Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is holistic medicine. Its models of diagnosis and treatment methods offer a wealth of tools to regain, attain, and maintain health. It treats what ails humankind and is a complete system of medicine. Treats pain of any kind, internal disorders, mental health, cancer, diabetes, and nervous system disorders, among others. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are affordable and require no special environment. Integrating them with the Western medical system dramatically reduce the overall cost of health care. This holistic medicine while maintaining the integrity of its approach, continues to adapt to the evolution of human with further education and research into the root of diseases of our modern times by formulating new patterns of treatment.
Chinese medicine is one of the three oldest medicines in the world dating at least 5000 years; Egyptian and Babylonian medicine predate it. The testament of validity of Chinese medicine is that in 2020 AD, this system of health care is still used the world over. It was exposed to the West when the Red Empire opened its doors to the world for the first time in 1972, when then President Richard Nixon traveled to the People’s Republic of China on an official visit, and a New York Times reporter, James Reston, traveling with the President, had abdominal discomfort after an emergency appendectomy, and experienced the benefits of acupuncture in his recovery.
In the 20th century Chinese medicine served almost two billion people in far east Asia, the former Soviet Union and Europe. Modern style research on Chinese medicine has been continual in China since the early 1950’s. After the civil war was settled in 1948, the Communist Government of China realized it could not afford to train or equip enough allopathic doctors to meet the needs of the country’s population. The government evaluation of the traditional medicine showed that it had sufficient effectiveness to warrant not only active use and perpetuation of it, but further development as well. In China today TCM is practiced in conjunction with allopathic medicine in modern hospitals and in traditional hospitals; and hybrids of both forms of medicine have been developed.
In the United States there are approximately 50,000 board certified Acupuncturists by the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or NCCAOM National Board in more than 40 states in the Union. In the 21st Century the practice of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the United States is predominantly in the form of private clinics, but some hospitals including the federal veterans’ hospital are slowly integrating the practice.
The foundational canon of Chinese medicine is that, for the body to function unencumbered, its systems must be harmoniously working in their entirety; because a deviation from that, would disrupt Qi and illness ensue. This is of course homeostasis that the intelligent body is nevertheless designed to keep, but when at times it is off balance and cannot recover to its perfect state, Chinese medicine helps the body to do its job, with natural methods, namely, movement of Qi with acupuncture and herbal remedies, specific dietary prescriptions, physical activity, conscious living and mindful reasoning. This is a gentle balance of Yin & Yang.
Although the teaching of Chinese medicine in schools is now somewhat standardized; just like in ancient times, today the way individuals practice Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is still largely influenced by their teachers’ perspective, and this is particularly true in the formulation of herbal remedies, given the properties of the herbs and their synergistic reaction in conjunction with other herbs, where different formulations would have similar therapeutic effects on the same pattern of illness. After years of practice and research however, some practitioners realize new perspectives in this awesome medicine and form their own opinions and parameters to attain success in treatment of imbalances.
Chinese medicine evolved over-time and to date it continues its long development. The origin of the medicine is part factual and part mythical, as are all things in Chinese ethos. Its foundation is attributed to Shennong or Divine Farmer and Huang Di or the Yellow Emperor (huang in Chinese means 
yellow) even though they lived in different eras, for the traditional Chinese person, while it may not make consecutive sense, it is nonetheless acceptable, hence Chinese ethos.
