Find your Fun & Reduce Anxiety

Have you found yourself feeling anxious and foggy-headed this past Winter?

Just in time for Spring, we will delve deep into the energy boosting ancient Toaist form of Qi Gong ; the 5 Animal Frolics. This flow celebrates the energy of animals by mimicking their movements, while bringing our mind and body ease.

Qi Gong is said to originate from the dances of early Wu Shaman in China. In their dances, shamans used animal movements to induce trance states for communicating with the spirit world.

Many of the movements such as “Parting the Clouds”, “Shaking the Wild Horse’s Mane” and “Wise Owl turns Head to eliminate fatigue” specifically reference animals and elements of nature.

In one exercise such as the “Crane spreads Wings”, you move like a tall elegant bird, finding your balance, feeling its spreading wings and the lightness in your body.

Attuning to the rhythms of nature will amplify our Qi Gong for April.

Even though the exercises can be playful and light, Qi Gong offers some seriously powerful health benefits that are accessible to everyone.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Qi Gong is a gentle movement meditation that is suitable for all ages and fitness levels.

Some of Qi Gong’s physical benefits include boosting metabolism, balancing hormones, improving flexibility and fitness, aiding digestion and increasing your overall energy levels.

Mentally, Qi Gong will help calm your mind and reduce anxiety.

The 5 Animal Frolics allow us to cultivate the animals’ energetic gifts, bringing harmony within all of the body’s energy systems. Using the 5 Element Theory, each of these animals is linked to a season, a time of day, an organ pair, a sense, a flavour, an emotion and much more.

WHAT ARE THE 5 ANIMALS?

Let’s break down the animals, their corresponding organs and some ways your health can benefit from this month’s energy update.

THE TIGER

First, we will draw power, flexibility and flow from the tiger. The tiger is associated with the wood element, which is also linked to the liver and gallbladder. When you practice tiger, you give yourself a healthy and natural way to release anger, becoming confident, powerful and assertive. If you are stuck sitting at a desk all day, and/or looking to prevent arthritis, practicing the tiger will greatly benefit you.

Chi Flow with Jo will give you the tools to use the tiger’s claw to release tension in the shoulders and chest, strengthen tendons and joints in the hand and increase gripping strength by generating a powerful surge of Qi energy in the hands and fingers.

THE BEAR

Next, the Bear. Chi Flow with Jo will teach you how to channel the bear coming out of hibernation by reconnecting with the present moment and releasing anxiety and worry.

The bear’s movements will benefit your spleen and stomach, helping to receive the benefits of the earth’s bounty and easing digestion.

The bear is heavy and grounded to the earth, so its movements will help to balance the earth element. Finding this balance will enable you to start your Spring off by rediscovering your nurturing, relaxed and social self.

THE MONKEY

Next, the monkey movements will benefit the heart and small intestine with the playful joy and exuberance of the fire element. Mimicking the light and spirited movements of the monkey promotes healthy blood circulation in the vessels and the meridians, while also encouraging your inner child to express itself.

THE CRANE

Next, the lungs are responsible for self protection and self-preservation. The crane’s movements, with its long legs and outstretched wings, benefit the lungs and large intestine, helping expansive openness and deep breathing.

Mirroring the crane opens the lungs, releasing grief and sadness, and enabling you to expand your capacity of breath.

THE DEER

Finally, the deer’s movements benefit the kidney and bladder, as well as bringing quiet and stillness. The deer is a prey animal, always aware of its surroundings yet never overwhelmed; it is calm and curious. The emotion associated with the deer is fear, so practising the deer will allow you to release that fear and become more clear minded.

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.

Keep your blood flowing to help with pain and stiffness

HEALTH & WELLNESS

DO YOU SUFFER FROM PAINFUL JOINTS OR CARPAL TUNNEL?

Many people ask: “what foods to eat and which qi gong exercises and self-shiatsu points would help to alleviate the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and painful joints?”

WHICH ORGANS AFFECT THE FLEXIBILITY AND SWELLOING IN THE JOINTS?

If you are experiencing stiff, painful joints or carpal tunnel, this could be due to stagnation of blood flow. Qi gong is an ideal exercise to unblock stagnant blood flow and qi (life force energy), and combined with some acupressure points, you may find relief from stiff or painful joints.

