I had a meltdown in Dr. Yu’s office last week. I was exhausted and stressed trying to meet a production deadline for the teen writing and publishing program I’m involved with—so much so that I lost focus of the real purpose of the program and the joy that comes with it.
The minute I took a seat in Dr. Yu’s office and started talking about the month since my last acupuncture treatment, I found myself crying. Dr. Yu listened, then gently reminded me that two of the most critical elements in healing my eyesight are to reduce stress and limit eyestrain.
That made me want to cry even more, because I’ve been working so hard over the past three months to heal my eyesight. I’ve completely revamped my diet. I’ve added daily strength and cardio training. I do twice daily acupressure and eye exercises and I drink my Chinese herbs morning and night. I’ve also recently started taking TUDCA, a liver detoxifier that has reduced the amount of pigment found in the eyes of some RP patients. Yet through it all, I’ve ignored two things that I know are seriously detrimental to my eyesight.
“Okay, let’s reduce that stress and get you some rest,” Dr. Yu stated after our conversation. I followed him into the treatment room where he got busy piercing my belly button with needles and digging others deep into my lower stomach. It hurt while the needles were being inserted. But then the pain went away and I felt completely relaxed and at peace. By the time I was done with that hour-long treatment, I felt like a new person.
Later, during an interview with Dr. Yu that I will post in the next week or two, we discussed his TCM treatment and what makes one RP patient more receptive than another. He told me that it often comes down to a person’s Chi—the stronger their Chi, the better they respond. He explained that good Chi is a combination of strong physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Figuring that I can use all the help I can get, I did an Internet search and found a great WikIHow article titled: How to Develop Your Chi. The article is extensive and well-worth reading. But here’s a quick list of tips from that article to get you started.
Tips for Developing Your Chi
- Be at peace with your self and everyone around you
- Be happy, be excited—always!
- Sharpen your mind; explore it
- Keep smiling
- Believe in yourself and your abilities—if you don’t believe in yourself, who will?
- Build your outer strength (Think yoga, martial arts, Pilates)
- Be relaxed—relax your body, mind and spirit (Think yoga and meditation )
- Activate your imagination
- Shine at whatever you are doing and whoever you may be
- Share your abilities and strengths with others
- Practice, Practice, Practice
Okay, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.. But I’m going for it—an inch at a time.
Yes, you are going for it! And you’re paving a way for so many. Here’s to your Chi!
Thank you, Suz. Watching you with Eddie is a reminder of how to develop good Chi. xo
Thanks for sharing. OH how I can relate to DOING all the “right” things, yet neglecting to rest and restore. I think I shared with you that I have been practicing QiGong for an autoimmune disorder for over a year and when I practice each day my mind/body/spirit is so much stronger. I’d love to share my practice with you sometime. Kai has shown interest in joining me so I think we will be doing QiGong together in the mornings this summer. Tomorrow we are touring Georgia Academy for the Blind and Tuesday is his first appointment at Emory. Please be praying that we get some good news. Blessings to you. Kim
Kim,
Thanks for your note. Makes me feel better knowing I’m not the only one who occasionally neglects what is most important. I’m going to look into QGong. Do you do it at home? or do you take a class? Very cool that Kai is interested. And I am absolutely all my best energy and prayers for good news this week. He can beat this. I know he can.
xo – Ingrid
caer y volver a levantarse, seguir adelante siempre ¡¡¡ mis bendiciones para ti. Any.
Thanks, Ana. xo
It made me so sad to read how stressed and overwhelmed you were! You’ve worked so hard, and I can completely understand why you burst into tears. At the same time, I love how you have come out of this experience with new knowledge and wisdom – and a new outlook. I wish I had some advice about making one’s chi stronger, or managing stress, but all I know is those are things I need to work on, too. Thank you for including the tips here – a lot of food for thought. All the best to you, as always.
Thanks, Alysa. I’m trying to reclaim some Chi. I realize that I have choices over my stress and the situations I create for myself — and just have to be accountable and take control of my health. You’ve got amazing Chi — I can feel it each time we connect. xo
Ingrid, as long as I have known you, you have been a very focused person, who achieves her goals with blinders on. I admire that in you. It takes a lot of self control and it can become very stressful. I know, I have tried to follow your example and end up with ulcers etc…
You are on the right track, but maybe you need to slow down and choose the priorities in your life. I know you are very good at saying “no” don’t for get to use that word, when it imposes on your well being.
Stay positive, keep smiling even when you want to cry inside, everyone around you will smile back at you and it will help you feel better. You will find your strong chi by being at peace with yourself and keeping a positive attitude. Just remember to give yourself a break and that I am just a phone call away. 🙂
Thanks for the reminders, Connie. So grateful to have you as my sister and friend. xo – Ingrid
Keep up the great work Ingrid!!! As a fellow RP sufferer I am with you all the way!!! Wondering if you could tell me where you buy TUDCA from and how much you take as it doesn’t seem to be available in Australia. I look forward to your next entry and hop you are in a better place. Love Belinda x
Hi Belinda,
Thanks for your note. I’ve been purchasing TUDCA from Amazon in powder form and based on recommendations from Dr. Any Rosenfarb, I’ve been take 500 milligrams a day. But I just learned that he has just received a shipment of TUDCA in pill form from his supplier so you can order it directly from him Here is his Website: :http://www.acupuncturehealth.net
Dear Ingrid, I hope this comment finds you on the up again from your latest stresses. We just have to keep getting up and you seem to have a real talent for that. Be proud of that and be kind to yourself. Yesterday I found myself in bed unwell due to a food reaction. I read your book in one go and then came online to find your blog. Thank you for your generosity in sharing your journey to date. I have had your prescribed green juice this morning. I added in a few extras and it made me wonder if Dr Yu has ever specified which things shouldn’t be added to your juicing? I wish you all the best and will be following this journey keenly. Hugs from Australia!
What a wonderful note to find. Thank you for your kind words – and for taking the time to read FOCUS. With re: to green juicing, I’m doing that on my own — it’s not something that Dr. Yu knows much about. But I know it’s helping. I follow the green juicing recipes I’ve found through Kris Carr (www.kriscarr.com) However, I came across this web site recently that has great green juicing recipes for eye diseases and other fantastic info. I highly recommend checking then out. http://www.naturaleyecare.com/eye-disease-prevention/
Best,
Ingrid