SHENNONG was a legendary ruler of China and culture hero reputed to have lived during the time of Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, some 3,000 to 5,000 years ago. He is said to have taught the ancient Chinese not only their practices of agriculture, but also the use of medicinal plants, and to have identified hundreds of herbs by tasting them to gauge their medicinal values or poisonous effects. He is said to have discovered green tea as an antidote for some seventy poisonous herbs by boiling it in water. Shennong is said to be the Father of Chinese medicine. A well-recognized literary work attributed to Shennong is Shennong Bencao Jin The Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic. It is considered to be the earliest Chinese pharmacopoeia and includes 365 medicinals derived from minerals, plants and animals.[1]
HUANG DI or the Yellow Emperor, as legend has it, was a Chinese sovereign and culture hero, included among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he reigned from c.2696–2598 BC. His reign became prominent in the late Warring States and early Han period, when he was portrayed as the originator of the centralized state, a patron of esoteric arts, a cosmic ruler, and a lord of the underworld. He is attributed along with Shennong the foundation of Chinese medicine. The Huang Di Nei Jing or Yellow Emperor of Internal Classic is composed of two parts: the Suwen The Book of Plain Questions, and the Lingshu The Spiritual Pivot. The compendium contains the anatomy and physiology of the human body and is the foundation for Chinese medicine and acupuncture. The Suwen talks about Chinese medical reasoning and internal medicine, and the Lingshu talks poetically about the art of acupuncture.[2]
BIAN QUE, c.407-310 BC Cangzhou, China. Bian Que was the earliest Chinese physician on record to have established Chinese medicine diagnostic procedures. His name was actually Bian Qiao, but due to his great medical skills the people gave him the same name as the legendary doctor Bian Que, from the time of Huang Di. An old sage handed over some herbs and a book with all his medical secrets to Bian Qiao if he would vow not to divulge to others. Bian Qiao was to take the herbs in a special liquid for 30 days and he would then be able to understand all the secrets of nature. Immediately after giving his instructions, the sage vanished. Bian Qiao followed the instructions carefully, and at the end of the 30 days he discovered that he not only understood the secrets of nature but also could see through the human body. He kept this ability to himself and publicly derived his information about the patient’s inner workings by carefully attending to the pulse. He is ascribed the writing of Bian Que Neijing Internal Classic of Bian Que.
HUA TUO, c.145B.C. to 208 AD, was an ancient Chinese physician during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is recorded as the first physician in China to have used general anesthesia to perform surgery. He combined wine with an herbal concoction called “mafeisan” which is cannabis boiling-powder. Hua Tuo had also great abilities in acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine. He was the first to develop an exercise system for his patients called “wuqinxi” which means “exercise of the five animals” from studying the movements of the tiger, deer, bear, ape, and crane. These exercises were later employed by the Shaolin monks and incorporated into the martial arts of Kung-Fu.[3]
ZHANG ZHONGJING 150 AD– 219 AD, wrote the masterpiece Shānghán Zábìng Lùn Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases. Shortly after its publication, the book was lost during the wars that ravaged China during the period of the Three Kingdoms. Vestiges of the book were later collected and reorganized by other physicians, notably Wang Shuhe from the Jin Dynasty and various court physicians during the Song Dynasty, into two books, the Shang Han Lun “On Cold Damage,” which was mainly on a discourse on how to treat epidemic infectious diseases causing fevers prevalent during that era, and a highly influential doctrine Jinkui Yaolue “Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Coffer,” a compendium of various clinical experiences which was regarded as a main discourse on internal diseases.[4]