When we are talking about blood flow, it is important to focus on the Heart and the Liver because they’re responsible for your body’s flow of energy and blood.

This year, my focus will be on the Heart with two Wellness Retreats focused on Heart Health: Ireland (sold out) and Lanzarote (2 spaces only left for the Lanzarote residential retreat – CLICK HERE )

BLOOD & THE HEART IN CHINESE MEDICINE

In TCM, the concept of blood encompasses not only its physical components but also its energetic and spiritual aspects.

Blood is seen as the material basis for the Shen or spirit, and its production involves not just physiological processes but also energetic transformations.

The emphasis on the heart’s role in blood production and its connection to the Shen underscores the holistic understanding of health in TCM. The heart is considered the residence of the Shen and plays a crucial role not just in pumping blood but also in nurturing the spiritual aspect of human life.

We must find a home for the Shen/Spirit to reside, and that is the Heart energetic system and the blood.

Western medicine primarily focuses on the physiological aspects of blood production and circulation. Blood is produced in the bone marrow and circulated through the body via the cardiovascular system, with the heart acting as the pump to propel blood through the vessels.

Despite these differences in emphasis and perspective, both traditions recognize the importance of a healthy cardiovascular system for overall health and vitality. A well-functioning heart ensures the smooth and efficient circulation of blood, providing nourishment to tissues and organs while removing metabolic wastes, thus contributing to overall wellness.

Emotionally we are at peace and in balance able to see the beauty in life.

CAN DIET AFFECT INFLAMMATION IN THE BODY?

The short answer is yes! One of my favourite parts of Chinese medicine includes healing your body with food.

“Inflammatory is swelling in the walls of your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body. Swelling from inflammatory arteritis can cause blockages or aneurysms in your arteries, including your aorta (your body’s largest artery).”

In traditional Chinese medicine, each organ pair is linked to a season and a food that can boost your body’s healing properties. You can see in the 5 element wheel in the illustration above which foods and flavours support and heal which organ.

You can read lots about how different foods affect your body and your organs in my cook books HERE.

Eating Spring vegetables like kale, spring greens and green vegetables and herbs that are often bitter in flavour (rocket, parsley, etc) will benefit both the Heart and Liver with their colour and flavour.

The bitterness of these Spring green foods help the Heart and the Liver, which can help your blood and energy flow more easily and smoothly.

ACUPRESSURE FOR PAIN

In this Ask Me Anything podcast episode, I demonstrate some self-shiatsu acupressure points, including Large Intestine 9 which is great to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

Watch the full episode HERE (Painful Joints & Carpal Tunnel) to see how to find this source point and connect with it, allowing the energy within this point to flow smoothly, relieving any pain or tension in the area.

HOW TO PRESS ACUPRESSURE POINTS

When you are practising Qi Gong or any Shiatsu practice, it is important to know how to connect the movement to your body’s energy flow.

It is just as important to understand how to find an acupressure point as it is to know how to use it by connecting your mind and body to its purpose.

ASK A QUESTION, ASK ME ANYTHING!

The Ask Me Anything podcast series has been created to answer your questions using my knowledge of Chinese medicine, Qi Gong, Qi Food therapy and Shiatsu. You can ask a question by clicking HERE, or you can watch or listen to past episodes to see if your question has already been answered.

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.

Danger, Danger – sugar for the over 40’s

HEALTH & WELLNESS

In women, the risk of heart disease increases after age 55. In men, the risk increases after age 45. People who have diabetes, the risk increases after age 40. * US Department of Health and Human Services

This shows the more refined sugar we eat over the age of 40 the more likely we are to develop heart disease, high blood pressure and a greater risk of stroke. So how do we keep the sugars in check and still enjoy all the wonderful food that life has to offer? For thousands of years Chinese Medicine has had solutions. Here I share a few tips.

In Chinese Medicine, each of the organs links to an element, a season, a time of day, an emotion, a flavour and much more. The 5 element system is a great way to understand the body as a whole, to address symptoms and stop sweet cravings.

