Well Within Natural Medicine in Saint Petersburg FL

Acupuncture is an essential part of Oriental Medicine, a comprehensive system of health care with a continuous clinical history of over 3000 years.  Oriental medicine includes acupuncture, Chinese herbology, bodywork, dietary therapy and exercise based on Traditional Oriental Medicine principles.

Oriental medicine is based on an energetic model rather than the biochemical model of Western medicine.  The ancient Chinese recognized a vital energy behind all life forms and life processes.  They called this energy Qi or Chi (pronounced chee).  In developing an understanding of the prevention and cure of disease, these healing practitioners discovered that this energy flows along specific pathways called 'meridians'.  Each pathway is associated with a particular physiological system and internal organ.

Disease is considered to arise due to a deficiency or imbalance of energy in the meridians and their associated physiological systems.Traditional Oriental Medicine uses an intricate system of pulse and tongue diagnosis, palpation of points and meridians, medical history and other signs and symptoms to create a composite Oriental medical diagnosis.  A treatment plan is then formulated to return the body to a balanced state of health.

The first publicized use of acupuncture in the United States was in 1826 when Ben Franklin's grandson, Franklin Bache, MD, published a paper on the beneficial effects of acupuncture.  Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture were used in the 1860's, 70's and 80's for lumbago, fractures and anesthesia.  In the early 1900's, however, with the rise of Western allopathic medicine, the use of acupuncture became less known in the US except in Chinatowns.It was not until 1971, during the Nixon Adminstration, that acupuncture was revived for Americans.  James Reston, a NY Times reporter, was travelling in China with Henry Kissinger when he developed acute appendicitis.

Chinese Physicians successfully treated him for post-operative pain using acupuncture.  Reston wrote an article entitled "Now, Let Me Tell You About My Appendectomy in Peking..."  This piqued the interest of Americans everywhere.  A resurgence of acupuncture practice commenced.The State of Florida was one of the first to start licensing Acupuncture Physicians starting in 1982.  According to Florida Law, Acupuncture Physicians may stimulate acupoints with needles, moxibustion, cupping, thermal methods, magnets, gua sha, scraping, acupatches, acuform, acupoint injection, massage, acupressure, reflexology, shiatsu, tui na, electrical stimulation and laser biostimulation.They may use nutritional counseling, recommend non-prescription dietary supplements, Qi Gong therapy, recommend breathing techniques and therapeutic exercises, give lifestyle and stress counseling, recommend homeopathic preparations, and prescribe herbal formulas.

The World Health Organization has set training standards at 2500 hours for acupuncture training programs plus basic biosciences prerequisites.  Acupuncture Physicians in the state of Florida must complete a five academic year program of intensive study of 3,000 hours of training.  This is similar to the number of hours required of other medical professionals:  MD/DO 2,756 hours (plus 3 years of residency) and DC 2,887 hours.

The course of study includes training and supervision in the use of Oriental Medicine diagnosis and techniques, herbal studies, nutrition, western biomedical terminology, biological sciences, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, laboratory and diagnostic testing.In the state of Florida Acupuncture Physicians or Doctors of Oriental Medicine are considered Primary Care Physicians.

Auricular Medicine

Auricular medicine is a highly effective system for analyzing areas of problems, and treating the entire body from the external ear.

It originated in China, but has been redeveloped in Europe (primarily France and Germany) over the past 40 years. According to the principles of auricular therapy, each area of the ear corresponds to a different anatomical portion of the body.  A large number of points have been identified on the ear that correlate to location and function within the body. Ear Acupuncture works by stimulating the central nervous system through the cranial nerves/spinal nerves on the auricle of the ear that has a reflex connection to the body.

This stimulation of neurotransmitters modulates the pain and modulates nerve function beginning the healing process within the body to that organ or body part.  By correcting pathological reflex centers in the brain, stimulation of auricular points can lead to balance, where any form of stress or pain is lessened.Besides assessing the treatment effects resulting from auricular therapy, it is also possible to diagnose a variety of pathological conditions by examining the ear.

