We love Chinese herbs, but they are only one of many holistic practices from Traditional Chinese Medicine. You can have a much more complete experience with our formulas if used in conjunction with these other healing activities. We highly suggest adding these practices to your routine to create a holistic natural healing approach that will allow you to experience the true health and harmony that can be achieved through Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Here are 6 holistic practices from Traditional Chinese Medicine:

1. Acupuncture

Acupuncture feels a lot better than it looks, while the practice of inserting needles into the skin may look scary, it’s often a relaxing experience for patients. That’s because the points where the acupuncturists pricks the needle are chosen intentionally along your 12 main meridians. These meridians are paths in your body where your energy or “Qi” moves. The goal of acupuncture is to get your Qi flowing and remove any stagnation in the body at these points. 

2. Cupping

Another practice that looks much more intimidating than it feels is cupping! Cupping is a form of massage that uses a flame to remove the oxygen from a glass cup, the cup is then placed against the skin and acts as a vacuum. It’s like a reverse massage, rather than the body receiving pressure, the muscles are lifted up. This practice has been popularized by Olympic athletes who have been known to use cupping for speedy muscle relief.

3. Meditation

There are many forms of meditation with a variety of goals, generally speaking, it’s a practice of creating awareness of thought patterns and breath to develop mindfulness. With the busyness of Western life, we think that integrating these Eastern ideologies can be extremely helpful to create internal balance. There are a lot of options for meditation practice, whether you want a mantra, to be seated with focused breath, or walking, there’s a variety of practices to choose from here.

4. Tai Chi

Tai Chi involves slow intentional movements to balance the yin and the yang in the body. Originally developed as a martial arts, this practice has evolved over the years to have different schools of thought and styles. Tai Chi’s goal is generally to develop a softness and consciousness in the body that provides stress relief.

5. Qigong

Qigong involves slow flowing postures, intentional breathwork, and a mindful state of calmness. The goal is develop equanimity and stillness both internally and in the body. As this practice has been around for so long, there are many different forms to practice and try.

6. Herbs

We saved the best for last! Out of all the above practices, we felt that herbal remedies were the least accessible in the US. Many options for Chinese Herbs are in pill-form, and you need to take a handful of pills a day. That’s why we started DAO Labs, and created our foundational formulas. Whether you need Emotional Balance, Digestive Harmony, Immunity Support, or want regulate your period with our Women’s Formula - we have your back with this one.

Jane Veitenheimer is a Minneapolis-based writer who is passionate about vinyasa yoga and holistic healing. In her free time she juices, knits with her two cats, and goes on long hikes with her dog.