Handbook of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda: An Integrated Practice of Ancient Healing Traditions

by Bridgette Shea L.Ac. MAcOM

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.

Genres: Health

384 pages, Hardcover

Published July 17, 2018

Reviews

[Elizabeth Ruth-Abramian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda are two widely available ancient healing traditions. Author Bridgette Shea’s explanations of the two combine them in ways we as clients or practitioners can appreciate and benefit from. There are three overarching themes in Handbook of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda: energy, consciousness, and balance. Using the discreet terms from each tradition, Shea describes the beliefs of each philosophy and the actual encounters in the clinic that explain them. Shea, an experienced doctor of Chinese medicine, illuminates these complex subjects with confidence, and the result is you see more of the relationship in Handbook of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda of these traditions. But the text also leaves you fascinated by the relationship of human beings to our universe. Shea's own practice started out with the principles of balance and healing in Chinese medicine and has grown to incorporate energy and consciousness in Ayurvedic medicine. The material is dense. Yet the author’s command of it makes concentrating on it so interesting. Shea offers a concise, point by point look at the perspectives of the two systems and offers detoxification plans and routines to get you started. In fact, her text reads so well that it’s impossible to put down. I'll keep this one in reach because I like the way Shea explains energy, consciousness and balance as central to these ancient healing systems!
See more of my review here

[Emily Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot of useful information in this book, but I don’t think it was structured in the most engaging way. I found myself scratching my head many times, because there is a lot of discussion of the “what” in Ayurveda and TCM, but not enough of the why. A good general overview though—I will keep researching!

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was interest and at time hard to buy into the concepts of Chinese and Indian medical techniques come from the Western societies. But it proved a new way of looking at health and body balance tying the structural being to aspects of the surrounding environment. It gave a new way to evaluate ones well-being and alternate suggests of how to solve our ailments. It teaches a harmony in bodily body, soul and spirit (not metaphysically in a religious notion). It express how every part of the body was connect through energy sources to other parts. Then gave a path way to healing and harmony through different avenues. I can say if I believe what I read but I do see the connections.

[Iwona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might not be the best choice for a novice reader as it covers a lot of knowledge from the two oldest healing traditions which could be overwhelming. However it’s well-written and non-natives should be able to follow the argument easily. There are a few helpful examples and some good tips to incorporate into your life.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8/5

I have read many books on Ayurveda but none on TCM and I was curious to read TCM books but it seemed complicated. This book gives a comprehensive understanding of both and differences between the two systems.

[Karl Koh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good comparison between TCM and Ayurveda