The Organ Western Medicine Threw Away: How Fascia Proves Chinese Medicine was Right All Along

For the last 400 years when medical researchers conducted an autopsy they would throw this away as medical waste, not realizing it was actually a powerful connective organ...now Western science has finally caught up with Chinese Medicine in discovering the power of fascia. What is fascia in your body and how can learning about it benefit you? In this episode you'll learn: What fascia tissue is and how it connects every system in your body, allowing for strength and mobility. How your fascia actually communicates throughout your body. If one organ has an issue, it could be impacting another one. How your fascial system is your body's electrical system, conducting energy, a fact Western medicine is finally waking up to while Traditional Chinese Medicine has known it for thousands of years. How embryology is the process through which one cell becomes your whole body, from conception to birth, and your meridian lines form the blueprint. How to strengthen your fascia through moving, stretching, hydrating and breathing. For more reading on this topic: pick up The Spark in the Machine: https://a.co/d/0d2LkDKT  Acupuncture points and meridians correspond to connective-tissue planes - Langevin & Yandow, The Anatomical Record, 2002 https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.10185. Electrical resistance is lower along connective-tissue planes that follow meridians - Measured impedance Electrical impedance along connective tissue planes (PMC) https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-5-10. The interstitium, a fluid-filled collagen network, was described as one of the body's largest organs 2018 Scientific American, - Meet your interstitium, The interstitium as a defined anatomical structure Benias & Theise NewYork-Presbyterian https://www.nyp.org/publications/professional-advances/gastro/introducing-the-interstitium-a-new-anatomical-structure Fascia behaves as a tensegrity structure, a body-wide tension network - Biotensegrity and the mechanics of fascia https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7020-3425-1.00054-4 Fasciacytes produce the gliding fluid; the whole fascial web is being mapped in 3D - https://fasciaguide.com/article/fascial-net-plastination-project Your body is not just bone-on-bone, like the bricks that form a house's foundation. It is a tension web, and if you pull one string the whole thing moves. ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

Have you ever wanted to see how AI could help with your health journey, but you had concerns, or you were too overwhelmed to know where to start? Holistic practitioner and recovery coach Lorrie Rivers joins Dr. Motley to walk through practical tips and best practices for using ChatGPT in your quest to be the CEO of your own health. Lorrie teaches how to empower yourself by approaching modern technology with the ancient arts of curiosity and dialogue to cut through overwhelm and find breakthroughs in your chronic illness journey. In this episode you'll learn: How to take advantage of ChatGPT's deep training in functional health as a support for your health journey (and what NOT to do). How to anchor and re-anchor the conversation to get the peer-to-peer information you're actually looking for, whether through a holistic, functional or TCM lens. Why most people ask AI the wrong questions — and the simple shift that gets you dramatically better answers. The difference between using AI as an "answer machine" versus a true thinking partner for your health. Whether you're a patient frustrated by long wait times and surface-level answers, or a practitioner looking to use AI as a research tool, this episode gives you a practical framework for getting real value out of artificial intelligence, without losing your own critical thinking in the process. Check out Lorrie Rivers’ first episode of the Ancient Health Podcast here.  ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website Follow Lorrie Rivers https://lorrieriversholistic.com/ Holistic Healing with Lorrie Podcast:  https://m.youtube.com/@LorrieRiversHolistic?ra=m Get on the Waitlist For Lorrie’s AI Training: AI as a Partner for Your Health Journey:  https://lorrieriversholistic.simplero.com/page/703848-waitlist-ai-heal AI for Practitioners:  https://lorrieriversholistic.simplero.com/page/703850-waitlist-ai-practitioners ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his TCM and frequency medicine expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

