Chapter III. PaidaLajin Self-Healing Method
(Page start 47/204)
CHAPTER III PAIDALAJIN SELF-HEALING METHOD...47/204
Section I Paida...47
What is Paida?...47
How does Paida work?...47
How are hands and tools used in Paida? ...47
Why do we Paida with hands and tools alternately? ...48
How to determine the intensity of Paida? ...49
Body parts for Paida and Paida sequence ...50
1. Universal regions and the head ...50
2. Sequence of Paida for health preservation ...51
Self-help Paida and mutual Paida...52
1. Principles of self-help Paida...53
2. Principles of mutual Paida...54
Will we be affected by negative energy during mutual Paida? ...55
Paida duration and intensity ...55
A few things to note about Paida...57
Prohibitions...58
Section I. Paida
What is Paida?
Paida (拍打; pinyin: pāi da): To use hands and/or tools to slap repeatedly on a part of the body or the entire body at an acceptable intensity, in order to enhance Qi, manifest and remove meridian blockages, thus inducing self-healing.
Paida is also the most ancient natural diagnostic method. As pains and diseases were clearly manifested as Sha and other symptoms, in ancient China, the therapy was not called Paida, but Diao Shang, or revealing and then healing injuries and diseases. If a person has no illness, no Sha or other healing reactions will appear during Paida.
How does Paida work?
1. The skin is closely linked to the meridian system, limbs, internal organs, and nine orifices (eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, urethra, and anus) of your body. Paida is an all-round activation of the slapped skin, the underlying muscles, bones, meridians, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nervous and other cells, and all systems of the body.
2. The slapped area automatically gathers more Qi and blood. Qi propels blood flow. Paida improves Qi and blood circulation. The enhanced Qi acts as a cleaner—it automatically scans the entire body, identifying meridian blockages and removing them. All harmful wastes, toxins, tumors, etc., will be gradually swept out of your body.
3. Paida boosts the power of the “Heart” and your
confidence in self-healing.
4. From the perspective of Western medicine,
Paida is a proactive “sabotage” that stimulates
the central nervous system (CNS) to mobilize the
energy, blood, various secretions, and the nervous,
immune, and lymphatic systems to repair damage,
thus enhancing the body’s self-repair capacity and
immunity.
How are hands and tools used in Paida?
1. Normally, solid slaps are used in Paida. Hollow slaps are occasionally used. Solid slaps produce a stronger stimulation and are more effective.
2. Hollow slaps are occasionally used to reduce the pain of Paida. Hold the thumb close to the other four fingers that are kept close and straight, and it creates a very shallow space in between. Hence, hollow slaps are basically still solid slaps.
3. To intensify stimulation on certain parts of the body, the back of the hand, mainly the knuckles of fingers aligned together, may be used.
4. Fists or a Paida tool can be used to increase penetration or to reduce the volume of Paida sounds, or on certain parts of the body, for instance, fleshy parts like the abdomen, buttocks and thighs; or on parts that cannot be easily slapped using the palm, such as the armpits or groin areas. The sides of the palms may also be used to chop at the groin areas.
5. When slapping a large region, such as the inner elbows, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and knees, the entire palm and fingers should be used. To slap on a smaller area, you can primarily use fingers, with agile movements of the wrist.
6. For areas that your hands cannot reach or where you cannot slap hard enough with your hands, such as the back and the back of legs, Paida tools can be used, such as special Paida sticks, soles of canvas shoes, wooden sticks, stones, etc. The specially designed Paida stick is very flexible and suitable for direct contact with the skin. The sides of the stick can be used to Paida uneven parts of the body.
Why do we Paida with hands and tools alternately?
1. There is Qi in our hands. During Paida, not only is our strength used, but also the Qi that penetrates deep inside the body. Conducting Paida with hands is better than using tools that do not bear any Qi.
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There are acupoints all over the palms. Paida 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 (Triple Warmer) meridians, which will in turn activate the six meridians on the feet and along the legs, i.e., the Liver, Spleen, Kidney, Stomach, Gall Bladder and Urinary Bladder meridians, and create a round of chain reactions that will benefit the entire body. From the perspective of Quanxi theory (the holistic approach), hands and feet are holographic reflex zones closely linked to all organs and
tissues of the body. Paida with hands treats all systems in the body, which is what we call “carpet bombing” all past, existing, and latent diseases. Whether you use hands to Paida yourself or others, the hands are also being slapped, i.e., action and reaction are equal in intensity. During the process, blockages in all organs are being unblocked. Slapping others is also slapping yourself; helping
others is helping yourself.
3. When Paida is conducted with hands, what is most stimulated in the palms are the Heart and Pericardium meridians, i.e., the heart is the organ most stimulated. As the Heart is the “emperor” of our body, the stimulated power of the Heart changes the nature of healing: Paida enables us to proactively act on illnesses instead of passively awaiting external intervention. During self-help Paida, one is in a state of both 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” and the wisdom that “the simplest way is the truest.”
4. The arms and shoulders move along during Paida. Acupoints in the hands are linked to the arms, shoulders, neck, brain, and heart. Neck and shoulder problems and sleeping disorders are treated altogether during Paida. The efficacy increases with greater intensity, longer duration, and greater sweep of the arm’s movements.
A retired woman came to me complaining of shoulder and leg pains. I advised her to slap her knees for two hours. The following day, she told me that after slapping the knees, much of the leg pain was gone, and she was able to raise her arms higher. A friend of mine slapped her knees for two hours while we were chatting, and then she suddenly found her neck pain gone. The next morning, she phoned me, saying she went straight to bed when she got home
and had the best sleep in years.
5. When using hands to slap, one can easily become exhausted and the Paida cannot last long. For elderly people with a lot of illnesses, it is even more difficult to persist in Paida. Moreover, it is inconvenient to slap on many parts of the body, such as the back, the hind side of each leg, hands, feet, face, joints along the limbs, and the hollow surface of bony areas. Use Paida tools instead. It saves much effort, Sha comes out faster, and you can slap longer.
6. Use tools to slap on clothes-covered body parts, in order to save time and effort, to reduce the pain of Paida, when it is inconvenient to slap on the skin in cold weather, or for patients who cannot take the pain of direct Paida on the skin.
7. Using hands to slap can sound quite “noisy” in public places and in the quiet night. Use tools instead to reduce noise.
8. For frequent travelers, take a Paida stick along and it can be practiced anytime, anywhere.
How to determine the intensity of Paida?
There are two types of Paida in terms of its intensity, i.e., gentle and heavy Paida. They are relative concepts. The same intensity may be “gentle” to one person, but “heavy” to another.
The actual intensity varies with age, health
condition, pain tolerance, the part of the body
being slapped, environmental, and other factors.
Technically speaking, slapping with wrist movement is gentle Paida; slapping with elbow joint movement is moderate Paida; slapping with shoulder joint movement is heavy Paida. Gentle, moderate, and heavy Paida should be used alternately. The general rule is to go gradually from gentle to heavy Paida, and never start with heavy Paida. Adjust the intensity to the
recipient’s pain tolerance. In the beginning, the
painful sensation can be quite intense, but after a
while, there will be less pain. At this point, the
intensity may be increased gradually. The greater
the intensity, the more pain will be felt; but as
long as the pain is within a tolerable range, the
effect of Paida will be better. However, it is the
recipient who has the final say on how much pain
he/she can take. The person doing Paida cannot
force heavy Paida on the recipient. Gentle Paida
can be as good as, or even better than heavy
Paida, but will require a longer time. When a part
of the body is slapped for up to one hour, the
healing effect will be better.
Body parts for Paida and Paida sequence
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1. Universal regions and the head
Theoretically, all parts of the body can be
slapped. Normally, Paida follows a top-down
sequence.
When sick, a person will want to know which meridians are blocked. There are 14 meridians in the body—12 standard meridians, and the Ren and Du meridians along the median part of the torso. All illnesses originate from blockage of the 14 meridians, whether mosquito bites or tumors, insomnia or constipation. Normally, multiple meridians are blocked in a sick person.
Unblocking these 14 meridians will cure everything.
However, many people do not have enough time to slap all over the body. They tend to look for key areas related to their illnesses for Paida. To make it simple and improve efficacy, we recommend slapping the head and four “universal regions,” which basically cover all 14 meridians in the body.
The four universal regions are as follows: elbows (front and back sides), knees (front, back, left, and right sides), hands (front and back sides), and feet (top, bottom, left, and right sides), eight in total.
When slapping elbows or knees, all areas including front, back, left, and right sides are to be slapped thoroughly; the best way to Paida the back of a hand is to place one hand on a knee, and Paida the back of that hand and fingers with the palm of the other hand. When you Paida the feet, it is necessary to slap thoroughly the inner and outer sides of the ankles, and the tops and soles of the feet. To heal faster, slap each area for 15 minutes or more. Make it a habit and slap at least one universal region each day.
After slapping the universal regions thoroughly, go on to Paida the entire head, including the top, left, right, front and back sides of the head, neck, eyes (closed), cheeks, nose, mouth, and ears. Slapping the entire head helps to relieve all chronic diseases, particularly effective for healing headache, insomnia, diseases of the five-sense organs, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s. This is because all Yang meridians corresponding to internal organs go up to the head. For instance, Liver opens into the eyes; Kidney opens into the ears; Lung opens into the nose; Spleen opens into
the mouth; and Heart opens into the tongue. Thus
slapping the entire head also heals disorders of
the internal organs.
The armpits, the groin areas, the inner elbows, and the popliteal fossa (the back of knees) are dubbed as “eight weak corners” in Huang Di Nei Jing. They are mostly likely to accumulate cold-dampness, toxins, and wastes. Clearing these areas is a “shortcut” to self-healing pains and diseases. But the armpits and the groin areas are not included in the universal regions for Paida because they are less convenient to slap and the pain is greater. You may reject Paida altogether if you feel too much pain during your initial taste of Paida. However, at our workshops, these are key targets of Paida.
After thoroughly slapping the head and universal regions, it’s best to also slap the armpits and the groin areas. Then go on to slap the entire four limbs, chest, back, abdomen, buttocks, in other words, “carpet bomb” the entire body.
2. Sequence of Paida for health preservation
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4
Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7
Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10
For health preservation, Paida is generally practiced in the following top-down order:
1. Paida the head (see Figures 1–4): First Paida the top, then left and right sides, followed by the front and back sides of the head. You may use one hand or both. Slapping the back of the head with one hand is more convenient. Then move on to slap on the back of the neck, eyes (closed), cheeks, mouth, and ears. You may feel warmth and/or numbness at the perineum and the soles of
the feet when slapping on the head and the neck.
2. Paida the shoulders (see Figure 5): Use the left hand to slap on the right shoulder, and vice versa. Areas all around the shoulders (front, back, top and outer sides) are to be slapped.
3. Paida both arms, armpits, and the inner side of the rib areas (see Figure 6).
4. Paida the elbow joints (see Figure 7): Slap on the inner side of each elbow, which covers the Heart, Pericardium, and Lung meridians. Then slap on the outer side, which includes the Large Intestine, San Jiao (Triple Warmer), and Small Intestine meridians.
