YourChiBalance provides educational wellddness analysis based on Traditional Chinese Medicine pattern thinking. Using a short health questionnaire and optional face or hand images, the system generates a personalized report that explains possible TCM patterns, contributing factors, food and drink guidance, herbal tea ideas, and qigong exercises.
The analysis looks for relationships among energy, digestion, temperature, sleep, emotions, pain, lifestyle, and personal goals. It then organizes the result into practical categories such as root and branch patterns, TCM organ-system involvement, food recommendations, herbs, teas, and movement practices.
Qigong recommendations are selected to match the person’s specific patterns and needs. Rather than suggesting only broad systems, the report aims to recommend specific exercises that support the identified disharmonies, symptoms, and wellness goals.
The information is intended for education, reflection, and wellness support. It is not a replacement for medical diagnosis, treatment, or care from a licensed health professional.
I've practiced Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, and Gung-fu for much of my life. Through these arts, I have learned about balance, body mechanics, natural movement, and the quiet relationship between breath, mind, and body. I believed I understood how to care for myself, which is why I was so surprised when, in 2025, I began experiencing severe pain and weakness in my right knee.
Before long, I could barely practice Tai Chi or walk any significant distance. I found myself asking a difficult and humbling question: How could this happen to me after so many years of dedicated practice?
An orthopedist diagnosed me with advanced arthritis and significant damage to the meniscus. The options presented to me included injections to reduce inflammation, improve cushioning within the joint, or support the damaged tissue. These treatments likely needed to be repeated over time. The final option was knee-replacement surgery. For someone who loved Tai Chi, the possibility of never again comfortably performing movements such as Snake Creeps Down was deeply discouraging.
After considerable reflection, I began looking for ways to support my body alongside the guidance I had received. I returned to the principles that had shaped so much of my life: the traditional Chinese understanding of balance, nourishment, circulation, and the interconnectedness of the body.
I began researching extensively, using books, online resources, and artificial intelligence to explore Traditional Chinese Medicine perspectives on inflammation, joint health, diet, herbs, and personal patterns of imbalance. As I looked back over my health history—IBS in my thirties, atrial fibrillation in my forties, colitis in my fifties, and arthritis in my sixties—I learned that these seemingly separate experiences might actually be connected.
Over time, I developed a personal wellness approach that included herbal teas and thoughtful dietary changes selected according to my individual TCM patterns. I began cautiously, using only two ingredients in a tea and reducing certain foods and drinks.
To my surprise, within the first week I noticed a very small improvement. It was only a slight easing of the pain—a tiny step—but it gave me hope.
I continued gradually, adding supportive ingredients and making further dietary adjustments. Over the following weeks and months, my discomfort lessened and my knee became stronger. After several months, I was once again able to practice Tai Chi and walk nearly the distances I had before.
I do not believe that one person’s experience can guarantee another person’s results. Every body, every history, and every healing journey is different. Yet my experience taught me the value of asking better questions, paying close attention to the body, and making thoughtful changes patiently and consistently.
It also led me to ask another question: How could this information be made more accessible to others?
Most people do not have the time or patience to spend months searching through books and websites. Traditional Chinese Medicine can also be difficult to navigate without enough background knowledge to distinguish useful guidance from oversimplification or misinformation.
Because I am also a software developer, I decided to combine these two areas of my life. I began building a system that asks meaningful questions, follows carefully developed rules, and uses artificial intelligence to organize Traditional Chinese Medicine principles into personalized educational guidance.
This website is the result of many months of research, reflection, development, and testing. It was created with the hope that it may help others better understand their own patterns, consider new ways of supporting their well-being, and take a more active role in their personal wellness journey.
I offer it with humility, care, and respect for both traditional wisdom and modern medicine.
May it serve you well on your journey.
- Rich Alford
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