For all the True Blood fans out there, have I got a treat for you. What’s about to go down is an explanation of all the weird things about the True Blood universe explained through the lenses of Yin and Yang theory and traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pattern differentiation (i.e what your acupuncturist uses to diagnose and treat you).

You may or may not have heard of the term “muscle guarding” or “muscle armoring” or “body armoring,” but almost everyone has experienced it at one point or another. It takes place when muscles are involuntarily tightened, or partially contracted, and it often happens as a result of pain, anticipated pain, stress, or trauma.

Plants make potent and effective medicine. Because they can’t fight or run away from pests and disease, they have developed sophisticated chemistry to defend themselves. But WTF is Chinese herbal medicine?

or How I learned to stop worrying and love the daily meditation. Meditation. It’s a concept surrounded by many misconceptions. It might conjure up visions of wise gurus or far away lands. And for some people, myself included, it’s also a word that sparks anxiety. What is meditation, why should I do it, and what does it have to do with the vagus nerve?

Everyone has experienced pain at some point. It can happen at any time – an accident like falling can cause you to experience pain, for example. In some cases, pain can be more severe and even become chronic – think about conditions like chronic lower back pain and arthritis. But why does pain make us so tired?