelled according to identification and classification of modern medicine based on known standards, using known measures. However, no matter how accurate the diagnosis of Chinese medicine, Western medicine or medical appliances are, there are still realms of the complex human body where their diagnosis and treatments are yet to cover holistically. Thus, the key to curing a disease is not in knowing the name, but rather in locating the root causes.
More specifically, we need to find out which meridians are clogged. On a battlefield, blockhouses and fortifications are visible, yet mines and hidden traps are not necessarily so. “Compound diseases” imply that there are still many unseen, undetected pathological changes. That is to say, behind a known illness, there are many more known and unknown ones, and the best way to tackle it is to have a thorough search, diagnosis and treatment in a manner similar to “carpet bombing” in military operations. Such a measure triggers the body’s internal “precision bombing” to clear the meridians, similar to when an “anti-virus software” is being activated. Thus,"carpet bombing” and “precision bombing” work to holistically dredge meridians and expel toxins.
Out of the numerous treatment measures in
Chinese medicine, I have specially chosen
Paida and Lajin to promote worldwide not only because they are simple to practice and produce quick results, but also because they are universally applicable, i.e. when one practices Paida and Lajin, almost all “compound diseases” are targeted and treated. This is because from diagnosis to treatment, Paida and Lajin act holistically and not partially. They are both best as entry-level and advanced techniques that allow endless exploration. People may find it quite a challenge to directly and accurately locate meridians and acupoints; that is why many tend to give up on self-healing. Paida and Lajin may appear simple, yet they are more effective on compound diseases compared to mainstream medical practices. Many diseases that doctors find hard to treat are cured by ordinary folks using these two unbelievably simple methods. Treating complex compound diseases with simple methods is as people always put it, “The truest path (Dao) is the simplest.” This is indeed an accurate and concrete interpretation of the “Dao”.
On top of that, through DIY diagnosis and treatment of compound diseases, people will gain fresh insights into health and life. They will naturally go on to explore the lasting truths of Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM), hence changing their lives through health improvement. They will move from physical healing to spiritual healing, and from health management to life management. Persistent Paida and Lajin makes people healthier, more joyous and at ease.
Unfortunately, some only pay attention to their health when they are seriously ill. They are very concerned with maintenance and care of their cars and pets, but do not care much about preservation of their own health. They are only interested in “overhauls” or treatment of critical illnesses. Maybe this is the so-called “fate”.
“Carpet bombing” and “anti-virus software”
Huang Di Nei Jing states that all diseases are caused by clogged meridians, thus clearing meridians cures diseases.
However, when one gets sick, his/her first concern could be to find out exactly which meridians are clogged. Here, I would like to let you in on a big secret: There are 12 standard meridians in the
body, and together with the Ren and Du
meridians, these 14 meridians, when clogged, become the root causes of all diseases. That is to say, from minute inflammations of mosquito bites to tumor growth, whether insomnia or constipation, all diseases occur due to one, often several, of these 14 meridians being clogged. Therefore, no matter what diseases one suffers from, clearing these 14 meridians will invariably cure all of them. E-Dao Paida self-healing technique emphasizes on slapping four general parts (hands, feet, elbows and knees) specially chosen to clear the 14 said meridians.
“Carpet bombing” is originally a military term, which means thorough bombing of each and every
inch of land. Using Paida and Lajin self-healing techniques in a “carpet bombing” manner unclogs the body’s 14 meridians from all directions. This eliminates all known and unknown diseases holistically, instead of treating them according to divisions of medicine. The practice of Paida and Lajin acts as both diagnosis and treatment of diseases: In Paida, Sha appearing during slapping indicates that meridians corresponding to the slapped areas are clogged, and the appearance of Sha means detoxification has begun; in Lajin, the pain felt during stretching indicates body parts where Jin-Suo occurs; restoring flexibility of Jin through further stretching will cure the diseases.
⇩ Sha appearing after Paida
⇧ Lajin position
To enable people of the modern age familiar with computers to grasp the concept of “self-healing power”, I’ve found a supplementary analogy to “carpet bombing” — the theory of “anti-virus software”. Our body has an innate “anti-virus software” as part of our self-healing power, and its wisdom, sensitivity and sophistication go beyond human comprehension and imagination. It runs in the body’s meridians in the form of invisible “Qi”. Once this “anti-virus software” is activated through Paida and/or Lajin, it will start to scan the entire body. When Qi finds a blockage or a disease nidus* [ *MEDICINE: nidus is a place in which bacteria have multiplied or may multiply; a focus of infection. ], it will lock-in the target and clear it, diseases or pain are thus alleviated or eliminated. This process is as if launching missiles in “precision bombing” and the “anti-virus software” is the devise that sets off this process.
The number of meridians unclogged through
Paida and Lajin is not one but many; the activation effect is not only localized but also in all known and unknown
systems of the body. The activated Qi and blood flow will act as the “anti-virus software”; not only does it locate the “viruses”, it automatically stimulates the body to produce antibodies against different viruses. More specifically, this refers to the automatic endocrine secretions of insulin, stem cells, enkephalin*, adrenaline, etc., needed to fight different diseases. [*Enkephalin, (occasionally spelt encephalin) naturally occurring peptide that has potent painkilling effects and is released by neurons in the central nervous system and by cells in the adrenal medulla.] Practicing Paida and Lajin is like an all-round mobilization of software and hardware systems in the entire body, and that is why it is described as “carpet bombing” and “complete virus removal”.
Of all the Lajin positions, stretching in “reclining position” ⇧delivers the most thorough effects in clearing meridians. When doing Lajin in reclining
position, the three “yang”, three “yin” meridians along arms and legs, plus the Ren and Du meridians are all being unclogged, though at varying degrees.
Paida works by radiating out from specific points: Slapping on the hands and inner elbows clears six meridians, i.e. the three “yang” and three “yin” meridians along the arms and hands; slapping on both knees and feet clears six meridians, i.e. the three “yang” and three “yin” meridians along the legs and feet; the Ren and Du meridians are also unclogged at relevant joints. Hands are holographic reflex zones of all the organs in the body; when the hands are used for slapping, they are being slapped as well. This creates a new round of “carpet bombing”.
“Anti-virus software” and the meridian system.
In June 2009, I was invited to speak on “Chinese Medicine and Culture” at the Academy of Chinese Culture, Peking University. Below are excerpts of my conversation with online participants on the principles of E-Dao holistic therapy, which I dub
as the “Anti-Virus Effect”.
Many people have asked,“Can Lajin cure
tinnitus? ” “Can it cure headaches? ”
“Diabetes?” “What about hypertension?”
All these questions have one thing in common — they are asked in terms of “disease names”. Yet what I want to emphasize is that people should first ignore the “disease names”. When you are trying only to suppress superficial symptoms, problems will arise. For instance, “hypertensive ” patients try all they can merely to reduce blood pressure to the standard levels; and “diabetes” patients try every possible way just to lower blood sugar levels.
People should realize that according to Chinese medicine, all diseases are compound diseases, i.e. diseases are all interrelated. For instance, when one has disharmonious spleen and stomach, he/she may have liver problems as
well. Why? The reason is that the liver belongs to the wood phase, the spleen belongs to the earth phase and wood acts against earth. When people experience emotional turbulence, there could be two outcomes — either they let it out or they do not, where the latter case results in stagnation of “Qi” in the liver. Both in turn affect the stomach and spleen. Now that there are problems with the stomach, spleen and liver, the associated kidneys and bladder could also be affected. Therefore, do not look at a “disease” as an isolated phenomenon; instead, treat related diseases altogether, and at the same time. I call that “carpet bombing”. And, whether there are diseases or not, just drop the bombs first, as there could be various latent diseases lurking in your body that you might not even be aware of. Diseases that are detectable by modern medicine are just tip of the iceberg, there are many more yet to be detected. Often times, medication against one disease leads to onset of other diseases. However, what frequently happens with Paida and Lajin is that: when a patient is being treated for one disease, other diseases are cured as well. I encountered this when I cured some gynaecological disorders by chance while treating people with other diseases. I have thus become a “gynaecological expert” without realizing it. It is indeed quite interesting.
Apart from “carpet bombing”, I have another analogy to help you grasp the idea, i.e.the “theory of anti-virus software”. The human body has an innate “self-healing system” that cannot be seen or touched; it is known in Chinese medicine as the meridian system. In Western medicine, it might be described as the “nervous system” or the “urinary system”. Chinese medicine holds that “Where ‘Qi’ flows smoothly, there will be natural blood flow”, here the actual work is done by “Qi”. Furthermore, “Qi” is not visible to the naked eye, but cutting-edge scientific instruments can now detect the existence of “Qi”. I have a physicist friend named Zhang Changlin, whose book {看不见的彩虹} Invisible Rainbow elaborates on scientific proof of the existence of “Qi”. When practicing Lajin
and/or Paida, we are actually activating the “anti-virus software” in
our body, i.e. the self-healing power. Once activated, it scans the entire body to clear all clogged meridians. That is why one feels sensations such as soreness, numbness, swelling, pain, itchiness, cold, heat, etc. during the process.One feels pain where meridians are clogged. Where there is a minor blockage (like a narrowed water pipe), when the “anti-virus software” is activated through
Paida and/or Lajin ,“Qi” will move faster and you will feel some numbness and swelling pain; sometimes, all the sensations of soreness, numbness, swelling pain, and itchiness will sweep over you; sometimes, you will feel a warm sensation after the meridians are unclogged; sometimes, you can even feel the cold being expelled from your body.
People are accustomed to treating a disease as an isolated phenomenon, and are prone to being misled by the disease name; they only want to get rid of the disease without being otherwise bothered. Unfortunately, this is not the way to treat diseases.