5. Paida the back of each hand (see Figure 8): Put one hand on a knee with the back of the hand facing up, and slap hard with the other hand. Switch hands afterward.
6. Paida both buttocks (including the hip joints and surrounding areas), then slap the inner and outer sides of one thigh with both hands, and move on to slap the other thigh.
7. Paida the abdomen and the groin areas, which may be slapped with hands, chopped with the sides of the hands, or beaten with fists.
8. Paida the knees (see Figure 9): Paida the front of the knees with both hands, covering an entire kneecap with a palm. Next, slap the inner and outer sides of a knee with both hands, and then move on to slap the other knee. Lastly, Paida 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 Paida them with both
hands. You can also Paida each other in a group.
For knee and leg problems, regardless of the
many disease names, as long as there are sore,
numb, painful, swelling or other sensations in the
legs, this method is applicable. Those about to
undergo surgery may recover through Paida,
sparing them the need for an invasive procedure.
For a better healing effect, combine Paida with
Lajin.
9. Paida 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, as well as surrounding areas.
Note: For a better healing effect, combine these Paida exercises with Lajin.
Self-help Paida and mutual Paida
It is better to both slap yourself and each other. Self-help Paida is the most essential self-healing exercise. The power of the Heart, the greatest power, is mobilized. Everyone should, first of all, do self-help Paida, unless you cannot do it yourself due to illness. It is good to alternate self-help and mutual Paida. Mutual Paida creates a more positive atmosphere and a stronger energy field, and some people do need help from others, especially the frail, the elderly,
the seriously ill, or those who face other inconveniences. Even when we primarily do it on our own, there are areas where better effects will be gained if others help us, for instance, the back, the armpits, the shoulders, the back of the knees, the hind side of the legs, and other parts where self-help Paida can be inconvenient.
Many people are over-protective of themselves—they Paida too gently for the Sha to appear, which leads them to assume that they are in good health. These people are mostly afraid of pain, indicating severe meridian blockages, i.e., grave illnesses. For some people, it reveals weak heart and kidney functions, lack of strength, and weak willpower, which tends to be more common in men. All these are in essence manifestations of meridian blockages. More often than not, when others slap them a bit more heavily, Sha will soon come out.
The effect will be better when people help each other Paida. Many people who persist in year-round sports or Qi Gong practice assume that they are quite healthy. For even with regular Paida, Sha does not appear easily on them. However, when they slap each other, much Sha soon appears on each and every one of them. Despite how horrendous it looks, it is in effect something desirable, as many old injuries and past diseases are revealed and 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 healed now.
1. Principles of self-help Paida
1. Paida whole-heartedly. Paida involves confidence, concentration, and perseverance. When you believe in self-healing with Paida, you will stay focused and persist in the practice; if you are affected by negativity, you cannot continue with full attention, and the effect will be discounted even if you do practice it.
2. Close your eyes and Paida silently. With eyes closed, it is easier to clear your thoughts and focus on Paida. When you Paida with your eyes open, you can be easily distracted by what you see and start chatting with others, thus consuming energy and reducing the effect of Paida.
3. Comprehend the philosophy and concepts of self-healing. Read and re-read the first two chapters to deepen your understanding of self-healing. (Chapter I) (Chapter II) For many people, existing knowledge and habits can lead to their doubts about and fear of self-healing. When you encounter problems or difficulties during your practice, please re-read the first two chapters, particularly “healing reactions.” It will greatly boost your confidence in self-healing. Moreover, there are many testimonials in the book and online for your reference. Millions of people
have self-healed with PaidaLajin. Why not you?
4. Be grateful. Be grateful for pains and diseases,
because they are reminders urging you to change
your bad habits, to part with suffering, and to
regain happiness. During Paida, first of all, be
grateful to the Universal Life Force that created
everything, including us; secondly, be grateful to
your body. If you keep exploiting it without
giving it proper care, how can you not fall ill?
If the body has fallen sick and you are still
ungrateful to it and not consoling it, it is only
natural that the condition will worsen; thirdly, be
grateful to your parents and country for nurturing
you; fourthly, be grateful to people, alive or dead,
who have helped and cared for you. You can think
of their names and images during the Paida
process; fifthly, be grateful to your enemies and
those who have hurt you, for they, similar to those
who have helped you in positive ways, are
indispensable for your growth as a person. Positive
and negative energies do not exist alone. If there is
still hatred and resentment in you, the seed of
illness is not eliminated. Gratitude is the best way
to clear up such negativity.
Combine gratitude and repentance together, and you can chant aloud or silently these words often used during PaidaLajin: I’m sorry; please forgive me; thank you; I love you. These are also powerful phrases of the Hawaiian Healing System used by Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, and described in the book Zero Limits: The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace and More authored by Joe Vitale and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len.
5. 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.
6. Recite mantras. In the Paida process, if you
recite orally or in the heart mantras from your
own belief, the healing effects will be enhanced.
For instance, Christians may chant “Hallelujah”;
Buddhists may chant “Amitabha,” “Om Mani
Padme Hum,” and so on.
7. Pay attention to your breathing. Whether you are slapping or being slapped, you can inhale through your nose, hold your breath for 3–60 seconds or even longer, and exhale rapidly through your mouth. It helps to relieve the pain of Paida, boost Yang energy, and get rid of foul air in your body. Or, you can observe your breathing and sensations calmly and objectively. It helps you to be conscious of what is going on within and accept
the sensations, both pleasant and unpleasant.
2. Principles of mutual Paida
1. When engaged in mutual slapping, it’s important to maintain a caring heart, a positive mindset, and hope for the recipient’s fast recovery.
2. Both the slapper and the recipient need to relax
physically and psychologically, particularly the
area being slapped, otherwise the healing effect
will be discounted. Psychological relaxation is
more vital, because when you feel nervous, your
body will be tense and you will feel more pain.
3. The person doing the Paida needs to maintain close communication with the recipient, be attentive to the recipient’s words, actions, expressions in the eyes, and on the face so as to fully understand his or her needs, concerns, and feelings. Both parties should stay focused and connected as “one.”
4. Do not chat during Paida. It consumes energy and distracts attention, thus affecting the effect of Paida. It’s best to Paida with eyes closed. The ideal state of mutual Paida within a group is only the sounds of rhythmic Paida, and no sounds of talking. It creates a strong energy field that multiplies the healing effect.
5. Always start with gentle Paida before gradually increasing the intensity. During Paida, the intensity and technique of slapping may need to be adjusted whenever needed. When using heavy Paida, we need to put ourselves in the shoes of the recipient and make sure that the intensity is within their pain tolerance.
6. Never force heavy Paida onto the recipient. This will induce fear and/or resentment in the recipient, and reduce the healing effect instead of enhancing it. Heavy Paida is not suitable for infants, the elderly, and the seriously ill. Gentle Paida can produce the same healing effect as expected or even better, if you Paida with love and long enough.
7. The recipient should communicate and cooperate with, and be grateful to the slapper(s); show gratitude and repentance to the body, and take the pain and discomforts as kind reminders.
Will we be affected by negative energy during mutual Paida?
According to Isaac Newton’s third law of motion, the intensity of slapping will be equal to the intensity of being slapped. So, when you use your hands to slap others, your palms are being slapped as well. That is to say, while helping others, you are also healing yourself. Our coaches work in workshops all year round, helping participants to slap. They are not affected by negative energy; instead, they are getting healthier.
Nonetheless, some persons will always be overly
concerned with the possibility of getting negative
energy. They can have this “dream” come true.
And some people are very susceptible to the
impact of external energy.
If you are concerned about this, the following may be helpful:
1. First of all, enhance your own positive energy. Persistent PaidaLajin, meditation, and meditative standing (also called “Zhan Zhuang” or “horse stance”) are good ways to boost your energy level.
2. If you are a theist, silently pray to your Creator, God, or Buddha for protection. You can chant mantras.
3. After mutual Paida, swing and shake your hands and feet. It is even better to stand barefoot on the soil or grass.
Paida duration and intensity
Generally speaking, the pain and intensity of Paida should be within the recipient or self-healer’s tolerance. There needs to be moderate pain of Paida, otherwise it will not work. Slap a body region for 5-60 minutes each time. To relieve severe symptoms, slap longer and more.
Slapping for up to five minutes is considered effective Paida. There will be little effect if the Paida is too gentle, produces no pain or does not last long enough, because the self-healing mechanism will not be fully activated. During our 7-day PaidaLajin self-healing workshop, each day the participants slap for approximately six hours, and stretch for about one hour, and by the end of the workshop, they will have briefly slapped all major parts of the body. It takes up to 15 days to complete a round of more thorough all-body Paida. The workshop activities strongly stimulate the self-healing mechanism, and almost all pains and diseases will improve greatly. Back home, it is impossible to slap and stretch so hard and for so long. You can adjust the duration and intensity of PaidaLajin according to your health condition and other factors. Normally, practice PaidaLajin for 1–3 hours a day. If you are very sick or have plenty of time, extend the duration and increase the intensity of PaidaLajin.
For health preservation, Paida the entire head and the universal regions for 0.5–1 hour each day. To relieve and heal common diseases, Paida the universal regions and illness-related areas for 1–3 hour(s). If you are seriously ill, the entire body needs to be slapped multiple rounds before gradual recovery. PaidaLajin is simple, but to grasp the essence of it, it’s best to attend a workshop to most effectively learn the techniques, duration and intensity, and power of the “Heart” in the self-healing process. Up to now, we have not found a better way for people to learn and benefit from PaidaLajin than attending a workshop.
For a sick person who cannot attend a workshop and slap that long, Paida one to three regions for about one hour each day. The duration of Lajin is not included. If you can attach the same importance to your health as you do to games, sports, and dining, you will find that you have time for PaidaLajin.
The following recommendations on Paida duration and intensity are for your reference. You can adjust them according to your health condition and schedule.
1. Paida a body region thoroughly before moving on to the next region. For example, an inner elbow, the top of the head, the front side of a knee, the inner or outer side of a knee, is each a “body region.” Paida each region for 5–60 minutes.
2. Thorough Paida: Paida until the most Sha comes out of the slapped area; and with continued Paida, no more Sha appears, it does not hurt much, or the Sha is beginning to fade away, the skin is broken and blood or bodily fluid is seeping out.
3. When slapping on a large region, focus on an area the size of a palm and slap for 5–60 minutes. Then move the palm or Paida stick to the next area.
4. For body parts that can be easily slapped by oneself, it’s better to self administer Paida; for body parts that are inconvenient to reach, try Paida on each other. During Paida, alternate your hands and Paida stick(s). Use a Paida stick when you feel tired or when Sha does not come out easily. In cold weather, use a Paida stick to slap without removing clothes.
5. Do not stop half way during Paida. It’s best to
slap a body part thoroughly. When the Sha
disappears, start a second round of Paida.
