5 Days Of Trying Holistic Medicine | Try Living With Lucie | Refinery29 - video Dailymotion

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On this episode of Try Living With Lucie, our host, Lucie Fink dives into 5 days of Chinese medicine. She explores these ancient practices and how they can benefit us today. Watch this week’s Try Living With Lucie to expand your horizons on health and wellness!  ABOUT SERIES Try Living With Lucie follows our favorite R29 millennial, Lucie Fink, as she dives headfirst into social experiments — five days at a time. From a week without sugar to full-blown street performing; there is nothing she won't try!   ABOUT REFINERY29  Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life.   RELATED CONTENT 5 Days Of Natural Remedies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi0HXBpSvHA&t=12s 5 Days Of Meal Prep https://youtube.com/watch?v=DWaU47V3rMU 5 Days Of A Capsule Wardrobe https://youtube.com/watch?v=Di9Bjf_OPj4  SUBSCRIBE TO REFINERY29 Subscribe to the Refinery29 channel: http://bit.ly/subscribe-to-r29  TALENT Follow Lucie Fink on Instagram: https://instagram.com/luciebfink/ Follow Unbothered on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29unbothered/ Follow OnHerTurf on Instagram: https://instagram.com/onherturf/ Follow Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/

Transcript

00:00I'm Lucy Fink and this week is five days of traditional Chinese medicine.

00:04Hey everyone, welcome back to Refinery29's channel and to another episode of

00:08Try Living with Lucy. Click right here if you haven't yet subscribed to this

00:11YouTube channel and also be sure you're subscribed to my personal YouTube

00:15channel youtube.com forward slash Lucy B Fink and are also following me on

00:19Instagram at Lucy B Fink for some more behind-the-scenes content. And now on to

00:23the episode. Traditional Chinese medicine or TCM. First and foremost, let's cover

00:29the basics. TCM is an ancient system of health and wellness that's been used in

00:34China for thousands of years. It involves using a ton of alternative methods and

00:38treatments that you will see a little bit later on in this episode. One of the main

00:42principles of TCM is that we all have this Qi or this life force running

00:46through us and it's running along various meridians inside of our bodies. You can

00:51think of a meridian almost like an energy highway. TCM's primary focus is to just

00:55maintain that flow of Qi to make sure that there are no energy blockages.

01:00Another main principle of TCM is the yin and the yang. The concept of dualism and

01:05finding balance between the two of them. The way that TCM differs from Western

01:09medicine or conventional medicine is that Western medicine has been known to

01:13mainly focus on treating diseases. Whereas TCM and other forms of Eastern

01:18medicine seem to focus more so on overall health, overall well-being, and actually the

01:24prevention of diseases. Now before you even say it I know what you may be

01:28thinking. Whenever the phrase alternative health care pops up people tend to get a

01:32little bit skeptical. So I want to make a preface here and say that I am NOT here to

01:37make any medical claims. That is not what this video is about. I just know that so

01:42many people out there are interested in learning a little bit more about what TCM

01:46is. In fact I actually did a five-day challenge a couple of years ago where I

01:50did five days of natural remedies and I sort of skimmed the surface on some of

01:54these TCM practices and it was you guys, my YouTube audience, that asked me to do

01:59an entire deep dive on TCM. So here I am exploring five of these TCM practices in a

02:04safe and professional setting, but just know this video is not intended to make

02:09any scientific claims whatsoever. And now that the air is clear let's get into the

02:14video.

02:16On Monday I met with a holistic health practitioner to help guide me along on my week.

02:21I'm Dr. Sheriath. I have a doctorate in Chinese medicine. I am a licensed acupuncturist and

02:27a board-certified Chinese herbalist. I am also the co-founder and chief healing officer

02:33of WITHIN.

02:34I started off my five-day challenge with acupuncture, one of the oldest known treatment methods in

02:39the world.

02:40Acupuncture works via the connective tissue to send messages to your brain that

02:44alter brain chemistry.

02:45In the simplest terms, acupuncture involves penetrating the skin with tiny needles at

02:50specific points in the body.

02:52Is there anything specific you want to work on or is it more for prevention?

