Articles by Bijia Hsing, M.AC

The Te of Tea

“Tea arouses the intellect and stimulates wise thoughts. It refreshes the body and calms the soul. When you are despondent it raises the spirits.” Emperor Shen Nung, the father of Chinese Medicine (2737-2697bc).

China has endowed the rest of the world with many inventions, innovations, ideas, principles, philosophies and religions. Some of them are negative in nature such as gunpowder, a technology that quickly swept around the globe. However, most of China’s gifts have been positive, clocks, sails, binary code, the compass, rockets, umbrellas, and the most known and enjoyed gift is tea. Herein we will learn the virtues or Te of tea. Originally tea was used as medicine, also as an herbal delivery system. Or perhaps it was just a way to keep people warm?!

Taoism is the folk religion of China, which existed 2500 years before the Buddha came to China from India. China’s oldest surviving book is a medical text, “Emperor Huangdi’s Internal Classic.” The early Taoists were man’s earliest scientists. They made observations of and in nature in regard to application to man. Their theories were then tested and applied to the understanding of ourselves and our place in and participation in nature. We are spiritual beings, but also our vessels, our temple; the body is made of elements in nature, of the earth. Hence the union and balance of heaven and earth. “Mankind is the bridge between heaven and earth where all the magic takes place.” BJHsing.

One early Taoist concept is that of wu xing or five-element theory. It takes both fire and water to make steam, for brewing the tea. It takes water, earth and fire in order to make the vessels or pots for brewing the tea. The combination of all the following: plants, trees, herbs, representing the element of wood and water, and the pots representing the element of earth for making the tea.

The first virtue of tea is that it is ancient. Tea use in China goes back to 221bc according to the oldest of records! How many cups of tea have been poured over this time? Tea is now the second most drank beverage on earth after water. Both of the words tea and chai come from the Chinese language. Chai coming directly from the word ‘cha’, tea. The tea plant itself has been cultivated for over 2500 years, one of man’s first.

The second virtue is that it is sacred. Tea is grown at elevations of 2000-8000 feet. Mountains in many cultures represent heaven, so many are considered sacred. Mountains, where sometimes only the priests and shamans were allowed to go. Mountains are the closest we mortals can get to heaven while still walking the earth. So tea is imbued with the essence of heaven and born out of the earth. Once again we see the union of heaven and earth.

The third virtue is that it is pure, made basically of leaves and water. There are flavored teas such as jasmine or even mango. These are fermented with the fruit and/or flowers in order to flavor the teas. These teas are good for diabetics as they help to rewire the body, as the tea tricks the body via the tongue that it is getting its sweet craving satisfied.

The fourth virtue is that it is healthy for you. Tea can be medicinal, herbal, and is both medicine and the delivery system. Herbs are the second most important pillars of Traditional Chinese Medicine, over the better known pillar of Acupuncture.

It is also not easy to find drinks in the stores that do NOT contain low or no sugar. The majority of beverages in any convenience store are in fact, heavily laden with sugar. In a regular can of a popular soda, you will see that it contains up to 34 grams of sugar per serving, and most cans are labeled as ‘2 serving’ size. So when you drink this soda you are actually ingesting 68 grams of sugar! If I were to scale out 68 grams of sugar onto a table and told you to eat it, you would look at me like I was crazy. Yet people do this millions of times a day all over America.

In Japan, medical research has shown that green tea strengthens the immune system, prevents and can even heal stomach cancer. Of which there is a high incidence of in Japan, due to high levels of sodium nitrates in the pickling of vegetables. Tea has essential oils that may help to reduce lipids in the bloodstream. In southern China, even in the summer time, hot tea is served with lunch as an aid to break up oils in the digestion process.

The fifth virtue is that its caffeine content and metabolization is better than that of coffee. Although black tea has more caffeine than does coffee and green tea has the least amount of caffeine. And because of the low caffeine content of green tea it can be enjoyed in the evening or before bed. Tea is a far better way to get ones caffeine as it has a better peak and trough of energy. Coffee peaks quickly and then you are left with a hard crash in the trough. I personally have never had palpitations with tea but I have had them with coffee. It is known that small amounts of caffeine aid the digestion and help to circulate the blood.

The sixth virtue is that it can be very inexpensive. 100 bags of tea can be had for as little as $2.89! Compare this to what is essentially flavored and sugar laden water for $1.75, for just one! I personally make 10 cups of tea with three teabags and can then enjoy tea all day long. When the pot cools I can take tea in a bottle with me when I leave, instead of having to buy a beverage on the road.

Or if you are a connoisseur it can be very expensive. For a good hand rolled “Dragon Ball” Jasmine flower tea, the price can be more than a couple hundred dollars per ounce for this wonderful tea!

I won’t go into the many varieties of tea here, as they are as numerous as the sacred mountains of China! I will say though that my personal favorite is Sabbah Tea from the Sabbah region of Malaysia. It is a rich, fresh, earthy tasting tea. Sadly though very hard to obtain. I also enjoy Hawaii’s McDonald’s Plantation tea. Mango flavor please!

The seventh virtue is that it allows for a more positive social interaction. Indeed social interactions have sprung up around the use and service of tea worldwide. It has become ritual in Zen Buddhism for spiritual enlightenment, known as ‘chado’, or the ‘way of tea.’ In both China and Japan greetings of friends, family and strangers alike begins with a tea service. While traveling in Taiwan, I was fortunate to have my young sponsor’s father, an architect by the way, serve us tea in the ‘Hong Kong’ style tea service. Sadly, not many fathers of American kids would do the same. This type of interaction builds tradition, understanding, culture and respect among family, strangers and travelers alike. Both war and peace have been discussed and negotiated over tea. 