The flavour for a healthy Stomach/Spleen in Traditional Chinese Medicine is sweet, BUT too much of a good thing can weaken these organs.

The matches Western Medicine as it is the spleen (pancreas) that is responsible for insulin production which enables the absorption of glucose (sugars) into the cells of the body.

Too much sugar means either the spleen cannot produce enough insulin or insulin that works (diabetes type 1) or the body becomes insulin resistant (diabetes type 2) Glucose that is unprocessed by insulin remains in the bloodstream damaging arteries causing high blood pressure and heart disease.

High glucose levels also inhibit the digestion of fats and triglyceride levels within the blood rise. Triglycerides don’t dissolve in the blood they move around the arteries where they can cause hardening, increasing the risk factor for stroke and heart disease.

Refined carbohydrates such as cakes, biscuits, white bread and pasta give quick sugar hits but they are missing the fiber and minerals of whole-grains, which slow down the breakdown of foods into sugars. Eating low fiber carbohydrates will cause blood sugars to spike, flooding the body with insulin and beginning an addictive cycle of sugar highs and lows.

So what can you do?

In Chinese Medicine to keep the Stomach/Spleen and Sugar levels healthy we would use whole grains such as brown rice, millet and quinoa and starchy vegetables such as carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato, parsnips. Perhaps you think these foods are boring, that they won’t meet the needs of your sweet tooth? but healthy food doesn’t mean boring food – with my recipes it means the opposite – it means delicious, sexy scrumptiousness – if you consciously love your food, you love yourself.

Tip 1. from Chinese Medicine is to CHEW CHEW CHEW your food. By chewing the sugars are released into the mouth, broken down by the teeth and saliva, sending signals to the brain that this is sweet, tasty food. I will be sharing liquorice sticks with you, at my retreat in September, which are fantastic for chewing on, whilst at the same time, triggering hormones from the stomach to say “we are eating and we are full.”

Tip 2. If there is too much insulin in the blood stream it will be more difficult for Vitamin C to enter cells and help with repair. This will also impair the immune system and make us more vulnerable to viruses.

If you comfort eat or find it hard to feel satisfied try including more orange brown foods in your diet like carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato, turmeric, brown rice, millet and quinoa. Orange foods tend to be packed with Vitamin C thereby helping the body repair and repel incoming virus’s.

In Chinese Medicine these orange foods supports the Spleen and help regulate blood sugars in the 5element system of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Tip 3. Emotionally the Spleen and Stomach respond to touch. Make sure to massage and touch your own body. Use oil when you come out of the shower, give yourself a foot massage. Learn an acupressure routine to soothe the body and mind reducing your cravings for the sweet stuff.

Tip 4. Practice Qigong; Exercise is essential to keep the spleen healthy which in turn helps clear anxiety, nervousness and general stress. When both your spleen and stomach are balanced, the calmer your heart, mind and spirit. Qi Gong is a fantastic, gentle, effective exercise to maintain muscle mass, transforming sugar cravings and bad moods. Free class sign up below or find lots of routines on my YouTube channel.

If you want more ways to lower your sugars, your risk of diabetes and your blood pressure, come and learn with me at my in-person retreat and watch me prepare delicious dishes full of healthy ingredients that help to tone and heal the Spleen, balancing blood sugars and stopping the addictive cravings that refined sugars bring. We will learn an acupressure routine full of nourishing, soothing, energising acupressure points plus Qi Gong movements to move and flow a body that might feel stuck and painful.

Here’s some of the dishes I will be teaching. The rest of the food will be prepared by the super talented Chef Claire from the Happy Pear and Cornucopia (Dublins leading Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurants) Full Schedule

Red Date and Cinnamon Tea (building blood and energy levels)
Sugar free millet muffins ( a sweet no sugar treat)
Roasted Chickpeas (relieving swelling and pain)
Sweet orange and tarragon dressing (adding sweetness to your bitter green veg)
Raw Chocolate, date and seed bombs (guilt free sweet treat)

By finding healthy alternatives, to refined sweet foods such as pasta, bread and chocolate, that taste REALLY GOOD we are more likely to make a change to a nourishing, wholesome, healthy life.

