Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong SFQ for depression/no improvement...suggestions?

For what it's worth, and merely as a suggestion:

Herbs are forms of medicine, just like pharmaceuticals. Although, more natural, that does not always make them less intense, or less counter-indicated. We are all unique (not only in soul, but also in body!).

Schizandra is indeed a tonic herb, used a lot in Chinese Traditional Medicine. Tonics are more like food, in that they usually (and I emphasize that word) can be used by anyone in almost any quantity (within reason, of course! You can even have too much water! ).

Having said that, I know from experience that, tonics, say ginseng, for example, is NOT right for everyone. It depends on that person's yin yang balance/imbalance and also on the time of year, the source of the herb, etc etc etc.

For what it's worth, I highly recommend people NOT to give herbal suggestions on this board without knowing the person they are giving it to and without being a professional herbal doctor/healer. Basically, not to do it all, because even if you know them AND know what you are doing, other people might take a suggestion that is not a good idea.

I go to a TCM doctor and she told me that due to my particular issues,right now ginseng would be TERRIBLE for me right now. I know she is right, because I could feel it.

[homeopathy is a bit different, BTW, though still probably better to find a pro, because it has the "do no harm" thing built more right into it. Regular herbs, that are not diluted down past the gross material being able to be detected, can indeed be just as strong or affecting to the body as drugs!]

Having said all of that, the fact that it came up here on this topic is good (and there is always "better" & "best"). Because it allows me to make the suggestion for makemerry to find a good TCM doctor in his/her area. This can be a task in and of itself, but finding someone you trust who has one can be a good method.

A good TCM doctor, should take at least a half hour to an hour on the initial visit, NOT counting any time before the visit filling out a profile. They should take multiple pulses, use smells, looking at the tongue, etc, and looking at the whole person, not the symptoms.

They should not only use acupuncture or herbs, but should at least use both and maybe have other modalities as well (such as at least recommending either qigong or martial arts, such as Tai Chi to help as well).

I do believe that herbs when used correctly can help. But not through a message board forum.

What I think we can best do here is focus on SFQ either with our experiences, practice tips, motivational stories, and support.

That is the main point here.

When in doubt, leave it out.

Anyway, not meant to criticize, rather, grateful this came up and allows us an opportunity to focus even more on our practice and healing.

Makemerry, I will add you to my own healing list for practicing some distance healing (level III) on you, if that's okay with you.

Meanwhile, I echo gallen's outstanding post: focus on the healing that is indeed happening. Do more if you can... even a few minutes more can help more. And more sessions a day, again even if only a few minutes sends powerful messages to your body, mind and spirit that you care and are making a change. Know that you are not your symptoms and they can never sum you up. And that while you are healing, you are healing way more than just depression. That mere symptom, may take more time to disperse, but meanwhile, you are certainly healing OTHER things in your body on many levels. THis is all what gallen said and it is real wisdom! This is valuable stuff!

Let me know a good day and all you have to do, is just be receptive to it!

Happy New Year!

Shakurav,
I think you have a valid point about not making recommendations on here. I wrote what it helped me. It is up to reader to follow matters up and decide whether to take on the responsibility to buy a product and use it, see a practitioner of his/her trust and follow the advice received, or just simply do nothing.

My story about the schizandra is that a good friend of mine told me that there was a general recommendation about it on a newspaper. I followed it up and bought it. BEFORE I took it I saw my acupuncturist/Mora machine specialist, a person I have successfully and regularly used for 8 years. She tested the schizandra for me on the Mora machine. The response was not favourable. Anyway, I made my own decision (NB anybody can legally heal him/herself!) and took the schizandra. I found it very beneficial. I still see the acupuncturist and respect her. I tend to be happy with the Mora machine treatment, but it is no more than a machine.

I cannot say that the schizandra alone helped me to feel much better emotionally and less angry since I take a homeopathic remedy for it at the same time, as well as supplements of my choice. I do Holosync daily, am currently doing releasing through Ho'oponopono, listen to Paraliminals a few times a week and am working on Natural Brilliance at the moment. It is important to me that I feel better and reap benefits from what I do.

Over 30 years ago through macrobiotics I learnt about self-empowerment related to my health. I do believe in it and practice it. I do welcome suggestions from anybody, expert or layman. I am thankful for the kindness of a person sharing his/her knowledge. In the end I make my own decision and happily live with it. I do not say that everybody should share my views. However, as long as the moderators of this site accept my postings, I will keep writing what I believe is best from my point of view.

So there!

Sorry, couldn't help it!

No, that makes sense. As long as we can write whatever we want, and it helps us, perhaps we should write it.