Then, what should be done? Remember the analogy of “an
ti-virus software” I just mentioned? Whenever I am asked if this or that disease can be cured, my answer would be, “Please remember ‘
Anti-virus’! ‘Anti-virus’!” By that, I mean in treatment of diseases, we should target the entire body, as a holistic system. Try to recall which meridian hurts most when doing Lajin, the bladder meridian, right? That’s the one located behind the knees. It runs from head to toe, and is the largest detoxification channel in our body; unclogging the bladder meridian can cure countless diseases, such as lower back and leg pain, liver problems, kidney disorders, gynaecological disorders, prostate disorders and so on. This is because the bladder meridian is linked to the lower back and legs, and is connected to the spleen, liver and kidney meridians. Some people cannot straighten the raised leg on the Lajin bench; neither can they have the lowered leg touch the ground. This indicates problems with the bladder, liver, spleen, and kidney meridians. There are three “yin” meridians (the spleen, liver, and kidney meridians) along the inner sides of the legs, and once unclogged, diabetes, hypertension, gynaecological and prostate disorders will all be cured. Some people like to slap the gall bladder meridian on the outer sides of the legs; actually, it is more crucial to Paida
the inner sides of the thighs, which will deliver benefits that you may have never expected. I recently discovered an additional type of diseases that can be treated with Lajin. Guess what can be most effectively treated among male Lajin participants, especially in older men? The answer is prostate disorders. A leader with the Department of Retired Officials told me that over 90% of the retired officials have prostate problems. They would travel great distances looking for all sorts of remedies, but the effects were only temporary. However, by practicing Paida and Lajin, the efficacy is almost immediate, and the effective rate is above 90%.
Why does Huang Di Nei Jing place so much emphasis on meridians? Because by clearing meridians, health problems can be solved once and for all. But how come some people give up on meridian therapies shortly after applying knowledge of the meridian system in treatment of diseases? The answer is that the meridian system is quite complex, and that the number of acupoints along the meridians makes it an even greater challenge. Thus people find it hard to even start. This is the reason why I have chosen Lajin, because in Lajin, once the key principle is grasped, the rest will fall in place. The truest path is the simplest.
The Lajin technique may seem simple, but it stretches and unclogs all the meridians. Stretch as much as you can, and the pain will target clogs along the meridians. The moment you activate this “anti-virussoftware”, it starts to scan your entire body, carrying out diagnosis and treatment at the same time. Self-healing is that simple!
Phenomena of “Qì Chōng Bìng Zào” and “diseases”.
Various reactions occur during Paida and Lajin, for instance, pain, numbness, soreness, swelling pain, itchiness, drowsiness, nausea, etc. Black or purple Sha, red swellings and greenish bruises (different forms of Sha) may appear at the slapped areas. These are signs of Qì Chōng Bìng Zào (read chi-chong-bing-jowl, i.e. Qi charging at the disease nidus) in Chinese medicine, also known as healing crisis, or recovery responses. They are basically the same as the reactions of medication, acupuncture, moxibustion, or Qi Gong. These reactions are good signs produced when the activated yang-qi is battling with yin-qi. Yin-qi usually resides in the body in various forms of diseases which clog up the meridians. And areas that are clogged are known as “Bìng Zào”, or nidus of a disease. When charged at by greater yang-qi, the pressure at these areas will increase and various symptoms will appear.
When Qì Chōng Bìng Zào occurs, various excretions may be expelled from the body, e.g. vomit, sweat, rashes, burps, wind, faeces, tears, snorts, and so on. These are all good signs of detoxification in process. I know of a doctor whose patients with critical diseases tend to vomit or cry when he informs them of the causes. The vomit is expelled in various volumes and may continue over different periods of time in different patients, sometimes even continuously for days. This may sound horrifying, but the patients would gradually recover after vomiting. As such, recovery responses may appear unpleasant, but are in effect signs of improvement, just like darkness before dawn, they are gifts from nature.
First of all, Qì Chōng Bìng Zào functions as an accurate self-diagnosis. It tells us, through various symptoms, which parts of the body are sick. This includes agonies we are suffering from, illnesses or injuries from the past, and also lurking ones that are yet to break out. We may not realise it, but some diseases considered thoroughly cured are actually not. In Taoism, Paida is known as Diao-Shang , which literally means “drawing out old injuries”, forcing them to surface and then to be cured; in Buddhism, it is called Da-Gui, which literally means “beating ghosts”, i.e. to expel evil qi ( yin-qi) and diseases by beating or slapping. In cases where diseases go undetected or are wrongly diagnosed, or when one is in a sub-health condition, Paida and/or Lajin can immediately complete diagnosis, whereby yang-qi activated through the practice is colliding with yin-qi (latent diseases), resulting in the appearance of various discomforting symptoms. These phenomena are known as “Qì Chōng Bìng Zào”, through which diseases we are aware or unaware of, are precisely diagnosed.
Secondly, Qì Chōng Bìng Zào occurs when the body’s self-healing power is doing its duty of protecting and adjusting itself, which means that treatment is in progress. In Paida and/or Lajin, some may have his/her condition improved directly; however, it is more likely that one needs to go through this phase of Qì Chōng Bìng Zào before improvement is gained, i.e. letting the symptoms surface, and sometimes worsen, before they get fixed. Apart from reactions like pain, numbness, soreness, swelling pain and itchiness, there may also be crying, erythema, rashes, blisters, dizziness, headaches, coughing, belching, nausea, vomiting, thick phlegm, runny nose, burping, farting, smelly stool and urine, etc., which are all signs of the body expelling toxins or wastes. More severe Qì Chōng Bìng Zào may cause trembling of the entire body or even fainting, for instance, some may faint when receiving acupuncture treatment. Past diseases may surface and worsen during Paida and Lajin processes, for instance, cardiovascular patients may feel more discomfort in the heart; hypertensive patients may have higher blood pressure; diabetics may experience higher blood sugar levels; gastric patients may suffer more stomach discomfort; patients with various pains may feel more agony. These recovery responses are in effect rare blessings, which indicate that the self-healing power is regulating the body, detoxifying, and producing “antibodies”. Do not assume such good reactions to be bad; and do not take these rewards for punishments. The best thing to do at this point is to keep up and intensify Paida and Lajin.
Thirdly, by experiencing Qì Chōng Bìng Zào, the nature of diseases can be better understood. Diseases and recovery responses are natural warnings from the body, telling us that the agonies are caused by improper thinking, behaviour and habits. These need to be changed, otherwise the condition will worsen. People are wary of diseases, and may even hate or curse them, because the symptoms cause them discomfort or even great suffering. However, whatever is manifested in us is good, including diseases. For instance, fever is the body’s instinctive reaction to expel the cold. Forcing down a fever by taking medicine may temporarily relieve the symptoms, but seeds of future diseases are planted; high blood pressure indicates the presence of blockages in the body’s meridians that hinder blood circulation, in response to which the heart instinctively increases the pressure, so as to enable the blood to go through the blockages. If the root causes of diseases are not pinpointed for targeted treatment, and drugs are blindly taken instead to suppress superficial symptoms, not only will the diseases not be cured, more problems will arise later on.
People who take anti-hypertensive drugs are aware of this from their own experience. The nature of recovery responses needs to be understood in order for the nature of diseases to be understood. Now that we know “diseases” and recovery responses are signs of our self-healing instinct to love, protect, and regulate the body, we should be grateful for them, and not disregard or misinterpret the messages.
Fourthly, the occurrence of Qì Chōng Bìng Zào is a test of one’s heart and mind. Although the nature of both “diseases” and “recovery responses”is the same for everyone, whether they are looked upon as something good or bad, depends on one’s way of thinking. If one is negative, worried, fearful and prone to complaining, diseases to him/her would be perceived as doors leading to death; if one is positive, reflective, grateful and highly adaptable, then diseases would be perceived as great warning signs and doors to longevity. Hence, diseases and recovery responses are tests of our bodies and even more so, of our minds. They are watersheds in life. Both diseases and recovery responses are instinctive reactions of the body’s self-healing power to maintain our well-being. They are different in that diseases are automatic warnings of the self-healing power, whereas recovery responses are the result of one’s own initiative to activate and enhance it. By understanding diseases and recovery responses, we can further grasp the significance of self-healing power. Diseases originate in the heart, and are cured through heartfelt changes. When discomforts in the body are viewed with negativity and fear, they are perceived as “diseases”; when viewed with positivity and gratitude, they are perceived as “recovery responses”.
When recovery responses appear, Paida and Lajin should be continued, as the efficacy of the treatment at this point is heightened. Clinical practices continually prove that the more severe the recovery responses, the better the self-healing effects. If one’s Qi and blood flow is too weak, and the reactions are overly severe, the intensity of Paida and Lajin can be reduced, but the duration may be lengthened as suited. At the same time, ginger and date broth may be taken to replenish energy; moxibustion may be applied to increase the yang-qi in the body. Paida and Lajin can be continued after the Qi and strength are replenished. This is very helpful in improving the efficacy of Paida and Lajin in those who are weak in Qi, seriously ill, elderly or frail.
Paida and Lajin should be continued even after diseases are cured. These practices should be adopted as life-long habits, so that we can be free from the need of medication, injection or surgery. Practicing Paida and Lajin daily is just like having regular meals. If, no matter how intense Paida and/or Lajin is practiced, no pain, numbness, soreness or swelling is felt, and no recovery responses occur, this indicates that the bones are in place and tendons are flexible, thus Paida and/or Lajin need not be continued. However, even in yoga instructors with very flexible tendons, signs of detoxification reactions like numbness start to appear when a Lajin session is extended beyond 30 minutes.
“Qì Chōng Bìng Zào” (气冲病灶)
Generally,Qì Chōng Bìng Zào has three phases, namely zhǎo bìng
(找病), fān bìng (翻病) and tuì bìng (退病) stages.
zhǎo bìng (找病) Looking for (potential) illnesses.
