The New Normal: How to Live Wisely to Overcome the Ongoing Pandemic – Part 1

Hello my friends!

In this edition we have a longer post but have made it easier for you to jump to certain sections. Additional and in-depth information will  also be offered in our upcoming videos and webinars. Sign up to our mailing list for our newsletters and announcements or follow us on social media.

Back to Work!

Dear patients and students:

Tikkun Holistic Spa in Santa Monica temporarily closed last week. As soon as they reopen I will notify you. However, I am available at my private home office on Thursday and Saturdays. See below for hours. We are taking all precautions necessary to keep us and our clients safe. There is additional screening paperwork I will email you when you make your next appointment. I am looking forward to seeing you again!

What Coronavirus is Teaching Us 

We’ve arrived at a new normal despite the fact many are still struggling to cope with the drastic changes. With the increase of fatal multi-drug resistant infections, we want to transform this ongoing stress into a proactive lifestyle. This is an endless war in our drug culture, unfortunately. But, I am pleased that the general public has stepped up and begun taking more precautions with better hygiene practices.

Last year, the WHO released a report that warned that “drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and damage to the economy as catastrophic as the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. By 2030, antimicrobial resistance could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty.” We need to avoid being victimized by the antibiotic culture. The consequences we’re facing of the abusive usage of antibiotics is affecting both the food industry and medical fields.

Muhammad Zaman, professor and author of the new book Biography of Resistance: The Epic Battle Between People and Pathogens, states “we know from history that the majority of deaths during the great 1918 flu pandemic were from secondary bacterial pneumonia. That was shown in work by Dr. Tony Fauci. People didn’t die from the virus, they died of pneumonia. Today, our best arsenal against that infection is antibiotics, so if antibiotics stop working against secondary infections in this pandemic, that’s a significant challenge. The cleverness of bacteria is their ability to over time resist our best arsenal of drugs…Bacteria are also larger than viruses, more sophisticated, and don’t require a living host to replicate.”

We are living in the age of surviving from these two major invisible unavoidable enemies. Therefore we need to be wise enough to break this vicious cycle through establishing am immune-boosting lifestyles. To learn more about how serious our immune system management issues are you can view the report here.

Our countermeasures against COVID-19 are very clear. This is definitely a wake-up call. It’s not too late. So let’s start a new healthy lifestyle to boost our own Qi and immune power within us. If you have never tried it before you will find precious value in these traditional and modern remedies.

An extremely important concern today is what I quoted about the ever-increasing drug-resistant diseases. We need to arm ourselves much stronger than ever before. We need to spend more energy and time to empower our Qi, that is disease resisting power, as well as a healing power.

Now, I ask myself, “How did our ancestors thousands of years ago deal with these calamities? How did they survive without modern medicine?”  If I were in the epidemic situation hundreds of years ago in Japan, I would focus on faith healing with Tandian breathing, Qigong, Daoyin, Taichi, Qi energy practices (moxibustion), deep meditation, medicinal foods, and cleansing including fasting.

First of all, I lost my parents and wife due to cancer. Since then I decided to take all possible steps to prevent illness through a healthy lifestyle. It’s a trial and effort process that so far has been managed successfully and I want to share it.

Secondly, it’s the smartest thing to focus on is prevention. In the past I have seen patients who have coughs and sneezes. I often recommend abdominal breathing which can boost the immune power in my sessions, but only when the chest breathing isn’t disturbed. I haven’t taken an annual flu shot for years and haven’t gotten the flu for years. I usually don’t take any pills and drugs. I believe that by continually improving my immune system and power what I practice prevents diseases.

I’d like to share my disciplinary immune boosting program, which has been a part of my lifestyle with you. I am enjoying tremendous benefits each day. Now it’s very true to state that nothing is outside that is not within, so would you please keep an open mind and read my message thoroughly and patiently? Because I really want you to understand what this COVID-19 means to us. It’s about your immune system and also about its secondary fatal consequence, the body’s own out-of-control inflammatory reactions that produce the “cytokine storm”. We need to figure out how to prevent it. (see fermented foods section)

I am talking about a variety of methods: purifying and boosting elixir drinks, daily meditation, prayers, affirmations, chanting, daily training of Qigong, Daoyin (self-treatment) including dry towel skin rubbing, the Goldfish exercise, breath of fire, other exercises like jogging, squatting, muscle training, abdominal massage, communing and being in nature, eating super healthy foods and drinks, herbs, supplements, and music therapy. I try to be mindful to practice these daily so I don’t waste time. My list of prevention programs are lengthy and I will have more details in my upcoming webinar.   Please join my “The New Normal: How to Live Wisely to Overcome the Ongoing Pandemic.” You can learn much more about Immune Boosting methods and more. I will share 9 significant points in my healing paradigm which will cover topics like the mind-body connection, how to feel good, conditioning methods, and more.

