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Oriental medicine is based on the philosophy that all things in life are intimately connected by Qi, or the life force. Furthermore, the dynamics of life are the result of the complimentary forces of Yin and Yang. Health is when these forces are in balance and our Qi flows smoothly through-out our body and in harmony with the flow of Qi in the universe. Many people hear this and think that practitioners of Oriental medicine are talking about abstract and esoteric concepts that have no grounding in practical science. Nothing could be further from the truth. Taoist scientific knowledge is based on the observation of nature, and the principles or laws of nature that are observed can then be applied to any situation to further understanding.
In contrast, Western medicine views man as separate from the universe, and tends to see only the parts and not the whole. It considers all life processes from a mechanistic paradigm and believes that ultimate understanding of health and disease will be found under a microscope. It denies the life force as a significant factor in health and disease because it cannot be effectively studied or understood within the confines of their paradigm. Although it is true that a great deal of information has been learned with this model, and many important therapies have been developed, they cannot see the forest, because they are staring so intently at the tree.
Yin & Yang may be seen in everything around us, if we just know what we are looking for. Some obvious examples are; night & day, hot & cold, up & down, inside & outside, man & woman, damp & dry. Other examples include; structure & function, quantity & quality, excess & deficiency, concrete & abstract, intellectual & intuitive, or even problems & solutions.
Life is complex, however, so the model of Yin & Yang includes Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin. This is shown in the Tai Ji symbol (center picture) by the white dot in the black area and the black dot in the white area. For example, the ocean is Yin, but the action of the waves is Yang. The sky is Yang, but it might be filled with rain clouds which are Yin. Those clouds might produce thunder and lightning which are Yang, but thunder is more Yin and lightning more Yang.
In the body, our internal organs are Yin, while our limbs, which provide us with the ability to move, are Yang. Within the organs, the "hollow" organs (stomach, intestines, bladder) are considered to be more Yang, while the "solid" organs (Liver, Spleen, Kidney, Heart, Lung) are Yin. Similarly in the limbs, the bones are more Yin, while the muscles are more Yang. Within the muscles, there are fast twitch (Yang) and slow twitch (Yin).
While the model of Yin and Yang seems simple at first, it becomes more and more complex as you apply it due to the complexity of life. While there are only a few ways Yin & Yang may become unbalanced (Too much Yin & not enough Yang, too much Yang & not enough Yin, not enough of either Yin or Yang, or a separation of Yin & Yang), there are many ways that this can manifest in the body and this accounts for the wide range of health disorders that causes people to suffer. In fact, the ancient Chinese doctors realized this early on, and created the system of correspondences known as the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) to further understand the processes of health and to treat disease.
The Five Elements provide a holistic model to account for the inter-relationships of all phenomenon in the universe. It links together an erupting volcano, the soft glow of a candle flame, the emotions of love and joy, and the human heart. It provides a connection between the soil that grows our food and the digestive organs that assimilate the food into our body. The Five Elements help us to see that our eyes, our tendons and ligaments, our big toes, and our Liver and Gall Bladder are parts of the same whole.
Meanwhile, Western medicine has separated the different organ systems according to the most easily identifiable physical borders and limits the interconnection of these organs to two other separate systems, the nervous and endocrine.
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In Oriental medicine, there are no easily identifiable borders to an organ. For instance, the Lung not only includes the organ itself, but also the nose and sinus cavity, as well as the skin. Furthermore, the Metal Element includes the Lung and the Large Intestine. To treat the Metal Element in Allopathic medicine, you might need to see a respiratory therapist, and eye, ear, nose and throat doctor, a dermatologist and a proctologist, and these doctors would never see a connection between the parts.
Both models, Yin & Yang and the Five Elements, use imagery from nature to describe the processes of health and disease. The message underlying all of these systems is that we must live in harmony with our natural environment in order to be healthy. However, we must remember that we are part of that natural environment, and this gives us the responsibility to help maintain balance and harmony within nature. Just as a bird's nest or a beaver's dam is a part of nature, so are all the buildings, cars, and parking lots. Our natural environment today includes air-conditioned rooms, freeways, neon and fluorescent lights, televisions, computers, and so on. The overall picture is one of Excess Yang and deficient Yin. In the Five Elements, we have an Excess of Fire and Metal, while the Earth, Water, and Wood are becoming weaker and weaker. This is a prescription for ill health and disease. Instead of conquering nature, we have transformed it into a state of disharmony. While we strive to improve our own health, it is important that we strive equally to improve the health of our planet.
Thousands of years ago, Huang Di (The Yellow Emperor) and the other physicians observed the same truths regarding health and disease that are important today. When they observed the people around them, they saw the same problems back then that plague our society today;
"These days, people have changed their way of life. They drink wine as though it were water, indulge excessively in destructive activities, drain their jing (Essence) and deplete their Qi. They do not know the secret of conserving their energy and vitality. Seeking emotional excitement and momentary pleasures, people disregard the natural rhythm and order of the universe. They fail to regulate their lifestyle and diet, and sleep improperly. So it is not surprising that they look old at fifty and die soon after."
From the Huang Di Nei Jing, Chapter 1
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