PHILOSOPHY OFANCIENT CHINESE by student 209 FML Kosyakova

PHILOSOPHY OFANCIENT CHINESE by student 209 FML Kosyakova Lubov Kyiv 2011

Introduction: Highly evolved system of healing, developed 4, 000 years ago in China. Based on the concept that laws of nature can be used to understand the inner working of the human body. Earliest books on the foundation of TCM, originating as early as 1000 B. C.

EARLY ORIGINS The Chinese believe that the human body’s functions and processes are all interrelated any interaction with the external environment can possibly lead to “disharmony” and ultimately to diseases.

SHEN NUNG: FATHER OF CHINESE MEDICINE Imbalances in our bodies block the flow of the good energy (qi) traveling freely through. The goal of Traditional Medicine is then to bring the body into harmony and wellness again. Traditional Chinese Medicine can be traced to the necessity of eating to survive. During the food gathering and preparation, primitive societies found out that through trial and error, certain foods contained curative properties that could alleviate certain ailments. This method of trial and error was an early form of our “modern clinical trial”, to test the efficacy of certain medicines towards a possible treatment.

BASIC THEORY v. Yin Yang v. The five elements v. Zang fu v. The meridian System

YIN YANG Yin and Yang describe change. Yin and Yang refer to the sides of a mountain. In the morning, one side is in shade, the other in sunlight. Later in the day, the sides have reversed. Dark becomes light and light becomes dark. Nature is like this, forever changing, undulating. In time, Yang turns to Yin predictably becomes Yang. Change is certain, a basic law of nature you can count on, like gravity. Yang and Yin support one another as they oppose each other. There is always yin within yang and yang within yin. You simply can' t have one without the other. We see the body and its disharmonies in changing shades of Yin and Yang. This helps to understand where events come from and where they are going. This helps to understand the disease and the patient.

YIN YANG & HUMAN BODY v The human body is an organic whole. With this philosophy, each organ can be divided in Yin & Yang. v v The blood & body fluids, concrete, static= Yin The substances that make up the body (qi) invisible, active = Yang v It is a balanced state: one side is developing while the other is declining. v Concept of cells does not exist in Chinese Medicine. v

FIVE ELEMENTS: It is obvious that the organs are dependent on one another. The Five Elements is a theory that helps us to understand these relationships. According to this principle, there exist five elemental types. These elements are known as Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood. Each element relates to the other according to two cycles of influence. Disharmony in one element will thus create disharmony in others according to these cycles.

ZANG & FU ORGANS The organs are more than flesh and blood. They also perform tasks involving the qi. Since we are, in part, about energy (qi), we obviously must have ways of using or managing it. In TCM, we attribute the creation, storage and circulation of qi to some of the internal organs. Chinese medical theory groups the organs into pairs. The Yin organs - (the heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and liver) are called the Zang are considered the most important. They are structurally solid, and responsible for the creation and storage of qi and Blood. The Yang organs, (large intestine, small intestine, stomach, gall bladder, and urinary bladder) are called the Fu and are considered less important. They are hollow organs, responsible mainly for the transportation of food and for elimination. There is sixth pair of organs known as the Pericardium and Triple-Heater. These are conceptual organs. They have protective and energetic attributes, but no actual mass.

THE MERIDIAN SYSTEM Much of our qi energy flows along fourteen major channels and numerous minor channels. These flows influence the flow of all our fluids and energies. Each one of these flows passes through and influences an internal organ. Typically, these rivers of energy are named according to the internal organs, which they nourish. Thus we have the Liver Channel, Stomach Channel, Heart channel, etc. To the acupuncturist, these channels provide access to the internal organs. Most of the 500 or so acupuncture points lie on major channels. Acupuncture points are used to regulate flow along these channels. The most powerful points on these channels lie on the extremities - below the elbows and knees. Five powerful points on the extremity of each channel are known as the five Shu points. They are likened to the flow of water and named the source points, well points, stream points, river points, and sea points.

Distribution of the 14 meridians of the hand foot

TREATMENT: Chinese herbal medicine(中藥) Acupuncture and Moxibustion (針灸) Die-da or Tieh Ta (跌打) Chinese food therapy (食療) Tui na (推拿) - massage therapy Qigong (氣功) and related breathing and meditation exercise Physical exercise such as T'ai Ch'uan (太極拳) and other Chinese martial arts Mental health therapy such as Feng shui (風水) and Chinese astrology

Tui Na Hand Positions

Ancient Acupuncture: Nine needles

HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK? Acupuncture points are located throughout the body and act as gateways to influence, redirect, increase or decrease the vital “substance” of Qi, thus correcting imbalances that cause disease. Thin, solid, sterile, stainless steel acupuncture needles are inserted into acupuncture points to mobilize energy (Qi) flow and invigorate the proper function of muscles, nerves, vessels, glands and organs. Most patients do not feel the needles during treatment. Many western based research programs have been conducted towards understanding the mechanism of acupuncture with impressive results. Acupuncture is quickly becoming known as a very important healing modality or many diseases.

DIFFERENCE TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine consider that the heart stores the spirit & control mental activities. Throughout history, illness has been attributed to witchcraft, demons, adverse astral influence, or the will of gods. Observable natural laws of the universe and their implications for the practical characterization of humanity's place in the universe More concerned with function of organs Prevent character BETWEEN Western Philosophy The physical structures of the human body is emphasized. Composed of organic & inorganic substances which form proteins, cells, tissues…that makes up the whole body The brain stores the spirit & control mental activities. Treatment character

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