Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz

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1. Free Qi Meditation, and a Podcast Update from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   Apr 3, 202610 min

   Hello, beautiful beings! This is a short message to let you know that the podcast is taking a short break while I focus on a few other projects. In the meantime, I’d love to share with you this gentle, guided meditation to cultivate your Qi – your life force energy, nourish your Three Treasures (more on these in episode 50 & 32) and power inner connection. This Qi meditation is a powerful way to bring coherence to body, mind and soul. For those who prefer to meditate seated – this can be a great way to break up the day, clear & recharge your Qi – your life force energy – and come back to yourself. This is just one of the many Qi-charging rituals in the Radiant Energy Reset (we also have a luscious, lying down version). If you’d like to go deeper into this ancient wisdom that supports you in feeling radiant, clear & energised, you can learn more here. And in light of everything that we talked about in recent episodes, this meditation can be a great way to support further self-connection, self-knowledge and deep embodiment. (00:00) Intro (00:09) A message from Dr. Maz (03:15) Qi Meditation Access the Qi Meditation on YouTube You can also find the Qi Meditation on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@drmaz_qi

2. Ep. 50: AI vs. Soul: what are we empowering & what is the cost to our health? from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   Mar 6, 202640 min

   As AI becomes more and more prevalent, I’ve heard questions asked about its cost in terms of resources and energy (to power the machines). But what about the cost to our own life force energy, our Qi? We say that “where our attention goes, energy flows”, so where are we placing our power when we outsource our thinking, creation and communication to a non-living entity? And how does that impact our own vitality, which rests upon the cultivation of energy – Qi – within our body, mind and soul? As we will discuss, health is so much more than just the absence of disease. Rather, it manifests when we are living as the most glorious expression of ourselves , deeply embodied in body, mind and soul. In this episode, I share my thoughts as a doctor of Chinese and Taoist Medicine – and offer powerful ways to empower our connection within. (05:08) Heart, Soul, the organs of creation & our unique voice: Fire element (11:23) The Three Treasures and how they relate to our expression & integrity (16:51) Heaven, Human, Earth: we are conduits for cosmic & earthly Qi (19:43) What is health? (22:44) Outsourcing to AI, and loss of joy and inspiration (24:02) AI makes mistakes and provides incorrect information (28:26) The unexpected gift of generative AI (31:51) Content vs. connection (34:11) Rituals and habits to reclaim soul connection and inner empowerment Subscribe to the YouTube channel to be notified when I share my embodiment mediation https://www.youtube.com/@drmaz_qi You can access the whole collection of Qi rituals in the Radiant Energy Reset Transcript Welcome Hi everyone, welcome to the Balanced Natural Health podcast where we share insights from the ancient science and timeless wisdom of Chinese medicine. Information from the old natural ways of healing can support us in leading more beautiful, more vibrant and more vital lives today. In this podcast I share simple, natural and accessible tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life for more vibrant health and wellness. I’m so glad you’re here. Episode Intro Hi everyone, I’m Dr. Maz and welcome back to episode 50 of the podcast. In today’s episode, I will share some further musings on what we touched on briefly in the previous episode (episode 49). We talked about the Year of the Fire Horse, and all of the energies that are coming through – which some people are saying will go towards the growth of AI and the proliferation of AI… but there is another way that can go as well. So the question that I’ve been pondering – and having lots of really rich and beautiful conversations about – over the last few months, and even longer actually, is about: What does it mean to be human? What is the place of AI? What are we creating with our engagement with AI, ChatGPT, Claude and all of the generative AI models? What kind of world and reality are we contributing to? What is the true cost of AI? We hear about all of the environmental, or energy, costs from a fuel perspective of running the machines that generate all of this content that is flooding the world around us – but what about the cost to our own life force energy, to our Qi, and the cost to our health? Is there actually a cost to our health? Does it interfere with living our truest-most expression of body, mind and soul? What does Chinese Medicine, and Taoist Medicine, have to say on the topic? This is something that I’ve had a lot of thoughts about as I’ve watched the flood of AI in our mainstream society, and watched as things become more and more airbrushed, more and more unreal and more and more un-alive. The reality is that everything that we touch and create through our living beings is imbued with some of our life force energy – that living Qi that is in us, and in all living things and in the natural world around usa. And this is what is missing in the echo chamber of generated stuff, because it’s generated by non-living entities. In this episode, I’ll share with you some perspectives from Chinese Medicine, and from Taoist medicine, about what it means to be human, what true health is, what our definition of health is and what our unique role as humans is here on this realm. We will ponder the question of what are we empowering: where are we placing our power? We know that where attention and intention goes is where energy flows – where Qi flows. This is how we practice Qi Gong and many forms of energy healing: it’s about the impeccable nature of our focus and our attention, and so when we continue to keep placing that energy, that Qi, that living life force outside of us, are we taking power away from within ourselves? Are we disempowering ourselves and what are we empowering outside of ourselves? Are we outsourcing our life force energy and what is the cost? I’ll also share some rituals, habits and invitations of different things that we can practice in order to come more into deepre connection with that wellspring of life that is within us all: the life force energy that flows through us as living beings and that can guide us. The reality is that even though we’ve been maybe encouraged or invited to look at AI as some great bastion of intelligence and all-knowingness, that is simply not the case. It’s just a collector of information – and not all of that information is even true or even accurate. I’m going to share some interesting conversations that I’ve had with the AI overview in Google, where it was telling me blatantly incorrect information and then justifying why it was doing so. This was about things like times and dates of full moons, that were wildly inaccurate. And yet, we’re giving our power away to it, and taking its advice on how to make choices, or how to act in living our lives. I’ll share some different things that we might weave through our daily life in order to bring us more into connection with that current within – to bring us more into empowerment and embodiment, so that we can make choices from there. The Chinese Medicine perspective on health, and fulfilling our unique destiny in this life To begin, I’d like to share some concepts from Chinese Medicine thought, about what does it mean to be healthy? What does it mean to live a rich, fulfilled and complete life, and to embody our existence here on this earth completely. And there are several concepts I’d like to talk about here, and one is about the Fire element and its connection to creation, to our Heart and to our Soul – or our Shen, as we call it in Chinese Medicine. Shen roughly equates to our soul or spirit, our consciousness, our present awareness. The Fire element s also connected to our sexual organs, and our tongue as well – organs of creation, and what we create or speak into the world. I will also share about the Three Treasures of Chinese Medicine: the Jing, Qi and Shen – or the Essence, the Qi (our life force energy) and the Shen (again, this is the spirit). And, I will share about the unique position that we see humans as holding between Heaven and Earth, and our role of being an integrated and capacitated conduit between Heaven and Earth energy – our role in grounding the cosmic and etheric energy here on Earth. In light of this, we will also talk about the importance of having internal coherence and integrity, in order to support that process. The Fire Element: creation, connection, expression, our unique voice and the spark of life Okay, so we begin with the Fire element. You may have heard me talk before about the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine: each are connected to an organ, and an organ system, and also to an aspect of our consciousness. And in the case of the Fire element, it rules the Heart, it rules the life force within, and it’s also connected to our Shen, which is loosely translated as our soul or spirit, our present awareness. It’s the spark of life that we respond to in someone’s eyes. We all carry that divine spark of life force energy within. And interestingly, in Chinese Medicine, the Heart is connected to the Womb and the testes (or, the “Room of Sperm”) and to the tongue, and it’s linked with the bitter flavour. And what is really curious -and I’ve talked about this on a beautiful podcast that I was invited to speak on recently – is that the bitter taste receptors are found not only on the tongue… but also in the heart and in the womb as well! Somehow the ancients understood this connection between those vital organs, which are considered to be organs of creation. So we’re birthing the divine in material form – through the form of a new human, a new soul here upon this Earth – and we’re birthing it through our words and our unique voice and our creations. And I think it’s interesting that in this Double Fire year that I’ve talked about (according to the 60 year Stems and Branches calendar of Chinese thought, we’re now in a Double Fre Year of the Fire Horse), many people are talking about this being a year that is really going to see the rise of AI. But I think that there’s also another invitation – and an opportunity – for us to bring more of this embodied divine creation through our beings, bringing this Fire energy through our beings, and creating with our words and our unique voice. And this is a big part of my concern, and why my spidey senses have always felt really ick about engaging in creating content or even modifying content with AI or ChatGPT, Claude, whatever – because in doing so, there is a certain frequency or tone of our unique voice that is modified, that is also censored, possibly – and it can happen so slowly that we don’t even notice it’s happening. The modification can be subtle, but it changes our unique voice, it changes our expression – and our connection to other living beings. Becuase this is how we connect – with our voice and our expression, with our deepest thoughts, our unique turns of phrase, and everything else that pours through us. Where are we investing our attention, intention, energy, focus and power? So there is an interesting thing to consider in relation to this thought: what are we empowering? Where are we placing our life force energy? Are we giving our power away to something that’s inert and dead? It’s not imbued with life force energy, it’s not connected to the Heavens and the Earth, the cosmos and Gaia – the living being beneath our feet – and the web of life that’s all around us, and that we depend on for life. We’re putting our attention, our power, our questioning. into something that’s external and not alive, and we are allowing our living life, our living beings, to be guided by that. Can we maybe turn back towards looking within, towards looking to the world around us for answers as well, towards aligning with the cycles of Mama Nature, the laws of Mama Nature. It is such a potent choice point now that we all face. And iit’s an individual choice. Everyone’s going to have different spots on the spectrum where they sit. But I think it’s an important thing to bring to awareness and to consider, so that we can make choices consciously. Because, and I’ll come back to this again later, like any tool, AI is a tool that can be used to our benefit – but it’s when we give our power away that that balance shifts. Are we using AI – or is it using us? I see many instances around me where I see that it is using us, it’s harvesting knowledge about our thinking patterns, about what it is that makes us human, about how humans react. And there’s that famous saying about “if you are not paying for the product, you are the product itself”. So I wonder, what are we participating in? Why are we giving so much of our power, focus, attention and time to something that is not of this living world. That’s my thoughts on the Fire element and how it relates to creation, and the world that we are creating with our expression and our connection to other living beings. The Three Treasures and how they govern health, longevity, radiant aging and resilience The other idea that I’d like to touch on is that of the Three Treasures in Chinese Medicine. In Chinese Medicine, everything that we do is about cultivating these Three Treasures, which are so called because they are the foundation of a vibrant, well-lived, long and abundant life. The state of our Three Treasures – and how well we cultivate and look after them – will dictate how quickly we bounce back from injury, how resilient we are, how joyfully and completely we experience this lifetime, and also how we move through each stage and season of life. They are at the root of our health. They are the Jing, or Essence; the Qi, our life force energy; and the Shen, or the soul, spirit, consciousness, present-awareness that I talked about earlier. You may have heard me talk quite a lot about our Qi, our life force energy, if you’ve listened to me before, but we also tend to our Jing – our Essence, and our Shen – our Soul-Spirit. Our Jing – Essence – can also be called our Pre-Heaven Endowment, or our genetic endowment. This is what we come into this worldly embodiment with. And it is our, in a way, our earthly connection. So it’s a connection to the Earth part of that Heaven-Human-Earth trilogy, or trinity. And then we have the Shen, or Spirit. This is our connection to the divine, to the great-all-that-is, to the zero-point field of all possibility, to maybe the Akashic Records or the Kordylewski clouds (the big plasma clouds in the sky), maybe to the consciousness of water all around us, and to the abundant wisdom and all knowingness of Mama Nature as well. So that is the Shen aspect, and it can be said to have some relationship to the Heavens, or cosmos, within that trinity of Heaven-Man-Earth. How nourishing our Qi each and every day supports our Essence and our Soul Everything that we do, through practices like nourishing our daily Qi, stops us from dipping into our genetic endowment, our Essence. And the more that we nourish our daily Qi, the less we dip into those deep reserves of energy that are intended to last us through this life. And also the more that we come into alignment with the expression of our Soul or Spirit here on this earthly realm – or plane, or whatever you want to call it, within this experience of reality – and the more that we can be a conduit for the divine, for that cosmic energy, that heavenly energy, then the more that we can create Heaven on Earth, and be that connection. And so everything that we do in Chinese Medicine is geared towards the cultivation and nourishment of these Three Treasures. For example, we nourish our daily Qi, our life force energy, with foods that are well digested, with making sure we have a balance of rest and activity, with processing our emotions so our Qi doesn’t get snagged or scattered. And in that way, we can avoid having to dip into our deep reserves of Jing or Essence, that Pre-Heaven energy. So I think of Jing as our long-term savings deposit – It’s like a term account that’s meant to last us for a whole lifetime – whereas our Qi or life force energy is like a daily spending account. And the more that we can make sure that we’re well resourced for every day, the less we dip into those deep reserves. And the Shen is our connection to the source, to all-that-is, to the greater universe, to Mama Nature. The clearer that our Spirit, Soul, awareness is – which we do through practices like emotional alchemy, like moving our emotions, like stream of consciousness journaling, cultivating our awareness with Qi Gong and meditation – so the clearer and brighter that Shen, then the more of that divine, cosmic, Heavenly energy we bring through into this embodiment on Earth. Somatic work and embodiment practices are everywhere, but are we truly embodied in our beings? We’re hearing a lot now about somatic practices, about embodiment, about getting grounded, about being embodied in our body and souls, and rebalancing that over-reliance on the mind and the rational aspect. But again, I think when we see how much many are relying on the external mind through AI, we can see that we are moving in fact, further and further away from embodiment – away from deep grounding, from deep connection. Humans as conduits between Heaven and Earth: embodying the cosmic in our reality Because (and this will bring me to my next point about Heaven, Human and Earth) when we are deeply embodied in our bodies, in our flesh and blood living bodies – when our mind is connected to our body and our soul, when we have integrity and coherence and alignment with every aspect of our being, when we know our mind, when we know who we are, when we know our Heart, when we know our Soul, when we are connected to the whispers of our beautiful beings, to all the messages that they are letting us know all the time – then we are a beautiful conduit between Heaven and Earth. And that is something that we talk about in Chinese Medicine – we understand that humans have a place here connecting the heavenly upon the earth. I mean, I believe personally that all living beings – whether it’s animals or trees, flowers or rocks – play that same role. I don’t actually place humans above other living beings. However, traditionally in Chinese Medicine, all life here on Earth – but especially humans – is that connection between Heaven and Earth. In a way, we have a responsibility – or maybe an invitation – to be that conduit, that hollow bone, that capacitated vessel to allow information from Heaven and Earth to flow through us. And that is where inspiration, intuition, divine guidance, inner knowing, new ideas, insight, and yes, intelligence as well, spring from. They’re informed from the integrity and coherence of all aspects of our being. “Intelligence” is only one aspect of knowledge, understanding and responsible decision-making And this brings me to another concern that I have- that in placing our power in AI, in giving up our reasoning, or the sorting-through of information to see if it has the ring of truth about it, then we are placing all of our power in something that focuses only on one aspect of knowing, of understanding, of perceiving the world. And that is, intelligence. AI being artificial intelligence, is using only one aspect of the whole spectrum of thinking. And in fact, there are many others – and really learned and amazing scientists, for example, like Einstein, who many see as the bastion of intelligence and intellectual brilliance – who acknowledge that intelligence is only a servant to intuition and insight. There are many stories of great leaps of understanding, and great leaps in our view of the world, that came not from intelligence as such, but from divine inspiration, from following instinct, from following intuition. And my concern is this: what are we doing with placing so much attention and intention in this model of artificial intelligence that’s external to us? Are we then missing out on our own divine inspiration, on those new leaps of thinking and understanding? And how can we cultivate that quality within ourselves, that inner connection, to allow more of that power to empower us from within? How can we cultivate that inner connection to light us up from within, and to inform our expression in the world, and our contribution to the world around us? This is vital, because this has an impact on how we live our lives – and on how healthy and vibrant we are. Living our destiny, becoming who we truly are, who we embodied here to be I see health as being so much more than merely the absence of disease or symptoms. Rather, I see health – and a life beautifully lived – as us being the most gloriously-expressed versions of our true selves. Carl Jung put this beautifully as well: he said that the “privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” And this is what we talk about in Chinese Medicine too. The question to ask is, how do we live our destiny here? How do we express our genetic endowment, our Jing or Essence that we have come into this world with, through our Qi and through our Shen, whic

