Spiritual, Mental and Emotional Aspects of TCM
and why Tai Chi and Qi Gong are Important in the Wellbeing of these three
aspects of our being
By Wally Simpson. WTBA representative of Queensland,
Australia.
“ Cogito ergo sum” I think therefore I am. This was recorded
in 1637, a statement of Rene Descartes. This single dualistic statement
set the scene for future development of the division between body and
mind that was wholeheartedly embraced by Western Medicine. East Asian
Medicine saw no such division. The spiritual, mental and emotional states
that are studied in TCM are not seen as different to Physical diseases
of the body (organs, muscular skeletal systems or Channels and Collateral),
they are part and parcel of them.
Qi rooting in the Fu / Hara(1) is fundamental to East Asian Logic. Incorrect
interaction of Qi, Jing(2), and Shen(3) in the Hara is the beginnings
of problems in all non-physical areas of human life (spiritual, mental
and emotional). Thus counter-flow of Qi is a pathology of profound clinical
importance in TCM. If there is Xu(4) below in the Lower Jiao(5), the root
of the body is not nourished enough: Qi can’t Root it’s self
and becomes entrapped and Shi(6) above (in the Upper Jiao): this disturbs
the Yin (organs) function of storing and regulating Jing, Shen, Hun(7),
Po(8), Yi(9), and Zhi(10): thus creating a disturbance of the spiritual,
mental and emotional aspects of life.
These disturbances are not emotional problems. As the condition of counter-flow
Qi is established into a lasting pattern, spiritual, emotional and mental
states are disturbed. Often Energy Blocks form in the body, especially
in the diaphragm. If the diaphragm is over tense or rigid it restricts
the flow towards correct balance. This is not a physical problem, this
is counter-flow Qi. Breathing into the Abdomen as in Qigong, TaiChiChuan
or some types of Yogic breathing, is the single most powerful tool that
we can use to correct this imbalance. This type of breathing dose not
cure mental disease or a blocked diaphragm, it just helps fix counter-flow
Qi and therefore begins the process towards normalcy for the individual.
It is important here to just be aware of the breath in the DanTien rather
than trying to control or force it, this may take time if the region has
been blocked for awhile. Adequate circulation among the various Energy
centres of the body is essential to dynamic homeostasis(11). This is implied
in the Pulse diagnosis of the Su Wen where it states that: Palpitation
of the deep levels reveals the condition of the Energy Centres and the
diaphragm. Thus the astute Doctor can treat problems before they arise.
In the Lin Shu , the Yellow Emperor asked:
When we study the technique of needle insertion, the basic (primary) part
is always the Shen. The Xue the Jing Luo, the Ying, the Qi and the Shen
are all stored in the 5 Yin (organs). Excessive dissoluteness will cause
them to leave the organs. This means one will lose the Jing, the Hun and
the Po will jump up (become unsettled), the Zhi and the Yi will become
unclear. Intelligence will leave the body. What causes this? Is it a punishment
from Heaven or a mistake by the person. What are De, Qi, Zhi, Jing, Shen,
Hun, Po and Yi.” (LS 8;84,85)
Qi Bo answered:
The Heaven is De, the Earth in one is Qi. The De streams down and the
Qi reaches up to it, subsequently there is Life. Thus, the coming of Life
is called Jing. Both Jing beat (meet) together, this is called Shen. Following
Shen, going and returning, this is Hun. Paralleling Jing, going-out and
coming-in, this is called Po. (LS 8;85)
The 2 Jing beating together becoming Shen refers to the physical expression
of male and female Jing (sperm & ovum) that unite during conception.
On the last 2 lines the Tai Su comments:
Hun is a different Ling (spirit) of Shen, therefore it follows Shen going
and returning. It is stored in the Gan (Liver) and is called Hun. Po is
also a different Ling of Shen, it parallels Jing, going out and coming
in, it is called Po. (TS 70-71) Po or Animal Spirit is said to reside
in the Fei [Lungs] , it returns to the Earth from whence it came on Death.
