Men's Health and Life Essence
Men's health and health in general is a huge topic. Over the last three years in my clinic I have seen a steady increase in male patients, which I think is great as men are starting to take more responsibility for their health. Generally speaking from a Chinese medical point of view the main organ men need to look after is their kidneys. Clearly all organs are important but the kidneys have an important role in men's health.
In Chinese medicine when we talk about the kidneys we are talking about a philosophical concept as well as a physiological concept. The Kidneys are the root and Yin and Yang, they rule the back and the knees. Hence sometimes when we get tired we feel pain in the lower back or particularly men who do excess physical labour, over exertion and even excessive sexual activity. From an environmental point of view the climate of cold can effect the kidneys. Winter is a time when the kidneys are vulnerable particularly to cold. An important note to consider in regards to men's health that kidneys store essence. Jing it is called in Chinese medicine. This is one of the three treasures in taoist philosophy that help us cultivate our health. Our essence can be cultivated through regular treatments of acupuncture and herbal medicine and also through exercise therapy such as Tai Chi or the taoist exercise the eight silk brocade.
Jing is what nourishes our life and preserves our life essence. It enhances our longevity and is important to maintain, it is a heavy and dense substance and resides in the marrow of our bones and brain. That is why weight baring exercises such as Tai Chi help preserve our Jing. The brain is considered the sea of marrow in Chinese medicine. As we age we lose our life essence, hence Jing declines and we can lose our memory as well as bone density. Male sperm is considered Jing and it is healthy from a Chinese medical point of view to release sparingly. There are certain ages that suggests the amount a male should ejaculate to help preserve ones health. This will vary according to someones constitution. Loss of semen and essence can lead to psychological problems. Many men who suffer depression ask me what they can do to help. Preserving our essence is one way that gives us greater clarity of mind, enhances our concentration and enhances our psychic as well as psychological immunity.
Just as we need to keep our physical bodies healthy and hygienic. We also need to do this for our minds and emotions. Men can do this by preserving their essence. More to come on this topic........
