Human's unique ability 인간의 특별한 능력

The Unique Ability of Humans

Humans possess a truly remarkable ability among all living creatures — the liver’s power to detoxify and transform.
The human liver can process fructose — the sugar commonly found in fruits — and store it as fat, turning a simple nutrient into a survival mechanism.

Yet this ability comes with a hidden cost.
During the metabolism of fructose, a substance called uric acid is produced.
When it accumulates excessively, it becomes toxic to the body.
Most animals possess an enzyme to break down uric acid, but humans lost this function during evolution.
Perhaps it is nature’s lesson for us: in exchange for the raw simplicity of survival, we gained the complexity of the human system.

The ancient Greek physician Dr. Aretaeus of Cappadocia described diabetes as “a disease in which the flesh and limbs are dissolved into urine.”

Metabolism is the process by which nutrients are broken down and distributed to every cell in the body.
But when our metabolism loses its harmony, the very system that sustains life — the metabolic syndrome — begins to quietly erode our health.
Excess uric acid burdens the system, inflaming joints, stiffening blood vessels, and clouding the clarity of the mind.
This process unfolds slowly over decades, often spanning 10 to 30 years.

For those with diabetes, it signifies a gradual loss of vitality.
Foods rich in purines, such as beer, cheese, anchovies, and processed meats, further disrupt this delicate balance.
True detoxification is not merely the act of removing toxins.
It is the restoration of the liver’s natural rhythm of transformation — a process that forms a large part of human resilience and health.

Nature always provides what we need.
And it often comes in the humblest form.
Root vegetables, growing quietly beneath the earth, embody the essence of purification and grounding.
They absorb minerals from the soil, filter toxins, and store life energy through the seasons.

A simple detox juice made from radish, burdock root, onion, carrot, and lotus root supports the liver’s natural cleansing process.
These roots work synergistically — improving blood circulation, reducing inflammation, and gently aiding detoxification.
Their earthy and subtle flavors may seem humble, yet their effect is profound: restoring clarity to the body and calmness to the mind.

Healing is not about fighting the body.
It is about listening to it.
Sometimes, all the body asks for is a bowl of roots and water.

Among all foods, vegetables are the only source capable of supplying oxygen to the human body.
Oxygen, in turn, helps release toxins from the tissues.

Here, we introduce five vegetables capable of supporting detoxification and restoring balance in the body.

모든 생명체 가운데, 인간에게는 특별한 능력이 있다. 

그건 간(肝)의 해독과 변환 능력에 관한 것이다.

인간의 간은 과당(Fructose) 특히 과일에 많이 들어있는 설탕류를 

그것을 지방(fat) 형태로 저장하는 능력이 있다.

과당이 대사되는 과정에서 또 요산(Uric acid) 이라는 물질이 생성되는데, 이 물질이 과도하게 쌓이면 몸에 독이 된다.대부분의 동물은 요산을 분해하는 효소를 가지고 있지만, 인간은 진화의 과정에서 그것을 잃었다.어쩌면 그것은 자연이 우리에게 준 교훈일지도 모르겠지만

 단순한 생존의 힘 대신 복잡한 인간의 체계를 얻은 것이다.

고대 그리스의 의사 Dr. Aretaeus of Cappadocia 는 당뇨병을 이렇게 표현했다.

“살과 팔다리가 녹아서 오줌이 되는 병.”

대사는 흡수한 영양물질을 잘게 부수어서 몸의 모든 세포가 유용하게 하는 과정이다 그러나 우리 몸의 대사가 조화를 잃으면, 생명을 유지하던 이 대사과정이라는 시스템(Metsyn; Metabolic syndrom)이 오히려 우리를 서서히 파괴하기 시작한다. 

요산이 몸속에 쌓이면, 조용히 시스템 전체에 부담을 주기 시작한다.관절은 붓고, 혈관은 딱딱해지며, 마음의 맑음까지 흐려진다. 이렇게 서서히 10~30년을 가게된다.

당뇨를 가진 사람에게는, 그것이 생명력의 서서히 풀려나감(쇠퇴)을 의미한다.맥주, 치즈, 멸치, 육류 가공식품처럼 퓨린(Purine) 이 많은 음식은 이 균형을 더욱 무너뜨린다.진정한 해독은 단순히 독소를 배출하는 행위가 아니다.

간이 지닌 ‘변화의 리듬’을 되살리는 일은 인간에게 있어서 건강 회복력의 많은 부분을 차지한다.