When Qi flow is hindered by greater resistance of blockages in the body and cannot go through the Bìng Zào (disease nidus), it will automatically find an alternative route to go around the Bìng Zào. Such a process will repeatedly kick in when the Qi encounters other blockages at the alternative routes.
These continuous attempts can help the body clear the less serious Bìng Zào, while revealing more serious ones which the body has yet to gather enough strength to expel. This process is called zhǎo bìng, or looking for (potential) illnesses.
fān bìng (翻病) Revealing illnesses
In the first stage of zhǎo bìng, most of the meridians would have been dredged. The Paida and Lajin self-healing process will enhance Qi flow in either parts of the body or the whole. This will enable the recharged body to focus on and clear the remaining identified Bìng Zào. As a result, symptoms of various Bìng Zào
will aggravate, after which follows the revelation of all sorts of sicknesses. This process is called fān bìng, or revealing illnesses.
fān bìng is the stage when the body is fighting against sicknesses, and it is also the most critical one. During this process, the body will get lousy, and the symptoms will aggravate. If you were to do a medical check-up then, the test results would most likely indicate a temporary state of abnormalities. That is why in Taoist Qi Gong, this stage is always dubbed as the “dà sǐ dà huó” (大死大活, death and revival) stage — indeed, to some extent, this is the darkness before dawn breaks. Unfortunately, many fail to grasp this healing cycle and give it up half way through. One must understand that without going through this dire state of suffering, it is impossible to embrace new lease of life, let alone the effects of “body overhaul”
and “rejuvenation”.
tuì bìng (退病) Beating illnesses
After Qi’s repeated attempts to go through the Bìng Zào and with greater intensity of Paida and Lajin, the body’s energy gets continually boosted. Under the constant pressure of Qi flow, the Bìng Zào (appearing in the form of Sha) will gradually recede and eventually disappear. At the same time, patients will feel their various sicknesses subsiding and eventually going away. This is called tuì bìng, or beating illnesses.
Clearing clouds about zhǎo bìng and fān bìng
The Qi flow follows a law of its own. And the process of zhǎo bìng
and fān bìng does not change course according to an individual’s perception or will. As a result, Paida and Lajin self-healing techniques may cause anxiety in those who do not understand how they work. Some may even mistakenly think that the newfound illnesses/symptoms are caused by Paida and Lajin. In actual fact, such revelations are the desired effects of Paida and Lajin, which facilitate the Qi flow to detect known sicknesses as well as unknown ones in the body. And one cannot just tackle where the problems are, but need to have the body go through a comprehensive healing process. Only then can such a process be considered complete overhaul of the body.
This process will tackle the following three types of sicknesses:
1. Past sicknesses
This refers to past illnesses of which some may have been cured long ago. However, the injuries caused by such illnesses may have not been healed properly as a result of subsequent changes to the body’s organic structure (for instance, joints of an operated injury) which are left unnoticed. As a result, the meridians at these specific spots may not allow the Qi to pass through easily and this would normally lead to soreness at the old injuries and other complications related to the past sicknesses.
2. Existing sicknesses
This refers to illnesses that you are aware of. When the Qi hits right at the Bìng Zào (disease nidus), the patient has to suffer more severe symptoms. [ nidus. [ni´dus] 1. a nest or cluster. 2. the point of origin or focus of a disease process.]
3. Future sicknesses
Future sicknesses fall into three types:
i. Existing illnesses that are left undetected due to lack of obvious symptoms;
ii. Illnesses that do not manifest many symptoms at the early stage (e.g. weakening kidney, pancreas);
iii. Potential illnesses that might strike in future.
Despite the fact that we might not know of the existence of these sicknesses in the body or that they even cannot be traced, one gets to feel their presence when Qì Chōng Bìng Zào occurs.
To conclude, for those who want to achieve their personal health goal through Paida and Lajin, Qì Chōng Bìng Zào is an important step towards regaining health. Only when this stage is gone through, can one get healed from all past and existing sicknesses and be more assured of his/her future health.
The “pain medicine”
Nobody likes pain, but it is actually a super-medicine. Like diseases, it is a gift from nature. The “pain” here does not refer to the kind caused in accidents or fights, but the sensation felt when proactively practicing Paida and/or Lajin. Of the various recovery responses of Qì Chōng Bìng Zào, pain is the most commonly experienced. Some may refuse to do Paida and Lajin because of the pain. Actually, it is precisely the reason that Paida and Lajin should be practiced.
Pain is the secret weapon of E-Dao self-healing techniques’ miraculous efficacy. The reasons are as follows:
1. Firstly, pain is a tool of precise diagnosis, just as an old saying goes,"where there are no clogs in the meridians, no pain will be felt.” Pain indicates the part of the body where an illness lies; the intensity of pain indicates the severity of a disease. Patients with heart diseases or emotional illnesses are more afraid of pain than the average person. Heart diseases refer to disorders in the physical organ, the heart; whereas emotional illnesses refer to disorders of the intangible psyche, spirit, and mind. Heart diseases and emotional illnesses are interrelated and mutually influential; they are both manifestations of blockages in the heart and pericardium meridians. If a part of the body where a meridian runs through is hurting, it signals that the corresponding organ is having problems.
2. “Pain” directly stimulates and opens up the heart, triggers willpower, and mobilizes vital-qi (yang-qi); it is a “medicine for the heart”. The heart, as sovereign of bodily organs, governs the spirit. It stimulates secretion of bio-chemicals that the body needs, i.e. “endogenous medicine”. Without pain, our self-healing power will not be activated, thus the endogenous medicine will not be produced. Our self-healing ability acts like a compound medicine, and pain is the catalyst that triggers generation of this endogenous medicine. Hence, pain is part of the process of producing endogenous medicine; it may even be an integral part of the medicine itself, i.e. the “pain medicine”. In addition, pain is also the process of pinpointing the location of diseases so that
further treatment can be carried out; it reveals its targets very clearly, i.e. at the area where the pain is felt. Hence, the “pain medicine”is a “precision medicine”; prolonged pain means continuous treatment with precision medicine.
Moreover, this pain is bearable; it can be self-regulated according to one’s condition and tolerance.
3. As the “pain medicine” is an “endogenous medicine” manifested as self-healing power, it is more accurate, symptomatic,
eco-friendly and direct compared to medication. In Chinese medicine, self-healing power is referred to as yang-qi, vital-qi or zheng-qi; in Western medicine, it is referred to as immunity, repairing ability, hormones, insulin, stem cells, adrenaline, or enkephalin. With the advancement of medical science, new terms will be continually added to the list.
4. The degree of “pain” is proportionate to the efficacy of this “medicine”, i.e.the more hurting it is, the better the self-healing efficacy. During Paida and Lajin, when more pain is felt, yang-qi rises faster and the entire body immediately warms up and even starts to sweat. The time when most pain is felt is the time when yang-qi is conjured up the fastest; hence the best efficacy is gained. The Qi of diseases is yin-qi; when it accumulates, more diseases will break out and life is shortened; on the contrary, when yang-qi is abundant, fewer diseases will break out and life is prolonged. When yang rises, yin will decline. Yang-qi is zheng-qi (or literally “upright-qi”), as described in Huang Di Nei Jing, “when zheng-qi is kept in, evils shall not enter”. This sentence sums up the true essence of Chinese medicine. In case the pain becomes almost unbearable at the early stages of Paida and Lajin, the intensity can be reduced and the duration lengthened.
5. “Pain” makes us focused; we can experience the state of the body and soul becoming one, the state where giving and receiving is occurring within the same physical entity. Thus, pain is also a meditation method. When one meditates, he/she may find it hard to concentrate. When pain is felt during Paida and/or Lajin, the mind is unprecedentedly focused; it is impossible at that moment to think about the share market, children, or other matters. Your thoughts will focus on the part that hurts most, and that is almost invariably where the disease nidus is located. The ability to endure pain varies with changing thoughts, and it will be strengthened through continued Paida and Lajin. The ability to endure greater pain is a sign of better health.
6. “Pain” is our natural protection system that enables us to avoid danger; as such, the “pain medicine” is safer than medication.
When the pain exceeds one’s endurance, one will instinctively stop using the “pain medicine”. Beginners, the seriously ill, and the elderly need not start Paida and/or Lajin with high intensity, they also should not anxiously try to gain significant efficacy at one go, but should instead take it one step at a time.
7. Our ability to endure pain will gradually improve with the increase in intensity and duration of Paida and Lajin. When the tolerance levels for the “pain medicine” and medication are compared, it is found that their effects on the human body are exactly opposite. Greater tolerance of the “pain medicine” indicates alleviation or curing of diseases, whereas greater tolerance of externally introduced medicine implies that the drug has become ineffective, or has even caused side effects.
8. The “pain medicine” is essentially a “medicine for the mind”; it is the result of the interaction between the mind and the body. A person’s attitude towards pain is constantly changing; once you change your mindset and start to view pain as a proactive and positive therapy, you can instantly endure greater pain. Then, pain will no longer be an enemy or a devil, but instead a friend or an angel.
9. As smooth flowing meridians are considered a nourishing tonic to the body, and pain is the process of unclogging meridians, thus the “pain medicine” is considered a tonic as well.
Smooth flowing meridians are the best tonic.
Many people asked about the concepts of “bu” (to replenish or nourish) and “xie” (to discharge). Some think that Paida and
Lajin are “ xie” techniques, and dare not fully implement these practices. More in-depth questions were asked by those who have knowledge of Chinese medicine: Which season of the year, which hour of the day is best for practicing Paida and Lajin? Can critically ill patients do Paida and Lajin? Is it advisable to practice Paida and Lajin in winter, which is the season for
“stocking up”? In other words, people are almost invariably interested in “bu”, not“ xie”.
