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About Rita Zhao
A Healing Journey of Learning and Practicing Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine
学习倪海厦老师中医中草药两年，亲身见证和体验了草药的美妙作用。我从2024年初因类风湿关节炎脚肿不能走路长达七八个月，跟倪海厦老师学习中医8个月后，正常出去旅游两个星期，现在和先生每天晚上打一小时的乒乓球，我的身体状况很好。与此同时，我还根据倪海厦老师所讲授的八纲辨证：阴阳寒热虚实表里的原理，帮助家人亲朋好友在这些方面：湿珍，慢性鼻炎，心脏病，尿频尿急，便秘，糖尿病，下利（腹泻十多年每天十几次），失眠，脚肿腿肿，胃痛，手脚麻木，咳嗽，小便时疼痛，浑身热，前列腺，高血压等方面进行了调理，取得了很好的效果。我们家16岁的小狗也是一个受益者，自从我使用中草药以来，还省了每个月$59.95的就医费用。我很感激倪老师，愿将我所学到知识和经验分享出去，希望帮助更多的人缓解减轻痛苦。
我和中医有一种天然的缘分，早在1972年我10多岁时，我妈妈得了急性阑尾炎，由于当时乡卫生院的条件所限，两次手术后，我妈妈的身体己经极度虚弱，几年不能下床走路。由于文革抄家与迫害，我爸爸为了躲避生命危险离家出走，弟弟妹妹又相继死于非命，家徒四壁没有分文给妈妈买药。我那时不知从那里得到了一本针灸小手册，每当她夜里疼痛难忍时，我就点亮煤油灯，（直到1978年我去上学，我们家都没有钱用上电灯）去翻那本针灸手册。找到相关穴位，帮妈妈按摩，缓解疼痛，就这样过了好多年，直到我1978年去上大学，我妈妈的身体才慢慢好转。没有上过高中的我，上医学院只是梦想。
时间一晃来到了2019年12月的圣诞节前夕，我们在去佛罗里达迪士尼游玩的前一天，95岁的妈妈拉着我的胳膊滑了下去，她的大腿骨折做了手术，我那时在AT&T从事Oracle DBA工作近20年，由于全组的工作移到印度，我也到了退休年龄，自然就承担起了照顾妈妈的职责。手术半年之后，她还可以用walker跟着我们坐车出去。三年后我妈妈第二次摔倒骨裂，在以后的十四个月里，再也不能走路。在妈妈去世的前一个月，2024年元旦我的腰直不起来，50米都走不了，站立不能超过5分钟，脚踝上下连同脚面肿痛，颜色黑紫，小腿一按一个坑，脸色苍白，时常呼吸困难浑身无力。我被西医珍断为风湿性关节炎，身体垮了。我妈妈于2024年1月底去世，享年100岁。
2024年2月，和我先生一起到了台湾找一位中医针灸师治疗。我本来在孩童时就信扎针，所以深信台湾的中医师能用针灸治好我的病；同时也治疗我先生的前列腺和高血压。我们在台湾的两个星期，扎针对我的病情有所缓解。
回到圣路易斯的家，由于劳累，所有的针灸努力都前功尽失，一切回到从前，脚照样肿痛发紫，身体虚弱无力，到了四五月份，又多了一种感觉，身体里的血管热的像要爆一样而皮肤冷的像冰块，整夜整夜不能入睡，网上的信息告诉我这种现象是血管炎或者叫脉管炎，2024年的7月，我20多年的老朋友从东部出发去西部旅游路过我家做短暂停留，我还是不能走路，不能做饭，幸亏有我先生?包了所有家务。
在那几个月里，我从来没有停止努力，尽力所能及，用艾灸，刮痧，吃纳豆素，用蓖麻油。我女儿让我跟Joe Dispenza学习，用心法及打坐治疗，她还给我报名去参加Joe Dispenza 2024年9月份在田纳西的纳什维尔举办的为期两周的学习班。这所有的努力都有帮助，都是治表不治本。
2024年8月19日，这一天对我的人生发生了很大的变化，我在偶然间看到了倪海厦老师讲课的视频，如获至宝，倪海厦是谁？我去网上搜索有关他的消息，网上关于他的消息可以说是铺天盖地，信他的人说他是神医，是我们这个时代的张仲景，他讲经方，并取历代名医之长，讲解翻译并结合临床实践经验，增添了很多针对现代病情的珍断与治疗内容，并留下了大量的珍贵资料和录像，他的太太更是放弃了所有版权收入，只想救人帮人摆脱病痛；此外他还是一位精通山、医、命、卜、相的奇才。
我很快购买了全套倪教援的书籍，在网上跟着倪海厦老师学习中草药知识。跟他学习，需要一些有关阴阳，五行相生相克的知识。我对这些并不陌生，因为还是孩童时，我的一位堂兄，他是1949年前的大学毕业生比我年长40多岁，精通易经，占卦能准确到某月某日某时，很多年里，他算出了我妈妈受迫害的时间；另一位堂哥的死期；我接上学录取通知书的具体时间；还有我和先生是否能走到一起等事件，无一不应验。在我出国之前也曾学习过周易八卦类书籍。
跟着倪海厦老师在网上学习中草药4个月之后到了2025年的元旦前后，我就开始购买草药，大肥地尝试，在我尝试的同时，周末我先生在家也给他试用。他有关节炎，手上的8个手指不同程度的变形，很多时候晚上会痛，同时他肚子膝盖凉也有多年，前列腺和高血压。意想不到的是，我不知道吃了几付草药之后就一天比一天好，脚上的紫色也一直在缩小。我先生不但手指不再痛，前列腺竞然不知不觉的好了。由于我不断尝试不同的草药和剂量，不到两个月时间，已经能正常走路，同时胸闷和十多年的便秘等症状也消失了。2025年4月我们去新马泰旅行两个星期，尽管在爬山时还有虚汗，一切顺利。2025年10份去英国旅游时，身体一切正常。我们真的非常感谢倪海厦老师！希望他老人家的在天之灵能够感受到我们对他的感恩之情！
我在网络上跟着倪海厦老师系统地学习了黄帝内经，神农本草经，伤寒论，金匮和针灸大全，笔记作了几大本。在学习的同时，我还继续地购买并尝试各种草药，希望能缓解我先生高血压的症状，他被高血压困扰多年，作为卡车司机，1 - 2年做一次医疗体检，血压必须在90/140之内，才能继续保持CDL大车驾照，平时吃降压药，维持在95/155左右，尽管沒有任何不适症状，可是每次体检都是一个巨大的挑战。有一年他在家里停了一个月，加大药量并用尽各种办法，才勉强通过。在试用中草药一个多月后，2025年6月份的一天早上他的血压降到了87/135，那是近一年最好的数据。我先生2025年6月份停用所有西药，至今一切尚好。
学习倪海厦老师中草药的初衷，是使自己能健康的生活，现在看到草药的神奇作用，我愿意和相信经方及草药并且自身有需求的人们一起努力，体会草药的奥妙。
A Personal Journey of Healing Through Herbs
My path into herbs wasn't just an academic pursuit—it was born from personal experience, family history, and a deep desire to help others.