 자연은 언제나 우리가 필요한 것을 준다.
그것은 대개 가장 소박한 형태로 다가온다.땅속 깊이 자라는 뿌리채소들은 ‘정화(purification)’와 ‘안정(grounding)’의 본질을 품고 있다.그들은 흙의 미네랄을 흡수하고, 독소를 걸러내며, 계절의 흐름 속에 생명 에너지를 저장한다.무, 우엉, 양파, 당근, 연근 으로 만든 간단한 해독주스는 간의 자연스러운 정화 과정을 도와준다.

이 뿌리채소들은 서로 상승작용을 일으켜, 혈액순환을 돕고, 염증을 줄이며, 부드럽게 해독을 돕는다.그 맛은 투박하고 순하지만, 그 효과는 깊다.몸의 맑음을 되찾고, 마음의 평온을 회복시킨다.치유란 몸과 싸우는 일이 아니다.그저 몸의 목소리에 귀를 기울이는 일이다.

인간에게 산소를 공급해줄 수 있는 유일한 음식은 야채다.  산소는 인간의 몸에 있는 독소를 풀어내려주는데 도움을 준다. 

해독을 할 수 있는 다섯가지 야채를 소개한다.

 Five-Root Detox Juice

(Radish, Burdock, Onion, Carrot & Lotus Root)

‘오근(五根)’은 다섯 가지 뿌리채소를 뜻하며,
각각이 혈액 순환을 돕고, 간을 맑히며, 체내 노폐물 배출을 촉진하는 성질을 지닌다.
이 다섯 재료를 함께 달여 마시면
몸의 기운을 맑게 하고 피로를 완화하며,
혈관 건강과 면역력 회복에 도움을 줄 수 있다.

The root vegetables are believed to store the earth’s “Qi.”Combining five roots helps balance the body’s internal energy and promote detoxification through the liver and blood.

재료 (Ingredients)

무 (Radish, Raphanus sativus)
우엉 (Burdock Root, Arctium lappa)
양파 (Onion, Allium cepa)
당근 (Carrot, Daucus carota)
연근 (Lotus Root, Nelumbo nucifera)
+물 (Water)	약 600~700 mL

Bowling: An Exercise of Balance and Emotion(볼링, 균형과 감정의 운동)

 

Bowling is a sport filled with emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and delight.
Some even compare it to life. From the first frame to the final tenth frame, no one can predict the outcome. At first, you might hit strikes and feel like everything is going perfectly, but by the last frame you may find yourself wondering, “How did it end up like this?” On the other hand, you might begin thinking, “Everyone else seems to be doing well except me,”yet finish the game feeling satisfied, “This was good enough—I did well.”

In the end, bowling is about moving not only the weight of the ball, but also the weight of your body and your mind. It is, at its core, an exercise in balance. Each throw requires shifting your body’s center of gravity while guiding the ball’s weight forward. If you cannot make that shift smoothly and carefully, the ball will not go where you want it to.

Interestingly, the ball and the body move in opposite directions, but if either one loses balance, the ball will never reach its target. The bowling ball carries the weight of your mind. The moment you lose focus or lose your center, the ball also loses its path.

That is why bowling is not just a game about scores.
It holds within it emotion, weight, and balance. And perhaps that’s why, each time we bowl, we are not simply rolling a ball down the lane—we are, in a sense, living out life frame by frame.

볼링, 균형과 감정의 운동

볼링은 희로애락이 담긴 감정의 운동이다.
누구는 볼링을 인생에 비유하기도 한다. 첫 프레임에서 마지막 10프레임이 끝날 때까지, 그 결과를 아무도 알 수 없다. 초반에는 스트라이크를 치며 완벽하게 잘 나가는 듯하다가도, 마지막 프레임에 이르면 ‘어쩌다 이렇게 끝나버렸을까’ 싶은 순간이 찾아오기도 한다. 반대로 시작은 서툴고 답답했는데, 마지막에는 ‘그래도 이 정도면 괜찮다, 성공했다’라는 뿌듯함으로 마무리되는 경우도 있다.

볼링은 단순한 공놀이가 아니다.
몸의 무게와 마음의 무게를 함께 옮겨가는 운동이며, 동시에 균형을 잡는 운동이다. 투구 순간에는 몸의 무게중심을 이동하는 동시에 공의 무게를 옮겨야 한다. 중심을 제대로 잡지 못하면 원하는 투구를 할 수 없다.