The Xie Lin of the late Qing dynasty says:
The Gan stores the Hun. The Hun is the Jing of Yang, the Ling of Qi. The
Qi of the person is Yang, the Xue (Blood) is Yin. The Gan controls the
Xue and inside it is the Yang Qi (Blood warms the body parts and Warmth
is Yang, Qi leads the Blood through the vessels [provides the energy to
circulate blood] ), this is called the Hun. (On) researching the root
of Hun (we can say that) it is created at the one of Yang of Shui (Water)
. (Thus) we can infer that the actions of the Hun begin at and are the
basic (fundamental) coming and going of Jin (Metal). (The Ling Shu says)
the Hun follows the Shen coming and going; this is Ling’s manifestation
in the senses. The Fei stores the Po, the Po is the Jing of Yin, the Ling
of Form (The spirit of Form, it arises from the Earth and returns to the
Earth). The Gan controls the Xue , basically it is Yin and stores the
Yang Hun (Yang Spirit), the Yang is hidden in the Yin (Without the blood
[a Yin substance] flow, Warmth and nourishment [Yang functions] could
not animate the body). The Fei controls the Qi , basically it is Yang
and stores the Yin Po ; Yin is created in the Yang (Qi from digestion
and inhalation join in the Lungs and are distributed to the various body
parts and organs to create function [Yang], part of this function is the
creation of structures such as body parts and organs [yin]). After Labour,
the ears, eyes, Xin (heart / mind), the hands and the feet move, the baby’s
cries are the voice, all are the Ling of Po. (The Ling Shu says) that
which parallels the Jing and comes out and goes in is the Po.
Jing, Shen and Qi are general terms referring to various forms of Energy
and Energic function. Jing (Vital Energies) the Kinetic processes intimately
involved in Life itself. Said to be the energic precursor of matter. Shen
is a more rarefied form of energy (most pure or most vital). It is a functionally
activating energy. Qi is energy almost in the sense of modern quantum
physics. It is in everything, both animate and inanimate. It is enveloped
in and composes all things and all processes. It is the kinetic aspect
of matter, the functional quality of phenomena. Hun is like the Christian
idea of soul except it reincarnates from being to being, rather than belonging
to a specific being for all time. It comes from and returns to heaven,
entering the body at conception and departing at death. Po is like the
Hun except it is more material, coming from Earth and returning to Earth.
Ling is a general term, similar to Shen. It too is a more spiritual energy,
even more strongly associated with the energy of Heaven than Shen. De
is more a state of being, developed through self cultivation yet bestowed
on us by Heaven; (it is often translated as Virtue or Power) and is seen
as part of character or personality. As healers [and isn’t healing
ourselves and others the best reason for doing TaiChi] it is something
we should cultivate to become good practitioners.
No single quotation of these elemental concepts is enough to allow us
to grasp all the qualities implied by them, completely. We can gain something
of a feeling from the ideas presented. The Quote from the Lin Shu, for
example speaks of the De steaming down from Heaven to meet with the Qi
that is reaching up to it. This is echoed by the Su Wen discussion of
the idea of Ming that comes down from Heaven to create the living being.
In the Wang Bing commentary on this passage, from the Su Wen (25:158),
the Ling Shu idea of De and Qi is footnoted as an explanation of the idea
of Ming.
The concepts of most concern here are Zhi, Yi and Xin. Xin is both Heart
and Mind, it is not possible to say that the classical Chinese scholars
or practitioners made an explicit distinction between the Heart and Mind,
or, depending on context, they understood implicit differences between
them. It is possible that for them the Heart and Mind were inextricably
linked, thought of one necessarily involved some reference to the other.
The Ling Shu states: The controller of the body is Xin. The unexpressed
thoughts (of the mind) are called Yi (ideas). The place where ideas exist
is Zhi (the will) (LS8:85)
Ideas and will are seen in direct relationship to the Mind, Xin.
The Shou Wen Jin Zi says of Yi: The Yi is the same as the Zhi, will.
The character Yi is composed of 2 basic parts, “verbally expressed
thoughts” and Heart / Mind. The Yi itself seems to refer to putting
the mind into the verbally expressed thoughts. Thus we get the common
translation of Thoughts / Ideas.
