This is part three in a series taking a walk through Chinese medical theory. Chinese medical theory includes the overarching concepts of wholism and perpetualism (or constant change). Yin and yang within the universe experience a wholeness of being together that is subject to constant change in the forms of opposition, interdependence, mutual consumption, and intertransformation. These qualities and characteristics allow Chinese medicine practitioners to “bian zheng lun zhi” or “differentiate pattern, determine treatment.” Practitioners learn to differentiate patterns in order to apply theory, method, herbs/acupuncture, and dosages (“li fa fang yao”) so that the body can find physiological balance within nature and our role in the larger cosmos.
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As we sit here in the forest, I watch the daylight change and the shadows move across the hills, the sunlight and shadows interplay across the bold and intricate features of the landscape, I feel at peace with the universe knowing I am part of this great cosmic experience - witness to and part of the constant exchange of yin and yang: the patterns in nature of night and day, moon and sun, summer and winter, life and death and rebirth.
Perhaps you would like to gather some things to bring with you. We could hike through the wilderness discussing these topics.
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I want to ask you what happens when there is an imbalance of yin and yang? Think of this in nature and then think of this in the body. What if we have too much of one and too little of the other? The system is not balanced. If there is too little of something, there is a deficiency. If there is too much of something, there is an excess.
When considering the body, there can be deficiency of the normal building blocks of life, or “zheng-qi.” There can also be excess of pathogenic qi or “xie qi,” literally meaning “evil qi.” Zheng qi can be known as “all the good stuff.” It includes the organs and blood, muscles and bones, fascia and channels, cells and organelles. There can never be enough of this good stuff, but there can be a deficiency of it. Excess cannot apply here. This is anti-pathogenic qi. There can be deficiency of zheng qi and excess of xie qi.
There are four possible states of imbalance: yin deficiency, yang deficiency, yin excess, and yang excess. These are all pathological states creating imbalance in the body. Think of a line in your gas tank. Yin and yang want to reach up to the line, but not over it. If one is below the line, it is deficient. If one is above the line, it is excess.
Deficiency is called “xu” implying emptiness or vacuity. There can be yin deficiency and yang deficiency. In yin deficiency, there can be “deficiency heat.” Another way to say this is that there can be heat generated when there is not enough cooling, anchoring yin. With yang deficiency, there can be “deficiency cold.” Another way to say this is that there can be cold due to a deficiency of warming yang. In this scenario, yin and yang are both below the gas tank line.
Excess is called “shi” implying fullness or repletion. There can be yin excess or yang excess. When yin is in excess, there can be excess cold. When yang is in excess, there can be excess heat. In this scenario, yin and yang are both above the gas tank line.
When yin or yang are deficient, you tonify the deficiency. This is the idea of nourishment or supplementation of zheng qi. If there is an excess of yin or yang, Chinese medical practitioners reduce or remove the excess xie qi. This is the idea of getting rid of bad pathogenic influences.
The ideas of deficiency heat and cold or excess heat and cold are simple, but not easy. “Deficiency” and “excess” are adjectives describing types of heat or cold. When observing heat and cold signs in the body, it is always important to ask, ‘What kind of heat?’ or ‘What kind of cold?’ From where does the cold or heat arise? What condition in the body or in nature is generating them, producing them?
It could take our entire hike to discuss these principles, and in fact, we will continue these discussions. These ideas are the basis of all Chinese medicine pattern differentiation. It is important to fully digest and understand these ideas before moving any further.
There is a cabin up ahead underneath some large trees. Let’s unroll our sleeping bags and make some tea while we listen to the sounds of nature and sleep until morning.
~with grateful thanks to the Wise Old Owl,
my grandfather, who encouraged me to write,
because words are gold~
notes taken Sept 22, 2017
written Feb 18, 2022
-kelly a ilseman
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