Question 1

I have always been interested in yoga and meditation for both physical and mental health. It has been increasingly popular worldwide over the last decade or two.

Question 2

I did practice yoga for a year or two a few years ago. I found it to be very beneficial. I felt better and enjoyed being more flexible. It was useful while teaching kids because I was moving around a lot and getting up and down from the floor. Doing yoga also inspired me to try and cook healthier food. I would like to start doing it again. I highly recommend it to anyone for stress relief and for general health.

Question 3

I have been taking a blend of mushroom supplements for about 14 or 15 years. I finally found my favorite brand about 10 years ago after doing some research on how they prepare the extract from the mushrooms. The main mushroom I like to have in the blend is called reishi (lingzhi 靈芝), known as the "mushroom of immortality" for over 2,000 years in China. I have noticed that when I take it daily I don't catch any colds or viruses, so I believe it really does strengthen the immune system. My doctor also said that my arteries are in extremely good condition for my age. Reishi is said to be beneficial to the heart and cardiovascular system. That's why I continue taking it.

Question 4

I take a multivitamin daily since I probably don't eat enough vegetables. I don't take the full amount, though. I do drink Ripobitan D sometimes, too, if I feel I need a little extra energy. It also tastes very good!

Question 5

I can't think of a particular one, but I believe it is important to do a lot of research before trying any kind of alternative medicine. Alternative medicine is not regulated and could be potentially dangerous, so I like to find real evidence and read any scientific studies I can find.

Question 6

Yes, I always look up any medicine and read about it in detail before taking it. I want to make sure I know what I am putting into my body and what the potential side effects could be. I try not to take any medicine, if possible.

Tough Vocabulary

Question 1

Getting a massage when we feel under the weather is a common practice in my hometown. It's very conveninent too since you can just request a home massage anytime.

Question 2

I have tried a couple of reflexology massage sessions before. This type of massage mainly focuses on your feet, head, and hands. At first it felt ticklish when the therapist started massaging my feet but later on I was able to adjust to it. I think I was having a cold that time and in a way, the reflexolgy helped me relieve some symptoms.

Question 3

My sister's fiance is from a Chinese family so whenever my sister gets sick they always recommend her to drink some herbal tea or some medicinal soup. One time she got a stomachache and her fiance prepared a medicinal soup for her. She felt better afterwards. They sometimes send us a pack of herbs and tea too. They manually prepare their tea from raw ingredients.

Question 4

I don't but I think I should start taking supplements more since my body just feels so restless sometimes. Occassionally I would drink some collagen drinks but I haven't been consistent in taking them.

Question 5

I can't come up with a specific example but during the peak of the Covid pandemic, there were a lot of measures introduced on social media that I was hesistant to try. For example there was a sudden boom in selling copper masks and air-purifying necklaces. I was skeptical in buying them and thought I should wait for official statements from scientists and medical professionals first.

Question 6

Yes I do. I think it is very important to know what our body consumes. I have a lot of allergies so I always double-check what the medicine contains.

Tough Vocabulary