Prolapse anyone? Support your spleen with Chinese medicine.

Prolapse anyone? Support your spleen with Chinese medicine.

Recipes

Late summer is a time to support your spleen and stomach with seasonal, ripe fruits and slowly cooked root vegetables.  If we don’t, we can experience worry, overthinking, joint pain, abdominal swelling, hernias, varicose veins and haemorrhoids.

The Spleen in TCM is all about feeling comforted and supported.  If the spleen is weak you will find many prolapse symptoms in the body.

The organ is linked to the Earth Element and Sweet Flavoured foods – so come and watch what foods to eat, which points to press and even practice a Bear Qi Gong move in the video below.

YouTube player

In my last post I shared Spleen 6 Acupressure point – here is Spleen 9 – Yin Mound Spring

Spleen 9 (SP 9) is a powerful point. Its main function in Chinese medicine is to resolve “dampness”.

To find the point put a finger at the inside of your ankle bone and trace it all the way up the midline of the inside of the leg until you meet resistance. Right below the inside of the knee, in that little depression is Spleen 9 and it is typically a bit tender when pressure is applied.  The Spleen is associated with the flesh of the body so make sure you are on the fleshy part under and slightly behind the tibia, not on the bone itself.

Dampness is not a normal diagnostic term used in western medicine, but it is actually quite simple to understand.

When the Spleen and the Stomach channels are working together digestion runs smoothly, water and nutrients are well absorbed, and transported so the the body metabolizes food well, transporting nutrients around the body.

When these two organs are not working in harmony, “dampness” occurs. Excess water within the system doesn’t move well and you can experience symptoms such as oedema, swelling, bloating, gas, diarrhoea or constipation, brain fog, sluggishness, difficulty with urination, aching limbs and sore, stiff joints.

In the video above I talk all about the Spleen & Stomach – what strengthens and what weakens, so watch the video below, and you can find more recipes and info in the orange colour chapter in my books.

Intermittent Fasting the Chi Flow with Jo Way

Every January, hundreds join the Chi Flow with Jo Intermittent Fasting programme, a six-week reset rooted in TCM, not restriction.
 We follow nature’s rhythm:

♥ Eat during daylight, rest digestion at night.

♥ 7–9 am Stomach Time / 9–11 am Spleen Time: best window for breakfast and nourishment.

♥ 1–3 am Liver Time: when the body detoxes, so avoid eating after dinner especially the late-night snacks.

Start simply: no food after 8 pm, breakfast after 8 am.
Each week we lengthen the fasting window gently, giving the organs time to cleanse and reset.  It’s a lifestyle of rhythm, not willpower, perfect for sensitive thyroids and tired nervous systems.

👉 Find out more and Join the January 2026 Chi Flow with Jo: Intermittent Fasting Programme 

It’s easier when you do it together.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.  

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Feeling creaky? Get your blood and chi flowing for mobility and flexibility

Feeling creaky? Get your blood and chi flowing for mobility and flexibility

Events, Powerful Points and Meridian Flows

Are you stiff in the morning? Do your knees hurt when you stand up? Or are you finding it difficult to pick up or hold things like a coffee cup?

It could be that you are suffering Arthritis. This is a general term can refer to a wide variety of conditions such as Osteoarthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Gout, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and Fibromyalgia all of which cause pain in the joints.

In Chinese medicine, each client is different and viewed as a whole (holistically) including diet, lifestyle choices and genetics.

This means the same disease is treated differently depending on the person presenting.

However we can treat different diseases with the same protocol. In general painful, swollen joints would be treated by addressing the Liver.

Each of organs in Chinese Medicine is related to a season, flavour, time of day, a body part, an emotion and even a symbolic animal.

The liver (yin) with it’s partner the gallbladder (yang) is connected to the tiger. It is related to the spring and governs the tendons and ligaments, which give the body the ability to be flexible and agile.

TCM says that strength comes from the tendons, not muscles.
If you think of a big cat, it is strong, agile, and flexible.  Compare this to a cow, which has huge muscles but little real strength.
The liver, governing the sinews and tendons, has the ability to release strength and power.

Part of its function in western medicine is the regulation of metabolism and the release of energy stored in the body.

Ensuring the health of this organ will mean good blood flow to all the ligaments and tendons surrounding the joints plus an increase in energy levels which can be affected by arthritic conditions.

Joint pain which can happen as we age, especially following  menopause but all conditions of stiffness and pain can be reduced by treating the liver with food, acupressure and Qi Gong exercise to reduce the painful swelling symptoms.  For food and acupressure solutions see my next blog – Ouch, Gout !

 It is true that whilst you are in the middle of a flare and your joints are red and inflamed, exercise is difficult. Pain decreases your activity level, and when the body is not moving much, your joints can stiffen and become less flexible. But a recent clinical review showed exercise modalities such as Qi Gong can be beneficial for restoring your flexibility after the immobility of a gout flare up.