3. Ep. 49: Year of the Fire Horse 2026 – working with Double Fire energies from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   Feb 1, 202624 min

   The Year of the Fire Horse is almost upon us, galloping onto the scene on the next New Moon. This is a “Double Fire” year, carrying the invitation and the opportunity for dynamic changes, transmutation and transformation – and explosive power, if we are prepared for it. The Snake Year that is currently drawing to a close has pushed us to shed our skins and release that which no longer fits, so that we can shine bright with the essential Fire energies of this Year of the Fire Horse. I’m so excited for the unbridled, wild and untameable energies of this coming year – but the Fire Horse has not always been welcome. Indeed, individuals born in Fire Horse years were painted as ungovernable (yay!), reckless and dangerous – precisely because of their independent nature, fiery will and authentic expression of their truest selves. And none were more stigmatised than Fire Horse women. Year of the Fire Horse Stigma Women born in the Year of the Fire Horse were shunned as wives – seen as too wild, too free and too full of passion. Female foetuses were aborted, and unlucky “accidents” befell female babies. The lucky ones had their birth years misattributed to the neighbouring years. This data is clearly documented in the 1966 birthrate in Japan, which dropped by a staggering 25%. Why are these qualities of passion, self-authority and living one’s truest impulses so feared? I have some thoughts. And I also believe that this coming 2026 Year of the Fire Horse is a potent opportunity for all of us – Fire Horse or not, woman or not – to embody even more of our most wild, essential selves. To be guided by our hearts and souls – both aspects of the Fire element. In this episode: (00:00) Introduction (02:44) what IS the Year of the Fire Horse: why it’s so potent – and so feared? (06:00) Double Fire and the potential for transformation & alchemy (07:28) The stigma of being born in the Year of the Fire Horse (09:40) Why the Year of the Fire Horse carries vital energy for ALL of us (13:47) 2026 – rise of AI or an opportunity for greater embodiment? (17:00) Balance Double Fire with simple habits & rituals (and a Feng Shui tip) (20:30) Fire & Water polarity One of the practices that is so important in grounded and capacitating these powerful energies of the Year of the Fire Horse is Qi Gong – literally, “energy work”. I have created a beautiful, self-paced experience that guides you through energy work practices in just 10 minutes a day. Open up the flow in your meridians, alchemise blocks, unlock the secrets of your energy centres (chakras), charge up your Qi and tune up your biofield – so that you can best harness these powerful energies coming our way. Learn more here. Transcript Introduction (00:00) Hi everyone, welcome to the Balanced Natural Health podcast where we share insights from the ancient science and timeless wisdom of Chinese medicine. Information from the old natural ways of healing can support us in leading more beautiful, more vibrant and more vital lives today. In this podcast I share simple, natural and accessible tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life for more vibrant health and wellness. I’m so glad you’re here. Episode Welcome (00:32) Hello beautiful beings and welcome to episode 49 of the podcast. I’m Dr. Maz and in today’s episode I would like to dive into something really timely and very exciting because as many of you may know we are about to head into a new lunar year – t he Chinese New Year is coming up. It begins on February the 17th here in Australia and this year upcoming is a really exciting, powerful, dynamic one. It’s ripe with possibility and opportunity and it is the Year of the Fire Horse. I’m just so excited about the energy that’s about to come through this Year of the Fire Horse. We’ve been getting ready for this new power that’s going to pour through us with the Snake Year that we’ve just been through. So we’ve just been through a shedding of skins, releasing of anything that might be clouding or dimming our power – and the way it shines through us. This has all been in service to clear the way for the wild, untamable power of theYear of the Fire Horse. I n today’s episode we will talk about why this is such a powerful year and what it means for feminine power – the rising of the deep, wild, sacred, untamed feminine within all of us. Because we all contain at least a seed of the masculine and the feminine. We’re going to talk about what that means for reclaiming our essential, truest, most vibrant expression of selves. We will also talk about how we can best support ourselves to capacitate the flow of this powerful energy in this Year of the Fire Horse. Also, things to look out for and practices that we can put into place to ground and hold this huge influx, this surge of Fire Horse energy that’s coming our way. Maybe you’re tapping into this energy as well? Perhaps you’re feeling like it’s been a weird kind of stop-start (or not-quite-start) to the Gregorian calendar, or maybe you’re feeling an upwelling of excitement – like something’s really brewing – and that is the Year of the Fire Horse that is coming. What is the Year of the Fire Horse? (02:44) So first of all, let’s take a look at what is the Horse year – and what is the Fire Horse year, specifically. In the Chinese view of the world and from the Chinese calendar perspective, we have a 60 year calendar. It’s a beautiful calendar called the Heavenly Stems and the Earthly Branches. And this calendar has been used for millennia to map climate cycles, weather patterns, to harness the best harvest and to best align ourselves with the environment, This is because in Chinese medicine, we acknowledge that we are woven into the web of life all around us. And so knowing how we can position ourselves to be in the best alignment with the prevailing energies of the climate – and the weather for each particular year – is really beneficial. And t his is something that has been honed to a fine art. Stems & Branches: t he Chinese 60 Year Calendar The 60 year calendar is based on the 10 Heavenly Stems and the 12 Earthly Branches. There’s 12 animals – t hese are the 12 Earthly Branches. And this is where we get animals like the Snake, which we’re having this year, or which we’re just wrapping up, and the Horse which is coming up. Each of the 12 animals have unique attributes. So for example, the snake likes to stay quiet, close to the ground. It’s really tuned into frequency and vibration. And it is well known for its ability to shed skins. And the horse, in contrast, is full of a dynamic bursting forth. The horse is known for its energy, its love of movement, its freedom, its independence, and its generally enthusiastic and outgoing nature… and so on for all of the other 12 animals. So we’ve got the 12 Earthly Branches and the 10 Heavenly Stems. The 10 Heavenly Stems are based on a Yin and Yang version of each of the five elements. The five elements are a really key way in which we describe the world in Chinese medicine, Taoist medicine and Taoist thought. Five Elements within the Calendar The Five Elements are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. And for each of these, we have Yin and Yang counterparts. We’ve got Yang Fire and Yin Fire within the Heavenly Stems. So what happens is we have 12 animals, but we have a 60 year cycle. And this is because e ach of the animals gets a go in one of the Five Elements. Now, you might be wondering, hang on a minute, there’s 12 animals and 10 Heavenly Stems, which would make 120, not 60 – and you are correct. But there is a rule that only Yang stems get matched with Yang branches (or animals that are Yang), and Yin stems (Yin type elements) get matched with Yin branches (Yin animals). In the case of the horse, the horse has a Yang nature because it likes to move, it likes to be dynamic, to move explosively, it likes to run free, it has a really fiery active energy. And in addition to that, the horse is ruled by Fire. So no matter what element it falls in, the element associated with horse is already Fire. Why the Year of the Fire Horse is a Double Fire year So in this coming Year of the Fire Horse, when the horse falls into the Fire element, we have Double Fire. And there is potential for so much transmutation, transformation and alchemizing, because Fire is the element of transformation. It turns one thing into another, it’s dynamic, it’s full of energy, it’s the life force within all of us. (06:33) And this is why this Year of the Fire Horse holds so much power for all of us, whether we’re a Fire Horse or not. There is an opportunity to claim this wild untameable power within us all for ourselves. And the Fire Horse is the most dynamic of all the horses. In another 12 years, we’ll have the Earth Horse year – the element of Earth moderates that fiery Yang nature of the horse that is innate to the horse anyway. So Earth Horses are said to be more grounded. And, for example, a Water Horse will be more balanced than a Fire Horse in as far as their dynamism goes, because Water and Fire have a polarity, they balance each other out. So if someone is a Water Horse, they will possibly be less impulsive, explosive, dynamic than a Fire Horse. Year of the Fire Horse Stigma (07:29) Now, because of its double Fire nature, there’s been a lot of stigma around people born in the Year of the Fire Horse over the centuries, and particularly women. This is due to the nature of a society that liked women to be biddable, meek and submissive and to surrender to the will of others. And particularly so in a society that valued collectivism and submission to authority – anyone who stood in their wild, untameable, self-sovereign self-authority was a threat to that system – and none more so than women. (08:06) Tragically, for centuries, many female babies were aborted when they were due to be born in a Year of the Fire Horse. If they were lucky, their birth was misattributed to the year before or after, to make them more marriageable. They might also have fallen prey to unlucky accidents or infanticide. There’s actually some pretty chilling data looking at the rate of infant deaths due to accidents in the Year of the Fire Horse, and there was definitely a spike in that. What happened in the last Year of the Fire Horse, 1966, in Japan? This was looking at the data in Japan from the Year of the last Fire Horse in 1966. And we can also look at a really fascinating bit of data from this same year in Japan, where we see that the birth rate actually dropped by 25%. This was possibly due to people holding off on having a baby in a Year of the Fire Horse . Perhaps they didn’t want to risk a female child being born as a Fire Horse, which would ruin her prospects of marriage (because Fire Horse women were seen to be unlucky wives). Or it could have also been due to misattribution of that birth year to either the year before or after the Year of the Fire Horse .You can have a look at the data, it’s very clear. There’s been quite a few articles speculating about what’s going to happen in Japan in this new Year of the Fire Horse, given what happened in 1966. And w hen you actually look at the population chart by birth year, it’s really quite striking. The Fire Horse’s invitation to all of us And I think this is why it’s so important, more than ever this year with this Fire Horse energy coming in, that we all step into and claim this wild, untameable essence of ourselves: this wild truth, this self-sovereignty, self-governance, self-authority that runs within all of us, whether we’re a Fire Horse or not, whether we’re a woman or not. I think that this is so desperately needed in our modern society where we have externalised our power, we’ve given away our authority to systems outside of us – and we’ve forgotten, some of us, that we all carry this spark, this stream of the divine within us. We all can connect to that at any moment and that can give us direction, that can give us vital information. And I feel that it’s time for the reclamation and remembrance of this force that is within us all – the force that is the wild and untameable, the truest essence of ourselves, and what could be described also as the deepest part. It’s the Yin and the feminine part of ourselves in a way, and it’s that which has been hidden or suppressed. And I feel that this is never more important than now, for this aspect of ourselves to be expressed and reclaimed, because for too long now we have been living an unbalanced way of life – we revere one way of being at the total denigration of another. Collectively, our current way of being is unbalanced (11:21) We revere the intellect and rational thought and logic, and yet we have denigrated, forgotten about and belittled the value of instinct and intuition – or body wisdom and felt senses. And I love that we’re talking more and more about the power that comes from these senses and impulses, and the information that we get from our nervous system. We are so much more than our intellectual mind and when we are only operating from one half of ourselves, we’re only operating at partial power. But when we combine the Yin and Yang aspects of ourselves, we have access to the totality of our power, the totality of our essence. So this means giving space to honouring our feelings over always our thoughts. It means honouring our deepest desires over the external shoulds of society or our communities or expectations. It means honouring our own needs and speaking up even when it might go against societal norms. It means also honouring that which is of the body – and giving the body space as well to share its wisdom with us. Not just living in the mind, but actually listening to the whispers of the body and soul. And also it means honouring and giving space to the living over the dead. And I’ll explain a little bit more about this. The Five Elements, our consciousness and soul (12:59) In Chinese medicine we understand that each of the five elements also rules an aspect of consciousness. And in the case of the Fire element, it rules the Shen, which is translated loosely as our present awareness, our consciousness, our spirit. It’s how much spark of life someone has in their eyes: when you look at them, you can see that you’re connecting to something beyond the physical. You’re seeing that spark of the divine in someone’s eyes. And everything that we do in Chinese medicine is about cultivating our shen, cultivating all aspects of self. We are looking to cultivate our shen so that we can be living as the truest, most vital expression of ourselves. Will the Year of the Fire Horse bring more AI overload, or deeper soul embodiment? And this brings me to my point. So many forecasts for the 2026 Year of the Fire horse talk about the rise of AI, because Fire relates to energy, which relates to, in the modern day, electricity, internet and technology. But while this may be true, and while we are certainly seeing that AI tools are exploding everywhere, I think that at the same time we are having a massive influx of energetic power coming through our consciousness- if we are available for that. (14:20) And that means actually allowing time for cultivation of our presence and our awareness, our consciousness, our attention – and not just giving it all up to AI. I know that there can be some valuable time-saving tools that come from AI. But also I think that when we rely on AI for expression we lose that sense of aliveness that comes through in our own authentic voice – our own authentic expression – because that is also part of the element of Fire. (14:52) And it might not be perfect. It might have spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, but it’s true and essential, wild and untameable. And I think we’ve all seen the absolute flood of AI content everywhere. S o much of it feels lifeless and dead. And I think that this Year of the Fire Horse is an opportunity for all of us to be vessels for this divine force of Shen-spirit-consciousness that is coming through us, and to cultivate that through practices like meditation, Qigong, and even contemplation. So: sitting outside and contemplating a tree, or having a slow & meditative grounding walk outside, connecting to that energy, that living energy that is all around us, getting our feet on the earth, putting our face to the sun, charging up with that life force energy. It can also be things like observing our own impulses and getting curious and getting to know ourselves more deeply, so that we can start to clear out conditioning and allow our truest self to shine through and flow through. The gift of the Snake Year And this is where the Snake year has been such a gift, because it’s been a continual (for me anyway!) sloughing off of old skins… of looking at where I was still in old habits of giving away my power externally, rather than looking to that wild untameable source within. And also perhaps shedding limiting habits of thought, and limiting perceptions. (16:42) So all of those, or many of those (I’m sure there might be others lurking in the corner!) were challenged and were able to be shed. And there’s still time for all of us to do this in the next few weeks as well. You might be actually experiencing this for yourself as well. Maybe there’s old triggers coming up, things that felt like that you feel like you might have already dealt with in the past, and yet they’ve resurfaced again. So I feel like we’re actually going through a purge at really the deepest levels, as we are readying ourselves for this influx of Double Fire energy that is coming our way. Now in Chinese medicine and Taoist medicine, Taoist thought, we are all about balance and moderation and the middle path. And so a Double Fire year, a double Yang year, like we are having upcoming in the Year of the Fire Horse, can bring with it really strong energies that require moderation and grounding, so that we can absorb the best of them – and so that we don’t get burnt up in the flames. If we were to go straight out of the gate into theYear of the Fire Horse, without grounding and anchoring, we could become burnt out. Another aspect of the Fire element when it’s imbalanced is mania. It’s like this ungrounded mental energy, someone talking a million miles an hour, or maybe laughing inappropriately, jumping around with thoughts. It’s going to be really important as these energies come through with the Year of the Fire Horse to bring a moderation and capacitance to hold those energies. How to balance and ground in the Year of the Fire Horse So this will be things like a daily grounding practice, like a somatic body practice, moving practice to open up and course and flow the meridians in the body so that our circuitry is well primed to receive that influx of energies. (18:40) I like to think of the work that we do with cultivating and grounding our Qi in work like Qi Gong, or slow walking meditation, seated meditation, any kind of contemplation, getting into Mother Nature. All of this work is about connecting with our earthly vessel, so that we can provide a container for that energy to come through us. And the more grounded we are, the more of that beautiful Fire energy we can actually receive and work with in a productive way so we don’t get burned up. And I think of this like shoring up the banks of a river, so that if there is big flow coming through in this Year of the Fire Horse, it can contain it. This is why we do these daily cultivation practices of Qi, because – rather than having to be controlled externally – it’s a way of internally cultivating that flow, so that we can hold more of that power and become more powerful, more vital, more vibrant and more radiant. And we can use that towards our enduring health as well. The extent to which we can ground and hold these energies of the Fire Horse, will also in part dictate how much of that energy we have available to launch our own dreams passions and desire this year- to manifes

