Chapter III: Paida Self-Healing Technique

Chapter III: Paida Self-Healing Technique



How are hands and tools used in Paida?

1. Paida is usually performed by slapping parts of the body directly with solid slaps. Indirect or hollow slapping is occasionally used. Solid slaps create a greater stimulation and deliver more obvious healing benefits; 

2. In order to reduce discomfort, hollow slaps are occasionally used. However, this does not mean cupping the fingers and slapping with a hollow inside the palm; instead, a very shallow space is created by holding the thumb close to the four fingers that are kept close and straight. As such, hollow slapping is basically still solid slapping; 

3. To intensify stimulation on certain parts, the back of the hand, mainly the knuckles of closed fingers, may be used for slapping. The back of the hand creates a greater stimulation, as this part is bonier and has protruding knuckles, and is thus harder than the palm; 

4. The fist may be used on certain parts of the body, for instance, fleshy parts like the abdomen, buttocks and thighs; or parts that cannot be easily slapped using the palm, such as the armpits, the base of the thighs, etc. The sides of the palms may also be used to chop at the base of the thighs. To increase penetration or to reduce the noise of slapping, the fist may also be used instead of the palm; 

5. When slapping large areas such as the inner sides of the elbows or the front of the knees, the entire hand (including palm and fingers) can be used. For smaller areas, you can primarily use fingers to tap, with agile movements of the wrist; 

6. For areas not reachable by one’s own hands or where heavy slapping by oneself seems an impossible task (such as the back), tools such as soles of canvas shoes, wooden rods, stones or others made of natural materials can be used.

Why is slapping with hands better than beating with tools?

1. There is Qi in our hands. When performing Paida, not only is our strength used, but also the Qi. Therefore, slapping with hands is definitely better than using tools which do not bear any Qi; 

2. There are acupoints all over the palm. Slapping with hands can, in the long run, activate the six meridians on the hands, i.e. the heart, lung, pericardium, large and small intestines, and Sanjiao
meridians; which will in turn activate the six meridians on the feet and along the legs, and create a series of chain reactions that will benefit the entire body. From the perspective of Quanxi Theory (holistic approach), hands and feet are holographic reflex zones closely linked to all the organs and tissues of the body. Slapping with hands is thus a treatment for all systems in the body, which is what we call “carpet bombing” on all known and lurking diseases; 





3. When slapping with hands, what is most stimulated in the palms are the heart and pericardium meridians, particularly the Laogong
 acupoint along the pericardium meridian, i.e. the heart is the organ most stimulated. And as the heart is the “sovereign” of organs, the induced strength of the heart changes the nature of treatment:
Paida enables one’s own vitality to proactively and precisely act on illnesses instead of passively awaiting external intervention. Hence, during self-administered Paida, one is in a state of giving and receiving, which is more beneficial as the entire cycle of cause and effect is experienced. This is a simple yet clear manifestation of
“oneness”; 




4. Shoulders and arms move along during slapping. The acupoints in the hands are linked to shoulders, arms, neck vertebrae, brain and the heart. Thus problems with the shoulders, the neck vertebrae, and sleeping disorders are treated altogether. The efficacy increases with enhanced intensity, longer duration, and greater sweep of the arm’s movements. 

I once advised a retiree who came complaining of pain in the legs and shoulders to go home and slap her knees for two hours. The next day, I was told that after the knee-slapping, much of the pain in her legs disappeared, and she could finally raise her arms; on another occasion, while chatting, a friend slapped on her knees for two hours without realising it, and then she suddenly discovered that the pain in her neck vertebrae had gone. This is the effect of the acupoints in the hands being stimulated. The next day, she called to inform me that after arriving home at about nine the previous night, she fell asleep straight away and did not wake up till six in the morning, and it was the sweetest sleep she had in years; 

5. Tools used for slapping do not bear Qi, therefore they cannot deliver the effects created by using hands. However, slapping with tools induces Sha faster, but may injure the skin and flesh more easily.

How to determine the intensity of Paida ?

