Sha and Self-healing

Table of Contents

What is Sha?............................................................................................................................................. 1
Four types of toxins in Sha..................................................................................................................... 2
Self-diagnosis according to colors of Sha.............................................................................................2
Sha, Qi, and blood................................................................................................................................... 5
Are blood vessels broken when Sha appears?.................................................................................... 6
Is Sha in Paida the same as bruises in a fight or an accident?........................................................... 8
Will Sha re-enter circulation and lead to stroke and heart attack?.................................................. 9
What should be done when Sha appears during Paida?..................................................................11
Testimonial: Sha emergence and dissolution during prolonged Paida......................................... 12

What is Sha?

Sha (痧; pinyin: shā): Sha is toxic waste in the blood and bodily fluids that
appear beneath the skin during Paida. It comes in shades of pink, crimson,
purple, purplish black, and black. When the amount of Sha reaches a peak, it
will gradually fade away with continued Paida. Lumps, red swelling, and
white powder on the skin are also different forms of Sha.

Sha is a word unique to the Chinese language. It literally means “toxic sands
and little stones.” Ancient Chinese called them “blood stones,” i.e.,
pathogenic substances similar to gall bladder stones and kidney stones.
Establishing its occurrence and coining the term “Sha,” as well as using it to
diagnose and treat diseases, demonstrates the wisdom of the ancient Chinese.

In scientific language, Sha refers to tiny toxic particles that are processed and
filtered from harmful substances in the blood and bodily fluids. This occurs
when the Yang energy boosted through PaidaLajin scans the entire body and
induces biochemical reactions with various substances in the body. Pushed by
Qi, these particles are excreted through various orifices. Sha can be excreted

Sha and Self-Healing 1

through skin pores as tiny solid particles, or in the sweat, tears, nasal
discharge, urine, stool, and so on.

Four types of toxins in Sha

1. Toxins from environmental forces such as wind, heat, cold, and dampness.

2. Toxins from diseases.

3. Toxins from prolonged medication and processed foods. Chemical odors

expelled during Paida are evidence of detoxification.

4. Toxins produced by negative mindset and emotions. These are far more
toxic than the impact of drug toxins and external forces, and are the main
causes of illness.

Paida on the skin forces toxic waste in the blood to cling to and go through
blood vessel walls, and colorful patches of Sha will appear beneath the skin.
With the same intensity of Paida, Sha does not appear on healthy parts of the
body, but will only surface on those parts or acupoints with existing and
latent illnesses.

Self-diagnosis according to colors of Sha

The general principles in self-diagnosis according to colors of Sha are as

follows:

Sha appears only where diseases are present; the amount of Sha that surfaces
indicate the severity of diseases; the darker the Sha, the more severe the
pathogenic elements (toxic waste, excessive cold, heat, dampness, etc.) are in
the body.

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Sometimes, lumps and red swelling may appear along with Sha. Regardless of
the disease name, when pains are relieved and Sha is surfaced and
decomposed through PaidaLajin, the self-healing method has taken effect. Sha
does not appear the way and the amount we expect it. Heavy Paida on a
healthy person does not force out much Sha; gentle Paida on a sick person
easily gets Sha out.

The colors of Sha have the following implications:

1. Flushed skin: healthy, normal;

2. Red: “wind-heat”; common in people of “sub-health” condition;

3. Purplish red: “stagnant heat,” prone to soreness;

4. Blue: “phlegm-dampness,” prone to fatigue;

5. Purplish black: stagnation and inflammation, indicating that toxins have

accumulated in the body and that the meridians are heavily blocked;

6. Black: appearing mostly in those with chronic or critical illnesses, or those

under prolonged medication;

7. Colorful Sha and reddish swelling skin: severe blockages. The swelling,
similar to the appearance of Sha, is a good detoxifying reaction.

PaidaLajin is diagnosis and treatment at the same time. Whatever its color, Sha
signals health problems and indicates that detoxification and treatment are
under way—excessive heat, cold, dampness, and toxic waste in related organs
are being expelled.

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1. Where there is Sha, there is a health problem. The more severely blocked
the meridians are, the faster Sha appears (sometimes in less than one minute
of Paida) and the darker its colors are. However, Sha is not the only
self-diagnostic criterion; pain is a more accurate signal. Having pain but no
Sha also reveals health problems, for “no pains, no blockages.”