When there is a pain problem involving a given area of the body, the corresponding ear point is said to be "reactive", manifesting greatly increased tenderness and electrical conductivity as compared to the surrounding areas of the ear. With auricular therapy, clients are able to find out what is wrong with their body, way before signs show up on a typical physical or blood test.

Whereas a physical exam or blood test is unable to treat abnormal readings, auricular therapy is able to treat even slight abnormalities. Stimulation of these ear points in time exerts certain therapeutic effects on those parts of the body with which they are associated. Treatment can involve the use of tiny acupuncture needles or the application of an ear seed (herbal seed on a piece of adhesive) that remains on the point for several days providing on-going stimulation after the office visit.

This treatment method is excellent for anyone with a needle phobia.  Ear Acupuncture is effective in the treatment of a wide range of common diseases, acute pain patterns, chronic degenerative conditions, treatment of difficult emotional states, weight loss, and for detoxification from addictions like smoking, alcohol and drugs.

Cupping

Cupping refers to an ancient Chinese practice in which a glass cup is applied to the skin and a vacuum is created under the cup using heat (fire cupping), so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup.  The cup may be moved while the suction of skin is active, allowing for a deep massage of the muscles.

Chinese Cupping helps soften long-standing muscle tightness and adhesions by pulling toxins out of the tissue.  Cupping helps loosen tight muscles and can be more effective than massage techniques .  This method can help the treatment of chronic injuries.  After having this treatment you may leave the office with purple marks from the suction.

Gua Sha

Gua Sha means “scrape toxins” and is used in Asia by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and locally in homes. With Gua Sha, the skin is pressured, in strokes, by a round-edged instrument; breaking up blood and metabolic waste congesting deep in the tissues and muscles, pulling the congestion to the surface thus promoting normal circulation and metabolic processes.

Gua means to rub or friction. Sha is the term used to describe congestion of blood at the surface of the body. When friction is applied in repeated even strokes, the sha surfaces as small red petechiae. In minutes the petechiae fade into echymotic patches (bruises). The sha disappears totally in two to four days. The color and rate of fading are both diagnostic and prognostic indicators.

By resolving fluid and blood stasis, Gua Sha is valuable in the treatment of pain, in the prevention and treatment of acute infectious illness, upper respiratory and digestive problems, and many acute or chronic disorders. The benefits of Gua Sha are numerous. It moves stuck blood, promoting normal circulation to the muscles, tissues, and organs directly beneath the surface treated.

The patient experiences immediate changes in stiffness, pain and mobility. Normal metabolic processes are restored by the movement of fluids as nutrients are carried to the tissues and metabolic wastes are carried away. Because Gua Sha mimics sweating, it resolves fever. Gua Sha helps loosen tight muscles where other massage techniques or even myofascial release have not been enough.

This method can help the treatment of chronic injuries.  After having this treatment you may leave the office with purple marks from the scraping but they do go away within a short time.  This technique is similar to Chinese Cupping but offers more flexibility in reaching difficult areas.Gua Sha cools the patient who is overheated, warms the patient who is chilled, nourishes the patient who is deficient, and clears the patient who is excess. Gua Sha is therefore considered an adaptogenic technique.

A care provider considers Gua Sha in any case of pain or discomfort, for upper respiratory or digestive problems, and for any condition where palpation indicates there is sha.After Gua Sha, the patient is instructed to cover the area, avoiding wind and exposure to the sun or sudden change in temperature. Stretching is recommended but not a heavy workout on the day of treatment.

Magnets

Magnets may be used instead of needles on acupuncture points within a number of treatment styles.  Small, round magnets can be effectively used to move stuck energy and balance polarities in the body.

The magnet may be held over an acupressure point or spun over a point or area of the body (ie chakra, auric field, meridian).  Magnets are very powerful and should only be used with proper supervision.  Many people are magnet sensitive so it is important to energy test a magnet on someone prior to its use.

A crystal can be used in place of a magnet for magnet sensitive individuals.  Products containing magnets designed to wear for extended periods of time are NOT recommended without first energy testing them within your body’s energy field.