4. Ep. 48: Why do we get “sick” (part 2) & how does the human body self-heal? from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   Jan 3, 202631 min

   We continue our exploration from the previous episode, and consider: how does the human body self-heal? How are symptoms actually an indication of the body’s infinite wisdom & self-healing power, and h ow can we support these processes to move to completion and healing (rather than suppressing them)? What happens if we do suppress them?? How does the human body self-heal then? Unlike modern medicine, Chinese Medicine supports the body’s self-healing processes, helping them to move towards their completion. In this episode, I share perspectives on health through the lens of the oldest science in the world, Chinese Medicine. A science that has persisted for over 5,000 years (some say 8,000… and it may be older still!) and is all about living in harmony, both within and without. Listen for simple ways that we can cultivate these vital aspects of ourselves, for radiant health and self-healing. (00:00) Welcome to the podcast (00:32) Episode into, recap of why we get sick & how does the human body self-heal? (04:11) what do symptoms like phlegmy lungs, sinus congestion & fever indicate? (05:08) We humans have more microbial cells than “human” cells! (07:05) How does the human body self-heal? Bacteria & other microbes help us (10:35) How Chinese Medicine supports the body’s self-healing, rather than suppressing it (11:22) The Eight Strategies, or Ba Fa, of Chinese Herbal Medicine (17:41) Our bodies are infinitely wise & always move towards healing (18:16) Case study: how a Candida “infection” benefitted the greater whole (24:35) Mould sickness & our inner terrain, Dampness, low Yang And if you’d like my guidance in building daily rituals and habits for radiantly robust health, I have created something simple yet powerful for you . As we know, o ur daily habits are the foundation for our health and “immunity”. Every moment, meal, drink, thought, habit, etc. can bring us into greater alignment and can charge up our Qi – the life force energy that fuels every aspect of health. This is why I created the Radiant Energy Reset. A gentle, self-guided path of ancient health rituals to cultivate Qi, Yin, Yang and connection – guided by the wisdom of your own body. A real solution for those ready to ditch the fads & feel clear, energised and in control again. Backed by ancient wisdom, not wellness trends. Instant access for you here. And, as we learned in episode 47 , “when the Qi and Shen are present and sound, no pathogen can invade a person, even when the cycles of nature are disruptive, and plagues are near”. I show you how to cultivate and boost your Qi and your Shen – your spirit, soul, consciousness. Just 10 minutes a day of Qi Gong & Emotional Alchemy to c onnect to YOUR innate wisdom & guidance – and feel grounded in YOU. You already have all you need within. A gentle embodiment journey – Coming Home to You. Instant access. Transcript Introduction (00:00) Hi everyone, welcome to the Balanced Natural Health podcast where we share insights from the ancient science and timeless wisdom of Chinese medicine. Information from the old natural ways of healing can support us in leading more beautiful, more vibrant and more vital lives today. In this podcast I share simple, natural and accessible tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life for more vibrant health and wellness. I’m so glad you’re here. Episode Welcome, and how does the human body self-heal? (00:32) Hi everyone, I’m Dr. Maz and welcome back to episode 48 of the podcast. In today’s episode, we are continuing on from our exploration in the last episode about what it is that makes us sick, from a Chinese Medicine perspective, and does the human body self-heal. And it is not invisible baddies, or germs / bacteria / microbes / viruses that we “catch” from other people that make us sick. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, the main causes of disease are a loss of harmony and balance, both with our world within – our inner world of emotions – and the world without – the environment, the climate and conditions around us. So in Chinese Medicine, staying balanced and in harmony with our inner world and our outer world is what maintains health, and allows our brilliant system to heal itself. Health blooms both from harmony within… (01:25)We understand that emotions can be a major contributor to disease because we are energetic beings, and emotions are simply energy in motion. And when they’re not in motion – when our emotions aren’t moving, when they’re stuck or repressed or ignored – they can snag our energy body, our biofield, our aura. And when our energy field and our Qi meridians are not flowing smoothly, and they’re not communicating as ideally as they should be, then we can start to see disease: this is because things aren’t moving where they need to be moving, and information isn’t being passed in a timely manner. …and harmony with the external environment (02:05) And we learned that another contributor to disease is an imbalance of our bodies in relation to the external environment. So for example, in Chinese Medicine, we say that Wind is the “spearhead of 1000 diseases”. This is why we bundle up against winds, we protect against drafts, we don’t sleep under fans, and we wear scarves in windy weather, because the neck is where Wind can get in. And when Wind and Cold get into the meridians that traverse our neck (and also our lower back, we like to keep that covered and toasty as well), we get frozen and flow is trapped on the surface. So, how does the human body self-heal? “Symptoms” are one of the body’s wise responses to restore balance And that is when an early stage “Cold” can arise. So, we might get tightness in the muscles of the neck, we might get that achy feeling that might indicate that a cold or flu is brewing, we might feel lightly flushed, and we might have some light sweating or fever. And all of this is, in fact, the body’s wise response to that Cold, and the resultant freezing of the surface: the body is trying to bring warmth to the surface to push that cold back out. A very different (yet very ancient!) view on what it means to be healthy (03:18) So we can see that these disruptions to internal harmony and outer harmony provide a very different view of health than the militaristic mindset of being constantly on edge against invisible baddies and “germs” that we need to defend against. I love that the focus is on harmony and balance, rather than waging war. And I think that that shift alone really benefits our nervous systems in the long run, too – that focus on what we’re creating, rather than what we’re fighting against, especially when it’s not the true cause of disease. And I think it’s also interesting that this microbe idea or germ theory of disease is relatively recent, whereas Chinese Medicine has held its view of health for millennia, at least 5000 years, if not longer. And it has stood the test of time, so there is so much we can learn from it! (04:12) In this episode, we’re going to look at a Chinese Medicine perspective on what happens when we do manifest symptoms. What does it mean, for example, when we get phlegm on the lungs or in the sinuses, or when we have a fever, or diarrhoea? How do we explain that from a Chinese Medicine perspective – and how does the human body self-heal? We will also look at the Eight methods or the Eight Strategies of herbal medicine, and they describe different ways that we use herbs – and tastes and flavours – to support the body’s processes of restoring balance when it has been disrupted. So, for example, if we have constipation, we will use a certain treatment strategy, and if we have phlegm on the chest, we use a different treatment strategy. So we’ll learn more about that as well. Review of previous episode – we are more microbe than human! (05:03) Recapping on what we learned in the previous episode, staggeringly and amazingly, we humans actually have more microbial cells than human cells. So we have more bacteria and fungal (including yeast) cells than actual human cells. And together we live in a community which comes together in symbiosis that supports life (this also forms a big piece of the answer to “how does the human body self-heal?”) And while it might seem that bacteria or microbes are the “baddies” when we look at the fact that they might be present, for example, in phlegm or mucus cultures when there are symptoms of disease (when there is, say, bronchitis or a chest infection, we can see that there are certain bacteria that might be more prevalent) there is actually a different view that paints these little friends in a different light. And what if, in fact, they were not the problem, but they were the cleanup crew? And that is how I see it – that our friendly helpers come to the party and help us restore balance. (06:09) Let me explain a little bit more. But firstly, I’d like to bring to mind the image of a compost heap – and what happens in a compost heap. Those of us who’ve had a garden or a compost heap before, we know that we throw food scraps on a compost heap, and then there are worms and microbes that help to break down these discarded bits of food, and help to break them down into something that will nourish the earth, which then feeds into the next stage of the cycle of life. So it’s a way of digesting the remnants, the leftovers, into a form that is usable by the soil, and by the next generation of plants – and which then nourishes us in return. So we can see that life cycle is continuing. How does the human body self-heal? One key factor is microbes as a clean-up and recycling crew And this is how I see our microbial helpers. As I see things, our bacterial friends not only do important tasks – like synthesising vitamins, for example, which they can do for us in the gut – but they can also be on call to process and compost and recycle damaged cells and tissues. For example, imagine that we’ve been somewhere where we’ve been inhaling air that has something that’s challenging to the lining of the lungs. Maybe we’ve been by a busy road all day, and we’ve been inhaling a lot of diesel and petrol fumes. Or maybe we’ve been in a building in which there’s inadequate airflow, and maybe off-gassing from new plastic products, or carpet or paint or something. Or maybe we’ve been exposed to certain non-native frequencies that can upset the particular cell types or particular tissue types in the lungs. There can be many reasons for disruption to cells or tissues anywhere in the body. (08:04) So, assuming that people have been exposed to something that’s disrupted function, how does the human body self-heal? If the body is not well resourced to process that disruption, we may need to call on some extra help. Our bodies are amazing and so adaptive, and they help us adapt to so much and process so much. And that’s why I always talk about prioritising optimal nutrition with whole foods, getting adequate rest, drinking structured water, aligning with the cycles of nature, moving our Qi, limiting how much we have in our toxin bucket, and so on, so that we can be well resourced to adapt to and respond to these challenges. But, if for whatever reason our vitality is a bit low – maybe we’ve had some stress or snagged emotions that are stagnating our Qi, or maybe there’s been a little bit more toxins in general recently – then we can’t respond as robustly to that challenge. And perhaps, in the example I gave earlier, the lining of the lungs gets a little bit upset and damaged by that exposure to toxins or fumes. Then we have degraded cells, that ideally the body wants to replace with fresh cells that are functioning optimally. So how does the human body self-heal in this situation? Well, it’s with a little help from our microbial friends. Remove, remediate, reuse and recycle So what does our brilliant body do? It sends in the cleanup crew. As we’ve seen in a compost pile, that veggie scraps can get degraded into something that nourishes the life cycle. And in our case, when the cleanup crew, the microbes, the bacteria, arrive on the scene, say in the lining of the lungs, they start to digest that degraded tissue. And in the process of doing so, we might get phlegm and mucus because that is how that degraded tissue can get either recycled or expelled out of the body. So we can cough it up and get it out. And what can be reused will be reused. Are bacteria the problem? Or part of the solution? (09:55) If we were to do a culture of the mucus or phlegm at this time, we might notice that there are greater numbers of certain bacteria types. But what if they are not the cause of the problem? What if they are there because they are actually cleaning up the damage – because they are a part of the greater whole’s self-healing mechanism? And so then when we throw an antibiotic at them, then that process of cleanup, remediation and recycling is halted. And that compromised cell and tissue in the lungs doesn’t get a chance to be repaired completely. Shooting the messenger In such a case, we might have suboptimal repair of the tissue, and eventually, suboptimal function of the lungs. We’ve killed off our helpers – and some others probably have fallen by the wayside as collateral damage – and yet we haven’t solved the problem. So how does the human body self-heal then? Well, what if instead we took extra care to nourish the body at this time? What if we really doubled down on rest, on nutrition, on food that’s easy to digest? This means warm food, which is not adding to further Dampness. This is where nourishing the Spleen, which I talk about so often, is so important. Because if we’re eating in a way that we’re digesting completely, and we’re not adding to further phlegm and Dampness within the body, then the body can really focus its efforts on resolving the local inflammation in the damaged tissue and getting back to balance more quickly. How does the human body self-heal, and how herbal medicine supports it: the Eight Strategies, or Ba Fa (11:22) We can speed this process with herbs that can dry the area and help to expel that phlegm. So, rather than suppressing the helpers, in Chinese Herbal Medicine we’re actually supporting the body in completing the process of self-healing that it is attempting to do. And this expelling, or reducing, approach is one of the Eight Strategies that we use in herbal medicine. Reducing, or Xiao Fa It’s called the “reducing” strategy – Xiao Fa – wherein we support the body in eliminating what is obstructing flow and function. So it might be phlegm on the chest. It could also be stagnant Blood, in the case of really painful periods with dark blood and blood clots, and here we would give herbs that support the movement of Blood. For the chest phlegm situation, we would give herbs that dry out Dampness, that help to break it up and help it to leave the lungs. And we might also use this strategy in a situation that we call Food Stagnation, which is when we have eaten too much rich food and overloaded an unsupported digestive system. And then the food just sits there and ferments, and people might get stinky farts, maybe stinky burps, there can be reflux, bloating, or a yellow or thick tongue coating. How does the human body self-heal in this situation and how can we support it? One way is to give herbs that strongly move digestion, they stoke that digestive fire, so that the body can move through that backlog of stagnated food, and bring relief in that way. (12:48) So you can see that we’re not actually suppressing the symptoms. We’re not giving, say, antacids for indigestion, which would further dampen that digestive fire. The digestion is already overloaded, it is already dealing with stagnated food. But instead we support resolution – with our treatment methods and our herbs, we move in the same direction that the body is moving, and we support self-healing and balance in that way. Sweating, or Han Fa Another example of a treatment strategy that we use is “sweating”. As I touched on earlier, we say that Wind is the spearhead of a thousand diseases, and it is one of the most common triggers or causes of an early-stage Cold. And here, we might experience that tight neck, that flushed face, achy muscles, we get fatigued, there might be a light headache, there might be sneezing as well. The sneezing is just the body trying to expel the Wind and Cold through the nose, trying to get it out of the body. So how does the human body self-heal a Cold? The ways that the body will try to expel this “Cold contraction”, this freezing at the surface, is through a fever or breaking a sweat. So if you have ever woken up in the night with sweats, and especially if you’ve been exposed to cold or a draft during the day, then it’s very likely that this is your body doing its magic to restore balance. Because when we can sweat Cold out (or return warmth to our body surface), then order is restored, that Cold and / or Wind is pushed out, and then the muscles get to soften, flow is restored, headaches ease, that flushed feeling can go because now it’s done what it needs to do. (14:23) In the modern view, we might be tempted to throw some Panadol or Tylenol at this – something to reduce that flushed feeling, that headachy feeling. But what that actually does is that it stops that body wisdom response of heating up to push things out. And so then that process isn’t completed – it is suppressed instead – and the body’s attempts to self-heal are interrupted. And because the healing process has been interrupted, then the imbalance that has come from the surface gets to sink deeper into the body – this is because we have worked against the body, we’re not helping it in its process of pushing things up and out. Whereas in Chinese Medicine, we have a sweating method, where for these kind of Cold presentations, we take herbs that help to promote light sweating. We also take some really nourishing, easily digestible warm foods, and then we bundle up and rest, and allow the body to break a light sweat. So this is the directive given in our oldest medical text, and it still works to this day. (15:22) We often use a formula called Gui Zhi Tang, or Cinnamon Twig Decoction . This is cinnamon and ginger, licorice root, peony root, and jujubes or red dates, for a bit of gentle sweetness to help to support the energy so we can build that sweat, and have that fever. Those warm, spicy, pungent flavours of cinnamon and ginger push open the pores, they push out that Cold and Wind. And so. we might break a light fever – we’re already bundled up, we’ve had some easily digestible food. What happens if we get in the way of healing? How does the human body self-heal then? If we take this approach, then we can return to balance and harmony the next day. But If we don’t – if we don’t rest, if we don’t listen to our body’s messages, the messages that it’s telling us that Cold has come in – then what can happen is that the imbalance goes deeper into the body. And then we might start to get a sore throat, or phlegm in the sinuses or in the chest. (16:19) And this is another way that we can arrive at that phlegmy cough situation I gave as an example earlier. What’s happened here is that the circulation and the Qi mechanism – the Qi circuitry – has been compromised by Wind and Cold initially, and the body wasn’t able to “expel” it. This can be because we’re low on Qi because we haven’t stopped, or maybe we suppressed it with something else, or maybe the body was dealing with other things. And so then it’s gone another level deeper, and there’s been more tangling of (16:49) the energy networks. And so, lymphatic circulation is affected, fluids aren’t moving so much in the micro-circulation, and we can start to get water-logging and fluid retention in tissues within the body. So say, for example, the lungs aren’t draining as well as they normally would, and they can start to collect bits of phlegm and mucus. And so now we can see that

5. Ep. 47: Why do we get “sick” – a Chinese Medicine perspective from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   Dec 4, 202541 min