And I am glad you wrote it, and thank you for doing so (and your clarification) so that I could add my caveat (and clarification) , which also helps me and who knows, just as YOUR suggestion might help someone, mine might also help someone else who taking such an herb (which though natural contains potent chemicals that can also do harm in some cases) might harm, and reading my caution might think twice and not do it.

So they are yin and yang. And as you say, as long as Shawn allows us the freedom, we can do this back and forth as we feel like (with the intention to help of course).

I just think (for what it's worth, and of course you and others are welcome to disagree with me, as I think you will), that such advice is better kept private as a PM, rather than global message where it might do harm. I think makemerry's question, which is about SFQ, might be better kept to SFQ. There is not "bad" here. There is just "good, better, best" and I may indeed be wrong as to what is better.

It just feels to me that if something helped you and might help someone else, there is less potential harm to keeping it private, rather than making it global.

There are two moderators operating here: the one assigned and ourselves. Just because we CAN say something without censor, does not mean that it is the best thing to do.

Again, I could be wrong, but it is worth at least this little exchange we have had to help people better, as you say, decide for themselves. I vote and encourage people to definitely take charge of their own health, and do so with caution, in the sense of "this worked for me, but YMMV".

Meanwhile, without any moderator assistance, and to try and bring this back on topic:
makemerry, how is your SFQ practice helping you in general? Based on gallen's wisdom and observations, are you feeling better in ANY area of your life?

Is there anyone else out there besides we who have chimed in here, who have been helped using SFQ in their depression or related yin/yang imbalances?

I know that in addition to my anxiety issues, I also sometimes suffer from at least acute depression and once was on depression medication. I also know that when I do extra SFQ (say instead of doing my usual hour, I do two), I often feel a significant change similar to what happened when I was on Paxil (in terms of feeling better) but without the side effects.

Again, I make the same caution here: YMMV, and in general, it is good to at least consult your doctor before changing dosages or weaning off of medication (some medications really need the weaning and even if it you do need to lower or eliminate, the doctor can help).

I still sometimes get low-grade depression that can (if I let it) impair my work and relationships. On those days, I often take a "sick" day of extra SFQ (sometimes even more than 3 or 4 hours) and 9 times out of ten, it works.

So, I am wondering if anyone else has had that experience with SFQ itself.

Shakurav,
I agree that our exchange of postings will hopefully help forum members to decide what's best for them.

I believe that people sometimes can be stuck with little progress by just trying to overcome anxiety, depression, etc. using spiritual techniques. Since I am not a believer in any form of prescription drugs, I have resorted to herbal and homeopathic remedies, all of which have helped me. I am also extremely sceptical about how Western medicine diagnoses psychiatric/psychological illnesses. I have practical experience on the patient side with doctors, but have also read sections of relevant books which they use. I can say that I do not see how doctors can cure patients with their pills, as opposed to people trying to work out their own problems and start helping themselves in some ways. This may consist in attempting some techniques, like SFC, Paraliminals, Sonic Access, etc or products from other companies. There is a phenomenal amount of knowledge about anything on the web. It is a matter of willingness to spend the time and learn. Personally I prefer to make my own mistakes rather than paying somebody high fees to get bad advice. I do not expect others to do what I do though. We are all free to decide how to solve our problems.

Hi again,
When I make a post, I make my best effort to offer help within the context of SFQ. It is good to lead by example. I learned that from Master Lin in a small but awkward encounter I had with him, where I was criticizing something. The lesson was more or less, set the example, don't criticize. I am not saying this in reaction to anything said here. It is just an opportunity to share something I found to be very useful within qigong wisdom ala Master Lin's level of example.
The more experience you have with qigong, the more you can offer in that context. I find that qigong lacks nothing and includes everything. Currently, I have been drinking some white mulberry leaf tea. I was attacted to it for many reasons, both academic and spiritually driven. I never drink it without clearing it, like with sword fingers, or infusing it with my intention, or having my master's energy bless it. Again, I just take the opportunity here to put an aspect of herb use within the context of qigong. I also thank the plant itself, and the source of the plant, as well as the water . There are elementals within the mix, that have both physical and spiritual presence. In regards to engaging with herbs or medicines, aside from the discernment as to whether or not they are good for you or not, 'if' you are utilizing them, don't leave the qigong out of that equation. We know that we can transform energy. I recall again another example of Master Lin effecting a bottle of wine to effect the alcohol content, as not to effect him, or altering water to taste sweet or salty, etc.
There is also the unaware intention we may project into something, that empowers it to work for us. Lots of possible variables in play.
Also, don't discount the effectiveness of yin/yang water. From one simple standpoint, it is simply warm and good for the tummy/lower dan tien. It isn't caffeinated, it is calming. From another perspective, you can make it medicine, infusing it with what you require. The potential is there, to create or receive what you require. It is relative to one's ability, and practice makes perfect, strong focus manifests effectively. Whether you are comfortable with these concepts or not, if you have interest in qigong, utilize it along with any herbs you take. Bring the herb, into the practice. Leaving qigong technique aside and just engaging with an herb as an alternative to qigong, is not as good.
love,
gallen

All good points, gallen and well taken. I thank you for all of the above.