There are two types of Paida in terms of its intensity, i.e. light and heavy slapping. Light slapping is called "wen-pai” and heavy slapping is “wu-pai”. 

The intensity of slapping does not go by absolute standards, i.e.
“wen-pai” and “wu-pai” are relative concepts. The same intensity may be “wu-pai” to one person, but “wen-pai” to another. Hence, the actual intensity of slapping varies with age, tolerance, severity of illness, the part of the body, environmental factors, etc.

“Wen-pai” and “wu-pai” should be used alternately. The general rule is to start from low intensity to high, and never start with heavy slapping. In the beginning, the painful sensation can be quite intense, but after a while, less pain will be felt. At this point, the intensity may be increased gradually. The higher the intensity, the greater pain will be felt; but as long as the pain is within a tolerable range, the efficacy of treatment will be better. Light slapping may produce the same efficacy as heavy slapping, but will require a longer duration. When a single part of the body is slapped for up to one hour, the healing benefits will be better.

How to view the pain of Paida?

1. Where there are no clogs in the meridians, no pain will be felt. Pain helps to locate disease nidus in the body. Hence, “pain” is first and foremost an accurate diagnosis, where more pain is felt, the more severe the illness is; 

2. The feeling of pain is the path to healing. During the process, the yang-qi ( zheng-qi) rises, the yin-qi (evil qi) subsides, and the body’s self-healing power is activated to generate “endogenous medicine”. Persistent pain means continuous generation of  “endogenous medicine”; hence, the more intense the pain, and the more Paida and Lajin practice, the better efficacy will result; 

3. No medication in the world can target diseases as precisely, be as
“green” and direct as the “pain medicine”. Some may try every means possible to evade pain, but still intend to have their diseases cured through Paida. However, it is actually beneficial to view “pain” and “illnesses” from a different perspective: they are good warning signs, and thus can be viewed as “wei-ji”, i.e. intertwined threats and opportunities; or even “tong-kuai”, i.e. pain meshed with joy. Without any “pain” at all, the body’s self-healing mechanism will not be triggered. Little do we know that “pain”can not only boost our willpower, it can also “untie knots” in the heart; our willpower can activate “vital-qi”, which is our self-healing power. Hence, only when the “heart” feels the “pain”, will illnesses be targeted for treatment. The more “pain” is felt, the more health problems will get solved; 

4. The pain caused by the penetration of “Qi” is different from the pain inflicted by striking or hitting the body. During Paida, the penetration of Qi is more important than the intensity of slapping, i.e. the concern should be on whether there is enough “Qi” or “Qi” penetration. When starting to practice Paida , only the pain from physical hitting is produced. With the increase of Paida duration,  experience and better internalization, the “Qi” in our body will  gradually increase, and the penetrative power of “Qi” will grow stronger, thus less pain will be felt at the slapped areas and better  Paida efficacy can be expected; 

5. “Pain” is an impressive stimulation on our heart or mind. Once the state of mind changes, pain will no longer be viewed as something terrifying, but a positive remedy for treating and curing illnesses. Thus our tolerance will immediately improve, and pain will no longer be perceived as an enemy or a devil, but a gift, a remedy, even a friend or a teacher; 

6. “Pain” can be physically undesirable, and does take some getting used to. Hence, Paida should be practiced by gradually increasing intensity and duration. Especially for the elderly, frail, or critically ill, the intensity and duration of slapping should be increased slowly. The advantage of heavy slapping is that it is able to heal faster. However, when the duration is long enough, light slapping is able to reach ill Qi that lurk in deep corners of the body, and thus is more effective in treating critical or chronic illnesses; 

7. After a hot bath, a sauna, a dip in a hot spring or body-steaming, blood flow will get faster. If Paida is practiced at these times, there will be less pain; Sha will also emerge and disappear faster.

Why are odours released during Paida?

For those who are seriously ill, especially those on long-term medication or infusions, various odours may be released during
Paida, including smells of medicine, pesticides and chemicals. Urine, stool or sweat discharged during the period of Paida
will smell stronger than usual. This is a sign of detoxification known as “Qì Chōng Bìng Zào”.
These are recovery responses, where the toxins of illnesses and medication are being released. This is a manifestation of the healing efficacy, where at this point Paida and/or Lajin should be stepped up. 