When “bu” is mentioned, many people would think of “eating”. The “culinary culture” in China is quite abnormal, with the benefits of food often blown out of proportion, especially the type of eating to replenish nourishment for the body. That is why when Chinese people fall sick, the first thing that comes to their minds is to take supplements or tonics. Even gifts are mainly for eating. In fact, in the past 20 years, most diseases found in Chinese people are caused by over-eating. This phenomenon can be called “burdened by excessive nutrition”. As an alert, I have to reveal a big secret: when meridians are clogged, people who take too much food or tonics usually do not get their bodies nourished; instead, it is the tumours, inflammations, swellings, phlegm, dampness, and obesity that are being nourished. These are considered alien life forms in the body, and they also need nourishment. Just like weeds in a rice field whose vitality is stronger than rice plants, these alien life forms in the body are better at grabbing nutrition than healthy cells. As such, when one takes tonics blindly, the disease grows faster. For instance, a woman almost had her uterine flesh tumour thoroughly cured by practicing Paida and Lajin, but then she was persuaded to take tonics and spent a huge sum of money on sheep placenta injections. As a result, her uterine flesh tumour immediately grew bigger again.
It is well understood that “any medication is more or less toxic”. Therefore, try to avoid taking medicinal tonics. That goes for vitamins, calcium and other supplements as well, as they are synthetic quasi-drugs that will also induce many diseases. Recalls of drugs and supplements are alarm bells of this phenomenon.
How then, should one nourish the body? My answer is: smooth flowing meridians are the best tonic. When meridians are cleared of clogs, diseases can be cured. Having diseases cured is the tonic we need. When meridians are clogged, nutrition we take in will not be able to reach desired destinations; instead, it is accumulated at the disease nidus. As a result, diseases will worsen as they absorb nutrition faster than healthy cells. Meridians, like an anti-virus software, form an invisible system that properly regulates the flow of Qi and nourishment in the body. They will automatically nourish or discharge where needed. As such, blindly taking tonics and supplements may worsen the condition; on the other hand, eating less or fasting may appear to be “xie”, but it is actually the toxins and diseases in the body that are reduced, and this helps to clear meridians. To sum up, unclogged meridians are the best tonic, and the self-healing power in the body will automatically complete the necessary nourishing and discharging processes.
Diseases do not happen in just one day; similarly, they cannot be thoroughly healed overnight. Just as diseases develop throughout the year, Paida and Lajin can be practiced in all seasons, at anytime, anywhere. People who have better knowledge of Chinese medicine and do not mind the trouble may practice them according to the cyclical theory. Although the practice is generally more effective in the morning when yang-qi is on the rise, practicing them at other hours will be effective as well. Evidences from thousands of enthusiasts show that Paida and Lajin are effective regardless of the time and place of practice. The effects are more prominent in patients of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases. As long as the intensity is within a tolerable range and the practice is done attentively, even infants less than one year old can benefit from it. Lastly, it depends on the attitude of recipients as well. With genuine repentance and gratitude in the heart, better efficacy will result.
Are Paida and Lajin suitable for those weak in Qi ?
Diseases and aging are both caused by declined vital-qi in the body. The way to replenish vital-qi is to clear our meridians of clogs, as “smooth flowing meridians are the best tonic”. However, many people, including experienced doctors of Chinese medicine, are not able to grasp this point. Even from a scientific perspective, Paida and Lajin can induce generation of “endogenous medicine” in the body. Therefore,people who are lacking in vital-qi can get it replenished through “endogenous medicine” produced in Paida and Lajin. It has been proven in front-line scientific research (Please refer to Cell Journal, August 2007 issue) that joints, skin, muscles, tendons and bones are not only kinematic systems; they are the largest human endocrine system. As such, when these parts of the body are put through Paida and Lajin, meridians, tendons, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves and other systems will all gradually be unblocked; organs, blood and even body cells will be re-optimized. This not only enhances the immune system, biochemical substances needed by the individual, or “endogenous medicines”, such as hormones, stem cells, insulin,
adrenaline, enkephalin, etc. will also be automatically generated.
This phenomenon is clearly explained in Chinese medicine:
Paida and Lajin replenish zheng-qi ( yang-qi or vital-qi), which enhances the circulation. When aided with food therapy (e.g. ginger and date broth), the body will have sufficient zheng-qi, and diseases are kept at bay. Smooth flowing meridians can enhance the strength of vital-qi, which acts as an anti-virus software in the body that automatically removes viruses, swellings, tumors and other diseases. Therefore, replenishing weak Qi should be done on the premise of cleared meridians. Otherwise, nourishment entering the body may spur the growth of diseases instead of replenishing the body.
Hence, as long as one is alive, Paida and Lajin can be practiced; however, it should be noted that the intensity should be increased gradually from light to heavy; and the duration be lengthened gradually according to one’s condition and tolerance.
“Treating diseases” and “treating fate”
Paida and Lajin are effective in relieving and curing joint pain, acute or chronic, especially in the lower back, hips, legs, knees and shoulders. Significant health improvements in chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart diseases, diabetes, kidney disorders, liver cirrhosis and insomnia can also be achieved through persistent practice; normally significant improvements are gained in seven days, and one’s condition can be expected to return to normal in a month.
Some may wonder if Paida and Lajin can cure all diseases, including cancer. The answer is: Paida and Lajin can cure an extremely wide variety of diseases; however, this does not mean that it can thoroughly cure just anyone. No treatment in this world carries that promise. A person’s life (and its quality) is in his/her own hands, and the key lies in his/her thinking. That is why doctors often say,“We treat diseases, but not fate”. For people who disbelieve or sneer at the self-healing techniques that we promote, and for those who practice them only when terminally ill, it is just “fate”.
Nonetheless, people’s lives can be transformed by changing their thinking and perceptions. Those who can conscientiously practice
Paida and Lajin first have their perceptions changed. Confidence, determination, patience, doubt, fear and contradiction are manifestations of the state and changes of the heart or the mind. Treatment efficacy differs from one to another, as people’s hearts or states of mind are different. Fluctuations in one’s condition and factors like Paida and Lajin intensity and duration are all related to the heart or the mind. Therefore, when diseases are being treated, it is primarily the heart or the mind that is receiving the treatment. Taking charge of your health by self-healing your diseases, is taking your fate into your own hands. And this is why we advocate “My Health, I Manage!”
Paida & Lajin Self-Healing.
My dream is that eventually EVERYONE becomes his or her own healer. I believe that the right path to healing should be most direct, simple and accessible. Bound by deep-rooted perceptions of being cared for by professionals and medicare system, people may have long turned a blind eye to the obvious “right path”. I nonetheless believe that it is meant to be manifested through the “simplest healing techniques” — Paida and Lajin.
Chapter II: Overview of E-Dao Self-Healing Techniques
“E-DAO self-healing techniques” are derived from Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) and they differ from self-healing therapies of modern Chinese medicine. For better comprehension, I’ll use plain language to explain the relationship between CCM and “E-Dao self-healing techniques”, where the understanding of several specific terms is of utmost importance.
Forget the disease name
This is the foremost term used to interpret “E-Dao self-healing techniques”, and is also one of the secrets to the success of self-healing we advocate.
Regardless of what disease one has, he/she must first forget its name. Please note that it is the name that should be forgotten, not the disease itself. A disease name is just the tip of an iceberg; there are likely other, more severe underlying diseases that even doctors or patients themselves are unaware of. Disease names are only labels affixed by doctors and drug producers based on known pathological indicators and statistics; yet these labels do not necessarily identify the actual diseases. A set of symptoms, or a disease with a particular name, may have different contributing causes; dispensing prescriptions based solely on a disease name with no regard to its causes may worsen the condition.
Disease names can be very misleading. Here, I'll use two very common ones — hypertension and diabetes — to exemplify my point.
To doctors and patients of hypertension, it is natural that anti-hypertensive drugs should be taken to control blood pressure. The relationship between blood pressure and the heart, liver, spleen and other organs are simply overlooked. As a result, the body’s internal organs are often damaged by drugs taken.
Almost all anti-hypertensive drugs are diuretics that could do damage to the functions of kidneys. This will firstly lead to lowered libido, declined sexual function, prostate disorders and a variety of urinary system disorders such as frequent or involuntary urination, etc.; Secondly, it will lead to insomnia, bone loss, Alzheimer's disease, hair loss, tinnitus, hearing loss, and shortened lifespan; in addition, Western medicine is considered acidic from the perspective of Chinese medicine, and the acidity will destroy the tissues of blood vessel walls, causing blood vessel ruptures that could lead to stroke and heart diseases.
The cause and effect mentioned above could be hard to grasp with only knowledge of Western medicine; however, it is clearly stated in the theory of Chinese medicine that “kidneys govern the bones, their health is shown in the hair, their external apertures are the ears, they control memory, the urinary and defecating functions, and they govern the natural lifespan.” Hence, without intake of anti-hypertensive drugs, as long as the kidney, heart, spleen and liver meridians are cleared, blood pressure will naturally return to normal.
Spleen Meridian ⇩
⇧ Spleen Liver And Kidney Meridian Diagram: The 14 Main Meridian Channels.
In effect, there is no definitive standard for “normal” blood pressure; it relates to one’s age, physique, mood, and many other factors. It also changes from day to day, and fluctuates with one’s mood and activities. Doctors and drug producers set standards and label diseases to establish benchmarks for reference and to facilitate the selling of drugs. Taking anti-hypertensive drugs inevitably induces more disorders, such as liver, kidney, gastric and eye problems, and even more drugs will be needed to treat those diseases. Many hypertensive patients die after years of medication, yet it is found that their deaths are not caused by high blood pressure. In this sense, the name “hypertension” is quite misleading.
Another good example is diabetes, whose name is also misleading due to the use of blood sugar indicators. The doctor tells you that you are diabetic and should take hypoglycemic drugs, and then tells you if your blood sugar is not under control, it will easily lead to heart diseases, even glaucoma in severe cases. This is the kind of knowledge taught in medical schools all along. Without knowing it, doctors are brainwashed by drug producers to act as salespersons for their drugs.