SUN SIMIAO was born in the 6th Century (c.540 AD to 682 AD) at the beginning of the short-lived Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD), wrote two books Beiji Qian Jin Yao Fang “Essential Formulas for Emergencies Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold” and Qian Jin Yi Fang “Supplement to the Formulas of a Thousand Gold Worth” – that were both milestones in the history of Chinese medicine, summarizing pre Tang Dynasty medicine. The former listed about 5300 medicinal formulas, and the latter 2000. He also put forth the “Thirteen measures to keep health”, which claimed that actions like touching hair, rolling eyes, walking, and shaking heads improved health. Sun Simiao was a Chinese physician and writer of the Sui and Tang dynasty. He was titled as China’s King of Medicine for his significant contributions to Chinese medicine. Sun Simiao is one of the most, if not the most, interesting figures in the history of Chinese medicine. It is not too difficult to support this judgment, even though biographical details of this Tang physician are only fragmentary. In his lifetime, Sun Simiao was a famous clinician and alchemist; to posterity, he left voluminous formularies that have been influential until the present. [5]
LI SHIZHEN 1518-1593, was one of the greatest Chinese herbalists and acupuncturists in Chinese history. His major contribution to medicine was his 27-year work, which is found in his epic book the Bencao Gangmu “Compendium of Materia Medica,” which described 1,892 drugs and presented directions for preparing some 11,000 prescriptions. Completed in 1578, the book was in part a compilation of other smaller works of the same kind. It contained descriptions of 1,094 herbs and 444 animal and 275 mineral substances. Li described such seemingly modern processes as distillation and the uses of mercury, ephedrine, chaulmoogra oil, iodine, and even smallpox inoculation. A revised edition of the work published in the 1600s contained more than 1,100 illustrations. He is also considered to be the greatest naturalist of China and was very interested in the proper classification of herbal components.[6]
CHINESE DYNASTIES
BCE= Before Christian era (same as BC); CE= Christian era
Xia Dynasty ─ 21st – 16th c. BCE
Shang Dynasty ─ 16th – 11th c. BCE
Zhou Dynasties
Western Zhou Dynasty ─ 11th c. BCE – 771 BCE
Eastern Zhou Dynasty ─ 770 – 256 BCE
Spring & Autumn period ─ 770 – 476 BCE
Warring States ─ 475 – 221 BCE
Qin Dynasty ─ 221 – 207 BCE
Han Dynasties
Western Han ─ 206 BCE – 24 CE
Eastern Han ─ 25 – 220 CE
Three Kingdoms
Wei ─ 220 – 265 CE
Shu Han ─ 221 – 263 CE
Wu ─ 222 – 280 CE
Western Jin Dynasty ─ 265 – 316 CE
Eastern Jin Dynasty ─ 317 – 420 CE
Northern and Southern Dynasties
Southern Dynasties
Song ─ 420 – 479 CE
Qi ─ 479 – 502 CE
Liang ─ 502 – 557 CE
Chen ─ 557 – 589 CE
Northern Dynasties
Northern Wei ─ 386 – 534 CE
Eastern Wei ─ 534 – 550 CE
Northern Qi ─ 550 – 577 CE
Western Wei ─ 535 – 556 CE
Northern Zhou ─ 557 – 581 CE
Sui Dynasty ─ 581 – 618 CE
Tang Dynasty ─ 618 – 907 CE
Five Dynasties
Later Liang ─ 907 – 923 CE
Later Tang ─ 923 – 936 CE
Later Jin ─ 936 – 946 CE
Later Han ─ 947 – 950 CE
Later Zhou ─ 951 – 960 CE
Song Dynasties
Northern Song ─ 960 – 1127 CE
Southern Song ─ 1127 – 1279 CE
Liao Dynasty ─ 916 – 1125 CE
Jin Dynasty ─ 1115 – 1234 CE
Yuan Dynasty ─ 1271 – 1368 CE
Ming Dynasty ─ 1368 – 1644 CE
Qing Dynasty ─ 1644 – 1911 CE
Republic of China ─ 1912 – 1949 CE
People’s Republic of China ─ 1949 CE
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REFERENCES
[1] Christie, Anthony (1968). Chinese Mythology. Feltham: Hamlyn Publishing.
[2] Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian Chapter 1, “Basic Annals of the Five Emperors” Retrieved from iFeng.com on 05/27/2012 (English)
[3]De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). p. 332.
[4] Shāng Hán Lùn: On Cold Damage, Translation & Commentaries. Craig Mitchell, Féng Yè and Nigel Wiseman 1999, p. 2
[5] Sun Simiao: Author of the Earliest Chinese Encyclopedia for Clinical Practice. Subhuti Dharmananda.
[6] Dharmananda, Subhuti. “Li Shizhen: Scholar Worthy of Emulation.” Institute for Traditional Medicine. Institute for Traditional Medicine. 25 Apr. 2006
Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine
无极 WUJI
The State of Non-Duality
無極 In the Taijitu or Traditional Daoist Diagram, Wuji is represented by an empty circle. Wuji is a vast state of emptiness, of nothingness, an emptiness full of stars, and of greatest emptiness beyond the stars. An emptiness with the sequential and reverberating sound of ONG, ONG, ONG…that disappears into the sudden sound of forever silence; so silent that it resonates like a remaining echo of the sound of BOOM! Wuji is the absence of polarities, of cause and effect. Wuji is the Field, a state of non-duality. In the beginning was Wuji, from where the sleeper arose and initiated the formation of Yin & Yang that gave birth to the ten thousand things. Yin & Yang are but a minute cleave of Wuji which is awesome, boundless, and refers to the unmanifest aspect of the Dao. Wuji is the ‘primordial universe’ prior to the ‘ultimate’ Taiji 太極.
Wuji: The Unmanifest Aspect of the Dao [1]
The Chinese character for Wuji is composed of two radicals: Wu and Ji. “Wu” includes the meanings: without, no, none, non. “Ji” includes the meanings: limits, extreme, end, ultimate, extreme boundary. Wuji can then be translated as infinite, unlimited, boundless, or limitless.
