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Viewing entries tagged with 'Massage'

On the 100th Anniversary of Bay To Breakers: A TCM View on Running

Hae Min on 15 May 2011 | 1042 Comments | Tags: health, medicine, running, barefoot running, fitness, massage, sports injuries, health advice, TCM, chinese medicine, acupuncture

I am not a runner now, but before I started training in martial arts, I ran for over ten years almost daily. I started in high school when my friends started doing it to get into shape. I hated it at first. My lungs hurt, my stomach hurt, my face would get really hot, my body seemed to be saying "yuck!" but I kept at it because I was convinced that running was something that fit people did. I started out jogging really slowly and going for 15 minutes at a time. Eventually I worked up to 20 minutes and so on, until I could easily run 45 minutes to an hour. That seemed like the optimal time for me. I never ran with the track team. It almost didn't even occur to me to go fast or to run for time. I just liked the motion of it, trying to get my body into a better rhythm and connect with the ground in the smoothest foot exchange possible. I was also taking dance classes at the time, so I was hyper-aware of posture, stretching, and the importance of not heel-striking as I ran. Eventually I was hooked. I ran every day, sometimes twice a day, rain or shine, wind or hail. I usually ran first thing in the morning, but sometimes I was foolish enough to run in the midday sun. It felt exhilarating. 

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History of Amma, Acu-Point Therapy,

Asian Bodywork Therapies on 13 October 2008 | 22608 Comments | Tags: Massage, Bodywork, Acupressure

I am often asked to describe Korean Acupressure Massage and how it differs from other types of acupressure. My answer is that the system that I practice, Hwe Choon Do In Sul Bup, is a family lineage practice, handed down from father to son for over 500 years. I learned it from the Master Yoo, the last of the lineage holders within his family. This system uses finger pressure to press acu points on the body, stimulating qi circulation, toxin release, and nuture of tissues, joints and organs. This system has much in common with other Asian Bodywork Therapies, such as: Amma, Shiatsu, Jin Shin Jyutsu, and Chinese Acupressure, however I would say that Korean Traditional Acupressure relies more on short and intense pressure over a large number of points during one treatment. Here is an article by Barry Kapke of the San Francisco School of Massage. It explains the history of Asian Bodywork Therapies.

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