6. Some people self-heal after a round of thorough Paida all over the body. However, many patients need multiple rounds of “carpet-bombing” Paida before a full recovery occurs. Adjust the area and frequency of Paida to suit personal needs.
7. Some people have slapped all over the body; however, the healing effect is not as good as slapping universal regions or other specific regions, for the pain and intensity of Paida are not enough. It is more effective to do Paida and one to three Lajin session(s) per day. Some people do Lajin without the standard Lajin bench or sandbags, or they put down the raised leg when they feel sore, numb, painful, and swelling sensations. In these cases the efficacy is discounted. Better effects can be achieved by doing Lajin for the same length of time while stretched on a standard Lajin bench using 5–20kg sandbags, and continuing to stretch after feeling these sensations.
8. Gentle Paida is also effective, as long as there
is moderate pain. However, this will take longer;
you may have to slap one region for 30–120
minutes.
A few things to note about Paida
1. Avoid wind and chills during Paida.
Avoid direct wind from an electric fan or an air conditioner during Paida, so as not to let the wind and chills enter the body through open pores, which could induce new illnesses. If air conditioning has to be used, turn the fan to “low,” and increase the temperature to no less than 79°F (26℃).
2. How best to drink water before, during and after Paida?
Before, during and after Paida, drink some warm
water to replenish hydration, to prevent fatigue or
dizziness, and to enhance metabolism. It is best to
drink ginger and jujube tea, particularly for those
weak in Qi and blood.
Many people drink water as a habit, even when they are not thirsty. They even follow “expert advice” and drink many gallons of water every day, which can induce a lot of illnesses. According to Chinese medicine, drink only when you are thirsty and drink when it is warm. Do not assume that drinking much water helps detoxification. Where there are blockages in the body, the excess water can get trapped inside, damage kidney and urinary bladder functions, and cause other health problems. And do not drink cold water, especially in early morning when the body’s Yang energy is rising along with the sun. Cold water extinguishes the Heart fire and induces heart disease.
3. Avoid bathing or showering after Paida.
In cold weather, when you have little or no sweat, it is better not to take a bath on the day of Paida. As the Qi and blood flow in the body is automatically enhanced after PaidaLajin, it is best not to interfere with this process. Because the skin pores are wide open after Paida, cold-dampness can easily enter the body. When it is hot and you sweat a lot, shower two hours after Paida. Never shower with cold water. Avoid shampoo and shower gel because they contain harmful chemicals.
4. When Sha appears, it is best to continue slapping until it comes out thoroughly and then disappears.
This process can take a long time, sometimes over an hour. Prolonged Paida helps the Sha fade away faster. The slapped area gathers more Qi and blood, and it facilitates their flow and detoxification. Even if you stop Paida, normally the Sha will disappear in a few hours or days. It
only takes a longer time.
If Sha disappears quickly, it is indicative of good health. Normally, the Sha on kids, young, and healthy people disappears faster; it goes away more slowly in elderly people and gravely ill patients. Some Sha can take weeks todisappear. After Sha appears, you can move on to slap other body parts, and wait until the Sha disappears to start a second round of Paida on the same
areas.
5. The very fact that Sha disappears with continued Paida shows that it is not blood vessels being broken. Rather, the toxic substances in the blood are being decomposed, and removed through skin pores, other orifices, and detoxification channels in the body. Sweat, tears, runny nose, urine, stool, and smells from the skin and other excretions are all telling signs of detoxification.
6. Dark Sha that manifests as reddish and swelling skin can look horrible. For instance, some people cannot put on their shoes because
their feet are so swollen after Paida. These are
good healing reactions, and the self-healing
mechanism is working to detoxify. In these cases,
continue Paida. Do not panic even if the skin is
broken and blood seeps out. Paida for a while to
get rid of some toxic blood and bodily fluids.
Then move on to slap on an adjacent area.
Sha and bleeding during Paida are part of the self-healing process. Some people regard the appearance of Sha as a sign of subcutaneous hemorrhage. This is a misunderstanding. When checked with medical equipment, the major blood vessels at the area with much Sha remain intact. And if you slap on healthy parts of the body, no Sha or blood will come out.
7. It is normal for your skin to sometimes break during Paida. You can stop slapping it and move on to slap on another part of the body. However, to heal certain illnesses, it is more efficacious to slap until the skin breaks, and toxic blood and fluids come out. For instance, people with psoriasis or eczema can get rid of more toxins at the affected areas; to relieve severe symptoms of heart disease, slap on the inner elbows until the skin breaks.
Prohibitions
Paida is prohibited in the following cases:
1. Those who tend to bleed easily or those with blood disorders, such as bleeder disease or Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP).
2. Those with skin trauma, and/or festered skin with bodily fluid on it.
3. Those bleeding, having acute injuries, severe infections, or fresh bone fractures. It’s all right to slap on regions with muscle and soft tissue damage and surrounding areas; the pain may be greater, but the self-healing effect is also great.
4. For patients with retinal detachment, avoid Paida to the eyes.
Section II. Sha and Self-healing
What is Sha?
Sha (痧; pinyin: shā): Sha is toxic waste in the blood and bodily fluids that appear beneath the skin during Paida. It comes in shades of pink, crimson, purple, purplish black, and black. When the amount of Sha reaches a peak, it will gradually fade away with continued Paida. Lumps, red swelling, and white powder on the skin are also different forms of Sha.
Sha is a word unique to the Chinese language. It literally means “toxic sands and little stones.” Ancient Chinese called them “blood stones,” i.e., pathogenic substances similar to gall bladder stones and kidney stones. Establishing its occurrence and coining the term “Sha,” as well as using it to diagnose and treat diseases, demonstrates the wisdom of the ancient Chinese.
In scientific language, Sha refers to tiny toxic particles that are processed and filtered from harmful substances in the blood and bodily fluids. This occurs when the Yang energy boosted through PaidaLajin scans the entire body and induces biochemical reactions with various substances in the body. Pushed by Qi, these particles are excreted through various orifices. Sha can be excreted through skin pores as tiny solid particles, or in the sweat, tears, nasal discharge, urine, stool, and so on.
Four types of toxins in Sha
1. Toxins from environmental forces such as wind,
heat, cold, and dampness.
2. Toxins from diseases.
3. Toxins from prolonged medication and
processed foods. Chemical odors expelled during
Paida are evidence of detoxification.
4. Toxins produced by negative mindset and emotions. These are far more toxic than the impact of drug toxins and external forces, and are the main causes of illness.
Paida on the skin forces toxic waste in the blood
to cling to and go through blood vessel walls, and
colorful patches of Sha will appear beneath the
skin. With the same intensity of Paida, Sha does
not appear on healthy parts of the body, but will
only surface on those parts or acupoints with
existing and latent illnesses.
Self-diagnosis according to colors of Sha
The general principles in self-diagnosis according to colors of Sha are as follows:
Sha appears only where diseases are present; the amount of Sha that surfaces indicate the severity of diseases; the darker the Sha, the more severe the pathogenic elements (toxic waste, excessive cold, heat, dampness, etc.) are in the body.
Sometimes, lumps and red swelling may appear
along with Sha. Regardless of the disease name,
when pains are relieved and Sha is surfaced and
decomposed through PaidaLajin, the self-healing
method has taken effect. Sha does not appear the
way and the amount we expect it. Heavy Paida
on a healthy person does not force out much Sha;
gentle Paida on a sick person easily gets Sha out.
The colors of Sha have the following implications:
1. Flushed skin: healthy, normal;
2. Red: “wind-heat”; common in people of “sub-health” condition;
3. Purplish red: “stagnant heat,” prone to soreness;
4. Blue: “phlegm-dampness,” prone to fatigue;
5. Purplish black: stagnation and inflammation, indicating that toxins have accumulated in the body and that the meridians are heavily blocked;
6. Black: appearing mostly in those with chronic or critical illnesses, or those under prolonged medication;
7. Colorful Sha and reddish swelling skin: severe
blockages. The swelling, similar to the appearance
of Sha, is a good detoxifying reaction.
PaidaLajin is both diagnosis and treatment at the same time. Whatever its color, Sha signals health problems and indicates that detoxification and treatment are under way—excessive heat, cold, dampness, and toxic waste in related organs are being expelled.
1. Where there is Sha, there is a health problem.
The more severely blocked the meridians are, the
faster Sha appears (sometimes in less than one
minute of Paida) and the darker its colors are.
However, Sha is not the only self-diagnostic
criterion; pain is a more accurate signal. Having
pain but no Sha also reveals health problems, for
“no pains, no blockages.”
2. Some Sha travels in the body. This indicates that Qi and blood flow is being regulated and that Paida produces a lasting effect in boosting Qi and blood circulation.
3. Some people may have red Sha at first, and with continued Paida, darker spots, lines or patches of Sha will appear, and in severe cases even dark, hard lumps will emerge. In other cases, especially among the seriously ill, Sha may not come out easily because the Qi is weak and fails to stimulate blood circulation. Some people do not have sufficient Qi and blood, but they have rough skin and thick flesh where toxins are buried deep within, so it is quite hard to get Sha out. In such
cases, Paida hard and long enough, and for
multiple times before Sha can be gradually
drawn out.
4. In some people, Sha may cease to emerge after a few Paida sessions, but can re-appear after some time. This indicates that the self-healing power has its own agenda and mechanism. When, where, and how much Sha appears does not follow a person’s willpower. Sometimes, try as you may, no Sha will come out; at other times, Sha will surface unexpectedly. It also shows that a person’s health condition is constantly changing, and that in the tug-of-war with Qi, toxins are changing and moving around in the body.
5. If Sha appears only when you are receiving Paida by others, but not when you are slapping yourself, then self-help Paida is too gentle and the duration is too short for it to take effect.
6. When you fall sick, you will have Sha where it previously did not appear, and Paida hurts more. Where there is little Sha, intense Paida or Paida by others can get out more Sha. These are good healing reactions, where diseases and injuries are brought to the surface to be uprooted.
7. The color of Sha can turn lighter, turn yellow, or have a paler wave-like shade soon after it appears or on the following day. It can also spread to surrounding areas. These are all normal reactions, indicating that the self-healing mechanism is regulating Qi and blood circulation at the affected body tissues.
Are blood vessels broken when Sha appears?
Appearance of Sha during Paida often makes people, even some TCM doctors, suspicious and even scared. They assume that Sha is blood from ruptured blood vessels, and that it is harmful to health. This is misinformation.
Our blood vessels behave somewhat like a rubber hose: when the hose is free of blockages, slapping or pressing it causes the water in it to flow to low pressure areas. Without toxins stagnating the flow in blood vessels, during Paida, clean blood will flow from the slapped area to other areas. This explains why there is little or no Sha in healthy people or healthy parts of the body.
Sha is toxic waste filtered out of the blood and bodily fluids. Otherwise, it continues to exist in the body, causing stagnation, forming harmful, pathogenic substances, such as fat, phlegm, masses, tumors, and dampness.