2. Some Sha travels in the body. This indicates that Qi and blood flow is being
regulated and that Paida produces a lasting effect in boosting Qi and blood
circulation.

3. Some people may have red Sha at first, and with continued Paida, darker
spots, lines or patches of Sha will appear, and in severe cases even dark, hard
lumps will emerge. In other cases, especially among the seriously ill, Sha may
not come out easily because the Qi is weak and fails to stimulate blood
circulation. Some people do not have sufficient Qi and blood, but they have
rough skin and thick flesh where toxins are buried deep within, so it is quite
hard to get Sha out. In such cases, Paida hard and long enough, and for
multiple times before Sha can be gradually drawn out.

4. In some people, Sha may cease to emerge after a few Paida sessions, but can
re-appear after some time. This indicates that the self-healing power has its
own agenda and mechanism. When, where, and how much Sha appears does
not follow a person’s willpower. Sometimes, try as you may, no Sha will come
out; at other times, Sha will surface unexpectedly. It also shows that a person’s
health condition is constantly changing, and that in the tug-of-war with Qi,
toxins are changing and moving around in the body.

5. If Sha appears only when you are receiving Paida by others, but not when
you are slapping yourself, then self-help Paida is too gentle and the duration is
too short for it to take effect.

6. When you fall sick, you will have Sha where it previously did not appear,
and Paida hurts more. Where there is little Sha, intense Paida or Paida by others

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can get out more Sha. These are good healing reactions, where diseases and
injuries are brought to the surface to be uprooted.

7. The color of Sha can turn lighter, turn yellow, or have a paler wave-like
shade soon after it appears or on the following day. It can also spread to
surrounding areas. These are all normal reactions, indicating that the
self-healing mechanism is regulating Qi and blood circulation at the affected
body tissues.

Sha, Qi, and blood

Sha appears in various shades, colors, and patterns. In more severe cases, Sha
will appear in darker shades of red, purple, blue, or black, and may swell up.
It may look horrifying, but it is a recovery reaction, indicating that toxic blood
and fluids are being filtered out and detoxification is in process. It is normal
for some Sha to hurt when touched or rubbed. If the Sha swells up and hurts a
lot when touched, this shows that the meridians at that area are heavily
blocked.

Initial emergence of Sha shows that Yin toxins are being revealed. When Paida
is continued, the slapped area and the entire body will gradually warm up.
This is an effect of rising Yang energy. Sometimes, one can feel hot one minute
and cold the next. This is when the Yin and Yang energies are wrestling in the
body. Cold hands and feet during and after Paida show that cold is being
expelled from the body.

Sha is a very vivid manifestation of Yin-Yang interactions. Like the bellows

that Lao Tse described in Tao Te Ching, when Yang rises, Yin subsides,
diseases are healed, and Yin-Yang energies are balanced. In other words,
diseases will improve as Sha and red swelling fade away. The effect is the
same as that in Gua Sha (skin scraping) and Ba Guan (cupping) therapies.

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Are blood vessels broken when Sha appears?

Appearance of Sha during Paida often makes people, even some TCM doctors,
suspicious and even scared. They assume that Sha is blood from ruptured
blood vessels, and that it is harmful to health. This is misinformation.

Our blood vessels behave somewhat like a rubber hose: when the hose is free
of blockages, slapping or pressing it causes the water in it to flow to low
pressure areas. Without toxins stagnating the flow in blood vessels, during
Paida, clean blood will flow from the slapped area to other areas. This explains
why there is little or no Sha in healthy people or healthy parts of the body.

Sha is toxic waste filtered out of the blood and bodily fluids. Otherwise, it
continues to exist in the body, causing stagnation, forming harmful,
pathogenic substances, such as fat, phlegm, masses, tumors, and dampness.

Blood vessel walls are a tight, mesh-like structure. Toxic waste makes the
blood dense and highly viscous, substantially slowing down its flow. When
slapping on a stagnated area with toxins, Sha will be filtered out after a series
of biochemical reactions between the toxins and the Qi boosted through Paida.
Sha is highly viscous; some forms of Sha are almost solid, and do not slip
away easily when pressured. Paida exerts pressure on the blood vessels,
forcing the mesh openings to expand, and the Sha continues biochemical
reactions with the boosted Qi and becomes tiny particles that can come out
easily. Some particles go out through the skin pores like dust in the air; some
are excreted in sweat, tears, and nasal discharge; most are excreted in urine
and stool. Repeated slaps on the skin makes more Sha cling to the walls.
Toxins are thus expelled in the form of Sha without rupturing blood vessels.