Moxibustion

Moxibustion is a method whereby moxa  (a Chinese herb) is burned on or above the skin at acupuncture points. The heat warms the Qi and Blood in the channels and is therefore useful in the treatment of disease and maintenance of health. Sometimes moxibustion is more effective than acupuncture, whereas at other times the two have a synergistic effect.

Tui Na

Tui Na is an Oriental Bodywork Therapy that has been used in China for 2,000 years.  Tui Na uses the traditional Chinese medical theory of the flow of Qi through the meridians as its basic therapeutic orientation.

Through the application of massage and manual manipulation of the muscles, Tui Na seeks to establish a more harmonious flow of Qi through the system of meridians, channels and collaterals allowing the body to naturally heal itself.

Tui Na methods include the use of hand techniques to massage the soft tissue (muscles and tendons) of the body and acupressure techniques to directly affect the flow of Qi.  External herbal poultices, compresses, liniments, and salves are also used to enhance the other therapeutic methods.

Medical Qigong

Medical Qigong is an ancient form of Chinese energetic medicine and is one of the four main branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM); along with acupuncture, herbal medicine and chinese medical massage.  

As with other branches of TCM healing occurs through balancing qi or electromagnetic energy which surrounds and pervades all living creatures.  Qigong comes from two Chinese words: Qi (chi) means energy and gong (kung) means a skill or a practice.  Qigong therefore means a skill or practice of cultivating energy.

Qigong is a 5000 year old energy art for strengthening the flow of life force and improving health.  It works to boost immune function, increase energy levels, and improve recovery time. There are various kinds of Qigong -- broadly categorized as internal and external.  Internal Qigong is much like meditation, with visualizations in order to guide the energy.  External Qigong includes movement accompanying the meditation.  Magnetic energy fields are formed and created in a slow graceful manner.

The Qi (life force) literally throbs and pulsates in your hands. Medicinal Qigong is famous in China for curing chronic disease and promoting health.  Disruptions in the electromagnetic energy of the body occur throughout our lifetime as a result of poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, injuries, sugery, suppression of emotions and aging.The goal of Qigong is to correct these bio-energetic imbalances and blockages.

This enables the body to strengthen and regulate the internal organs, the nervous system and the immune system, relieve pain, regulate hormones, and strengthen and release deep-seated emotions and stress. A long kept secret, Qigong was seldom ever taught outside of family bloodlines and royalty in China.

It gave women the ability to enhance "jing" (hormones) and retain their feminity for far longer than the average woman.  For men, Qigong practice allowed the accumulation of Jing leading to increased sex drive, higher levels of secretion of growth hormones, and extraordinary muscular endurance.  Qigong was passed down for thousands of years from father to son and used by the military to build the body's endurance.Qigong boosts muscle and strength, yet amazingly lowers cortisol.

This cortisol hormone (also known as the "stress hormone") is the enemy of longevity and breaks down muscle tissue creating inflammation in the body.  Jogging and weight lifting actually accelerate the release of cortisol.

Qigong enhances energy rather than depletes energy.  For these reasons Qigong is a superior form of exercise and its healing power is well documented.

Eden Energy Medicine is both a complement to other systems of medical care and, in itself, a complete system for self-care and self-help. It can address physical illness and emotional disorders, and it can also promote wellness and peak performance.  Eden Energy Medicine is both an independent approach to self-care and a complement to medical care. Developed by Donna Eden during the course of her 30-years of working directly with clients.

There are TWO WAYS EDEN ENERGY MEDICINE CAN HELP where energy medicine might make a difference with a health condition:

1.  THE FIRST has to do with getting your body's energies into a good flow, harmony, and balance. While not focusing on your health issue directly, this can create within your body an energetic environment that supports your overall health, vitality, and healing.

This is the place to start, even if you are also taking additional steps, such as assessing and working with specific vulnerabilities in your energy system or consulting with an energy medicine specialist.  Unlike treatments that offer pills or surgery, energy medicine focuses on the entire body as a system. Before doing more specific treatments, energy medicine practitioners routinely help people get their body's overall energies into a strong and healthy flow.

Over the years, Donna Eden has designed a "Daily Energy Routine" that combines the most potent techniques we know that are able to help the greatest number of people to stimulate each of the vital energy systems and bring them into harmony and balance.

