Precious 3-week Experience at a Meditation Center

Dear friends and family,

I recently tasted a nectar so sweet that I must tell you of the tree from which it's fruit fell... Such an opportunity so rare, that few will have a chance to take it in this lifetime... take the course that will shed light on depths unconscious, lead to truths rarely experienced...

I've just returned from a month at a vipassana meditation center in Massachussets. I attended 2 courses and volunteered in between. The benefits I have realized from the visit are inumerable. I attended my first 10-Day course in Taiwan 1 year ago. I was quite skeptical of the organization and teachings during my first course... but by the end of my first 10-day course, I was amazed at the increased peace and balance I was experiencing. I felt such great benefit from the course, that I immediately volunteered at the Taiwan center to help with the next course. After volunteering at the Taiwan center and at the Massachussetts center this year, I began to discover what a wonderful organization it is. An organization offering EVERYONE the opportunity to have 10 days to look within, know thyself, and discover the truth that resides deep within each and every one of us. The course teaches tools that lead practitioners to deeper peace and happiness and help the practitioner better steer through the trials and tribulations life is bound to bring each one of us. I have also come to know that one can stay true to their own faith, of any religion, and attend a vipassana meditation course without conflict. A vipassana meditation course will only serve to strengthen one's morality, devotion, faith, peace, and compassion.

"There are no charges for the courses - not even to cover the cost of food and accommodation. All expenses are met by donations from people who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the opportunity to also benefit." Visit: http://www.dhamma.org/

So, your seat is waiting for you. All you need to do is find the time; the 10 days to attend. Many of you know of,.. have followed,.. or have even joined me on my adventures and travels through the last decade. And many of you look forward to your next vacation, when you can take your next adventure to some far away place... But after all of my travels... I am amazed to have experienced the greatest adventure, the greatest benefit, the most peace and happiness by traveling WITHIN during this 10-day meditation course. And depending on your location... you may not have to travel so far to attend a course. There are Vipassana Meditation Centers around the world that are run by volunteers that are old students. These old students come to the centers to voluntarily serve, so that others may experience the same benefit that they themselves have experienced... and such has been my motivation for the 4 courses I've volunteered for this year. Visit their website to find the closest center to you: http://www.dhamma.org/
The video introductions on dhamma.org are a bit old and I don't recommend them. There are more recent videos about vipassana by following the "Podcasts" link here: http://www.pariyatti.org

Through the course, I had the chance to sharpen my awareness, consciously observe my thoughts, habits, and patterns, and develop a more peaceful, balanced, loving, compassionate mind... all the while learning a technique that will allow me to do so more often.

During the course I explored my relationship with:

my past
people
food
habits
anger
sadness
addictions
self
authority
time
sleep
love
life
death
plans for the future
and more...

and gleaned new knowledge and wisdom about each one. As I left old habits behind, I began developing new ones that I always dreamed of achieving. I cannot recommend this course highly enough.

A Miracle to sufferers of Ear, Nose, Throat issues, Sinusitis, Allergies, Ear infections, and Tooth Decay! Especially for Children! 很棒的自然鼻子藥

Dear Ones,

If you, a child, or a loved one suffer from any Ear Nose Throat problems EVER... read on and try an all natural, non-chemical, non-addictive, non-prescription remedy that has been a miracle for me! I'm not selling anything... but I will direct you to a website that sells the following Xylitol products in hopes that it works the same miracles for you that has for me! After teaching Kindergarten for 5 years in Taiwan, I've seen my share of snotty noses (thousands!), and there is no reason for them anymore! 很棒的自然鼻子藥:

Preventing Ear Infections in Children Naturally: http://www.xlearsa.com/html/children.html

I suffered from ear infections as an infant, to recurring strep throat infections as a child, to sinusitis (recurrent sinus infections) and loss of my sense of smell as a teen and adult. Most recently I was diagnosed with asthma for the first time in an emergency room in Taiwan following an "uncontrollable coughing attack" due to "allergies". These ENT symptoms and syndromes are common for so many of us. My main complaints (now cured) were stuffy nose, constant excess mucous, yellow-green mucous, head congestion, soar throats, frequent coughs, etc.

Western medicine offered me antibiotics, antihistamines, decongestants, and finally suggested surgery on my "deviated septum".