Some people are not convinced, and they go to the hospital to try various tests.
The result is that their blood vessels are not broken. You can have a try: Paida

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until Sha appears; continue slapping the same area long and hard enough,
and in about 1-2 hour(s), the Sha will disappear on the spot. Some people have
not only tried the entire Paida process, but they also take pictures of Sha
emerging, getting darker, getting darkest, fading in color, and finally
disappearing.

In very rare cases, Paida may cause capillaries under the skin to rupture. If the
palm used for Paida has sticky fluids or traces of blood on it, then the skin and
capillaries have indeed ruptured. This, however, is a great sign indicating
better healing effect. Normally, healthy skin does not get broken during Paida.
When capillaries rupture, the skin at that area needs to be broken in order to
be healed, i.e., “no destruction, no construction.” This is better detoxification,
because old injuries, cold-dampness, and deeply buried toxins are surfaced
and expelled. This is very much like the “bloodletting” therapy used by major
ethnic groups around the world. Where there is bleeding, Paida is killing two
birds with one stone; you get the benefits of both Paida and bloodletting
therapies.

I have encountered many bleeding cases during Paida sessions. A man with
severe heart problems had black Sha on his inner elbow during the first Paida
session. Blood seeped out from the Sha, and he immediately felt his chest
tightness relieved. His blood pressure dropped soon afterward; in another
man, after a few moments of Paida, the area along the Pericardium meridian
on his inner elbow turned purplish black. His chest tightness was relieved
shortly after continued Paida and the palm used for Paida was covered with
blood. His chronic heart disease was greatly improved afterward, and other
symptoms including headache, chest pain, and irregular heartbeat all
disappeared. I directed another person who liked to slap others to slap my
shoulder with great force so as to experience heavy Paida. At the end of the
session, on his palm where the Pericardium meridian runs, a large bloody
blister had developed, and in a short while, many symptoms of his heart

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disease significantly improved, and much of the dark color on his face and
lips also faded.

For eczema, psoriasis, and other skin diseases, and bites by toxic insects and
animals, better efficacy and faster detoxification occurs when the affected
areas are slapped until blood and sticky fluids are excreted. For patients with
hypertension and heart disease, if you slap until the skin breaks and blood
seeps out, it works faster at reducing blood pressure and relieving headache,
chest tightness, and irregular heartbeat. Many people with similar diseases
have experienced these effects of Paida.

When the skin is broken, and blood and fluids seep out, the best thing to do at
this point is nothing. You can continue to slap for a while to get rid of more
toxic blood and fluids. Soon it will stop bleeding, scabs will form, and new,
healthy skin will grow.

Moreover, when using the hands for Paida, the hands are being slapped as
well. It is an extra gift when Sha, cracks, water, or blood blisters appear on the
hands. They will subside and heal without any particular treatment.

Many people are scared at the rough skin when it is broken once or several
times during Paida sessions. This is a healing reaction. Continue PaidaLajin
and eventually the skin will become smoother and more delicate than before.
Some people even experience local or systemic skin peeling. Of course it is a
good sign—a free, natural skin resurfacing treatment. There have been many
testimonials of people having more delicate skin thanks to persistent Paida.

Is Sha in Paida the same as bruises in a fight or an accident?

No.

Sha, red swelling, and other reactions during and after Paida are indicative of
meridian blockages being cleared. They are expected, desirable effects of
rhythmic, voluntary Paida. They are a part of the detoxification and

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self-healing process. Positive energy is injected into the body from the loving
action.

It can hurt much when Sha is coming out. After that, it will hurt less and less
until there is no pain at all. Normally, blood vessels are not broken. Some
people fear that it could be subcutaneous hemorrhage when much Sha
appears. But medical tests show no broken vessels. However, in very rare
circumstances, the skin does get broken and toxic blood and fluid will come
out. Normally, the condition will improve faster and the broken skin will
soon heal naturally. For instance, patients with severe heart disease can
experience it when the inner elbows are slapped; for patients with psoriasis or
other severe skin diseases, it is better to slap on the affected areas until it
bleeds. No destruction, no construction.