After retiring from a nearly 20-year career as an Oracle Database Administrator at AT&T, I found myself facing one of the greatest challenges of my life: a serious decline in my own health.
In early 2024, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. My feet and ankles were severely swollen, painful, and discolored. I could barely walk more than a short distance, stand for more than a few minutes, or participate in everyday activities. Traveling, cooking, and even simple household tasks became difficult. At the same time, I was grieving the loss of my mother, whom I had cared for during her final years.
I knew I needed a different path forward.
That path led me back to something that had been part of my life since childhood—Traditional Chinese Medicine.
A Lifelong Connection to Healing
My interest in natural healing began when I was a teenager growing up in China. My mother became seriously ill after surgery, and our family was so poor after the raid of cultural revolution and had no money to access to any medical care or medicine. Somehow, I came across a small acupuncture handbook. Whenever my mother suffered from severe pain, I would read the book under the light of a kerosene lamp and use acupoints to massage and ease her discomfort. We lived that way for many years until I went to college in 1978.
Those experiences left a lasting impression on me. Even at a young age, I saw that traditional healing methods could provide comfort, relief, and hope. But I never imagined that decades later, I would return to those same principles to help restore my own health.
Health Crisis and the Discovery of the Teachings of Professor Ni Haisha （倪海厦）
In January 2024, after four years of being the sole caretaker for my mother in her final years before passing away at 100, my health was in crisis mode. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. My feet and ankles were severely swollen, painful, and discolored. I could barely walk more than 50 yards, stand for more than a few minutes, or participate in everyday activities. My face was pale, frequent had difficulty breathing. Walking, standing up to cook, and other simple household chores became extremely difficult. I thought the help of a plethora of doctors, but to no avail. I could not accept the fact that I was going to become immobile at age 66. After months of seeking remedies, I came across a lecture by Professor Ni Haisha (倪海厦), within minutes, I knew I had found something special.
I immediately began studying his teachings and purchased his educational materials. For the next two years, I poured myself over the learning of TCM, herbal theories, the foundational principles of the Five Elements, and Yin and Yang, Cold and Heat, Deficiency and Excess, and Interior and Exterior patterns. The more I learned, the more everything started to make sense.
After 4 months of intensive study, I began preparing herbal formulas for myself based on the principles I was learning, and the results were life-changing. My mobility gradually returned. The swelling in my feet decreased. My energy improved. Long-standing digestive issues disappeared. Within a few months, I was walking normally again.
In April 2025, I was barely able to walk when I traveled with my husband on an international trip. Today,
I am deeply grateful Dr. Ni Haisha for the knowledge and wisdom that helped me reclaim my health.
Continuing My Education
My healing journey inspired me to study even more deeply. I have devoted countless hours to learning from the most respected classical texts in TCM.
The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huangdi Neijing – 黄帝内经)
Shennong's Classic of Herbal Medicine (Shennong Bencao Jing – 神农本草经)
Treatise on Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun – 伤寒论)
Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet (Jin Gui – 金匱)
Acupuncture (针灸大全)
I have filled notebooks with study notes and continue to refresh my knowledge every day. For me, herbal wellness is not just a hobby—it is a lifelong commitment.
Helping Family, Friends, and Others
As my health continued to improve, it drew the curiosities and inquiries from relatives and friends. They wanted to know how I got better from such a severely ill state, as they themselves were battling different health conditions.
Over time, I have shared herbal knowledge with people seeking support for a variety of health concerns, including joint discomfort, digestive issues, sleep challenges, seasonal allergies, urinary concerns, circulation issues, and general wellness support. My husband has always been very supportive, and his overall health improved significantly with herbs.
One of the greatest joys of this journey has been seeing people feel better, regain confidence, and enjoy life more fully. I’ve even tried herbs on our 16-year-old family dog, and he benefited from herbal support and experienced improvements in overall well-being.
My Philosophy
I believe that true wellness begins with understanding the whole person, not just individual symptoms. Herbs have been used for thousands of years because it focuses on balance, harmony, and supporting the body's natural ability to heal. My goal is not simply to share herbs. My goal is to share knowledge, experience, and practical wellness guidance that may help others on their own health journeys. Having personally experienced both serious health challenges and meaningful improvement, I understand how overwhelming it can feel when you're searching for answers.
That is why I am passionate about helping others explore natural approaches to health and wellness.