Balance Allergies with Chinese Medicine: The Triple Burner Approach

Balance Allergies with Chinese Medicine: The Triple Burner Approach

Ask Me Anything

Why Allergies Are On the Rise—and What Chinese Medicine Can Do

From sneezing fits to food sensitivities and itchy skin, allergies can feel like an invisible assault on your body. But in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), these reactions aren’t random—they’re signs of imbalance, especially within a vital but lesser-known energy system: the Triple Burner (San Jiao).

This July in Chi Flow with Jo, we’re focusing on core strength, immunity, and emotional resilience—the same foundational systems affected by the Triple Burner. Let’s dive into how understanding and harmonizing this energy pathway can help you feel clear, strong, and allergy-free.

What Is the Triple Burner in Chinese Medicine?

Unlike a physical organ, the Triple Burner is a functional system. It regulates the smooth flow of fluids and energy (Qi) across three key areas of the body:

  • Upper Burner – Lungs and Heart: Governs breathing, circulation, and Wei Qi (your defensive immune energy).

     

  • Middle Burner – Spleen and Stomach: Controls digestion, nutrient absorption, and transformation of food into Qi.

     

  • Lower Burner – Liver, Kidneys, Intestines: Oversees elimination, detoxification, and hormonal regulation.

When the Triple Burner is in balance, the whole body works in harmony. When it’s blocked or overwhelmed—especially by stress, excess heat, or poor diet—allergies, inflammation, and immune hypersensitivity can arise.  

How Allergies Disrupt the Triple Burner

In TCM, allergies are often a combination of:

  • – Stagnation – Qi isn’t flowing smoothly between the Burners.

     

  • – Excess Heat – Inflammatory responses go unchecked.

     

  • – Weak Wei Qi – The body’s defense energy can’t fight off invaders.

Your body might overreact to harmless stimuli—pollen, dust, food—as if they were threats. The result? Runny noses, red eyes, brain fog, bloating, and skin flare-ups.

And don’t forget the emotional triggers. Stress, anxiety, and even unprocessed grief can weaken the immune system and further disrupt the Triple Burner.

Acupressure to Balance the Triple Burner

One of the simplest and most effective ways to restore balance is acupressure. Here’s a meridian-clearing technique you can try anytime.

Triple Burner Meridian Clearing

  1. Eyebrows to Temples: Gently stroke from the outer edges of your eyebrows to your temples. 
  2. Ear Line: Massage over the ears and down behind them to the jawline. 
  3. Neck and Shoulders: Stroke down to the shoulder grooves (just behind the top of your shoulders). 
  4. Down the Arms: Follow the outer arm to the ring finger with a flicking motion. 
  5. Repeat on the other side.

This boosts lymphatic flow, clears heat, and promotes detoxification.  Read this study to learn more: NIH: Immunomodulatory effects of acupuncture in allergic diseases.

  • Triple Burner 5 (Outer Gate) – Immune Boost Point

    • – Location: Three finger-widths above the outer wrist crease.

       

    • – Technique: Hold or massage gently for 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

       

    • Benefits: Clears heat, reduces inflammation, and enhances immunity.

       

  • Use this point daily during allergy season or when feeling run down.

Eat to Cool and Clear: Chinese Dietary Tips for Allergies

To support the Triple Burner, especially when it’s overwhelmed by dampness and heat, try adjusting your diet:

❌ Foods to Avoid

  • – Processed snacks and sugars (increase inflammation)
  • – Excess dairy (contributes to mucus and dampness)
  • – Warming fruits like strawberries and grapes

     

✅ Foods to Emphasize

  • Cooling foods: cucumber, lettuce, watermelon, seaweed
  • High-fiber fruits: apples, pears, cherries (help reduce heat)
  • Hydrating infusions: cucumber-mint water
  • Healing combo: ginger + mint + pineapple for digestion and inflammation relief 

These foods nourish Yin, clear heat, and help regulate allergic responses from the inside out.

Qigong for Allergy Relief and Triple Burner Harmony

Daily Qigong supports the Triple Burner by improving fluid circulation, calming the nervous system, and balancing immune responses.

Triple Burner Flow Exercise

  • Inhale: Sweep one hand up, palm facing the sky.
  • Exhale: Guide the hand down the front of your body—passing the chest (upper burner), the solar plexus (middle), and the lower belly (lower burner).
  • Repeat with the other hand in a continuous, flowing motion.

This gentle sequence anchors the breath and calms overactivity in both the immune and nervous systems. Practice daily to shift from stress mode into “rest, digest, and restore.”

The Wisdom of Chinese Medicine

As the ancient TCM saying goes, “When Qi flows, health follows; when Qi stagnates, disease occurs.” By nourishing your Kidney Qi with food, activating key acupressure points, and practicing Qi Gong, you’ll not only improve your immune function but also restore a sense of vitality and balance to your life.