Try this Tiger Move from the 5 Animals practice. For the month of June we will be using acupressure, diet and Qi Gong to improve all aspects of flexibility and mobility – they will cover a range of ability including some seated movements so that everyone can get mobile.

Your journey to health and balance is unique, and embracing the wisdom of TCM can help you achieve lasting freedom from cravings. Be kind to yourself, listen to your body, and enjoy the process of nurturing your health.

Until next time, stay balanced and be well.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.  

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Early Summer, the time of the Heart

Early Summer, the time of the Heart

Powerful Points and Meridian Flows

, For the month of June, Im all about the Heart.  Chi Flow with Jo will focus on Qi Gong, Acupressure and Food Medicine for a Healthy Heart.  At the end of the month there’s even an In-person Healthy Heart Retreat day in Dublin, the first for over 2 years!!

In Chinese medicine, the time of year for the organ system of the Heart is high summer,  Flowers are opening and bees are buzzing.  There’s plenty of activity.  The flavour is bitter, the sense organ is the tongue, the emotion is joy and flipped it becomes bitterness and resentment.  It’s time of day is 11am-1pm when we are at our most active. The colour is red and the element is fire.

There are many types of fire; a dangerous out of control forest fire which consumes all in its path. The hypnotic comfort of an open hearth or the spiritual connotation of the single flame of a candle. But they have however a common property and that is transformation.  This is the energy of the heart and its cultivation of gentle containment is what we hope to give you a taste of over this coming month.

A flame is never still; it is constantly using oxygen and changing the object that it is burning. This constant action is yang.

Out of control, yang can be destructive but when contained within boundaries, firelight illuminates and brings clarity.  Its energy is safe and warming. It is a place where traditionally, we gather and connect with others for sustenance and community.

The heart, the internal flame within the body, is protected by all the other organs. It is described as  “the emperor of the body” to which all the other organs are in service. So how do we nurture it and make sure that the flame burns brightly, shinning out through the eyes and complexion and yet doesn’t rage out of control, overheating the body, constantly on the move, causing inflammation, anxiety, panic, high blood pressure, excessive sweating, insomnia, shortness of breath. Metaphorically, we build the heart a home, we give it a safe container to be housed in. The blood is the Hearts home.

Great food for bringing vibrancy to heart blood would include bitter green leaves such as chicory, watercress, dandelion leaves and rocket.

Red foods benefit the heart. It is the antioxidant anthocyanins, that give foods their red and deep purple colour, which together with bioactive polyphenols, help detoxify the blood ensuring easy distribution.

Good circulation and easy flow of blood are essential at times of high stress to prevent a rise in blood pressure. Good blood flow makes sure all your organs, tissues and muscles are oxygenated reducing inflammation and heat, especially for the Heart circulatory system.

So increase your intake of red peppers, beetroot, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, Chinese red dates, goji berries, watermelon, rosehips and pomegranates.

In the Middle East, pomegranates have long been associated with fertility probably because of their abundance of seeds. They have a bitter-sweet flavour and with their red juicy berries, fall under the realm of heart and heart protector in Chinese Medicine. Try sprinkling them on a bitter green salad, using the leaves above.  They provide a juicy burst of flavour when mixed with crumbled feta on a greek salad for fantastic summer food medicine. Find more recipes in my books https://joannefaulkner.ie/food-medicine-cookbooks/

Physically it is the hearts function in Chinese medicine is to give vibrancy and life to blood.  Emotionally and spiritually, it is in the blood that gives the flame of our spirit, the “shen” as it is described in Chinese Medicine.  The imagery of the Holy spirit is often depicted as a flame around the world.

The Heart system is said to be where our consciousness resides.  Which is why we can find it hard to settle, difficult to sleep, feel anxious and panic if the “Shen”, the spirit has no home, no place to settle.

By making sure the blood is healthy, that it is full of nutrients and that it flows evenly throughout the body means that we can experience more joy, harmony and peace.  To enable this we need the elements of healthy eating, healthy movement and healthy thinking.

Sun Simiao,  in “The one Thousand Ducat Prescription Book” quoted in the “Five elements and Ten Stems”  states – “In your heart there is love, don’t love too deeply. In your Heart there is hate, don’t hate too deeply, because too much of any of these will attack the Shen” *1

Our spirit or “Shen” is a “unique treasure … present in us all”*2. It must be protected like a flame, not fanned to an inferno by emotions or allowed to dwindle due to poor care and attention.

By making sure the blood is healthy, that it is full of nutrients and that it flows evenly throughout the body means that we can experience more joy, harmony and peace.  To enable this we need the elements of healthy eating, healthy movement and healthy thinking.

YouTube player

The moving meditation of Qi Gong is a great tool for allowing distance and perspective on people, places and things.  All of which can bring emotions such as happiness love and joy as well as grief, pain, anger, as well as . We need some distance from all of these emotions if we are not to be swept away from our own sweet spirit that dwells within us.