How to locate body areas for Paida?

1. General parts
Theoretically, all parts of the body can be slapped. However, in order to improve efficacy, people look for key areas related to their illnesses for Paida. As such, the most frequently asked question is, “which part of the body do I need to slap to cure my illness?” Since all illnesses are manifestations of clogged meridians, they will be cured once the meridians are cleared. People will then ask,“which meridians should be unclogged in my case?”

 All illnesses originate from the clogging of the 12 standard meridians and the Ren and Du meridians. Therefore, all illnesses can be treated by unclogging these 14 meridians. General parts are key areas most frequently slapped as they cover all 14 meridians; they can be the first parts to Paida in treating any illness. As such, slapping the general parts is like “carpet bombing”of all meridians in the body.


Four general parts (eight locations):

i. Elbow joints (left and right elbows) ⇓ ii. Knee joints (left and right knees)⇙

⇧  iii. Hands (palms and backs of left and right hands)
iv. ⇧Feet (tops and soles of both feet, inner and outer sides of the ankles) 

Four general parts (eight locations):
i. Elbow joints (left and right elbows) 
ii. Knee joints (left and right knees) 
iii. Hands (palms and backs of left and right hands)
iv. Feet (tops and soles of both feet, inner and outer sides of the ankles)

Since these are the general parts, they are useful for treating all illnesses through Paida; additional areas may be included accordingly. Nonetheless, for any illness, the efficacy is still better with “carpet bombing”, i.e. the more areas slapped the better. That does not mean slapping all areas briefly in one session, instead, one area is to be slapped thoroughly before moving on to others.

Important things to observe:

i. When slapping elbows or knees, all areas including front, back, left and right sides of the elbows and knees are to be slapped thoroughly; 

ii. The best way to slap the back of a hand is to place one hand on a knee, and slap the back of that hand and fingers with the palm of the other hand; iii.

When slapping the feet, it is necessary to slap the inner and outer sides of the ankles, and the tops and soles of the feet.

2. Illness-related areas

After Paida the general parts, one may go on to locate key areas corresponding to his/her condition, i.e. Paida the illness-related areas. Please note: all types of Paida will deliver better benefits when combined with Lajin. Illness-related areas are determined primarily based on areas of disease nidus and the Theory of Meridians: 

i. Illnesses of the head and related organs, such as deafness, tinnitus, hearing loss, eye problems, facial paralysis, headaches, dizziness, colds, cardiovascular disorders, cerebrovascular diseases, stroke sequelae, depression, insomnia, etc.: Slap the head and face, where the head includes the top, the back, the sides and the forehead; 

ii. Various painful ailments at the neck vertebrae, limbs, and joints: As a general rule, slap where the ailment is located, regardless of the disease name as defined in modern medicine. For instance, cervical spondylosis, arthritis, rheumatism, gout, hydrarthrosis, age-related degenerative deformation, etc., all symptoms can be treated by prolonged slapping at afflicted areas. Those who lack strength may get others to do the slapping. Since these parts are located away from internal organs, heavy slapping is safe and beneficial as long as the pain is tolerable; 

iii. Various cardiovascular disorders, post-stroke paralysis, lung diseases, mammary gland diseases, asthma, thyroid gland diseases: Focus on slapping the inner sides of the arms and wrists, armpits, around the collar bones, and all over the thighs and calves. Benign mammary lumps may be slapped directly, even if the size is as big as an egg; 

iv. Various gynaecological disorders (such as uterine flesh tumour, ovarian cysts, menstrual pain, etc.), male disorders (such as prostate disorders, impotence, premature ejaculation, etc.), reproductive and urinary system disorders: Focus more on the base of the thighs (where more toxins accumulate, and where meridians, blood vessels, nerves, lymphoid vessels gather), inner thighs, lower abdomen and both sides of the calves; 