Unfortunately, this has turned the causality upside down. By practicing Paida and Lajin, we’ve
learned that: In all diabetics, Sha will appear when the pericardium and heart meridians on the inner sides of the elbows are slapped. This signals that they already have heart diseases but are unaware. When these people practice Lajin, they will feel pain at the back of the knees and also the base of thighs, which indicates that the bladder, liver, kidney, and spleen meridians are all clogged, i.e. these organs all have problems. Problems with these five organs are the real cause of high blood sugar levels. Further investigation reveals that all diabetics suffer from different levels of emotional problems, such as tension, anxiety, depression and other disorders; such emotional turmoil can lead to endocrine disorders. Let alone adults, most high school students are stressed out before sitting a major exam, thus suffering endocrine disorders or abnormal blood sugar levels.
In short, diabetes is caused by endocrine disorders, which is related to the heart, i.e. a condition due to emotional problems. Some people are obsessed with money, power, status or their children; these obsessions make them tense and anxious all the time. Naturally, the endocrine system will not function properly. There are also some who find relaxation and pleasure solely in dining, and they end up eating and drinking too well, too much, burdening the endocrine system. If hypoglycemic drugs are taken without taking into account the causes, it will only further damage the functions of the heart, kidney, liver, spleen and pancreas.
As a matter of fact, doctors and patients themselves are aware of the negative effects of medication. Descriptions of Western drugs clearly state that they are damaging to kidneys, liver, spleen, heart and other internal organs. Once the internal organs are damaged, the sensory organs and limbs will also be damaged. In effect,
the term “diabetes” implies that there is an underlying group of other diseases; and this phenomenon is referred to as “compound diseases”. According to Chinese medicine, the liver’s external apertures are the eyes. Thus, as long as the liver is functioning normally, the eyes will be healthy as well. This has nothing to do with blood sugar levels. Taking drugs or injecting insulin will damage the liver and lead to glaucoma and retinal detachment. Many diabetics take medicine as prescribed and end up with internal organ and eye problems. When the condition worsens, their feet will ulcerate and could even end up being amputated. Therefore, to cure diabetes, one must not be misled by its name, but should instead identify the actual causes. Diabetics should first be self-assured, joyous, and learn to let go; and practice Paida and
Lajin to clear the heart, liver, kidney, spleen and bladder meridians. When the internal organs are functioning properly, the blood sugar level will naturally return to normal.
This is why in Classical Chinese Medicine, “tempering the heart” is the foremost, external treatment measures are used primarily, and medicine is taken as the last resort. “Forget the disease name” reminds us that there are many diseases behind one particularly labeled disease. “All diseases are compound diseases”, i.e. a complex of many diseases. Diseases indicate the clogging of many meridians, and their causes are also multi-faceted, hence, we should be cautious not to leave out any, or be misled by particular names or indicators; instead, we should focus on holistically enhancing overall health. We should try to cleanse all clogged meridians and not just one of them.
Therefore, Paida and Lajin should be practiced on
all parts of the body in a “carpet bombing” manner,
so as to activate our internal “anti-virus software”
to clear away all diseases in the body.
In view of this, everyone should learn up some common sense knowledge of Chinese medicine. For instance, tinnitus, deafness, hair loss, backache, leg pain, declined sexual function, etc. are all associated with the kidneys; myopia, floaters, failing vision, cataracts, Jin-Suo, etc. are all associated with the liver; in the same manner of deduction, if one gets too fat or too thin, the problem is related to the spleen which governs our muscles.
“Compound diseases”
This term relates to “forget-the-disease-name” concept. People seldom have only a single disease; there are always a number of other diseases behind a known one. Moreover, these diseases are interrelated; they are the causes and effects of other diseases, and are thus called “compound diseases”. In effect, all diseases are compound diseases.
All diseases with known names are so labelled according to identification and classification of modern medicine based on known standards, using known measures. However, no matter how accurate the diagnosis of Chinese medicine, Western medicine or medical appliances are, there are still realms of the complex human body where their diagnosis and treatments are yet to cover holistically. Thus, the key to curing a disease is not in knowing the name, but rather in locating the root causes.
More specifically, we need to find out which meridians are clogged. On a battlefield, blockhouses and fortifications are visible, yet mines and hidden traps are not necessarily so. “Compound diseases” imply that there are still many unseen, undetected pathological changes. That is to say, behind a known illness, there are many more known and unknown ones, and the best way to tackle it is to have a thorough search, diagnosis and treatment in a manner similar to “carpet bombing” in military operations. Such a measure triggers the body’s internal “precision bombing” to clear the meridians, similar to when an “anti-virus software” is being activated. Thus,"carpet bombing” and “precision bombing” work to holistically dredge meridians and expel toxins.
Out of the numerous treatment measures in
Chinese medicine, I have specially chosen
Paida and Lajin to promote worldwide not only because they are simple to practice and produce quick results, but also because they are universally applicable, i.e. when one practices Paida and Lajin, almost all “compound diseases” are targeted and treated. This is because from diagnosis to treatment, Paida and Lajin act holistically and not partially. They are both best as entry-level and advanced techniques that allow endless exploration. People may find it quite a challenge to directly and accurately locate meridians and acupoints; that is why many tend to give up on self-healing. Paida and Lajin may appear simple, yet they are more effective on compound diseases compared to mainstream medical practices. Many diseases that doctors find hard to treat are cured by ordinary folks using these two unbelievably simple methods. Treating complex compound diseases with simple methods is as people always put it, “The truest path (Dao) is the simplest.” This is indeed an accurate and concrete interpretation of the “Dao”.
On top of that, through DIY diagnosis and treatment of compound diseases, people will gain fresh insights into health and life. They will naturally go on to explore the lasting truths of Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM), hence changing their lives through health improvement. They will move from physical healing to spiritual healing, and from health management to life management. Persistent Paida and Lajin makes people healthier, more joyous and at ease.
Unfortunately, some only pay attention to their health when they are seriously ill. They are very concerned with maintenance and care of their cars and pets, but do not care much about preservation of their own health. They are only interested in “overhauls” or treatment of critical illnesses. Maybe this is the so-called “fate”.
“Carpet bombing” and “anti-virus software”
Huang Di Nei Jing states that all diseases are caused by clogged meridians, thus clearing meridians cures diseases.
However, when one gets sick, his/her first concern could be to find out exactly which meridians are clogged. Here, I would like to let you in on a big secret: There are 12 standard meridians in the
body, and together with the Ren and Du
meridians, these 14 meridians, when clogged, become the root causes of all diseases. That is to say, from minute inflammations of mosquito bites to tumor growth, whether insomnia or constipation, all diseases occur due to one, often several, of these 14 meridians being clogged. Therefore, no matter what diseases one suffers from, clearing these 14 meridians will invariably cure all of them. E-Dao Paida self-healing technique emphasizes on slapping four general parts (hands, feet, elbows and knees) specially chosen to clear the 14 said meridians.
“Carpet bombing” is originally a military term, which means thorough bombing of each and every
inch of land. Using Paida and Lajin self-healing techniques in a “carpet bombing” manner unclogs the body’s 14 meridians from all directions. This eliminates all known and unknown diseases holistically, instead of treating them according to divisions of medicine. The practice of Paida and Lajin acts as both diagnosis and treatment of diseases: In Paida, Sha appearing during slapping indicates that meridians corresponding to the slapped areas are clogged, and the appearance of Sha means detoxification has begun; in Lajin, the pain felt during stretching indicates body parts where Jin-Suo occurs; restoring flexibility of Jin through further stretching will cure the diseases.
⇩ Sha appearing after Paida
⇧ Lajin position
To enable people of the modern age familiar with computers to grasp the concept of “self-healing power”, I’ve found a supplementary analogy to “carpet bombing” — the theory of “anti-virus software”. Our body has an innate “anti-virus software” as part of our self-healing power, and its wisdom, sensitivity and sophistication go beyond human comprehension and imagination. It runs in the body’s meridians in the form of invisible “Qi”. Once this “anti-virus software” is activated through Paida and/or Lajin, it will start to scan the entire body. When Qi finds a blockage or a disease nidus* [ *MEDICINE: nidus is a place in which bacteria have multiplied or may multiply; a focus of infection. ], it will lock-in the target and clear it, diseases or pain are thus alleviated or eliminated. This process is as if launching missiles in “precision bombing” and the “anti-virus software” is the devise that sets off this process.
The number of meridians unclogged through
Paida and Lajin is not one but many; the activation effect is not only localized but also in all known and unknown
systems of the body. The activated Qi and blood flow will act as the “anti-virus software”; not only does it locate the “viruses”, it automatically stimulates the body to produce antibodies against different viruses. More specifically, this refers to the automatic endocrine secretions of insulin, stem cells, enkephalin*, adrenaline, etc., needed to fight different diseases. [*Enkephalin, (occasionally spelt encephalin) naturally occurring peptide that has potent painkilling effects and is released by neurons in the central nervous system and by cells in the adrenal medulla.] Practicing Paida and Lajin is like an all-round mobilization of software and hardware systems in the entire body, and that is why it is described as “carpet bombing” and “complete virus removal”.
Of all the Lajin positions, stretching in “reclining position” ⇧delivers the most thorough effects in clearing meridians. When doing Lajin in reclining
position, the three “yang”, three “yin” meridians along arms and legs, plus the Ren and Du meridians are all being unclogged, though at varying degrees.
Paida works by radiating out from specific points: Slapping on the hands and inner elbows clears six meridians, i.e. the three “yang” and three “yin” meridians along the arms and hands; slapping on both knees and feet clears six meridians, i.e. the three “yang” and three “yin” meridians along the legs and feet; the Ren and Du meridians are also unclogged at relevant joints. Hands are holographic reflex zones of all the organs in the body; when the hands are used for slapping, they are being slapped as well. This creates a new round of “carpet bombing”.
