Originally Posted by treelizard

I try really hard to avoid allopathic medicine, though I would take it if necessary. I'm always experimenting with Western herbs, though, preferring to use plants that grow near me and I can harvest myself (though I have taken pills from China when prescribed as well). I don't really use feng shui much, but I try to get rid of clutter, which is the most important part of feng shui anyway, and I smudge once a week. I got my full Chinese astro chart done about a year ago...interesting stuff.

I do qi gong bathing to build up defensive qi--basically you scrub your entire body with a loofah and then follow it with the coldest water you can stand. I also put my hands and sometimes feet in warm water every day to open up the meridians. I also do zazen every morning--not very Taoist but you can substitute with standing meditation if you like. I used to do makka ho (Japanese wall yoga) but haven't in a while. And I just do basic qi gong warmups--arm swings, joint circles, stuff like that. One of my favorite books is The Way of Qi Gong by Ken Cohen--and I hear the material is safe, unlike some of the other books out there. As far as food, I'm a religious follower of Elson Haas--I think his site is www.elsonhaas.com--and I try to eat like that when I can afford to. Ooh, I just bought this great book used called Asian Health Secrets--it looks so good!