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Shin Tries to Take Oriental Medicine Mainstream

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Oriental Medicine had long been considered an ``alternative'' measure in the battle against disease. But it is slowly earning a reputation as an effective treatment, thanks to many doctors trying to define the mechanism in a more ``scientific way.'' Dr. Shin Joon-shik, president of the Jaseng Hospital Oriental Medicine foundation, is one of the main contributors. He amazes thousands of people a year by treating spinal problems without surgery. ``It was first perceived as fantasy, but international medicine has started to acknowledge us,'' he said. Discs lie between adjacent vertebrae in the spine and are formed of ``jellylike'' joints and fibers to allow movement of the vertebrae. They work as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together. Problems arise when the discs twisted, decay or malfunction in some other way. ``Unlike animals that carry their weight on four legs, humans only have two. The spine is S-shaped in its entirety and has to carry the weight all by itself ― which means more back problems,'' Shin said. If people have diff

Nov 1, 2009

(66) Saju and Feng Shui (1)

By Janet Shin In past articles, we have studied saju as a way to read one's fate by the birth year, month, day and time. Then, we moved on to the basis of saju philosophy, as we reviewed yin and yang, and five elements, which constitute the 10 celestial stems and 12 terrestrial branches. The stems and branches make 60 combinations (60-year-cycle) that represent each pillar of the year, month, day and time. Ultimately, saju is a study of heaven and earth energies. By understanding the energy flow and the condition of earth and nature when a person is born, we are able to foresee how the person's life will turn out, which life path the person is going to take or even how noble the person's life is. So, heaven, earth and human are the three key concepts in saju. It is not just one of the ancient Oriental studies but a serious consideration of time history and the inference about the incidents when the time comes across the space where the person is. When we plot the saju as four pillars (year-month-day-time), it is not just a flat diagram but very three-dimensional and not

Oct 29, 2009

Combating Obesity Myths

By Jeanne Jung Contributing Writer Some blame it on frequently working overtime. You don't burn many calories working with your brain and papers all through the night. You might even grab a bag of chips along the way. Of course, all that routine has much to do with putting on extra pounds. Some lose weight under stress. More often than not, most gain after binge-eating and more often women do. Cortisol the stress-related hormone tends to store fat in the belly, causing central obesity. Endogenous opiates, the neurotransmitters in the brain that weakly exhilarate our mood, are generated at the sight and aroma of food. If you love to be a couch potato and get late night snacks, take my word for it. Staying up late after the snack doesn't offset the effect. A recent U.S. study from Northwestern University fed mice the same diet for two separate groups, in the morning and in the night each. The latter group was kept awake during the night against the circadian rhythm and vice versa. Weight gain in the latter amounted to twice that of the former group. It suggests t

Oct 25, 2009

Janssen Korea Start Marketing of Priligy

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Janssen Korea can now sell its premature ejaculation treatment Priligy (dapoxetine) here after winning marketing approval on Oct. 15 from the Korea Food and Drug Administration. It's the first drug of its kind to win governmental approval here, the KFDA said. Priligy is only available with a prescription to men between 18 and 64 years old, and comes in either a 30mg or 60mg dose in a three-tablet package. Priligy should be used with caution among those who have serious problems in their renal or liver function, or suffer from cardiovascular diseases. Patients are also advised to avoid using the drug with other agents designed to increase the secretion of serotonin, such as anti-depressants or migraine drugs. Initially wining marketing approval in Sweden and Finland last June, this marks the eighth regulatory go-ahead for the drug worldwide and the first in Asia. bjs@koreatimes.co.kr

Oct 25, 2009

3D Pelviscope Projects Clearer Image

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter A team of Korean researchers has developed a so-called next generation pelviscope, a minimally invasive surgical tool mostly used for abdominal areas. Dr. Kim Young-woo, chief of the Gastric Cancer Department of the National Cancer Center, and his fellows completed the first stage of development of the high definition (HD), three-dimensional (3D) imaging pelviscope earlier this month and exhibited the test model on Oct. 13 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. "The new device gives a clearer, sharper image of the inside. Operators can feel as if they are looking directly into the organs. Therefore, doctors will feel less tired when looking at the screen for hours during surgery," Kim said. Pelviscopic surgery is widely used around the world and involves doctors making several two- to three-centimeter holes and inserting an endoscope into them to get images. They use special scalpels and other tools for the operation. The accurate and specific images of the new technology will eventually lead to it replacing the current 2D-pelviscopes,

