Basic theory
"In Theory, theory and practice are the same. In Practice, they are not"
- Albert Einstein -
"In Theory, theory and practice are the same. In Practice, they are not"
Yin Yang
Wuxing
Stems & Branches
Basic concepts
the language of chinese medicine
Chinese medicine is a culture on its own. One of the main aspects of culture is language. Understanding that language is of vital importance to achieve insight and understanding.
Qi
Basic concept
Chinese culture has one very exceptional concept that sounds very familiar to us, but the precise meaning of which remains a big question for many of us. I am talking about the concept of ‘Qi’ We often return tot he all-encompassing translation of ‘energy’. However, the concept of energy is often experiences as vaguely as the term ‘Qi’, only that it may sound a bit more familiar and we can at least form an image of it. The article aims to set out some lines around which to frame the exploration of the concept of ‘Qi’ in the hope of providing a bette rand clearer explanation for a concept that is so important within Chinese Health Culture.
No - Qi does not exist
A sceptical point of view
Do you believe in qi? That is a question that is sometimes asked and a question that clearly reflects how little we understand about the concept of qi. As if qi is a vague concept related to religion or supernatural powers. Something that doesn’t necessarily have to be untrue. After all, it is a broad concept, with many meanings and often applied in a vague context. But does this mean that qi does not exist?
Yin Yang Theory
Not just black & White
The yin yang theory is a fundamental one. Not only for understanding Chinese medicine but throughout culture. You can apply the idea of yin yang to anything. Although the basic idea seems simple to many of us, it is ultimately a complex way of looking at human existence in a dynamic world. It is a way of understanding the world around us. A world created by the relationships between opposites.
Wuxing
5 fase theory
A basic theory based on correlative thinking. Applicable on a wide scale of activities such as bazi, magic, acupuncture, diagnostics, nutrition, etc…
Wuxing Theory
5 Fase theory
The wuxing theory has three main elements. Like the yin yang theory, it is a system of categorization or classification. In addition, there is the aspect of correlations as well as that of the different cycles. Most know wuxing as inherent tot he Chinese medical model. However, medicine was not the reason for it’s emergence, but only took its place in the medical literature at a later stage.
Stems & Branches
the 60 year cycle
Although the theory of stems & branches gets little to no attention within a lot of TCM education, it is however from a classical point of view an invaluable aspect of it. Just as wuxing it finds it applications in mulitple areas like bazi, magic, acupuncture, diagnostics, feng shui, etc…
Chinese calendar
the importance of time and it's implications
Time is a unique concept that many people think of as an objective reality. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Time can be viewed from various perspectives and is, among other things, a cultural construct. This means that the way we perceive a concept like time is culturally determined. This relationship is also reciprocally valid. The way we interpret time has an impact on the development of culture. Cultural temporal orientation is of vital importance as it serves as a mirror to understand the deeper value systems and philosophies of a society.
literature
The baisc book of Chinese Medicine. A must have for every modern TCM practitioner.