Traditional Chinese Medicine offered me daily doses of herbal medicine and acupuncture. After taking herbal medicine regularly for 4 years I experienced no lasting effect and when I stopped taking the medicine, my symptoms returned.



I tried the neti pot with salt water, then added Hydrogen Peroxide, baking soda, and grape fruit seed extract. The neti helped little. I tried extreme dietary changes and even fasting many times... up to 15 days on water only, the "Master Cleanse", but these helped little too. I tried allergy medicines and pharmeceutical sinus sprays to no avail. I tried practicing yoga and tai chi for 6 hours a day... nope. I tried so many other things that I don't even remember... but nothing has worked as amazingly as Xlear!






Also, I've made some recent DIETARY CHANGES:
One thing that also seems to help and effect my sinuses is sugar. I've cut processed sugar out of my diet almost completely. Now when I want something sweet, I eat an apple or a few raisins. When I eat a lot of processed sugar now (in the form of desserts), my sinuses do get stuffy or irritated. I've also stopped eating leavened breads. They are usually high in sugar (most breads contain sugar as the second ingredient). I still occasionally eat sprouted grain breads (like ezkeil, manna, or german unleavened breads). But many people do react to breads' gluten, yeasts, or sugars. I'm not sure how big a role cutting out sugar and bread have played into my sinusitus recovery.

After returning to America last year and visiting my friend Stephen (thank you Stephen!!!), he recommended I try Xlear Nasal Wash spray. Xlear is now sold at many health food stores and can be bought at discounted prices online.
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=XL-1010
List Price $13.49 --- Sale Price $8.89

Xlear is not only for acute infections... one will achieve best results if it is used regularly and preventatively to keep the sinuses clean. We wash our hands all the time. How often do you wash your sinuses?

Here are some consumer reviews of Xlear:
http://xlear.com/blog/dfs.php

Here is some fascinating info and background about xylitol and Xlear by it's developer:
Xlear Page: http://www.xlear.com/xylitol/jones.aspx
You can also read what each doctor in the "Doctors Corner" (of the same page) has written about xylitol.


I have since done heavy research into the product and how to make it myself. I suggest you buy a bottle and see how you like it. If you use it regularly and want to make the solution yourself, read on.

1 Pound of "Xylosweet" Xylitol Powder
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=XL-1001&source=FGXL-1001&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=XL-1001

More info from Xlear and information on how Xylitol can help ear and throat infections:
Nasal-Xylitol Page: http://www.nasal-xylitol.com/

Xlear Patent Page (You are allowed to make the solution for personal use):
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6258372.PN.&OS=PN/6258372&RS=PN/6258372

I made my first batch of Xylitol Nasal Wash and it is working well. Here is my first recipe:

I mixed the following ingredients together, put them in a 16 oz. (500ml) water bottle, and shook it up. I keep the extra in the fridge (probably doesn't need refrigeration).

2 cups of purified water
1 teaspoon sea salt
5 teaspoons of Xylitol powder
6 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE liquid) anti-bacterial, viral, fungal, natural preservative

I usually apply the nasal wash twice a day while I'm still in bed. Once in the morning when I wake up and once before going to sleep. The way I use the spray is I tilt my head forward (bending over slightly), point the tip of the spray bottle in each sinus straight up (toward the back of my head), spray twice in each nostril, keep my head tilted forward for 10-30 seconds (to allow the solution to spread into my sinuses), then I lay down for a few minutes and let the solution run back into my sinuses. I no longer need to blow my nose (nose blowing being highly discouraged by ENT's). I used to have to blow my nose numerous times per day! After a week of using Xlear, I experienced major improvements in my sinus Happiness!!!


You can purchase empty nasal spray bottles here (to share your solution with family and friends):
http://www.1-800-medical.com/nasal/nasal.htm

I'd like to experiment with adding other popular natural nasal wash ingredients such as colloidal silver, hydrogen peroxide, bakingsoda, and ??? Tell me about your nasal wash recipes.

This girl tried xylitol in her neti pot:
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/answers2/frontend.php/question?qid=20080114140056AAAb66i

Happy Sinuses, Ears, Noses, and Throats to All!!!

!~Happy Holidays~!