The character for Zhi which means Will, breaks down into a foot and Heart
/ Mind. The mind controls the feet to bring about movement and ultimately
action. The ability to instigate actions with what we call Will is expressive
of the Minds fixes purpose.
The Yi relate to the intention that we express with words or sounds.
Zhi is the actions that express the mind, the verbal expression of the
mind. The Ling Shu concept is thus more simply seen as an expression of
the interrelation of the mind and ideas, that manifest through both thought
and action.
Energetic and medical implications are also found in the Ling Shu:
Zhi and Yi are therefore the controller (harmoniser) of Jing and Shen,
the secure place of the Hun and Po, the regulator of the temperature.
They harmonise joy and anger. When the will and ideas are harmonised,
the Jing and Shen become straight (fluid). The Hun and Po don’t
disperse. One doesn’t become too regretful or too angry. The 5 Yin
organs don’t accept evil Qi.
Problems of too much or not enough, too weak or too strong of will, can
be a precursor of serious consequences. This particular passage is very
important to remember when examining the concepts of counter-flow Qi in
detail.
Now this whole rave came out of a question about needle technique from
the Ling Shu. The important aspect of needle technique is the Shen. This
is a clue to how to approach our patients and what states of mind we can
work best with.
The Zhen Jiu Da Cheng from 1601AD, discusses a Shen needle technique
that reflects the Ling Shu discussion:
The Shen needle, 8 techniques: In the mind of the physician there should
be no desires, only a receptive and accepting attitude, then the mind
can become Shen. The mind of the physician and the mind of the patient
should be level, in harmony, following the movement of the needle. First
focus on protecting the needle. Place the tip of the needle in the mouth
to keep it warm. With the left hand rub the point where the needle is
to be inserted. When rubbing, be very attentive and careful, as if holding
a Tiger by the tail. With the right hand, insert and rotate the needle,
but with no power. Do not be tense, keep the hand relaxed.
Now we can’t put needles in our mouths today, but we can be sure
that we don’t use cold needles so as to avoid disturbing the patient
with a cold bit of steel. The physician’s attitude is most important!!
Both the physician and the patient need to remain calm and emotionally
detached. Our emotions, mental and attitudinal states can create barriers
between us on the spiritual, mental and physical levels. So as well as
touch and technique to protect the patients vital energies, the spirit
of the physician is equally important.
The Ling Shu in the same chapter as the discourse on needle technique
states:
The Gan stores the Xue. The Xue stores the Hun. When Gan Qi becomes Xu
the emotions are fear. When Gan Qi is Shi, anger and irritability result.
The Xin stores the vessels. The vessels store the Shen. When Xin Qi is
Xu, grief results. When Xin Qi is Shi, there is laughter that never stops.
The Pi stores the Ying. The Ying stores the Yi (ideas). When Pi Qi is
Xu , the 4 limbs lose there normal motion and the 5 Yin organs become
insecure. When Pi Qi is Shi, the body becomes swollen and urine and menses
lose their smoothness. The Fei stores the Qi, the Qi stores the Po. When
Fei Qi becomes Xu, shortness of breath will develop. When Fei Qi is Shi
, panting, a feeling of fullness and discomfort in the chest and difficulty
breathing will develop. The Shen (Kidney) stores the Jing, the Jing stores
the Zhi. When the Shen Qi is Xu , it means counter-flow. When the Shen
Qi become Shi, there will be swelling and the 5 Yin organs become insecure.
Pay attention to the form of the disease of the 5 Yin organs, the Xu and
Shi of the Qi, and then carefully control this.
The Tai Su states that swelling from Pi Qi Shi is a swollen abdomen,
while swelling from Shen (Kid) Shi is oedema.
So if Sp Qi is Xu or Kid Qi Shi there is insecurity of the 5 Yin organs
and thus mental, emotional disharmony can easily follow.
The function of the Xin (Ht) are synonymous or at least similar to Shen.
