Your body has been designed to heal itself, he avers with unshakable faith. All it needs is a little help, and the intent to heal.
Forget the name of the disease. The body is one whole connected being. Focus instead on the meridians, and the flow of ‘chi’ or vital energy through the body. Blocked meridians hinder the flow of ‘chi’, causing imbalance between the forces of yin and yang. This is the primary cause of disease.
The solution is to unblock the meridians. After years of travel and research, Master Xiao put together two simple concepts that anyone can practise: ‘pai-da’ or slapping, and ‘la-jin’ or stretching. The slapping and stretching work together to clear the meridians of blocks and help the body get rid of disease.
How exactly does it work? Slapping repeatedly at one point builds heat, causing blood vessels to expand, and ‘chi’ to flow strongly. Yang rises, yin melts and long-held toxins and blocks are released.
Patients experience what many call bruising; Master Xiao describes it as poisoned blood or ‘sha’, which is the beginning of healing. For some, there is a healing crisis, where the condition worsens and then resolves. Often, there is intense pain. But pain points the way to healing, he explains. “No pain, no gain!”
Comparing the flow of ‘chi’ to that of a river, he explains that most of the garbage collects in the bends. So focus on slapping the joints — inner elbows and wrists, all around the knees, feet and ankles, and all over the head and face, working for at least 10 minutes on each part. If you don’t have the time, focus on only a few places per session. It is important to pay attention to the area being slapped.
He calls it meditative paida, and suggests that you have a conversation with your body. Over time, we should paida every inch of our body for best results.
And the stretching? ‘Jin-suo’ is a shortening of tendons that causes stiffness and disease. ‘La-jin’ reverses this by stretching the tendons and increasing flexibility. While lajin is best done on a lajin bench, modifications include using chairs or lying on the floor and stretching along a wall. He also recommends squatting and using doorframes for forward stretches.
What about side effects? There are many, he smiles. Weight loss. Better skin. Increased energy. Activation of reflexology points on our hands when we slap…
The list is long, and worth the effort. We have nothing to lose but our diseases.
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