If we make external factors of people, places or things to be the cause of BOTH our happiness or sadness then they have power over us. However if we have perspective and don’t take things personally, literally by taking them to heart, then every person, place or thing can hold within it the possibility for our heart to expand with love and compassion.

Strengthening the heart physically, emotionally and spiritually means we can we drop the armour of protection and become at ease with ourselves, grounded in reality, in touch with the amazing potential of life.

Join us for the Day Retreat – DISCOVER YOU, DISCOVER LOVE

Where we will fall in love with your food, your body and reconnect your spirit

Held in the Chapel of Ease, Irishtown, Dublin this will be a complete experience of Chinese Medicine including:

  • ☯️ Qi Gong Energy Exercise Session – increasing blood flow, flexibility
  • ☯️ Food Medicine Demo & Tasting for a healthy heart
  • ☯️ Self Shiatsu Instruction for major points on the body for anxiety, insomnia
  • ☯️ Meditation, Mantra & Sound Bath to calm and restore your soul

Bone Health and Balance with
Thérèse Cosgrove

As the year folds into its quietest season, the energy of Bone Health rises to the surface.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter and the kidneys are linked to our bones, balance, and nervous system.

This is the perfect time to nourish our structure and inner stillness — and that’s exactly what this month’s Energy Update explores with Thérèse Cosgrove, homeopath, nutritional therapist, and Feldenkrais practitioner.

Listening to the Body through Movement

Thérèse describes Feldenkrais as a way of using small, subtle movements to awaken the nervous system’s awareness. Through this awareness, we uncover patterns of tension and rediscover new, more efficient ways of moving.

“Rather than me telling you how to move,” she says, “your nervous system is intelligent enough to find the best way itself.”

These gentle explorations improve skeletal alignment, balance, and joint integrity, helping us move with ease and confidence — vital for bone health, especially in menopause, post-menopause, and chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s.

Even the pauses between movements matter:

“That’s when the nervous system learns and integrates — the same way we rest between breaths.”

When the brain stops bracing and begins organising the skeleton more efficiently, three bone-loving things happen:

Better load through bone: Bones remodel when they’re loaded. Efficient alignment means forces travel through the skeleton (not just muscles), stimulating bone.

Joint integrity & balance: Micro-adjustments reduce “overwork” in hips, knees, spine and shoulder girdle, improving confidence and decreasing fear of falling.

Down-regulated pain: When the nervous system feels safe, pain signals calm and movement becomes possible again — the virtuous cycle for recovery.

Feldenkrais is exploration, not achievement. Curiosity and playfulness are the fastest way to teach your bones and brain new options.

Yin, Stillness, and the Bone Season

As Joanne points out, the yin energy of winter invites quietness and grounding.

Just as the earth rests before spring, we too can pause, aligning our bones, slowing our breath, and reconnecting to what truly supports us.

Yet, in the rush toward Christmas, that stillness is often lost. Feldenkrais offers a way back into the body, a return to inner listening and calm.

Use the space between Christmas and New Year to be still of mind and quiet movements of body.

The Inner Chemistry of Strength

In her homeopathic and nutritional work, Thérèse looks at bone density not just as a matter of calcium, but of hormonal balance, mineral status, and heavy-metal detoxification.

Using gentle testing and homeopathic supports, she tailors treatment to each person:

“We might look at supporting estrogen, the parathyroid, or trace minerals like boron, all essential for strong, flexible bones.”

Joanne draws the parallel in Chinese Medicine: seaweeds in small amounts can help clear heavy metals and nourish the kidneys — though, as she reminds us, not everyone should take them.

What matters most is listening to your own body and finding what nourishes your unique system.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter belongs to the Kidney system, which governs bones, marrow, ears (balance/vestibular), and the nervous system. Practical Kidney-nourishing ideas:

Flavours & foods: the salty flavour in moderation supports Kidney, think miso, mineral broths, black sesame, adzuki/black beans, and small amounts of seaweeds if appropriate.
Caveat: Seaweeds are iodine-rich; avoid or use cautiously if you have thyroid issues or are on certain meds.

Gentle, consistent practice: slow standing, breath-led spirals, and ankle-calf work “pump” fluids and stabilise balance, perfect winter medicine.

Stillness as medicine: quiet, warm, early nights rebuild Yin (think lubrication and reserves), the foundation for hormone balance post-menopause.

A Morning of Yin and Gratitude

When asked how she begins her day, Thérèse shares a simple ritual that reflects the essence of Chi Flow:

Hydrate with structured, living water to awaken the body. “Structured water”: what we mean (and what to do about it) Thérèse will expand on this in her Mid-Monthly Health Talk, but here’s the practical, controversy-free middle ground: Structured Water inside the body doesn’t behave like plain tap water. Near proteins, fascia, and cell membranes it forms ordered layers that help signaling and flow.

