Discovering Inner Balance
September 2026
The basic premise of Chinese medicine healing is to balance the flow of qi (vital energy) within the body’s matrix of meridian pathways. It is intended to enhance and create equilibrium between yin-yang energy. Core principles are based upon Five Element Theory which focuses on establishing a balanced interaction between the fire, earth, metal, water, and wood elements of a person’s energetic system.
Profound positive results are achieved through performing Taiji (Tai Chi) and Qigong exercise, receiving acupuncture treatments, engaging in Chinese herbal therapy, and adhering to the principles of Chinese food energetics. These transformational modalities are becoming an integral aspect of treatment especially in the last decade. They are often received in combination with Western medicine diagnosis or treatment – providing “the best of both worlds”.
Engaging in the Chinese medicine realm results in the realization there is more to life than the physical. A recipient learns to acknowledge, accept, and embellish aspects of their being that can’t be seen but can be felt. This begins with the sheer desire to discover what is happening within the inner chambers and pathways of their body. It is a process that includes looking within to identify what may be impeding natural flow.
The need to make subtle changes in ways of living and treating oneself becomes apparent. Letting go of tension and emotional negativity, releasing energetic blockages, and enhancing spiritual awareness becomes the norm. Doing so brings forth greater wholeness, inner connection, and ability to behave with greater authenticity.
Inner Balance Exercise
- Step One: Sit up straight on a chair with feet flat on the floor, palms resting on thighs, and eyelids almost closed. Lift your crown upward by a golden thread toward the heaven above. Suspend your crown and drop your weight down through your body and pour it through the soles of your feet into the earth below. Do you feel more rooted and grounded within yourself?
- Step Two: Focus your mind on a special area approximately three inches below the naval and inside your abdominal cavity. This is the lower dantian – your center of power, your energetic center of physical healing, your second brain. Take three gentle, rhythmical, and deep breaths into your lower belly. Do you feel calmer, more energized, and connected within yourself?
- Step Three: Identify the existence of energetic blockages that may be impeding flow within your Qi body. They may feel like subtle knots, tension, numbness, or even pain. One by one, use the intention of your mind to release and send them down into the earth. Do you feel energy flowing more fully and abundantly throughout your body?
- Step Four: Take notice of any differences between the left (yang) and right (yin) sides of your body. Trust your intuition to support your quest. Re-adjust and calibrate energy flowing through both sides to bring forth greater equanimity. Do you feel a sense of inner balance from doing so?
- Step Five: Take a moment to reflect on your experience. Simply observe how you feel physically and energetically. Allow any images or sensations to naturally surface.
- Completion: When you are ready, take a few deep breaths into your lower belly, stand up, and shake yourself off. Your inner exploration is now complete.
Transformation of the self and aligned energetic flow takes time and effort. It is a slow and steady process of intentional focus – filled with incremental gems of body, mind, and spiritual awareness. Start by opening the door to this vast body of Chinese medicine wisdom. Keep in mind along your journey that “when the student is ready the teacher appears”.
Life Long Learning
Shoshanna Katzman, L.Ac., M.S. has been director of Red Bank Acupuncture & Wellness Center since 1988. Now, in Shrewsbury, NJ, the center provides acupuncture, therapeutic massage, Chinese herbal consultation along with private and group classes in conjunction with her Two Rivers Academy of Taiji & Qigong. She is author of “Qigong for Staying Young: A Simple 20-Minute Workout to Cultivate Your Vital Energy”, co-author of “Feeling Light: The Holistic Solution to Permanent Weight Loss and Wellness” and recently released “Center of Power: Life Mastery through Taiji” a comprehensive online curriculum. For more information email or call/text 732-758-1800.
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