Why does a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner probe into liver health during episodes of painful menstruation? Or consider the condition of the heart in cases of bladder inflammation?
How do we know that asthmatic individuals tend to wake up between 3 and 5 in the morning? What is the connection between ears and kidneys? And why do we start to snore after a night of alcohol consumption?
Each of these questions
carries significant relevance and can lead to the formation of diagnoses and the planning of supportive therapeutic strategies.
To comprehend Chinese medicine, it’s crucial to delve into its core concepts: yin and yang, the theory of the five elements, and the Qi energy moving through the body’s meridian system. In contrast with Western medicinal approaches, where the human body is seen as an aggregate of cells, tissues, muscles, bones, and organs – essentially, the domains of anatomy and physiology along with biochemical processes. If these structures operate within accepted norms, we classify such a state as health. The Chinese model, however, treats the body as an energy system, involving an interplay of both material and immaterial substances – qi, jing, xue (blood), jin-ye (body fluids), and shen.
Yin Yang Theory:
The concept of yin-yang was first documented in the ancient divination text Yijing, dating back to the 11th century BC. This concept emerged from observing nature and recognizing the constant presence of opposing pairs. These pairs are dependent yet contradictory. Without day, there’s no night; without cold, no warmth; without summer, no winter; without peaks, no valleys. Everything remains in dynamic interplay geared towards change, where one element gives rise to another. Only transitional phases exist, in which one element always gravitates towards another. In every individual, the principle of yin and yang, light and dark, operates.
Yin literally means “the dark side of the mountain”. It symbolizes the Moon, winter, night, cold, tranquility, darkness, femininity, and inner latent capabilities.
Yang, on the other hand, means “the bright side of the mountain”. It symbolizes the Sun, day, summer, warmth, activity, masculinity, outwardness, and expression.
“If Yin and Yang are not harmonized, vital strength and energy diminish.” – Nei Jing Ling Shu
If a dynamic balance exists between the two poles, this indicates health. Disruption of this balance signifies illness. The aim of Traditional Chinese Medicine is always to balance the aspects of yin and yang within the body. For example, fever is interpreted as an excess of yang – lowering the temperature allows a return to balance – the body becomes more yin again. When fever is accompanied by chills, it signifies an excess of yin. In this case, warmth helps generate yang. Dominance of yang can occur due to an excess (plenitude) of yang or a deficiency (void) of yin. Similarly, dominance of yin can happen due to an excess (void) of yin or a deficiency (plenitude) of yang.
Agnieszka Antkowiak – a chemical engineer and a natural therapist