Step outside into morning light, facing east to reset circadian rhythm and hormones. Move gently, perhaps Chi Flow with Jo, Feldenkrais, or a mindful walk. Gentle vibration & movement (walking, bouncing, fascia spirals) appear to improve fluid distribution in connective tissue, exactly what we do in Chi Flow.

“These practices really helped me through difficult times,” she says. “My morning Chi Flow with Jo was one of the things that carried me.”

For Parkinson’s & chronic conditions

Hydration and gentle nervous-system work are especially helpful when autonomic regulation or muscle stiffness makes dehydration and bracing more likely. Short, frequent “micro-moves,” mineral-aware hydration, and morning light can noticeably improve steadiness and energy without fatigue.

WATCH THE PODCAST

In the full podcast, learn more about sound healing and how it affects our hormonal balance below: 

👉 Join Chi Flow with Jo to access:

  • Daily live morning classes (with replays)
  • Seasonal recipes & self-acupressure
  • This month’s Mid-Monthly Health Talk with Thérèse Cosgrove — free for members

Start here: Join Chi Flow with Jo — Build strength, balance, and deep yin this winter.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below).


Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support on your journey to an emotionally healthy heart and attend Caroline’s live talk and sound bath for FREE.
To work with Caroline click HERE

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Clear Damp Cold Fat with Drying Warming Adzuki Tea

Clear Damp Cold Fat with Drying Warming Adzuki Tea

Energy of Food Blog, Home, Powerful Points and Meridian Flows, Recipes

In my clinic, when I see a bulge at the top of the spine, I usually find a client who is exhausted. Perhaps they have suffered a shock through grief or are experiencing a chronic condition which feels like it is draining their very life force.

Sometimes this condition is called a widow’s or dowagers hump, which gives you an idea of an old woman who has been bent by the burdens of the world, weighed down with grief, loss and disconnection.  However this condition is becoming more common for a younger generation that leads a sedentary life, working sitting at computers most of the day.

Whatever the physical or emotional cause the result is a mound of fat accumulation at the top of the spine, which in terms of Chinese medicine is a failure of kidney yang to warm, regulate and move water around the body, building up as cold, damp fat.

In Chinese Medicine, if left untreated, can cause neck and shoulder pain plus it can prevent energy travelling up and down the spine creating headaches, back-pain, spinal degeneration and even compromising the immune system.

The path for flowing energy through the spine is the Governing Vessel. It starts between the kidneys, flows down inside the body to the perineum and then runs up the length of the spine, through the brain, over the top of the head and down the midline of the face.

Governing Vessel 14 (abbreviated GV-14) is the point at which the fat pad can accumulate. It is the intersecting point for all of the Yang meridians on the back of the body. When it is unobstructed and flowing well, it opens the yang, clears the brain, and calms the spirit. It can also dramatically increase white blood cell production and improve the immune system.

In Chi Flow with Jo we focus specific energy exercises to warm and move the energy in this location and you can sign up for a free class. But here I share a fantastic recipe, Adzuki Bean Tea, which in terms of the food energetics of Traditional Chinese Medicine drains dampness, increases water metabolism, improves digestion and reduces water retention

Adzuki beans are related to the Kidney system and so are especially good for increasing flow around the spine, ankles, knees and kidneys. As they reduce oedema so you will find that they will also reduce joint pain, bloating, whilst increasing energy and promoting better urination.

Adzuki tea is yang and warming, and is the kind of healing tea you want to sip on cold autumn/spring days or in or freezing winter, especially when you feel cold, weak, and exhausted.  Although the tea tastes mild, is quite potent. I would advise diluting it with hot water to begin with.

There is no specific time of the day to drink the adzuki bean tea; however,  the afternoon between 3 and 7, when the bladder and the kidney meridians are the most active is a prime time.
Use the cooked beans in wraps, stews and even mashed up and made into veggie burgers.  There’s a great Aduki & Cashew nut pate recipe in the Good Food Cookbook (page 82) and you can find more recipes for other Kidney Yang foods such as Chestnuts, Garlic, Ginger, Cinnamon, Clove, Lamb and Sage.

Weakness in the kidney energy system often manifests as fear and insecurity.  But a person with balanced kidney energy is able to let go of the past, live in the present, and be undaunted by the future.

Sip this tea and say this affirmation “where I am is where I am meant to be, when I relax, everything I need comes to me”

 

Adzuki Bean Tea

100g of dried adzuki beans
1 litre of water
2 inches of dillisk or wakame seaweed

Method
1. Soak the adzuki bean in water for between 4-8 hours.  Wash and drain.
2. Place the washed beans in a pot with the seaweed and the water.
3. Bring the ingredients to a boil on high flame. Do not add salt.
4. When boiling, lower the flame to medium.
5. Let the beans simmer for about 30 minutes with the pot lid on .
6. Do not stir the beans.
7. Then strain the beans out and drink a small cup of the tea, either hot or at room temperature.
8. The colour of the liquid should be brown.
9. You can eat the same beans. Just add more water if needed, bring to a boil, and let simmer until soft.
10. You can store excess tea in a glass jar.
11. Keep any stored tea in the refrigerator.