So, whether you’re battling winter colds or looking for relief from that awkward sweaty discomfort, these simple practices can make a profound difference. May your days be filled with warmth, health, and joy.

WATCH/LISTEN TO ALL PODCAST EPISODES HERE

Final Thoughts – Core Strength isn’t just physical

 Just like we build core muscle to support our spine, we also need energetic core strength—grounded breath, stable emotions, and smooth Qi flow through all three burners.

This month in Chi Flow with Jo, we’re diving into how core strength links to bladder health, hormonal balance, and yes, even allergies.

By working with the Triple Burner, you’re not just addressing symptoms—you’re transforming the terrain. So breathe deep, eat cooling foods, press your points, and come flow with us.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?

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 on THIS LINK, or you can watch past episodes to see if your question has already been answered.

Join the Chi Flow online community today!

Also, join me in Chi Flow with Jo every weekday morning for live online Qi Gong where we will practise Qi Gong, as well as self-acupressure, delicious healthy recipes, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tips and Meridian stretches.  

You can sign up for a FREE online qi gong class with the form below.

Hope to see you in the Chi Flow!

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.

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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.

How to stop catching colds

How to stop catching colds

Recipes

Have you ever wondered why some people catch more colds than others? or why you tend to catch colds more in the autumn? or most importantly, how you can protect yourself against those colds and flu’s?

Well, I share some of my Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to show you why and how.

Just like western medicine which talks about our Immune system – Chinese Medicine has talked about Wei Chi for thousands of years. It’s the energy that forms a powerful boundary around your body, defending you against invading virus’s and pathogens. Chinese medicine likes to describe the body as a kingdom where each of the organs have particular roles: The Heart is the Emperor, the Lung is the Chancellor in charge of regulation, the Liver as the General for planning and executing orders and so on…… the Wei Chi is the wall that fortifies and protects the kingdom within.

If your defensive system is robust and the pathogen weak, you don’t get sick. But if the pathogen is strong, and your boundaries are weak, the higher the chance the invading virus makes it into your body and you “catch a cold.”

There are a few strategies to improve your defences such as good sleep plus being in-tune with your environment and dressing appropriately but most importantly, within the kingdom of your organs there must be balance.

What I do as a Shiatsu practitioner is to listen to your body and diagnose which of your organs is out of balance; what is too Yin and needs support or what is too Yang and needs calming, thereby creating harmony in your internal environment.

Without specialised training, you can do this by simply paying attention to your symptoms and following the 5 element system of Traditional Chinese Medicine, laid out clearly in my book, showing you what needs Yang warming and moving and what needs Yin cooling and nourishing.

As we move into Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, we can experience extreme external changes of cold winds, warming sunshine and drenching downpours, all in one day, so it is important to keep the internal system in balance.

Following the 5 element system of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the pungent flavour moves and warms the internal body. It moistens the Lung & Large Intestine, the organs associated with this season and largely responsible, together with the Spleen, for the strength of Wei Chi Immunity. They stimulate blood circulation and prevent the accumulation of internal dampness which can be pernicious in Autumn.

These pungent foods include onions, scallions, radishes, ginger, wasabi mustard, garlic and horseradish. Here I share one of my favourite Autumn recipes from my first, smaller 5 element cookbook – Vegetarian French Onion Soup, which strengthens the Lungs, warms the Large intestine and fortifies your Wei Chi.

All through the month of October in Chi Flow with Jo every morning we are practicing Qi Gong exercises, recipes and acupressure points to benefit breathing. In November we will move specifically to focus on the Immune system. Doors are closed to join Chi Flow with Jo until Sunday 24th October but you can join the wait list and receive free classes at the end of the month.  (see form below)
If you can’t wait that long you can always buy my books which lay out clearly what foods to eat for which organ and time of year or why not book an online consultation or in person Shiatsu if you’d like a personal diagnosis.

In the meantime try this wonderfully warming, pungent soup and fortify your inner kingdom

As you are cooking the miso, you retain the delicious flavour, but will kill most of the probiotic contained within the paste. So just before cooking use a mug to remove some of the soup, dissolve a further tablespoon of miso into the mug of removed liquor, turn off the heat and stir back into the soup. Remove the twiggy stalks of thyme and serve with delicious spelt bread which is the following recipe in Shiatsu & the Art of Conscious Cooking.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

25 g butter
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1.5 kg onions
Large sprig of fresh thyme
4 crushed Bay leaves
Good splash of toasted
sesame oil
2 pints miso stock (to taste)

Melt the butter together with the oil, add the onions and fry for a minute or so on a high heat. Give them a shuffle and a stir, making sure the butter doesn’t burn and the onions don’t stick.

Throw in the herbs, bay leaves, a splash of sesame oil and turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting leaving the lid on. The onions need to cook for at least 20 minutes until they are a toffee colour and sticky consistency. Pour in the miso stock and simmer for at least another 20-30 minutes.

The longer the better. A slow soup in the making but worth the wait.

