health – Page 2 – SMA bloggers

Recently, I received an email about Deer Antler Velvet. Intrigued I decided to find out a little more.

Deer antler velvet has been used here in China for at least 2000 years and is a mainstay of traditional Chinese medicine. It is second only to ginseng in importance to TCM and herbal specialists. Said to be effective anti-inflammatory, anticancer, immune stimulant, and progrowth agent. It contains calcium, magnesium, zinc and a full spectrum of amino acids and anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Significantly, it is a natural source of glucosamine, chondroitin collagen as well as male and female hormones, including Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) – a hormone that’s produced in the liver as a response to growth hormone (HGH) stimulation. For these reasons this age old remedy is being increasingly used as a performance enhancer.

Traditional Chinese medicine has used Deer antler velvet to as a treatment for infertility, joint inflammation, hypertension to improve mental alertness and memory, boost immune system function, speed wound healing and recovery, slow aging, balance iron levels, improve libido in both sexes, and restore joint health.

In what might be the most important study done in the United States to date, a group of scientists took 32 male weight lifters and gave half of them New Zealand Deer Antler Velvet and half of them a placebo for 10 weeks. While the placebo group didn’t show any difference in bench or squat tests, those given deer antler velvet saw an increase of 4 percent on the bench press and 10.1 percent on the squat test as compared to the placebo group. The scientists also reported that there was a “significant improvement in aerobic capacity” with the group that was taking deer antler velvet. – (CNBC Report)

Deer antler velvet usually comes as a power, extract or as a spray. I normally only get access to it in its raw state as antler shavings in TCM stores. I know that’s not the same thing.

What this post is all about is finding out the positives & negatives are about using this as a supplement in what form and also how you use it.

If you’ve had any experience using deer antler please comment and share your experience.

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For information on Martial Arts in China and Thailand. http://www.StudyMartialArts.Org

Later today I’m heading over to the Zajia Lab at the rear of Beijing’s landmark Bell Tower for a breathing workshop. Yes, indeed a breathing workshop and, in Beijing of all places! I am going there to learn how to breath.

Breathing as know is essential for human life, without oxygen we die, therefore it stands to reason that if we can do this better our body functions and internal workings will be better and therefore our health will be better. Breathing habits and posture are considered to be essential components of health. The breath alone is one of the most important tools at an athlete’s disposal. How an athlete breaths is directly associated with performance. It seems obvious but it is often overlooked.

For the martial artists the breath is also important. It is used to focus and deliver power or alternatively protect the body, while for others it has become a spiritual practice and one that is practiced by Buddhist monks, Taoist monks and holy men the world over, allowing the creation of space, mental peace and balance. The cultivation of spirit.

The fact is that the conscious practice of breathing is capable of producing dramatic and life changing results, its free, limitless and can be practiced anywhere and at any time. My personal experience of the power of breathing has been through my own practice of standing and moving neigong’s and meditations. Since arriving in China to study traditional combat Martial Arts this aspect of breathing and meditation training continues to grow in importance for me personally. This is due more to the amazing all-round benefits I receive from this practice in terms of health, stress management, balance, building qi even to the ability of visualizing and manifesting the results I desire than changing importance’s as I get older. But more on that later.

So today I’m heading off to a breathing workshop with an open mind and a desire to take whatever techniques I learn at this workshop and add it to my already growing knowledge of neigong.

So if you read this I hope it inspires you to take a little time out of your day to simply take a few long slow deep conscious breaths. When doing this keep an up right relaxed posture and focus on your internal universe. Listen to the breath moving while you practicing an inner smile.

If you would like to learn more about the power of breathing or future breathing workshops or practices feel free to post below or PM me directly at StudyMartialArts@gmail.com or visit www.StudyMartialArts.Org