There's a viral social media post claiming that you're 300% more likely to develop skin cancer when you use sunscreen. What's the truth? Is sunscreen safe to use? In this episode Doctor Motley breaks down the research, and brings a new lens to the debate: what did ancient cultures do for skin health? Here's what you'll learn in this episode: *Research has found chemicals in your sunscreen like oxybenzone can affect your estrogen and testosterone levels and block Vitamin D, - which is an important hormone, not just a vitamin! - plus some healthy sunscreen ingredients to look for. *What is the "sunscreen paradox" *Why heavily sun-protected, indoor populations showed higher melanoma rates in UK research *How to build a solar callus: the traditional method of safe, gradual sun exposure that builds your skin's natural protection *How to create a healthy skin protocol this summer: Develop early morning sun exposure over time, plus take good vitamins (like B3), minerals and herbs! *Skin protection from a TCM perspective: In Chinese Medicine, the strength of the skin is connected to the strength of your lungs. Find out how to protect your skin with TCM herbs. Research: FDA Findings:https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2733085#google_vignette The Sunscreen Paradox https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231027110724.htm Chemicals in Sunscreen: https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/ Vitamin B Study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1506197 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071240 ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15 ------ DISCLAIMER Please remember that the information shared in this podcast is for education purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice.   No doctor-patient relationship is formed through this podcast, and the use of information here or materials linked from this podcast is at your own risk.   The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen, and do not disregard or delay seeking medical advice for any condition you may have.

What if the chronic illness you've been fighting your whole life began with your childhood and your family of origin? Unresolved childhood trauma lives in your thyroid, your gut, and your joints, and it can be inherited. Nurse practitioner Dani Williamson and mental health specialist Dr. Stacy Jagger join Dr. Chris Motley and Dr. Anis Khalaf to discuss this hopeful message: you can reverse these cycles of physical and emotional pain. From digital detox to elimination diets to EMDR, this episode is a roadmap for breaking the generational cycle of pain, disease, and disconnection — for good. Content Advisory: This episode discusses suicide, mental health struggles, and emotional distress. Viewer discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or considering self-harm, please seek professional help or contact local emergency services. What you’ll learn in this episode: Healing from childhood trauma is possible and available Children need help: the fastest growing age range for suicide is 10-13 Help starts with the whole family: a digital detox allows for connection and nervous system regulation Physical markers that your fight-or-flight might be affecting your health Healing inflammation through an elimination diet gives the gut brain connection a fighting chance For women, trauma most often manifests in the thyroid and the gut Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. ------  Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website Follow Dr. Anis Khalaf https://www.instagram.com/acupuncturefit/ https://www.tiktok.com/@acupuncturefit https://www.youtube.com/@AcupunctureFit Find Dr. Stacy “Sassy” Jagger https://www.drsassy.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dr.sassy.nashville/ Buy her book 30 Day Blackout: https://a.co/d/04sFIquB Follow Dani Williamson https://daniwilliamson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/daniwilliamsonwellness Buy her book Wild and Well: https://a.co/d/08UWLL2H ------  *Most of us are mineral deficient and we don’t even know it! Want to get your minerals in? Try BEAM Minerals at beamminerals.com/DRMOTLEY and use code DRMOTLEY for 20% off your first order. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

Having trouble getting pregnant and can't figure out why? Struggling to lose weight even if you're a gym rat? The answer to both problems may be that your nervous system doesn't feel safe. And if so your body will block fertility, weight loss, and hormone balance every single time.  In this special live episode of the Ancient Health Podcast, Doctor Chris Motley, along with Dr. Anis Khalaf, interviewed Dr. Kela Smith, a hormone + fertility specialist, and creator of the Hormone Puzzle and the Hormone Puzzle Podcast, and Terry Barga a restorative fitness expert and producer of Nashville Fit Magazine for a mastermind on nutrition, fitness, and how to get your body to rest, relax, repair and reproduce. Hint: over-working out and calorie deficits can leave your system feeling unsafe, leading to hormonal disruption. In this episode, you'll learn: Why your body won't conceive, lose weight, or balance hormones while it's in fight-or-flight, and the simple daily practice that shifts you out of survival mode How overexercising tanked Dr. Kayla's own fertility as a personal trainer, and how she pregnant twice, with her second child born at 40 The truth about intermittent fasting for women: it may be wreaking havoc on your hormones How joy, stress-relief, whole food and a 20 minute walk can do more than you would have thought possible. Expert opinions on the carnivore diet, seed-cycling and more ------  Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website Follow Dr. Anis Khalaf https://www.tiktok.com/@acupuncturefit https://www.youtube.com/@AcupunctureFit Find Dr. Kela Smith! https://hormonepuzzlesociety.com/ Listen to the Hormone Puzzle Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1p2NNHi3UtCDtLvoNg4Bvg?si=451d110f6ecf4e22 Buy Dr. Kela’s Book: https://a.co/d/07dJLgNB Follow Terry Barga https://nashvillefitmagazine.com/ Music City Fit Expo — https://www.musiccityfitexpo.com/ ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/drmotley *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here https://www.doctormotley.com/15