Problems of the Xin ultimately are problems of Shen or at least the Xin
capacity to store Shen. When Shen is impaired in any way, it is harder
to Rx the person. This is why some practitioners see the Xin as incapable
of being diseased or as being the root of it’s own disease. Problems
of the Xin come from other sources, other organs or Mai.
The relationships of emotional and mental states and disease are not
simplistic. The mechanisms are not linear causes and effects, they are
simultaneous occurrences. Energetic and emotional problems are bidirectional.
Yin organs become imbalanced resulting in emotional manifestations which
in turn lead to further energetic disharmony. Emotional disharmony can
lead to organ imbalance. It’s not that one causes the other, though
we tend to see it that way. There is only one energetic pattern and it
manifests in both arenas.
Back to counter-flow Qi: the most common type is Shi in the upper jiao
that causes Xu below (in the lower Jiao). Many of the symptoms associated
with this condition are mental, emotional stuff (why?) Mental or emotional
states can create counter-flow Qi.
The Su Wen has this to say on the nature of counter-flow Qi:
To diagnose the beginning of disease, there are the principles of the
5 decisions. To know the beginning of the disease, first find the mother
(origin). The 5 decisions are the 5 vessels. If there is headache and
epilepsy, this is Xu below and Shi above. The disease is in the leg Shao
Yin (kid) and Tai Yang . If the disease gets worse it comes into the Kidneys.
If there is vertigo, a loss of the sense of a centre of gravity, if the
eyes are unclear and there is hardness of hearing, this is Shi below and
Xu above. The disease is in leg Shao Yang (Gb) and Jue Yin (Liv). If the
disease becomes serious it goes to the Liver.
If the abdomen is swollen and tense, if the diaphragm and lower edges
of the sides of the ribs feel stagnant, this is counter-flow. This passes
through at leg Tai Yin (Sp) and Yang Ming (St).
If there is panting, coughing and rising Qi (Forced harsh exhalation),
the counter-flow is inside the chest. The disease is in arm Yang Ming
(Co) and Tai Yin (Lu).
If there is (physical and or mental) suffering of the Heart and headache,
the disease is in the diaphragm. The disease is at arm Tai Yang (Si) and
Shao Yin (Ht).
(SU Wen 10:73,74).
There are 5 types of counter-flow Qi according to the 5 pairs of Yin
/ Yang related Meridians. In the above passage, the 3rd and 5th paragraphs
are directly related to the diaphragm. All are referenced in the context
of seeking the origin of disease and finding the precursors of morbidity
before more serious symptomatic expression arises. Yin Wei Mai can be
diagnosed by palpating the subcostal area in the upper abdomen and checking
for tension. Yin Wei Mai, master Pt Pc 6 (Neiguan), has connections with
the Heart and so can have potent effects on mental / emotional states.
“In side the chest” is a category that relates many energic,
mental and emotional states. Kidney, Pericardium, Gallbladder, Pericardium
Luo and the Chong Mai, all pass through to the inside of the chest. The
inside of the chest comprises of the “Upper Qihai” where Zong
Qi is stored.
Pulse diagnosis of the Su Wen subtly reflects the discussion of the various
forms of counter-flow Qi: the left inch / distal pulse superficially reflects
the Heart, deeper it reflects Renzhong (Ren 17). At the left bar / medial
position, the surface reflects the Liver while the deeper level reflects
the diaphragm. At the left foot / proximal position, the superficial is
the Kidney while the deeper pulse is seen as reflecting the inside abdomen
(most probable the energic centres known as Qihai and Dantian rather than
the general area). In the right inch / distal pulse the Lungs are reflected
at the superficial level and the deeper level reflects the inside of the
chest. The right superficial bar / medial pulse is Stomach while the deeper
level is Spleen. The right superficial foot / proximal position reflects
the Kidney and the deeper level the inside the abdomen.
Except for the right medial pulse, all the deep levels reflect generals
or a specific location rather than an organ.