These are the methods an energy medicine practitioner might give to you after an initial consultation so that you can strengthen and balance your own energies.  There is much you can do for yourself through the Daily Energy Routine.  We propose that you dedicate about 10 minutes each day to this. That is all that is necessary to begin to make a difference. Five minutes for the Daily Routine and five minutes to experiment with repeating some of the techniques and using additional methods.

We guide you through the Daily Energy Routine in every introductory publication we have. You can find it in the book Energy Medicine (Chapter Three), on our "Energy Healing" videos, and in the Sounds True "Energy Medicine Kit". It is also available as a color laminated chart (go to chart).

Six areas you might experiment with as adjuncts to the Daily Routine are 1) the "Hook-Up," 2) the "Homolateral Crossover," 3) "Separating Heaven and Earth" (also known as "Connecting Heaven and Earth"), 4) techniques for sedating the triple warmer meridian, 5) the "Neurovascular Hold," and 6) the "Blow Out." All are presented in each of the above resources.

2. THE SECOND LEVEL by which Eden Energy Medicine might make a difference with a health concern involves an assessment of your body's energies and the ways they are related to the condition.

Based on that assessment, individualized treatments can be designed to make your energy system more robust, specifically in the ways that will help with the health condition.

If you are a beginner with energy medicine, this is more than we recommend you attempt without the help of a qualified practitioner like Melanie Smith, Certified Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner and Senior Faculty for Donna Eden.

The book Energy Medicine gives further instruction in how to assess your energies and correct problems. Meanwhile, everything you might do in terms of the Basic Daily Routine would support work with a professional energy medicine practitioner.

Adapted from A Beginner's Guide to Energy Medicine Donna Eden and David Feinstein, Ph.D.©2004 Innersource. You can find these resources and more information at www.innersource.net.

Massage is one of the oldest healing arts: Chinese records dating back 3,000 years document its use; the ancient Hindus, Persians and Egyptians applied forms of massage for many ailments; and Hippocrates wrote papers recommending the use of rubbing and friction for joint and circulatory problems.  Today the benefits of massage are varied and far-reaching.  As an accepted part of many physical rehabilitation programs, massage therapy has also proven beneficial for many chronic conditions, including musculoskeletal pain patterns, arthritis, bursitis, fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes, immunity suppression, anxiety, depression, and more.

And, as many millions will attest, massage also helps relieve the stress and tension of everyday living that can lead to disease and illness.

Massage: The application of soft-tissue manipulation techniques to the body, generally intended to reduce stress and fatigue while improving circulation. The many variations of massage account for several different techniques.

Bodywork: Various forms of touch therapies that may use manipulation, movement, and/or re-patterning to affect structural changes to the body.

Somatic: Meaning “of the body.”   Many times this term is used to denote a body/mind or whole-body approach as distinguished from a physiology-only or environmental perspective.At Well Within Natural Medicine, Inc., a variety of techniques are integrated to create the perfect combination just for You.  The application of these techniques may include, but is not limited to, stroking, kneading, tapping, compression, vibration, rocking, friction, and pressure to the muscular structure or soft tissues of the human body.  This may also include non-forceful passive or active movement and/or application of techniques intended to affect the energetic systems of the body.  The use of oils, lotions, and powders may also be included to reduce friction on the skin.

Please note: Massage, bodywork and somatic therapies specifically exclude diagnosis, prescription, manipulation or adjustments of the human skeletal structure, or any other service, procedure or therapy which requires a license to practice acupuncture, orthopedics, physical therapy, podiatry, chiropractic, osteopathy, psychotherapy, or any other profession or branch of medicine.

Profound Effects In response to massage, specific physiological and chemical changes cascade throughout the body, with profound effects. Research shows that with massage:

• Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain.
• Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow
• Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety.
• High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones.
• Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping.
• Preterm infants have improved weight gain. Research continues to show the enormous benefits of touch—which range from treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the tensions of modern lifestyles.  Consequently, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive care units.  Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage practitioners and even spas to treat post-surgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

What to Expect Where Will My Massage or Bodywork Session Take Place? 
Your massage or bodywork session will take place in a warm, comfortable, private, quiet room.  Soft music may be played to help you relax.  You will lie on a table especially designed for your comfort.