Oct 25, 2009

(65) Branch Interaction: Saju of Nicole Kidman

By Janet Shin Last week, we discussed the saju of American superstar Tom Cruise. This week, we will focus on the saju of Australian actress Nicole Kidman. Kidman was born June 20, 1967, with her four pillars as shown below. In 1995 (year of eul-yu), Kidman's role in the film "To Die For," garnered critical acclaim and won her five Best Actress awards, including a Golden Globe. In 1999 (year of gi-myo), Kidman and Cruise (who were married at the time), portrayed a married couple in Stanley Kubrick's final film, "Eyes Wide Shut." In 2002 (year of im-o), Kidman received an Academy Award nomination for the musical film "Moulin Rouge." She received her second Golden Globe Award for the role. Kidman was listed as the 45th Most Powerful Celebrity on the 2005 Forbes Celebrity 100 list. (2005 was the year of eul-yu). In 2006 (year of byeong-sul), Kidman was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civilian honor. Chart1 Kidman has been married twice, first to Cruise, whom she met while filming "Days of Thunder." They married in 1990 (year of g

Oct 23, 2009

World Lay Buddhist Forum Opens

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter The third session of the World Lay Buddhist Forum began Tuesday and will continue through Oct. 26 in Seoul and Woljeong Temple in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. Some 30 lay Buddhist leaders, householders and academic experts on the subject from 14 countries are taking part of the event. This year's central theme is the relationship between lay Buddhism and engaged Buddhism. Eleven leaders will lead the forum in subtopics including ``Basic Theories of Lay Buddhism,'' ``Lay Buddhist and Related Buddhist Organizations,'' ``Buddhism in Korea, India and Tibet'' and ``Buddhism and Society.'' The discussion topics are built around questions that were raised in its previous editions. The 2007 forum delved into the role of lay Buddhists in contemporary society while last year's session raised topics such as the philosophy of lay Buddhism, lay Buddhist leaders since the 19th century, and ways and reasons for which practitioners all over the world can cooperate. Following the seminar, a temple stay program at Woljeong Temple is underway through

Oct 23, 2009

Daeheung Temple ― a Weekend Retreat

This is the fourth in a series of templestays. ― ED By Roger Shepherd Contributing Writer On a late September's afternoon, I traveled down to the southwestern corner to see Daeheung Temple (Daeheungsa) near the small city of Haenam, South Jeolla Province. It was early in the morning as I walked up the two-kilometer sealed road that leads the visitor to Daeheung Temple. As I had traveled from the northern parts of South Korea to be here, I could see and feel instantly that this southwestern corner of Korea was a sub-tropical zone, especially at this time of the year, where the weather in the north was beginning to turn cooler. Here the air was still humid, and the roadside interior was lined with ferns, bamboo, and evergreen summer maple, cherry and camellia trees, allowing its visitors to take in the aromas and form a pious mind. This area also marks the entrance to Mt. Duryun Provincial Park, a small boutique styled park with a mountain rimmed landscape that adorns Daeheung Temple and its 10 hermitages. On my first evening at the temple, a tea ceremony to

Oct 22, 2009

(64) Branch Interaction: Saju of Tom Cruise

By Janet Shin Saju is reading people's fate by looking at the various interactions among the 12 branches in their saju. Once you understand how they act or react and what makes it happen or disappear, you would find some clues to discovering the dynamics of one's life path. Let's start this week with the saju of a world famous star. American actor and film producer Tom Cruise was born July 3, 1962. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity in 2006, and he has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards. After playing the role of a heroic naval pilot in the blockbuster film ``Top Gun'' in 1986, Cruise continued in a series of ``Mission Impossible'' action films in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2005, Hollywood journalists argued that Cruise was one of the few actors who could guarantee the success of a billion-dollar movie franchise. Since 2005, he has been in charge of the United Artists film studio along with Paula Wagner. Cruise is also known for his controversial support of the Church of Scientology. In 1990, 1991 a

Oct 15, 2009
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