Blood vessel walls are a tight, mesh-like structure. Toxic waste makes the blood dense and highly viscous, substantially slowing down its flow. When slapping on a stagnated area with toxins, Sha will be filtered out after a series of biochemical reactions between the toxins and the Qi boosted through Paida. Sha is highly viscous; some forms of Sha are almost solid, and do not slip
away easily when pressured. Paida exerts pressure
on the blood vessels, forcing the mesh openings to
expand, and the Sha continues biochemical
reactions with the boosted Qi and becomes tiny
particles that can come out easily. Some particles
go out through the skin pores like dust in the air;
some are excreted in sweat, tears, and nasal
discharge; most are excreted in urine and stool.
Repeated slaps on the skin makes more Sha cling
to the walls. Toxins are thus expelled in the form
of Sha without rupturing blood vessels.
Some people are not convinced, and they go to the hospital to try various tests. The result is that their blood vessels are not broken. You can have a try: Paida until Sha appears; continue slapping the same area long and hard enough, and in about 1-2 hour(s), the Sha will disappear on the spot. Some people have not only tried the entire Paida process, but they also take pictures of Sha emerging, getting darker, getting darkest, fading in color, and finally disappearing.
In very rare cases, Paida may cause capillaries under the skin to rupture. If the palm used for Paida has sticky fluids or traces of blood on it, then the skin and capillaries have indeed ruptured. This, however, is a great sign indicating better healing effect. Normally, healthy skin does not get broken during Paida. When capillaries rupture, the skin at that area needs to be broken
in order to be healed, i.e., “no destruction, no construction.” This is better detoxification, because old injuries, cold-dampness, and deeply buried toxins are surfaced and expelled. This is very much like the “bloodletting” therapy used by major ethnic groups around the world. Where there is bleeding, Paida is killing two birds with one stone; you get the benefits of both Paida and bloodletting therapies.
I have encountered many bleeding cases during Paida sessions. A man with severe heart problems had black Sha on his inner elbow during the first Paida session. Blood seeped out from the Sha, and he immediately felt his chest tightness relieved. His blood pressure dropped soon afterward; in another man, after a few moments of Paida, the area along the Pericardium meridian on his inner elbow turned purplish black. His chest
tightness was relieved shortly after continued
Paida and the palm used for Paida was covered
with blood. His chronic heart disease was greatly
improved afterward, and other symptoms
including headache, chest pain, and irregular
heartbeat all disappeared. I directed another
person who liked to slap others to slap my
shoulder with great force so as to experience
heavy Paida. At the end of the session, on his
palm where the Pericardium meridian runs, a
large bloody blister had developed, and in a short
while, many symptoms of his heart disease
significantly improved, and much of the dark
color on his face and lips also faded.
For eczema, psoriasis, and other skin diseases, and bites by toxic insects and animals, better efficacy and faster detoxification occurs when the affected areas are slapped until blood and sticky fluids are excreted. For patients with hypertension and heart disease, if you slap until the skin breaks and blood seeps out, it works faster at reducing blood pressure and relieving headache, chest tightness, and irregular heartbeat. Many people with similar diseases have experienced these effects of Paida.
When the skin is broken, and blood and fluids seep out, the best thing to do at this point is nothing. You can continue to slap for a while to get rid of more toxic blood and fluids. Soon it will stop bleeding, scabs will form, and new, healthy skin will grow.
Moreover, when using the hands for Paida, the hands are being slapped as well. It is an extra gift when Sha, cracks, water, or blood blisters appear on the hands. They will subside and heal without any particular treatment.
Many people are scared at the rough skin when it
is broken once or several times during Paida
sessions. This is a healing reaction. Continue
PaidaLajin and eventually the skin will become
smoother and more delicate than before. Some
people even experience local or systemic skin
peeling. Of course it is a good sign—a free,
natural skin resurfacing treatment. There have
been many testimonials of people having more
delicate skin thanks to persistent Paida.
Sha, Qi, and blood
Sha appears in various shades, colors, and patterns. In more severe cases, Sha will appear in darker shades of red, purple, blue, or black, and may swell up. It may look horrifying, but it is a recovery reaction, indicating that toxic blood and fluids are being filtered out and detoxification is in process. It is normal for some Sha to hurt when touched or rubbed. If the Sha swells up and hurts a lot when touched, this shows that the meridians at that area are heavily blocked.
Initial emergence of Sha shows that Yin toxins are being revealed. When Paida is continued, the slapped area and the entire body will gradually warm up. This is an effect of rising Yang energy. Sometimes, one can feel hot one minute and cold the next. This is when the Yin and Yang energies are wrestling in the body. Cold hands and feet during and after Paida show that cold is being expelled from the body.
Sha is a very vivid manifestation of Yin-Yang
interactions. Like the bellows that Lao Tse
described in Tao Te Ching, when Yang rises, Yin subsides, diseases are healed, and Yin-Yang energies are balanced. In other words, diseases will improve as Sha and red swelling fade away. The effect is the same as that in Gua Sha (skin scraping) and Ba Guan (cupping) therapies.
Is Sha in Paida the same as bruises in a fight or an accident?
No.
Sha, red swelling, and other reactions during and
after Paida are indicative of meridian blockages
being cleared. They are expected, desirable effects
of rhythmic, voluntary Paida. They are a part of
the detoxification and self-healing process.
Positive energy is injected into the body from the
loving action.
It can hurt much when Sha is coming out. After that, it will hurt less and less until there is no pain at all. Normally, blood vessels are not broken. Some people fear that it could be subcutaneous hemorrhage when much Sha appears. But medical tests show no broken vessels. However, in very rare circumstances, the skin does get broken and toxic blood and fluid will come out. Normally, the condition will improve faster and the broken skin will soon heal naturally. For instance, patients with severe heart disease can experience it when the inner elbows are slapped; for patients with psoriasis or other severe skin diseases, it is better to slap on the affected areas until it bleeds. No destruction, no construction.
By contrast, bruises and/or injuries from a fight or an accident are caused by too much sudden force crushing blood vessels. It has nothing to do with meridian blockages. There is a lot of negative energy involved. It will hurt a lot and there could be scars afterward. Very often, the experience will leave emotional trauma long after such an incident has happened.
What should be done when Sha appears during Paida?
The best thing is to continue Paida until Sha fades away. This is called “thorough Paida.”
Sha that appears during Paida is a good reaction that indicates where the health problems are located. It shows that toxins hidden in the body are surfacing and treatment is in progress. Paida should not be stopped right after Sha appears; otherwise, the efficacy will be greatly reduced. The color of Sha will deepen when Paida is continued. With more Paida, the color of Sha will get lighter and fade away faster, and normal
skin color will be restored. You can try it yourself
by comparing the Sha on your arms or knees,
where Paida is continued on one side and stopped
on the other side. The Sha on the side receiving
continuous Paida will subside faster. The
conclusion is, prolonged Paida delivers better
efficacy and removes Sha faster.
Paida gathers more Qi and improves blood circulation in the slapped areas, contributing to better detoxification. If Paida stops once Sha appears, the color will still fade away; it just takes a longer time. Sometimes, it can take days, weeks, or even months. Sha subsides faster in young and healthy people, compared with the elderly and the seriously ill.
Some people use moxibustion, acupuncture,
bloodletting, Ba Guan (cupping), or other
methods to make Sha disappear faster. However,
we recommend continued PaidaLajin, as it is the
simplest, most convenient, and effective method.
After bathing in a hot spring, there will be less pain of Paida, and Sha will subside faster.
Will Sha re-enter circulation and lead to stroke and heart attack?
No.
Many people are puzzled by the disappearance of Sha after Paida. Some doctors who have never practiced Paida themselves use their imagination to explain it, and intimidate patients to stop Paida, saying that the Sha will re-enter blood circulation and could lead to stroke or heart attack. This is a misunderstanding.
Detoxification through PaidaLajin is not just physical cleaning. First, Qi is gathered at the stimulated area; it will then decompose toxic waste in the blood and fluids into tiny particles of Sha that can be easily excreted. This means that the physical and chemical properties of the toxic waste have been changed. In other words, Sha is toxic waste filtered out of unhealthy blood, it will only be excreted through various channels, and will not re-enter healthy blood. This is the magic of our self-healing mechanism.
Skin is the largest detoxifying channel for Sha because of the countless pores on it. Each pore is constantly “breathing,” just like the nostrils. The Yang energy activated by PaidaLajin decomposes Sha into tiny particles invisible to the naked eye. Because they are much smaller than the pores, they can go through the pores and evaporate. Sweat, odors, lumps, rashes, and itchiness are signs of detoxification through the skin. In addition, all the orifices, including the mouth, nostrils, eyes, ears, urethra and anus, are detoxification channels. Burping, vomiting, sweating, running nose, tears, earwax, farting, urine, and stool are all conveyors of detoxification. These are also called “healing reactions.” In short, all excretions are toxins and wastes removed from the body.
Gradual fading and disappearance of Sha is not a process where the toxins are absorbed into the body; instead, it is a process where toxic waste, or Sha, is eliminated through the above-mentioned channels. Without the biochemical reactions induced by PaidaLajin, these toxins will not be filtered out in the form of Sha; instead, they will continue to stagnate Qi and blood flow and form pathogenic substances. PaidaLajin boosts Qi to decompose and detoxify these toxins. During PaidaLajin, a person’s sweat, urine, and stool will smell stronger than usual. And it is normal to feel tired and experience various healing reactions, because Sha formation and removal consume energy.
According to Western medicine, Sha produced during Paida is “poisoned blood” removed from blood vessels; it lies in the interstitial spaces under the skin. The interstitial blood is identified as an alien substance by phagocytes and lymphocytes, and is thus decomposed and excreted through breathing, sweating, urination, and other channels. When phagocytes and
lymphocytes are functioning normally, Sha is
decomposed quickly and fades away faster,
otherwise it will take more time. Regular Paida
enhances the immune functions of these cells,
helping the body to efficiently remove
pathological substances.
Modern medical science has found that the process
of removing harmful alien substances can enhance
the functions of the immune system, stimulate
generation of many stem cells in vivo and removal
of necrotic and dead cells, and improve the body’s
capacity to cope with stress and repair damaged
tissues. Paida not only instantly improves
circulation and clears meridian blockages, the
process of Sha elimination is in effect a DIY
serum antigen therapy, which makes the use of
injections unnecessary. It can improve the body’s
ability to remove alien substances and enhance
immunity. This is an additional benefit of Paida,
also known as an “after-effect” of Paida.
Chinese medicine has a clear explanation: Sha is Yin energy accumulated in the body. Paida brings Sha to the surface, and continued Paida warms up the slapped area and then the entire body. It stimulates the Yang energy to rise. The more pain is felt during Paida, the faster the body warms up. Diseases are cured when Yin energy is neutralized by the rising Yang energy.
Whether the Qi Movement Theory and the Yin-Yang Interaction Theory in Chinese medicine, or cell, immunity, and other theories in Western medicine, they are but limited knowledge that humans use in their attempts to decipher the unfathomable self-healing mechanism embedded in us. To truly uncover the secret of self-healing, you need to engage in actual practice and feel it in your
heart.