02:55I'm really interested in the acupuncture on the face for firming and toning and for the collagen

03:00production.

03:02Okay.

03:02Just I want to look supple. And then I guess the second thing would be using acupuncture for digestion.

03:07I noticed you had your gallbladder removed.

03:10Yes.

03:10Tell me what kind of digestive symptoms you're having.

03:12I haven't really had too many post-operative issues, but in recent days I find that my digestion

03:18is just not good at the moment.

03:21Okay.

03:21And I'm just coming off of a stomach bug.

03:23Oh, wow.

03:24Okay.

03:24Anything to kind of fix the digestion.

03:27Support your digestion.

03:28All right.

03:28Follow me.

03:30I had done acupuncture one other time in my life and it was during five days of natural

03:34remedies.

03:35And if you remember from that episode, I was lying face down and I started to get a little

03:40bit lightheaded.

03:41In fact, I almost fainted on the table.

03:44So I really appreciated that Sherry started out here by asking me a ton of questions and

03:48also that she devised a custom acupuncture treatment just for me.

03:52She also let me do it face up, which had me feeling a lot more comfortable and a lot less

03:56claustrophobic.

03:57Since I had my gallbladder removed and my digestion could use a little bit of help, she mainly focused

04:02on my stomach region.

04:03Got a lot of needles.

04:05But no pain, right?

04:06Everything's really comfortable.

04:07Okay, good.

04:08And if it's ever not comfortable, just let me know.

04:11And then she also did a glow acupuncture treatment on my face to boost collagen, calm inflammation,

04:16and more.

04:17We even added some LED light therapy for facial rejuvenation.

04:20I tried asking Sherry to explain to me chi and meridians and all of the TCM terms, but

04:25at within they're trying to take these ancient TCM practices and modernize them to make them

04:30easier to understand in today's Western society.

04:33So they actually don't speak about the chi or meridians at all.

04:37Instead, they talk in modern scientific terms.

04:39Acupuncture works via the connective tissue to stimulate the release of your body's natural

04:45pain killers, endorphins and enkephalins.

04:48It also increases circulation.

04:51So similar to massage, it's going to loosen tight muscles and it's also a natural anti-inflammatory.

04:58And instead, she directed me to a ton of modern research studies on their website that suggest

05:03acupuncture's effectiveness for a whole bunch of different things.

05:06Now, there's no way to tell if acupuncture was effective after doing just one session,

05:10but I can tell you if you've never tried acupuncture before, it's a very interesting sensation.

05:15It just always feels like something's flowing through me during acupuncture.

05:20Great, great.

05:21Yeah, it's from the increased circulation moving through your body.

05:24Feels great.

05:25Awesome.

05:26Thank you so much.

05:27And I don't know if it feels the same for every single person, but for me, both times

05:32now that I've done it, I have felt almost electrified lying on the table.

05:36And by the end, if nothing else, I feel very relaxed.

05:42Day two, massage day.

05:45Tuina is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy.

05:48It's hands-on and the practitioner might roll, mead, brush, or rub the areas between each

05:54of the joints.

05:55And many people do tuina as a way to reduce stress, increase circulation, and encourage relaxation.

06:00A traditional tuina treatment might be paired with something like acupuncture or cupping,

06:05but on Tuesday, I wanted to try a plain and simple tuina massage.

06:10Sherry, my guiding force for the episode, invited me to experience this treatment at one

06:14of her favorite spots in New York City.

06:17I'm going to be doing a tuina demonstration on Lucy at Modern Sanctuary in their pink Himalayan

06:25salt cave.

06:26These are all Himalayan pink salt bricks, and then there's a generator that's going to blow

06:31in highly concentrated salt air, which is great for your lungs and great for your muscles.

06:36Perfect.

06:37The salt room itself wasn't part of the TCM nature of the treatment.

06:40It was just an added bonus to be in such a beautiful space that has its own benefits.

06:45But Sherry, being a licensed massage therapist, went through the hand motions of this ancient

06:50system of bodywork.

06:51Let's have you face down with your face right in the face cradle.

06:53Okay.

06:55Bye.