As we progress through life and our bodies repair system takes a little longer it is especially important to make sure we are helping ourselves and receiving nourishing support, physically and emotionally. So join me on this fabulous, unique retreat to be sugar smart, keep your blood sugars healthy, blood pressure down and your heart pumping strongly, loving life.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE RETREAT HERE: I keep numbers small so I can give individual connection and guidance or sign up for the free class at the end of the month.

Join Us and Try a Free Class

We offer a free class at the end of the month so you can try Chi Flow before you join.
Membership is only €39 per month, with over 20 classes included each month.
After three months, your subscription halves to €20, making it the most affordable Parkinson’s-friendly Qi Gong programme available online.

You are warmly welcome to practise with us and discover your own flow.

💗 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.

Stop Sweet Cravings

Energy of Food Blog, Home

The average person in the UK is, on average, 3 stone heavier than they were in the mid-60’s. But people haven’t become especially greedy and contrary to popular belief, our physical activity has not changed drastically to that of 50 years ago.

So what has changed? It’s our diet and more especially the high levels of sugar within it.

Sugar, according to David Kessler former head of the US food agency FDA, is highly addictive; it is “highly pleasurable. It gives you this momentary bliss. When you’re eating food that is highly hedonic, it sort of takes over your brain.” A 2008 study showed that sugar affects dopamine levels in the brain and creates behaviours such as bingeing, withdrawal and cravings. Through these neurochemical changes, just like cigarettes or alcohol, we can become addicted to sugar.

So why doesn’t our highly sugared food such as fizzy drinks, come with a health warning? Amazingly today as I type this I see New York has banned the sale of sugary drinks over 16oz. Well not to get too political about it but I believe only when the cost of caring for obese people outweighs the revenue that governments receive from large food lobby groups, we will see change. Until then it’s our own responsibility which really it always has been, to nuture our own sweet selves and those around us.

In Chinese medicine the sweet flavour is linked to cravings and addictions, also to the stomach/spleen and this time of year which is abundant harvest of mother earth. From the Chinese perspective there is nothing wrong with sweet food, however if we over indulge, as with any area of life it will cause problems.

If you have found yourself in a habitual eating pattern or caught up in a cycle of addiction. Here are a few simple tips from Traditional Chinese Medicine to eat more consciously, break the habits and feel satisfied.

Firstly CHEW CHEW CHEW. This is an integral part of our digestion often missed out in our busy lives when food is eaten rushing down the street or inhaled in the car running from one appointment to the next. When we chew the saliva transforms the carbohydrates into sugars and our taste buds will pick up on that releasing chemicals in the brain to promote a feeling of satisfaction.

Chinese Medicine would recommend eating foods that are naturally sweet such as sweet potato, carrots, parsnips, and butternut squash. Take time to roast them so all the natural sugars are slowly released into your blood stream. Sprinkle them with sesame seeds and eat with a bowl of brown rice for a perfectly balanced nourishing sweet soul dish.

Many diets and slimming groups would steer you away from these foods because of their natural sugar content. But from a Chinese Medicine point of view that doesn’t help you to love your body in the long run.

With cravings listen to them – it’s your body trying to tell you what it needs. That doesn’t mean to say that you have to exactly what it asks for. Remember the saying “Follow your heart but take your brain with you”.

After giving birth to my twins, my body asked for a magnum ice cream everyday but I was already 14stone (I’m only 5ft tall) it wasn’t what it needed. But my body was crying out for extra energy and support. I ate carrots, wholegrains and butternut squash, all recipes from my book but really what helped was making sure I had time for me, especially to receive shiatsu body work. This helps to nourish the flesh, the stomach/spleen and bring us back into connection with our body.

Any type of physical touch will help the body and alleviate cravings so go get a hug or give yourself a foot massage. Use the acupressure points I share and try the Qi Gong move in my free mini ebook to Stop Sweet Cravings.

Our focus for the month for May in Chi Flow with Jo will be all about Stopping Sweet Cravings. (Doors open last week of April) It’s not about never eating chocolate again, it’s about balance in the body mind and soul . It’s about connection with the body, loving yourself and knowing when to stop.

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.

Find your Fun & Reduce Anxiety

Have you found yourself feeling anxious and foggy-headed this past Winter?