Chinese Theory & Philosphy
What is Qi and how does it flow?
Our bodies are constructed out of numerous interconnected networks. The most fundamental of these is the skeleton, on top of this comes the muscles, then the arteries and veins and finally the complex lymphatic and nervous systems. Chinese medicine adds one more network to these, and that is the channels of Qi that provide the energy required by all the others to function. This Qi is said to ‘flow like water’ and this gives us some idea of where the acupuncture points are likely to arise. If you imagine the way in which water flows in a river, certain physical obstructions will cause it to back up or form eddies. This is also true of Qi, therefore, most acupuncture points can be found where bones flare out or join, or where two bones form a physical obstacle similar to a dam.
The Chinese understanding of health
In trying to understand the workings of the human body, the Chinese took a very different approach to those in the West. Instead of dissecting bodies to understand their intricate detail, they instead looked at the big picture portrayed by nature. The Chinese had already developed a sophisticated philosophy on the working of the natural world and they extended this to their understanding of health. Thus, the theory runs: this is how nature works and as we are all part of nature, this must also be how we work…
The Chinese definition of health
One of the great things about acupuncture is that it is designed to be preventative as well as curative. This is because of the way health in viewed in Chinese medicine. In the west we are use to being ‘healthy’ until some point when we step over some invisible line and become ‘ill’. This can lead to some very frustrating situations when we ‘know’ there’s something not quite right but according to all the medical tests, we are perfectly well. In Chinese medicine this does not happen because health and wellness is measured on a continuum, with perfect health at one end and seriously unhealthy at the other. Also, because acupuncture in holistic, all conditions and symptoms are assessed at the the same time, allowing the interactions and links between conditions to become apparent and explainable.
Autumn in Chinese Medicine
In Chinese Medicine autumn is associated with the element of metal or gold. Each of the five elements has various affiliations; they are linked to organs, emotions and medical conditions.
The emotion of metal is grief and loss
Along with this is an understanding that each one of us contains the characteristics of metal. For some it will be the element that defines their lives. It will explain their greatest strengths along with their greatest weaknesses.