(in Chinese: 聖誕節和新年快樂)

Dear Friends and Family,




I've finally arrived to Manchester, New Hampshire after 5 months of traveling from Taidong, Taiwan to New England. Thankfully there are no signs of Global Warming here in New Hampshire (NH). It's freezing cold and it has been snowing every few days. My snow shoveling muscles are growing larger by the day! I've taken to the cold better than I had hoped through proper execution of "clothes layering". Most days I wear 5 layers of shirts and sweaters, and 3 pairs of long-johns and pants. When I throw my jacket, hat, and gloves on... I'm ready to take on a blizzard! Last night, I shoveled a fresh 12 inches of snow from my door out to the street and around my auntie's car. It only took me 2 hours of shoveling non-stop at full-speed to clear the way!













Update: Since writing the above paragraph, we've had a two more snow storms and now there is 2 - 3 feet of snow everywhere I look! Up to 6 foot snow banks along the roads that I must sometimes climb over when I walk down to the supermarket or walmart (just a five minute walk away). YES, I miss the tropics and wake up most days wondering what the heck I'm doing here... Oh, yeah... being a good son, helping my dad (or my "Pop" as they say in New England), and spending some great time with family!

From Taiwan to California (the 1st leg of a 9,000 mile Journey) :
July was full of sitting meditation. Yvonne and I attended a 10-day Vipassana Course. We both enjoyed it immensely and reaped great benefits. The course is offered freely around the world and I highly recommend it! We enjoyed it so much, we went to the next course and served as volunteer workers and gained much from that as well.



I then went on to Taipei for a weekend of drumming with one of the world’s greatest drummers, Mamady Keita. I have 12 of his CD’s and have been a fan for years. It was most excellent to join his course and drum with him for a weekend. On the last day I asked him about the spiritual aspect of the drum path and he shared great insight with us about how to use the djembe drum to affect positivity in the world.








I then served as a judge for the following Taiwan African Drumming Competition and had a wonderful weekend with Mountain (A Hui) and Robecca, and David and Lilian at their mountain home outside Taipei. There, we played some fascinating instruments from David’s travels through Burkina Fasso, Africa, drank Taiwan tea, ate tropical fruits and laughed a lot 

Then onward to Taidong to pack up and wrap up my fifth year in Taiwan. Yvonne and I auctioned off most of our things Thanks to Christy, Ivona, Danny, Mark, Sedarika, Rebecca, Dave, and friends for all of your help in the moving auction and move! An awesome Goodbye Party at Rolly and Dave’s, and a last surf with Mark and Emma made me sad to leave Taidong . Moving 8,000 miles around the world sure ain’t easy!!! The stress was immense and broke me a few times. But once complete I was on to Taichung for last goodbyes with Eckart, Joyce, Paul, Sandra, Raiden, Rodney, Grace, Shanice, Yariv, Janet, David, and others at a Happy Birthday bash for Paul (Paul Stock 2007)!

















A 13 hour flight and 5,000 miles brought us in to San Francisco at the end of July. Adarsh and Heleen were eagerly awaiting us with open arms and the warmest welcome back to America! We arrived to their loving temple home to 2 freshly baked corn meal crust pizzas. As we sat comfortably upon the floor cushions amongst the Indian treasures of their travels, we shared wonderful stories of the two years between our last meeting. Early to bed, and jet lagged, I couldn’t get up the next morning at 4 AM with Adarsh to attend his 6:30AM Morning Mysore Astanga class. However, the next day I did, and was treated to an amazing workout!!! Astanga rocks and will make you rock solid physically and spiritually if you practice everyday! I was so happy to see how Astanga practice has transformed Adarsh into such a superiorly rock solid being and teacher!!! I’m looking forward to attending more Astanga Yoga classes soon! Adarsh commanded his Yoga Studio and students with greatness! I was so impressed and honored to attend. Visit their website here.






After practice, Adarsh and Heleen took Yvonne and I out on the town to view their quaint and beautiful town of Mountainview, CA (nearby to San Jose). Home to Google World Headquarters, it’s a bustling town of young, bright, highly motivated, internationals from every corner of the GoogleEarth. This made for a nice array of dining styles and excellent food markets. First, we went to Whole Foods market (a super-sized Natural foods supermarket). Yvonne and I were in heaven! Having grown up on natural whole foods, I was a bit deprived of my childhood favorites while in Taiwan. It was wonderful to enjoy some such delectable delights again. Then we went to Trader Joe’s, another excellent market that’s half the price of Whole Food’s Market. We stocked up on some supplies in preparation for our next adventure… 3 days of camping in Big Sur down California’s Hwy. 1 .

