1A Introduction to the Basic Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Dietetics
1 Yin and Yang
The basic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are rooted in the Daoist philosophy of yin and yang. These two polar opposites organize and explain the ongoing process of natural change and transformation in the universe.
According to ancient lore, yang marks the sunny side and yin the shady side of a hill. In the theory of yin and yang, all things and phenomena of the cosmos contain these two complementary aspects. The traditional Daoist symbol for completeness and harmony is the merging monad of yin and yang.
The standard of TCM, the Huang Di Nei Jing, "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine," dates as far back as 500 to 300 BC. This 18-volume classic work has two parts, Ling Shu and Su Wen. The Su Wen explains the theoretical foundations of TCM in the form of a dialogue between the legendary Yellow Emperor Huan Di and his personal physician Shi Po. The Ling Shu, the practical part of the Nei Jing, reports on therapies and their uses in TCM: acupuncture, moxibustion, nutritional therapy, and the use of medicinal herbs.
TCM is rooted in the Daoist worldview employed by physicians and philosophers for centuries as a guide for viewing and interpreting natural phenomena.
Dao means harmony-destination-way, the "all-in-one," the origin of the world. The teachings of Dao are based on the work Dao de Jing (Daodejing, Tao te Ching), "The Book of the Way and of Virtue," by the famous Chinese scholar Laozi (Lao Tse) (600 BC).
Fig. 1.1 Monad.
In Nature
Yin
Yang
Moon
Sun
Shadow/night
Light/day
Dark
Light
Passive
Active
Water
Fire
Down
Up
Structure
Function
Right
Left
Cold
Hot
Plant-based foods
Animal-based foods
Heaven
Earth
Autumn, winter
Spring, summer
Relative stasis
Evident motion
Heavy
Light
In People
Yin
Yang
Woman
Man
Receptive
Creative
Stomach, front
Back, rear
From waist down
From waist up
Body interior
Body surface
Right
Left
Viscera (storage organs) zang (heart)
Bowels (hollow organs) fu (stomach)
Organ structure
Organ function
Blood, body fluids
Qi, life energy
Bones/organs/sinews
Skin/muscles/body hair
Viscera
Bowels
Gu qi (drum qi)
Defense qi (wei qi)
Controlling vessel (ren mai)
Governing vessel (du mai)
In Diagnostics
Yin
Yang
Quiet voice
Loud voice
Talks little
Talks a lot
Pale face
Red face
Shivering, sensation of cold
Warm, sensation of heat
Likes warmth
Likes cold
Slow, reticent movements
Fast, strong movements
Passive, insidious onset of illness
Active, acute onset of illness
Chronic illness
Acute illness
Urine: clear, frequent
Urine: dark, concentrated
Tongue: pale, white fur
Tongue: red, yellow fur
Pulse: slow, weak
Pulse: rapid, replete
In Diagnostics and Therapy
Yin
Yang
Vacuity, interior, cold symptoms
Repletion, exterior, heat symptoms
Inadequate circulation
Blood repletion
Hypofunction (underfunction)
Hyperfunction (overfunction)
Flaccid muscles
Tense muscles
Depression disorders
States of agitation
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Dull pain
Sharp pain
Cool
Warm
Beta-blockers
Caffeine
Cool packs
Fango (hot packs)
Pulse: slow, deep, rough, vacuous, fine
Pulse: rapid, floating, slippery, replete, large, surging
In Chinese Nutrition
Yin
Yang
Tropical fruit
Meat
Dairy products
Acrid spices
Seaweed
Shrimp
Orange juice
Coffee
Peppermint tea
Fennel tea
Wheat
Oats
Soy sauce
Tabasco
Wheat beer
Anise schnapps
Steamed foods
Grilled foods
Fig. 1.2 The Chinese character qi.
Guided by the Daoist perspective, "natural scientists" took the findings of these observations of nature and applied them to humans. They regarded the human being as a natural being, a part of nature, subject to and dependent on nature's processes.
The main principle of Dao is represented by the two polarities yin and yang, which, according to Daoist belief, mirror all phenomena in the universe. The Chinese character for qi is formed by two elements. One element means "air," "breath," "steam"; the other element means "rice," "grains." This character illustrates how something can be both immaterial and material, in accordance with the Daoist principle of yin and yang.
The energy field between the poles of yin and yang gives rise to the universal primal force qi. According to ancient Chinese belief, vital qi (sheng qi)-or life force-is the primary source of all living processes in the cosmos.
The concept and meaning of qi is only partially translatable into Western languages. Hindus and Yogis use the term "prana" to reflect similar ideas about all-permeating life energy. The ancient Greek term "pneuma" describes a similar concept. Coursing vital qi, as an energetic unit, is an essential element in the various treatment modalities of TCM, such as acupuncture, moxibustion, dietetics, medicinal herb therapy, and qi gong.
Imbalances of qi can take the form of vacuity or repletion. The term "vacuity" comes from the Chinese "xu" (vacuous, empty, lacking, weak). Its opposite is "repletion," which comes from the Chinese "shi." Vacuity...
