Dawit Healing

Chinese Medicine is an ancient, but powerful therapy that many don’t know much about. In this section, you can learn about much of the fundamental theories that Chinese Medicine is founded upon. Yin Yang Theory, Five Phases and Channel Meridian Theory are just some of the topics covered. Furthermore, Chinese Diagnostic techniques of Feeling, Looking, Listening and Smelling are in this section with an emphasis on Tongue and Pulse Diagnosis. Finally, you can learn about the tools of Chinese Medicine which include Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Cupping, Chinese Massage and Chinese Herbology.

Yin Yang Theory

One of the primary theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the Yin-Yang Theory. It is derived through observation of nature. Through the observation of nature, the ancients were able to take the macrocosm and apply it to the microcosm of the body. Natural phenomena is paired into opposites. Heaven and earth, sun and moon, night and day, winter and summer, male and female, up and down, in and out, dynamic and static are all examples of the two polar opposites of nature. Yin and Yang reside within each other and have a complimentary nature to them.

Each individual possesses a yin and yang quality to them on a microcosmic level. All of the body’s organs, tissues and body parts have a yin and yang aspect to them. The following principles are observable in the application of yin and yang:

1) Yin and Yang as the fundamental category of all phenomena

Ultimately all phenomena in nature is categorized by yin and yang. When applied to the human body, the front of the body is Yin and back is Yang. The six bowels are Yang and five viscera are Yin. Similarily, disease can be categorized as Yin and Yang. However, these are relative terms and the application of these terms must be used in a relative context.

2) Yin and Yang are divisible

Not only can we divide every phenomena into Yin Yang qualities, but once divided, that phenomena can be divided into yin and yang again. Ultimately, we can keep dividing every phenomena into Yin and Yang infinitely. With respect to Chinese Medicine, anatomy is yin and physiology is yang.

3) Yin and Yang are rooted in each other

Yin and Yang is not an exclusive quality. When we examine the Yin Yang Symbol, we can see that yin is within yang and yang is within yin. For example, generally speaking, women (yin) are more emotionally sensitive (yin) than men. However, we can come across a male (yang) with more sensitive qualities (yin) or a woman (yin) with more insensitive qualities (yang). This shows that there is nothing pure yang or pure yin.

4) Yin and Yang counterbalance each other

The nature of Yin and Yang is to balance one another. In the body, a deficit of one leads to an excess of the other and an excess of one leads to a deficit of the other. In either case, the inability of yin and yang to balance each other will cause disease. For example, a chronic inflammatory condition will cause excess heat in the body. Heat being Yang in nature neads to be balanced with cold because cold is Yin in Nature. We often times see this in Autoimmune Disorders.
5) Mutual convertibility of Yin and Yang

Yin converts into Yang and Yang converts into Yin. For example, Winter (Yin) will turn into Spring and Summer (Yang) and Summer (Yang) will turn into Fall and Winter (Yin). In Chinese Medicine, we may see cases when a disease first damages the Yin of the body. Autoimmune Disorders are examples of diseases that damage the Yin first. Excess heat in the body damages the Yin. Yin is the cooling and moisturizing aspect of the body. However, because Yin is rooted in Yang, prolonged Yin deficiency will lead to Yang deficiency. This is an example of Yin deficiency leading to Yang deficiency.

Five Phases

Beyond Yin and Yang lies the ever lying stillness from which all arises. From that stillness comes duality (yin and yang). Duality creates a here and there.  So we point A and point B and the space between point A and point B. So all of a sudden we go from nothing (or the one thing) to the trinity.  When we take this further into the Five Phases (Five Elements), we get a bigger picture of life cycles. We can see the Five Phases in the seasons. Spring brings forth life and energy. Summer is the climax of life and energy on the planet. As we approach Autumn, the leaves fall and change color. Things are beginning to descend. Finally, during winter the leaves have all fallen and there is little energy on the planet. So there is a birth, climax, descension, and ultimately death in the Five Phases. In Chinese Medicine, Wood represents birth, Fire represents a climax of energy, Metal represents descension, and Water represents death. So you must be asking where is the fifth phase? The fifth phase is what allows the other phases to occur. The image below will help you understand.

The Earth phase is what holds everything together and allows the other phases to move as needed through there cycles.

In Chinese Medicine, different organs correspond to the five phases. Liver is ascribed to Wood. Heart with Fire. Spleen with Earth. Lung with Metal. Kidney with Water. Deeper understanding of the characteristics of both Organs and the Five Phases will give a better understanding of these relationships.

Qi, Blood, Essence and Body Fluids

Channels & Meridians

Bowels & Viscera

Disease & Its Cause

Diagnostic Techniques

Tongue & Pulse Diagnosis

Acupuncture

Moxibustion

Cupping

Chinese Tuina Massage

Chinese Herbology

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