Big Sur was dreamy! Palladial views of the coast with steep cliffs leading down to the turquoise Pacific. Fogs blowing in and blowing out . Walks along desolate beaches. And my favorite activity… throwin’ some rock with Adarsh! The beaches had these perfectly round baseball sized stones that were perfect for throwin’ some rock! As we tossed the rock to and fro, we reminisced back to younger days in Georgia when we were to poor to buy a ball and had to play with rocks instead (thankfully joking  ).






Another treat was staying in Adarsh’s friend’s “off the grid” solar powered home far back in a redwood forest just off of Hwy. 1 outside of Big Sur. It was fairytale-esque! And all of the foods and treats that ensued from the moment we arrived to Adarsh’s and Heleen’s home through the week were so enjoyable… So many old American favorites prepared vegetarian style. Yvonne and I were so orally ecstatic! Lot’s of sweet organic treats too. Yvonne was getting to try so many new foods and loving them all. Our first week with Adarsh and Heleen, eased the tensions and sadness of leaving Taiwan, and made Yvonne and I feel so welcomed back to the States!








Next time I’ll write about the following adventures to Santa Cruz to visit Stephen and Christine at their Santa Cruz Tree Temple Home! And here's a recent picture of Stephen flying to work on his company's private jet... I'm looking forward to flying on Stephen's personal jet soon!






New Phone Number, Communications, and Shopping:

What else have I been doing besides shoveling snow? Well, after arriving to New Hampshire and spending lots of time with family, I began reassembling the material life that I left behind in Taiwan. First thing I did was get this Verizon wireless cell phone. After being without my own computer for 4 months, I decided to get this PDA Phone. It's like a palm sized laptop that can surf the internet, check email, watch movies, listen to mp3's, take pictures, draw pictures, and it’s a phone too!

The number (my only phone number right now) is: email me for it

*Note the number, and *Note: if you're on the Verizon Wireless network too... write back and tell me so, so that I know you're "IN" on the Verizon “IN” network and that we can talk for free anytime. Otherwise, I'll call you during the free nights and weekends, or use "internet telephony" yahoo voice or skype to call you free "computer to computer" online, or cheaply "computer to landline". With a high speed connection, I've found yahoo voice and skype to have better sound quality than traditional landline long distance. Wow! Especially awesome for international calls!!! If you're not ready to use a computer as a phone yet, another cheap way to phone home is by calling card. I've found these rates to be good @ http://www.mobilecaller.com ($0.02 / min U.S. domestic. {} $0.09 / min U.S. to Taiwan). If you know of better communication rates... share your secrets with me!

This week I received the new laptop I'm using to type this and future letters to you. Thanks to Stephen and Keith who have similar HP laptop models and let me use/demo their laptops while I was visiting them. I got an awesome deal on "Black Friday" (truly the most amazing shopping deal Day of the year! The day after Thanksgiving) on This Laptop with this all-in-one printer for $475! When I bought my previous Dell laptop and printer in '2000, (a similarly current setup), I paid $2,500! Amazing how the prices are dropping! But again, I only got that $price because I stayed up all night scouring the internet for this "Black Friday" deal. If you want to buy the same setup today, it now costs $880 :( That was my first "Black Friday" shopping delirium experience. I stayed up all night searching the internet for the deal... But, I'm looking forward to next year's "Black Friday"! Don’t miss it! Yvonne spent Black Friday with April (my sister-in-law) camping outside of Best Buy to get a Wii game system for a nephew!


Searching for Wheels:

The past week and a half I've been diligently car shopping. Being Car - Less, my brother and sister-in-law have been chaufering Yvonne and I to and fro recently. My brother is an AMAZING salesman and told me that if I find a great deal on a car, I can drive it for a year or two and then sell it for a profit. WoW! Contrary to the popular belief that cars lose value over time. But he demonstrated his theory when he sold his $80,000 Mercedes-Benz this week (that he's already been driving for 3 years)... for $72,000 (with only an $8,000 loss)!

He set the bar high for me to find a good used car deal. My father also put a lot of pressure on me to maintain the "family honor" and find a good deal. Dad and my borther are Super Deal Shoppers, and it’s hard to match their skill. So, I've been spending hours a day online (mostly on Craig's List) the past week and a half searching used cars ads.

