Category: Yleinen

In China they say that the older a person is, the more often they should warm their feet before going to bed. Behind this lies one of the most important ideas in Chinese tradition: warmth keeps energy moving – cold and damp bring it to a halt.

Natural factors: cold, damp, fire and wind

Chinese tradition distinguishes between pathogens (viruses, bacteria) and natural factors, such as cold, damp, heat and wind. Of these, cold is considered the most important – especially together with damp.

Tradition also uses this to explain why the body tends to store excess especially around the stomach, lower back, thighs and legs: the lower body is naturally cooler than the upper body.

Barbecue food and ice-cold fizzy drinks – a vicious circle

A familiar summer evening: fatty barbecue food and ice-cold drinks. From the traditional point of view, hot fat and a cold drink are a poor combination – the cold “solidifies” the fat. You feel heavy, you get hot, and then you drink more cold drinks and turn the air conditioning up full. You move less and your stomach stretches.

The way out is not a strict diet but lifestyle discipline: a warm drink with food, a moderate portion and movement after a meal.

The foot – the body’s “second heart”

In Chinese tradition, the sole of the foot is called the second heart. It has an abundance of nerve endings and reflex zones, and many meridians begin or end in the feet. When the feet warm up, the warmth spreads throughout the body.

“The feet are the roots, the legs the trunk.
As the roots, so the fruit.”

Seven ways to warm the body in everyday life

Heat treatment with FOHOW devices

In FOHOW’s yangsheng line, warmth is a key part of “passive movement”. The FOHOW REM device has a pad for the soles of the feet, as well as a vest and a lower back cushion with graphene-coated infrared heat. The device also has a terahertz and magnetic field function and two EMS programmes, chosen according to how you feel.

From a massage therapist’s point of view, heat pads are a great help for areas that are difficult to relax by hand alone. You can try heat treatment together with a massage at Hyvinvointikeskus Hoitava Hieronta.

Author: Svetlana Kokozina – owner of Hyvinvointikeskus Hoitava Hieronta, qualified massage therapist and FOHOW bioenergy massage therapist

This article describes the Chinese wellbeing tradition. FOHOW devices are wellbeing devices intended for home use, not medical devices. If you have a medical condition or a pacemaker, or are pregnant, consult a doctor before heat and device treatments.

According to Chinese tradition, energy circulates in the body along the meridians in a 24-hour rhythm. Each meridian in turn is “at its strongest” for two hours. This is called the organ clock – and it offers surprisingly practical guidance for everyday life.

Yang and yin over 24 hours

Yang is born at midnight and peaks at midday. Yin takes over from midday to midnight. That is why night-time sleep is considered the foundation of everything in the tradition – and why many people feel tired around 11 am–12 noon, as yang turns into yin.

The meridians run in pairs (lungs – large intestine, stomach – spleen and so on), and the cycle begins with the lungs in the early morning.

The organ clock hour by hour

A yangsheng day in practice

You don’t have to change everything at once. Start with one thing, for example going to bed earlier – the body gets used to a new rhythm surprisingly quickly.

Author: Svetlana Kokozina – owner of Hyvinvointikeskus Hoitava Hieronta, qualified massage therapist and FOHOW bioenergy massage therapist

The organ clock describes the Chinese wellbeing tradition. This article does not replace examination or treatment by a doctor.

In the same weather, one person feels hot and another cold. One eats a lot and doesn’t put on weight; another tries hard and the scales won’t budge. No two leaves on a tree are alike – and neither are people. Chinese tradition explains these differences through body types.

Qi – life energy, which comes in two kinds

The nine body types

Pure types are rare – most of us have traits of two or three. Do you recognise yourself?

Towards the balanced type

Your body type is not a life sentence. In the yangsheng tradition, the aim is to move gradually towards the balanced type. The change does not happen in a week – according to tradition, the shift from one state to another can take as long as six months. That is why crash diets often bring only short-lived results: they do not take your body type into account and do not change your habits.

The tradition also emphasises the mind: as is the quality of consciousness, so is the quality of the body. Many people train their body but forget their mind. An emotional rollercoaster drains energy just as much as poor food does.

Small tips for different types

• Always cold (yang deficiency): warm drinks, foot baths, keeping the lower back warm.
• Qi deficiency: regular sleep, calm movement, warm and nourishing food.
• Blood stasis: movement, drinking enough and energetic company.
• Phlegm and damp heat: less ready-made and fatty food, more movement.
• Qi stagnation: movement, breathing, talking things through – and a moment for yourself.

Author: Svetlana Kokozina – owner of Hyvinvointikeskus Hoitava Hieronta, qualified massage therapist and FOHOW bioenergy massage therapist

Body types describe the Chinese wellbeing tradition; they are not medical diagnoses. This article does not replace examination or treatment by a doctor.

The Chinese word yangsheng means “nourishing life”. It is not a diet or a cure, but a way of life: an active, balanced, joyful and voluntary way of taking care of yourself – today, not tomorrow.

Care, attention and self-respect

The key words of yangsheng thinking are care, attention and respect for yourself. According to tradition, the world responds to us in the same way that we treat ourselves. The past is experience and a lesson to be grateful for – but your own wellbeing is taken care of right now.

The idea rests on the fundamental concepts of Chinese tradition: the balance of yin and yang and the theory of the five elements (wu xing).

The three pillars of yangsheng

When energy flows without stagnation, according to tradition, wellbeing extends to both body and mind. That is why yangsheng never focuses on just one area.

Yin and yang – a lifelong balancing act

Yang represents active, warming energy and yin calming, cooling energy. Each has its rise and its decline, and each contains a small part of its opposite. According to Chinese thinking, the task of life is to keep them in balance – not to eliminate one, but to give both their own place.

The five tasks of nutrition

Yangsheng nutrition speaks of five functions that run in parallel:

In the tradition, balancing is described as an axis around which lightening and replenishment alternate daily. The most important thing is to notice quickly when life tips too far in one direction – and to return to the centre.

Five small steps towards yangsheng

1. Drink warm. Start the morning with a glass of warm water and avoid ice-cold drinks with meals.
2. Move every day. Even a little movement keeps energy flowing – walking, stretching or dancing at home.
3. Respect the daily rhythm. Go to bed by 10.30–11 pm. Read more in the article The organ clock.
4. Eat mindfully. Pause for your meal and stop when you are 70–80% full.
5. Book your golden hour. A moment each day just for yourself – a warm foot bath, a massage or silence.

Wanting without energy changes nothing – but real desire is full of energy and leads to action. Yangsheng begins with one small decision.

Author: Svetlana Kokozina – owner of Hyvinvointikeskus Hoitava Hieronta, qualified massage therapist and FOHOW bioenergy massage therapist

This article describes the Chinese wellbeing tradition and does not replace examination or treatment by a doctor. If you have health problems, please consult a healthcare professional.