v. Old wounds, injuries or fractures from falls, sports or other accidents, etc.: Slap directly on the nidus, e.g. scars or sutured wounds that have recovered; this is the process of “drawing out old injuries”. Take care to adjust the intensity, and be sure to extend the duration, preferably you should slap each area for at least 20 minutes; 

vi. All kinds of itches: Slap directly on the nidus, the inner sides of the elbows (including the Quchi acupoint), upper inner sides of the knee joints (including the Xuehai acupoint), outer sides of the thighs while standing straight (including the Fengshi acupoint, i.e. where the middle fingers of the naturally lowered hands touch the thighs); 













vii. Diabetes, piles, constipation, obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, and almost all chronic diseases of internal organs, such as liver, kidney, spleen, etc.: You could slap heavily on the lower abdomen, inner and outer sides of the thighs and calves, base of the thighs, and obese areas for a long duration. You may also use your fists to hit these areas, or use the sides of your hands to chop at the base of thighs. These methods produce less noise but stronger penetration; 
viii. All types of acute disorders: Directly slap on corresponding acupoints or meridians, making reference to the acupoint selection method. For instance: acute gastritis, bloated stomach: slap the
 Zhusanli acupoint; acute heart attack or any disease that may cause fainting: slap on the Neiguan acupoint and the inner sides of the elbows; for cold or fever: slap top of the head, Dazhui acupoint, inner sides of the elbows; for drunkenness: slap on the elbows. The general parts and illness-related areas mentioned above are not perfect combinations, they are only meant as a reference. As many illnesses are compound diseases, i.e. several diseases occurring in the same patient, for best efficacy, in principle, “carpet bombing” should be applied for all types of severe illnesses, i.e. slap all over the body, including general parts, the head, limbs, armpits, base of thighs and the torso.


















How to determine Paida duration and frequency?

It is not possible to set an absolute standard for Paida duration and frequency as each person’s gender, age and condition differ. The appropriate duration and frequency can only be determined by the individual according to his/her own needs. This is precisely the beauty of Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM). Paida is different from medication, as it does not have side effects, so the more  Paida the better. The various pains and discomforts are recovery reactions of “Qì Chōng Bìng Zào”, and should not be regarded in the same light as side effects of medication. If you experiences extreme reactions or over-fatigue, you can rest a while, take some ginger and date broth, and continue Paida after regaining strength.

General principles of Paida duration and frequency

1. Everyone can practice Paida every day, regardless of whether sick or not, or whether Sha appears or not; 

2. A longer duration yields better results than when the same amount of time is divided into several shorter sessions. The longer and more thorough each area is slapped, the better; do not stop after just several attempts; 

3. If time permits, it is best to slap each area for no less than one hour; if there isn’t enough time, you may choose to slap only one area each day; 

4. As long as circumstances permit, Paida can be practiced anytime, anywhere, every day throughout the year.

Paida duration and frequency for your reference

1. For people with illnesses, Paida three times a day is more important than the three meals, as clearing meridians is equivalent to the delivery of important nourishment to the body; 

2. For healthy individuals intending to preserve health through
Paida, slap from the head down to the feet for 1- 5 minutes at each part. This may be repeated as many times as desired in a day; 

3. For those in sub-health conditions, slap on the general parts and diseases nidus for 5 - 30 minutes each. This may be repeated as many times as desired in a day; 

4. For those with obvious diseases nidus on the limbs, focus on the general parts and the afflicted parts for at least 30 minutes each. For instance, those with knee pain, frozen shoulder, cervical  spondylosis, headaches and insomnia can Paida  repeatedly for as many times as desired; 

5. For those with serious illnesses, for instance, inability to lift shoulders or to walk, or those diagnosed with psoriasis, heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, etc., Paida each general part for at least one hour, for 1-3 times a day. The duration may be shortened accordingly when the symptoms are relieved. For those with various types of joint pains, such as pain in the shoulders or knees, get someone strong to do the slapping so as to gain better and quicker improvements; 

6. Those with critical illnesses may experience repeated appearance of Sha. Normally, Sha does not appear easily after a few Paida
sessions; however, regardless of whether Sha appears or not, regular practice should be continued to clear meridians, to gain healing benefits and to maintain good health.