The eighth virtue is that tea is actually relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Add this virtue with the fact that it stimulates blood into the brain, it is therefore a good beverage for thinking, for meditation. For brainstorming or a deep personal searching kind of meditation. This virtue holds an importance for our modern Tao or way. We are hurry-ers, scurry-ers and worriers. We NEED to relax more in our daily lives. I know of so many people who cannot just let go and relax, who are always tense! We are uneasy and restless and surely this is unhealthy. Tea can both aid in relaxing and invigorating the mind and body and the spirit at the same time. 

Tea, a simple tonic and solution for easing the ills of modern man. Please raise up your teacups and drink a toast to health and well being!

GONBEI!

Bijia Hsing, M.Ac.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Free energy

Chi Kung is the cultivation of energy via the art of breathing.” BJHsing. Chi Kung is the highest art in Traditional Chinese Medicine, spiritual and martial practices. Chi means energy and Kung means work. Chi Kung is known as the mother art in China. It goes all the way back to primordial man. It is the forerunner of Tai Chi and all Taoist martial arts.

Chi Kung is good for all grade levels and ages of life. For the elderly it allows for the return of flexibility, balance, energy and the maintenance of youth. For adults and athletes a like it allows for better flexibility and performance. For children it helps them develop properly and grow into their bodies. It also allows for mind body connection.

Yin is the state of something and Yang is the function of something. What you do for the benefit of one also benefits the other.

This connection of mind body and spirit can be found when the breathing, movement and vision are all working in unison. This is the principle of ‘fa ching’ and can be seen in Tai Chi and Chi Kung forms and is also known as ‘silk reeling.’ It is seen when all the bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons are all loose, connected and working in unison. It is the gathering of chi, the cultivation of chi.

Manifesting is comprised of ideation, intention and will. Where you pout your vision is where the chi will go. This is so in both the healing art of chi Kung And the martial arts. At first w e must look at the area we intend to strike or heal. Later when certain levels of mastery and awareness are reached the practitioner no longer needs to look. He no longer uses the physical eyes but with the third eye. Intention and ideation are pout into action via will and spirit.

Tai Chi comes from the Wu Dang Mountains, from the 1300’s. Its founder is Chang Sang Feng. Taoist martial arts are derived from the ‘dance of the five animals’ of Hua Tou, including dragon, leopard, crane, deer and bear. There is external and internal Chi Kung. Yet Chi Kung is an internal practice compared to martial arts such as Tiger Crane or Hung Gar Kung Fu. The internal are the soft arts and the martial arts are the external hard arts. The internal arena also has hard styles of Chi Kung such as ‘Iron Palm’ and ‘Iron Shirt”, where strikes to the body are can be absorbed or redirected and the breaking of bricks and river stones with the hands are practiced.

Traditional Chinese Medicine consists of Acupuncture, Herbs, and finally Chi Kung. All of which are about the regulation of chi flow throughout the body. Enhancing the health of mind, bodies and spirit.  So clean food, water and air are how we replenish the body’s chi or energy. This medicine is also all about prevention. Once the chi is replenished we can then learn to move the chi or direct it to specific areas of the body or the organ systems for healing or martial effects.

We are taught by Western science that our bodies are burners of energy and that our foods, kcal or calories, or our foods, are the source of fuel for the body. According t o the Chinese way of thinking the body is a generator of energy. Our lungs remove oxygen, chi and a fine mist from the air that cools the fire of the heart. Thereby balancing two major emotions of joy of the heart and sadness of the lungs. The generator part is likened to taking oxygen and converting it into energy.

‘Taoist reverse breathing’ is the specific breathing technique utilized in the Chi Kung taught to me 64^th Generation Taoist Master, Dr. Chang YI Hsiang, of the World Medicine Institute of Honolulu, Hawaii. Formerly known as Tai Hsuan Foundation. Chi Kung puts more oxygen into the blood stream via a slow and deep breath. This combined with proper dietary practices of giving the body what it needs to make blood, means more red blood cells for better oxygen uptake and transportation. Oxygen is one of the major components the brain needs to make electrical impulses, thinking!

The aging and disease process, are attributed to lack of oxygen in the body according to western science. Something the ancient Taoists already knew. This breathing boosts the immune system and physical constitution.  Combined with regular stretching and exercise regimen to massage all the muscles, promote blood flow and squeeze the lymph system.

So the short list about Chi Kung is, more oxygen in the blood stream, boosting the immune system, aiding in thought and memory function, cell repair, bone and organ development, it slows the aging process, staves off familial diseases, increases intelligence and flexibility, aids in muscle repair for athletes, boosts creativity and problem solving. As a meditation, Western science will now tell you that it releases certain ‘happy chemicals’ and the natural painkiller, endorphin, from the brain into the body.

According to the book “Treasured Chi Kung of Traditional Medical School” by Mr. Huang Runtian who teaches ‘Dazhi Gong’ or ‘Improving Intellectual Faculties’ is specifically used for children ages 3-12. This chi kung utilizes breathing, the organ meridians or pathways, hand mudras and specific acupuncture points. This combination promotes the flow of blood and chi, invigorating the brain; it activates the kidneys, which are associated with the brain. The brain is known as the ‘sea of marrow.’ Again improving the intelligence of children. The Spleen and Stomach have a lot to do with the ‘emotion’ of the brain or concentration or pensiveness. And so every student no matter the age or grade level will have some kind of stomach problems. Too much study messes with the stomach and a weak stomach does not allow for good concentration or mental focus.