Do not drink chilled adzuki bean tea and do not microwave the tea. You can drink the tea at room temperature or warm it up on the stove or what I find easiest is to add water from a recently boiled kettle and dilute it.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Virus – get out!

Virus – get out!

Home, Powerful Points and Meridian Flows

Did you know that Covid and other such virus’s can remain in the body causing inflammation, lethargy, joint and muscle pain and other symptoms common in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue such as anxiety and depression.*1

Non classical monocytes patrol the endothelium and create an inflammation in response to an infection.
If viral remnants become lodged in the fascia the monocytes will keep creating inflammation in order to rid the virus from your body.

Studies show that for some people, long after a person is infectious, the immune response persists as the markers of non classical monocytes remain elevated.

So how to push the virus out of the fascia tissues of the body so that the inflammation response stop?

Qi Gong practiced in Chi Flow with Jo gently opens and releases the fascia. Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fibre and muscle in place.
Different to yoga, which tends to release and stretch tight muscles, Qi gong opens hydrates and lubricate the joints, ligaments, and fascia.
Qi Gong has worked with the fascia as a source of wellness way for hundreds of years.

YouTube player

By gently stretching and making more elastic, the veins, arteries, nerve tissues, and other connective tissues, viral remnants are released from the body and inflammation, pain and stiffness is reduced.

In Chi Flow with Jo we combine Qi Gong exercises, acupressure and 5 element food medicine. Here is a fantastic point for releasing stiffness, pain and pathogens from the body. The triple heater also regulates the temperature of the body so if you find yourself having hot flashes or re-occuring fevers, try this point.

Triple Heater 5 (outer gate)
Find it by measuring 3 fingers up from the crease of the wrist on both arms, and press gently but firmly for approximately 30 seconds. Do this consistently during the day and every day.

However this point is generally not used alone.

Sweet, pungent foods are used in Chinese Medicine to expel anything trapped in the interior of the body to the exterior. Have a look at the delicious Pear, Cinnamon and red date tea.

If the body is weak, the Yin energy needs to be nourished so that there is enough Yang energy to expel viral remnants. As I discussed in my last blog the Kidney energy in the body can sometimes be too weak to push the virus out from the body. Bone broth and the other Salty flavoured foods build Kidney energy. This organ system is seen as the roots of the body, so build it from the inside.

Qi Gong, practiced in Chi Flow with Jo, together with the acupressure points, builds the Yin energy of the body so that there is sufficient Yang energy to move the blockages from the channels.

If you experience post viral or menopause symptoms, such as fatigue, anxiety, sore joints, painful muscles and hot flashes, come practice with us. No special equipment, clothing or previous experience necessary.

It’s easy, fun and effective – with almost 300 of us on line every morning – you don’t have to suffer alone.

  • 8.20 meditation
  • 8.30-9.00 Live Qi Gong
  • 9.00 Q&A Live with me and the group

Daily Live sessions recorded and emailed directly to you with Acupressure points and 5 element food guidance, so you can practice whenever and where ever suits you.      Also includes:

  • Mid-Monthly Health Talk
  • Guided Monthly Meditations
  • Access to extensive Library with Qi Gong/Acupressure and Food Medicine instruction videos

*1study: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.746021/full

The information in my blogs are complimentary therapy and are not intended to replace conventional medicine. If you are having distressing symptoms please visit your healthcare practitioner.

Emotional Healing & Community Support

The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
 Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.

When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.

You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Hot flashes, sore joints, low energy? – Rediscover your power

Hot flashes, sore joints, low energy? – Rediscover your power

Energy of Food Blog, Recipes

As we pass the Spring Equinox, Yang energy is on the rise.  Shoots are sprouting and bulbs that have lain dormant over winter are bursting forth with colour.  This is the upward energy of the season.

But perhaps you are left with post pandemic exhaustion. Emotionally burnt out after two years where there was little or no control over every day life.

Or perhaps you developed Long Covid with symptoms similar to that of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome where every time you get the energy to move ahead with new plans, you are floored with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, shortness of breath, brain fog or muscle and joint pain?

“There is growing evidence*2 that fragments of the virus, such as protein molecules, can persist for months, disrupting the body functions even even if the virus is not infecting cells.”*1

In Chinese medicine, the Wood element is linked to the time of spring, when new shoots begin to emerge and wind their way up to the light. The organs of this element are the Liver and Gall bladder which ensure the detoxification and smooth flow of blood and emotions. In Western Medicine this also includes the metabolism and distribution of energy.