And in regards to uniquesoul's points about MD's etc, I too, have some healthy (pun intended) skepticism when it comes to mainstream Western allopathic medicine. I also know that many people swear by it. I just like to err on the side of caution when in public.

Still, sometimes my potential error may be worse than just going for it and sharing whatever works for me with whomever might benefit.

I like gallen's take on this though: even IF we integrate herbs or whatever, it sounds helpful to bring that into the SFQ practice using yin/yang water (to make herbal tea, as per gallen's example above), and for those who use the Level III "message water" practice, to put a "message" (or "information" as it is also called in other qigong schools and texts) in it. Thereby making even more effective and (as in homeopathy, or Bach Flower medicine schools) possibly even mitigating any potential side effects or whatever.

Since everything is energy, even herbs (and other forms of medicine, as well), by sending a message in conjunction with the medicine, it seems to me (and I had not really thought of this before gallen's post above, which is why I really love this forum: I learn so much here!), you can help make the medicine (no matter the source) MORE effective with less side effects.

A very cool idea!

So, again thanks to gallen and also uniquesoul for providing their perspectives in an important and interesting discussion.

I fully agree that a spiritual connection with the herbs, medicines, food, etc you take is excellent. Whether you do it through SFQ or any other modality is a decision of the person doing it. I would just find it very hard to do this with synthetic drugs, even if I can understand that the intention of those inventing it and manufacturing it could be noble.

We agree. I am not a big fan of modern medicine. Yet it has its value and can help people as Master Lin has said. Also has its side effects. And I, like you and many others prefer more holistic approaches.

And that is why I came to SFQ, as I suspect many of us did. Which brings us back once again to the main topic of SFQ and depression...

Anyone else have some interesting stories about how SFQ helped them with depression (or anxiety, bi-polar or any other related yin-yang imbalances?

You can help a lot of people by sharing this, so please don't be shy.

I do believe the greatest value of Western medicine is into rescuing people who had serious accidents. Some of the operations are staggering and save lives. For the rest, SFQ and other spiritual methods combined with exercise will speed up the recovery and help in the self-healing capacity of the human body.

I believe that for panic attacks the simple massage of the collarbone point as in EFT, TFT, EP, etc is valuable.

I am fascinated by the technology which measures the energy field like Harry Oldfield does (http://www.electrocrystal.com/). I do not think the interpretation of the output is that simple though.

The perspective in general on medicine, in regards to one's qigong practice, is that sometimes medicine is necessary to take in, and it is best to filter it, or bless it, however you choose to see or do that, synthetic or natural. At the same time, you are engaged with a transformative practice that can result in gradually not requiring the medicine, or requiring a lesser dose.
That piece is all relative to one's level practice, the particular medicines, and state of being.
If one has to take synthetic drugs, it is best to not have an 'additional' negative emotional reaction to having to take the drug, and be more impartial about it, filter it , and focus on the selfhealing side and one's transformation to health and not requiring the drug. As Master Lin has taught in regards to blockages, that extra energy isn't good or bad, but rather just extra energy, or energy you don't need, or energy out of place.
In relation to good food or natural herbs, there can be a nice spiritual/physical connection to acknowledge, or fortify. With less natural or powerful synthetics, or something like chemo therapy, it is good, as I say, to be impartial, and focus on one's practice and healing, and filter out what doesn't support that. Not wanting to engage with synthetics or powerful drugs is certainly a reasonble position to take. In the event that you have to, it is best to not hold negative feelings about it, and focus on healing, as completely as possible, and keep any additional distraction or negatives out of the mix.
Emotions are energy and can get into the mix too. Food prepared by a happy chef is better than food prepared by an angry one. This all aside from the actual food itself.
Also, one's practice can lead you somewhere in regards to engaging with things one might consider as outside a qigong practice, whether that is really the case or not.
My apologies to the forum and Merrymaker for the shift in focus from depression.
Shakurav, thank you for the good reviews! I would want to clarify that wisdom simply 'is', and it certainly isn't mine!! We all come to it, and can experience through practicing qigong.
love,
gallen