In clinic practice certain areas of the body are commonly found to be
reactive when patients have mental or emotional problems. Included in
these areas are, on the sternum around Renzhong Ren 17, on the spine between
T2 and T10, on the Du Mai around Du 20 Baihui, on the lower abdomen around
Ren 6 Qihai and Ren 4 Guanyuan (Dantian). The regions on the body are
seen to be reactive because of Shi above, while Qihai - Dantian is often
found to be Xu. This sets up a pattern for counter-flow Qi.
In the Su Wen, different emotional states were seen to relate to different
Qi manifestations:
The Yellow Emperor asked, “I have heard that all diseases are created
by Qi. Anger causes the Qi to rise; with Joy the Qi becomes loose or moderate;
Grief causes the Qi to Disappear; with Fear the Qi descends; Cold shrinks
the Qi; with Heat the Qi leaks; Fright causes the Qi to be disordered;
Tiredness causes the Qi to wilts; with Thinking the Qi knots (becomes
stagnant). These 9 Qi are not the same. What causes these diseases?”
Qi Bo answered, “With Anger the Qi becomes counter-flow; if it
gets worse, one will vomit blood and there will be diarrhoea with undigested
food. Therefore the Qi is rising up. In Joy the Qi becomes harmonised
and the will becomes stronger. The Ying and the Wei are able to flow through,
therefore the Qi is loose or moderate. With Grief the supporter of the
Heart becomes tense; the Lungs become swollen and Xu, the upper Jiao dose
not pass through, the Ying and Wei cannot disperse. There is Hot Qi in
it, therefore the Qi disappears. With Fear then the Jing returns; the
Upper Jiao closes, then the Jing circles and returns. Upon circling or
returning the Lower Jiao becomes swollen. Therefore the Qi doesn’t
move. With Cold the skin tissues close, the Qi doesn’t move; therefore
it contracts. With Heat the skin tissues open, the Yin and Wei pass through,
there is great sweating. Therefore the Qi leaks. With Fright the Heart
cannot perform its regal tasks. The Shen cannot return. The thoughts and
the consciousness are not stable; therefore, the Qi becomes disordered.
With Tiredness there is panting and sweating, the inside and outside are
overcome; therefore the Qi wilts. With Thoughts the Xin (Mind / Heart)
has a focal point. The Shen has a place of return (focus); the correct
Qi becomes stagnant and doesn’t move; therefore the Qi becomes Yu.
The “supporters of the Heart” is a series of blood vessels
coming out of the Heart - the aorta, vena cava, pulmonary arteries and
veins. Grief was seen to create tension at this location and to affect
the Lungs. Perhaps this can explain why Xu Heart Qi or Shen can result
in grief.
Fear causes the ascending Jing from the Kidneys and Dantien to return.
This in turn causes the Upper Jiao to close; perhaps the diaphragm becomes
blocked. As the upper jiao closes, the Qi in the Lower Jiao becomes stuck
and circles in the lower jiao. This might be referring to the ascension
of breath on exhalation as well as to the ascension of Qi from Qihai Dantien
that causes the Yu Qi in the Lower Jiao.
Fright or shock disturbs the Heart resulting in its inability to store
the Shen which in turn creates instability in mental states and disordered
Qi. With Tiredness or Fatigue, the outside is overcome by the sweating
and the inside by the panting. The character translated as thoughts, is
Si, another very interesting character similar to Zhi and Yi. It refers
more to the interior thoughts that are neither verbally or actively expressed.
The Shuo Wen Jie Zi says of Si: “Thought is capacity, it is the
expressed words of the brain-mind ” That is Si refers more to the
mental process that results from interaction of the mind with the brain,
what we call mental activity. We can distinguish between Zhi, Yi and Si
thus: Yi refers to verbally expressed thoughts. Zhi refers to actively
expressed thoughts. Si refers to thoughts that manifest in the process
of interaction between the mind and the brain. All these terms describe
facets of the mind, functional properties. How these functions work together,
in and out of harmony, has a variety of influences on overall health.
Yi and Zhi, when balanced, harmonise the Jing and Shen, secure the Hun
and Po, regulate the temperature, and prevent excessive emotions such
as regret and anger. Si, thought, carries a slightly different connotation.