Usually we work to clear the liver and aid toxin elimination to encourage the upsurge of spring energy by using sour foods such as lemons, limes, vinegar, Umeboshi plum, rhubarb, plums and gooseberries. This would also encourage flexibility through the tendons, sinews and joints but if this isn’t working and you are still experiencing lethargic dragging energy, stiff joints, sore cramping muscles, cloudy foggy thinking then it’s time to look deeper.

In the Five Element cycle of Chinese Medicine the Kidney/Bladder system is the mother of Liver/Gallbladder. By treating this energetic system we can build energy so that any lingering pathogen or virus can be expelled either by the Liver, or by pushing it out to the exterior gates of the body.

The Kidney/Bladder system is related to winter and hibernation, where the soil humus is being prepared for the new spring growth. If the ground is depleted the seeds cannot sprout. If the Kidney energy is weak the Liver will struggle to flourish, detoxifying and energising the body.

In our modern lifestyle we can all too often deplete the Kidney energy through overwork, over-achieving and competitiveness. Kidney energy “can be described as determination, our will to survive, our will to succeed, our will to procreate and leave our mark on the world. Fight or flight, thrive and survive; These are basic instincts and they are all governed by the energy of the lowest organs in the body, the bladder and kidney.”*4

Kidney will power is amazing, completing projects, building houses, planning cities and creating families but if it is driven by fear, our Kidney energy will soon become exhausted and we may experience some of the other symptoms of Long Covid and Fibromyalgia such as hot flashes and anxiety.
Depletion of Kidney energy creates a knock on effect of not supporting the Liver in expelling the heat and toxins from the body. So before we begin manipulating the body or pressing the acupressure points to move the energy we need to nourish and build the roots of the body by supporting the Kidney.

The Kidney loves the salty flavour with foods such as seaweeds, spiriulina, oysters, oats, miso, tamari and of course because Kidney is of the water element ensuring hydration with plenty of water is key. But not all water is equal. In my previous blog post I share one of my favourite recipes for supporting and building Kidney energy – Barley Water. (scroll down for ingredients and instructions or watch video)

YouTube player

When a stress response happens in the body either created by an external pandemic or an internal virus, the body tissues can become acidic. This stress response is perfectly normal and the acidity can help to kill or expel the internal bacteria, pathogen or virus. However if the stress response, acidity and inflammation remains prolonged, conditions can become chronic.

Studies suggest that “lingering inflammation and/or virus-induced damage to the endothelium (lining of the blood vessels) or immune system might be to blame”*3 for the symptoms of Long Covid, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue.

On a physical level, Barley water can help to alkalize the urine and maintain the pH balance in the bodily fluids. Energetically it slightly salty flavour supports the Kidney/ Bladder system, hydrating, moisturising and lubricating; restoring the cool, calm Yin balance and preparing the ground for the Yang energy to rise.

Save the cooked barley to use in some of the other recipes from my Good Food Cookbook such as Avocado Salad or Chilli Con Barley.

Throughout the month of April I will be sharing Kidney & Liver foods, guiding with gentle Qi Gong exercise movements that open the body and release viral fragments and other old patterns that can become lodged in the body causing pain and fatigue.

We will spiral the energy through the meridians smoothly with Chi Flow with Jo exercises, hold and tonify points, work with the deep marrow essence of the body and remember;   All action comes from stillness.  There is a time to be still and a time to move.  In Chi Flow with Jo you can find both.

Why not Register for a free class

Barley Water Recipe

  • 2 large handfuls or 50g of Organic wholegrain pot or pearl barley
  • 2 Litres water
  • 1/2 Lemon
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Sprinkle of Wakame or Dillisk Seaweed (optional)

Barley Malt or honey to taste

Place the barley into a heavy-based saucepan with a good fitting lid. Pour in the water, add the half lemon and pinch of salt. Bring it to the boil and simmer for an hour, make sure the lid is on firmly. After an hour of a slow simmer, use a fine mesh sieve and strain the barley from the water. Using the back of a spoon push on the barley into the mesh to get as much of the white gloopy mixture into the water. This water can be kept in a jug or a bottle in the fridge for about 5 days. Shake or stir the barley water before use as the sediment will fall to the bottom. I usually make a batch from which I take a measure in the morning and in the afternoon.

A measure for me would be 1/3 barley water, poured into a mug topped up with 2/3 hot water. You can use agave or honey to sweeten if you like. Its best to drink first thing in the morning, before eating to clear your system. Treat it like medicine because that’s what it is.

Emotional Healing & Community Support

The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
 Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.

When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.

You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Feeling Frazzled? – Learn to Focus

Feeling Frazzled? – Learn to Focus

Events, Home

Can’t pay attention, even for 10 minutes !!- Can’t finish your train of thought !!- is this you?
Are you trying to remember a million things at once, feeling anxious and out of control with a sinking feeling of dread, like you forgot to do something?