Unfortunately, not finding any great deals, or arriving to the deals too late and already sold :( My brother felt bad for my fruitless searching and stepped in this week doing a little searching on his own. Super Deal Shopper that he is, yesterday he found a 1997 Honda Accord for me that is in prime condition for half the market value! So, on Wednesday, if all goes well, I'll be picking her up. (P.S. all didn't go well, and it was a lemon... but we found a nice Toyota Corolla a few days later and I'll pick it up this week!) When we're not in Brother Jim's Benz, you might see us speeding around in Sis-in-law April's fine Infiniti.

Life with 4 Wheels and Teaching Tai Chi:

Having wheels will change life a bit... I'll be able to pick up dad or my nephew Travis to go out on adventures. I’ll also begin to visit local healthcare centers, community centers, yoga studios, and gyms to find places I can begin teaching Tai Chi classes. It'll be nice to begin contributing to the community. I haven't decided if I'm going to teach the Tai Chi classes by donation or charge a set rate ($10 / hour is the avg. rate for such classes). Any suggestions or experience on Tuition Setting? Should I teach classes by donation or ???

Returning to some discipline… The Perfect Life, Health, and The Principles that hang upon my Wall:

This morning, unpacking one of my six boxes (everything I own) that I shipped back from Taiwan, I found the list that hung in my office next to my computer in Taidong…

1) Food: Besides the tongue... there are so many other parts of the body more suitable for experiencing stimulation and pleasure. KNOW what you are eating (Read those ingredients!). If it isn't natural, whole, and nutritious, don't eat it. If you don't know what is natural and nutritious, read Healing with Whole Foods. Don't be a guinea pig for the chemical industry! As BKS Iyengar (a great Yogi still vibrant at 90 years old!!!) said, "Food should be taken to promote healt, strength, energy, and life. It should be eaten with the feeling that with each morsel one can gain strength to serve the Lord. Men are the only creatures that eat when not hungry and generally live to eat rather than eat to live. The Yogi believes in harmony, so he eats for the sake of sustenance only. He does not eat too much or too little. He looks upon his body as the rest-house of his spirit and guards himself against over-indulgence."

2) Rest: As Benjamin Franklin said, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise!"

3) Exercise: As Precious James said, "Daily exercise that returns the circulatory rivers and streams of one’s blood from the furthest reaches of the body back to replenish in the revitalizing organs of one's harmonious center. To pump the heart and glisten in sweat is good. To feel every part of the body and know thyself is grand!"

4) Stop, Contemplate, Meditate:
In emptiness and quietude the path may be seen and divine guidance might be heard.

5) Fasting: To break from habits allows one to better appreciate the habits themselves as well as to become more aware of alternative choices.

Honestly, I've strayed from these truths in recent months... being on the road, not a wall to call my own... I had no place to hang these principles upon. But as I find these principles once again, true as ever, I hang them back up next to my computer in hopes of living them. If these principles strike a cord with you too, share in them today and write me about your succession in living them. We may support each other on The Way.

And don't forget to LAUGH often!!! I haven't attended one of these classes yet, but hope to soon...
Have a good laugh about Laughter Yoga on youtube.

And if you want to laugh some more... visit laughter Yoga's youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/laughteryoga

Good News!!! It's snowing again as I finish typing this letter! There's a fresh 6-8 inches of snow on the ground outside... I'd love to write more, but time to shovel the sidewalks, entry ways, and driveway.

!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008 !!!
!!! May all your dreams and resolutions manifest !!!

Love, Peace, and Joy


Peace on Earth: The single greatest choice you can make today to individually affect Peace on Earth.

Allergies: How I'm Healing Mine

About my recent discoveries about my mucous... it could be the pollen, but pollen gets in everyone's noses... so, it's us folks on the edge... with weakened immune systems or past our threshold for allergens, pushed over the top by pollen or whatever... so, we've got to get off the fence and back on the ground of well being. My "allergies" or mucous issue has greatly improved thanks to the teachings of a chinese doctor and the yoga sutras. Here are the current top 4 hanging on my wall next to the computer:

1: Sleep. Go to bed early (before 11PM). Chinese medicine says our liver must rest from 11pm to 3am aroundabouts. if it doesn't, problems ensue. I didn't bellieve, but now I do and it's helped me immensely!

