Improving Mental Health with Chinese Medicine with Nina Cheng

Jul 31, 2025

Nina Cheng, founder of The Eastern Philosophy and expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine, discusses the holistic foundations of TCM and its relevance to mental health. She highlights how concepts like qi and the five element theory inform practices such as music therapy and qigong. Nina also uncovers TCM's ability to address various mental health issues, advocating for contentment over the fleeting pursuit of happiness. Listeners gain insights into the mind-body connection and the effectiveness of integrating traditional methods with modern psychological approaches.

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ANECDOTE

Early Adoption of Chinese Medicine

Nina Cheng adopted Chinese medicine from a young age due to chronic allergies and injuries with limited Western solutions.
She loved how it worked quickly, without side effects, and was accessible and affordable.

INSIGHT

Prevention Focus in Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine emphasizes prevention, aiming to stop illness before symptoms appear.
This contrasts Western medicine's typical focus on treating symptoms after they arise.

INSIGHT

Holistic Mind-Body View

Mental and physical health are not separated in Chinese medicine; mental symptoms have physical components.
Western medicine often treats these aspects in isolation, unlike Chinese medicine's holistic approach.

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Improving Mental Health with Chinese Medicine with Nina Cheng

Nina Cheng is the founder of the Chinese medicine company, The Eastern Philosophy, and serves as Communications Officer and board member of The International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine (IASTAM). She is a graduate student in History of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Graduate School of Medicine with a research focus on mental health in pre-modern China. She is author of Chinese Medicine for the Mind: A Science-Backed Guide to Improving Mental Health with Traditional Chinese Medicine with contributions from prominent clinicians and historians of Chinese medicine psychology from around the world. Her website is theeasternphilosophy.com.

Nina shares principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its holistic application to mental health. She discusses the concept of qi as a vital life force and the efficacy of herbal treatments, five element music therapy, and qigong, among other approaches, to harmonize the connection between emotional states and organ systems. Ultimately, she advocates for a shift from the pursuit of happiness to a focus on contentment.

00:00:00 Introduction
00:06:35 Holistic approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
00:09:37 Five Element theory
00:17:03 Qi – vital life force
00:21:14 Mental health conditions TCM can help
00:40:22 Stress and anxiety
00:54:58 Depression
00:59:22 Qigong, tai chi, and daoyin
01:04:14 ADHD
01:08:12 Emotions and consciousness
01:12:53 Heart – seat of awareness and governs the mind
01:14:18 Conclusion

Edited subtitles for this video are available in Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German, French, and Spanish.

New Thinking Allowed CoHost, Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L, is an intuitive healer and health coach based in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the author of Intuitive Development: How to Trust Your Inner Knowing for Guidance With Relationships, Health, and Spirituality. Her website is https://emmyvadnais.com

(Recorded on May 16, 2025)

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