Inner Strength, Inc

Currently, there is a lot of talk about blood. As the war rages on in Afghanistan, we speak of spilling blood or of innocent blood. Blood truly is the icon of life itself. The holidays of Christmas and Easter, the most holy days of the year for Christians, speak of the blood of Christ in many references. We probably don’t think of our blood often except when we cut ourselves or we hear the Central Blood Bank plea for blood as their reserves run low.

How often do we think of our own blood and its health for instance? We probably think of it quite often if we are a cancer patient and are concern about things like T-cells, white blood cell count, or an AIDs patient or a hemophiliac. However, most of us have little conscious thought about our blood’s condition.

In Chinese Medicine, everything is about the blood or Xue. The Chinese say that “Qi (our life force) is the commander of blood and blood is the mother of Qi”. This speaks of the interrelationship between the yin (blood) and yang (qi) in Chinese medicine theory where yin is of Earth and Yang is of Heaven, the tangible and the intangible. In Chinese medical diagnosis, we are concerned about blood stasis for instance in trauma or disease. We also speak of injuring the blood through our emotions and our negative repetitive thoughts, much different I admit from the western science paradigm of blood and its functions. However, I have often thought of the similarities of Western medicine and Chinese or Tibetan medicine, and their preoccupation with the health

probably could care less about this, well stay tuned because I will explain how this concept will help you to burn off those extra pounds the holidays so evilly placed around your midsection!

Blood is an amazing substance that is more of its own little ecosystem than we once thought. The PH of our body has an immense affect on our blood. As the Ph of our blood becomes imbalanced even so slightly, microbes can become pathogenic, enzymes can become destructive, mineral assimilation can be thrown off leading to a state favoring yeast, viruses, bacteria and cancer.

To most of us, blood flows without our thoughts and when healthy, is in constant motion, forever orbiting the body in an endless loop like the Earth around the Sun. Irregardless of how efficiently we can breath or how well we could digest our food once eaten, if it wasn’t for the blood itself as the trucking company traveling down a thousand mile highway system of arteries, arterioles and capillaries, we would soon die. Therefore, in a healthy body, blood moves sometimes slowly, but moves nonetheless, assisted by the contraction of muscles in the body (i.e. movement of the body). Therefore, movement of the body is imperative for the health of the blood, not only for the assistance it provides in moving the blood, but from the increased fresh supply of oxygen from our deeper breathing which facilitates our healing energies.

Long before Western understanding that blood absorbed oxygen in the lungs via capillary beds, to its distribution pathways from the left chamber of the heart to further capillary delineation in the body, the ancient Chinese realized the connection between breathing in oxygen and the health of the blood. Breathing exercises were studied and experimented with on how they affected health, energy levels and recuperation from illness. Therefore blood and breathing became a very common treatment modality in ancient China.

Ironically, this vital substance called blood is under constant production as its shelf life is minimal. In an average day, 100 billion neutrophiles (a type of white blood cell) are produced by an average adult, but what is more incredible is that this liquid is produced in a solid….the bone! Speaking of the yin forming within the yang! The Chinese even have special exercises called Marrow Washing Qigong that is used to build up the blood cell production. I use this form of exercise a lot with several of my cancer clients as well as people who are anemic. Both east and west recognize the importance of blood health, but have different methods of treating the disease of the blood.

Movement and deep breathing, regardless of its nature, is how the body was designed to function. It doesn’t matter if you do Pilates, yoga, run or lift weights, the important factor is that you are moving your blood. As we try to lose those pounds for the upcoming summer months, think of how you can move more and stop thinking of it as exercise! So remember if you want to change how you look on the outside, change what will affect your health the most, your blood…… from the inside out.