Why is it necessary to apply prolonged Paida?

Paida with high intensity over a short duration is like boiling water with high heat; whereas Paida with low intensity over a long duration is like simmering soup with low heat. 

When boiling water, it is best to keep heating until the boiling point is reached. It would be a waste of energy if the heat is turned off at 90℃. Similarly, Paida should be kept up until the final stage of treatment is completed; stopping prematurely would be a waste of effort. The appearance of  Sha at the initial stages of  Paida is known as “Yiyinchu”, it is the process of “revealing toxins”. Continued slapping will enable the Sha to be neutralised and removed by the rising yang-qi in our body. This is known as “Yiyangchu”, a process of detoxification. The yin and yang  balancing interactions during this process is a manifestation of the “Dao”. Just as the heat should not be removed before water is boiled, Paida should not be halted before the final stage of Sha   neutralisation. As such, for best healing effects, each Paida  session should be carried out until Sha emerges on the skin, and be continued until the Sha disappears. Only until then is Paida session considered complete. Even without the appearance of Sha, Paida  should still be practiced for long duration; and this is secret to the success of Paida. 

Heavy slapping for a short duration is like boiling water with high heat. It takes less time, but it mainly applies to acute diseases. 

For severe or chronic diseases, toxins lie deeper in the body. And since the body has long suffered poisoning from drugs, toxins and wastes in the body, it is difficult to thoroughly detoxify within a short period of time. As such, a longer duration (e.g. one hour on each area) of slapping is more vital than the high intensity of slapping. This process of deep toxin removal is like using low heat to simmer soup. The flavours and nutrition can only be released after the ingredients are simmered on low heat for a long period of time. 

However, heavy or light slapping are relative concepts, and the intensity depends on one’s level of tolerance. Long Paida sessions will definitely improve a person’s ability to endure pain and strengthen the heart and kidney functions; this will in turn enhance the self-healing power. 

In addition, one enters a meditative state in extended Paida

sessions, and thus better efficacy will be gained.
For people of the modern age accustomed to passive treatment, they may only experience the “heart” or the mind (“sovereign” of the body ) going into a state of acute awareness when a Paida   session is prolonged to a certain extent.


Paida for oneself and for others

Normally, people should Paida on themselves; however, some may require assistance from others, e.g. the seriously ill, the elderly, those who lack strength, or those who face other inconveniences. Even when we primarily do it on our own, there are areas where better efficacy will be gained if others help us to do the slapping, for instance, on the back, behind the shoulders and knees, in the armpits, hind sides of legs and other parts where self-slapping can be inconvenient. 

Many people are over-protective of themselves —  they slap too lightly for the Sha to appear, which leads them to assume that they are in good health. These are mostly people who are afraid of pain, indicating traits of timidity, weak kidney functions, lack of strength, and weak willpower, which tends to be more common in men. More often than not, once these people are slapped by others with slightly higher intensity, Sha appears immediately. 

Better efficacy is obtained when several people help each other in Paida. In a workshop I organized, many participants who had persisted in year-round sports training or Qi Gong practice presumed that they were quite healthy as even with regular Paida,
Sha did not appear easily on them. However, out of their expectations, when they had Paida done on one another, Sha
appeared on each and every one of them, and the Sha that appeared was quite horrendous. Despite how it looked, it is in effect something desirable, because many old injuries are revealed, which enabled them to be uprooted once and for all. This can even untie knots deep in our hearts that have tortured us for decades, enabling all illnesses, including those that we are unaware of, those that remain undetected by doctors or medical appliances, and those that may break out in the future, to be treated right now.