While Yi and Zhi help regulate and harmonise, Si by its very nature tends
to cause problems. Mental thought, Si, is a focal point of the mind, representing
a place for the Shen to return to and coalesce, causing Yu of the correct
Qi and so Yu of Qi in general. It is not clear if this is true of all
thoughts, but it is a startling idea. Too much meditation causes Yu Qi!!!
Maybe this part of the reason for the saying “thinking with the
Hara”.
Mental emotional states are both the results of energic imbalances in
the body as well as the cause of these imbalances. It is possible to see
many of these disorders as a parallel to counter-flow Qi. The Qi is not
rooted at its source; it is too actively engaged elsewhere in the body,
resulting problems in the organs and Jing Luo, and manifesting as mental
and emotional problems. Treating the individual as they develop tightness,
tension or pressure pain at specific reflective areas found by palpation
is very advantageous to ones well being. This will address underlying
problems prior to the manifestation of mental, emotional symptoms and
or the physical correlates.
So, some see mental problems as coming from a Xu of Dantian. Dantians
function is to store the Jing and Shen, if it is Xu then the Jing and
Shen are not well retained. If the Yi and the Zhi harmonise and balance
the Jing and Shen, it could follow that imbalanced thinking ( which may
cause or result from Disharmony of Yi and Zhi), might also cause dispersion
of Jing and Shen. The Yi is stored by the Spleen and the Zhi by the Kidney
so disharmonies of the Spleen and Kidney might be the root of this problem.
That Dantian shows Xu in mental emotional problems correlates to its palpatory
description as the area on the abdomen where the Spleen and Kidney reflex
overlap. So is Dantians ability to store the Jing and Shen related to
mental and emotional stability and the balance of the Spleen and Kidney?
There is certainly some underlying and resulting Xu in the emotional disorders
I have seen. The Su Wen indicates that very commonly, the 5 emotions are
seen to cause Xu of the corresponding Yin organs by injuring Shang, the
Yin organs. This is usually described as something that weakens function:
Anger injures the Liver, Joy injures the Heart, Depression injures the
Lungs, Fear / shock injures the Kidney, Thinking injures the Spleen.
Here the Emotions injure the Organ. This could be that expressing the
emotion too much, not enough (or possible even at all), can weaken the
organ. One cause of emotional expression can be a weakness of the organs.
Its like a vicious circle, spiralling back upon itself. It is useful to
remember that the Chinese almost never distinguished mind, energy, emotion
and body. These are viewed as a continuum. Considering how cyclical the
psyche-soma relationship is in Chinese thought, we might conclude that
dwelling mentally or emotionally on an element of the psyche that has
caused the problems makes little sense at all. The “cure”
might cause the “problem”. With this in mind, using the emotional
mental correspondences of East Asian Medicine to show our patients cause
and effect for mental / emotional problems, which seems to be an outcome
of the cross-culture journey of this amazing system, might present as
many problems than it solves. The very act of focusing on mental or emotional
states is a logic that presumes a dualistic framework. Looking for an
underlying emotional trauma requires the assumption that the emotion really
is distinct from the body and its symptoms. For TCM practitioners this
is to approach the problem backwards, since the dualism is neither seen
or acceptable. The underlying trauma and the symptoms are but two ends
of the same stick. There is no need to recall or emphasise the trauma
as the symptoms are quite obviously doing so all ready.
So because of the interdependent relationships between mental, emotional,
energetic and physiological function, there is no need to focus on the
emotional or mental state more than to perceive these as more input for
the diagnostic process. In the Japanese tradition, if the practitioner
were to hear a statement like “he’s got a Psychological problem”,
what would immediately come to mind would be the tightness of the patient’s
neck, shoulders and back. How the structure was imbalanced would be the
focus of exploration and rebalancing the structure would begin the process
back towards what we perceive as some type of normalcy.
Any organism, whether “diseased” or “healthy”,
manifests a continuous adaptation to changing internal and external environments.
The pathologies seen in East Asian Medicine are adaptive responses to
either internally or externally generated pressures on the organism. No
distinction need be made between mental, emotive, energetic or bodily
sources of adaptive stress. Each is a stress on the individual’s
condition to which we must adapt or suffer from some degradation of capacity.
