Balanced Natural Health with Dr. Maz

What if perimenopause 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 Chinese 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! To be the first to know about the courses I mention in this episode, you can sign up via the form below. 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) More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2025

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! More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2025

PODCAST SCHEDULE UPDATE: new episode monthly - or more specifically, each Full Moon, for the next while. 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 More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2025

(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 More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2025

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") More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2025

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. More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2025

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. More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2025

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 Home https://www.instagram.com/tokopa/ More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2025

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. 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 More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

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 More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

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/ https://www.skool.com/thecrdchallenge 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 From the Huang Di Nei Jing, circa 220 BCE Chapter 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. More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

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 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 More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

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. Qi Gong Reels Calming Qi Gong - Gathering the Sky Qi Gong Warm Up Sequence Wise Owl Qi Gong More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

What is health? Is it merely the absence of disease? Or can getting “sick” and having “symptoms” also be a sign of health - an indication of an appropriate response to an insult or toxin of some kind, whether emotional, environmental, climatic, energetic, relational, dietary, airborne, electromagnetic, thought-based, beliefs, etc? In this episode, I share my musings and reflections on how I see health - and how we can flow with the manifestations that arise in order to continue supporting our vitality and fullest expression, rather than trying to suppress the vital and restorative healing processes. The body already knows how to heal - we just need to minimise the obstacles that we place upon that path, whether individually or collectively. I share perspectives on health from sages, philosophers and doctors through the ages, and discuss some cases studies that illustrate that “dis-ease” has actually been a healing process, and that interrupting this process would have arrested the inconvenient symptoms at the cost of healing, pushing the imbalance deeper into the body-mind-soul. I also touch very briefly on the lenses of terrain theory, pleomorphism, German New Medicine, and homotoxicology, and how these overlap with Chinese Medicine. NOTE: health is such a huge topic that I could spend literally years talking about it! This is just a very tiny sampler. The case study examples I share are here are centred around healthy responses to physical triggers - a whole episode could also be dedicated to case studies with emotional triggers - and are by no means exhaustive. ... "Health is harmony, dis-ease is discord" Aristotle (384-322 BC) “Our mode of life itself, the way we live, is emerging as today’s principal cause of illness” Dr Joel Elkes, Director of Behavioural Medicine, Harvard  "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society" Jiddu Krishnamurti "Commercials for depression in the 90s named the cause as low levels of serotonin*. With no mention of toxic marriages. unhealthy workplace, financial security, loss of a loved one, or childhood trauma. Depression is a response. A natural response to unnatural environments or painful events" Dr. Nicole LePera, @the.holistic.psychologist *now throughly debunked ... "One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things. He moves in harmony with the present moment, always knowing the truth of just what to do." Lao Tzu, Dao De Ching, Chapter 8 More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz tiktok.com/@balanced.with.drmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

In Chinese Medicine, healthy digestion and assimilation of nutrients belongs to the Earth element. It is the foundation for vibrant health and wellness, and so our medicine has many practices and lifestyle tips that support this essential function. “Symptoms” (or body messages!) like gastritis, indigestion, stomach pain & bloating, ulcers and acid reflux are common in our modern society, reflecting a departure from health practices that have withstood millennia. Luckily, our age-old medicine has many simple dietary tweaks and lifestyle guidelines to help restore balance to the digestion, in turn resolving the conditions mentioned above. In this episode, I share easy ways that you can support your body to ease stomach pain, burn, bloat and discomfort, and help restore vitality! More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz tiktok.com/@balanced.with.drmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