2. Excercise Daily. Necessary.

3. Stop, contemplate, Meditate: Answers soon follow.

4. Eating healthy, small portions, only when truly hungry for the purpose of serving the Lord... and not for sense gratification. This one has allowed me to quit some foods that may have been aggravating my system... especially bread, which I failed to quit so many times before. I've discovered I'm allergic to yeast... putting nutritional yeast on my food now causes an instant nose explosion and coughing? So glad I found out.

*Bonus: No smoking: Smoking is enemy of our lungs, and who wants to be an enemy of their own body? If the Lungs are unhappy, the respiratory system will be unhappy, thereby causing the nose unhappiness in myriad ways. The good Herb is best taken orally through food or oil (if required at all... Chinese medicine says it weakens the Kidneys, and the Kidneys are considered a vital organ of health). Why fight the body when we can make Peace with it!

I was just amazed by this TED Talk by Edward Burtynsky:
(http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/56)


Shipbreaking No. 4, Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000

Burtynsky presents a riveting slideshow of his photographs, which show vividly how industrial development is altering the Earth's natural landscape. From mountains of tires to rivers of bright orange waste from a nickel mine, his images are simultaneously beautiful and horrifying.


Deda Chicken Processing Plant, Dehui City, Jilin Province, 2005

The second half of his presentation about China is fascinating!


And if you're inspired to realize solutions to these global issues we face, you can read this article about Japan's "Thomas Edison" Dr. Nakamats (http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/10/20/twilight-zone-dr-nakamats-inventions/)
who has pushed limits in every realm of his life to break into optimum creative conciousness. Most interesting to me was his recent Nobel Prize in nutrition for his studies on the optimal diet for health and creativity. Dr. Nakamats only eats 700 calories per day and has been for years! Is he healthy? Well, how many patents do you hold? He only has 3,000+ patents to his name. Check out this interview on his creative process: (http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/Nakamats1.html)

PyonPyon flying shoes allow the wearer to leap into the air with minimal effort.

Enjoy,
Precious James

Taiwan English Teaching

Having taught English in Taiwan for 5 years already, it's about time I share the wonders of it all. I've had such a great experience teaching here in Taiwan! Teaching part-time (avg. 20 hours / week) I've been able to earn an average of $1500 USD per month. Of the $1500 / month, I am usually able to save $1,000 of it living a very simple life. This lifestyle affords me much free time to study and do things I most enjoy. I've spent a majority of my time studying Tai Chi and computer skills. It's an amazing opportunity to be able to study and save simultaneously. For ppeople interested in studying anything Chinese, Taiwan offers awesome oppotunities!







Here are some great sites offering more information about teaching English in Taiwan:

http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/index.php Very informative forums
http://www.tealit.com/ Job listings and Life style info
http://www.buxiban.com/ Job Listings, detailed school info, laws
http://www.englishintaiwan.com/ Gives a good feel for teaching in Taiwan
http://www.therealtaiwan.com Taiwan Lifestyle

My First Acupuncture Experience

A friend and I have plans for a video of the Acupuncture Experience, but here's a vision through words to warm you up...

Imagine walking into a room... with 20 chairs lined up. An electric box above each chair with multi-color wires hanging down from each box. These wires connect to the needles that will be inserted into the acupuncture points of your body. The nurse takes you over to a seat and you sit next to another patient waiting to get stuck. Then after waiting for awhile, the good doctor roles on up with his cart of needles and sundry gadgets that can return balance and harmony to your chi flow.

The person next to you gets the treatment first... Thank Goddess!, so you get to watch the guy next to you first. Psychologically tormenting to watch each needle go in, but simultaneously calming and easing because he seems unmoved. The patient just sits stoically as each needle is inserted... I gain confidence. Then another nurse follows the doctor up by putting cotton enveloped herbal balls (of mugwort) on the end of some of his needles. Then they are lit like incense to slowly burn and add heat to the acupuncture points. The smoke is soothing and irritating, yin and yang. Now time to juice the patient up with some voltage. The multi-colored wires you noticed before, hanging from the electrocuting boxes, are now attatched to some of the needles by clasps. Mild, stimulating, current is then fed to the needles in alternating flows of existence and nothingness, thus causing his muscles to twitch around the electrofied points.

Now, it's your turn... Lai2 (come), your turn. Each one time use, disposable needle is in a plastic tube of equal length. The needle is said to be as thin as a hair (well it's not, but it is really thin). The doctor puts the plastic tube to your skin. He gives one good tap to the needles head to drive the needle through your skin (and a few other dermal layers). There is a sharp pain sometimes, and sometimes no pain. Then a numbness ensues for a few minutes until you become assimilated and your mind wanders to other things. After 30 minutes, the nurse returns to remove the needles and uses a cotton swab to swab up the miniscule drop of blood that sometimes forms at the point of removal.