Section III Lajin (Click Here)
(Page start 47/204)
CHAPTER III PAIDALAJIN SELF-HEALING METHOD...47/204
Section I Paida...47
What is Paida?...47
How does Paida work?...47
How are hands and tools used in Paida? ...47
Why do we Paida with hands and tools alternately? ...48
How to determine the intensity of Paida? ...49
Body parts for Paida and Paida sequence ...50
1. Universal regions and the head ...50
2. Sequence of Paida for health preservation ...51
Self-help Paida and mutual Paida...52
1. Principles of self-help Paida...53
2. Principles of mutual Paida...54
Will we be affected by negative energy during mutual Paida? ...55
Paida duration and intensity ...55
A few things to note about Paida...57
Prohibitions...58
Section I. Paida
What is Paida?
Paida (拍打; pinyin: pāi da): To use hands and/or tools to slap repeatedly on a part of the body or the entire body at an acceptable intensity, in order to enhance Qi, manifest and remove meridian blockages, thus inducing self-healing.
Paida is also the most ancient natural diagnostic method. As pains and diseases were clearly manifested as Sha and other symptoms, in ancient China, the therapy was not called Paida, but Diao Shang, or revealing and then healing injuries and diseases. If a person has no illness, no Sha or other healing reactions will appear during Paida.
How does Paida work?
1. The skin is closely linked to the meridian system, limbs, internal organs, and nine orifices (eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, urethra, and anus) of your body. Paida is an all-round activation of the slapped skin, the underlying muscles, bones, meridians, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nervous and other cells, and all systems of the body.
2. The slapped area automatically gathers more Qi and blood. Qi propels blood flow. Paida improves Qi and blood circulation. The enhanced Qi acts as a cleaner—it automatically scans the entire body, identifying meridian blockages and removing them. All harmful wastes, toxins, tumors, etc., will be gradually swept out of your body.
3. Paida boosts the power of the “Heart” and your
confidence in self-healing.
4. From the perspective of Western medicine,
Paida is a proactive “sabotage” that stimulates
the central nervous system (CNS) to mobilize the
energy, blood, various secretions, and the nervous,
immune, and lymphatic systems to repair damage,
thus enhancing the body’s self-repair capacity and
immunity.
How are hands and tools used in Paida?
1. Normally, solid slaps are used in Paida. Hollow slaps are occasionally used. Solid slaps produce a stronger stimulation and are more effective.
2. Hollow slaps are occasionally used to reduce the pain of Paida. Hold the thumb close to the other four fingers that are kept close and straight, and it creates a very shallow space in between. Hence, hollow slaps are basically still solid slaps.
3. To intensify stimulation on certain parts of the body, the back of the hand, mainly the knuckles of fingers aligned together, may be used.
4. Fists or a Paida tool can be used to increase penetration or to reduce the volume of Paida sounds, or on certain parts of the body, for instance, fleshy parts like the abdomen, buttocks and thighs; or on parts that cannot be easily slapped using the palm, such as the armpits or groin areas. The sides of the palms may also be used to chop at the groin areas.
5. When slapping a large region, such as the inner elbows, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and knees, the entire palm and fingers should be used. To slap on a smaller area, you can primarily use fingers, with agile movements of the wrist.
6. For areas that your hands cannot reach or where you cannot slap hard enough with your hands, such as the back and the back of legs, Paida tools can be used, such as special Paida sticks, soles of canvas shoes, wooden sticks, stones, etc. The specially designed Paida stick is very flexible and suitable for direct contact with the skin. The sides of the stick can be used to Paida uneven parts of the body.
Why do we Paida with hands and tools alternately?
1. There is Qi in our hands. During Paida, not only is our strength used, but also the Qi that penetrates deep inside the body. Conducting Paida with hands is better than using tools that do not bear any Qi.
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There are acupoints all over the palms. Paida 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 (Triple Warmer) meridians, which will in turn activate the six meridians on the feet and along the legs, i.e., the Liver, Spleen, Kidney, Stomach, Gall Bladder and Urinary Bladder meridians, and create a round of chain reactions that will benefit the entire body. From the perspective of Quanxi theory (the holistic approach), hands and feet are holographic reflex zones closely linked to all organs and
tissues of the body. Paida with hands treats all systems in the body, which is what we call “carpet bombing” all past, existing, and latent diseases. Whether you use hands to Paida yourself or others, the hands are also being slapped, i.e., action and reaction are equal in intensity. During the process, blockages in all organs are being unblocked. Slapping others is also slapping yourself; helping
others is helping yourself.
3. When Paida is conducted with hands, what is most stimulated in the palms are the Heart and Pericardium meridians, i.e., the heart is the organ most stimulated. As the Heart is the “emperor” of our body, the stimulated power of the Heart changes the nature of healing: Paida enables us to proactively act on illnesses instead of passively awaiting external intervention. During self-help Paida, one is in a state of both 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” and the wisdom that “the simplest way is the truest.”
4. The arms and shoulders move along during Paida. Acupoints in the hands are linked to the arms, shoulders, neck, brain, and heart. Neck and shoulder problems and sleeping disorders are treated altogether during Paida. The efficacy increases with greater intensity, longer duration, and greater sweep of the arm’s movements.
A retired woman came to me complaining of shoulder and leg pains. I advised her to slap her knees for two hours. The following day, she told me that after slapping the knees, much of the leg pain was gone, and she was able to raise her arms higher. A friend of mine slapped her knees for two hours while we were chatting, and then she suddenly found her neck pain gone. The next morning, she phoned me, saying she went straight to bed when she got home
and had the best sleep in years.
5. When using hands to slap, one can easily become exhausted and the Paida cannot last long. For elderly people with a lot of illnesses, it is even more difficult to persist in Paida. Moreover, it is inconvenient to slap on many parts of the body, such as the back, the hind side of each leg, hands, feet, face, joints along the limbs, and the hollow surface of bony areas. Use Paida tools instead. It saves much effort, Sha comes out faster, and you can slap longer.
6. Use tools to slap on clothes-covered body parts, in order to save time and effort, to reduce the pain of Paida, when it is inconvenient to slap on the skin in cold weather, or for patients who cannot take the pain of direct Paida on the skin.
7. Using hands to slap can sound quite “noisy” in public places and in the quiet night. Use tools instead to reduce noise.
8. For frequent travelers, take a Paida stick along and it can be practiced anytime, anywhere.
How to determine the intensity of Paida?
There are two types of Paida in terms of its intensity, i.e., gentle and heavy Paida. They are relative concepts. The same intensity may be “gentle” to one person, but “heavy” to another.
The actual intensity varies with age, health
condition, pain tolerance, the part of the body
being slapped, environmental, and other factors.
Technically speaking, slapping with wrist movement is gentle Paida; slapping with elbow joint movement is moderate Paida; slapping with shoulder joint movement is heavy Paida. Gentle, moderate, and heavy Paida should be used alternately. The general rule is to go gradually from gentle to heavy Paida, and never start with heavy Paida. Adjust the intensity to the
recipient’s pain tolerance. In the beginning, the
painful sensation can be quite intense, but after a
while, there will be less pain. At this point, the
intensity may be increased gradually. The greater
the intensity, the more pain will be felt; but as
long as the pain is within a tolerable range, the
effect of Paida will be better. However, it is the
recipient who has the final say on how much pain
he/she can take. The person doing Paida cannot
force heavy Paida on the recipient. Gentle Paida
can be as good as, or even better than heavy
Paida, but will require a longer time. When a part
of the body is slapped for up to one hour, the
healing effect will be better.
Body parts for Paida and Paida sequence
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1. Universal regions and the head
Theoretically, all parts of the body can be
slapped. Normally, Paida follows a top-down
sequence.
When sick, a person will want to know which meridians are blocked. There are 14 meridians in the body—12 standard meridians, and the Ren and Du meridians along the median part of the torso. All illnesses originate from blockage of the 14 meridians, whether mosquito bites or tumors, insomnia or constipation. Normally, multiple meridians are blocked in a sick person.
Unblocking these 14 meridians will cure everything.
However, many people do not have enough time to slap all over the body. They tend to look for key areas related to their illnesses for Paida. To make it simple and improve efficacy, we recommend slapping the head and four “universal regions,” which basically cover all 14 meridians in the body.
The four universal regions are as follows: elbows (front and back sides), knees (front, back, left, and right sides), hands (front and back sides), and feet (top, bottom, left, and right sides), eight in total.
When slapping elbows or knees, all areas including front, back, left, and right sides are to be slapped thoroughly; the best way to Paida the back of a hand is to place one hand on a knee, and Paida the back of that hand and fingers with the palm of the other hand. When you Paida the feet, it is necessary to slap thoroughly the inner and outer sides of the ankles, and the tops and soles of the feet. To heal faster, slap each area for 15 minutes or more. Make it a habit and slap at least one universal region each day.
After slapping the universal regions thoroughly, go on to Paida the entire head, including the top, left, right, front and back sides of the head, neck, eyes (closed), cheeks, nose, mouth, and ears. Slapping the entire head helps to relieve all chronic diseases, particularly effective for healing headache, insomnia, diseases of the five-sense organs, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s. This is because all Yang meridians corresponding to internal organs go up to the head. For instance, Liver opens into the eyes; Kidney opens into the ears; Lung opens into the nose; Spleen opens into
the mouth; and Heart opens into the tongue. Thus
slapping the entire head also heals disorders of
the internal organs.
The armpits, the groin areas, the inner elbows, and the popliteal fossa (the back of knees) are dubbed as “eight weak corners” in Huang Di Nei Jing. They are mostly likely to accumulate cold-dampness, toxins, and wastes. Clearing these areas is a “shortcut” to self-healing pains and diseases. But the armpits and the groin areas are not included in the universal regions for Paida because they are less convenient to slap and the pain is greater. You may reject Paida altogether if you feel too much pain during your initial taste of Paida. However, at our workshops, these are key targets of Paida.
After thoroughly slapping the head and universal regions, it’s best to also slap the armpits and the groin areas. Then go on to slap the entire four limbs, chest, back, abdomen, buttocks, in other words, “carpet bomb” the entire body.
2. Sequence of Paida for health preservation
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4
Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7
Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10
For health preservation, Paida is generally practiced in the following top-down order:
1. Paida the head (see Figures 1–4): First Paida the top, then left and right sides, followed by the front and back sides of the head. You may use one hand or both. Slapping the back of the head with one hand is more convenient. Then move on to slap on the back of the neck, eyes (closed), cheeks, mouth, and ears. You may feel warmth and/or numbness at the perineum and the soles of
the feet when slapping on the head and the neck.
2. Paida the shoulders (see Figure 5): Use the left hand to slap on the right shoulder, and vice versa. Areas all around the shoulders (front, back, top and outer sides) are to be slapped.
3. Paida both arms, armpits, and the inner side of the rib areas (see Figure 6).
4. Paida the elbow joints (see Figure 7): Slap on the inner side of each elbow, which covers the Heart, Pericardium, and Lung meridians. Then slap on the outer side, which includes the Large Intestine, San Jiao (Triple Warmer), and Small Intestine meridians.