💗 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.

Build a Defensive Glow as we Leave Lockdown

Build a Defensive Glow as we Leave Lockdown

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

As we come out of lockdown, beginning to mix and mingle with other human beings, albeit at a safe distance, our immune system is going to need to be stronger than ever. There are lots of opinions out there about how to strengthen our resistance to the Coronavirus and without doubt, bad diet is certainly one of the most frequent causes of poor immunity. Viruses usually enter the body via the lung and are detected in the main by receptors in the Large Intestine.

Eat Pungent Foods to Absorb Vitamin C

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Lung & Large are paired together. The flavour of the food to strengthen these organs is pungent, so food in this category include onions, garlic, ginger, chilli, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander, and cloves. Many of these foods are packed with selenium, zinc and vitamin C. Onions especially have phytochemicals that act as stimulants for Vitamin C within the body.

Vitamin C is the go-to chemical when we need a boost of energy or support the body getting through the flu or a cold. The pungent flavour, helps the absorption of Vitamin C found in many foods such as parsley, kale, broccoli, berries, tomatoes and red pepper. Remember the body cannot store Vitamin C so it’s essential to eat every day and mix it up with the pungent onion family that help with absorption.

Eat Naturally Sweet Foods to Boost the Immune System

The 5element system in Chinese Medicine is a holistic system that helps us understand and help our body to be the healthiest and happiest it can be. The Spleen-Pancreas is the mother of the Lung and the Immune System. It’s flavour is sweet which corresponds with western medicine as it is the Spleen-Pancreas that govern insulin and blood sugar.

If we have been overindulging in the sweet stuff during lockdown, which includes alcohol high in sugars, now is the time to address this as sugar significantly reduces the ability of the body to protect itself. Vitamin C and sugar compete to use insulin to travel around the body and into the tissues of cells. Usually, sugar wins and so there is less absorption and use of vitamin C to repair and protect the body.

White blood cells that protect the body against invading infections also have their defensive function significantly impaired by overconsumption of refined sugars. So instead of reaching for the biscuits go for naturally sweet foods such as parsnip, sweet potato, butternut squash and carrot. These help spleen function by releasing their sugars slowly and regulating insulin levels.

Reduce Cravings, Tension and Toxicity with Simple Hand Exercises

Connection and physical touch is really beneficial to this organ and reducing sugar cravings. Unfortunately, hugs and tactile behavior is the thing we may have been lacking during lockdown. Instead, we may have been filling this emotional hole with chocolate, cake and banana bread. As a Shiatsu therapist, I see how beneficial touch is for health. It helps relieve pain and tension. It relaxes the body improving neurological function, digestion, sleep and breathing while releasing fear, so something we all need as we move through uncertain times. Don’t wait for someone else to touch you, practice simple self-shiatsu, massage, beginning with your hands.

There are potent acupressure points around the body that have a direct effect on organs and well-being. Large Intestine 4 is a strong elimination point that helps if you have fatigue or the is body overloaded with sugar and toxins. It also helps reduce spasms in the colon that can come after eating or during times of stress.

Find the point by pressing the thumb against the side of the first finger to make a mountainous, fleshy bulge. At the top of the peak you will find Large Intestine 4 (LI4). Release the thumb from the forefinger, pressing and massaging into the point, with your other hand, until you feel it softening and supple. You mustn’t press too hard, you aren’t digging a hole and you don’t want to bruise your hand, you are simply connecting with your body. Feel your lungs fill with oxygen, your diaphragm moving and your intestines relaxing as you press into the point.
You have two hands so make sure you find LI4 on your other hand too. Rub and massage all over your hands, giving a squeeze to the fingertips to stimulate blood and energy flow. Clasp your hands together, rubbing and rolling the heels of the palms so all the bones and flesh of your hands flex and are physically manipulated.
This self- massage boosts spleen function sending the energy upwards towards the lung and together these organs form your barrier of defense. Like a glow surrounding your body this defensive chi-energy from these healthy organs will help protect us as we emerge from lockdown and enter the world.

For more information on Shiatsu Conscious Cooking or to buy the books full of recipes, tips and Chinese Medicine visit www.joannefaulkner.ie or find her on Facebook @joannefaulknerShiatsu where she offers Free Morning Chi Gong sessions at 8:30 am during lockdown

Do you want to understand your body and take control of all areas of your health?  Take the Online Courses to become more body confident, loving your food, loving your body and loving your life.

Courses include: 2 Online Consultations PLUS Copy of Conscious Cookbook sent straight to your door
PLUS 30 Days / 30 Videos – bitesize cookery programs, Chi-Gong exercises, and self-shiatsu acupressure points in your own home.

Choose from:

  1. Stopping Sweet Cravings
  2. Sexy Savvy Menopause
  3. Reduce Pain in Fibromyalgia  and Chronic Fatigue
  4. Good Food: Better Health
  5. Good Food: Better Sex

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.