흥미로운 점은, 볼링공과 내 몸은 서로 반대 방향으로 움직이지만 둘 중 하나라도 균형을 잃으면 목표점에 도달할 수 없다는 것이다. 볼링공은 결국 내 마음의 무게를 담아 이동한다. 내가 중심을 잃고 바라보는 곳을 놓치는 순간, 공 또한 방향을 잃는다.

볼링은 단순히 점수를 내는 게임이 아니다.
그 안에는 나의 감정, 무게, 그리고 균형이 함께 담겨 있다. 그래서 볼링을 할 때마다 우리는 단순히 공을 굴리는 것이 아니라, 내 삶을 한 프레임씩 살아내는지도 모른다.

My Mantra 1 눈이 뜨일때 하는

 When I wake up in the morning, I say this, it's a kind of mantra.

Words kept only inside cannot be heard.
The voice must come out, resonating from within, so that every cell of my body can listen.
Even if it is a low and quiet sound, I must speak it aloud, so that both my heart and my body may truly hear.

Slow is okay,
detours are okay.

With peace in my heart,
I stay true.

With peace in my heart,
I walk the right path.

With peace in my heart,
I bring good to the world.

아침에 눈뜰때 내뱉는 일종의 만트라다. 속으로 말하는건 들을수가 없다. 신장에서 나와 진동으로 울리는 내목소릴 내야 내 모든 몸의 세포들이 듣는다. 꼭 낮고 작은 소리라도 소리를 내서 말해 내마음과 몸이 듣게한다.

나를 지키며 바른 길 걷게 해주세요, 좀 천천히 가도 돌아가도 

마음이 평안하게 해주세요.

세상에 선한 영향력을 끼치는 도움이 되는 사람이 되게 해주세요.

Seasons of Wind 바람따라 흩어지는 기(氣 Qi)

It is the first day of October.

The heat of summer has faded, and the coolness of the morning and evening air hints at the turning of the seasons. Autumn truly feels like a passage between energies, a bridge from summer to winter.

As the weather shifts, I often hear people say:
“I always feel unwell when the seasons change.”
In the past, I would brush it off, thinking, “They must be weak by constitution or simply careless about their lifestyle.”My response was to focus only on supporting the body. But these days, I find myself listening more closely. I’ve grown curious about each person, and I want to understand where their struggles truly lie.

Here in Los Angeles, I’ve noticed a pattern: when seasons change, many people complain of symptoms in the upper part of the body—headaches, dizziness, morning phlegm, or a swollen, heavy sensation in the face.

The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic) says:
“Human beings are born of the qi of heaven and earth, and live according to the laws of the four seasons.”
And the Classic of Difficulties (Nanjing) states:
“What sustains life is qi.”
Qi is the force that keeps us alive and in motion.

Yet there is something that stirs qi and scatters it: the wind. In everyday language, we even say someone has “caught the wind” or has been “carried away by the wind,” as if their energy has been pulled elsewhere. In the ancient text Zangshu (Book of Burial), there is a famous line:
“Qi rides the wind and is scattered.”
For this reason, fengshui teaches that windy places cannot retain qi and are unsuitable for dwelling.

But if we think more deeply, wind is not only a force of dispersal. Just as wind can scatter energy to break unwanted ties, it can also redirect and relocate qi. If qi gathers excessively in the upper body, causing headaches or dizziness, perhaps it is through the same wind that the qi can be dispersed and redistributed throughout the body.

Wind, then, is both scattering and circulation.
When we see the relationship between qi and wind in this way, the changing of seasons no longer feels like mere discomfort, but rather an opportunity—a chance to rebalance and realign body and mind.

 10월의 첫날이다.

여름의 뜨거운 기운이 물러가고 아침저녁으로는 제법 싸늘한 바람이 스며드는 걸 보니, 계절이 여름에서 겨울로 넘어가는 길목에 있음을 실감한다. 가을은 그야말로 기운이 바뀌는 사이에 놓여 있는 계절인 듯하다.

날씨가 변하면서 사람들에게서 자주 듣게 되는 말이 있다.
“계절이 바뀌니까 몸이 힘들어요.”
예전의 나는 이런 말을 들으면 그저 허약한 체질이거나 생활관리를 못해서 그렇다고 단순하게 생각했다. 그리고 몸을 도와주는 방법만 찾으려 했었다. 하지만 요즘은 달라졌다. 사람에 대해 더 궁금해지고, 그 사람이 힘들어하는 지점을 더 세밀하게 듣고 싶어졌다.