Who Will Perform the Massage or Bodywork? 
Melanie Smith is a Licensed Massage Therapist in the State of Florida and a member of Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals.

Must I Be Completely Undressed? 
Most massage and bodywork techniques are traditionally performed with the client unclothed; however, it is entirely up to you what you want to wear.  You should undress to your level of comfort.  You will be properly draped during the entire session.

Will the Practitioner Be Present When I Disrobe? 
The practitioner will leave the room while you undress, relax onto the table, and cover yourself with a clean sheet

Will I Be Covered During the Session? 
You will be properly draped at all times to keep you warm and comfortable.  Only the area being worked on will be exposed.

What Parts of My Body Will Be Massaged? 
You and the practitioner will discuss the desired outcome of your session.  This will determine which parts of your body require massage.  A typical full-body session will include work on your back, arms, legs, feet, hands, head, neck, and shoulders.  You will not be touched on or near your genitals (male or female).

The Benefits Of Acupuncture, Energy Medicine and Massage
What exactly are the benefits of receiving regular bodywork treatments?  Useful for all of the conditions listed below and more:

• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller
• Relieve migraine pain.
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts
• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
• Increase joint flexibility.
• Lessen depression and anxiety
• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks
• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation
• Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
• Reduce spasms and cramping
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
• Ease medication dependence.

There’s no denying the power of bodywork.  Regardless of the adjectives we assign to it (therapeutic, rejuvenating, or pampering) or the reasons we seek it out (stress relief, pain management, or a luxurious treat), acupuncture, energy medicine and therapeutic massage can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen. Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be idealistic, acupuncture, energy medicine and therapeutic massage can, without a doubt, help manage stress.

This translates into:

• Decreased anxiety.
• Enhanced sleep quality.
• Greater energy.
• Improved concentration.
• Increased circulation
• Reduced fatigue.

Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving these treatments.  The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.

Increase the Benefits with Frequent Visits
Getting regular massage or acupuncture can do you a world of good.  And getting frequent sessions can do even more.   This is the beauty of bodywork.  Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year.   Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your health.  And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic.   Consider massage and acupuncture appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and call Well Within Natural Medicine, Inc., at (727) 522-6515 to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.

What style is Black Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui?

"BLACK SECT TANTRIC BUDDHISM INFORMATION" -- By BTB Grand Master Lin Yun(An excerpt from the June 1993 Yun Lin Temple News) Black Sect feng shui operates on two levels, sying and yi.  Sying encompasses the tangible environmental factors of feng shui: it denotes the external elements—energy (chi) of land, shape and structure of houses and columns, juxtaposition of doors, furniture placement—that contribute to the feng shui of a place to determine one’s luck. Traditional feng shui schools mostly emphasize sying—literally "shapes"—and directions.

While not rejecting these traditional methods, the Black Sect includes an additional instrument to harmonize the environment: the channeling and balancing of Chi. My theory, besides embracing sying, also includes something extra: yi. Yi—loosely translated as a wish, a will, or an intention—plays an important role in Black Sect feng shui. Yi is a blessing, a way of adjusting and enhancing chi through intuition and imposition of the will of the expert (and the will of the client) on a house or a person. It is a vital but intangible process—a positive transference and transformation of energy (chi)—that reinforces and blesses the physical aspect (sying) of feng shui.

(If you ask me what aspect in each category is most important, I will tell you "others": the subtle signs that identify and shape our destiny.)I use both sying and yi to analyze and then to improve a given areas feng shui. Sying, which is easier to grasp and enact, is explained in my earlier teachings. The rules of sying tell you how physical surroundings are affecting you and how, by adjusting and altering them you can change specific aspects of your life, if not your destiny.

For example, sying may refer to a poorly placed bed that brings chronic colds and a multitude of taxing problems; two unaligned doors that create family discord; or a tree near the entrance that blocks career development. Sying also refers to the physical ways to improve an area’s feng shui.Yi on the other hand, requires much more study. Yi is the use of our mental powers to cultivate the ch’i of a house or person. Besides being highly intuitive, yi is a complex and detailed aspect of feng shui.