Who is better equipped to teach us about spiritual health than an exorcist? Father Dan Reehil, Roman Catholic priest, exorcist for the Diocese of Nashville, and host of the Battle Ready podcast, joins Dr. Chris Motley and Dr. Anis Khalaf for a live conversation that bridges spiritual warfare, self-discipline, and whole-body health in a way you've never heard before. How’s your spirit these days? We’re pretty conscious of our minds and bodies, but we also must be aligned with our spiritual health for true balance. Father Dan’s message to us? Spiritual growth requires discipline, and in our modern world, discipline is in short supply. Father Dan makes the case that spiritual discipline isn't just a religious practice, it's your strongest protection against the forces that keep you stuck, sick, and spiritually depleted. In a culture that's abandoned discipline entirely, that protection is more urgent than ever. Check out the episode to learn his remedies for spiritual discipline AND find out what exorcism training really looks like.  In this episode you'll discover: *The one thing Father Dan sees in every single case of spiritual oppression, and the daily practice that closes that door *Why self-discipline is not a restriction on your freedom but the key to it *How to shift your perspective so there are no more "bad days"...only days of grace *What exorcism training in Rome actually looks like, and what it taught Father Dan about spiritual oppression *Why the family that prays together genuinely does stay together — how shared spiritual practice is protective *How morning prayer, fasting, and intentional living transform not just your soul but your physical body *Whether you're coming from a place of faith or simply searching for deeper meaning, this episode will challenge the way you think about spiritual health — and give you practical tools to strengthen it starting today. ------  Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website Follow Dr. Anis Khalaf https://www.instagram.com/acupuncturefit/ https://www.tiktok.com/@acupuncturefit https://www.youtube.com/@AcupunctureFit Follow Father Dan Reehil https://www.instagram.com/fatherdanreehil/ https://www.youtube.com/@fatherdanreehil Check out his podcast: Battle Ready ------  * Ready to take the plunge into cold therapy? You can get 12% off Barrels and Chillers with code DRMOTLEY at https://shorturl.at/JSe4N *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

Can your beliefs impact your healing? As science begins to catch up to what people of faith have always known, it’s clear that believing you can be healthy is key to beating the odds. Jordan Rubin, health coach, natural health entrepreneur and author of The Biblio Diet and The Makers Diet, would call this faith.  In this special live episode of the Ancient Health Podcast at 2026’s WillCo WellFest, Jordan shares with Dr. Motley and Dr. Anis Khalaf how he found healing amidst a dire health prognosis (twice!) and how essential faith and hope are for conquering both chronic and terminal illness. He advocates for biblical nutrition, natural healing and a faith-filled imagination when doctors give up.  In this episode you’ll learn faith based visualizations for healing, what healing leaves are and why a bible verse inspired Jordan to plant nearly a million fruit trees, plus hear a live Q+A with Jordan! To learn more about healing leaves, what they are and how to use them, download this free chapter of The Biblio Diet here: https://www.jordanrubin.com/home#healing-leaves    In this interview you’ll learn about: The importance of imagining ourselves healed, healthy and whole The healing power of prayer Jordan’s critical recipe for health outcomes you won’t hear elsewhere: peace, faith, and a community that believes with you The importance of empathy and encouragement from practitioners An in-depth look at Crohn’s disease and what triggered Jordan’s healing Jordan’s inspiring cancer journey Visualizations for healing The danger of identifying too closely with an unwanted prognosis The need for practitioners to provide abundant hope in the face of health battles The biblical secret behind healing leaves, what they are and his vision for this tea This episode shares one person's personal experience and is not intended as medical advice  ------  Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website Follow Jordan Rubin https://www.instagram.com/jordansrubin/ https://www.jordanrubin.com/ Learn about Jordan’s Healing Leaves: https://healingleaves.com/ Get the Biblio Diet: https://www.jordanrubin.com/thebibliodiet Follow Dr. Anis Khalaf https://www.tiktok.com/@acupuncturefit https://www.youtube.com/@AcupunctureFit ------  * You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to https://www.timeline.com/drmotley. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questi⁠ons to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

