Ying Yu Jade
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This is jade
story #2, and the most fun thing I did in Honolulu. I met with one of
my e-friends who I had never met "in person", and we went shopping
in Chinatown. We looked in several jade stores, saw some very nice jade
pieces, and some not so nice jade also, but mostly the sellers had a good
selection of jade bangles, pendants and jewelry. We weren't looking for
carved jade bangles, but we found a seller who had a selection of smaller
oval carved jadeite bangles he had on sale. I'm guessing they were on
sale because they were natural "A" color, but as I've written
before, not all "A" jadeite is fabulously beautiful and these
had all the natural colors you would expect in jade before it gets bleached
and color enhanced, but that kind of coloring is not always popular with
customers, and most customers will buy the "pretty" even colors
not knowing that the color has been treated to look that way. Karen chose
one, and I liked three of them which I purchased for YYJ (they just happen
to be my size, so one has been on my wrist to "test-wear" it).
They were already discounted but he did give a little more discount and
we were happy with our purchases. Then we had lunch in a Vietnamese restaurant
and checked out our jade bangles again-I'm so lucky to have a patient
husband!
One of the small
oval carved wide cuff jadeite bangles is the Friday Daily Special. And
it's my favorite of the three I bought, so it will either go to a good
home, or on my wrist. Thanks, Karen, for taking us to Chinatown! May 8
We spent 9 days in Hawaii last week, a relaxing vacation, but lots to catch up on when I got back home. Hawaiian people love jade, so I was hoping I would return with jade stories to share. But I have only two, and this is the first one. There's an International Market near Honolulu, it reminds of shopping at all the stalls in China, after awhile everything looks the same. Lots of cheap jewelry and tacky souvenirs. And most of the stalls had "jade bangles". I could tell without even touching them they were fake jade, but of course I had to touch one. The seller immediately tried to sell it to me $12 or two for $20. She saw the jadeite bangle on my wrist and told me that mine was fake and cheap, but hers were real and good quality. They were swirly colors and felt like plastic. 95% of the "jade" was like that, fake, but the sellers adamant that it was real. The only genuine jade I saw was carved bangles, and they had big cracks, chips and scratches, except for one seller who had some nice jade, and priced what you would expect to pay for genuine carved jade bangles. You can't buy real jade for real cheap. Part of me wants to believe that these sellers really don't know they are selling fake jade. But the other part of me hates to see people get cheated. I used to take "trade ins" and got mostly fake jade from ebay or vendor stall sellers, so I couldn't continue the trade in program. Ying Yu Jade readers learn a lot about jade, so you can make informed decisions. May 7
I had a conversation today with an energy healer who purchased the jade ben wa balls to sell at a workshop she's presenting about women's health and how to use them. She searched on the internet for jade ben wa balls, and couldn't find any except on Ying Yu Jade. I designed these using urologic guidelines regarding size, it was a lot of work to find a carver who would make them the correct size, and smooth and highly polished. I went through three orders of unsatisfactory balls to finally get them right. This kind of sourcing is expensive and time consuming, but now I have a unique product to sell, which she recognized. She was surprised at the low price, and surprised at free shipping. The prices are actually preview prices with a special on free shipping that I've had in place for more than a year, and with USPS shipping increases, there will no longer be free shipping. And I'll raise the prices of the jade ben wa balls this week, so if you thought about getting a pair, today is a good day to purchase them. The woman who bought a supply to sell at her workshop also purchased the silk "fortune cookie" to include with each pair. The balls in the fortune cookie are so attractive, I enjoyed selecting them and packing them up for shipping. Very feminine, "yin". We both agreed that there is nothing like natural jade to use as material for a ben wa ball, certainly a great improvement over the standard cheap stainless steel balls on the market. If you have problems with urine leaking, vaginal dryness, and/or want a more enjoyable sex life, these will help you tremendously. May 6
May and Chinese Philosophy and Wellness
The foundation of Chinese philosophy is that human beings are a part of this universe in which we live, and the universe is forever changing. These changes affect our well-being as much as they affect the universe itself. The ancient Chinese discovered that the energies of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth constitute all matter in the universe. Everything contains these five kinds of Qi or energy of these elements. In Oriental medicine, we use the “Theory of the Five Elements” for both diagnosis and treatment principals, and the season of spring is associated with the Wood element.
The Wood element has to do with growing, living entities, such as trees, plants, and human bodies. The Wood element also governs the Liver and Gall Bladder. The Liver has to do with planning and decision-making, so you may feel a new sparkle and vitality in the spring. You may even be inspired to act upon new ideas.
The essence of spring and the Wood element is birth and new beginnings. The Wood element governs your mental clarity and your ability to focus, plan, and make judgments. When a person has a Wood imbalance, it is much too easy to make poor decisions and become disorganized. When the Liver is out of balance, it can direct energy upwards to create headaches, neck and upper back tension, or even rage and depression. That’s right – the Liver not only spreads Qi (energy) to your other organs like a distributor, but it is also in charge of the smooth flow of your emotions.
The emotions of anger and frustration are related to the Wood element, and many people don’t know how to release their emotions in a safe way. Suppressed emotions can cause serious health problems, and suppressed frustration and anger specifically injures the liver and gall bladder. Did you know that acupuncture works for emotional problems too?
The beauty of Oriental medicine is that it perfectly integrates the mind-body-spirit connection. In fact, did you know there is no distinction between the mind and the body in the Chinese language? In Asian culture, they were always assumed to be connected.
The Calm
Spirit / Ying Yu Jade complete May newsletter is available online now,
click here. This month features Chinese medicine wellness information
for May regarding balance of body, mind and spirit. There is information
about what kind of jade to wear this month if you wear jade for your health,
and more.
May 4, 2008
contact:calmspirit@calmspirit.net