Wuji & Taiji – What’s the Difference?
Wuji can be contrasted with and is often confused with, Taiji. While Wuji points to Tao-in-stillness (which is nondual), Taiji refers to Tao-in-motion. Taiji represents the spark of movement ─the emergence, oscillation or vibratory modulation which allows the defined “something” of manifestation to be born of the infinite “no-thing” of Wuji.
Wuji exists prior to all sets of opposites (before all yin-yang polarizations), including the opposition between movement and quiescence. As Isabelle Robinet points out in the following passage from The Encyclopedia Of Taoism:
“The Taiji is the One that contains Yin & Yang, or the Three … This “Three” is, in Taoist terms, the One (Yang) plus the Two (Yin), or the Three that gives life to all beings (Daode Jing 42), the One that virtually contains the multiplicity. Thus, the Wuji is a limitless void, whereas the Taiji is a limit in the sense that it is the beginning and the end of the world, a turning point. The Wuji is the mechanism of both movement and quiescence; it is situated before the differentiation between movement and quiescence, metaphorically located in the space-time between the kun 坤, or pure Yin, and fu 復, the return of the Yang. In other terms, while the Taoists state that Taiji is metaphysically preceded by Wuji, which is the Dao, the Neo-Confucians says that the Taiji is the Dao.”
The Heart of Taoist Cosmology
The heart of Taoist cosmology, then, is the cycling between Tao-in-stillness and Tao-in-movement: between the unmanifest Wuji and the manifest Taiji, with its dance of yin and yang. Polarized phenomena unfold from Wuji and then return to it, via the mechanism of Taiji.
An important thing to keep in mind is that the manifest and unmanifest aspects of Tao are valued equally — neither is accorded privileged status. The return of phenomena to Wuji, to the unmanifest, can be understood as being something akin to getting a good night’s sleep. It is wonderful and nourishing, but to say that sleep is the “ultimate goal” or “final destination” of your waking-life would not be quite right.
For a Taoist practitioner, the point is not to reject the phenomena of the world, but rather to understand them deeply, see them clearly, and embrace them with utmost intimacy. The benefit of Taoist practice is that it facilitates a more-or-less continuous communion with the inherent power of Wuji, throughout all phases of the cycle, in the presence as well as the absence of phenomena.
Wuji, No Limits, and The Uncarved Block
In verse 28 of the Daodejing, Laozi references Wuji, which here is translated (by Jonathan Star) as “No Limits.”
Hold your male side with your female side
Hold your bright side with your dull side
Hold your high side with your low side
Then you will be able to hold the whole world
When the opposing forces unite within
there comes a power abundant in its giving
and unerring in its effect
Flowing through everything
It returns one to the First Breath
Guiding everything
It returns one to No Limits
Embracing everything
It returns one to the Uncarved Block
When the block is divided
it becomes something useful
and leaders can rule with just a few pieces
But the Sage holds the Block complete
holding all things within himself
he preserves the Great Unity
which cannot be ruled or divided.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________REFERENCE
[1] Reninger, Elizabeth. “The Meaning of Wuji (Wu Chi), the Unmanifest Aspect of the Tao.” Learn Religions, Feb. 11, 2020, learnreligions.com/wuji-wu-chi-3183136.
氣 Qi
The Coalescence of Qi as Human Being
Akin to Life Energy, Qi is the fundamental stuff of the universe. The origins of Life Energy and Qi are unknown. The origins of both are tied to cultural creation theories. The Daoist creation theory is presented as statements of fact: “From nothing came Something; from Yin & Yang came the Five Elements; from the Five Elements came the Ten Thousand Things.”
Neither Qi nor Life Energy can be destroyed, only changed in their forms. Everything is composed of Qi: our bodies, the earth, water, sound, light. The Nei Jing – The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (c.500B.C.) says “There is no place where Qi is not.”
The Daoist philosopher Wang Chong wrote in 50 A.D. that “Qi produces the human body just as water becomes ice. As water freezes into ice so Qi concretes to form the human body. When ice melts it returns to water. When people die they return to Qi.” Zhang Zai, a contemporary of Wang Chong, expressed an almost identical version of this concept with this postulation “Birth is a condensation of Qi; death is a dispersal.”
