Bridgette Shea

An Integrated Practice of Ancient Healing Traditions

Handbook of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda

A holistic guide to improving your gut flora for better physical and emotional health • Explores the influence of the gut microbiome and the mesentery on all other bodily systems, especially the brain and immune system • Explains the central role of the digestive system in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine and how these systems treat the microbiome • Presents herbal remedies, acupuncture and acupressure techniques, and dietary methods to restore balance to your gut flora, including a microbiome reset In traditional medicine, such as Indian Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, the digestive system and microbiome are recognized as the foundation for good health. Our internal flora influences our immune system, brain function, hormonal balance, cravings, sleep, mood, inflammatory response, digestion, nutrient assimilation, and elimination. In this holistic guide to cultivating a healthy microbiome and managing gut health naturally, Bridgette Shea explores digestive functioning from the perspectives of both Western science and traditional medicine. She examines Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine principles on digestion and constitution types. She reveals how, in addition to describing what we now call the microbiome, traditional Chinese medicine also has long recognized the importance of an abdominal organ that modern science has only recently ­acknowledged: the mesentery, the tissues that connect and support the internal organs. Going beyond probiotics and prebiotics, the author presents practices from Ayurveda and Chinese medicine to reestablish balance in your internal microbiome, support the mesentery, improve digestion and elimination, and restore a clear mind and strong immune system. She explains how to read your symptoms, from brain fog and fatigue to congestion and stool quality, and offers herbal remedies, acupuncture and acupressure techniques, and dietary methods to improve your internal health, including a microbiome dietary reset. Revealing the diverse role that our inner microbial colonies play in keeping us happy and healthy, this book shows that by changing your microbiome, you can greatly improve your physical, emotional, and mental health.

Ayurvedic and Chinese Practices for a Healthy Gut and a Clear Mind

Cultivating Your Microbiome

A comprehensive reference tool for maximizing healing of the mind, body, and spirit through a holistic synergy of Chinese medicine and Ayurveda • Details the foundational principles of each tradition and the many concepts they share, such as qi and prana, meridians and nadis, and energy centers and chakras • Provides tools for self-assessment including a primer on tongue diagnosis and a mental, emotional, and physical constitutional questionnaire • Offers breathing exercises, dietary regimens, herbal recommendations, and guides for detoxification, including safe and gentle at-home cleansing Chinese medicine and Ayurveda are two of the oldest healing systems in use today. Each is a complete art, in and of itself, and has profoundly contributed to the health and well-being of millions of people around the world. Drawing on their shared roots and spiritual principles, Bridgette Shea, L.Ac., MAcOM, shows how these two practices integrate seamlessly, with the two traditions’ individual strengths harmonizing to form a practical basis for prevention, wellness, detoxification, and treatment. The author explains the foundational principles of both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda in detail, providing the reader with a working understanding of both disciplines. She examines shared concepts such as qi and prana, meridians and nadis, and energy centers and chakras. She explores the strengths of each practice, such as the clinical efficiency of diagnosis and the use of acupuncture for pain relief, improving fertility, and stress reduction in Chinese medicine and the dietary, detoxification, and spiritual guidance of Ayurveda, including the detox branch of Ayurveda known as Panchakarma. Moving beyond theory into practical application, she explores the Elements, known as the Five Phases and the Panchamahabhutas, and how they affect our well-being. She provides tools for self-assessment including a primer on tongue diagnosis and a mental, emotional, and physical constitutional questionnaire. Offering treatment and prevention strategies that draw from both disciplines, she encourages the reader to implement an integrated practice of these two systems in daily life or clinical practice. She details breathing exercises, dietary regimens, herbal recommendations, and guides for detoxification, including safe and gentle home cleanses, all rooted in the holistic synergy between Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. Sharing case studies that highlight the interconnectedness of these approaches, Shea provides a comprehensive guide for self-healing of body, mind, and spirit and a practitioner’s resource to cross-reference complex questions with respect to both healing traditions.

Bridgette Shea

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