06:56And I'm going to start out with a technique called rolling.

07:00And it's just meant to warm up the tissues.

07:03Next, we're going to do a technique called finger springing.

07:06And I'm going to work on specific acupuncture and acupressure points.

07:13So the next stroke is called kneading.

07:15So tuina means to push and lift.

07:18And kneading really demonstrates this really well.

07:22There's lots of vibrational techniques in tuina.

07:25I'm just using the sides of my hand for this, but I could also use the pads of my fingers.

07:31This was a little bit different from just a standard back massage because there are very

07:35specific hand and finger motions.

07:37And it's pretty repetitive.

07:38So the same motion is done over and over again to really target specific areas and muscles.

07:44Being in that room was so calming.

07:46And by the end, I just did not want to get off the table.

07:49I'm going to stay in this salt cake forever.

07:54By the middle of the week, I realized that I had already tried out two separate TCM treatments

07:59in two New York City wellness centers.

08:01So I really wanted to see if there were any TCM practices that I could do fully on my own

08:06without paying any money or requiring a practitioner.

08:09Enter Tai Chi.

08:11Tai Chi is one of the world's most graceful forms of exercise.

08:14And the best part is you can do it anywhere.

08:16I walked over to a grassy pier by the Hudson River.

08:19I kicked my shoes off, opened YouTube on my phone, and just typed in Tai Chi for beginners.

08:25And up popped tons of free tutorial videos.

08:275 minutes long, 8 minutes long, 10 minutes long.

08:30It's totally up to you.

08:32I just popped in my headphones and did a 30 minute long tutorial.

08:35Tai Chi is a series of deliberate movements performed in a slow and graceful manner,

08:40all accompanied by deep breathing.

08:43It's designed to improve flexibility and balance.

08:45And it sort of reminds me of a meditation practice mixed with a restorative yoga class,

08:51mixed with some power poses.

08:53Now at this point, most people have heard of Tai Chi,

08:55but another TCM practice that's garnered a little bit less popularity in the West is Qi Gong.

09:00The main differences between Tai Chi and Qi Gong are that Qi Gong is a little bit less complex.

09:06There's typically one movement that's repeated and sometimes it's very little movement at all.

09:11Instead, it mostly just focuses on breath work.

09:13Sherry actually had a video where she was teaching Qi Gong,

09:16so I followed her tutorial and just flowed by the river.

09:19And of course, as soon as I was finished with this activity,

09:23the moment we cut the cameras,

09:25a bird pooped right here on my arm.

09:28I think because I had just done 30 minutes of breath work and relaxation,

09:31I was not nearly as stressed about the bird poop as I would have thought I'd be.

09:36Our production assistant had a napkin on hand,

09:38so I just sort of gently handed her my wrist as she swiped the poop off of it.

09:42But I wasn't frantic at all.

09:44It was a calm and gentle bird poop removal process

09:47that I can only attribute to my 30 minutes of Qi Gong.

09:53On Thursday, I knew it was time to link up with a doctor from China.

09:57Someone who has actually pioneered some of these TCM treatments

10:01and began their practice in China.

10:03I did a quick Google search to find practitioners in the New York City area

10:06that fit that criteria.

10:08And that is how I found Dr. Wang.

10:10On Thursday, I went to his office in Midtown for cupping therapy.

10:14Nice to meet you.

10:15How are you?

10:16Good. How are you?

10:17Good. So you've practiced cupping in China?

10:20Since 1982.

10:22I wasn't even born yet.

10:25Cupping has been practiced in China like 2,500 years.

10:29The cups are typically made of glass, bamboo, or silicone.

10:32A lot of the modern cupping centers use the plastic cups

10:35because they want to minimize the risk of any glass breaking.

10:38But Dr. Wang does this in the authentic Chinese way.

10:41Using glass cups.

10:42He starts off by burning a flammable substance,

10:45either alcohol, herbs, or paper.

10:47He briefly puts the fire inside of the cup,

10:50and then he places the cup directly onto your skin

10:53to form a suction as the air inside the cup cools.

10:56Your blood vessels expand, blood is pulled to the surface,

10:59and you're basically getting giant circular-shaped hickeys.