Qi flows through the body in conduits called jing luo, meaning channels or meridians. There are fourteen main channels and the acupuncture points are dispersed along these channels. Twelve of these channels connect to a yin or yang organ from which each derive their name; the other two are a yang channel called Du that originates in the abdomen, emerges at the perineum and runs up the spine; and a yin channel that runs up the front of the body. Du and Ren meet at the perineum and at Yinqiao DU-28 around the mouth.
THE FUNCTIONS OF QI
Qi has six main functions:
To Produce Motion: both within the body and to move the body.
To Transform: SP Qi transforms foods, KD Qi transforms fluids.
To Transport: SP Qi transports nutrients to the muscles, LU Qi transports fluids to the skin to moisten it.
To Warm: Yang Qi warms the body.
To Protect: Wei Qi protects from external pathogens.
To Contain: SP Qi contains the blood in the vessels, KD Qi contains fluids in the bladder.
There are about twenty types of Qi that circulate within humans. The sum of all these types is called Zhen Qi meaning Upright Qi or Righteous Qi.
When we have the proper amount of Upright Qi and it flows smoothly we have health.
阴阳 Yin & Yang Theory
Yin & Yang are two complementary principles of Chinese philosophy, in which Yin is negative, dark, closed, night, rest, earth, right, west, and feminine; and Yang is positive, light, open, day, activity, heaven, left, east, and masculine. Yin & Yang interaction throughout all of life maintains the harmony of the universe and influences everything within it. Chinese medicine employs Yin & Yang theory to understand the intricacies of the body.
The more we study the human body from the Chinese and Western medical perspectives, the more it becomes apparent that the body is seen by both in the same way but project their observations differently. Western medicine labels “homeostasis” that which Chinese medicine calls “Yin & Yang harmony.” Western medicine posits that “imbalance in homeostasis will cause disease,” while Chinese medicine postulates that from Yin & Yang imbalance, or stagnation of Qi illness will eventually ensue.
The notion of Yin & Yang, along with that of Qi is intrinsic in the Chinese culture, in their thought, and in their very being. It is in the Chinese ethos. It is completely counter to the Western thought, Western logic, and Western understanding of the world around us.
Chinese thought, although still immersed in the duality of cause and effect; in its actual functioning, it simultaneously offers a glimpse into the world of non-duality where ‘false’ is not necessarily the opposite of ‘truth’ but the absence of it. In Chinese medicine, within the spectrum, there is health or not so much; while Western medicine is strictly based on the pair of opposites, health as the opposite of illness.
Yin & Yang as opposites by appearance, are nonetheless complementary to each other. They cannot stand alone or exist without the other and can be only measured by the existence of the other. The best way to conceptualize this in Western thought is to realize that there is no point in the spectrum where cold ends and heat begins. Yin turns into Yang, and Yang into Yin and the moment of change is not clear. Yin is the matter, the tangible, the thinker, while Yang is the ethereal, the intangible, and the thought.
In medical application, all physiological processes, signs and symptoms can be reduced to the state of Yin or Yang. Therefore, the resolution of ailments can be condensed into tonifying or sedating Yin or Yang.
In what it pertains to the structure of the body, every part of it has a predominant Yin or predominant Yang characteristic, but it bears to underscore that the Yin & Yang aspects are relative, because the abdomen is Yang in relation to the genitals ─because it is above it, but it is Yin in relation to the head ─because it is below it. The feet are Yang in relation to the earth they walk on, but they are utmost Yin in relation to the body they carry around. The head is Yang in relation to the body it commands, but it is Yin in relation to the heavens above. Body and Blood are Yin, Soul and Qi are Yang.
In Chinese medicine, the unity of the body is based on the opposing and complementary aspects of Yin & Yang. The viscera & bowels and tissues of the body are classified according to Yin & Yang theory based of their location and function. From the navel up, the body is Yang; and from the navel down it is Yin. The front of the body is Yin, and the back is Yang. In saggital cut, the right is Yin and the left is Yang ─because the emperor always faces south, and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Moreover, the interior is Yin, while the exterior, Yang. The solid organs─viscera, are Yin, while the hollow─bowels, are Yang. The body itself is Yin, while being alive is Yang; therefore, when Yin and Yang separate, Yin stays on the earth and Yang soars to the heavens; which in Western ethos it is death.
Zhang ─solid organs (Yin): Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney, Liver.