This element must be learned orally from a master and needs years of training to perfect. There are many schools of feng shui. My discipline—the Black Sect of Tantric Buddhism (BTB)—occupies an important place among feng shui schools. I first encountered the Black Sect more than forty-five years ago, in Beijing. When I was six or seven years old, I would often play with friends on the grounds of a local lamasery, a monastery in Beijing of Tibetan Buddhist lamas.

There, one day, a high lama—a Buddhist scholar and an expert in the Black Sect’s mystical arts—took me under his wing. For ten years he taught me Black Sect mystical methods, including feng shui theory and practice. Later I apprenticed with other well-known masters and acquired feng shui experience.I find that the Black Sect’s teachings are the most useful, up-to-date, and compatible with modern science and design.

Yet they also rely on ancient Taoist culture and thought—Tao, yin-yang, chi, and traditional feng shui—not to mention influences from Indian and Tibetan beliefs and practices.My method of Black Sect feng shui is an outgrowth of various religious disciplines. Black Sect feng shui evolved out of the long journey of Buddhism from India through Tibet and into China. In each place it absorbed indigenous teachings: from India it brought an organized church complete with yoga, chants, compassion, Dharma, and the sacred discipline of transmitting teachings from master to pupil. In Tibet it incorporated the mystical chants and charms of Bon, the native religion. And in China proper it absorbed the I Ching and Confucian, Taoist, and folk religions and customs such as traditional feng shui, palmistry, face reading, faith healing, and the history of chi.

The synthesis is a very practical and sensitive approach to surroundings, suffused and supported by a repertoire of mystical chants, prayers, and meditation. These religious influences give Black Sect feng shui extra clout, producing far more successful results than those produced by other schools!In its journey to the West, Black Sect feng shui has also absorbed new customs and inventions. Its cures include lights, electricity, and heavy machinery. Rum has replaced the strong rice wine used in ritual concoctions. And placement of microwave ovens and computers is given serious thought. But despite modernization, the aim of feng shui remains the same as it was thousands of years ago: the pursuit and creation of a more comfortable and harmonious place to live and work.

Here is how these two categories can be further broken down:

SYING 1. Chi of the Earth 2. Shapes of a lot 3. Shape of a building/house 4. Floor plans 5. Others
Interior Factors	Exterior Factors
1.  Position of stove	1. Road direction
2.  Exposed beams	2. Bridge
3.  Staircase	3. Tree
4.  Pillar/column/post	4. Roof
5.  Door	5. Pointed roofline
6.  Desk	6. Temple/church
7.  Dining table	7. Rivers and streams
8.  Desk-office	8. Telephone line or transformer post
9.  Wall or furniture colors	9. Colors of surroundings
10. Brightness	10. Others
11. Others

 

AN INTRODUCTION ON BLACK SECT TANTRIC BUDDHISM AND YUN LIN TEMPLE
(prepared by Crystal Chu, CEO of Yun Lin Temple)

The historical development of Black Sect Tantric Buddhism can be seen as a succession of four consecutive stages, according to professor Thomas Lin Yun, leader of the religion at its present fourth stage.Black Sect Tantric Buddhism originated from the indigenous Bon religion of Tibet before the introduction of Buddhism.

This primitive first stage emerged into its second phase through exposure to the Tantric Buddhism of India, flourished in Tibet; and divorced into different lineages such as Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug, and the Black Sect, which is a subtle combination of Tantric Buddhism and the indigenous Bon. The religion entered its third stage as Tibetan Tantric Buddhism spread to China. In the process of this propagation, the Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug and Nyingma lineages retained their purity.

The Black Sect, already a mixture of religions, continued to encompass traditional Chinese philosophy and folk religion, Esoteric Buddhism, Taoism, Yin-Yang philosophy, holistic healing, feng shui, Confucianism, and the I Ching. While the other four sects remain hybrids of Indian and Tibetan cultures, the Black Sect carries this expansion even further to incorporate the culture of the Chinese civilization.