By contrast, bruises and/or injuries from a fight or an accident are caused by

too much sudden force crushing blood vessels. It has nothing to do with
meridian blockages. There is a lot of negative energy involved. It will hurt a
lot and there could be scars afterward. Very often, the experience will leave
emotional trauma long after such an incident has happened.

Will Sha re-enter circulation and lead to stroke and heart attack?

No.

Many people are puzzled by the disappearance of Sha after Paida. Some
doctors who have never practiced Paida themselves use their imagination to
explain it, and intimidate patients to stop Paida, saying that the Sha will
re-enter blood circulation and could lead to stroke or heart attack. This is a
misunderstanding.

Detoxification through PaidaLajin is not just physical cleaning. First, Qi is

gathered at the stimulated area; it will then decompose toxic waste in the
blood and fluids into tiny particles of Sha that can be easily excreted. This

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means that the physical and chemical properties of the toxic waste have been
changed. In other words, Sha is toxic waste filtered out of unhealthy blood, it
will only be excreted through various channels, and will not re-enter healthy
blood. This is the magic of our self-healing mechanism.

Skin is the largest detoxifying channel for Sha because of the countless pores
on it. Each pore is constantly “breathing,” just like the nostrils. The Yang
energy activated by PaidaLajin decomposes Sha into tiny particles invisible to
the naked eye. Because they are much smaller than the pores, they can go
through the pores and evaporate. Sweat, odors, lumps, rashes, and itchiness
are signs of detoxification through the skin. In addition, all the orifices,
including the mouth, nostrils, eyes, ears, urethra and anus, are detoxification
channels. Burping, vomiting, sweating, running nose, tears, earwax, farting,
urine, and stool are all conveyors of detoxification. These are also called
“healing reactions.” In short, all excretions are toxins and wastes removed
from the body.

Gradual fading and disappearance of Sha is not a process where the toxins are
absorbed into the body; instead, it is a process where toxic waste, or Sha, is
eliminated through the above-mentioned channels. Without the biochemical
reactions induced by PaidaLajin, these toxins will not be filtered out in the
form of Sha; instead, they will continue to stagnate Qi and blood flow and
form pathogenic substances. PaidaLajin boosts Qi to decompose and detoxify
these toxins. During PaidaLajin, a person’s sweat, urine, and stool will smell
stronger than usual. And it is normal to feel tired and experience various
healing reactions, because Sha formation and removal consume energy.

According to Western medicine, Sha produced during Paida is “poisoned

blood” removed from blood vessels; it lies in the interstitial spaces under the
skin. The interstitial blood is identified as an alien substance by phagocytes
and lymphocytes, and is thus decomposed and excreted through breathing,
sweating, urination, and other channels. When phagocytes and lymphocytes
are functioning normally, Sha is decomposed quickly and fades away faster,

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otherwise it will take more time. Regular Paida enhances the immune
functions of these cells, helping the body to efficiently remove pathological
substances.

Modern medical science has found that the process of removing harmful alien
substances can enhance the functions of the immune system, stimulate
generation of many stem cells in vivo and removal of necrotic and dead cells,
and improve the body’s capacity to cope with stress and repair damaged
tissues. Paida not only instantly improves circulation and clears meridian
blockages, the process of Sha elimination is in effect a DIY serum antigen
therapy, which makes the use of injections unnecessary. It can improve the
body’s ability to remove alien substances and enhance immunity. This is an
additional benefit of Paida, also known as an “after-effect” of Paida.

Chinese medicine has a clear explanation: Sha is Yin energy accumulated in

the body. Paida brings Sha to the surface, and continued Paida warms up the
slapped area and then the entire body. It stimulates the Yang energy to rise.
The more pain is felt during Paida, the faster the body warms up. Diseases are
cured when Yin energy is neutralized by the rising Yang energy.

Whether the Qi Movement Theory and the Yin-Yang Interaction Theory in

Chinese medicine, or cell, immunity, and other theories in Western medicine,
they are but limited knowledge that humans use in their attempts to decipher
the unfathomable self-healing mechanism embedded in us. To truly uncover
the secret of self-healing, you need to engage in actual practice and feel it in
your heart.

What should be done when Sha appears during Paida?

The best thing is to continue Paida until Sha fades away. This is called
“thorough Paida.”