5. Paida the back of each hand (see Figure 8): Put one hand on a knee with the back of the hand facing up, and slap hard with the other hand. Switch hands afterward.
6. Paida both buttocks (including the hip joints and surrounding areas), then slap the inner and outer sides of one thigh with both hands, and move on to slap the other thigh.
7. Paida the abdomen and the groin areas, which may be slapped with hands, chopped with the sides of the hands, or beaten with fists.
8. Paida the knees (see Figure 9): Paida the front of the knees with both hands, covering an entire kneecap with a palm. Next, slap the inner and outer sides of a knee with both hands, and then move on to slap the other knee. Lastly, Paida 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 Paida them with both
hands. You can also Paida each other in a group.
For knee and leg problems, regardless of the
many disease names, as long as there are sore,
numb, painful, swelling or other sensations in the
legs, this method is applicable. Those about to
undergo surgery may recover through Paida,
sparing them the need for an invasive procedure.
For a better healing effect, combine Paida with
Lajin.
9. Paida 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, as well as surrounding areas.
Note: For a better healing effect, combine these Paida exercises with Lajin.
Self-help Paida and mutual Paida
It is better to both slap yourself and each other. Self-help Paida is the most essential self-healing exercise. The power of the Heart, the greatest power, is mobilized. Everyone should, first of all, do self-help Paida, unless you cannot do it yourself due to illness. It is good to alternate self-help and mutual Paida. Mutual Paida creates a more positive atmosphere and a stronger energy field, and some people do need help from others, especially the frail, the elderly,
the seriously ill, or those who face other inconveniences. Even when we primarily do it on our own, there are areas where better effects will be gained if others help us, for instance, the back, the armpits, the shoulders, the back of the knees, the hind side of the legs, and other parts where self-help Paida can be inconvenient.
Many people are over-protective of themselves—they Paida too gently for the Sha to appear, which leads them to assume that they are in good health. These people are mostly afraid of pain, indicating severe meridian blockages, i.e., grave illnesses. For some people, it reveals weak heart and kidney functions, lack of strength, and weak willpower, which tends to be more common in men. All these are in essence manifestations of meridian blockages. More often than not, when others slap them a bit more heavily, Sha will soon come out.
The effect will be better when people help each other Paida. Many people who persist in year-round sports or Qi Gong practice assume that they are quite healthy. For even with regular Paida, Sha does not appear easily on them. However, when they slap each other, much Sha soon appears on each and every one of them. Despite how horrendous it looks, it is in effect something desirable, as many old injuries and past diseases are revealed and 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 healed now.
1. Principles of self-help Paida
1. Paida whole-heartedly. Paida involves confidence, concentration, and perseverance. When you believe in self-healing with Paida, you will stay focused and persist in the practice; if you are affected by negativity, you cannot continue with full attention, and the effect will be discounted even if you do practice it.
2. Close your eyes and Paida silently. With eyes closed, it is easier to clear your thoughts and focus on Paida. When you Paida with your eyes open, you can be easily distracted by what you see and start chatting with others, thus consuming energy and reducing the effect of Paida.
3. Comprehend the philosophy and concepts of self-healing. Read and re-read the first two chapters to deepen your understanding of self-healing. (Chapter I) (Chapter II) For many people, existing knowledge and habits can lead to their doubts about and fear of self-healing. When you encounter problems or difficulties during your practice, please re-read the first two chapters, particularly “healing reactions.” It will greatly boost your confidence in self-healing. Moreover, there are many testimonials in the book and online for your reference. Millions of people
have self-healed with PaidaLajin. Why not you?
4. Be grateful. Be grateful for pains and diseases,
because they are reminders urging you to change
your bad habits, to part with suffering, and to
regain happiness. During Paida, first of all, be
grateful to the Universal Life Force that created
everything, including us; secondly, be grateful to
your body. If you keep exploiting it without
giving it proper care, how can you not fall ill?
If the body has fallen sick and you are still
ungrateful to it and not consoling it, it is only
natural that the condition will worsen; thirdly, be
grateful to your parents and country for nurturing
you; fourthly, be grateful to people, alive or dead,
who have helped and cared for you. You can think
of their names and images during the Paida
process; fifthly, be grateful to your enemies and
those who have hurt you, for they, similar to those
who have helped you in positive ways, are
indispensable for your growth as a person. Positive
and negative energies do not exist alone. If there is
still hatred and resentment in you, the seed of
illness is not eliminated. Gratitude is the best way
to clear up such negativity.
Combine gratitude and repentance together, and you can chant aloud or silently these words often used during PaidaLajin: I’m sorry; please forgive me; thank you; I love you. These are also powerful phrases of the Hawaiian Healing System used by Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, and described in the book Zero Limits: The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace and More authored by Joe Vitale and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len.
5. 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.
6. Recite mantras. In the Paida process, if you
recite orally or in the heart mantras from your
own belief, the healing effects will be enhanced.
For instance, Christians may chant “Hallelujah”;
Buddhists may chant “Amitabha,” “Om Mani
Padme Hum,” and so on.
7. Pay attention to your breathing. Whether you are slapping or being slapped, you can inhale through your nose, hold your breath for 3–60 seconds or even longer, and exhale rapidly through your mouth. It helps to relieve the pain of Paida, boost Yang energy, and get rid of foul air in your body. Or, you can observe your breathing and sensations calmly and objectively. It helps you to be conscious of what is going on within and accept
the sensations, both pleasant and unpleasant.
2. Principles of mutual Paida
1. When engaged in mutual slapping, it’s important to maintain a caring heart, a positive mindset, and hope for the recipient’s fast recovery.
2. Both the slapper and the recipient need to relax
physically and psychologically, particularly the
area being slapped, otherwise the healing effect
will be discounted. Psychological relaxation is
more vital, because when you feel nervous, your
body will be tense and you will feel more pain.
3. The person doing the Paida needs to maintain close communication with the recipient, be attentive to the recipient’s words, actions, expressions in the eyes, and on the face so as to fully understand his or her needs, concerns, and feelings. Both parties should stay focused and connected as “one.”
4. Do not chat during Paida. It consumes energy and distracts attention, thus affecting the effect of Paida. It’s best to Paida with eyes closed. The ideal state of mutual Paida within a group is only the sounds of rhythmic Paida, and no sounds of talking. It creates a strong energy field that multiplies the healing effect.
5. Always start with gentle Paida before gradually increasing the intensity. During Paida, the intensity and technique of slapping may need to be adjusted whenever needed. When using heavy Paida, we need to put ourselves in the shoes of the recipient and make sure that the intensity is within their pain tolerance.
6. Never force heavy Paida onto the recipient. This will induce fear and/or resentment in the recipient, and reduce the healing effect instead of enhancing it. Heavy Paida is not suitable for infants, the elderly, and the seriously ill. Gentle Paida can produce the same healing effect as expected or even better, if you Paida with love and long enough.
7. The recipient should communicate and cooperate with, and be grateful to the slapper(s); show gratitude and repentance to the body, and take the pain and discomforts as kind reminders.
Will we be affected by negative energy during mutual Paida?
According to Isaac Newton’s third law of motion, the intensity of slapping will be equal to the intensity of being slapped. So, when you use your hands to slap others, your palms are being slapped as well. That is to say, while helping others, you are also healing yourself. Our coaches work in workshops all year round, helping participants to slap. They are not affected by negative energy; instead, they are getting healthier.
Nonetheless, some persons will always be overly
concerned with the possibility of getting negative
energy. They can have this “dream” come true.
And some people are very susceptible to the
impact of external energy.
If you are concerned about this, the following may be helpful:
1. First of all, enhance your own positive energy. Persistent PaidaLajin, meditation, and meditative standing (also called “Zhan Zhuang” or “horse stance”) are good ways to boost your energy level.
2. If you are a theist, silently pray to your Creator, God, or Buddha for protection. You can chant mantras.
3. After mutual Paida, swing and shake your hands and feet. It is even better to stand barefoot on the soil or grass.
Paida duration and intensity
Generally speaking, the pain and intensity of Paida should be within the recipient or self-healer’s tolerance. There needs to be moderate pain of Paida, otherwise it will not work. Slap a body region for 5-60 minutes each time. To relieve severe symptoms, slap longer and more.
Slapping for up to five minutes is considered effective Paida. There will be little effect if the Paida is too gentle, produces no pain or does not last long enough, because the self-healing mechanism will not be fully activated. During our 7-day PaidaLajin self-healing workshop, each day the participants slap for approximately six hours, and stretch for about one hour, and by the end of the workshop, they will have briefly slapped all major parts of the body. It takes up to 15 days to complete a round of more thorough all-body Paida. The workshop activities strongly stimulate the self-healing mechanism, and almost all pains and diseases will improve greatly. Back home, it is impossible to slap and stretch so hard and for so long. You can adjust the duration and intensity of PaidaLajin according to your health condition and other factors. Normally, practice PaidaLajin for 1–3 hours a day. If you are very sick or have plenty of time, extend the duration and increase the intensity of PaidaLajin.
For health preservation, Paida the entire head and the universal regions for 0.5–1 hour each day. To relieve and heal common diseases, Paida the universal regions and illness-related areas for 1–3 hour(s). If you are seriously ill, the entire body needs to be slapped multiple rounds before gradual recovery. PaidaLajin is simple, but to grasp the essence of it, it’s best to attend a workshop to most effectively learn the techniques, duration and intensity, and power of the “Heart” in the self-healing process. Up to now, we have not found a better way for people to learn and benefit from PaidaLajin than attending a workshop.
For a sick person who cannot attend a workshop and slap that long, Paida one to three regions for about one hour each day. The duration of Lajin is not included. If you can attach the same importance to your health as you do to games, sports, and dining, you will find that you have time for PaidaLajin.
The following recommendations on Paida duration and intensity are for your reference. You can adjust them according to your health condition and schedule.
1. Paida a body region thoroughly before moving on to the next region. For example, an inner elbow, the top of the head, the front side of a knee, the inner or outer side of a knee, is each a “body region.” Paida each region for 5–60 minutes.
2. Thorough Paida: Paida until the most Sha comes out of the slapped area; and with continued Paida, no more Sha appears, it does not hurt much, or the Sha is beginning to fade away, the skin is broken and blood or bodily fluid is seeping out.
3. When slapping on a large region, focus on an area the size of a palm and slap for 5–60 minutes. Then move the palm or Paida stick to the next area.
4. For body parts that can be easily slapped by oneself, it’s better to self administer Paida; for body parts that are inconvenient to reach, try Paida on each other. During Paida, alternate your hands and Paida stick(s). Use a Paida stick when you feel tired or when Sha does not come out easily. In cold weather, use a Paida stick to slap without removing clothes.
5. Do not stop half way during Paida. It’s best to
slap a body part thoroughly. When the Sha
disappears, start a second round of Paida.
6. Some people self-heal after a round of thorough Paida all over the body. However, many patients need multiple rounds of “carpet-bombing” Paida before a full recovery occurs. Adjust the area and frequency of Paida to suit personal needs.