   Why do we get sick? (Spoiler alert: it’s not germs, or other invisible baddies) Why do some people seem to get everything going, while others happily keep on going? Why do some have “iron guts”? And why do some individuals get allergies in the exact same environment that others are totally fine in? We might be tempted to answer, “it’s the immune system”, but the “immune” system is both merely a working theory and a relatively new concept – one that has not been tested and proven over the course of millennia. And in its short existence, many holes and inconsistencies have already been uncovered. What if there was another answer to “why do we get sick”? One that covers all aspects of dis-ease – mind, body and soul? A view that: • has persisted for over 5,000 years (some say 8,000… and it may be older still!) • liberates us from the defensive mindset of waging war on disease , preventing “attack”, always keeping an eye out, etc. • trusts the wisdom of our brilliant beings – and the wisdom of Mama Nature • is about living in harmony, both within and without? • reminds us just how powerful we are? Wouldn’t that feel so much better – more easeful, joyous and lighter – than being on constant alert for the next invisible germ or baddie out there? And what about the fact that these invisible “germs and baddies” are actually a vital part of health? They already exist on and in us, to the extent that the number of microbial cells outnumber human cells by an estimated factor of at 10:1 ( some sources now suggest that it’s closer to 100:1) . In either case, we “humans” are more a community of bacteria and other microbes than anything else. Which then makes me consider – why the obsession with killing off all of the invisible microbes that we ideally live in symbiosis with us? And what IS the answer to “ why do we get sick “? What if health is actually about cultivating harmony with both the world within, and the world without? This is the Chinese Medicine view. In this episode, we look at the causes of disease through the lens of the oldest science in the world: time-tested over centuries – and millions of patients – and delivering powerful clinical results to this day. So then, why DO we get “sick”? • Loss of balance, connection and harmony • Lack, or stagnation, of Qi (our charge or life force energy) • Imbalanced Yin Yang, accumulation of Damp, Cold, Blood Stasis, etc. And what can cause these disruptions? • Emotions • Six Heavenly Qi – atmospheric and climatic influences, also called the Six Evils • Disconnection from Nature • “Improper” living: food, movement, routine, habits, sex, thoughts, etc. that don’t support health And what can we do to stay vibrantly well? This lens sees us humans as primarily energetic, electromagnetic beings, and when we cultivate our Qi and our spirit-soul-consciousness, health is the natural result. This is summed up beautifully in the quote from our ancient medical book, the Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, circa 200CE): …when the Qi and Shen* are present and sound, no pathogen** can invade a person, even when the cycles of nature are disruptive, and plagues*** are near. Chapter 73: Etiology of Disease Listen for simple ways that we can cultivate these vital aspects of ourselves, for vibrant, radiant health. (00:00) Intro (00:32) Episode Intro – the “immune system” is only a theory, and keeps us on edge (03:03) A different view of health – one rooted in connection, balance & harmony (07:50) The Chinese Medicine take on “why do we get sick” (11:25) What can disrupt our inner balance & harmony (15:30) “Improper” ways of living – and our Bladder meridian as first line “defence” (20:15) The overarching goal of Chinese Medicine (27:15) What can being out of balance look like? (34:15) Why disconnection from Nature can imbalance us (37:00) The common root of many modern dis-eases – why do we get sick? * Shen = spirit, soul, consciousness, awareness – the spark of life in someone’s eyes ** pathogen – literally, “pathos” and -“gen”, meaning something that is engendering suffering (not an invisible, contagious baddie or germ) *** again, this originally meant an “affliction”, not necessarily infectious Radiantly robust health made simple Our daily habits are the foundation for our health and “immunity”. Every moment, meal, drink, thought, habit, etc. can bring us into greater alignment and can charge up our Qi – the life force energy that fuels every aspect of health. This is why I created the Radiant Energy Reset. A gentle, self-guided path of ancient health rituals to cultivate Qi, Yin, Yang and connection – guided by the wisdom of your own body. A real solution for those ready to ditch the fads & feel clear, energised and in control again. Backed by ancient wisdom, not wellness trends. All the details here. Cultivate your Qi & Shen And, as we learned in this episode “when the Qi and Shen are present and sound, no pathogen can invade a person, even when the cycles of nature are disruptive, and plagues are near”. I show you how to cultivate and boost your Qi and your Shen – your spirit, soul, consciousness. Just 10 minutes a day of Qi Gong & Emotional Alchemy to connect to YOUR innate wisdom & guidance – and feel grounded in YOU. You already have all you need within. A gentle embodiment journey, instant access and at your own pace. Details here. Transcript Introduction (00:00) Hi everyone, welcome to the Balanced Natural Health podcast where we share insights from the ancient science and timeless wisdom of Chinese medicine. Information from the old natural ways of healing can support us in leading more beautiful, more vibrant and more vital lives today. In this podcast I share simple, natural and accessible tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life for more vibrant health and wellness. I’m so glad you’re here. Episode Intro (00:32) Hi everyone, I’m Dr. Maz! Welcome back to episode 47 of the podcast. In today’s episode I’d like to share a different perspective on why do we get sick Why do symptoms arise and why do we experience dis-ease? And why is it that some people seem to catch every bug, every flu or cold or gastro that’s going around and others seem to be totally fine? Or why is it that some people have asthma or allergies or reactions to mold or certain environments whereas other people in that same environment or around the same triggers seem to be totally impervious to any outside input? So what is behind that? Why do we get sick – do “immunity” and “germs” actually explain this? (01:22) Now if we think with our modern mainstream mindset, we might answer it’s the immune system. But there are two things to consider about this answer and that is that the immune system theory is just that. It’s a theory, a working hypothesis that has some pretty major holes. So there’s definitely some issues, it’s not airtight, it’s just a working theory. And the other thing to consider is that it is also a relatively new idea – a relatively new construct that hasn’t had the opportunity to be proven out over thousands of years like the other view that I’m about to share with you. So ,the modern idea of an immune system is say 100 to 150 years old, and prior to that we had a very different idea of why do we get sick – and therefore, what we can do in order to cultivate vibrant wellness, and also how to look after our health preventatively. And this other view that I’m going to present to you is a beautiful contrast to the current view of the immune system, which has us constantly on guard, on high alert, on defense for invisible baddies and all of the invisible pathogens / bugs / viruses / bacteria that are out to get us. This means that we always have our back up: our nervous system is never truly at ease or at rest because we’re in this militaristic mindset of being at the ready, to spring into attack or to defend ourselves. What if health is actually about balance and harmony – both internally and externally? (03:06) But this other view is actually about harmony – it’s about trusting the wisdom of our brilliant, brilliant beings, our brilliant body-mind-souls. It’s about trusting that we are so powerful to cultivate vibrant health, and also to rebalance from whatever ails us – and also trusting in the power and the wisdom of Mama Nature, and trusting in the power of our connection to the web of life, to the natural world around us. Because the fact of the matter is that we are woven in to the web of life, and we live in community and symbiosis with the world around us – and this is particularly true when we consider our own human environment. A balanced and harmonious microbiome is an essential foundation for health and wholeness You might have heard me or others talk about the idea of the microbiome, and this refers to the beautiful collection and living community of microbes. These are the tiny little organisms, like bacteria, yeast and fungi and so on, that live in and on our bodies. And this is why people love selling probiotic supplements – because they are meant to make our microbiome healthier. But there’s actually other ways to do that, that are much more lasting. (04:26) This community of beautiful little friends is vast, richly textured and layered, and if we count the microbial cells within that whole community, they actually outnumber our human cells by a factor of roughly 10 to 1, by current estimates. This is pretty mind-blowing when we ponder, what is it that makes us human? What IS a human? And when we consider that we, as human beings, are more microbes than human – more community than human – then how does this modern militaristic view of killing microbes and defending against invisible baddies make sense?! It has us killing the very organisms that are helping us to live and thrive, and that are performing essential functions within our body. And when we’re constantly at war with them, in a way, we’re at war with ourselves – and at war with connection to nature herself. Because the fact is that many of the bacteria or microbes that have been blamed for certain diseases and illnesses actually live in – and on – us when we’re in a healthy balanced state too. So it’s not about the microbes themselves as being baddies, but rather it’s actually about the whole symphony of all of those microbes within the context of our human selves. Are they in balance? Are they out of balance? Are they coherent? Are they supporting life? This is why waging war on microbes is not going to lead to thriving good health. Instead we need to look at how we can bring coherence, harmony and balance to our inner world, and harmony to how we interface with the world around us. A much more liberating and empowering answer to “why do we get sick ” – and how to maintain health (06:21) This other perspective that I’m about to share with you on why do we get sick, and how we can maintain vibrant wellness, is not focused on doing war or fighting off invisible nasties. or constantly having our back up. Instead, it’s about surrendering that and having faith in the wisdom of our bodies – and trust in the wisdom of nature. It’s about living in harmony with the world outside us, and also living in harmony with the world within us. That includes microbes – but it also includes all of our inner workings, our entire mind-body-soul, our emotions. We’ll get into that in just a minute. This worldview that I’m about to share with you is the Chinese Medicine view of health, and it is a view that has persisted for at least 5,000 years – if not longer. There’s different opinions on its age – it might be 8,000 years or more – and as such, it is the oldest surviving science in the world. And it is a science that still offers us powerful ways of bringing about balance, of bringing harmony and cultivating health in this modern world. So it has truly stood the test of time, and it can be applied to the whole range of diseases and sicknesses that we experience as humans, whether it’s a dis-ease of body, mind or soul. Why do we get sick? A Chinese Medicine take (07:48) So let’s take a look at what Chinese Medicine offers us as to “why do we get sick”. Why do we experience sickness and dis-ease, and what can we do to maintain health. From our perspective, the things that can lead to dis-ease and suffering are fundamentally a loss of balance and harmony: a loss of connection to and alignment with the living natural world around us. This is because we are living beings, and we depend on connection to the web of life around us to regulate our rhythms, to synchronise our flow, and to exchange Qi – energy – with as well. So a loss of balance and harmony, a loss of connection and balance are the answer to why do we get sick. Fundamentally, within our bodies we are always looking for a balance of Yin and Yang – which is the fundamental polarity of this material existence – as well as the flow of Qi and how charged up, or how abundant our Qi is. So. are we well resourced with energy, and is that energy in integrity? Is it flowing everywhere it needs to go? Because this is how information moves through our body, and how all of our vital functions and body systems get to regulate and optimise. We need to make sure that information or Qi is moving freely through the body. We humans are energetic beings – and energetic coherence is the foundation for health (09:14) I like to visualise that we exist within a field of energy, or Qi: a field of our own energy that interacts with the world around us. Our own energy or Qi field has energy superhighways – these are the meridians, or channels, and it also has microcirculation of that. I like to think of this field as almost like a mesh or a weave, and when we have different snags in that energetic mesh or circuitry, then things don’t move and information, vital substances and Qi doesn’t get to go to where it needs to go. This is summed up beautifully in one of our ancient texts, the Huang Di Nei Jing , or the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine. This book is over 2,000 years old and this is what it says about the aetiology or the causes of disease – an ancient answer to “why do we get sick”: “when the Qi and the Shen are present and sound, then no pathogen can invade a person – even when the cycles of nature are disruptive and plagues are near” Qi is our life force energy, that charge that I talk about and how well it’s flowing and circulating; Shen is our spirit, our consciousness, our present awareness, our spark of life. And in this book, when they talk about pathogens, they talk about it in the literal sense of the word as it is originally intended – not as invisible baddies: “pathogen”, meaning literally “pathos”, suffering, and “gen”, so bringing about or generating that suffering. So this does not have to be invisible germies or anything like that. And also when they talk about plagues they just talk about in the sense of suffering as well. (10:59) So we see very clearly how cultivating harmony within, and charging up our inner energy, can provide us with a robust grounding to hold steady no matter what the outside world throws at us, whether that’s physical, emotional, energetic – on any level. The more resourced we are within, the more we can hold firm and keep our centre. Disruptions to our energy – our Qi – lead to dis-ease So now that we know what the ideal is – what can disrupt that harmony, that balance between Yin and Yang, and that beautiful charge and flow of Qi? Why do we get sick? Well, in Chinese Medicine we say that there are both internal and external causes of disease. The internal causes are the emotions. Emotions are literally energy in motion, Qi in motion, and if they’re not allowed to move, metabolise or alchemise through the body, then they will snag that beautiful network – that circuitry of Qi – and they’ll obstruct the flow. And then, maybe circulation will be impeded, or maybe certain cells or tissues in an area don’t get the information that they need and they become deranged, and don’t grow or multiply in the way that they should, and they lose their coherence. Maybe we accumulate too much fluid in one area because there’s not enough Qi flow to keep metabolising fluids there. When we’re suppressing emotions – or if we have stored trauma in the body as well – this can impede the flow of Qi, and this is why we have somatic practices in Chinese Medicine to move that Qi. Somatic work and embodiment practices are at the heart of Chinese Medicine (12:41) Like Qi Gong, which literally means energy work. This is a somatic practice in which we move the meridians – we move that energy, or Qi, network – and we include our breath and our intention. When we work with these different meridian systems, we will titrate or discharge small manageable amounts of emotions that are trapped. So before and after a Qi Gong session feels very different. We can move frustration, we can move heaviness or depression, grief, anxiety, ungroundedness and so on. By bringing harmony to that energy network of the body we also, over time, bring harmony to our inner emotional state. And in Chinese Medicine we have a deep understanding of the different effects of different emotions. Why do we get sick? Suppressed or unmetabolised emotions are a big contributor I’ve talked about this in other podcast episodes, (and also here, in relation to the Five Elements and their associated emotions) . but, for example, we can say we say that shock can scatter the Qi, or worry can knot the Qi, or anger causes the Qi to rise up. Each emotion has a specific effect on the direction of Qi – or on the tangling of it, or the dispersal of it in certain ways. So this is why making sure that we’re, as I said, moving those energies through / out of the body is so important. I’m also such a big fan of stream of consciousness journalling. This can be so helpful because it allows us just to witness the clutter that’s in our body, mind and soul, and get it out. We get to write it down onto paper, without projecting it onto someone else. It’s a pressure release valve for those emotions, and the more that we let them stream out of us – it’s like peeling off the layers of an onion. We start to see actually that there are other emotions or other energies beneath that. How lifestyle can contribute to health… or the opposite So that’s one of the main internal causes of disease. The other is a secondary internal cause of disease, because it’s to do with lifestyle. It stems from what the ancients would call “improper living:, and that means not living in a way that is in alignment with our brilliant beings, and with how they desire to be cultivated. (15:00) That can mean having an imbalance of work or movement, and inadequate rest or too much rest. Maybe it’s foods that are distanced from nature – or non-foods even, like processed foods, seed oils, artificial sweeteners, chemicals, preservatives. These are not things that we are meant to digest, so they’re going to snag our energy and contribute to blockages or Damp / inflammation within. Another improper way of living can also be not dressing ourselves properly for the environment. Why we keep our meridians warm – especially the Bladder meridian In Chinese Medicine, we’re such big fans of scarves, and protecting our feet and covering our kidneys – no crop tops when it’s Cold! This is because the Bladder meridian crosses these areas, and the Bladder meridian is our first layer of interaction with the outside world, and it is easily affected by Cold and Wind, for example. This is why we treasure and nourish that Bladder meridian / channel, and make sure it’s warm and protected. (I share an acupressure tip for how to get Cold out of the Bladder meridian here, and a herbal tea option as well ). Not wearing sufficient clothes would constitute an improper way of living, as it could allow Cold to penetrate deep inside the body, where it can then interfere with differe

6. Ep. 46: How warm food can change your life: anxiety, insomnia, depression, gut health, etc. from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   Nov 4, 202523 min

   Imagine if simply choosing warm food and drink could help: • depression • anxiety • insomnia • gas • bloating • promote healthy gut bacteria (say bye-bye to expensive probiotics) • painful periods… All these benefits, without biohacking gadgets, expensive supplements and exotic superfoods! This powerful tweak is something that we all can access today – and something that Chinese Medicine has been talking about for several millennia. So simple, and so empowering: each mouthful can move us towards ever-greater health. A new study from the British Journal of Nutrition confirms what Chinese Medicine has known for well over 5,000 years. In this episode, we learn why this works, and how you can apply it for yourself. And if you’d like me to show you how to utilise the power of Chinese Medicine is other daily habits and tweaks, I have created the Radiant Energy Reset for you. RESEARCH PAPERS Cold and hot consumption and health outcomes among US Asian and White populations Drinking water temperature affects cognitive function and progression of Alzheimer’s disease in a mouse model Effect of cold stress on ovarian & uterine microcirculation in rats and the role of endothelin system Visceral hypersensitivity following cold water intake in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome Hot Water Swallows Improve Symptoms and Accelerate Esophageal Clearance in Esophageal Motility Disorders The Pressor Response to the Drinking of Cold Water and Cold Carbonated Water in Healthy Younger and Older Adults

7. Ep. 45: Hypermobility, hEDS (+ MCAS & POTS) & Chinese Medicine: the Spleen is the key from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   Oct 6, 202524 min