“Anti-virus software” and the meridian system.
In June 2009, I was invited to speak on “Chinese Medicine and Culture” at the Academy of Chinese Culture, Peking University. Below are excerpts of my conversation with online participants on the principles of E-Dao holistic therapy, which I dub
as the “Anti-Virus Effect”.
Many people have asked,“Can Lajin cure
tinnitus? ” “Can it cure headaches? ”
“Diabetes?” “What about hypertension?”
All these questions have one thing in common — they are asked in terms of “disease names”. Yet what I want to emphasize is that people should first ignore the “disease names”. When you are trying only to suppress superficial symptoms, problems will arise. For instance, “hypertensive ” patients try all they can merely to reduce blood pressure to the standard levels; and “diabetes” patients try every possible way just to lower blood sugar levels.
People should realize that according to Chinese medicine, all diseases are compound diseases, i.e. diseases are all interrelated. For instance, when one has disharmonious spleen and stomach, he/she may have liver problems as
well. Why? The reason is that the liver belongs to the wood phase, the spleen belongs to the earth phase and wood acts against earth. When people experience emotional turbulence, there could be two outcomes — either they let it out or they do not, where the latter case results in stagnation of “Qi” in the liver. Both in turn affect the stomach and spleen. Now that there are problems with the stomach, spleen and liver, the associated kidneys and bladder could also be affected. Therefore, do not look at a “disease” as an isolated phenomenon; instead, treat related diseases altogether, and at the same time. I call that “carpet bombing”. And, whether there are diseases or not, just drop the bombs first, as there could be various latent diseases lurking in your body that you might not even be aware of. Diseases that are detectable by modern medicine are just tip of the iceberg, there are many more yet to be detected. Often times, medication against one disease leads to onset of other diseases. However, what frequently happens with Paida and Lajin is that: when a patient is being treated for one disease, other diseases are cured as well. I encountered this when I cured some gynaecological disorders by chance while treating people with other diseases. I have thus become a “gynaecological expert” without realizing it. It is indeed quite interesting.
Apart from “carpet bombing”, I have another analogy to help you grasp the idea, i.e.the “theory of anti-virus software”. The human body has an innate “self-healing system” that cannot be seen or touched; it is known in Chinese medicine as the meridian system. In Western medicine, it might be described as the “nervous system” or the “urinary system”. Chinese medicine holds that “Where ‘Qi’ flows smoothly, there will be natural blood flow”, here the actual work is done by “Qi”. Furthermore, “Qi” is not visible to the naked eye, but cutting-edge scientific instruments can now detect the existence of “Qi”. I have a physicist friend named Zhang Changlin, whose book {看不见的彩虹} Invisible Rainbow elaborates on scientific proof of the existence of “Qi”. When practicing Lajin
and/or Paida, we are actually activating the “anti-virus software” in
our body, i.e. the self-healing power. Once activated, it scans the entire body to clear all clogged meridians. That is why one feels sensations such as soreness, numbness, swelling, pain, itchiness, cold, heat, etc. during the process.One feels pain where meridians are clogged. Where there is a minor blockage (like a narrowed water pipe), when the “anti-virus software” is activated through
Paida and/or Lajin ,“Qi” will move faster and you will feel some numbness and swelling pain; sometimes, all the sensations of soreness, numbness, swelling pain, and itchiness will sweep over you; sometimes, you will feel a warm sensation after the meridians are unclogged; sometimes, you can even feel the cold being expelled from your body.
People are accustomed to treating a disease as an isolated phenomenon, and are prone to being misled by the disease name; they only want to get rid of the disease without being otherwise bothered. Unfortunately, this is not the way to treat diseases.
Then, what should be done? Remember the analogy of “an
ti-virus software” I just mentioned? Whenever I am asked if this or that disease can be cured, my answer would be, “Please remember ‘
Anti-virus’! ‘Anti-virus’!” By that, I mean in treatment of diseases, we should target the entire body, as a holistic system. Try to recall which meridian hurts most when doing Lajin, the bladder meridian, right? That’s the one located behind the knees. It runs from head to toe, and is the largest detoxification channel in our body; unclogging the bladder meridian can cure countless diseases, such as lower back and leg pain, liver problems, kidney disorders, gynaecological disorders, prostate disorders and so on. This is because the bladder meridian is linked to the lower back and legs, and is connected to the spleen, liver and kidney meridians. Some people cannot straighten the raised leg on the Lajin bench; neither can they have the lowered leg touch the ground. This indicates problems with the bladder, liver, spleen, and kidney meridians. There are three “yin” meridians (the spleen, liver, and kidney meridians) along the inner sides of the legs, and once unclogged, diabetes, hypertension, gynaecological and prostate disorders will all be cured. Some people like to slap the gall bladder meridian on the outer sides of the legs; actually, it is more crucial to Paida
the inner sides of the thighs, which will deliver benefits that you may have never expected. I recently discovered an additional type of diseases that can be treated with Lajin. Guess what can be most effectively treated among male Lajin participants, especially in older men? The answer is prostate disorders. A leader with the Department of Retired Officials told me that over 90% of the retired officials have prostate problems. They would travel great distances looking for all sorts of remedies, but the effects were only temporary. However, by practicing Paida and Lajin, the efficacy is almost immediate, and the effective rate is above 90%.
Why does Huang Di Nei Jing place so much emphasis on meridians? Because by clearing meridians, health problems can be solved once and for all. But how come some people give up on meridian therapies shortly after applying knowledge of the meridian system in treatment of diseases? The answer is that the meridian system is quite complex, and that the number of acupoints along the meridians makes it an even greater challenge. Thus people find it hard to even start. This is the reason why I have chosen Lajin, because in Lajin, once the key principle is grasped, the rest will fall in place. The truest path is the simplest.
The Lajin technique may seem simple, but it stretches and unclogs all the meridians. Stretch as much as you can, and the pain will target clogs along the meridians. The moment you activate this “anti-virussoftware”, it starts to scan your entire body, carrying out diagnosis and treatment at the same time. Self-healing is that simple!
Phenomena of “Qì Chōng Bìng Zào” and “diseases”.
Various reactions occur during Paida and Lajin, for instance, pain, numbness, soreness, swelling pain, itchiness, drowsiness, nausea, etc. Black or purple Sha, red swellings and greenish bruises (different forms of Sha) may appear at the slapped areas. These are signs of Qì Chōng Bìng Zào (read chi-chong-bing-jowl, i.e. Qi charging at the disease nidus) in Chinese medicine, also known as healing crisis, or recovery responses. They are basically the same as the reactions of medication, acupuncture, moxibustion, or Qi Gong. These reactions are good signs produced when the activated yang-qi is battling with yin-qi. Yin-qi usually resides in the body in various forms of diseases which clog up the meridians. And areas that are clogged are known as “Bìng Zào”, or nidus of a disease. When charged at by greater yang-qi, the pressure at these areas will increase and various symptoms will appear.
When Qì Chōng Bìng Zào occurs, various excretions may be expelled from the body, e.g. vomit, sweat, rashes, burps, wind, faeces, tears, snorts, and so on. These are all good signs of detoxification in process. I know of a doctor whose patients with critical diseases tend to vomit or cry when he informs them of the causes. The vomit is expelled in various volumes and may continue over different periods of time in different patients, sometimes even continuously for days. This may sound horrifying, but the patients would gradually recover after vomiting. As such, recovery responses may appear unpleasant, but are in effect signs of improvement, just like darkness before dawn, they are gifts from nature.
First of all, Qì Chōng Bìng Zào functions as an accurate self-diagnosis. It tells us, through various symptoms, which parts of the body are sick. This includes agonies we are suffering from, illnesses or injuries from the past, and also lurking ones that are yet to break out. We may not realise it, but some diseases considered thoroughly cured are actually not. In Taoism, Paida is known as Diao-Shang , which literally means “drawing out old injuries”, forcing them to surface and then to be cured; in Buddhism, it is called Da-Gui, which literally means “beating ghosts”, i.e. to expel evil qi ( yin-qi) and diseases by beating or slapping. In cases where diseases go undetected or are wrongly diagnosed, or when one is in a sub-health condition, Paida and/or Lajin can immediately complete diagnosis, whereby yang-qi activated through the practice is colliding with yin-qi (latent diseases), resulting in the appearance of various discomforting symptoms. These phenomena are known as “Qì Chōng Bìng Zào”, through which diseases we are aware or unaware of, are precisely diagnosed.
Secondly, Qì Chōng Bìng Zào occurs when the body’s self-healing power is doing its duty of protecting and adjusting itself, which means that treatment is in progress. In Paida and/or Lajin, some may have his/her condition improved directly; however, it is more likely that one needs to go through this phase of Qì Chōng Bìng Zào before improvement is gained, i.e. letting the symptoms surface, and sometimes worsen, before they get fixed. Apart from reactions like pain, numbness, soreness, swelling pain and itchiness, there may also be crying, erythema, rashes, blisters, dizziness, headaches, coughing, belching, nausea, vomiting, thick phlegm, runny nose, burping, farting, smelly stool and urine, etc., which are all signs of the body expelling toxins or wastes. More severe Qì Chōng Bìng Zào may cause trembling of the entire body or even fainting, for instance, some may faint when receiving acupuncture treatment. Past diseases may surface and worsen during Paida and Lajin processes, for instance, cardiovascular patients may feel more discomfort in the heart; hypertensive patients may have higher blood pressure; diabetics may experience higher blood sugar levels; gastric patients may suffer more stomach discomfort; patients with various pains may feel more agony. These recovery responses are in effect rare blessings, which indicate that the self-healing power is regulating the body, detoxifying, and producing “antibodies”. Do not assume such good reactions to be bad; and do not take these rewards for punishments. The best thing to do at this point is to keep up and intensify Paida and Lajin.