Benefit?: I've been using Chinese Medicine for 5 years and have had great results with it for treating common colds, chronic sinusitis (including thick green mucous), allergies, chronic coughs lasting months, and general joint soreness. For the chronic sinusitis, western doctors only offered antibiotics or surgery, both of which I prefer to avoid. I've now been going for the 30 minute acupuncture treatments 6 days a week for over a month. I feel my chronic sinus issues are improving to a whole new level of wellness that chinese herbal medicine alone did not bring me to. I'm quite impressed and will continue to go daily. The Doctor recommends I do daily tratments for 3 months... especially because of my weak physical condition.

Cost?: Taiwan's insurance covers 80% of the treatment cost. I pay $1.70 USD for each 30 minute visit. And $5 for one weekly visit which includes diagnosis by the doctor and a new week's worth of chinese herbal medicine. Soooooo cheap! I've heard acupuncture treatments in the States cost $50-$70 per treatment, and I imagine herbal medicine can be pricey as well. So I'm racking up the Chinese Medicine experiences while I'm here.

Diagnosis?: Chinese medicine's other main treatment method is it's herbal medicine. The doctor asks a few questions. How's your sleep? How is your appetite, bowel movements, and dreams? The doctor will look at your tongue (and the coating on it). Then the doctor will ask you to put your wrist upon a cute little pillow and using two fingers, he will feel your pulse. There are 37? different kinds of pulses that tell the doctor much about your physical condition. I've actually sat down to see a Chinese Doctor, meeting him for the first time, and without saying a word, he “listened” to my pulse and told me my ear, nose, and throat history from childhood. Miraculous? Well, he probably wouldn't call it miraculous, considering how many years he studied and practiced to aquire this skill. He'd probably call it hard work and science. So, we see there is a science to Chinese medicine, though quite a different science from that of western medicine.

To learn more about Chinese Medicine and Nutrition, I've been reading:

And

Enjoy your first Accupuncture Session! Tell me about it!!!

Happy Punctures

Completely Around Taiwan for Chinese New Year 2007

I was visiting some Tai Chi Masters in Taipei and Taichung. Here's the Taipei 101 Building, the tallest building in the world since 2003.
Click the Taiwan Satellite image to see a map of where I live (in the SE corner in T'ai-tung).


If you're interested in some basic facts about Taiwan, visit here for the Wiki.

And here is a famous Daoist temple in Taipei that I visited which also has many Buddhist images. Many people go here everyday to give offerings of incense to the the Gods and pray.

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After Push Hands class with the Tai Chi master, I went to the National Palace Museum:

Here I saw the ancient treasures of China from 5000 B.C. to present... all these treasures were brought to Taiwan during the Communist Revolution in China circa 1949 (Thank God!). The communists would have destroyed most of the treasures and erased so much history if the Nationalist Army had not rescued them and brought them to Taiwan. A cool thing about this museum is you can see in the picture how the museum goes into the mountain. It has a high tech security system that will retract the most precious ancient treasures into vaults within the mountain in case of earthquake or attack (by agressive American politicians... they're not too worried about China anymore).

It was an enlightening experience to see things such as past emperors' hygienic tools that kept them looking cool and powerful everyday. Also amazing, are small intricately carved statues that can fit in the palm of your hand that took a master artist 5 years to complete! This one is carved from an olive pit and has a story composed of 300 Chinese characters carved into the bottom of the boat!!! The actual carving is smaller than this picture!:

This snuff bottle given as a gift to an Emperor of China is painted on the INSIDE! It was painted with a minute brush through the small hole in the top!

Check out this Bullet train. My girlfriend and I rode on one in Japan at 186 mph. It was a wicked ride! At times it felt cooler than a roller coaster ride! Click the pic to read about Japan's Shinkansen:


And now Taiwan has a bullet train too! It just began operating and I'm looking forward to boarding it! A previous 5 hour ride across Taiwan has been cut to 1.5 hours by the "Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp."



Next, I hope to catch a ride on the MagLev in Shanghai, China. It can reach 500 kmh by gliding over magnets! (click the pic for the wiki).