What if the thing that saved your mental health wasn't a pill, a program, or a therapist — but a stranger in a gym telling you that you looked terrible and needed a cold shower? Get 12% off an Ice Barrel or Chiller with code DRMOTLEY at https://shorturl.at/3Ejhb.  That's the real origin story of Ice Barrel. Wyatt Ewing didn't build Ice Barrel for athletes. He built it because cold therapy stopped his anxiety and depression when nothing else could. In this episode, Dr. Motley and the founder of Ice Barrel go deep on the nervous system science of cold exposure, the vagus nerve, contrast therapy, and why just 2 minutes in cold water can reset your entire stress response. Plus: Wyatt's vision quest story post-acquisition that nobody's heard. 00:00 - Introduction 03:20 - Wyatt’s Story 04:14 - The Stranger who Changed Everything 05:07 - Cold Shower to Ice Barrel 06:19 - Going Broke to Build Something Real 09:08 - Why Cold Therapy is Unlike Anything Else 17:03 - Wyatt’s Personal Protocol 18:16 - Modern Comfort, Ancient Struggle 23:00 - What Cold Does to a Nervous System Under Pressure 32:02 - Mammalian Dive Reflex and the Vagus Nerve 34:50 - Contrast Therapy is the Future 42:06 - Cold Has Been Following Me My Whole Life 49:05 - Youth Athletics and the Recovery Gap 51:14 - Where You Can Find Wyatt Key Takeaways Cold therapy works in 2 minutes. Unlike exercise, meditation, or supplementation, cold immersion produces immediate, measurable changes in mood, energy, and stress hormones. Wyatt's benchmark: 'I've never seen anybody get out of an ice bath without a smirk on their face' — and he's offered $1,000 to prove him wrong. The upright posture isn't cosmetic — it's neurological. Lying in a bathtub during cold exposure sends conflicting signals: the body enters fight-or-flight but is told to rest. Ice Barrel's upright design mirrors how the human body actually responds to cold stress in nature, producing a more complete physiological response. You're not training for cold — you're retraining your nervous system. Wyatt noticed that after months of cold therapy, his palms stopped sweating during high-stakes corporate negotiations and his resting heart rate during stress dropped. The cold isn't the point; the recalibrated default stress response is. Start with the hose. Tap water from a garden hose runs at 55-60°F — cold enough to activate all the primary benefits. Beginners don't need ice. Start there, work toward 50-55°F, and only go into the 40s when you're confident. Shivering is the body's signal to get out. The future of cold therapy is contrast. Hot/cold alternation — sauna then cold plunge, repeated — produces norepinephrine and euphoric endorphin release that standalone cold or heat cannot. Ice Barrel's partnership with Sunlighten (infrared sauna) positions it at the center of this shift. Comfort is the enemy, and hot water is new. Even the wealthiest person 1,000 years ago struggled to get hot water. The modern convenience of hot-on-demand is an evolutionary novelty, and Wyatt cites research showing that people who believe stress is good for them live substantially longer than those who don't. ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Dr. Motley! Instagram Twitter Facebook Tik-Tok Website Ice Barrel Website:  https://shorturl.at/TqVqG (code DRMOTLEY gets you 12% off Barrels and Chillers) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icebarrel/ Wyatt Ewing’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wyattewing ------  * Get the minerals you need all in one shot-glass! Head to https://shorturl.at/vCFAp and use code DRMOTLEY for 20% off *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *If you want to hear more on how Chinese Medicine connects the physical and emotional, check out Doctor Motley’s membership, complete with courses, a whole library of video-based resources and the chance to pick his brain on weekly live Q+A’s. You can try it free for 15 days here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

