HEALTH
Health is wellness of the body, the mind, and the soul; their alignment with one another is the art of living well.

and




TIPS
WISDOM
Wisdom is understanding of the self, others, and the nature of things; it is essential to  living as if everything is a miracle.
HEALTH
Health is wellness of the body, the mind, and the soul; their alignment with one another is the art of living well.

and




TIPS
WISDOM
Wisdom is understanding of the self, others, and the nature of things; it is essential to  living as if everything is a miracle.
DAILY TAO WISDOM TO AVOID DEPRESSION

We are living in a world of depression, which affects millions of people of all ages. Anti-depressants and psycho therapies may relieve some of the disease symptoms but do not cure the disease. So, it is important to avoid depression.

Depression is all about the mind-the “thinking” mind; more specifically, how the mind functions. The human mind plays a pivotal role in depression: it could be the underlying “cause” of many problems related to depression; on the other hand, it could also be the “antidote” of depression. That is to say, the human mind is a double-edged sword: it could create many “problems” for depression, as well as provide many “solutions” to depression.

The thinking mind plays several major roles in your life, especially in relation to depression.

Life is about experiences, which are composed of thoughts of those experiences by the human mind. According to James Allen, the author of As A Man Thinketh, men are “makers of themselves” and the human mind is the “master-weaver, by both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance.” Accordingly, you may have become who you and what you are by way of your thinking mind over the years; in short, you are the sum of your own thoughts. Therefore, your thinking mind plays a pivotal role in your life.

Tao wisdom may help you understand how the mind thinks, and how it may work for or against you with respect to avoiding or getting depression.

Remember, your “thinking” mind is responsible for creating not only your so-called “realities” based on your perceptions of your life experiences, but also your personality, which also plays a pivotal role in your living in a world of depression.

It is your human nature to identify yourself with your thoughts created by your own thinking mind. This identity begins to relate to more thoughts, both past and present, as well as their projections into the future as desires and expectations. These accumulative thoughts begin to take shape and form your ego-self, which all of us have, because it is the identity that separates and distinguishes us from others.  But the ego-self may also become the human flaw that is ultimately responsible for your depression.

Tao wisdom is the way not only to avoid depression but also to go through depression-if you already have depression-experiencing every aspect of depression, instead of avoiding it with distractions or drugs-and thus the only Way to get you out of depression while living in a world of depression.

Don’t deny or stigmatize your depression! Go through it, and you may or may not get enlightened, but you will look at your depression differently.

My Way! No Way! Tao Is the Way!

To get your digital copy, click
here; to get your paperback copy, click here.

Stephen Lau
Copyright©2018 by Stephen Lau

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THE WISDOM OF DEALING WITH PAIN

No time of life is pain-free. Just learn to deal with it. Pain is subjective and immeasurable.

Pain does not go away; instead, it often becomes chronic. Your pain receptors become more sensitive, resulting in the nerves continuing to send pain messages to your brain. In the same manner, the nerve cells along your spine become more sensitive too, and thus perpetuating the pain process.

The fundamentals of pain

To overcome pain, there are three fundamentals:

(a) Be positive. Although pain is not something just in the mind, according to Dr. Bernie, author of Love, Medicine & Miracles, overcoming pain begins with a positive attitude towards your pain. You must believe that you are in control of your pain.

(b) Be knowledgeable about why you are having your pain, and what are its sources. Knowledge is powerful not only in minimizing your pain but also in preventing further pain episodes.

(c) Be optimistic, but realistic. Even with the most potent pain medication, moderate relief of pain to enable daily function, as opposed to incapacitation, may be the realistic outcome.

The use of painkillers

Nowadays, there is an array of painkillers available, either over the counter or with prescriptions. With so many choices available, picking a painkiller for a minor discomfort may even be challenging.

For more serious problems, your doctor may start with the safest approach (usually the lowest dosage) and move up to the next level, experimenting different drugs and your body’s reactions to them.

Remember the following:

All drugs are chemicals, and all chemicals are acidic with potential harm to your cells and tissues. Taking drugs to relieve pain often comes with a price.

All drugs treat only the symptoms of a problem, not removing the causes of the problem.

All drugs have side effects; they may cause more problems than they solve over the long haul.

Drugs may result in dependency. Just beware!

Alternative therapeutic options

In addition to pain medications, there are several approaches to pain relief:

(a) Electrical nerve stimulation

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) disrupts your body’s pain messages through electrical nerve stimulation. This technique is used on individuals who do not respond to pain medications.

TENS is often used to treat back pain, cancer pain, pain associated with diabetes, and post-shingles pain, among others.
However, those with heart conditions may not be candidates for TENS. 

(b) Exercise therapy

Exercise therapy uses slow, gentle body movement to stimulate the mind and body for healing from aches and pain. Tai Chi and yoga are ideal exercises for pain relief.

(c) Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy uses water to treat aches and pain, as well as disease and rehabilitation. It harnesses the healing power of water through immersion in warm or cold water to induce or reduce blood flow.

Hydrotherapy is often used to treat foot pain, hemorrhoid pain, joint and muscle pain, joint stiffness and immobility

(d) Massage therapy

Therapeutic massage employs systematic touch, such as kneading, pressing, stroking, and thumping, to relieve aches and pain.

Alternative therapies

(a) Acupuncture and acupressure

Acupuncture is an ancient practice developed by the Chinese centuries ago for relieving pain and treating disease. In acupuncture, very fine needles are inserted into the skin at strategic points on the body based on the theory that energy (known as “qi”) flows through channels between the surface of the body and internal organs.

Acupressure is Chinese massage-a way of accessing and releasing blocked or congested energy paths in the body, known as meridians. It has become an ideal alternative to arthritis pain relief.

(b) Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy uses essential oils of herbs and medicinal plants to treat pain and other health conditions. Natural aromas are all around you-influencing not only your moods, but also your health.

(c) Herbal therapy

Herbal therapy employs parts of plants (seed, stem, flowers, root, bark, leaf) for the relief of pain, ailments, or complaints; it is the earliest known form of medicine.

The use of herbs, however, may have potential risks, such as:

Incorrect preparation
Inexact dosage
Lack of standardization
Wrong parts of the plant

Therefore, it is important to do some research and choose a reputable herb supplier for all your herbal needs.

Stephen Lau
Copyright© 2018 by Stephen Lau

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