Rodolfo P. Orlanda Jr. introduces to the Chinese Medicine concepts of yin and yang, 5 elements theory, and qi.
A popular form of treatment in the East for over 3000 years, natural cure is the oldest method employed by Chinese people. It was not developed by any particular individual; rather, it grew of necessity of maintaining good health among the people. Like all of us, the ancient Chinese had to strugggle against diseases in order to stay in good health. In the process they came to see the benefits of consuming herbs, eating the right foods, meditating, inserting needles in the body, and exercising.
Today, natural cure is practiced side by side with modern western medicine, and there are as many practitioners of Chinese natural cure as of mainstream medicine. From the Chinese point of view, Chinese natural cure is on an equal footing with conventional medicine; in fact, many Chinese people value this approach over western medicine.
The greatest stumbling block encountered when studying Chinese natural cure is caused by failing to understand the theory of yin and yang, 5 elements and qi. Ancient Chinese natural doctors believed: If you understand the theory of ying and yang, five elements and qi, you can be a good Chinese natural cure doctor.
Yin and Yang
Everything is composed of 2 complementary energies - one is yang and the other is yin. One cannot exist without the other, they are never separate (like failure and success, for example).
The two energies are in everything, including our bodies. Everything can be divided into yin and yang, and everything in the body is controlled by the two energies. For example, your head is yang while your foot is yin. The right side is yin and the left side is yang. Because this energy has an inseparable reletionship, you can see that if you have a problem with one, the other will also be problematic.
In nature an imbalance of yang and yin results in floods, storm, draught and other natural disasters; in our own body it results in illness.
5 Elements
The 5 elements theory was developed based on the people's observation of their daily lives. The Chinese people realized that the 5 elements - wood, fire, metal, earth, and water - were necessary in their day to day lives; and applied the theory to different phenomena in the natural world - categorizing the phenomena according to the properties of these 5 elements.
According to this theory, the world itself is the result of the constant movement of these five elements. A better understanding of the 5 elements gave the people an insight into the 4 laws governing the relationship among the 5 elements - control, attack, resisting control, and production.
This theory plays an important role when making a diagnosis. It is also used to explain the anatomical structure and physiological function of the body, as well as in analyzing the pathology of diseases.
Qi
Qi is a form of energy which everybody needs to exist. It is an electrical kind of energy which nourishes the body on its own particular level. Qi is the energetic foundation of all life, and like blood, qi must travel throughout the body to nourish and maintain life. Without this movement, vibration, activity, circulation and flow there is no life.
Two Different Kinds of Qi
Prenatal qi is the energy foundation that we inherit from our parents. The quantity and quality are determined by the quantity and quality of your mother and father's qi, the kind of pregnancy your mother had, and the place and nature of your birth. This kind of qi is stored in the kidney and it is irreplaceable.
Acquired qi is stored in the stomach or spleen system. This qi supports the function of all the organs, and helps maintain the body's ability to heal and regulate itself. The good side to acquired qi, is that we can actually add this to this kind of vital energy.
©2009 Rodolfo P. Orlanda Jr. All rights reserved. Published with permission on .
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