Thirdly, by experiencing Qì Chōng Bìng Zào, the nature of diseases can be better understood. Diseases and recovery responses are natural warnings from the body, telling us that the agonies are caused by improper thinking, behaviour and habits. These need to be changed, otherwise the condition will worsen. People are wary of diseases, and may even hate or curse them, because the symptoms cause them discomfort or even great suffering. However, whatever is manifested in us is good, including diseases. For instance, fever is the body’s instinctive reaction to expel the cold. Forcing down a fever by taking medicine may temporarily relieve the symptoms, but seeds of future diseases are planted; high blood pressure indicates the presence of blockages in the body’s meridians that hinder blood circulation, in response to which the heart instinctively increases the pressure, so as to enable the blood to go through the blockages. If the root causes of diseases are not pinpointed for targeted treatment, and drugs are blindly taken instead to suppress superficial symptoms, not only will the diseases not be cured, more problems will arise later on.
People who take anti-hypertensive drugs are aware of this from their own experience. The nature of recovery responses needs to be understood in order for the nature of diseases to be understood. Now that we know “diseases” and recovery responses are signs of our self-healing instinct to love, protect, and regulate the body, we should be grateful for them, and not disregard or misinterpret the messages.
Fourthly, the occurrence of Qì Chōng Bìng Zào is a test of one’s heart and mind. Although the nature of both “diseases” and “recovery responses”is the same for everyone, whether they are looked upon as something good or bad, depends on one’s way of thinking. If one is negative, worried, fearful and prone to complaining, diseases to him/her would be perceived as doors leading to death; if one is positive, reflective, grateful and highly adaptable, then diseases would be perceived as great warning signs and doors to longevity. Hence, diseases and recovery responses are tests of our bodies and even more so, of our minds. They are watersheds in life. Both diseases and recovery responses are instinctive reactions of the body’s self-healing power to maintain our well-being. They are different in that diseases are automatic warnings of the self-healing power, whereas recovery responses are the result of one’s own initiative to activate and enhance it. By understanding diseases and recovery responses, we can further grasp the significance of self-healing power. Diseases originate in the heart, and are cured through heartfelt changes. When discomforts in the body are viewed with negativity and fear, they are perceived as “diseases”; when viewed with positivity and gratitude, they are perceived as “recovery responses”.
When recovery responses appear, Paida and Lajin should be continued, as the efficacy of the treatment at this point is heightened. Clinical practices continually prove that the more severe the recovery responses, the better the self-healing effects. If one’s Qi and blood flow is too weak, and the reactions are overly severe, the intensity of Paida and Lajin can be reduced, but the duration may be lengthened as suited. At the same time, ginger and date broth may be taken to replenish energy; moxibustion may be applied to increase the yang-qi in the body. Paida and Lajin can be continued after the Qi and strength are replenished. This is very helpful in improving the efficacy of Paida and Lajin in those who are weak in Qi, seriously ill, elderly or frail.
Paida and Lajin should be continued even after diseases are cured. These practices should be adopted as life-long habits, so that we can be free from the need of medication, injection or surgery. Practicing Paida and Lajin daily is just like having regular meals. If, no matter how intense Paida and/or Lajin is practiced, no pain, numbness, soreness or swelling is felt, and no recovery responses occur, this indicates that the bones are in place and tendons are flexible, thus Paida and/or Lajin need not be continued. However, even in yoga instructors with very flexible tendons, signs of detoxification reactions like numbness start to appear when a Lajin session is extended beyond 30 minutes.
“Qì Chōng Bìng Zào” (气冲病灶)
Generally,Qì Chōng Bìng Zào has three phases, namely zhǎo bìng
(找病), fān bìng (翻病) and tuì bìng (退病) stages.
zhǎo bìng (找病) Looking for (potential) illnesses.
When Qi flow is hindered by greater resistance of blockages in the body and cannot go through the Bìng Zào (disease nidus), it will automatically find an alternative route to go around the Bìng Zào. Such a process will repeatedly kick in when the Qi encounters other blockages at the alternative routes.
These continuous attempts can help the body clear the less serious Bìng Zào, while revealing more serious ones which the body has yet to gather enough strength to expel. This process is called zhǎo bìng, or looking for (potential) illnesses.
fān bìng (翻病) Revealing illnesses
In the first stage of zhǎo bìng, most of the meridians would have been dredged. The Paida and Lajin self-healing process will enhance Qi flow in either parts of the body or the whole. This will enable the recharged body to focus on and clear the remaining identified Bìng Zào. As a result, symptoms of various Bìng Zào
will aggravate, after which follows the revelation of all sorts of sicknesses. This process is called fān bìng, or revealing illnesses.
fān bìng is the stage when the body is fighting against sicknesses, and it is also the most critical one. During this process, the body will get lousy, and the symptoms will aggravate. If you were to do a medical check-up then, the test results would most likely indicate a temporary state of abnormalities. That is why in Taoist Qi Gong, this stage is always dubbed as the “dà sǐ dà huó” (大死大活, death and revival) stage — indeed, to some extent, this is the darkness before dawn breaks. Unfortunately, many fail to grasp this healing cycle and give it up half way through. One must understand that without going through this dire state of suffering, it is impossible to embrace new lease of life, let alone the effects of “body overhaul”
and “rejuvenation”.
tuì bìng (退病) Beating illnesses
After Qi’s repeated attempts to go through the Bìng Zào and with greater intensity of Paida and Lajin, the body’s energy gets continually boosted. Under the constant pressure of Qi flow, the Bìng Zào (appearing in the form of Sha) will gradually recede and eventually disappear. At the same time, patients will feel their various sicknesses subsiding and eventually going away. This is called tuì bìng, or beating illnesses.
Clearing clouds about zhǎo bìng and fān bìng
The Qi flow follows a law of its own. And the process of zhǎo bìng
and fān bìng does not change course according to an individual’s perception or will. As a result, Paida and Lajin self-healing techniques may cause anxiety in those who do not understand how they work. Some may even mistakenly think that the newfound illnesses/symptoms are caused by Paida and Lajin. In actual fact, such revelations are the desired effects of Paida and Lajin, which facilitate the Qi flow to detect known sicknesses as well as unknown ones in the body. And one cannot just tackle where the problems are, but need to have the body go through a comprehensive healing process. Only then can such a process be considered complete overhaul of the body.
This process will tackle the following three types of sicknesses:
1. Past sicknesses
This refers to past illnesses of which some may have been cured long ago. However, the injuries caused by such illnesses may have not been healed properly as a result of subsequent changes to the body’s organic structure (for instance, joints of an operated injury) which are left unnoticed. As a result, the meridians at these specific spots may not allow the Qi to pass through easily and this would normally lead to soreness at the old injuries and other complications related to the past sicknesses.
2. Existing sicknesses
This refers to illnesses that you are aware of. When the Qi hits right at the Bìng Zào (disease nidus), the patient has to suffer more severe symptoms. [ nidus. [ni´dus] 1. a nest or cluster. 2. the point of origin or focus of a disease process.]
3. Future sicknesses
Future sicknesses fall into three types:
i. Existing illnesses that are left undetected due to lack of obvious symptoms;
ii. Illnesses that do not manifest many symptoms at the early stage (e.g. weakening kidney, pancreas);
iii. Potential illnesses that might strike in future.
Despite the fact that we might not know of the existence of these sicknesses in the body or that they even cannot be traced, one gets to feel their presence when Qì Chōng Bìng Zào occurs.
To conclude, for those who want to achieve their personal health goal through Paida and Lajin, Qì Chōng Bìng Zào is an important step towards regaining health. Only when this stage is gone through, can one get healed from all past and existing sicknesses and be more assured of his/her future health.
The “pain medicine”
Nobody likes pain, but it is actually a super-medicine. Like diseases, it is a gift from nature. The “pain” here does not refer to the kind caused in accidents or fights, but the sensation felt when proactively practicing Paida and/or Lajin. Of the various recovery responses of Qì Chōng Bìng Zào, pain is the most commonly experienced. Some may refuse to do Paida and Lajin because of the pain. Actually, it is precisely the reason that Paida and Lajin should be practiced.
Pain is the secret weapon of E-Dao self-healing techniques’ miraculous efficacy. The reasons are as follows:
1. Firstly, pain is a tool of precise diagnosis, just as an old saying goes,"where there are no clogs in the meridians, no pain will be felt.” Pain indicates the part of the body where an illness lies; the intensity of pain indicates the severity of a disease. Patients with heart diseases or emotional illnesses are more afraid of pain than the average person. Heart diseases refer to disorders in the physical organ, the heart; whereas emotional illnesses refer to disorders of the intangible psyche, spirit, and mind. Heart diseases and emotional illnesses are interrelated and mutually influential; they are both manifestations of blockages in the heart and pericardium meridians. If a part of the body where a meridian runs through is hurting, it signals that the corresponding organ is having problems.
2. “Pain” directly stimulates and opens up the heart, triggers willpower, and mobilizes vital-qi (yang-qi); it is a “medicine for the heart”. The heart, as sovereign of bodily organs, governs the spirit. It stimulates secretion of bio-chemicals that the body needs, i.e. “endogenous medicine”. Without pain, our self-healing power will not be activated, thus the endogenous medicine will not be produced. Our self-healing ability acts like a compound medicine, and pain is the catalyst that triggers generation of this endogenous medicine. Hence, pain is part of the process of producing endogenous medicine; it may even be an integral part of the medicine itself, i.e. the “pain medicine”. In addition, pain is also the process of pinpointing the location of diseases so that
further treatment can be carried out; it reveals its targets very clearly, i.e. at the area where the pain is felt. Hence, the “pain medicine”is a “precision medicine”; prolonged pain means continuous treatment with precision medicine.
Moreover, this pain is bearable; it can be self-regulated according to one’s condition and tolerance.