The fourth stage of the religion began as Black Sect Tantric Buddhism was introduced to the West, and the age-old philosophy and religion was reinterpreted in terms of modern knowledge, such as physiology, medicine, psychology, architecture, ecology, social sciences, etc., so as to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern knowledge familiar to the general public of the Western world. Yun Lin Temple was founded in 1986, in Berkeley, California, as the first temple of the fourth stage of Black Sect Tantric Buddhism.

It is a non-profit religious organization, which strives to promote the modernization of Buddhism, using contemporary concepts to interpret doctrines of the past. It emphasizes the fact that disciples of the Temple should actively participate in society in their own professions. Rather than advocating the rigor of a secluded monastic life, followers are encouraged to pursue spiritual development in their spare time by means of meditation and helping others. The Temple sponsors a variety of classes, meditation sessions, cultural activities, and offers community services to the public.

Breast awareness is really self-explanatory. It means women should regularly check their breasts for changes, but can do so in a way that feels natural for them. In other words, you don’t have to do it on the same day each month, or using any particular pattern.

Simply be aware of what’s normal for you so you can recognize anything out of the ordinary. What should you keep an eye out for?

• A new lump or hard knot found in your breast or armpit
• Dimpling, puckering or indention in your breast or nipple
• Change in the size, shape or symmetry of your breast
• Swelling or thickening of the breast
• Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
• Nipple discharge, especially any that is bloody, clear and sticky, dark or occurs without squeezing your nipple
• Changes in your nipple such as tenderness, pain, turning or drawing inward, or pointing in a new direction
• Any suspicious changes in your breasts

Are Mammograms a Good Idea?

Aside from breast self-exams, the other mainstay in the U.S. medical system is the mammogram. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women get a mammogram every year or two after age 40. But I would encourage you to get more information and research for yourself.

The benefits of mammograms are highly controversial, while the risks are well established. Back in 2001, around the time that U.S. health officials widened the use of mammograms to include women over 40 (previously it was only women over 50), a Danish study published in The Lancet revealed some startling data.

The study concluded that previous research showing a benefit was flawed and that widespread mammogram screening is unjustified.

Specifically, the Danish researchers argued that earlier studies in Europe and North America were improperly randomized and that they used a faulty definition of breast cancer survival.

Meanwhile, the technology carries a first-time false positive rate of up to 6 percent. False positives can lead to expensive repeat screenings and can sometimes result in unnecessary invasive procedures including biopsies and surgeries.

Just thinking you may have breast cancer, when you really do not, focuses your mind on fear and disease, and is actually enough to trigger an illness in your body. So a false positive on a mammogram, or an unnecessary biopsy, can really be damaging.

Not to mention that women have unnecessarily undergone mastectomies, radiation and chemotherapy after receiving false positives on a mammogram.

Are We Being Deceived?

That mammograms are still recommended at all speaks volumes about the state of modern medicine.

Decades ago in 1974, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) was warned by professor Malcolm C. Pike at the University of Southern California School of Medicine that a number of specialists had concluded "giving a women under age 50 a mammogram on a routine basis is close to unethical."

Why?

Well for starters mammograms expose your body to radiation that can be 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray, which poses risks of cancer. Mammography also compresses your breasts tightly, and often painfully, which could lead to a lethal spread of cancerous cells, should they exist.

“The premenopausal breast is highly sensitive to radiation, each 1 rad exposure increasing breast cancer risk by about 1 percent, with a cumulative 10 percent increased risk for each breast over a decade's screening,” points out Dr. Samuel Epstein, one of the top cancer experts.

Dr. Epstein, M.D., professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, has been speaking out about the risks of mammography since at least 1992. As for how these misguided mammography guidelines came about, Epstein says:

“They were conscious, chosen, politically expedient acts by a small group of people for the sake of their own power, prestige and financial gain, resulting in suffering and death for millions of women. They fit the classification of "crimes against humanity."”

Not surprisingly, as often happens when anyone dares speak out against those in power, both the American Cancer Society and NCI called Dr. Epstein’s findings “unethical and invalid.”

But this didn’t stop others from speaking out as well.