7. Some people have slapped all over the body; however, the healing effect is not as good as slapping universal regions or other specific regions, for the pain and intensity of Paida are not enough. It is more effective to do Paida and one to three Lajin session(s) per day. Some people do Lajin without the standard Lajin bench or sandbags, or they put down the raised leg when they feel sore, numb, painful, and swelling sensations. In these cases the efficacy is discounted. Better effects can be achieved by doing Lajin for the same length of time while stretched on a standard Lajin bench using 5–20kg sandbags, and continuing to stretch after feeling these sensations.
8. Gentle Paida is also effective, as long as there
is moderate pain. However, this will take longer;
you may have to slap one region for 30–120
minutes.
A few things to note about Paida
1. Avoid wind and chills during Paida.
Avoid direct wind from an electric fan or an air conditioner during Paida, so as not to let the wind and chills enter the body through open pores, which could induce new illnesses. If air conditioning has to be used, turn the fan to “low,” and increase the temperature to no less than 79°F (26℃).
2. How best to drink water before, during and after Paida?
Before, during and after Paida, drink some warm
water to replenish hydration, to prevent fatigue or
dizziness, and to enhance metabolism. It is best to
drink ginger and jujube tea, particularly for those
weak in Qi and blood.
Many people drink water as a habit, even when they are not thirsty. They even follow “expert advice” and drink many gallons of water every day, which can induce a lot of illnesses. According to Chinese medicine, drink only when you are thirsty and drink when it is warm. Do not assume that drinking much water helps detoxification. Where there are blockages in the body, the excess water can get trapped inside, damage kidney and urinary bladder functions, and cause other health problems. And do not drink cold water, especially in early morning when the body’s Yang energy is rising along with the sun. Cold water extinguishes the Heart fire and induces heart disease.
3. Avoid bathing or showering after Paida.
In cold weather, when you have little or no sweat, it is better not to take a bath on the day of Paida. As the Qi and blood flow in the body is automatically enhanced after PaidaLajin, it is best not to interfere with this process. Because the skin pores are wide open after Paida, cold-dampness can easily enter the body. When it is hot and you sweat a lot, shower two hours after Paida. Never shower with cold water. Avoid shampoo and shower gel because they contain harmful chemicals.
4. When Sha appears, it is best to continue slapping until it comes out thoroughly and then disappears.
This process can take a long time, sometimes over an hour. Prolonged Paida helps the Sha fade away faster. The slapped area gathers more Qi and blood, and it facilitates their flow and detoxification. Even if you stop Paida, normally the Sha will disappear in a few hours or days. It
only takes a longer time.
If Sha disappears quickly, it is indicative of good health. Normally, the Sha on kids, young, and healthy people disappears faster; it goes away more slowly in elderly people and gravely ill patients. Some Sha can take weeks todisappear. After Sha appears, you can move on to slap other body parts, and wait until the Sha disappears to start a second round of Paida on the same
areas.
5. The very fact that Sha disappears with continued Paida shows that it is not blood vessels being broken. Rather, the toxic substances in the blood are being decomposed, and removed through skin pores, other orifices, and detoxification channels in the body. Sweat, tears, runny nose, urine, stool, and smells from the skin and other excretions are all telling signs of detoxification.
6. Dark Sha that manifests as reddish and swelling skin can look horrible. For instance, some people cannot put on their shoes because
their feet are so swollen after Paida. These are
good healing reactions, and the self-healing
mechanism is working to detoxify. In these cases,
continue Paida. Do not panic even if the skin is
broken and blood seeps out. Paida for a while to
get rid of some toxic blood and bodily fluids.
Then move on to slap on an adjacent area.
Sha and bleeding during Paida are part of the self-healing process. Some people regard the appearance of Sha as a sign of subcutaneous hemorrhage. This is a misunderstanding. When checked with medical equipment, the major blood vessels at the area with much Sha remain intact. And if you slap on healthy parts of the body, no Sha or blood will come out.
7. It is normal for your skin to sometimes break during Paida. You can stop slapping it and move on to slap on another part of the body. However, to heal certain illnesses, it is more efficacious to slap until the skin breaks, and toxic blood and fluids come out. For instance, people with psoriasis or eczema can get rid of more toxins at the affected areas; to relieve severe symptoms of heart disease, slap on the inner elbows until the skin breaks.
Prohibitions
Paida is prohibited in the following cases:
1. Those who tend to bleed easily or those with blood disorders, such as bleeder disease or Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP).
2. Those with skin trauma, and/or festered skin with bodily fluid on it.
3. Those bleeding, having acute injuries, severe infections, or fresh bone fractures. It’s all right to slap on regions with muscle and soft tissue damage and surrounding areas; the pain may be greater, but the self-healing effect is also great.
4. For patients with retinal detachment, avoid Paida to the eyes.
Section II. Sha and Self-healing
What is Sha?
Sha (痧; pinyin: shā): Sha is toxic waste in the blood and bodily fluids that appear beneath the skin during Paida. It comes in shades of pink, crimson, purple, purplish black, and black. When the amount of Sha reaches a peak, it will gradually fade away with continued Paida. Lumps, red swelling, and white powder on the skin are also different forms of Sha.
Sha is a word unique to the Chinese language. It literally means “toxic sands and little stones.” Ancient Chinese called them “blood stones,” i.e., pathogenic substances similar to gall bladder stones and kidney stones. Establishing its occurrence and coining the term “Sha,” as well as using it to diagnose and treat diseases, demonstrates the wisdom of the ancient Chinese.
In scientific language, Sha refers to tiny toxic particles that are processed and filtered from harmful substances in the blood and bodily fluids. This occurs when the Yang energy boosted through PaidaLajin scans the entire body and induces biochemical reactions with various substances in the body. Pushed by Qi, these particles are excreted through various orifices. Sha can be excreted through skin pores as tiny solid particles, or in the sweat, tears, nasal discharge, urine, stool, and so on.
Four types of toxins in Sha
1. Toxins from environmental forces such as wind,
heat, cold, and dampness.
2. Toxins from diseases.
3. Toxins from prolonged medication and
processed foods. Chemical odors expelled during
Paida are evidence of detoxification.
4. Toxins produced by negative mindset and emotions. These are far more toxic than the impact of drug toxins and external forces, and are the main causes of illness.
Paida on the skin forces toxic waste in the blood
to cling to and go through blood vessel walls, and
colorful patches of Sha will appear beneath the
skin. With the same intensity of Paida, Sha does
not appear on healthy parts of the body, but will
only surface on those parts or acupoints with
existing and latent illnesses.
Self-diagnosis according to colors of Sha
The general principles in self-diagnosis according to colors of Sha are as follows:
Sha appears only where diseases are present; the amount of Sha that surfaces indicate the severity of diseases; the darker the Sha, the more severe the pathogenic elements (toxic waste, excessive cold, heat, dampness, etc.) are in the body.
Sometimes, lumps and red swelling may appear
along with Sha. Regardless of the disease name,
when pains are relieved and Sha is surfaced and
decomposed through PaidaLajin, the self-healing
method has taken effect. Sha does not appear the
way and the amount we expect it. Heavy Paida
on a healthy person does not force out much Sha;
gentle Paida on a sick person easily gets Sha out.
The colors of Sha have the following implications:
1. Flushed skin: healthy, normal;
2. Red: “wind-heat”; common in people of “sub-health” condition;
3. Purplish red: “stagnant heat,” prone to soreness;
4. Blue: “phlegm-dampness,” prone to fatigue;
5. Purplish black: stagnation and inflammation, indicating that toxins have accumulated in the body and that the meridians are heavily blocked;
6. Black: appearing mostly in those with chronic or critical illnesses, or those under prolonged medication;
7. Colorful Sha and reddish swelling skin: severe
blockages. The swelling, similar to the appearance
of Sha, is a good detoxifying reaction.
PaidaLajin is both diagnosis and treatment at the same time. Whatever its color, Sha signals health problems and indicates that detoxification and treatment are under way—excessive heat, cold, dampness, and toxic waste in related organs are being expelled.
1. Where there is Sha, there is a health problem.
The more severely blocked the meridians are, the
faster Sha appears (sometimes in less than one
minute of Paida) and the darker its colors are.
However, Sha is not the only self-diagnostic
criterion; pain is a more accurate signal. Having
pain but no Sha also reveals health problems, for
“no pains, no blockages.”
2. Some Sha travels in the body. This indicates that Qi and blood flow is being regulated and that Paida produces a lasting effect in boosting Qi and blood circulation.
3. Some people may have red Sha at first, and with continued Paida, darker spots, lines or patches of Sha will appear, and in severe cases even dark, hard lumps will emerge. In other cases, especially among the seriously ill, Sha may not come out easily because the Qi is weak and fails to stimulate blood circulation. Some people do not have sufficient Qi and blood, but they have rough skin and thick flesh where toxins are buried deep within, so it is quite hard to get Sha out. In such
cases, Paida hard and long enough, and for
multiple times before Sha can be gradually
drawn out.
4. In some people, Sha may cease to emerge after a few Paida sessions, but can re-appear after some time. This indicates that the self-healing power has its own agenda and mechanism. When, where, and how much Sha appears does not follow a person’s willpower. Sometimes, try as you may, no Sha will come out; at other times, Sha will surface unexpectedly. It also shows that a person’s health condition is constantly changing, and that in the tug-of-war with Qi, toxins are changing and moving around in the body.
5. If Sha appears only when you are receiving Paida by others, but not when you are slapping yourself, then self-help Paida is too gentle and the duration is too short for it to take effect.
6. When you fall sick, you will have Sha where it previously did not appear, and Paida hurts more. Where there is little Sha, intense Paida or Paida by others can get out more Sha. These are good healing reactions, where diseases and injuries are brought to the surface to be uprooted.
7. The color of Sha can turn lighter, turn yellow, or have a paler wave-like shade soon after it appears or on the following day. It can also spread to surrounding areas. These are all normal reactions, indicating that the self-healing mechanism is regulating Qi and blood circulation at the affected body tissues.
Are blood vessels broken when Sha appears?
Appearance of Sha during Paida often makes people, even some TCM doctors, suspicious and even scared. They assume that Sha is blood from ruptured blood vessels, and that it is harmful to health. This is misinformation.
Our blood vessels behave somewhat like a rubber hose: when the hose is free of blockages, slapping or pressing it causes the water in it to flow to low pressure areas. Without toxins stagnating the flow in blood vessels, during Paida, clean blood will flow from the slapped area to other areas. This explains why there is little or no Sha in healthy people or healthy parts of the body.
Sha is toxic waste filtered out of the blood and bodily fluids. Otherwise, it continues to exist in the body, causing stagnation, forming harmful, pathogenic substances, such as fat, phlegm, masses, tumors, and dampness.