Principles in self-administered Paida

1. Paida with heart. When practicing Paida, we not only need to stay focused and be cleared of other thoughts, we also need to keep a positive mindset. By trusting “My Health, I Manage!", and that we are the best doctors for our own selves, the body’s ability to self heal will be summoned by this powerful thought. Actually, the efficacy of all medical treatments needs to be built on the recipient’s self-healing power. If one has a negative mindset and is not convinced of self-healing, if one is doubtful that simple methods can cure illnesses, or is half-hearted and lack confidence in Paida, the healing effect will be discounted; 

2. Repent wholeheartedly.  Just as illnesses have traceable causes, people invariably have their wrongs. The agonies that one is suffering now are the “effects” of what is committed in the past. Repent sincerely as you practice Paida, to friends or family members, alive or dead, whom you have hurt with your words or deeds, and ask for their forgiveness. This will bring out the positive power of thought and immensely enhance the Paida healing efficacy. For someone who does not repent after falling ill and yet keep on complaining, the negativity will grow stronger and the condition will thus worsen; 

3. Be grateful. Illnesses and pains are kind reminders urging us to change our habits, to part with suffering and to regain happiness. Hence, we should be grateful for the good messages when practicing Paida; secondly, we should be grateful to people, alive or dead, who have helped and cared for us. We can think of their images and names during the Paida process; thirdly, we should be grateful to our bodies. If we keep exploiting it without giving it proper care, how can we not fall ill? If the body has fallen ill and we are still ungrateful to it and not consoling it, then we are acting against virtue. Being grateful to those who’ve helped us and to our bodies will enhance Paida efficacy; 

4. Fill up with clean Qi and expel dirty Qi. Think of the body being filled up with clean Qi from the palm that is slapping down; and when the palm is removed, think of dirty Qi  being drawn out and expelled from the body; 

5. Recite mantras or praises. In the Paida process, if one recites orally or in the heart, mantras or praises from one's own religion, the healing effects will be enhanced. For instance, Christians may say “Hallelujah”; Buddhists may say “Amitabha”, “Om Mani Padme Hum”, and so on.

Principles when conducting Paida for others

1. When slapping for others, first we should have a positive mindset, a caring heart, and hope for the recipient’s fast recovery; 

2. The person doing the slapping needs to maintain close communication with the recipient, be attentive to the recipient’s expressions in the eyes and on the face, actions, words, etc., so as to fully understand his/her feelings, needs and concerns. Both parties should stay focused, and connected as “one”; 

3. Always start with light slapping before increasing the intensity. The intensity or technique may need to be adjusted in the process. Especially when applying “wu-pai” or heavy slapping, we need
to put ourselves in the shoes of the recipient and take note of the intensity of pain to be endured; 

4. Never force “wu-pai” or heavy slapping onto the recipient; this will induce fear and/or resentment in the recipient and reduce the healing efficacy instead of enhancing it. “Wu-pai ” or heavy  slapping is not suitable for the elderly, the frail, the seriously ill and infants. “Wen-pai” or light slapping can produce the same, if not better, healing efficacy as expected, if the slapping is done with love and the time taken is long enough; 

5. The recipient needs to adjust his/her mentality and cooperate with the person doing the slapping. Pain and discomfort are to be treated as gifts of kindness sent to help alleviate illnesses; nervousness and fear are to be overcome to enable cooperation with the helper. Enhanced efficacy will then be gained.

Sequence of Paida

For health maintenance, Paida  is generally practiced in the following top-down order: 

1. Pat the head (see Figures 1 - 4): First pat the top, then both sides, followed by patting the forehead, the back of the head and the neck. You may use either both hands or just one; slapping the back of the neck with one hand is more convenient. You may feel numbness in the feet during the process;

Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4.


↟(Top row)Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4; 
↱(Bottom row) Figure 8, Figure 7, Figure 5, Figure 6.