In July 1995, The Lancet again wrote about mammograms, saying "The benefit is marginal, the harm caused is substantial, and the costs incurred are enormous ..."

Dr. Charles B. Simone, a former clinical associate in immunology and pharmacology at the National Cancer Institute, said, "Mammograms increase the risk for developing breast cancer and raise the risk of spreading or metastasizing an existing growth.”

"The high sensitivity of the breast, especially in young women, to radiation-induced cancer was known by 1970. Nevertheless, the establishment then screened some 300,000 women with Xray dosages so high as to increase breast cancer risk by up to 20 percent in women aged 40 to 50 who were mammogramed annually,” wrote Dr. Epstein.

Safe Screening Methods do Exist: The Benefits of Thermography

But you’re not likely to hear about them from your general practitioner.

“ … The establishment ignores safe and effective alternatives to mammography, particularly trans illumination with infrared scanning,” Dr. Epstein points out.

Most physicians continue to recommend mammograms for fear of being sued by a woman who develops breast cancer after which he did not advise her to get one. But I encourage you to think for yourself and consider safer, more effective alternatives to mammograms.

The option for breast screening that I most highly recommend is called thermography.

Thermographic breast screening is brilliantly simple. It measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates this information into anatomical images. Your normal blood circulation is under the control of your autonomic nervous system, which governs your body functions.

Thermography uses no mechanical pressure or ionizing radiation, and can detect signs of breast cancer years earlier than either mammography or a physical exam.

Mammography cannot detect a tumor until after it has been growing for years and reaches a certain size. Thermography is able to detect the possibility of breast cancer much earlier, because it can image the early stages of angiogenesis (the formation of a direct supply of blood to cancer cells, which is a necessary step before they can grow into tumors of size).

Thermology is the study of human thermal physiology.  Thermography or Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is a15-minute non-invasive diagnostic test of physiology.  DITI offers earlier detection of breast disease than has been possible through breast self examination, doctor examination or mammography alone.  Did you know that by the time something is large enough to be detected via mammography it has been in your body 7-10 years.  Take advantage of the early detection offered by Thermography.

This procedure is Non-invasive, safe, generates no radiation, painless, no contact with the body, offers early detection and is F.D.A. Approved. All women can benefit from DITI breast screening.  However, it is especially appropriate for younger women (30-50) whose denser breast tissue makes it more difficult for mammography to be effective.  Women with breast implants and  women of all ages who for many reasons are unable to undergo routine mammography.  This procedure is great for anyone wanting to lesson exposure to radiation who has had breast cancer and undergone previous chemo and/or radiation treatments.

DITI’s role in breast cancer and other breast disorders is to help in early detection and monitoring of abnormal physiology and the establishment of risk factors for the development or existence of cancer.  When used with other procedures the best possible evaluation of breast health is made.

In addition to breast screening, full body scans or regions of interest (ie shoulder, knee, ankle, back, jaw) can be taken for detecting and monitoring a number of diseases and physical injuries by showing thermal abnormalities present in the body.Clinical Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is unique in its capability to show physiological change and metabolic processes.  It provides the answers in the diagnosis of pain and is a very useful adjunctive procedure to other diagnostic tools.  X-Rays, C.T. Ultrasound and M.R.I. etc are all tests of 'anatomy' that measure the structures of your body.  DITI is unique in its capability to show physiological change and metabolic processes.  Thermography is very cost effective, risk free and provides instant images.

Thermography fees for breast screening are $175 for the initial scan and $175 for the 3-month follow-up.  The 3-month follow-up is required for only breast screening to determine a normal base line of your bodies blood vasculature structure.  A full-body scan is $400.  One area of interest (ie shoulder, knee, back, sinus) is $175 with $50 for each additional area.  Payment for this service will be by visa, mastercard, check or cash.

Dr. Maria Belluccio, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture Physician will be providing this service in my office once every three months.  This is a phenomenal opportunity you won’t want to miss.

Call Dr. Melanie at 727-522-6515 or email for more information and to schedule your thermography screening.  Don’t delay space is limited.  Remember the life you help to save may be your own.

Many blessings,

Dr. Melanie