여기 엘에이에서는 흥미롭게도 계절이 바뀔 때 주로 머리가 있는 윗부분에 증상을 호소하는 경우가 많다. 두통이나 어지럼증, 아침의 가래, 얼굴이 붓거나 팽창하는 듯한 느낌 등이다.

『황제내경(黃帝內經)』에는 “人以天地之氣生, 四時之法成 — 사람은 천지의 기로 태어나고 사시의 법칙으로 살아간다”라는 말이 나온다. 또한 『난경(難經)』에는 “人之所以生者, 氣也 — 사람이 살아가는 것은 기 때문이다”라고 했다. 기는 사람을 살아 움직이게 하는 근본이다.

그런데 이 기를 움직여 흩어지게 하는 힘이 있으니, 그것이 바로 바람이다. 우리 일상에서도 “바람났다”라는 말을 흔히 쓰는데, 이는 기운이 다른 곳으로 쏠리고 흩어졌다는 의미로 해석할 수 있다. 실제로 풍수지리서인 『장서(葬書)』에는 “氣乘風則散 — 기는 바람을 타면 흩어진다”라는 구절이 있다. 풍수에서는 그래서 바람이 강한 곳은 기가 머물지 못하니 거처로 삼지 않는다.

하지만 한 걸음 더 나아가 생각해보면, 바람은 단순히 흩어버리는 힘만이 아니다. 인연을 끊어내야 할 때 바람으로 기를 흩어내듯, 흩어진 기를 다른 곳으로 옮겨가게 하는 힘도 바람이다. 그렇다면 치료에도 이를 응용할 수 있지 않을까?

바람으로 인해 기가 상부에 몰려 두통이나 어지럼증을 일으킬 수 있지만, 동시에 바람을 통해 그 기를 다시 흩어 전신으로 골고루 퍼지게 할 수도 있다. 바람은 흩어짐이자 순환이다. 기와 바람의 관계를 그렇게 바라볼 때, 우리는 계절의 변화를 단순한 불편함이 아닌, 몸과 마음을 새롭게 조율하는 기회로 삼을 수 있을 것이다.

A day

As I open my eyes each morning, the first thought that comes is gratitude. Not long ago, I used to think of life as just the ordinary routine. But I’ve come to realize that what feels like an ordinary day to me now may once have been someone’s dream.

When I first began this journey 25 years ago, I often wondered, Why am I doing this? Deep down, I knew I wanted to bring good energy, a better daily life, and a positive influence to others. Looking back now, it feels almost like waking from a dream—I see that I am living the very life I once hoped for.

And that realization fills me with gratitude. This “ordinary” life is anything but—it is a gift I cherish every day.

눈을뜨면서 감사한다는 생각이 들어오는 아침이다. 

얼마전까지는 그렇고 그런 일상이라고 생각했는데 누군가의 꿈이 이루어지면 일상이된다고 한다. 생각해보니 처음 이 공부를 시작하면서 이걸 왜 시작하는걸까? 라는 생각에서 누군가에게 좋은 기운, 좋은 일상, 영향력을 끼치는 사람이 되어야지 했었는데 꿈에서 깬것처럼 25년이 지난 지금 그 삶을 살고 있는것 같다. 다시 돌아가는 생각은 너무 감사하다. 이렇게 맞이하는 일상이 감사하다.

Soup Therapy: Detoxify, Lose Weight, and Boost Immunity

By Maoshing Ni, Ph.D., D.O.M., ABAAHp, L.Ac.

The healing power of soup: something that both scientists and grandmothers can agree on. From helping you lose weight to warming you up from the inside out to boosting your immunity, soup is a winter staple that you shouldn’t be without. Maybe that is one reason that it is celebrated this month with its very own National Soup Month. Here's a closer look at what you can do to benefit from soup's amazing healing powers.

The healing power of soup

An ancient Chinese proverb states that a good doctor uses food first, then resorts to medicine. A healing soup can be your first step in maintaining your health and preventing illness. The therapeutic value of soup comes from the ease with which your body can assimilate the nutrients from the ingredients, which have been broken down by simmering.