Fu ─hollow organs (Yang): Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, Bladder, Gall Bladder, SanJiao.
Extraordinary organs
Solid (Yin): Brain, Bone Marrow.
Hollow (Yang): Uterus, Bones, Vessels.
五行 Wu Xiang Five-Element Theory
The first reference to the Five-Element theory appears in the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty 475-221 B.C., while the Yin & Yang theory dates earlier back to the Western Zhou Dynasty in the 11th century-771 B.C.[1]
The Chinese concept of the Five-Elements is one of the basis of Chinese medicine along with the theory of Yin & Yang, the notion of Qi, and the Meridian system. The ancient Chinese masters observed that Qi can be divided into five manifestations of life energy from the simplest to the most complex, known as mineral, plant, animal, human, and the Dao; whereas each form draws from the energy of the former in the infinite space called the Wuji ─unbounded awareness. The Five-Elements are represented by the natures of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and water.
The energetic vibration of the mineral is the slowest, between 0~20 kHz. The disintegration of the atomical particles of the mineral combined with the elements of air and water forms the soil of the earth. Every single disintegrated particle in the soil retains the primordial energy of the mineral which interacts with divine energy. The next higher vibrational form of energy is the energetic field of the plant, between 20~300 kHz. All the vegetation in the earth absorbs the energy of the minerals in the earth multiplying its vibrational value; thus, the energetic field of the plant is an evolutionary step towards the energy of the Dao.
In lockstep with evolution then, the energetic field of the animal would be the next logical evolutionary step toward the Dao. The animal consumes the plants and absorbs its energy, multiplying thus its energetic potential. Each higher frequency of vibration brings with it an increase in consciousness and level of awareness. Through its power of reasoning, the human animal is the next higher level of vibrational octave. Taxonomically then, homo sapiens is situated between heaven and earth engaging in both fields of energy through diet, movement, prayer, meditation, and contemplation; and in this way multiplying its energetic potential towards the Dao. In the context of evolution, the human is homo spiritus.
The Divine energetic field is the highest expression of energy with the utmost vibrational octave and therefore invisible. This energy becomes gradually more prevalent in the human nervous system through the practice of purposed breathing, meditation and guided movement and postures as it grows more refined over time allowing homo spiritus to be realized and attain divine consciousness. The circle is then complete, for all the above energetic fields. Minerals, plants, animals, homo sapiens, and homo spiritus originate from one source as they strive to return to the same.
The Five-Element theory and its application to medicine marked the beginning of what could be called scientific observation in the sense that the healers no longer looked at the supernatural cause of disease, but observed instead nature with a combination of the inductive and deductive method and set out to find patterns in the interpretation of disease.
Table of Wu Xiang Five-Elements and their Relationship with Nature and the Body
“That which soaks and descends (Water) is salty;
That which blazes upwards (Fire) is bitter;
That which can be bent and straightened (Wood) is sour;
That which can be molded and become hard (Metal) is pungent;
That which permits sowing and reaping (Earth) is sweet.”
| COMPONENTS | WOOD | FIRE | EARTH | METAL | WATER |
| Orientation | East | South | Middle | West | North |
| Season | Spring | Summer | Late Summer | Autumn | Winter |
| Climate | Wind | Summer Heat | Dampness | Dryness | Cold |
| Cultivation | Germinate | Grow | Transform | Reap | Store |
| Yin Organ | Liver | Heart | Spleen | Lung | Kidney |
| Yang Organ | Gall Bladder | Small Intestine | Stomach | Large Intestine | Bladder |
| Orifice | Eye | Tongue | Mouth | Nose | Ear |
| Tissues | Tendons | Vessels | Muscles | Skin & Hair | Bones |
| Emotions | Anger | Joy | Pensiveness | Grief | Fear |
| Color | Blue/Green | Red | Yellow | White | Black |
| Taste | Sour | Bitter | Sweet | Pungent | Salty |
| Voice | Shout | Laugh | Sing | Cry | Groan |
The elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, water, nature, and the human body exist in an organized relationship between them. On the chart above, the vertical characteristics belong to the heading element and the horizontal reading across belong to the components.
