Char Marie, L.Ac.

11/23/2025

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"The Lost Human Posture"
In much of Asia, the deep squat is an ordinary resting posture. People wait for trains, chat with friends, play cards, stretch their backs, or work close to the ground with their feet fully planted and torso upright. In the United States, most people lose this natural ability by adolescence. Chairs, cars, and soft couches replace floor-level movement, and the body gradually adapts to sitting at ninety degrees. We assume this loss happens because of aging. In reality, it begins decades earlier through disuse.

Read our 2 part article at: www.chinesehealth.com?id=159

11/04/2025

10/29/2025

The Chinese idiom jìpín fúkùn (济贫扶困) expresses the virtue of helping those in need, particularly those who are poor or struggling. Literally, jì (济) means "to aid or relieve," pín (贫) means "poverty," fú (扶) means "to support or lift up," and kùn (困) means "distress or hardship." Together they form a phrase deeply rooted in Confucian ethics, emphasizing compassion, responsibility, and moral action in society.

In English, jìpín fúkùn is often translated as "to aid the poor and support the distressed." Yet its meaning is broader—it calls us to balance self-cultivation with social awareness. To walk the path of taijiquan or qigong without extending compassion to others would be incomplete. Each breath we take in practice can also remind us to lighten another's burden. In that way, ancient virtue finds its living form in the modern world.

Article at www.qi-journal.com/3473-to-aid-the-poor

10/29/2025

10/10/2025

Very important and true, and sometimes people forget.

"Rest Is Part of Movement: The Balance of Activity and Stillness"

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to believe that doing more is always better. Exercise apps track our every step, and "rest days" are often treated as a necessary weakness instead of something vital. But in traditional Chinese thinking, rest is not the opposite of movement—it is part of the cycle. Without stillness, activity loses its meaning. Without restoration, health slowly unravels.
This idea is rooted in the principle of yin-yang (阴阳), one of the most fundamental concepts in Chinese philosophy. Yin represents rest, stillness, coolness, and nourishment. Yang represents activity, motion, heat, and outward energy. Health is not about choosing one or the other. It's about maintaining balance.
Article at: www.chinesehealth.com/rest-is-part-of-movement