The homeostatic mechanism works at all levels, from the biochemical to
the energetic. That we label some states as disease or pathology dose
not make them any less adaptive. So if pathology is the result of the
body’s adaptive responses to environmental pressure, the individual
will display natural homeostatic responses and it’s likely if these
responses are desirable for them, they will not seek a cure as there is
no perceived need to change the condition. For some the adaptation will
be undesirable or proceeding too fast / slow or not acceptable to those
around them, and they will seek help at some individually and culturally
determined threshold of pain, discomfort or a perceived departure from
an ideal norm. These we help with their adaptive process via needles,
herbs, Taijiquan, Yoga or any of the many other forms of intervention
we have available and are familiar with. They are already in an adaptive,
homeostatic state and any disruption of that state, such as the insertion
of needles or the performance of a particular movement or group of movements,
can initiate a further adaptive response. Healing comes from influencing
the natural, adaptive process of Homeostasis.
1. Fu / Hara. The Abdomen is loosely called the Hara in Japan, and here
they are talking most often about the lower abdomen or Tan Tien region.
2. Jing. The finite amount of Qi that we gained when our parents Sperm
and Ovum combined. It resides in our Kidney and is used only for some
metabolic processes, procreation and in times of acute shortage of our
Post Heaven Qi (Qi from what we eat, drink, breath and absorb).
3. Shen. This is spirit and resides in the Heart, it is the Spark of
God or the Devine Intelligence that created us. Also seen as the consciousness.
The Heart is part of the Fire element and its emotion is Joy. While the
Heart is Yin , its Yang partner is the Small Intestine whose job is to
separate the pure from the impure, this includes physical, mental and
emotional aspects of our being. A fitting job for the partner of what
is seen as the Emperor of the body.
4. Xu. Deficiency or Emptiness
5. Jiao. The body is divided into 3 general areas in TCM. Upper, Middle
and Lower. These are referred to as Jiao or Heaters, hence the recognition
of a Channel called the 3 Heater or San Jiao (San, meaning 3)
6. Shi. Excess or Fullness
7. Hun. The Spirit essence that resides in the Liver is called the Hun,
it is said to be like the Soul. The Liver and Gall Bladder are seen as
the Yin / Yang organs of the element Wood and are viewed as Spring, a
period of growth and development. Liver is in charge of free flowing movement,
this includes physical, mental and emotional aspects of our being. Gall
Bladder is seen as the Decision maker and is perceived as that which also
makes the decision to be born. The emotion of the Liver is Anger or Action.
8. Po or Animal Spirit, resides in the Lungs and is perceived as that
which allows us to expand our boundaries. Lungs are the Yin of Metal,
the Yang aspect is the Large Intestine or Colon, it allows us to get rid
of waste material, physical, mental and emotional. We expand our boundaries
by letting go of waste and Breathing in Fresh Air. TCM says that the first
Breath brings with it the heavenly spirit. From birth onward, Metal energies
regulate release and renewal of the lighter finer energies that we associate
with the Air we breath and with Spirit, in contrast to the coarser, more
material energies of the food we eat which are processed by the Earth
energies. The emotion of Lungs is Grief.
9. Yi seen as the Intellect and it resides in the Spleen. It is the Centre
during our time in our bodies, this is largely where our sustenance for
daily activities is derived. It is the Yin part of the Earth element,
the Stomach is the Yang. Stomach is like a cooking pot into which food
and drink is placed, while the Spleen is like the Fire under the pot that
cooks the food and extracts the nutrient. The emotion of the Spleen is
Pensiveness or Thoughtfulness.
10. Zhi is will and it belongs to the Kidneys. Kidneys emotion is fear
and Kidney is the Yin of Water, the Yang is the Urinary Bladder. Kidney
energies are the inherited energies that unite past, present and future
and bind all three in the individual person to cosmic forces and the secrets
and mysteries of the Universe
11. Homeostasis. Equal input to output to maintain equilibrium.
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