HOW TO GUARD AGAINST SARS AND OTHER EPIDEMICS

d-r Wang Jianjun,
Hanlin Academy

Recently in Asia and some other regions in the world appeared a new
epidemic disease - the so called atypical pneumonia or SARS (severe
acute respiratory syndrom).

The main symptoms are fever greater than 100.4°F (>38.0°C), headache,
an overall feeling of discomfort, and body aches.

The appearance of this infectious disease is not a separate
phenomenon, but depends on the changes, which set in nature under given
circumstances.

The SARS is a temporary phenomenon. We know that in the past, in the
world history there have had appeared different kinds of epidemics -
plague, cholera, typhus, and others, which the humankind has overcame.
However, this does not mean that in the future there will not come
other, new epidemic diseases.

That is why, it is of great importance to have proper mental
preparation and knowledge on the main ways of prevention.

One of the leading principles in Chinese medicine is "to treat the
future disease" (zhi wei bing). This means to know how to guard
ourselves against possible outbreak of diseases in the future. The
best treatment is prevention.

2500 years ago, in the reknown medical treatise "Huang Di Nei Jing",
it is pointed out: "Taking medicinal herbs only when you are ill is
like digging a well when you are thirsty; is not it too late?!"

Prevention does not consist only in using outer methods for increasing
hygiene, such as the frequent washing of hands, the use of
desinfectants on the premises, etc. Of course, they also play an
important role for stopping the spread of the viruses and against
contamination, but they do not mean all. It came clear that the virus
of SARS can spread even through the air. How, then, we could avoid the
danger of getting contaminated?!

Prevention has its own inner side, which is not less important. From
the point of view of Chinese medicine and qigong therapy, the general
approach to all diseases, no matter infectious or of other type,
consists in

reinforcing the vital energy.

In other words, this means to stimulate the immune system. When we
possess powerful vital energy, it will increase our protective forces
and then the harmful pathogens, including the viruses, will not be able
to invade our body. Is it possible that our powerful body will not cope
with one small virus?! All is a question of proportion of the powers:
who whom will overweigh.

Several years ago, in China there was done a unique experiment. In
Xianghe county, near Beijing, is kept the imperishable body of an old
woman. Although she has died 7-8 years ago, the energy of her bodily
tissues is still as powerful as it was before her death. Her energy
prevents the body from decay and outer influences. With experimental
objective, scientists put into her body different kinds of pathogenic
viruses, but they very quickly "run away" out of her body, because they
could not stand her powerful energy shield.

If we have strong energy, we have both health and immunity; if there
is decrease of the energy, then the immune powers of the body decrease
as well. "When the genuine energy is preserved inside the body, the
pathogens could not invade", says a famous Chinese proverb. If we are
strong from inside and possess powerful resistant forces, the noxious
viruses would not have conditions to live in our body.

The results of the clinical experiments in the Hong Kong and Beijing
hospitals show that the children, who are taken ill with SARS, more
easily get over the disease and recover quite fast. At the saime time,
these people, who besides SARS, also suffer from other illnesses, like
diabethus, heart, kidney and other chronic diseases, cope with the
epidemic with difficulty. All this is not accidental, but is due to
the stronger immune system in children. In principle, they have more
reserves of vital energy, which counteract to the outside attacks of
the viruses. The adults constantly waste their energy, which leads to
decrease of the protective powers of the body. That is why they
overcome the diseases much more heavily.

Therefore, in order to withstand all kinds of epidemics, first of all
one has to practice methods for increasing one's vital energy.

The regular practising of the quiet exercise (meditation)

in the Chinese healing system of qigong helps in a natural way to
achieve quantitative and qualitative improvement of the vital energy.
Scientists from China, Japan, the United States and other countries
have proved that this method plays an important role for strengthening
the immune system and prevention of illnesses, including viral
diseases.

On the other hand, the holistic approach and the sensible and
conscious way of living, that is in accordance with the cyclical and
temperature changes and the laws of Nature, will help us to waste less
energy and to not violate the physiological and energy balance of our
body.