3. As the “pain medicine” is an “endogenous medicine” manifested as self-healing power, it is more accurate, symptomatic,
eco-friendly and direct compared to medication. In Chinese medicine, self-healing power is referred to as yang-qi, vital-qi or zheng-qi; in Western medicine, it is referred to as immunity, repairing ability, hormones, insulin, stem cells, adrenaline, or enkephalin. With the advancement of medical science, new terms will be continually added to the list.
4. The degree of “pain” is proportionate to the efficacy of this “medicine”, i.e.the more hurting it is, the better the self-healing efficacy. During Paida and Lajin, when more pain is felt, yang-qi rises faster and the entire body immediately warms up and even starts to sweat. The time when most pain is felt is the time when yang-qi is conjured up the fastest; hence the best efficacy is gained. The Qi of diseases is yin-qi; when it accumulates, more diseases will break out and life is shortened; on the contrary, when yang-qi is abundant, fewer diseases will break out and life is prolonged. When yang rises, yin will decline. Yang-qi is zheng-qi (or literally “upright-qi”), as described in Huang Di Nei Jing, “when zheng-qi is kept in, evils shall not enter”. This sentence sums up the true essence of Chinese medicine. In case the pain becomes almost unbearable at the early stages of Paida and Lajin, the intensity can be reduced and the duration lengthened.
5. “Pain” makes us focused; we can experience the state of the body and soul becoming one, the state where giving and receiving is occurring within the same physical entity. Thus, pain is also a meditation method. When one meditates, he/she may find it hard to concentrate. When pain is felt during Paida and/or Lajin, the mind is unprecedentedly focused; it is impossible at that moment to think about the share market, children, or other matters. Your thoughts will focus on the part that hurts most, and that is almost invariably where the disease nidus is located. The ability to endure pain varies with changing thoughts, and it will be strengthened through continued Paida and Lajin. The ability to endure greater pain is a sign of better health.
6. “Pain” is our natural protection system that enables us to avoid danger; as such, the “pain medicine” is safer than medication.
When the pain exceeds one’s endurance, one will instinctively stop using the “pain medicine”. Beginners, the seriously ill, and the elderly need not start Paida and/or Lajin with high intensity, they also should not anxiously try to gain significant efficacy at one go, but should instead take it one step at a time.
7. Our ability to endure pain will gradually improve with the increase in intensity and duration of Paida and Lajin. When the tolerance levels for the “pain medicine” and medication are compared, it is found that their effects on the human body are exactly opposite. Greater tolerance of the “pain medicine” indicates alleviation or curing of diseases, whereas greater tolerance of externally introduced medicine implies that the drug has become ineffective, or has even caused side effects.
8. The “pain medicine” is essentially a “medicine for the mind”; it is the result of the interaction between the mind and the body. A person’s attitude towards pain is constantly changing; once you change your mindset and start to view pain as a proactive and positive therapy, you can instantly endure greater pain. Then, pain will no longer be an enemy or a devil, but instead a friend or an angel.
9. As smooth flowing meridians are considered a nourishing tonic to the body, and pain is the process of unclogging meridians, thus the “pain medicine” is considered a tonic as well.
Smooth flowing meridians are the best tonic.
Many people asked about the concepts of “bu” (to replenish or nourish) and “xie” (to discharge). Some think that Paida and
Lajin are “ xie” techniques, and dare not fully implement these practices. More in-depth questions were asked by those who have knowledge of Chinese medicine: Which season of the year, which hour of the day is best for practicing Paida and Lajin? Can critically ill patients do Paida and Lajin? Is it advisable to practice Paida and Lajin in winter, which is the season for
“stocking up”? In other words, people are almost invariably interested in “bu”, not“ xie”.
When “bu” is mentioned, many people would think of “eating”. The “culinary culture” in China is quite abnormal, with the benefits of food often blown out of proportion, especially the type of eating to replenish nourishment for the body. That is why when Chinese people fall sick, the first thing that comes to their minds is to take supplements or tonics. Even gifts are mainly for eating. In fact, in the past 20 years, most diseases found in Chinese people are caused by over-eating. This phenomenon can be called “burdened by excessive nutrition”. As an alert, I have to reveal a big secret: when meridians are clogged, people who take too much food or tonics usually do not get their bodies nourished; instead, it is the tumours, inflammations, swellings, phlegm, dampness, and obesity that are being nourished. These are considered alien life forms in the body, and they also need nourishment. Just like weeds in a rice field whose vitality is stronger than rice plants, these alien life forms in the body are better at grabbing nutrition than healthy cells. As such, when one takes tonics blindly, the disease grows faster. For instance, a woman almost had her uterine flesh tumour thoroughly cured by practicing Paida and Lajin, but then she was persuaded to take tonics and spent a huge sum of money on sheep placenta injections. As a result, her uterine flesh tumour immediately grew bigger again.
It is well understood that “any medication is more or less toxic”. Therefore, try to avoid taking medicinal tonics. That goes for vitamins, calcium and other supplements as well, as they are synthetic quasi-drugs that will also induce many diseases. Recalls of drugs and supplements are alarm bells of this phenomenon.
How then, should one nourish the body? My answer is: smooth flowing meridians are the best tonic. When meridians are cleared of clogs, diseases can be cured. Having diseases cured is the tonic we need. When meridians are clogged, nutrition we take in will not be able to reach desired destinations; instead, it is accumulated at the disease nidus. As a result, diseases will worsen as they absorb nutrition faster than healthy cells. Meridians, like an anti-virus software, form an invisible system that properly regulates the flow of Qi and nourishment in the body. They will automatically nourish or discharge where needed. As such, blindly taking tonics and supplements may worsen the condition; on the other hand, eating less or fasting may appear to be “xie”, but it is actually the toxins and diseases in the body that are reduced, and this helps to clear meridians. To sum up, unclogged meridians are the best tonic, and the self-healing power in the body will automatically complete the necessary nourishing and discharging processes.
Diseases do not happen in just one day; similarly, they cannot be thoroughly healed overnight. Just as diseases develop throughout the year, Paida and Lajin can be practiced in all seasons, at anytime, anywhere. People who have better knowledge of Chinese medicine and do not mind the trouble may practice them according to the cyclical theory. Although the practice is generally more effective in the morning when yang-qi is on the rise, practicing them at other hours will be effective as well. Evidences from thousands of enthusiasts show that Paida and Lajin are effective regardless of the time and place of practice. The effects are more prominent in patients of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases. As long as the intensity is within a tolerable range and the practice is done attentively, even infants less than one year old can benefit from it. Lastly, it depends on the attitude of recipients as well. With genuine repentance and gratitude in the heart, better efficacy will result.
Are Paida and Lajin suitable for those weak in Qi ?
Diseases and aging are both caused by declined vital-qi in the body. The way to replenish vital-qi is to clear our meridians of clogs, as “smooth flowing meridians are the best tonic”. However, many people, including experienced doctors of Chinese medicine, are not able to grasp this point. Even from a scientific perspective, Paida and Lajin can induce generation of “endogenous medicine” in the body. Therefore,people who are lacking in vital-qi can get it replenished through “endogenous medicine” produced in Paida and Lajin. It has been proven in front-line scientific research (Please refer to Cell Journal, August 2007 issue) that joints, skin, muscles, tendons and bones are not only kinematic systems; they are the largest human endocrine system. As such, when these parts of the body are put through Paida and Lajin, meridians, tendons, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves and other systems will all gradually be unblocked; organs, blood and even body cells will be re-optimized. This not only enhances the immune system, biochemical substances needed by the individual, or “endogenous medicines”, such as hormones, stem cells, insulin,
adrenaline, enkephalin, etc. will also be automatically generated.
This phenomenon is clearly explained in Chinese medicine:
Paida and Lajin replenish zheng-qi ( yang-qi or vital-qi), which enhances the circulation. When aided with food therapy (e.g. ginger and date broth), the body will have sufficient zheng-qi, and diseases are kept at bay. Smooth flowing meridians can enhance the strength of vital-qi, which acts as an anti-virus software in the body that automatically removes viruses, swellings, tumors and other diseases. Therefore, replenishing weak Qi should be done on the premise of cleared meridians. Otherwise, nourishment entering the body may spur the growth of diseases instead of replenishing the body.
Hence, as long as one is alive, Paida and Lajin can be practiced; however, it should be noted that the intensity should be increased gradually from light to heavy; and the duration be lengthened gradually according to one’s condition and tolerance.
“Treating diseases” and “treating fate”
Paida and Lajin are effective in relieving and curing joint pain, acute or chronic, especially in the lower back, hips, legs, knees and shoulders. Significant health improvements in chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart diseases, diabetes, kidney disorders, liver cirrhosis and insomnia can also be achieved through persistent practice; normally significant improvements are gained in seven days, and one’s condition can be expected to return to normal in a month.
Some may wonder if Paida and Lajin can cure all diseases, including cancer. The answer is: Paida and Lajin can cure an extremely wide variety of diseases; however, this does not mean that it can thoroughly cure just anyone. No treatment in this world carries that promise. A person’s life (and its quality) is in his/her own hands, and the key lies in his/her thinking. That is why doctors often say,“We treat diseases, but not fate”. For people who disbelieve or sneer at the self-healing techniques that we promote, and for those who practice them only when terminally ill, it is just “fate”.
Nonetheless, people’s lives can be transformed by changing their thinking and perceptions. Those who can conscientiously practice
Paida and Lajin first have their perceptions changed. Confidence, determination, patience, doubt, fear and contradiction are manifestations of the state and changes of the heart or the mind. Treatment efficacy differs from one to another, as people’s hearts or states of mind are different. Fluctuations in one’s condition and factors like Paida and Lajin intensity and duration are all related to the heart or the mind. Therefore, when diseases are being treated, it is primarily the heart or the mind that is receiving the treatment. Taking charge of your health by self-healing your diseases, is taking your fate into your own hands. And this is why we advocate “My Health, I Manage!”
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