   Hypermobility (including hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hEDS) is an area which is gaining more acknowledgement, but the solutions within the conventional space are a little thin on the ground. Hypermobility can mean a whole lot more than being double-jointed and having a selection of party tricks at your disposal 🤣 Because it involves the connective tissue – which is more stretchy in hypermobile individuals – it is not only joints that are affected, but also anywhere that we have connective tissue. Which is… our whole body! This means that many systems can be impacted – digestive, nervous, cardiovascular and fluid metabolism – and that hypermobility can masquerade as other “symptoms” or “conditions”, like irritable bowel, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue . If these are treated symptomatically, rather than being addressed at the root, we are only ever “managing” the situation, but not resolving or healing it. But there is a simpler solution. Every aspect of how hypermobility presents is ruled by the Spleen: upright posture, firm limbs, abundant energy, clear thinking, feeling grounded. Looking after the Spleen can take care of all of these manifestations of hypermobility. Hypermobility often also presents with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) . MCAS includes excessive immune cell response, leading to itching, hives, flushing, mood changes. POTS describes changes with posture, such as dizziness, palpitations, elevated heartbeat, nausea and even bladder changes. And, through a Chinese Medicine lens, both MCAS and POTS can involve the Spleen, as well as the Liver (MCAS) and Heart / Kidney / Yang deficiency (POTS). As a “floppy” person myself, this is a topic close to my heart, because nourishing my own being with the Spleen-led approach has resolved diagnoses of: • fibromyalgia • chronic fatigue • arthritis • irritable bowel syndrome • asthma • hayfever / allergic rhinitis …as well as intense panic attacks. Many “diseases”, one solution. So ultimately, this episode is about much more than hypermobility – it’s also about bringing balance to all of the “symptoms” I’ve already mentioned here (and more!). And it is also why every single one of us can benefit from giving our Spleen extra love and care. WANT TO KNOW MORE? This is why I created the Radiant Energy Reset. A gentle journey for your most glowing self with a 28-day path of ancient healing rituals, guided by the wisdom of your own body. A real solution for those ready to ditch the fads & feel clear, energised and in control again. Backed by ancient wisdom, not wellness trends. LEARN MORE about the RADIANT ENERGY RESET More on Spleen & Digestive Health Episode 5: Beat the Bloat – Chinese Medicine digestion secrets! Episode 14: Late Summer Diet & Lifestyle Tips Episode 23: What is DNS, and how can it revolutionise your strength & movement for more enjoyment of life?! Episode 29: What is the Meridian Clock, and how can we align with nature’s cycles? Episode 42: Fasting – helpful or harmful? A Chinese Medicine perspective Free Spleen eBook

8. Ep. 44: Perimenopause – A Second Spring from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   Jun 11, 202538 min

   What if perimenopause – our Second Spring – is not something to be suppressed, vilified or medicated away?? What if it is a portal into a more essential, more exquisitely-aligned version of ourselves? An invitation to re-examine how we do life, and to witness and heal parts of ourselves? An initiation into our wisdom and power? In Chinese Medicine, perimenopause is considered the “Second Spring”. A second puberty, a second metamorphosis. When we reflect on what a wild ride that first puberty was, we can begin to see the grace, space and compassion that we can offer ourselves in this transition. Patients have shared with me that they have felt gaslit by the mainstream system, where their various concerns were instantly dismissed as “just perimenopause”, and HRT was offered as the only solution. But it is no coincidence that symptoms like fatigue, low moods, irritability, low libido, poor sleep and weight gain can show up at this time of our life. These symptoms can also be a reflection of decades of caring for others at the cost of ourselves: of self-abandonment, people-pleasing, over-giving and under-receiving. In our medicine, we see “symptoms” as wise messages from the body. An insight into what desires to be balanced or healed. And I see common underlying patterns in women at this phase of life, which also explain the common “symptoms” of perimenopause. In this episode, I share what those patterns are, and simple ways that we can support ourselves to move most easefully through this powerful portal! For more info on the courses I mention in this episode, go to “OFFERINGS, or click here. More on Hormone Health Episode 2: Happy hormones naturally, for general health, easier periods and optimising fertility (Part 1 of 2) Episode 3: Happy hormones for all (not “just for the ladies!”), and the role of inflammation (Part 2 of 2) Transcript Hi everyone, welcome to the Balanced Natural Health podcast, where we share insights from the ancient science and timeless wisdom of Chinese medicine. Information from the old natural ways of healing can support us in leading more beautiful, more vibrant and more vital lives today. In this podcast, I share simple, natural and accessible tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life for more vibrant health and wellness. I’m so glad you’re here. Welcome Hello everyone, and welcome to episode 44. In today’s episode, I would like to dive into something which feels particularly relevant to me personally, due to my age and demographic, I’m now 47 years old. And also in response to what I’m seeing a lot of on social media, in mainstream, in the world around me, and that is the perception of menopause as a pathology to be medicated. And the perception of perimenopause as the cause of all ills, and also the attribution of all of the different symptoms or vital body messages that women might be experiencing at this time, the attribution of these always to, oh, it’s just hormones and you need HRT. Whereas, as you probably know, if you’ve been listening to me for a while, I have long retired from the position of doing battle with my body. And I now see all symptoms as vital messages from the body, mind and soul as to what my system wants me to know and what is coming up for me for integration and harmonizing at that point in time. And so in today’s episode, I would like to talk about some of these, what I see as misconceptions about perimenopause and menopause. And I would like to dispel some myths. And I would also like to share a more empowering perspective on this powerful transition – traditionally called the Second Spring – and how I personally am choosing to navigate it and step through it. Perimenopause – a Second Spring In Chinese medicine, perimenopause and the whole process of moving through menopause is viewed as the second spring. So it’s viewed as a second puberty because we are literally in the process of metamorphosing ourselves into a different version of ourselves. We are moving from a period of our life where we are creative in the material realm, where we can create life, we can create humans, whole new human body, which is such a miracle. And we are moving into a stage of life where we create energetic gifts to the world at this time. So all of our resources, all the resources that were formerly distributed to the womb, now start to move towards the heart, which houses the Shen and our consciousness. And together, that portal of womb and heart can bring forth and birth so many powerful energies and ideas and so much wisdom into the world. In so many cultures and over eons of time, the crone or the wise grandmother was viewed as an archetype who had so much wisdom to impart. It was a really revered and respected archetype. How the prevailing mainstream view is disempowering And yet in our current iteration of society, we are being continually broadcast to that this is a burden, it’s a inconvenience, it’s the end of our relevance, that it’s all downhill from here, that we will put on weight, that we will have brain fog, that we will be fatigued, that we’ll have vaginal dryness, that we’ll lose our libido and our moods, and that we’ll go crazy and lash out those around us and a whole other litany of ills. And it doesn’t have to be that way. I do think that there is a bit of self-fulfilling prophecy when we keep being broadcast this message from so many angles, that it is something to be feared. And that adds another dimension to this process of transition because stress can very much influence how we move through this really powerful period of our lives. So while I always honour and celebrate the choice of women to take HRT, I think it’s amazing that people have choices to do what they want to with their body and their health. I also think that there are other ways to move through this transition and it’s definitely not the only way to move through it. Everything has a season – us too! And this is our Second Spring I don’t think that mama nature makes any mistakes. And we, when we look at the world around us, there are seasons and cycles to everything and our bodies, minds and souls are no different. So while it might be touted in the mainstream that it’s protective to the body, to your bones, to your cardiovascular system, to keep pumping your body full of these external hormones, which your body is no longer producing, I really question what the long-term effects of that are. Because as I said, mama nature doesn’t make mistakes. So if we’re meant to sustain this level of circulating hormones and hormone production, our body would be producing it, right? And when we look into the literature around the potential side effects of supplementation, external supplementation like this, we can see that there definitely are risks. So this is a conversation for another time. In this podcast, I just want to share a different perspective on how we might be able to view perimenopause and second spring and this second puberty. And I love this idea of this transition, this perimenopausal transition as a second puberty, because when we think about what a wild transition our first puberty was, then it gives us an inkling of how much grace and spaciousness and tenderness, compassion, patience, we might want to give ourselves as we move through this second transition. Like think how wild the ride was with fluctuating hormones back in our teens when we were going through that transition and all the different emotional landscapes that came up and how we responded to different things, how we were finding our own power and expression into the world. Perimenopause – Second Spring – as an invitation And this period is no different. I think it’s a really exciting invitation to look at how we’ve been living, what kind of beliefs and assumptions we’ve had about ourselves, what kind of life habits we’ve fallen into and how we might want to live our lives going forward. And one symptom that is a symptom that is often talked about with regards to perimenopause is the mood swings. And this is often attributed to the fluctuations of specifically estrogen, but also progesterone because estrogen is our buffering hormone. It is soft and juicy making, and it is what allows us to put up with shit basically, or put up with things that are maybe not in alignment with our highest good. It allows us to put up with