Ancient Healing for Modern Women: Traditional Chinese Medicine for All Phases of a Woman's Life
In this introduction to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Zhao poetically evokes naturalistic imagery to celebrate women's life stages: menstruation (Heavenly Water), breast health (Lotus Blossoms), sexuality (Clouds and Rain), pregnancy (Ripening the Fruit), postpartum (Golden Month) and menopause (Second Spring). TCM, she says, empowers a woman with self-awareness, providing the means to access her own healing power. Raised in China during the Cultural Revolution, Zhao encountered folk medicine on the farm to which she was relocated. When she later studied medicine in her homeland, her training emphasized physical illness and symptoms. After emigrating to Canada and opening her own clinic, she noted that many women patients struggled with mental, emotional and spiritual imbalances that affected their health. With TCM—acupuncture, herbs, diet, stress relief and rest, massage—Zhao says, women can remedy imbalances on all levels and avoid more serious illness, surgery and prescription medication. Her recommendations alternate with heartfelt personal stories. While she discusses the Taoist basis of TCM and the concepts ofqiandyinandyang, the book functions more as an appetizer. Still, Zhao's warmth and gentle touch will likely entice readers to seek a TCM practitioner for further guidance.(Feb.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.