Eastern Medicine (part 1)

I studied Eastern Medicine in school and I found it very intriguing and fascinating. Like a drink of cold lemonade on a hot day, I couldn't get enough of this subject. A few days ago I let it be known that I had knowledge in this subject and it peeked the interest of a few. I said I would write a blog post about it so here you go. In order to understand this you need to throw out everything you learned about modern (Western as they call it) medicine. Once you have gained the perspective of eastern thinking you can merge the two for optimum holistic health. Just remember that Western Medicine is based on things we can see. Eastern Medicine is working with energy and things you can't see.

Eastern Medicine stems from thousands of years of observation of people in response to their environment. It is believed that a person is to live in accord with nature instead of nature adapting to them.  As well as environment, emotions & lifestyle contribute to health and disease.

You may have heard of Yin Yang or seen the below picture. Yin Yang is the maintaining of harmony within the body and the outside world. It is also the balancing of universal energy which is called Ki (or Qi you might have heard). Yin Yang establishes the diagnosis and treatment. The opposing qualities of Yin Yang are seen as complimentary. (I'll explain more of that later)

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In terms of your body Ki encompasses both material and non material components. Ki arises from the interaction of Yin and Yang. (this will make more sense in a minute I promise, just hang in there). All things are born from Ki. The body depends on blood, Ki, and other essential substances.  In terms of your body Ki has no physical structure and circulates within channels or meridians along the body (like little invisible highways or roads). Ki that materializes is considered blood and we know how blood is circulated with in our bodies. Once materialized it is no longer considered Ki. Though opposites, Ki and blood support and compliment each other. Ki is considered Yang, blood is considered Yin. Blood uses Ki to move, and Ki uses blood to nourish the organs. 

Your body naturally regulates to adjust to the environment. In sickness a mechanism breaks down and you see  the impact on the outside of your body. Moving Ki on the inside of your body by treating the outside is called an energetic relationship. Our inner organs are the centers for transformation of Ki. The distribution along the meridians helps in the organization of Ki. There are 12 meridians named after major organs.  

Yin Meridians

lung, spleen, heart, kidneys, liver, pericardium

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The Yin meridians flow in the front of the body towards the heavens. The Yin organs are considered to be the solid organs and are responsible for the transportation, storage and distribution of blood and Ki.

Yang Meridians

stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, gallbladder, triple burner 

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The Yang meridians flow in the back of the body towards the earth. The Yang organs are considered to be the hallow organs and are responsible for the processing of food and waste elimination.

Ok I'm getting tired so I will continue on with my next post....Night all!

UPDATE: To read part 2 click here

photos credits
* http://medicinalchineseherb.com
** http://tuberose.com
*** http://tuberose.com

The information in this post is based on The book of Shiatsu author Paul Lundberg

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