Tag: ThePrinciplesOfTCM

45. The Principles of Oriental Medicine : Yin and Yang 4

4. The Wane and Wax of Yin and Yang (陰陽消長) — Yin Deficiency Syndrome The concept of “wane and wax of yin and yang” (陰陽消長) means that yin and yang in nature are not static but constantly move and change. The alternation of cold and heat through the seasons, the longest day during the summer…
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46. The Principles of Oriental Medicine : Yin and Yang 5

5. Wane and Wax of Yin and Yang (陰陽消長): Yang Deficiency Syndrome (陽虛證) Yang deficiency syndrome (陽虛證), or a deficiency in Yang, refers to symptoms that occur when the body’s internal fire energy weakens, leading to reduced metabolic activity. One may feel fatigued upon waking and have a persistent desire to lie down. Frequent diarrhea…
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47. The Principles of Oriental Medicine : Regulating Qi, Healing the Spirit

The foundational principle of acupuncture in the Huangdi Neijing is summarized in a single phrase: Regulate the Qi, treat the Spirit (調氣治神). The idea is that by harmonizing the flow of Qi, one can heal the Shen, or spirit. The Chinese character for Qi (氣) includes the character for rice (米), which implies directional flow…
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48. The Principles of Oriental Medicine : The Great Physician Must Have Sincere Devotion

Sun Simiao (孫思邈), a renowned physician of the Sui and Tang dynasties in China, refused repeated imperial summons and instead lived in seclusion, dedicating his life to treating patients and leaving behind many great medical writings. Among them, the chapter Dà Yī Jīng Chéng (大醫精誠), meaning “The Great Physician Must Have Sincere Devotion,” is regarded…
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49. The Principle of Oriental Medicine: If the Upright Qi Resides Within, Pathogens Cannot Invade

Even when two people eat the same food at the same restaurant, one might suffer from food poisoning while the other experiences no symptoms at all. This illustrates that although external factors are important in the onset of disease, the internal state of one’s body is even more critical. In Oriental medicine, this concept is…
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50. The Principles of Oriental Medicine : Tranquility and Emptiness

In Oriental medicine, the highest level of mental and physical cultivation is called Tranquility and Emptiness (恬淡虛無). This concept is discussed in the first chapter of the Huangdi Neijing, “Discourse on the Highest Truth.” “When one lets go of desires, attachments disappear, the mind becomes deeply calm and peaceful, and the body is filled with its…
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