Chinese Medicine is a holistic framework that views all of space-time as one interconnected web: humans are woven into the fabric of the cosmos, and our health and vitality is influenced by the cycles of the heavens, the seasons, the sun and the moon. Recognising the importance of these cycles - and the benefits that aligning with these cycles can confer upon our health - the ancient sages and doctors observed Nature, and codified her many cycles and how they impact us. The result of this is a range of lenses that look at different expanses and magnifications of space-time. These lenses are fractal in nature, describing the ebb and flow of Yin and Yang - the contraction and expansion of the cosmic breath - at each degree. Like the many instruments of an orchestra that meld together to create music, these various cycles weave together to manifest the world we inhabit. I could do an episode on each of these cycles, so in this episode, we will focus on the Meridian Clock! The Meridian Clock is a 24-hour cycle describing the circulation of Qi throughout the 12 meridians of the body, and highlights various points of our circadian rhythm that are optimal for specific functions. It’s not surprising to me that the ancients had this cycle figured out thousands of years ago. The details which they identified are now being described by contemporary science in the forms of chronobiology, chronopharmacology and chronopathology, and it's curious to note how diseases affecting certain organs align with the timings of this ancient clock. In this episode, we go on a journey around the Meridian Clock, learning what it can illuminate for us about our state of wellness and vitality - as well as simple, practical things we can do to align ourselves with the flow of life and health. More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz tiktok.com/@balanced.with.drmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

Have you ever felt scattered or ungrounded after a shocking, frightening or distressing event? Or felt so stressed that it changed your breathing pattern? So angry that your chest and head felt hot? So worried that your stomach was twisted up in knots? So sad that your chest felt heavy and dull? In Chinese Medicine we understand that, aside from environmental effects or traumatic causes, emotions are the main cause for dis-ease in our systems. The ancient doctors and sages observed the specific effects of each emotional state on the sum total of an individual's Qi, or the totality of their unique energetic field. Even modern science concurs that we are predominantly "empty" space - not as solid as we might think, and rather composed of a multidimensional symphony of frequencies. If not processed and allowed to move out of the field, emotions can inhibit the flow, harmony and coherence of our energy. Luckily, the ancients also codified many simple and accessible ways that we can move through these emotions and restore balance to the body-mind-soul. In this episode, I share some basic balances for common emotional experiences that many can relate to. More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz tiktok.com/@balanced.with.drmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

One of the fundamental tenets of Chinese Medicine is that it listens closely to the messages (symptoms) of the body-mind-soul, and uses that vital information to support the individual in moving towards their fullest expression of health.  It recognises that we are all unique, and so the treatment approach will be unique each time too. There is no "protocol" to treat specific "diseases", as treatment will vary with each individual being - and will also change over both time and space (as we are intricately connected to our environment). This perspective is not exclusive to Chinese Medicine alone. Any truly holistic medicine will take a similar approach: acknowledging the body-mind-soul's wisdom and brilliance in creating the adaptations (often seen as "symptoms") that it does, and supporting the whole system towards greater vitality and health. In contrast, allopathic medicine generally seeks to suppress the inconvenient "symptoms", which only serves to perpetuate the "condition" - or prompts it to move into another aspect of the body-mind-soul. Most often, long-term management via pharmaceutical means is the best that can be hoped for, and resolution is not a goal. In addition, "treatment" approaches are protocolised, offering one method or drug for the same symptoms, regardless of the many contributing or coexisting factors, and the individual's unique history and experience. In this episode I talk more deeply on this topic, and also share the Classical Chinese Medicine lens on health - if we don't use protocol medicine and diagnosis, how do we assess. differentiate and treat what is presenting? How do we construct treatments to support the individuals? Find out in this episode! More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz tiktok.com/@balanced.with.drmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024