Let me share what might be happening.
Dopamine is a brain chemical that directly impacts our central nervous system.

The brain produces dopamine, and this makes us feel good and encourages us to do more of whatever we’re doing.
If we keep doing that thing – whether it’s scrolling through social media, drinking alcohol, eating cake, climbing mountains or practicing qigong – then the body produces even more dopamine.

However dopamine just wants more dopamine – it is never content. It’s always looking for that next hit. Things like social media, alcohol, excess food and drugs mess with your dopamine circuit and throw it out of balance.

As a result, you may develop a dopamine disorder, which can affect your attention span, create anxiety and a restless dread.
That isn’t to say that dopamine isn’t absolutely essential for the body. My partner has Parkinson’s which is caused by disruption to the dopamine circuitry in the brain. This causes him to shuffle and tremble as he can’t control the nerve impulses that move his body. But to paraphrase Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Aquinas, Nietzsche and the Buddha; the ultimate motivation and suffering of all human behaviour is the seeking of pleasure and the avoidance of pain – this ancient Stoic, Buddhist, Taoist and modern Western philosophy, expertly describes the dopamine cycle.

For the last 6 weeks, together with 300 members of Chi Flow with Jo, I have been intermittent fasting including no refined sugars, refined carbs, alcohol or coffee on an empty stomach. This gentle fast has really shown me how many habitual actions gave me dopamine hits and some days, they just didn’t stop coming as I seek out pleasure and avoid pain. For dopamine, enough is never enough.

We broke our fast as a group this weekend and I broke my fast with a long morning walk finished with a coffee and an oat biscuit, sweet, buttery and a complete sugar buzz. My first in 6 weeks.  Even before I was finished I was thinking about the next possible hit I could have now that the fast was over……. I could bake a cake, a glass of red wine, have a late dinner late and maybe a coffee with brandy……. on and on, I’d already got into the pleasure and reward aspect of eating. Not that there’s anything wrong with eating good food or living in pleasurable circumstances but experiencing and understanding that they don’t create your pleasure and pain is essential.

Dopamine is a transitory chemical and finding happiness from this fleeting hit is a sure way to get caught into an addictive mindset of looking for your next fix. Chi Flow with Jo gives me a physical practice of not instantly answering the call for dopamine so I can remain happy, balanced and focused whether there is a biscuit with my coffee or not.

“This experience has certainly been a challenge, but has really benefited my brains well being…. The quality of my thoughts have improved massively” Toby – Member of Chi Flow with Jo. But how can you change the dopamine pathways so that you are able to focus more and feel less anxious?

Answer = Space ……. Take some space. Being able to have space between the thought, the desire and the rush to respond is essential to break negative, addictive, dopamine habits. Essential to the fasting was the Chi Flow with Jo exercises. These synchronise the breath with movement which allows space and relaxation for the mind. Being able to question your own thoughts and not instantly believe everything you think is crucial to wellbeing. Space, physical, mental or emotional, means that you are not acting from habitual patterns, fear of suffering or grasping for satisfaction.

When you practice not believing and following every thought or impulse, you will experience a happiness and satisfaction that is always there. Under the moment by moment gratifications and habitual patterns is your soul, your life essence, as free and unencumbered as the day you were born. Spending more time in the space between your thoughts means you will once again connect with real peace, clear focus and experience true joy.

The mind and its thoughts are just making arrangements to enhance your life, whether that is through money, relationship, job, family. These things are short lived dopamine hits. Fantastic to experience but they are the just accessories of life. As we saw through lockdown, a wardrobe full of clothes that couldn’t be worn, a fancy car with no where to drive to, a job in an economy that ground to a halt, a house that became a prison. Getting entangled, attached or over focused on life’s accessories does not bring us lasting good physical, emotional or mental health.

It’s great to use and develop the mind, learning, studying, creating, problem solving. The mind and our thoughts are an essential, fantastic tool for life. Just like the heart, the liver, the intestines, it has a job to do. But being consumed by overthinking is not the only way to be.

Take time for the space in-between thoughts. Sometimes there’s a misconception that if you spend time meditating you are not engaging with life. But meditating isn’t about sitting cross legged, on a cushion, eyes closed trying not to think. It’s more a state of being where you don’t instantly follow and believe all that you think.

Spending time connecting with this way of being then influences all aspects of your life – you may find your life becoming a meditative, compassionate experience, where you don’t believe every thought or follow every dopamine impulse.

For instance, I love social media – I post every day on facebook, instagram and have over 30K followers on tik tok (@joannefaulknershiatsu) I love thinking what I can post, what I can share and what will help people.
But if I’m not careful, my dopamine gets out of whack. I’m looking for the likes and shares. I find that I get agitated, needing to do more and more, post more and more.  My anxiety levels increase and I feel like I’m not doing enough, not sharing enough, not being clear enough – the bottom line is I end up feeling that I AM NOT ENOUGH.

