What's Tui Na?

Tui Na originates in Taiwan, and it is sometimes called"Taiwanese acupuncture". The term Tui Na is used widely throughout the world, and its significance is largely confused by Westerners. In traditional Chinese Medicine, tui na refers to the four meridians along which a individual's energy flows. Tui Na isn't usually used as a pleasurable pastime, but rather for the cure of particular disorders, such as pain or stress.

According to the traditional teachings of TCM, tui na therapy seeks to promote stability in yang energies by restoring chi to the qi through subtle, slow strokes with palms and needles, using acupuncture needles, and stimulating specific points along meridians. It originated in China and was later brought to Japan and other parts of Asia. Many practitioners of TCM feel that acupuncture and tai chi are the same thing, although both rely on different approaches. While TCM does not directly use the conditions, TCM-based therapies often use the expression Tui Na when speaking to the therapy.

Many TCM schools now use a simplified version of tui na. In actuality, many schools prefer simplified versions of traditional Chinese medicine because they don't have to manage the potentially confusing aspects of TCM terminology. For this reason, simplified versions of acupuncture, herbs, and other forms of therapeutic massage commonly referred to as Tui Na is used widely in TCM practices. But some TCM practitioners still prefer traditional Chinese medicine, asserting that some medical conditions are better treated with a holistic approach that Tui Na can't provide.

After performing a Tui Na massage, the therapist typically begins by placing pressure on specific meridian points across the patient's body, then working from the outside to the interior of all the identified meridians. Each session may last for half an hour to one hour, depending upon the needs of the individual. The therapist will often start with gentle stimulation of the human body's vital energy points, followed by more targeted stimulation of specific acupoints. Each session usually ends with a client standing upright, having the typical post-treatment sensation of pain relief, and possibly some small flushing of the facial skin.

Because TCM uses the idea of tui na (the sound of flowing water) to signify the flow of qi through the body, and the concept of linking meridians to the heart chakra by way of symbolically drawing blood to the heart through acupoints found there, both the therapist and his or her individual learn how to interpret the flowing water. The two kinds of massage therapy are separated only by the location of the acupoints on the body. Therefore, a tui na massage for the facial region of the face can be performed on the hands and feet also, even though a Shiatsu Qigong massage on the abdomen can be achieved on either the feet or the hands.

TCM practitioners also learn to identify various signs that will indicate when it's time to perform a particular treatment. Additionally, they also learn how to read patterns in the movements of the individual during the massage. Although it is not necessary to perform this procedure using acupuncture points, many TCM practitioners feel that it provides better results and a deeper understanding of qi flow. They use both the hands and feet, or both, in performing the treatment.

Tuina is one of the Chinese massage techniques that are most closely connected with TCM. Tuina is the regeneration of the meridians and channels that run along the body, connecting all parts of the nervous system and providing a unification of the various functions of the organs, cells and systems. These channels or meridians are collectively known as the meridians. The expression'tuina' literally means'all knowledge' and refers to the whole body of knowledge that exists within the body. This knowledge is the source of the body's energy and is thought to be the basic foundation for the proper functioning of the human body.

Many TCM specialists think that acupuncture and Tui Na are interrelated and that they derive from the same root or foundation. Acupuncture has been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments in both East and West. From the TCM world, the healing energy that's released during a session can stimulate the flow of qi through meridians and channels. When the flow of energy is unrestricted, it may promote the restoration of the human body to its pre-diagnosis and original state of health. Since the energy is restored, the patient undergoes improvements in his/her health, together with the alleviation of many ailments and the absence of others.