Here are some healing soup tips that will preserve your wellness and longevity:

1. Lose weight with soup

Obesity is on the rise throughout the industrialized world, resulting in a startling increase in the rates of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. You can count yourself out of the statistics if you eat a bowl of soup at least once a day. Nutritious low-salt soups will nourish you as they flush excess wastes from your body. It has been found that people who eat one serving of soup per day lose more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories, but don’t eat soup. Homemade soup is your best bet, because canned soups tend to be loaded with salt and chemicals. My advice is to use organic vegetables whenever possible. The herbicides and pesticides that can be present in conventional produce can assault the immune system and overload it with toxins.

2. Build your immunity

Your immune system needs a lot of minerals to function properly and the typical Western diet does not always hit the mark. When you slowly simmer foods over low heat, you gently leach out the energetic and therapeutic properties of the foods, preserving the nutritional value of the foods. Keep in mind that boiling can destroy half of the vitamins found in vegetables, so cook soup over a low heat.

Immune-Boosting Soup

Simmer these ingredients for 30 minutes: cabbage, carrots, fresh ginger, onion, oregano, shiitake mushrooms (if dried, they must be soaked first), the seaweed of your choice, and any type of squash in chicken or vegetable stock. Cabbage can increase your body’s ability to fight infection, ginger supports healthy digestion, and seaweed cleanses the body. Shiitake mushrooms contain coumarin, polysaccharides, and sterols, as well as vitamins and minerals that increase your immune function, and the remaining ingredients promote general health and well-being. Eat this soup every other day to build a strong and healthy immune system.

3. Detoxify your body

As a liquid, soup is already helping you flush waste from your body. When you choose detoxifying ingredients, such as the ones featured in the recipe below, you are really treating your body to an internal cleanse. The broth below boasts many benefits: it supports the liver in detoxification, increases circulation, reduces inflammation, and replenishes your body with essential minerals.

Super Detoxifying Broth

Simmer the following for 1–2 hours over a low flame: anise, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Swiss chard, cilantro, collards, dandelion, fennel, garlic, ginger, kale, leeks, shiitake mushrooms, mustard greens, daikon radish, seaweed, turmeric, and watercress. Drink 8 to 12 ounces twice a day. You can keep this broth in your fridge for up to one week; however, it is always best to serve soups when fresh because each day, the therapeutic value decreases.

In addition to using cleansing herbs in soups, you can take cleansing herbs in supplements. For a gentle but powerful cleanse using Chinese herbs, Internal Cleanse increases the ability of the liver to cleanse the body of internal and environmental toxins.

4. Warm up with a hearty soup

You always want to eat for the season. Soups provide something the body craves in cold weather. When you cook foods into a soup, you are adding a lot of what Chinese nutrition would call "warming energy" into the food. Warming foods to feature in your soups include: leeks, onions, turnips, spinach, kale, broccoli, quinoa, yams, squash, garlic, scallions, and parsley. As a spice, turmeric aids with circulation, a great boost against the cold weather.

5. Get well faster

As you mother may have instinctively known, when you are sick, there is no better healing food than soup. The reason for this is that soups and stews don’t require as much energy to digest, freeing your body up to fight the infection.

It would be impossible to talk about soup’s healing abilities without putting the spotlight on homemade chicken noodle soup. Studies have found that chicken noodle soup does seem to relieve the common cold by inhibiting inflammation -- helping to break up congestion and ease the flow of nasal secretions.

While chicken soup may not cure a cold outright, it does help alleviate some of the symptoms and can help as a preventative measure. Many of my patient’s keep the herbal formula Cold & Flu in their medicine cabinets so its there to support recovery when a cold strikes.

In Chinese medicine, you would traditionally be given a tonic soup specifically tailored to your needs, and for that level of personal care, it is a good idea to consult a health practitioner knowledgeable in Chinese nutrition.

Qi

Energy and every phenomenon in the Universe is a manifestation of Qi. When Qi is condensed it can give rise to matter and when it is dispersed it gives rise to energy. The Qi in the body can assume many forms and roles but the Qi is essentially one.

A quote from Chang Cai explains the proceeding phenomenon in the body; " Every birth is a condensation and every death is a dispersion. Birth is not a gain, death is not a loss. When condensed, the energy becomes a living being and when dispersed it is the substratum of mutations."

The Qi of the human being is a result of the interaction of the Heaven Qi and the Earth Qi.

" A human being results from the Qi of heaven and earth. The union of the Qi of heaven and earth is called a human being."