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Sha that appears during Paida is a good reaction that indicates where the
health problems are located. It shows that toxins hidden in the body are
surfacing and treatment is in progress. Paida should not be stopped right after
Sha appears; otherwise, the efficacy will be greatly reduced. The color of Sha
will deepen when Paida is continued. With more Paida, the color of Sha will
get lighter and fade away faster, and normal skin color will be restored. You
can try it yourself by comparing the Sha on your arms or knees, where Paida is
continued on one side and stopped on the other side. The Sha on the side
receiving continuous Paida will subside faster. The conclusion is, prolonged
Paida delivers better efficacy and removes Sha faster.

Paida gathers more Qi and improves blood circulation in the slapped areas,
contributing to better detoxification. If Paida stops once Sha appears, the color
will still fade away; it just takes a longer time. Sometimes, it can take days,
weeks, or even months. Sha subsides faster in young and healthy people,
compared with the elderly and the seriously ill.

Some people use moxibustion, acupuncture, bloodletting, Ba Guan (cupping),

or other methods to make Sha disappear faster. However, we recommend
continued PaidaLajin, as it is the simplest, most convenient, and effective
method.

After bathing in a hot spring, there will be less pain of Paida, and Sha will
subside faster.

Testimonial: Sha emergence and dissolution during prolonged Paida

Comment by Mr. Hongchi Xiao:

Many people assume that the appearance of 痧 (Sha, i.e. “poisoned blood”) is
resulted from ruptured blood vessels during Paida. In fact, the presence of Sha
indicates detoxification in process, i.e. toxins and waste in the body are being drawn

Sha and Self-Healing 12

out and expelled through the pores, tears, sweat, breathing, nasal discharge, sputa,
urine, etc.

The word 痧 is only found in the Chinese language and it illustrates the greatness
and wisdom of the ancient Chinese.

There are also a handful of people who actually bleed during Paida and this is
something good as it is indicative of better efficacy. Those who bleed at the elbow
during Paida experience immediate decrease in their blood pressure and any chest
tightness or dizziness is immediately relieved.

Paida a psoriasis-affected area until it breaks with pus, bleeding or liquids is even
better. After scab is formed, the skin will be totally healed.

Thanks to Fish and Phoenix (nicknames of Paida enthusiasts who wrote the article)
for the picture illustration.

Teacher Xiao,

The following are pictures of a friend who patted her elbow for 51 minutes
and the photos show the whole process from emergence to dissolution of 80%
of the Sha.

These pictures can help people understand that the Sha appearing during
Paida is not due to blood vessel ruptures. Many are worried about Paida
rupturing blood vessels and these pictures illustrate that Sha is body’s waste
being expelled rather than bleeding as a result of ruptured vessels.

The experience of most people when Paida their elbows shows that using
normal Paida intensity, Paida for 20 mins is the peak of Sha emergence;
continue Paida, and at round 30 mins, one sees Sha starting to subside; when
Paida reaches 60 mins, basically almost 80-90% of Sha will have subsided.

For first timers, if time allows, I will help Paida for 60 mins to have him/her
fully experience it so that they will understand the whole process of Sha

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emergence and dissolution, and lay to rest all doubts about blood vessel
ruptures.

Great thanks for imparting us such a good healthcare and treatment method.

May everything goes well with you.

Phoenix and Fish, participants of Paida & Lajin Workshop in Hainan province

Attached are pictures showing the process of Sha emerging and receding

After 5 mins — Faint Sha can be seen.

After 10 mins — emergence of Sha

Sha and Self-Healing 14

 After 13 mins — increase in amount of Sha

After 17 mins — continued emergence of Sha

Sha and Self-Healing 15

 After 22 mins — peak emergence of Sha

After 31 mins — Increased yang-qi during continued Paida is gradually

dissolving Sha that has appeared.

Sha and Self-Healing 16

 After 37 mins — Big patches of Sha subsided, becoming small.

After 51 mins — Most Sha subsided, only very small patches remained.

(These pictures clearly illustrate the entire process of Sha emergence and
dissolution, verifying that the presence of Sha during Paida is not the result of

Sha and Self-Healing 17

blood vessel ruptures. If blood vessels were ruptured, the "bruises/bleeding"
would only aggravate with time and not dissolve. After 80 mins of Paida, the
greenish Sha can hardly be seen and only some reddish spots will remain).

After 3 days — Only some faint red spots remained.

This testimonial is posted at:

Photos of Process of Sha Emergence and Dissolution During Prolonged Paida

Original testimonial in Chinese posted at:

http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_5dc946a60102e2i0.html

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