self-sacrificing situations or enmeshment. And what I have found as my estrogen has dropped throughout this transition is that I have had to look at where I have been people pleasing, where I have been giving away my power. And also having less estrogen has made me less inclined to self-abandon and sacrifice my energy to compromise my boundaries. And just to say no to things that are leaking my energy or things that are no longer serving me. So whether that’s activities or relationships or certain types of emotional bonding, for example like bonding over drama, it’s just not available for that anymore because it’s such an energy drain. So to me this Second Spring has been a gift. To me having this drop in estrogen has shown me where I’ve been compromising my own energy, where there’s been leaks. If I was supplementing with that hormone then perhaps I wouldn’t have had that clear vision of seeing where I’ve been self-abandoning and what I can do to live my life differently and what I can do to call back that energy to myself. “Mood changes” or “swings” as a barometer of our energy I also think that these mood swings that are talked about or irritability and anger can be a sign of where our boundaries have been transgressed and whether now or in the past. And they offer an opportunity for witnessing, for feeling and ultimately for healing those experiences whether now or in the past. So when we look at mama nature and expressions of what seems like anger say in the animal kingdom, it’s only happening where the animal feels threatened or encroached upon or like their personal safety or boundaries are encroached upon. So us humans are no different and think about as women in this society, I know I can certainly attest to this and I wonder if many of you can relate as well, but how many times have we just swallowed back our words or just put up with poor behaviour, say sexualising us or inappropriate comments. It’s like oh well he didn’t really mean anything by it or maybe just ingrained patriarchy or judgment of women that I’ve even noticed within myself from my very repressive Polish religious upbringing. It’s like I found some things in deep dark corners there, so things that were unexamined because we didn’t have the capacity perhaps or the space or we weren’t resourced enough to have a look at those until now. So I think sometimes these life will present us with opportunities to heal those things that haven’t yet been healed. So we might feel flashes of sacred rage about how the divine feminine or how the feminine expression has been mistreated, how we’ve experienced that or how we’ve seen that in the world around us or we might feel grief about self-abandonment, about places maybe where we didn’t stand up for ourselves or about where we judged our own bodies harshly. How emotions can relate to hot flushes So all of these feelings might move through our bodies and sometimes even with the anger we might get things like hot flushes, but I see this as energy being metabolised and processed. Emotions are energy in motion, so being able to sit with these feelings and sensations and witness what they might be telling us can be a way to integrate them back into our system. And every woman’s experience of this will be different because we have all walked different paths, different journeys, we’ve had different responses and different life experiences. Some might not experience the rage or the irritability or the hot flushes at all or someone else might feel more grief or dissociation or low moods or low libido. So everyone’s experience is different and I think that the overarching takeaway of what I’m talking about here is that it’s an opportunity to get to know ourselves on a deeper level, to sit with the feelings, to be like a best friend to ourselves and listen to what our body, mind and soul is telling us. And I have a different perspective on many of the messages of perimenopause. Symptoms, and I’m using inverted commas here, like for example fatigue, brain fog, low energy, low libido, irritability, hot flushes, poor sleep, insomnia, dissatisfaction with life, weight gain, all of these things are a complex that are lumped under the umbrella of perimenopause and the menopausal transition. I have a different view that these are symptoms that pop up at a period of life when we have been living a certain way and our body resources are taxed, our spiritual and mental resources are taxed because we have been spreading ourselves too thin. So perhaps rather than laying the blame at the feet of perimenopause, maybe we can look at, as we do in Chinese medicine, at what things might be out of balance that are causing these symptoms. And then we can look at gently supporting the body, mind and soul to recreate balance and to ease our path through this transition of the Second Spring. Common patterns underlying menopausal “symptoms” What I have seen in clinic and in my own experience, but certainly in clinic, what I’ve seen is that a common thread with many of the messages of perimenopause is that there is low yang, low spleen. So yang deficiency and spleen deficiency, often the liver is backed up or stuck and liver is related to anger and expression and frustration, and there’s often dampness as well. What we might hear even in the Chinese medicine mainstream is that it is a yin deficiency time that we are deficient in yin and that’s why we are having those hot flushes. But I’ll just go on a quick little sidebar here that is absolutely not what I have seen. And there is another way of looking at it too, because in classical Chinese medicine, we don’t really believe that in this modern world where nutrition is abundant, that there is such a thing as yin deficiency. It’s really not all Yin deficiency It’s not possible. If you have a body, if you have substance to your body, then you are not yin deficient. And in fact, if we were to believe the mainstream, one of the common symptoms associated with perimenopause is weight gain. So where there is substance, there’s no yin deficiency, but what there is a deficiency of around this time is yang. So we can have substance, we can have fluids, we can have body flesh, but if we don’t have the spark of life, the yang to animate and metabolize and move those fluids and actually make that fluid useful and physiological, healthy to the body, then that fluid and that dampness just stagnates. And we do get weight gain, we do get heaviness, we do get low mood. It’s not the yin, it’s the yang that needs to be cultivated. Why does Yang need love at this time? When we look at how in our society, women have lived through the last few decades leading up to perimenopause, we see that there is often, you know, compromised sleep because they’re looking after kids. They’re often having a job and looking after the family as well. There’s, the women are always go, go, go. So they’re always in yang mode, using up that vital force, that spark of life and not having enough time to replenish it because of the demands of life. And when yang is deficient, when yang is low, it can, it isn’t anchored as it needs to be. When yang is floating and unanchored, we see things like night sweats, insomnia, restless sleep, vivid dreams. These are really common yang deficient presentations. And when we start to nourish the yang by cooked and warm foods, by yang tonifying herbs, by prioritizing rest and time to recharge the yang. So we’re not just spraying out yang all day. We’re not just being boss babes and just smashing it and going hard. This is also something where heavy exercise or sweating too much, going too hard in the gym can also drain our yang. And it is really important to nourish our yang as we go through this transition at all stages of life, but especially as we go through this transition of the Second Spring . So our yang is also burnt up by things like – famously – ice baths, as I love to talk about, but also stress. What else drains Yang? Stress squeezes our adrenals – t hat is our kidney yang energy. And when we are running often in a state of fight or flight, so when we’re multitasking, eating lunch at the desk, dealing with things on all fronts, dealing with stress at work at home, then this is draining our yang. And so this perimenopausal portal is an invitation to look at how we can nourish our yang a little bit more, how we can carve out a little bit of time, a little bit more time for ourselves to nourish our yang, to just rest and replenish. So it might even be bookending your day with five minutes of deep belly breathing. So I’ve talked about this before on my socials, but when we breathe and breathe deeply into the belly, into the whole abdomen, allowing the breath to just flow in, allowing our body to be breathed by that cosmic breath. And then we allow a long exhale that’s unhurried, allowing that longer exhale compared to the inhale is replenishing of our yang because it’s a yin type of breath. It’s not using up our yang to maintain. Whereas if we take short, sharp inhales, we’re not allowing sufficient time to exhale. That’s really putting us in that fight or flight, that stress yang mode. A soothing, Yang-nourishing breath Slow, deep breaths, yin breaths with a longer exhale can be a great way to replenish. We can even lie down while we’re doing this with our hands on our belly or our ribs to feel how we are expanding and releasing. You can pop also a pillow under your knees to support your lumbar spine, which is where the kidneys live. So then they’ll feel nestled and supported as well. So that is one aspect that I see commonly throughout this transition is that of that yang deficiency or kidney yang deficiency. And another one I see is of spleen deficiency. The role of the Spleen The spleen is our great nurturer. It’s our organ of nurturing, and it is affected by worry and affected by overgiving and over-caring as well, which is so many mums, right? We’re taking care as women as well of our families, of people at work, of our community. We naturally have that caring, I think, nourishing life impetus within us. And coupled with estrogen that accompanies that fertile period, I think it can sometimes lead to self-abandonment where we’re not nourishing ourselves as well. So interestingly, in the mainstream, if you listen to it, perimenopause is associated with weight gain around the belly and thighs. Now, this is a pattern that we see with spleen deficiency. When the spleen is deficient, this is where weight tends to deposit. And if we start to tend more carefully to the spleen at this time, then we don’t have to necessarily see that transition or that change in our bodies. So I have worked with a lot of people who have certainly not experienced that, and I haven’t either, because I have taken this time finally to look at my boundaries and look at where I was over-stretching, over-giving and prioritised caring for myself at this time. A question to ponder at perimenopause… Because that is another invitation of this perimenopausal transition is after decades of caring for others, how can we ourselves at this time? What do we need? How can we tune more and more deeply into the desires and whispers of our body, mind and soul and do what feeds ourselves and our souls at this time? So if we’re looking after our spleen yang and our kidney yang at this time, then that definitely supports a smoother transition through perimenopause. So the other two areas that I talked about were liver and damp. Damp and the Second Spring transition I’ll briefly touch on dampness. That’s often related t