Stay tuned for my videos and webinars to learn more…

A. Faith-Healing/We are What We Believe

I learned the following 8 mindsets through Resetting my healing programs whenever I am under stress, feeling upset, toxic, unappreciated, unloved, sad, and unhappy. I also Reprogram myself. I update, upgrade, and modify accordingly so that I reach a deeper and higher level of the 8 fundamental mindsets. Then, ultimately I can guide myself to transform these negative vibrations into a positive one. This is Rebirthing. I believe I will successfully achieve these mindsets with resilient determination! I am happy to explain these 3 Rs in my webinar as well as the 8 fundamental mindsets, which include an Appreciating Mind, Caring Mind, Unconditional Happiness Mind, and Pure Mind.

B. Meditation (and abdominal Dantian Breathing)  – Dr. Kaneko’s Formula 

Today we know that laughter promotes a natural painkiller called endorphins. Furthermore, we release morphine-like hormones on some level such as opium for pain, oxytocin for love, serotonin for a happy feeling, and melatonin for sleep. Dr. Howard Brody, the author of The Placebo Response / How you Can Release the Body’s Inner Pharmacy for Better Health concluded that hope, faith, or expectations are genuinely potent factors in the healing process.

In my meditation, you will experience the integration of body, mind, and spirit and feel harmonized and balanced with the great universe. Therefore your life force will become relaxed, healthy, yet empowered, joyful, shining like the stars, the moon, and the sun.

There are 6 drills of breathing arts in my meditation program to cultivate the elixir of our Qi and explore eastern alchemy. It is a step by step program. I will introduce the Mokunenjyuku method in the webinar. It is a hypnotic guided meditation. I often apply it to my patients during their session and they continue practicing at home.

C. Breathing Arts 

Breathing is one of the keys to access the trillion pharmacies within our cells as well as to generate healing power and immune power. My chanting, prayers, affirmation and meditation go deep through abdominal breathing as well as Qigong & Daoyin practices. I learned powerful healing concepts from Master Hakuin, a Zen priest who published a masterpiece book called Yasennkanwa, published in 1757 (Houki 7), where he shares how he cured his own psychosomatic illness. Master Hakuin combined Zen meditation with Daoist meditation.

I read many Daoist meditation books in Japanese and I developed many breathing techniques to move Qi, blood, enzymes and lymphatic components over the decades.

Through Dantian or Liandan (Nentan) breathing it is potentially possible to refine, purify and detoxify your stagnant Qi on a cellular level, therefore strengthening, promoting and improving the quality of your life force. This medicine is an elixir of oriental alchemy. Believe that the secret to succeeding in refining your Qi is in Dantian Breathing and developing a pure essence of your Qi that is your elixir.

What is Chi?

Qi is the invisible high frequency of light that comes from the universe and that connects to the universe in your life. It is the constant wave and vibration of light. Qi precedes the formation of the cell through the circulation of the energetic system and prevails. When Qi moves into the extracellular matrix it helps the tissues grow and helps regulate metabolism and homeostasis. Thus oxygen, nutrient, and blood levels increase based on the principle of E= MC 2

D. Dr. Kaneko’s Style Baduanjin Qigong – 8 stances

I have been teaching this particular Qigong for decades. When I recently learned that this practice was being taught in a coronavirus rehabilitating program in China I was fascinated!

In an article from February 25, 2020,  Zhu Ying, vice-president of the First Hospital of the Hunan University of Chinese Medicine said she managed to relieve the patients’ anxieties through massage and let them do Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese fitness activity.

“All these TCM methods largely improve patients’ immune system and help defeat the virus. We are confident that all patients will be cured in the next month,” said Zhu, whose team has cured 14 patients so far.

Official data showed that as of Feb 21, 3,200 trained TCM medical workers have participated in treating virus patients in Hubei, and TCM has been used to treat 60,107 infected patients, or 85.2 percent of the total infections nationwide, as of Feb 17. (By Wu Yong in Wuhan, China Daily)

What is Qigong ?

Qigong means strengthening and cultivating the Qi through stationary stances or slowly and vigorously contracting while alternatively relaxing the muscles with Dantian breathing.

Transformation of Tree Qigong

I developed this form of Qigong. Things always go through constant changes in our universe. The different stages of a tree’s life is an excellent example of how the ever-changing cosmic energy manifests this continual change. Life itself is in a continual recycling process from birth, growth, extension, harvest, storage, and birth again through 4 seasons in a year. You will experience this divine transformation through my Tree Qigong.

E. Daoyin: Self-healing arts: Massaging, pressing, stretching with Dantian breathing

Daoyin means pulling cosmic energy in through Dantian breathing and guiding it to our energetic system of Qi.