Went to your doctor in your early 40s with sudden anxiety, insomnia, brain fog or unexplained weight gain — and walked out with an antidepressant? Author and nurse practitioner Dani Williamson joins Dr. Chris Motley to explain why SSRIs are not the answer to perimenopause, what's actually happening in your body as estrogen drops, and how healing your gut can bring your thyroid and hormones back into balance.  Key Takeaways from this Conversation: Women are being prescribed SSRIs for anxiety when the real cause is perimenopause. There’s no SSRI for that.  Estrogen-loss comes with mood symptoms, weight gain and health concerns like Hashimoto's Thyroiditis as your thyroid begins to slow down.  Fix your gut and your thyroid and hormones will (usually!) fall into place.  Dani Williamson’s Top 7 Most Inflammatory Food: Gluten Dairy Soy Corn  Sugar Eggs  Peanuts If your doctor’s reaction to a health concern brought on by estrogen-loss is “let’s just watch this for 6 months,” it’s time to find a new doctor.  A tiny low-dose estrogen patch can change your perimenopause game.  Healing trauma and abuse is key (especially when it comes to thyroid health): Unaddressed childhood trauma can collide with the body-chaos of perimenopause. EMDR and talk therapy can help with this journey.   ------  Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website Connect with Dani Williamson (she’s taking new Hashimoto's patients) https://www.instagram.com/daniwilliamsonwellness/ https://daniwilliamson.com/ Buy Dani's book: https://shorturl.at/28pv3 Dani and Dr. Motley’s Sunday Night Service: Your health questions answered: Dani Williamson and Dr. Motley ------  * You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

After a serious heart attack with no conventional warning signs, Dr. John Kim went searching for answers. He was shocked to find what conventional testing never unearthed: he was unknowingly fighting a Bartonella infection, a heavy mycotoxin load and parasites. This was when the pharmacist turned functional medicine practitioner learned the role cellular energy plays in health breakdowns, and, vitally, in healing.  In this episode, you’ll learn about cell-danger response and the connection between biotoxins and mitochondrial dysfunction (did you know if your cells are healthy they repel parasites?!). Dr. Kim shares his best tips for cellular healing (butyrate, phospholipids and sunlight) and walks us through the steps he takes his own clients through: taking stock of your individual environment, healing your nervous system, detox pathways, strengthening the microbiome, and building resilience so you can live your life. Chapters 2:54 Dr. John Kim’s Heart Attack Story 4:11 His Struggle with Biotoxins 9:11 Cell Danger Response 11:00 The Impact of Mitochondrial Dysfunction 14:01 Mold Toxicity and Its Effects 19:49 Detoxification Strategies and Methodologies 24:00 The Encore Method for Healing 29:02 The Importance of Circadian Rhythms 32:15 Harnessing Sunlight for Cellular Health 36:09 Optimizing Cellular Function and Detoxification 45:30 Creating Cellular Resiliency 47:03 The Role of Emotional Health in Detoxification 49:22 A Simple Exercise to Increase HRV ------  Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website Connect with Dr. John Kim: https://www.drjohnkim.com/ https://www.instagram.com/john.pharmd/ ------  * Are you looking for simple, non-invasive sound therapy tools for treating anxiety, or providing balance? You can get $100 off a WAVwatch with the code DRMOTLEY: https://wavwatch.com/pages/doctor-motley *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15