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REFERENCES
[1] Deadman
[2] Maciocia 1989 (p.17)
經絡The Meridian System
Chinese Meridians or Jing Luo have two components that are the basic structure of the meridian system. In the Huang Di Nei Jing ─The Yellow Emperor Classic of Internal Medicine, we find that Jing meridians act as the interior or vertical meridians; and Luo are the meridians that branch off horizontally from the vertical Jing. Jing and Luo mean “link or connecting network bound closely together to form channels.”
Meridians have no anatomical channel structure, but they are a channel system that carry and distribute Qi and blood. The meridian system developed over thousands of years of trial and error by the Chinese experimenting with the behavior of the needle inserted into the skin and the results of the insertion. Acupuncture points are distributed throughout the length of each meridian.
Meridians transport the essential substances throughout the body, i.e. Qi, blood, and body fluids. There are 365 acupuncture points in the body, and due to their function in the balance of Yin & Yang they were ascribed over millennia their belonging to a particular meridian.
There are 12 principal and 8 extraordinary meridians. The 12 principal meridians are called by the name of the Yin or Yang organ they influence the most, plus the pericardium. Yin organs are solid, while Yang organs are hollow. The Yin organs are: Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys; and the Yang organs, Gallbladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Urinary Bladder.
The eight extraordinary meridians or vessels are pathways of Qi that run deep within the body and supply the 12 regular meridians with Qi and blood. They have no direct connections to the organ system, and except for the pairing of DU MAI and REN MAI, they share points with the 12 regular meridians.
Qi Jing Ba Mai: The Chinese words for the eight extraordinary meridians describe their character most succinctly. Qi is an energy that is likened to a flash of enlightened understanding. Jing penetrates our ancestral roots and makes up our DNA matrix; it is the precious essence of life. Ba means eight and Mai symbolizes the movement in the meridians.
Ren Mai or Conception Vessel: The master point for the Ren meridian is LU7, which is coupled with KD6, on the YIN QIAO MAI channel. The Ren or Conception Vessel relates to responsibility for, or fostering of, the process of birth, whether it be that of a child, a creative idea, or an endeavor.
The Ren receives and transports Qi of all the yin meridians, and therefore regulates the uterus, menstruation, menopause, pregnancy, etc. Since the master point is on the Lung channel, it is associated with respiratory syndromes, e.g., childhood asthma.
The pairing of REN MAI and YIN QIAO MAI, with its attendant LU/KD relationship, energetically affects the lungs, chest, and throat, and is very useful in a clinical situation, especially in addressing breathing imbalances
Du Mai or Governing Vessel: The master point of the Du Mai is SI3; this meridian governs the Qi of all the yang meridians. It is coupled with the YANG QIAO MAI, whose master point is UB62. This meridian pair is effective in treating stiffness in the shoulder, neck and back, and regulating the inner canthus of the eye. When this coupling of meridians (SI3-UB62) is utilized in treatment, the entire spine is addressed. It also nourishes the brain and treats dizziness and tinnitus. On an energetic level, the Du relates to transformational cycles, survival issues, and being grounded in the world. Spiritually, issues of becoming upright and independent, as well as risk-taking.
Chong Mai or Penetrating Vessel: The master point of the Chong is SP4, which is combined with PC6 on the YIN WEI MAI channel. This pair affects the heart, chest and stomach. It regulates the flow of Qi and blood in the 12 regular meridians, and is significant in gynecological disorders, digestive issues, prolapses, and problems with the heart. Energetically, it relates to intergenerational patterns, issues arising from abuse, and cellular memory. Spiritually, an imbalance in the Chong meridian negatively impacts our self-acceptance and self-love.
Dai Mai or Belt Meridian: The master point of the DAI MAI is GB41, paired with SJ5 on YIN WEI MAI. This combination impacts the retro auricular area, the cheek, and the outer canthus of the eye. Energetic issues involving the Dai Mai, can manifest in a person as overwhelming frustration, indecision or low self-esteem. Spiritually, this meridian is a repository for unexpressed emotions and psychological complexes that require transformation. The repression of these shadow aspects of the personality may give rise to dampness of body/mind/spirit.
Qiao or Heel Vessels: The QIAO vessels originate on the inside/outside of the heel, add agility to the body, and govern motion, especially that of the lower limbs.
Yang Qiao Mai: The YANG QIAO MAI is paired with the DU MAI; syndromes include a sensation of walking on a slant, excessive thinking, and a generalized feeling of being overwhelmed and out-of-control. Conditions such as insomnia, epilepsy, facial paralysis, and Bell’s palsy (related to wind in the face) are related to this channel.