“Dao” means to guide, lead, and direct. ”Yin” means to pull in, bring in, and withdraw

Daoyin and Qigong open up the flow of Qi by releasing blockages and stagnation not only at a major level of meridians and vessels but also at the microscopic level of the extracellular matrix. In Daoyin, you press and hold powerful acupuncture points as you move and stretch your body with coordinated Qi generating abdominal breathing. Both forms of exercise cultivate the essence of our vital force out of cosmic Qi as we engage in Dantian breathing. They purify the quality and strengthen the power of Qi.

 E-1.  14 Steps of Daoyin  

*I will share more details in my upcoming webinar

E-2. Self-Administered Abdominal Anma massage: 自己按腹(Jiko Anpuku).

The intestine is an important digestive organ where we absorb nutrients from food. At the same time, it has been found that it is the largest part of the body’s immune system.

Now it is your responsibility to take care of every possible organ in your body for the rest of your life. Those organs in the abdominal cavity need everyday maintenance through your hands.

I simply recommend ampuku abdominal self-treatment – clockwise soothing around the navel 108 times, twice a day. The first one is done when you wake up in bed and the second before you sleep.

E-3.  Rubbing the skin with a dry towel 

When I was in elementary school, we were taught how to take care of ourselves through this skin rubbing technique with a towel, 乾布摩擦（Kanpu Masatsu).  The skin cells have the potential to differentiate into any other cell type of the body as an iPSC (Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell) and also as a defensive mechanism guarding at the surface of our body (WeiQi).

To do this, I grab a dry towel, wrap it around the fists and start rubbing the whole back, front of the neck, chest, and abdomen then the rest of the body until the skin color turns pink.

E-4. Tapping the  12 Meridians and 2 Vessels

Kung Fu practitioners tap the body with the sticks to stimulate the bones. This is a kind of popular public practice in Thailand, practiced in parks like TaiChi Chuan. Instead of using sticks, I make fists and tap the back, front, arms, and legs including the following meridians and major organs targeting these meridians. You can also rub these areas with a dry towel. You can stimulate these 6 meridians in the arms and legs you used in the rubbing technique.

 E-5. Treating Pressure Points through Therapeutic Heating through  Moxibustion, Heating Lamp and Hair Dryer 

One of the traditional preservation methods for health is to treat acupuncture points with heating methods, called moxibustion once a month, every other week or every week depending on your health condition. It requires some simple techniques to little training time with careful incense and fire management. Alternatively, you can try to heat these pressure points with a dryer or infrared heating lamp as well.

F. Immunity-Boosting Medicinal Foods and Eating Habits

It is essential to keep our system clean so that we have full power to resist against germs, bacteria, and viruses. Harmful stress lowers the immune power. A toxicity management program is necessary to increase one’s immunity. Now as mentioned before, this is customized medicine and some foods may not agree with your system. This is a trial and error process until you find your own benefits

1. It is well known that rainbow-colored vegetables and fruits are rich with antioxidants and phytochemical components and contribute to detoxifying waste products and toxic compounds in the body. Broccoli is a king of vegetables that is especially powerful with immune-boosting effects. In Dr. Joel Fuhman’s Immunity Solution he recommends greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds stating that phytochemical-rich foods deactivate free radicals and increase the function of repairing DNA.

2. White-colored vegetables like daikon-white radish, scallions, grapefruit pith (the white part), cauliflower, Asian pears, peaches, brown rice, onions, garlic (and ginger), and spicy foods all belong to the metal element sign in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Eat a lot of garlic, which is a powerful anti-fungal/viral, anti-inflammatory, and astringent. Garlic and Chlorella both have Germanium, which keeps the immune system healthy.

3. We need to have live or active cultures in probiotic-rich foods such as smelly, fermented soy called natto, miso, kimchi, kombucha, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and aged cheese.  Prebiotics feed probiotics so we want to consume foods such as Jerusalem artichoke, seaweed, burdock root, cocoa, flaxseed, konnjac (elephant yam), leeks, onion, garlic, honey, asparagus, banana, chicory root, dandelion green, barley, oats, and apples.

4. Keep your system clean by limiting and or avoiding sweets, simple carbohydrates, processed foods, junk food, and gluten-rich foods. Try intermittent or half-day fasting with water and green juices for example with parsley, celery, kale, and cilantro. This is another powerful way to clean our system. I really like my Monday fasting. My system responds well and feels lighter and younger!

