While ancient Chinese philosophy considered emotional sensibility as our greatest assest in the process of fulfilling human destiny, it also regarded human temperaments as our greatest liability due to vast pathogenetic potential…It is no accident that the modern Chinese term for psychosomatic medicine is xingshen bingxue, literally the science of how (primary) physical form and (secondary) spirit relate in the disease forming process…
TCM, as an integrative and comprehensive approach to creating harmony and balance physically, emotionally and mentally, is uniquely suited to address aspects of behavior problems in dogs and cats. This article will share some of the prescribing principles I have adhered to in benefiting my animal patients afflicted with behavioral issues…
Dong acupuncture theory maintains that it is unnecessary to needle along a specific meridian to affect its qi. Rather, in needling between channels, both meridians join forces in response to local stimulation. As such, points may be located along one of the twelve regular meridians, along the ren and du channels, or between any of these channels. The same theory applies to point selection along a channel; needling between acupoints will draw from the action of both surrounding points…
The Gǔang Wēnyì Lùn is a 17th century book discussing the clinical appearance of and treatment strategies for a variety of warm disease entities. The date of publication and even the authorship are uncertain though investigation of sources makes it seem likely it was published between 1675 and 1695 A.D. and the author was one Dài Tiān-zhāng..
During a 24 hour-period, qi circulates through the meridian system in such a way that it peaks in each meridian in 2-hours time increments, then moves on to peak the function of the next meridian. Throughout the diurnal cycle, taking 24 hours to complete one full cycle through the 12 meridians, when the qi is in a certain meridian we say that the meridian is at its energetic peak. This 2-hour peak period is called the horary period…
The colon and rectum constitute the distal end of the gastrointestinal tube. They are part of the fu aspect of the zang–fu. This hollow tube is within the body but its interior is actually outside of the body and acts as a conduit for the reception and extraction of nutrition from foods and water (outside). The lung and large intestine the only two organs in the body that have such an interaction between the outside and the inside…
The meridian system is an invitation to meditate on the nature of our lives in human form. The characters Jing Mai, as that system is called in Chinese, imply that. Jing is normally translated as a meridian, but it also means a sutra, or canonized classic as in Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor Inner Classic) or Xin Jing (Heart Sutra). The character implies an organized, systematized network, like the threads of silk…The character Mai means pulsation, or something that flows/pulsates in the body. We can say that the Jing Mai are the Sutra(s) on life’s pulsation, or life’s animation, and are thus an invitation to look deeply at life…
Yu Bo once said: “Fuzi has the capacity to bestow a fundamental quality of invigorating vitality, and an effect that can break through all engrained blockages. It can draw all qi tonic herbs deep into the twelve channel networks, and thus restore severely dissipated original yang. It can draw blood tonic herbs deep into the blood layer….
PCOS generally derives from a deficiency of Kidney Yang and Spleen Qi, in its inability to transform, transport and evaporate fluids in the lower burner. The accumulation of water in the pelvic cavity enlarges the ovaries, leading to phlegm damp and/or blood stagnation which manifests as abdominal masses. TCM seeks to readdress…
Although not frequently noted in the Chinese materia medica, there are a few herbs containing gluten that may be problematic for patients with food sensitivities, and especially for those with celiac sprue. People with soy or nut allergies may also be advised to avoid certain herbs. As herbalists, our prescriptions must take into account the degree to which an individual patient seeks to avoid exposure to a certain food…
The Taiwanese method of using granules is relatively distinct because whole formulas are commonly combined together. With a repertoire of over 400 compound formulas on the shelf, Taiwanese doctors build complex combinations that boggle the young student mind, yet there is nothing haphazard about the construction of a well-crafted Taiwanese style formula if one understands the approach…
The approach of this article is to examine the uses of Huang Qin as they developed over time from the uses and functions listed in the Shen Nong Ben Cao and implied in the works of Zhang Zhong Jing. Our method is to discuss each of the functions mentioned above and to explore how these root functions gave rise to branch uses. Lastly, we include a translation of a section of the Huang Qin entry…
