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Group provides eating and living instructions
By SCOTT STEINBERG
The Evergreen Healthy Vegetarian Association invited seniors and children with special needs from the South Bay to sample their holistic life perspective on Dec. 22 at the Odd Fellow Hall in Cupertino.
More than 150 people, wise enough to attend, were treated to 11 vegetarian dishes from around the world. Willing participants also received an introductory lesson about Tunia, a tactile therapy developed by the association's founder, Dr. Andy Shih.
The group had been known for its 1,000-person food expositions held every autumn, showcasing the essence of Eastern vegetarianism, such as the succulent stuffed shitake mushroom dish and the quintessential snack of fried taro root.
But director Susan Yin said the association wanted to take a different angle this year.
"We wanted to have an exchange of East-West theory to teach people how to eat correctly," Yin said. And the seniors and children were extended invitations because it is the organization's aim, as well as Chinese folk wisdom, to "treat all elders like our parents, and care for youngsters like our children," she added.
Although some of the community seniors were out of their element, desperately trying to fill themselves on Fa Cai soup, they certainly liked it. And the invited guests were none too surprised by the association's generosity.
As a teacher at Caster Middle School, Brian Conroy of Boulder Creek has taught several children of EVHA members. Conroy, who has been a vegetarian for 30 years, said, "The Chinese people are very service-oriented," and that it was a lifestyle well worth promoting.
While diners celebrated the cuisine in the cafeteria, organization members demonstrated Tunia, Dr. Shih's massage exercise.
Demonstrator Kee Tung described the exercise as a hybrid of acupuncture and kung fu, sans the needles and the combat.
The purpose of Tunia is to attend to the body's attrition, and the method of doing that is relaxing one's "chi," which is an internal energy force.
"There are different channels in your body," C.S. Ling said. "Through simple massage, you can make your chi go smoothly. This will bring you health. If you have a problem with your body, if you feel sick, there could be a problem with your chi."
A Tunia practitioner goes through a series of methodical movements, locating pressure points on the body, rubbing the length of each arm three times, then moving to the armpits, the back, and finally the head and legs. It is a deceptively difficult regime that once mastered ultimately employs the masseuse as the massaged.
Tung, who practices Tunia on himself once or twice a week, said it's a very wise thing to be doing for a middle-aged body.
"It minimizes illness," he said. "It is by no means a cure."
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