5. Keep consuming fibrous vegetables of at least  12 – 17 grams per day.

a. Soluble fiber has a slippery or sticky texture which is found in sea vegetables, okra, aloe vera, some mushrooms, natto, shells, or skins of fruits. The benefits of soluble fibers include moderating blood glucose levels and lowering cholesterol. Good sources of soluble fiber also include oats, legumes (peas, beans, lentils), barley, fruits, and vegetables (especially oranges, apples and carrots).

b.  Insoluble fibers are harder, like seeds and nuts. It passes through our digestive system close to its original form. Insoluble fiber offers many benefits to intestinal health, including increasing immune power, detoxing pesticides and toxins, and reducing the risk and occurrence of hemorrhoids and constipation.

6. Watch what you are allergic to. Ultimately, when you continue to eat the foods that your body’s immune system recognizes as an enemy, it will deplete your immunity making you lethargic, ill, and less able to fight off authentic infections and diseases. Common allergenic foods are dairy products from a cow (although some people are also allergic to goat’s and sheep’s dairy), gluten, nuts, citrus fruits, wheat, and eggs. Nutrition is individualized medicine. Some foods can be good for some and troublesome for others. Additionally, everyone has different enzymes to digest food.

7. I take care of my intestines through breathing, Daoyin, Qigong, and massaging the abdomen as learned from the precious classic masterpieces of abdominal assessments and treatments from the east. I believe it’s very important to pay great attention to what we put in our gut.  Brenda Watson recommends the HOPE formula, (high fiber, omega 3’s, probiotics,  enzymes) for healthy guts. Dr. Mark Hyman recommends a pegan (paleo-vegan) diet of some animal protein and a lot of plant food, while limiting processed foods, grains, dairy, sugar, and legumes. Dr. Joel Fuhrman recommends an Immunity solution of G-BOMBS, which are greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds on a daily basis.

G. Eating Habits and Fasting

I love to eat but I learned that three-daily meals are too busy for my stomach. I agree less is better as Ekken Kaibara stated in his popular book called Preservation for a Healthy Life (養生訓), which is a guidebook on a healthy lifestyle. He was a Confucian scholar of Japan’s Fukuoka area in 1712. He warned us not to exceed eating more than 80% of your satiety. We say Hara hachibunnme (腹八分目). He also recommended, “Do not eat late at night.” I recommend no later than 3 hours before bedtime. Also please chew your food well. You will feel quite content in many levels when you integrate yourself with appreciation and prayers. Fasting is another powerful healing art.

H.  Immune Boosting Supplements

First of all, I strongly believe in medicinal foods to boost the immune system. The second step in immune defense is taking supplements. Supplements shouldn’t replace your medication, nor replace social distancing and wearing masks.

Certain mushrooms have been known to treat cancer patients in Japan for years. Some mushrooms are available in the US markets as an AHCC 9 Active Hexose Correlated Compound supplement. AHCC is a nutritional product prepared mainly from the mycelia of shiitake (Lentinus edodes) mushrooms.

Other well-known mushrooms that have immune-boosting properties are shiitake, maitake, and reishi. These mushrooms increase natural killer cells and macrophage activity. Another popular mushroom is Reishi, which has been used as a longevity herb. Agaricus mushroom is produced in Brazil and used to treat allergy, infections, and cancer. You can add these to your meals.

There are basic supplements to boost your immune system with their antioxidant quality and other supplements to detox the system like Chlorella and Spirulina.

I. Herbs

Common Garden Herbs

Some herbs like Cordyceps, which is an immune-supportive herb for kidney and lungs, have severe or serious interactions with other drugs, so consult your doctor before taking any herbs. These are additional healing modalities based on natural products. When you already have a cold or flu these supplements should help.

Astragalus, goldenseal (not to be taken for an extended period), black elderberry,  sage, thyme, peppermint, garlic, rosemary, parsley, basil, nettle, dandelion, lemon balm.

Chinese Herbal Formulas Used for Prevention of COVID-19.

The following is from a Webinar for TCM Practitioners, by Dr. John Chen, PharmD, PhD, OMD. You can view it here.

Prevention Phase

1. Huang Qi (Radix Astragali) 15g
2. Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae), dry-fried 10g
3. Fang Feng (Radix Saposhnikoviae) 10g
4. Mian Ma Guan Zhong (Rhizoma Dryopteridis Crassirhizomatis) 10g
5. Jin Yin Hua (Flos Lonicerae Japonicae) 10g
6. Chen Pi (Pericarpium Citri Reticulate) 6g
7. Pei Lan (Herba Eupatorii) 10g

Next Newsletter:

Make sure you follow us for Part 2 of The New Normal: How to Live Wisely to Overcome the Ongoing Pandemic. In it we will cover the following topics:

– Japanese Lifestyle Methods to Access an Unlimited Source of Healing Power from the Natural Environment
– Sleeping Habits
– Bathing
– Laughter for Stress
– Other Types of Exercises

Upcoming Classes

Shiatsu-Anma Therapy – Pain Management Series: Upper Extremities

Products

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