Blood vessel walls are a tight, mesh-like structure. Toxic waste makes the blood dense and highly viscous, substantially slowing down its flow. When slapping on a stagnated area with toxins, Sha will be filtered out after a series of biochemical reactions between the toxins and the Qi boosted through Paida. Sha is highly viscous; some forms of Sha are almost solid, and do not slip
away easily when pressured. Paida exerts pressure
on the blood vessels, forcing the mesh openings to
expand, and the Sha continues biochemical
reactions with the boosted Qi and becomes tiny
particles that can come out easily. Some particles
go out through the skin pores like dust in the air;
some are excreted in sweat, tears, and nasal
discharge; most are excreted in urine and stool.
Repeated slaps on the skin makes more Sha cling
to the walls. Toxins are thus expelled in the form
of Sha without rupturing blood vessels.
Some people are not convinced, and they go to the hospital to try various tests. The result is that their blood vessels are not broken. You can have a try: Paida until Sha appears; continue slapping the same area long and hard enough, and in about 1-2 hour(s), the Sha will disappear on the spot. Some people have not only tried the entire Paida process, but they also take pictures of Sha emerging, getting darker, getting darkest, fading in color, and finally disappearing.
In very rare cases, Paida may cause capillaries under the skin to rupture. If the palm used for Paida has sticky fluids or traces of blood on it, then the skin and capillaries have indeed ruptured. This, however, is a great sign indicating better healing effect. Normally, healthy skin does not get broken during Paida. When capillaries rupture, the skin at that area needs to be broken
in order to be healed, i.e., “no destruction, no construction.” This is better detoxification, because old injuries, cold-dampness, and deeply buried toxins are surfaced and expelled. This is very much like the “bloodletting” therapy used by major ethnic groups around the world. Where there is bleeding, Paida is killing two birds with one stone; you get the benefits of both Paida and bloodletting therapies.
I have encountered many bleeding cases during Paida sessions. A man with severe heart problems had black Sha on his inner elbow during the first Paida session. Blood seeped out from the Sha, and he immediately felt his chest tightness relieved. His blood pressure dropped soon afterward; in another man, after a few moments of Paida, the area along the Pericardium meridian on his inner elbow turned purplish black. His chest
tightness was relieved shortly after continued
Paida and the palm used for Paida was covered
with blood. His chronic heart disease was greatly
improved afterward, and other symptoms
including headache, chest pain, and irregular
heartbeat all disappeared. I directed another
person who liked to slap others to slap my
shoulder with great force so as to experience
heavy Paida. At the end of the session, on his
palm where the Pericardium meridian runs, a
large bloody blister had developed, and in a short
while, many symptoms of his heart disease
significantly improved, and much of the dark
color on his face and lips also faded.
For eczema, psoriasis, and other skin diseases, and bites by toxic insects and animals, better efficacy and faster detoxification occurs when the affected areas are slapped until blood and sticky fluids are excreted. For patients with hypertension and heart disease, if you slap until the skin breaks and blood seeps out, it works faster at reducing blood pressure and relieving headache, chest tightness, and irregular heartbeat. Many people with similar diseases have experienced these effects of Paida.
When the skin is broken, and blood and fluids seep out, the best thing to do at this point is nothing. You can continue to slap for a while to get rid of more toxic blood and fluids. Soon it will stop bleeding, scabs will form, and new, healthy skin will grow.
Moreover, when using the hands for Paida, the hands are being slapped as well. It is an extra gift when Sha, cracks, water, or blood blisters appear on the hands. They will subside and heal without any particular treatment.
Many people are scared at the rough skin when it
is broken once or several times during Paida
sessions. This is a healing reaction. Continue
PaidaLajin and eventually the skin will become
smoother and more delicate than before. Some
people even experience local or systemic skin
peeling. Of course it is a good sign—a free,
natural skin resurfacing treatment. There have
been many testimonials of people having more
delicate skin thanks to persistent Paida.
Sha, Qi, and blood
Sha appears in various shades, colors, and patterns. In more severe cases, Sha will appear in darker shades of red, purple, blue, or black, and may swell up. It may look horrifying, but it is a recovery reaction, indicating that toxic blood and fluids are being filtered out and detoxification is in process. It is normal for some Sha to hurt when touched or rubbed. If the Sha swells up and hurts a lot when touched, this shows that the meridians at that area are heavily blocked.
Initial emergence of Sha shows that Yin toxins are being revealed. When Paida is continued, the slapped area and the entire body will gradually warm up. This is an effect of rising Yang energy. Sometimes, one can feel hot one minute and cold the next. This is when the Yin and Yang energies are wrestling in the body. Cold hands and feet during and after Paida show that cold is being expelled from the body.
Sha is a very vivid manifestation of Yin-Yang
interactions. Like the bellows that Lao Tse
described in Tao Te Ching, when Yang rises, Yin subsides, diseases are healed, and Yin-Yang energies are balanced. In other words, diseases will improve as Sha and red swelling fade away. The effect is the same as that in Gua Sha (skin scraping) and Ba Guan (cupping) therapies.
Is Sha in Paida the same as bruises in a fight or an accident?
No.
Sha, red swelling, and other reactions during and
after Paida are indicative of meridian blockages
being cleared. They are expected, desirable effects
of rhythmic, voluntary Paida. They are a part of
the detoxification and self-healing process.
Positive energy is injected into the body from the
loving action.
It can hurt much when Sha is coming out. After that, it will hurt less and less until there is no pain at all. Normally, blood vessels are not broken. Some people fear that it could be subcutaneous hemorrhage when much Sha appears. But medical tests show no broken vessels. However, in very rare circumstances, the skin does get broken and toxic blood and fluid will come out. Normally, the condition will improve faster and the broken skin will soon heal naturally. For instance, patients with severe heart disease can experience it when the inner elbows are slapped; for patients with psoriasis or other severe skin diseases, it is better to slap on the affected areas until it bleeds. No destruction, no construction.
By contrast, bruises and/or injuries from a fight or an accident are caused by too much sudden force crushing blood vessels. It has nothing to do with meridian blockages. There is a lot of negative energy involved. It will hurt a lot and there could be scars afterward. Very often, the experience will leave emotional trauma long after such an incident has happened.
What should be done when Sha appears during Paida?
The best thing is to continue Paida until Sha fades away. This is called “thorough Paida.”
Sha that appears during Paida is a good reaction that indicates where the health problems are located. It shows that toxins hidden in the body are surfacing and treatment is in progress. Paida should not be stopped right after Sha appears; otherwise, the efficacy will be greatly reduced. The color of Sha will deepen when Paida is continued. With more Paida, the color of Sha will get lighter and fade away faster, and normal
skin color will be restored. You can try it yourself
by comparing the Sha on your arms or knees,
where Paida is continued on one side and stopped
on the other side. The Sha on the side receiving
continuous Paida will subside faster. The
conclusion is, prolonged Paida delivers better
efficacy and removes Sha faster.
Paida gathers more Qi and improves blood circulation in the slapped areas, contributing to better detoxification. If Paida stops once Sha appears, the color will still fade away; it just takes a longer time. Sometimes, it can take days, weeks, or even months. Sha subsides faster in young and healthy people, compared with the elderly and the seriously ill.
Some people use moxibustion, acupuncture,
bloodletting, Ba Guan (cupping), or other
methods to make Sha disappear faster. However,
we recommend continued PaidaLajin, as it is the
simplest, most convenient, and effective method.
After bathing in a hot spring, there will be less pain of Paida, and Sha will subside faster.
Will Sha re-enter circulation and lead to stroke and heart attack?
No.
Many people are puzzled by the disappearance of Sha after Paida. Some doctors who have never practiced Paida themselves use their imagination to explain it, and intimidate patients to stop Paida, saying that the Sha will re-enter blood circulation and could lead to stroke or heart attack. This is a misunderstanding.
Detoxification through PaidaLajin is not just physical cleaning. First, Qi is gathered at the stimulated area; it will then decompose toxic waste in the blood and fluids into tiny particles of Sha that can be easily excreted. This means that the physical and chemical properties of the toxic waste have been changed. In other words, Sha is toxic waste filtered out of unhealthy blood, it will only be excreted through various channels, and will not re-enter healthy blood. This is the magic of our self-healing mechanism.
Skin is the largest detoxifying channel for Sha because of the countless pores on it. Each pore is constantly “breathing,” just like the nostrils. The Yang energy activated by PaidaLajin decomposes Sha into tiny particles invisible to the naked eye. Because they are much smaller than the pores, they can go through the pores and evaporate. Sweat, odors, lumps, rashes, and itchiness are signs of detoxification through the skin. In addition, all the orifices, including the mouth, nostrils, eyes, ears, urethra and anus, are detoxification channels. Burping, vomiting, sweating, running nose, tears, earwax, farting, urine, and stool are all conveyors of detoxification. These are also called “healing reactions.” In short, all excretions are toxins and wastes removed from the body.
Gradual fading and disappearance of Sha is not a process where the toxins are absorbed into the body; instead, it is a process where toxic waste, or Sha, is eliminated through the above-mentioned channels. Without the biochemical reactions induced by PaidaLajin, these toxins will not be filtered out in the form of Sha; instead, they will continue to stagnate Qi and blood flow and form pathogenic substances. PaidaLajin boosts Qi to decompose and detoxify these toxins. During PaidaLajin, a person’s sweat, urine, and stool will smell stronger than usual. And it is normal to feel tired and experience various healing reactions, because Sha formation and removal consume energy.
According to Western medicine, Sha produced during Paida is “poisoned blood” removed from blood vessels; it lies in the interstitial spaces under the skin. The interstitial blood is identified as an alien substance by phagocytes and lymphocytes, and is thus decomposed and excreted through breathing, sweating, urination, and other channels. When phagocytes and
lymphocytes are functioning normally, Sha is
decomposed quickly and fades away faster,
otherwise it will take more time. Regular Paida
enhances the immune functions of these cells,
helping the body to efficiently remove
pathological substances.
Modern medical science has found that the process
of removing harmful alien substances can enhance
the functions of the immune system, stimulate
generation of many stem cells in vivo and removal
of necrotic and dead cells, and improve the body’s
capacity to cope with stress and repair damaged
tissues. Paida not only instantly improves
circulation and clears meridian blockages, the
process of Sha elimination is in effect a DIY
serum antigen therapy, which makes the use of
injections unnecessary. It can improve the body’s
ability to remove alien substances and enhance
immunity. This is an additional benefit of Paida,
also known as an “after-effect” of Paida.
Chinese medicine has a clear explanation: Sha is Yin energy accumulated in the body. Paida brings Sha to the surface, and continued Paida warms up the slapped area and then the entire body. It stimulates the Yang energy to rise. The more pain is felt during Paida, the faster the body warms up. Diseases are cured when Yin energy is neutralized by the rising Yang energy.
Whether the Qi Movement Theory and the Yin-Yang Interaction Theory in Chinese medicine, or cell, immunity, and other theories in Western medicine, they are but limited knowledge that humans use in their attempts to decipher the unfathomable self-healing mechanism embedded in us. To truly uncover the secret of self-healing, you need to engage in actual practice and feel it in your
heart.
Section III Lajin (Click Here)
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