In this way, Im overthinking, searching out the dopamine likes and shares. My breath becomes shorter, my heart rate elevates, I don’t think clearly and my sleep becomes disrupted as I try and out-think failure and plan for success – my thought patterns become driven by fear and dopamine.  I need to return to my practice – Focusing my attention on qigong is what keeps me mentally and physically healthy.

Yes I practice every weekday morning, and you can join me and 300 others but even the 2 minute routine below will be enough to bring you home to your body.  Harmonising body and breath brings you home to yourself. It gives you space and a feeling of calm, knowing that you are enough and you will always be enough.

Emotional Healing & Community Support

The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
 Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.

When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.

You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Shout to let it all out

Shout to let it all out

Energy of Food Blog

This month in Ireland, a young teacher, Aishling Murphy was murdered as she took an afternoon run along the canal. There was an outpouring of grief and anger as people found their voice to express their feelings of fury, outrage and sadness. Raising the awareness and calling for a stop to violent crime against women.

As I am parenting 3 young men, 19, 19 and 16 I thought it would be a good idea to have a conversation about being aware of violent crime against women by men. They became very angry, understanding my discussion as a personal attack towards them, as men.

What do we do with all this anger? It’s scary stuff. Bourne from fear, anger is a powerful response used to protect ourselves. We can use it to make others wrong, whilst we are right. But dividing and separating, making one gender/food/action/religion right and another wrong, leads to hatred and more fear. As the Buddha wisely said “in this world, hate never yet dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate.”

It can be hard to love when we feel fear, scared that we, like Aishling, might be randomly attacked.
But questioning fears and judgements with “What is causing my fear? Is it real or imagined? means more likely that we live in love and act from compassion.
This doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you or allowing atrocities or violent crime, but it means your actions are from love not from fear, and that always has a different outcome.

In theory that sounds great, but how do we do this in practice?…… By working with the Liver. In Chinese Medicine this organ is associated with anger. It’s powerful; the only organ in the body that can regrow.

By understanding the Liver using the 5 elements of Chinese medicine, we can work with the powerful strength of this energy. When the fear wound is triggered, anger rushes to protect. But if our Liver energy is balanced, we can retain perspective and vision in the fear, so hope and positive action can come, from where the hurt lies.

The Liver governs the sinews and tendons, managing flexibility and flow. It is essential that the liver energy can express itself either by drawing, painting, dancing, choosing what to wear, what to eat or how to style your hair. The energy of life wants to express itself with your unique voice. If self expression is curtailed the energy can turn inward and lead to depression or bubble under the surface, only to explode like a volcano.

So use your voice, shake your body and shout out loud. If you feel like you want to scream and shout – do it !! not at someone but get a pillow and punch it.

Bang your fists on the bed, get it out, let it out.  Use your voice, cry, laugh, shout, sing let it all out, get it all out, because “the part of you that is suffering, is the part that calls in change and you don’t have to feel ashamed, there is nothing to forgive. The part of you that is crying out is the part that wants to live”  *Hope comes – The Bensons

Accessing and expressing your rage is an opportunity for hope and action that can change the world. By accessing the emotion we are more likely to transform it to love and compassionate action rather than transfer it through fear and blame.

Working with this organ and meridian system with acupressure, food and mindfulness we can prevent the hot headed rage that clouds our vision and impairs our heart.

The Liver loves sour foods to clear the organ especially Umeboshi plum.  Legend has it that the Samurai warrior carried this amazing ingredient in a pouch as a field ration, and after battle they would take a taste to “take the war out of the man” and harmonise the system.

The simplest way is to take this amazing ingredient is 1/2 tsp of the umeboshi plum paste added to a mug of hot water. Dissolve and drink down.
Find plenty of recipes using this fantastic ingredient in my books
On the flip side avoid fatty, rich foods such as ice-cream, red meat, sugary drinks, cheese and alcohol as these congest the liver. You may find you are quick to hot headed, uncontrolled outbursts if your diet is full of these foods.

The Liver’s sensory organ is the eye so be aware of what you are focusing on. Let your focus linger on things that make you feel good.
If you are overthinking a problem, take a break, shift your focus for a minute or two, look at something that gives you pleasure – the clouds, flowers, photo’s of amazing people or places. Put a song on that makes you happy.
This isn’t the same as putting your head in the sand and ignoring a problem but it’s giving perspective and a wider view – this will help the body loosen and the energy flow.
Take your perspective wide, become aware of the miracle that you are, stuck by gravity, to a planet spinning at 1000miles per hour in one of two trillion galaxies as part of an ever expanding universe.

Why not sign up for a FREE Qi Gong session on the last weekday of each month covering energy exercises, acupressure points and 5 element food tips to shift your energy and feel balanced

Emotional Healing & Community Support

The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
 Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.

When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.

You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.