The atypical pneumonia spread mainly in the beginning of spring. And,
the spring is a transitional period between the winter cold and the
summer heat (a transition from Yin to Yang). During the time of such
phases, our body is more vulnerable to viral dieseases and other
pathogenic factors. Thus, it is especially important namely during the
spring to reinforce our prevention. In this season, the temperatures
are unstable and constantly vary. Most of the people do not have
patience to throw off the winter clothes and to change them with the
more comfortable summer clothes. However, whether this always is
appropriate to the frequent changes of the outside temperatures?

According to the principles of qigong and Chinese medicine, during the
winter the vital energy "sinks" in the deeper parts of the human body,
while in spring, it starts to come out on the more superficial bodily
layers and activates its flow on the energy meridians. The energy,
which in the end of the winter and the beginning of spring has been
accumulated predominantly in the most inner parts of the body, creates
preconditions for a natural formation and accumulation of inner
pathogenic heat and dryness. Meanwhile, on the surface of the body
there is a lack of sufficient protective energy forces, so to overcome
the outside pathogens. When during the spring the weather is still
cold, windy and unstable, and one takes off one's warm clothes, because
one assumes that in this way one will cope with the feeling of heat
from the inside, in a result there comes out a cold and flu. The
strong wind and the cold penetrate through the body and one gets a
cold. In practice, the inner heat can not immediately be taken out
from the body. This needs a period of time. So, it comes out a clash
of pathogens of opposite nature that upset the energy balance between
Yin and Yang in the body. In Chinese medicine, this phenomenon is
called Syndrom of pathogenic heat in the inside and pathogenic cold and
wind on the surface of the body. When there is simultaneous
accumulation of pathogens with such a big difference, such as between
cold and heat, one easily catches a cold, especially if at the same
time one's vital energy is decreased. The cold represents a blockage
of pathogenic coldness. If with the time it is not removed out, the
pathogenic cold can transform into heat and phlegm, which lead to
inflammation of the tissues.

In the late spring and during the summer, when the weather is hot, if
we still have not cleared the accumulated heat in the body, then we
will have to make up for twice. The hot weather dehydrates the bodily
fluids (Yin) and creates conditions for inflammation. Usually at this
time of the year, most of the people experience inner dryness and heat,
which are manifested as different types of symptoms - dry throat, dry
mouth, thirst, dry eyes and skin, unrestful sleep, nervousness,
irritations and inflammations in different parts of the body.

Nutrition and SARS

In order to clear out the pathogenic heat and the dryness, which are
accumulated in the body, we need often to take foods and herbs with
cooling and anti-inflammative actions. Such are the green-leaved
plants, like Shepherd's purse, dandelion, plantain, purslane, cabbage.
Every day should be taken several cups of green tea or tea of mint,
plantain, chrysanthemum, elder, camomile, violet, honeysuckle.

These herbs could be eaten in soups, porridges and stews. Besides
them, there also can be used all foods, which have a direct healing
effect on the lungs.

According to Chinese medicine, the lungs are a "tender" and easily
injured organ, which has a strong connection with the outside
environment. Thus, the lungs are especially vulnerable to the viral
attacks. Helpful foods for prevention from SARS and strengthening of
the lungs are the Chinese white mushroom "silver ears" (Tremella), soy
been sprouts, turnip, onion, garlic, kiwi fruit, lycium berries
(wolfberry), vinegar, lemon, green tea.

What should be our strategy towards SARS and the other types of
epidemics?

From one point, we should not be afraid, but from another point - not
neglect them and think that they are no related to us. We should
neither underestimate the epidemics and diseases, nor be shocked and
worry too much.

The epidemics, including SARS, are phenomena, which could be overcame,
because we possess the real possibilities to increase our immune
powers.

There are gains in all loses


Like every other negative phenomenon, so the atypical pneumonia has
its own positive side. SARS initated a new boom of the traditional
healing methods and Chinese medicine; the people became much more
active and conscious in regard to the healthy way of living, the
strengthening of hygiene and prevention. As says the ancient Chinese
sage Lao Zi, "both the positive and the negative are my teachers".
Because everything can serve as a lesson, even if achieved through the
opposite effect of the negative phenomena.




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Hanlin Academy

http://www.hanlin.hit.bg

hanlin_academy@...




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