9. Ep. 43: Essence & Spirit: Longevity, Sex, Fertility, Living Your Destiny from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

   May 12, 202536 min

   Have you heard of the Three Treasures, and how they relate to feeling great, aging vibrantly, manifesting your destiny and living your soul purpose? Together with our Qi, our Jing (Essence) and our Shen (Spirit) make up the Three Treasures – treasures, because they are the precious substances that form the foundation for our health and longevity. Jing can be translated variously as our DNA, our genetic endowment, our constitution. Qi is the total of all of our energetic and metabolic processes that govern daily function, like digestion, respiration, circulation, cellular function, tissue structure and integrity (more in episode 41). Shen is our spirit, our presence, our consciousness – the spark of life in our eyes. Jing-Qi-Shen are interrelated and dependent upon each other. When they are in coherence and harmony, we manifest our destiny in this lifetime – our soul purpose. We feel lighter, clearer and more vibrant – and are well resourced for life’s adventures. Many of our Chinese Medicine health cultivation practices centre around preserving and refining the Three Treasures. In this episode, Dr. Maz shares simple practices that you can incorporate into your everyday to boost your Qi, protect your Essence and help your Spirit shine bright! The simple Qi Gong move , practised slowly, with intent and slow breathing, can be a powerful way to connect the energies of Heaven and Earth. Bonus points if you do it barefoot outside!

10. Ep. 42: Fasting – helpful or harmful? A Chinese Medicine perspective. from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Apr 13, 202521 min

    In Chinese Medicine, we are adherents of “The Middle Way” or “The Middle Path” – a path of moderation. Rather than opting for extreme or dramatic health practices, we opt for a gentle, daily nourishing of Life. Each moment is an opportunity to nurture health. Our amazing bodies already know how to heal, how to detox, how to repair – sometimes, we just need to get out of the way. When I was asked my thoughts on fasting, the answer, while tending to alignment with The Middle Way, had some nuances that I share with you in this episode. We touch on: • the view of our ancient medical texts on fasting (scroll down for a quote) • eating close to nature and the seasons vs. processed foods, preservatives, seed oils and, frankly, non-foods that pop up in the modern “diet” • intermittent fasting, the Chinese Medicine Organ / Meridian Clock and circadian rhythms • the “hollow” organs – what even are they, their relationship to health (and consciousness) • how fasting can cause our systems to dip into our Jing – the vital “Essence” that we come into this world with, and that nourishes us throughout our lifespan. “The source of vitality is the diet. If one stops eating or drinking, one will die. Without food or liquid, Stomach Qi will not be evident in the pulses. Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine), Chapter 18: Pulse Analysis; circa 200CE

11. Ep. 41: Health is charge – or, our ability to power up & move our Qi from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Mar 29, 202526 min

    (APOLOGIES for the audio issue halfway through the episode - it's only 30 seconds or so, so thank you for bearing with me!) Put simply, life (and health!) is about how well we can gain and hold charge, and how effectively our systems work with it. Chinese Medicine has a profound understanding of this. Our view of health and healing focuses greatly on Qi and its many expressions, qualities and functions within mind, body and soul. Qi is often loosely translated as “energy”, but it is so much more than that. It describes function, metabolism, processes of transformation, directions of movement… the list goes on! In our medicine, we understand that when the body is well-resourced and abundant in Qi - and when the Qi channels, or meridians - are open and harmoniously organised, vibrant health naturally follows. Here we talk about the concept of health as charge - and our ability to hold and use it effectively - and the many ways, both ancient and new, that we can charge up our Qi today. PRODUCT SHOUTOUT I talk in the episode about native frequencies (or EMFs) vs non-native ones. A common source of non-native EMFs are many lightbulbs - the wavelength of these lights can be disruptive to our body clock, or circadian rhythm. This in turn can derail everything from hormones to nervous system, sleep, repair and whole host of other important processes. This is why our house is full of natural wavelength lightbulbs from Block Blue Light. The link below gets you 10% off, or just enter “DrMaz” at checkout. https://www.blockbluelight.com.au/?ref=DrMaz

12. Ep. 40: Why I DON’T biohack, “detox” or load up on supplements – and what I DO from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Mar 14, 202541 min

    With the health and wellness industry exploding as it is, the following is a conversation I find myself having more and more frequently. What I have observed over the years - both in my own health journey and in my many years in clinic - is that simple & natural is most often best. While extreme or heroic practices, and expensive biohacks & supplements, may seem glamorous and exciting and may promise the world, I see that we can achieve the same benefits with the simple - often free! - consistent things that we do each day (grounding, sunlight, movement, emotional expression) and by living as closely to Mama Nature as we can (wholefoods, clean & coherent water, natural light & frequencies, aligning with daily / seasonal rhythms). I also have witnessed that while it may be tempting to ADD more to our lives in an attempt to gain more vitality, it is very often what we REMOVE that frees up our vital force to go about its job of healing, repair and restoration. Reducing the load in our "toxin bucket" by limiting what we throw in there (food additives, chemicals, synthetic fragrances, toxin in personal care & home products, non-native electromagnetic fields, artificial lighting, etc.) can be just as - if not more - profound as what we add to our lives. I can also add to this the witnessing & releasing of limiting beliefs, "congestive" emotional habits and stored trauma is another important piece of the puzzle - letting go of these liberates vast amounts of our innate healing powers. In this episode I share the simple, daily practices that I include to nourish my health, and easy ways you can apply them yourself. CAVEAT: the practices discussed are suitable for most of us who are in at least a reasonable state of health. There are times when systems may be so depleted, overloaded with toxins or in such an pronounced state of compensation ("disease") that more extreme measures - practices, supplements, devices - may be temporarily necessary in order to restore a baseline level of vital energy to the system, which can then take it from there. CLEAN 15 & DIRTY DOZEN WATER FILTERS I USE EPISODE 2: Happy hormones naturally, for better health ("detox") EPISODE 3: Happy hormones naturally, for better health ("detox")

13. Ep. 39: your Heart has tastebuds! from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Feb 27, 202527 min

    Not only does your Heart have tastebuds, but it is also connected to your Tongue - and the Uterus and Room of Sperm (what a poetic name for the testicles!). This connection between the various organs has been well-known by Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, and now, modern research is rediscovering what the ancients knew for so long. Recent research has found that the heart has receptors for both the bitter and sweet taste, and that these receptors are believed to modulate the function of the heart. In our oldest medical text, the Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine), it is stated that: “the Heart is benefited by the bitter taste” and “bitter-tasting substances can clear the Heart” "sweet herbs are used to sedate" but "too much sweet taste can disturb the Heart Qi” And it gets even better! In Chinese Medicine, the Heart is connected to the Uterus and testicles via the Bao Mai. And, guess where else in the body can bitter taste receptors are found?? You guessed it! The uterine lining and the testicles. Wild, huh? Chinese Medicine has such a profound and nuanced understanding of health. It’s a complete system of healing that has been proven over millennia, with rich detail on how to use herbs & flavours for health, and a holistic understanding of the connection between the visceral organs (like the Heart) and the sense organs (like the tongue). This can offer up new perspectives and potential for health and healing. In this episode, we explore the connection between: • Heart & tongue • Kidneys & ears • Liver & eyes • Spleen & mouth • Lungs & nose We share modern research and clinical case studies that beautifully illustrate this connection, and discuss some acupressure points to support the vitality of the sensory organs. Join our community! Sign up to the newsletter (scroll down) - you will also receive a free eBook on Nourishing Life with Ancient Wisdom.

14. Ep. 38: are ice baths harmful to health? Chinese Medicine says YES from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Feb 12, 202526 min

    In this episode, we look to the millennia-old science and wisdom of Chinese Medicine to ask: are ice baths harmful to health?? From a Chinese Medicine perspective - which honours, stokes and cultivates the “spark of life” at all costs, and protects the Yang (vital warmth) of the body - the answer is a resounding YES! We address many of the common objections to my statement, looking more closely at claims of historical use of ice baths, as well as the effect on the stress hormones and nervous system. The Kidneys - a vital foundation for health and vitality at all life stages - are very much affected by sitting static in cold water. Ruled by the Water element, the Kidneys are easily overwhelmed by cold, water and shock/fear - a common trifecta of ice baths! The Kidneys are also responsible for the health of bones, teeth and cognitive function, and healthy Kidneys mean that we get to feel vibrant at all life stages (or, “age well”). As always, we also look to Mama Nature and our own inner messages for guidance. Our body-mind-souls are infinitely wise, and will guide us towards whatever it is that we need (or don’t need!) in order to move towards the most vibrant expression of ourselves. In Chinese Medicine, we aspire to balance - “The Middle Way”. We don’t glorify extreme practices, instead choosing to “nourish life” in the myriad actions of everyday life: what and how we eat, how we move / breathe / rest / sleep, how we express and feel, to name a few. This, from our perspective, is the path to lasting health. Join our community! Sign up to the newsletter (scroll down) - you will also receive a free eBook on Nourishing Life with Ancient Wisdom.