11:03The cups are left on for different amounts of time,

11:05depending on what your practitioner thinks you need.

11:07Also, leaving the cups on for longer will likely lead to longer-lasting marks.

11:12Dr. Wang stepped out of the room briefly to tend to another patient,

11:15so I was left lying there on the table with the cups in my back.

11:19This procedure doesn't hurt.

11:20It honestly feels like more of a pressurized massage.

11:23But I will tell you, the cups felt very tight on my back,

11:27and it did make it kind of difficult to move.

11:29So as Dr. Wang stepped out, I had a really bad itch on my nose,

11:33and I was trying to move my arm to scratch my nose,

11:36but I couldn't move my arm because my shoulder blades were so tight from the cups.

11:41It feels so weird. I can't move.

11:43So my production assistant, yes, the same one who had previously wiped the poop off my wrist,

11:48came in to rescue me again and scratched my face for me.

11:52When Dr. Wang came back, he removed the cups...

11:54Whoa!

11:57...and I was left with some lovely circular cupping marks.

12:00People who do cupping therapy regularly claim it helps with pain, inflammation,

12:05blood flow, relaxation, and well-being,

12:07and also that it's kind of like a deep tissue massage.

12:12Back when I did five days of natural remedies,

12:15I spent an entire day at Remedy's Herb Shop in Brooklyn

12:18and basically got a crash course in herbal medicine.

12:21We focused on nourishing herbal infusions, or in other words, a hibiscus iced tea,

12:26and we also made a lavender and lemon balm-infused honey.

12:29There are so many different herbs used for healing all over the world.

12:33So for my final day of TCM, I sat down with Sherry since she's a board-certified Chinese herbalist,

12:38and I learned a little bit more about these plants.

12:40Chinese Herbology is a part of Chinese medicine, and it's one of the oldest medicinal forms in the world.

12:46This is our line of organic Chinese herbal formulas,

12:49and they're for everything from energy to stress, digestion, and sleep.

12:56Which of these herbs would you recommend to me?

12:58The first one is Gut Check, which has a lot of herbs that increase digestive enzymes in the body,

13:04and it helps you metabolize food.

13:05You mentioned something for stress. Which one should I do for stress?

13:08So run the world. Run the world is really great for both kinds of stress,

13:13whether it's anger-based stress, like irritability and frustration,

13:16or fear-based stress, like anxiety.

13:18Herbs are basically all different plant parts that have different therapeutic properties.

13:23There are roots and stems, pearls and shells, fruits and seeds, mushrooms, and branches and leaves.

13:29And out within, they combine various formulas of these Chinese herbs and put them in tablet form,

13:34each tablet being used for something different.

13:36They have one for stress management, one for an energy boost, one for bloating, sweeping, and so much more.

13:42Their herbs are 100% organic, they're tested for quality and potency,

13:46and these are things that are very important to look at today before taking any herbal supplements.

13:51These five TCM practices that I focused on this week are not the only ones out there.

13:55There's moxibustion, the process of burning dried herbs,

13:58and in some cases applying them directly to the skin,

14:01although that technique is not used that much anymore because it can be really painful and cause scarring.

14:06There's also an entire school of thought out there surrounding Chinese nutrition,

14:10focusing on the five tastes.

14:12So if you're interested in learning more about that, there are tons of books you can get all about TCM

14:17and nutrition.

14:17Now I want to know if you've ever tried any of these TCM practices, so comment below to let us

14:22know.

14:23And if you haven't, comment and let us know if you're interested.

14:26Give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed learning more about traditional Chinese medicine,

14:29and also let me know what topic you want to see me explore next time on Try Living With Lucy.

14:34See you then!

14:35Hey YouTube! Thanks for watching 5 Days of TCM.

14:38Click here for another video in the 5 Day Challenge series,

14:41right here to subscribe to R29 on YouTube,

14:44and right here for my personal YouTube channel.

14:47Be sure to follow me on Instagram at LucyBFink for behind the scenes.

14:50See ya!

5 Days Of Trying Holistic Medicine | Try Living With Lucie | Refinery29

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