February 21, 2009
Sometimes it’s difficult for us to understand the school of Chinese medicine because we generally view religion and science as being completely polarized. However, in traditional Chinese medicine, the mind, body and universe are all connected and disturbances in the body are seen as manifestations of imbalance. Maybe we’re not taking time out to meditate and relax, or we’re ingesting all sorts of toxins into the body, or perhaps we’ve had too much or too little change in our lives that sends our bodies out of harmony.
Ancient written texts such as, “A Treatise On Cold Damage,” and “Basic Questions of Internal Medicine” were written 3,000 years ago, and were the results of oral traditions that started 5,0000 years ago.” In the 1930s, the Nationalist government forbade doctors from practicing what was then called classic Chinese medicine because they feared missing out on scientific progress. However, thirty years later, Mao Zedong chose ten highly respected doctors to create a traditional but standardized practice called Traditional Chinese Medicine. Not only is TCM taught in all Chinese schools, but schools in England, Russia and the US are opening.
One of the basic principles of TMC is the Taoist idea of “Yin and Yang.The school of Chinese medicine uses the term to describe series of opposites; for example, dark and light, movement and stillness, hot and cold. Just like the changing of the seasons or the fading of day into night, the body goes through constant motion as well. The body naturally breaks down if the cycle of equilibrium is disrupted by an excess or deficiency of something.
Another principle in traditional Chinese medicine is the idea of the “Five Elements” which are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. It is believed that these elements are in constant motion and work in an interdependent relationship, as do the various organs and systems within our own bodies. According to the Five Elements chart, if you’re feeling fearful, then it means you need more calm in your life or if you’re angry and frustrated, then you need more patience. The Five Elements Theory is further defined by the Zang Fu Theory, which explains the functions and interaction between various body parts in more detail.
In addition to medical procedures like Chinese acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine covers things like herbal remedies. TCM practitioners say the answers are easier than one would think. You don’t need Lunesta to help you sleep. Instead, a chamomile tea and some light meditation just before bed will help you fall asleep right away and you will wake up feeling rejuvenated. Or instead of Tums for your bellyache, a mint leaf could do the trick.



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