Review: An alternative approach to healing
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2013
There was a time when I would have pooh-poohed the concepts that traditional Chinese medicine are based on. Things like qi energy, yin and yang, and meridians seemed like so much pseudoscientific gobbledygook. Then, in 1998, I traveled to Beijing as a tourist. Prior to leaving home, I met a Chinese lady online who lived in Beijing and wanted to become a professional tourguide. She offered her guide/interpreter services in exchange for the opportunity to improve her English. Having her with me every day when I went out sightseeing was great, but what I learned after arriving was that she worked part-time in a traditional Chinese medical clinic. Out of curiosity, I went with her to the clinic a couple of times, and the doctors there were very happy to meet a westerner and talk about their practice. While I was there, I had a pulse diagnosis (it was pretty accurate) and got an acupressure massage. The result was that I was not nearly as skeptical about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) after firsthand exposure to it.I apologize for the long preamble, but had it not been for that experience, I doubt if I would have had any interest in reading "Chinese Medicine for Healthy Skin." Author Michelle O'Shaughnessy has written a very interesting introduction to TCM, including the history of its development. The purpose of the book is to present a complete picture of how and why TCM works, and the healing benefits it offers. She explains the concepts of qi energy and the difference between heavenly qi and acquired qi, yin and yang (opposites), the twelve main meridians (channels in the body that facilitate the flow of qi), and the five elements (a way of categorizing life, nature, and the human body). All of these elements must be in balance in order to maintain good health.The book then describes various means by which harmonious balance can be restored, including the use of Chinese herbs, acupuncture, acupressure massage, and restorative foods. There are recommendations for using specific herbs to treat certain diseases, and there's a chapter on where to obtain these herbs and how to prepare them.I recommend the book for anyone who's interested in an introduction to traditional Chinese medicine, plus some recommendations on treating certain ailments, including skin conditions. Personally, I'm still a bit skeptical about some of the concepts behind TCM, but it's hard to overlook the success stories that I've heard. If you can keep an open mind and want to try some of the healing methods of TCM, this book may be the introduction you need.