2. Slap the shoulders (see Figure 5): Use the left hand to slap the right shoulder, and vice versa; areas all around the shoulders are to be slapped; 

3. Slap both armpits and inner sides (see Figure 6);

4. Slap both elbow joints (see Figure 7): The area should include the heart, pericardium, and lung meridians on the inner sides. Then slap the outer sides; 

5. Slap the back of both hands (see Figure 8): Put one hand on a knee with the back of the hand facing up, slap hard with the other hand. Change hands afterwards;

6. Slap both hips (including the hip joints and surrounding areas), followed by slapping both sides of one thigh with both hands, and move on to the other thigh afterwards; 

7. Beat the abdomen with fists, followed by Paida the groin (base of legs), which may be slapped with hands, chopped with the sides of the hands, or beaten with fists; 

8. Slap the knees (see Figure 9): Slap the front of the knees with both hands, covering the entire kneecap area. Next, slap the inner and outer sides of a knee with both hands, and then move on to the other knee. Lastly, slap the back of the knees, which may be done by opening the legs while being seated, or by bending down at the waist while standing and slapping it with both hands. For any type of knee or leg problems, regardless of the many disease names, as long as there is pain, numbness, swelling or other symptoms in the legs, this slapping technique is applicable. Especially those about to go for a surgery may get recovered through Paida without having to go through the surgery. For better efficacy, combine Paida with
Lajin. 
(Left, Figure 9)

(Right, Figure 10)
9. Slap all parts of the feet (see Figure 10): This includes the tops and soles of the feet, the inner and outer sides of the ankles.


A few things to note about Paida

1. Avoid wind or chills during Paida.
 Avoid directing the electric fan or air conditioner at yourself during
Paida, so as not to let the cold and chills enter the body via open pores, which could induce new illnesses. If air conditioning has to be used, it should be turned to the lowest, and the temperature should be increased to 26 degrees or above. 

2. Remember to drink enough water before and after
Paida. It is best to take ginger and date broth before and after
Paida. Warm water can also be taken to replenish hydration, to prevent dizziness or fatigue, and to enhance body metabolism. 

3. Avoid showering or bathing after Paida. When the weather is cold and there is not much sweating, it is better not to bathe on the same day. Since the Qi and blood circulation in the body are automatically enhanced after Paida, it is best not to interfere with the process. However, dipping in hot springs or hot baths are allowed, as the skin all over the body is being warmed up, this will enhance Qi and blood flow, and Sha will disappear faster as a result. Showering is not advised. When the weather is hot and there is a lot of sweating, showering half an hour after Paida is allowed before bedtime. If it is not bedtime, do not shower in less than one hour after Paida. Never shower with cold water; shampoo and shower gel containing chemicals should be avoided. 

4. Paida for those with skin ailments For skin diseases like psoriasis, rashes and all types of itch, pat with force for a longer time for it to take effect. For psoriasis, the affected areas are to be slapped until the skin is broken, and blood and body fluids are exuded. When scab forms and new skin develops, the disease will be healed. Do not use Paida to treat trauma or festering wounds. 

5. Paida for those with diabetes mellitus, varicosity and edema of the lower limbs For patients of diabetes mellitus, patting should be light and slow because their skin and vessels are weak and fragile. For patients with varicosity and edema of the lower limbs, it is better for them to pat from the bottom to top gently, so as to accelerate the blood circulation. 

6. Do not apply heavy slapping where internal organs and their lesions are located. Heavy slapping is not to be applied where kidneys, lesions of internal organs, cancer cells, etc. are located. However, since meridians at the general parts (hands, elbows, knees and feet) are linked to our internal organs, these areas can be patted instead to treat diseases related to internal organs. In some patients, persistent slapping of the general parts over long periods of time is found to have cured various chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases.

Prohibitions

Paida  is prohibited in the following cases: 

1. Those with blood disorders and will bleed easily, such as those suffering from bleeder disease, thrombopenia, leukemia, Henoch-Schonlein purpure (HSP), etc.; 

2. Women during pregnancy. Latest update(2016), Paida is good for pregnant mothers from beginning of pregnancy until giving birth. 

3. Those with serious diabetes or skin trauma, with apparent exudation or ulceration; 

4. Those in coma, having acute injuries, serious infection, fresh bone-fracture and recent sprains; 

5. Those with unknown lumps, or with malignant tumour; 

6. Those allergic to pains; 

7. Those forbidden by doctors to be treated with patting.