15. Ep. 37: Year of the Wood Snake & different ways of marking time from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Jan 28, 202526 min

    On the next New Moon, which falls on the 29th January 2025, we move into a new Chinese Lunar year. We are leaving behind the Year of the Wood Dragon and flowing into the Year of the Wood Snake. In this episode, I talk about what the Year of the Snake may hold for us, and what opportunities it may bring. We will talk a little about how the Chinese New Year or Lunar festival is celebrated, and I’ll be sharing some of my musings about “new years” in general - there are many different “new years” out there (beyond January 1st!). I believe that new beginnings, new chapters and a "new you" can come at any time - each inhale can invite the new, each exhale can release the old. Is "New Years" really the 1st of January?? I’ve been reflecting on the fact that the Gregorian calendar (prevalent in the modern Western world) holds no personal resonance for me as a marker of beginnings and endings; I see it as arbitrary and man-made, disconnected from nature. Perhaps you feel the same - are there periods or seasons of your life that carry more meaning for you? As a herbalist, practitioner of natural medicine (which sees us woven into the web of life), surfer, vegetable grower and as a woman connected to monthly rhythms within my own body, I feel more connected to the cycles of nature - tides, moon, seasons, stars, plants & animals - and look to these as a compass to align my flow with life, and with Mama Nature. These are the cycles that nourish life! I also love learning the cycles and seasons of my own physical place in the world: summer swells and summer storms, the clear blue skies of winter, the first call of the Pacific Koel bird when it arrives in summer - and the absence of its call when it returns north, which heralds the turning towards cooler weather. What opportunities does the Wood Snake bring? I particularly loved the perspective of Jill Lander, Feng Shui practitioner, on what this coming year may hold: "We are entering into a year of death and rebirth, a year to make responsible decisions to evolve spiritually, moving away from old ways and habits that no longer serve us well. Among all living creatures, the Snake is the best equipped due to its magnetic resonance to hear the heartbeat of Mother Earth. It is a dynamic year to learn from the past, moving forward with wisdom, awareness, transformation and compassion. Mythology recognises the Snake as a creature of healing, which influences the physical body to shift to a more spiritual outlook. A great deal of quiet progress can be made in 2025 with the help of this planetary energy. Honour this transformative beginning every day with positive thoughts". https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3293097/chinese-horoscopes-year-wood-snake-2025-predictions-health-wealth-work-and-love-plus-wood-snakes# Toko-pa Turner, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Homehttps://www.instagram.com/tokopa/

16. Ep. 36: Gut health, Chinese Medicine & Candida – foe, or friend? from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Dec 1, 202425 min

    What makes up a human body? Did you know that the number of microbial (bacteria, fungi, etc) cells that live in and on our bodies can outnumber “human” cells by up to 10 to 1? This suggests that we are a microbial-human community, and that these microbes have a vital role to play in maintaining balance and health in the human. And in this episode, we dive in a deeper discussion of Chinese Medicine & Candida What if Candida (and other microbes) are actually working to support our human bodies to detoxify or eliminate non-beneficial substances that our human cells can’t metabolise? Is killing off Candida overgrowth just killing the messenger (or clean-up crew, as it were)? Is the presence of Candida sending us a message - and how can we respond in order to support balance? Chinese Medicine generally views Candida as result of excessive Damp in the body. Like the soil that sprouts mushrooms after damp, rainy periods, our bodies too can sprout an overgrowth of fungi if the internal environment is too Damp. Luckily, Chinese Medicine offers many simple lifestyle and diet tweaks that can clear Damp and restore vital health! SHOW NOTES EMFs and Heavy Metals Effect of Clove and Thyme Essential Oils on Candida Biofilm Formation and the Oil Distribution in Yeast Cells More Chinese Medicine wisdom on nourishing and bolstering the Earth / Spleen, for healthy microbial balance Episode 2: Happy hormones naturally, for general health, easier periods and optimising fertility (Part 1 of 2) Episode 3: Happy hormones for all (not “just for the ladies!”), and the role of inflammation (Part 2 of 2) Episode 5: Beat the Bloat – Chinese Medicine digestion secrets! Episode 14: Late Summer Diet & Lifestyle Tips Candida & electromagnetic health Episode 16: We are light beings – on biophotons and our electromagnetic health Episode 17: Cultivating our light bodies – on biophotons and our electromagnetic health Topical Wash Ku Shen / Sophora / Yellow Pagoda tree She Chuang Zi / Cnidium Bring to boil, simmer 20 minutes, strain and apply to skin. Promptly relieves itch due to Damp and overgrowth. ST36: Zu San Li 足三里 Image source: Deadman, P., Al-Khafaji, M. & Baker, K; A Manual of Acupuncture

17. Ep. 35: Frozen Shoulder – how can Chinese Medicine help? from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Nov 15, 202427 min

    Chinese Medicine offers many therapies which can speed the release of "frozen shoulder", also known as adhesive capsulitis. The treatment clue is in the name: what is "frozen" is cold and immobilised, and so by heating and promoting movement with acupuncture, moxa, heat lamps and herbal medicine, we can help people regain their function and movement in an accelerated timeframe. In this episode, we discuss these therapies in more detail, and offer simple remedies you can also try at home. We discuss also the importance of supporting general health to speed recovery, and allowing for the flow and expression of emotions. ST38: Tiao Kou 條口 SP9: Yin Ling Quan 阴陵泉 LU5: Chi Ze 尺澤 Image source: Deadman, P., Al-Khafaji, M. & Baker, K; A Manual of Acupuncture

18. Ep. 34: How did the ancient Chinese figure out the meridian pathways? from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Nov 1, 202430 min

    In recent years, modern science has finally arrived at technologies that are sensitive enough to measure biophotons, bioelectricity, conductivity, resistance and energetic flow pathways in living beings, and the resultant findings have (unsurprisingly!) aligned with the meridian pathways codified by the ancient sages many millennia earlier. How did the ancients KNOW where to map these pathways? In this episode, I share my perspectives: • there are other ways of “knowing” and “measuring” that are beyond the external (to us) technologies and tools that we have available today; • the present focus on materialism has been to the detriment and neglect of our subtler senses and ways of knowing; • the ancients had an advanced somatic-knowledge, through practices such as Qi Gong (energy work), Nei Gong (inner work), Nei Dan (inner alchemy), Dao Yin (somewhat like yoga), yoga, pranayama (breathwork) and meditation; • this knowledge was potentiated by living in alignment with Nature, and in observation of her cycles; • we all have access to subtle ways of knowing and sensing - it is an inherent ability; • simple ways to cultivate this awareness with Qi Gong and energetic practices you can do at home. Reading List & Shoutout https://thecrdchallenge.com/ The Invisible Rainbow, by Changling Zhang Heavenly Streams: Meridian Theory in Nei Gong, by Damo Mitchell Qi Gong Reels Calming Qi Gong - Gathering the Sky Qi Gong Warm Up Sequence Wise Owl Qi Gong Guided Qi Gong & Emotional Alchemy Nourish your Qi - your life force energy - in just 10 minutes a day. Because your life force energy - your Qi - is everything. When your Qi is abundant and flowing, your life battery is full and all of your systems function optimally - body, mind and soul. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Just 10 minutes a day can charge up your Qi and usher you into deep self-trust and self-connection. Backed by ancient wisdom, not wellness trends. Coming Home to You shows you how - learn more here. From the Huang Di Nei Jing, circa 220 BCEChapter 1: The Universal Truth In the past, people practiced the Tao, the Way of Life. They understood the principle of balance, of Yin and Yang, as represented by the transformation of the energies of the universe. Thus, they formulated practices such as Dao-Yin, an exercise combining stretching, massaging, and breathing to promote energy flow, and meditation to help maintain and harmonize themselves with the universe. They ate a balanced diet at regular times, arose and retired at regular hours, avoided overstressing their bodies and minds, and refrained from overindulgence of all kinds.

19. Ep. 33: Chinese Medicine: parallels with structured water, frequency & information medicine, quantum biology from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Oct 17, 202436 min

    As an eternal student and Doctor of Chinese Medicine, I am struck by the fact that many of the discoveries at the frontiers of health science - various biohacking, structured water, circadian biology, frequency & information medicine and quantum biology - are reframing knowledge that the ancients had down thousands of years ago. And not only did they have an advanced understanding of these “new” phenomena - they also codified simple guidelines on how to live and thrive accordingly. I share this because many of the time-proven health practices that stem from this knowledge are very much applicable today, and most are free, simple and can be done by you at home! In this episode I talk about: • my reflections on exclusion zone (EZ) water and the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching; • EZ water and its relationship to Yin, Yang and Qi - and therefore our health! • the many tools of Chinese Medicine that we can use to structure and enliven water, to support vitality; • my musings on a unique type of water mentioned in our ancient medical texts, ganlanshui, 甘瀾水 (literally, sweet rippling water), and what modern research tells us about this practice • Five Elements (or Five Phases / Agents) and their parallels with information and frequency medicine; • pulse diagnosis, your amazing human technology and bioresonance; • humans as conduits between Heaven and Earth; • simple practices to charge up our beings for the fullest expression of health. Qi Gong Reels Calming Qi Gong - Gathering the Sky Qi Gong Warm Up Sequence Wise Owl Qi Gong Guided Qi Gong & Emotional Alchemy Nourish your Qi - your life force energy - in just 10 minutes a day. Because your life force energy - your Qi - is everything. When your Qi is abundant and flowing, your life battery is full and all of your systems function optimally - body, mind and soul. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Just 10 minutes a day can charge up your Qi and usher you into deep self-trust and self-connection. Backed by ancient wisdom, not wellness trends. Coming Home to You shows you how - learn more here. From the Tao Te Ching, circa 400 BCE Tao engenders One,One engenders Two,Two engenders Three,Three engenders the ten thousand things. The ten thousand things carry shade and embrace sunlight,Shade and sunlight, Yin and Yang,Breath blending into harmony.- Lao Tzu

20. Ep. 32: Nourishing Life – ancient wisdom to thrive through the decades from Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz, opens in a new tab

    Oct 2, 202445 min

    Yang Sheng (養生) literally means “Nourishing Life”, and refers to the body of nutritional and lifestyle therapies that is one of the pillars of Chinese Medicine. We view Yang Sheng as the highest form of medicine, as nourishing body-mind-soul can prevent imbalance, and stop disease before it takes hold. There is an old Chinese saying that perfectly captures this ideal: “Waiting to treat illness after they manifest is like waiting to dig a well after one is thirsty” We consider that the more resourced and resilient we are, the more smoothly we can flow with and adapt to life and its various inputs. Looking after our foundation, and ensuring that our Qi is flowing and able to clearly receive essential information, helps us to regenerate tissues in their most optimal expression. This is why the seemingly little things that we can do each day, like connecting to the earth, soaking up sunlight, drinking structured water, eating close to nature, feeling and releasing our emotions, moving our bodies, feeling connection, love, joy and gratitude, add up to make a profound difference to our health and vitality. Another way that the concept of Yang Sheng, or Nourishing Life, can be expressed is as that of KNOWING YOURSELF. Ultimately, you are the expert on YOU, and while health professionals can offer help and guidance, they are not having your experience 24/7. We are all unique, and listening to yourself allows you to collect data on what best nourishes YOU. As we get curious about, and tune into, the subtle cues of the body-mind-soul, we become ever more fluent in the messages we are constantly receiving from ourselves. We also get to deepen our knowledge about what works for us, and what doesn’t: or perhaps even the same response may “work” at some times and not others. It can also mean observing our habits, reactions, perceptions, programs, coping mechanisms and addictions (this is not limited to substance addiction – it can encompass addiction to work, busy-ness, emotional states, etc.), and choosing to unwind from those that don’t serve us. It can mean looking at what foods, activities, environments and relationships leave us feeling balanced and vibrant, and which ones don’t. One of the many aspects of Yang Sheng that excites me is that in deepening our relationship with our body-mind-souls, we (re)discover and remember that the power to heal is within each and every one of us. Let me guide you in Nourishing Life Let me show you a simpler way - one that has been tried & tested for more than 5,000 years. A way that I have witnessed transform the lives of hundreds of people. And, a way that gave me my own life & health back. Gentle, sustainable changes and simple, daily rituals, grounded in the ancient wisdom of Chinese Medicine. No harsh protocols, diets or dramatic hacks - just simple, natural, body-honouring foods and habits. At your own pace and in your own time. Because your body already knows how to heal. Sometimes we just need a little guidance to put the pieces together. And this framework is what I am so excited to share with you - it's the missing piece of the wellness puzzle. The Radiant Energy Reset guides the way - learn more here. Qi Gong Reels Calming Qi Gong - Gathering the Sky Qi Gong Warm Up Sequence Wise Owl Qi Gong Guided Qi Gong & Emotional Alchemy Nourish your Qi - your life force energy - in just 10 minutes a day. Because your life force energy - your Qi - is everything. When your Qi is abundant and flowing, your life battery is full and all of your systems function optimally - body, mind and soul. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Just 10 minutes a day can charge up your Qi and usher you into deep self-trust and self-connection. Backed by ancient wisdom, not wellness trends. Coming Home to You shows you how - learn more here.