Articles Index-Complementary Therapies
 
ANMO FU (Deep Organ massage)
 
Maintaining the Body's Engine
 
The body can often be referred to like a car; we can have big, grand expensive models, fast sports versions, little two seaters, old bangers, tearabouts and large tourers. Some are super fast and some are slow, some have the potential to be fast but most of the time are considerate, and some look very fast and shiny but have no internal potential, and some jump from one minor scrape or bump to another.
 
The driver (or brain) makes the decisions to move, stop, how fast and what fuel to place inside, also when and how to maintain the car's safety and ability. Subjects like oil, tyre pressure and water need considering everyday. Longer-term consideration is maintenance like changing the oil, greasing the suspension and wheel alignment etc.
 
Generally this is conducted by a qualified mechanic (therapist or doctor), however as people become more educated they often want a bigger role (and clear explanation) in maintaining their own vehicles or deciding by whom and how this work is conducted.
 
The internal organs can be likened to the body's engine; we put fuel in and get power out (Qi or energy). That power is in the form of blood and chemicals taken from our nutrition and processed by the different organs feeding the brain, sense organs, muscles, bones and joints etc
 
The quality of the power from the engine is not only reliant on the quality of fuel that we provide but also on the state of the engine and its ability to process.
 
Oriental medicine's view on this engine is based on the 5 Zang organs (Heart, Liver, Spleen, Kidneys & Lungs); each one has a dramatic effect on the body, from emotional issues (the driver) right down to expelling toxins (exhaust fumes).
 
A good mechanic will have a number of skills and a selection of tools that both assess and repair each area of the vehicle that they find is in need.
 
Due to the position of the Heart and Lungs a mechanic's choice therapy is a little limited however there are some ways to treat these parts. If there is an energy (Qi), yin, yang or blood involvement, acupuncture, acupressure or herbs can be used or, as this area is heavily involved in psychology, working with the spirit can often rebalance the area. Another cause of dysfunction can be a slightly twisted frame, so the mechanic would use bodyworks or Qi Gung to reposition the bones.
 
The Liver, Spleen and Kidneys (Gall bladder, Small & Large Intestines) is where most mechanics can really have their fun at tuning up the vehicle to get maximum performance, by clearing fuel lines and exhaust tubes to allow the free flow of all systems.
 
Like a car's engine, our bowels are a finely balanced system of many different parts and interconnected operations. The Liver, for example, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is connected to the eyes, ensuring healthy vision; it stores the blood so has a big involvement in the circulation issues; it ensures the free flow of Qi involved in causing physical pain; and it has a strong involvement in our emotions. Its operation is finely balanced between the Kidney, Heart and Spleen systems and a disruption in these could lead to a number of different psychological and physical problems.
 
To ensure that the Liver is working at its highest potential its blood flow needs to be unrestricted and free flowing, the toxins that surround it need to be moving and physically it needs to be hanging in the correct position to roll and squeeze with the diaphragm when breathing.
 
One of the best tools a mechanic has to ensure that everything is working correctly is an ancient Oriental deep stomach massage called 'Anmo Fu'. Anmo Fu utilises fingers, thumbs, palms, knuckles, arms and sometimes elbows to massage and mobilise the bowels in a gentle unwinding manner.
 
Utilising palpation and muscle testing to diagnose bowel torsions, trapped gas, blocked faeces, toxin build up, dysfunction valves and water retention, the therapist can set up the best treatment style to suit each person's individual requirements.
 
The therapist oils the abdomen in a gentle, free flowing manner, working outward from the umbilicus we draw a union jack of strokes, constantly feeling for torsions and disharmony. This starts to clear pockets of fluid and trapped gas and introduces the body to the physical contact.
From that point we then scoop and flush the large intestine, initially working opposite to its natural flow in case of blockages. This is followed by flushing techniques for the Liver, Gall Bladder, Stomach and Spleen.
 
Then we start our deeper work of untwisting the small and large intestines. Poor diet, stress and emotional trauma lead to a great deal of torsions in the bowel area, causing a long list of seemingly unrelated problems including IBS, Crohn's, infertility, menstrual problems, fatigue, depression, thrush & candida, bloating and weight gain. In fact the list is endless, due to the absorption of unwanted toxins.
 
Time is spent feeling and releasing these torsions, often with the client finding an immediate release of energy and in a day or two, vision becomes clearer with the whites (or yellow) of the eye becoming whiter. Observing the belly button often shows the direction of the torsions that pull the fascia.
 
Once the torsions are released normal homeostasis is restored, meaning toxins are removed, the bowels move at a normal rate, and nutrients are absorbed providing the vital energy for all of the systems of the body.
 
Emotionally, torsions in different areas cause predictable effects on our psychology (the mind and the body are undeniably connected); a twist or restriction in the upper centre causes strong emotional anxieties and pressure on the heart, left centre causes bloating, bowel issues and mother earth worries of the world. Below the umbilicus, fear & fright, back problems and infertility. The upper right, irritability and rage, stiffness, headaches etc.
 
Just a client's description of some of their symptoms can lead you directly to where the restriction is which often amazes them because they feel their own discomfort as soon as you touch the area.
 
Anmo fu is just one part of the Oriental Body Balance system of therapy. It is essential that therapists (or mechanics) have an understanding of the whole system (mind, body & spirit) so that they can tailor treatments to the individual requirements of each client and their needs at each treatment. By applying medicine in this way, using diagnosis (to find the cause) and selected holistic treatments, recovery can be dramatically accelerated even when many other types of therapy have already failed.
 
For further details on the Oriental Body Balance Diploma course or Anmo Fu, please visit our website www.orientalbodybalance.co.uk
Email tcmdoctor@o2.co.uk or phone: 01253 728035
 
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