Yin Qiao Mai: This channel is paired with REN MAI; with energetic imbalances in this meridian, manifestations include left/right imbalance, inversion of the foot, pain in the eyes, and somnolence. Spiritually, there are issues of self-trust, abandonment, depression, and feelings of unworthiness.
Wei Mai or Linking Vessels: The YIN and YANG WEI MAI function as connecting or networking vessels. They also help to maintain Yin & Yang balance in the body. Because of this, they relate to the transitions involved in the aging process, and the accompanying transformation of Yin or Yang energies.
Yang Wei Mai: The opening point of YANG WEI MAI is SJ5, which is coupled with GB41 on the Dai Mai or girdle vessel. This combination dominates the exterior of the body and is relevant in conditions of chills and fever. Energetically, it regulates our old habits and patterns, and the release of these pre-established modes of behavior that prevent us from evolving. Spiritually, since the YANG WEI MAI represents the last stage of defense before the body is penetrated by an invading pathogen, this meridian can be used to treat issues determined by Western medicine as terminal illnesses.
Yin Wei Mai: YIN WEI MAI is paired with the CHONG MAI. This combination permits energetic access to Neiguan PC6, the inner gate to the self. Spiritually, this vessel is concerned with the meaning that we derive from life and helps us to respond to life with clarity and compassion.
Among the 8 Extraordinary vessels, DU MAI and REN MAI are considered the most important, for they contain their own acupuncture points independent of the 12 main meridians.[1]
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[1]Peter Deadman & Mazin Al-Khafaji with Kevin Baker. A Manual of Acupuncture. Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications. 2007.
诊断 Diagnostic Method
Visual Examination, Inquiry, Listening & Smelling, Palpation
Inquiry/Visual Examination, Listening & Smelling: At the time of the first visit the patient would have completed the medical history Form. At this time the doctor will take a complete face to face history of the patient which includes personal aspects of life, sleeping and daily habits, family relationships, environmental exposure as well as foods eaten, prescription or over the counter drugs taken, which might play a role in their illness. She will proceed to systematically inquire about the functioning of the body, and other personal questions that may seem irrelevant, but within a full history each answer gives the practitioner possible causes for the presenting complaint. At subsequent visits, the doctor will start by inquiring about the patient’s immediate complaint, its onset and duration. The first visit lasts the longest, approximately 1½ to 2 hours; subsequent visits would last between 45 minutes and 1¼ hours.
Inquiry/Feeling the Pulse: According to TCM, the pulse is the palace of blood; it is governed by the Heart and commanded by the Qi. Whatever causes disease, abnormalities, or pathological changes, can be reflected in the pulse. Pulse-taking helps in judging the location and nature of disease, and the prosperity or decline of Qi, to infer the prognosis of imbalance and to form the basis for treatment. The common location for pulse taking is above the wrist where the radial artery throbs at the styloid processes of both wrists: the first three fingers are pressed on the artery, on the regions called, from distal to proximal, CUN, GUAN and CHI. There are various descriptions concerning the relationship between these three regions and their corresponding organs.
Inquiry/Examination of the Tongue : Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in TCM examination. It includes observing the tongue and any coating it may have. In ancient times it was established that different parts of the tongue correspond to different internal organs. The tongue body refers to the muscular tissue of the tongue, and the tongue coating refers to the level of moss over the tongue surface. If the patient is used to scraping the tongue upon brushing the teeth, it makes no difference for the diagnosis, given that the coating of the tongue is continuous, and the morning or afternoon scraping will simply get rid of accumulation of moss, which makes no difference at the time of the inspection of it.
Palpation: Enables the doctor to ascertain the location, nature, and state of an imbalance by touching, sensing the body temperature, pushing and pressing certain regions of the patient’s body, including the skin and muscles, chest, abdomen, palm of hands, soles of feet, lower and upper back, and the specific location of pain indicated by the patient. The internal mechanisms of the body are mutually connected; therefore, a painful or uncomfortable area of one part of the body upon pressure can be a reflection of a different location of imbalance. Acupuncture points are specific locations where Qi of different internal organs meet. Upon pressure and abnormal sensation in these specific points, could reflect the disease of an organ.
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-Article by Dr. Osorio, Gloria, DAOM, L.Ac.─2009.