Where I live, we are currently in the very depths of Winter - the season of the Water element, which rules the Kidney and Bladder. These channels can be most easily imbalanced by external Cold, and so at this time of year we can more often see "cold-like" presentations. Luckily, we have a whole toolbox of options for restoring balance in Chinese Medicine! In this episode, I talk about: • simple ways to kick out a cold with common herbs, Qi Gong and a special acupuncture point you can pinch if you get a chill; • how the energy of Cold can upset fluid metabolism and affect bladder function, leading to a UTI-like presentation; • the Water element, and how we can nourish this element not only in Winter, but at any time of year that is may require; • messages that this element can do with some love, and simple things you can try at home; • some basic food, flavour and cooking ideas to nourish Water; • the magic of salt, its relation to Water, and how natural salt beautifully structured our drinking and body water. I hope it is of interest and benefit! This acupressure trick can kick out an early stage chill (within the first 6-8 hours or so) Start to pinch this point, Da Zhui, on the upper spine for a minute or so. Pinch as firmly as you can handle, until you feel a light flush. You may also feel a gentle warmth spreading out from that area. Keep the area warm and protected from further Wind and Cold after doing this technique, as the pores and surface of the body will be open (this is how we kick the Cold out, before it settles in any deeper). Da Zhui is translated as "Great Vertebra" - a handy guide to its location in the depression below the biggest, most prominent vertebra, where your neck joins the back. Why this works This point is a meeting point of all the Yang channels. The Yang channels govern the exterior of our body, and maintain good "boundaries" and harmony with the outside world. Certain weather - especially Cold and Wind - can breach these boundaries, and "colds" can ensue. Another way to kick an early stage cold = cinnamon, ginger and honey tea + a hot shower + bundle up well + rest. This is why we love scarves in Chinese Medicine While a gentle breeze on a hot day can be soothing, excess Wind can upset our system. We are at all times surrounded by a thin layer of warm air at our skin surface, which helps to maintain our boundaries and “immunity”. The maintenance of this protective boundary is why we get goosebumps when we are cold - the raising of the fine body hairs helps to trap more body heat close to the skin. If this is repeatedly blown away, our muscles can tighten up in an effort to maintain the optimal levels of body heat. What we do when we are cold? We hunch our shoulders up to our ears to keep ourselves warm. As the thinnest part of our body, and one which houses vital tissues like the spinal cord, nerves, arteries and muscles to support our head, the neck and nape are easily susceptible to Wind. If these areas get too wind-blown, we often see symptoms like headache & migraine, neck / shoulder / back pain and colds / flu as a result. This is why we consider it an important part of selfcare and health maintenance to wear a scarf to protect this vital area when it's windy*. Plus you get to accessorise - winning! * This also applies to air-conditioning and strong drafts (like open car windows when driving at high speeds). I've had patients with chronic headaches / neck pain that resolved as soon as they moved their desk to a part of the office that wasn't under an aircon vent. More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz tiktok.com/@balanced.with.drmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with y...

Today I invite you to join me in a thought experiment - a journey of imagination, and perhaps, a dreaming into being of a new world. I think that it’s really important to ask these questions and consider what is possible, because: A) it’s a big part of the actual scientific method - not the scientism that has been co-opted into dogma and religious belief, but the true spirit of inquiry through which we learn about our world, and who we are in it. In science, we ask “what if…”, “how does this work”, “how do we know this”, “why do we assume this be true”, “how can we consider this differently”, “can we look at things in a more expansive way” B) words are spells! Our words spell out and shape our reality, the inform our subconscious minds; they shape how we think and how we relate with the world - and what kind of world we create around us.   In this episode, we ponder, what if we evolved into a different understanding and terminology for what we now call the “immune system”?  Is there another way to think of how our bodies adapt to input from the external world that is not so defensive, separating, oppositional and rooted in attack-thinking? What if we thought of the amazing symphony of functions that helps us adjust to the world, and to process and assimilate a spectrum of information and input, as a dynamic interface - the veil between outside and inside? Just because something is defined a certain way now doesn’t mean that it has always been that way, and we discuss some alternate perspectives on the science of health. How can we hope to create a more beautiful world of peace and  harmony from a place of fear, defensiveness, resistance and resentment? I believe that through our own liberation, healing and expansion, we can heal the world around us. When we shed our own limiting thoughts and worldviews, and become more whole and integrated, we are doing something real for the world - an infinitesimal part of healing the collective, to paraphrase Jung. It’s an inside job, and it starts with us. And so I think, if we hold certain worldviews of conflict, violence, attack, such as those that have come to the forefront in the past century with the rise of pharmaceutical medicine, what are we perpetuating into the world around us, what are we dreaming into being? What can we create from a worldview that is more connected, trusting and benevolent? Come dream with me! More on Dr. Maz balancedacupuncture.com.au instagram.com/balanced_with_drmaz/ facebook.com/balancedwithdrmaz tiktok.com/@balanced.with.drmaz Disclaimer Chinese Medicine is a personalised, functional medicine that treats the individual and the root cause of their presenting imbalance (what conventional medicine would call the symptom, disease or condition). This means that your doctor of Chinese Medicine will work one-on-one with you to achieve a personalised treatment plan. As such, this podcast is for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or substitute existing medical advice. © Copyright Balanced Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine and Dr. Maz Roginski 2024