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Who is this for? 4

What is Chinese Medicine 5

Chinese Medicine is Confusing 6

How Does it Work? 7

Overview of Chinese Medicine 8

Yin & Yang 9

5 Aspects of Yin and Yang: 10

The 5 Elements 13

What is Qi? 17

What is Blood? 21

What are Channels? 23

Channels and Organs 27

The Spirit of the Organs 34

Getting Rid of Bad Emotions 36

Identifying Your Organ/Channel Issues 37

What Causes Disease? 41

External Causes of Disease 43

Internal Causes of Disease 44

Miscellaneous Causes of Disease 46

Correcting Qi & Blood Flow to Heal Yourself 48

Yin Deficiency in Organs 52

Yang Deficiency in Organs 54

Qi Deficiency in Organs 55

Qi Stagnation of Organs 56

Blood Deficiency of Organs 57

Blood Stasis of Organs 57

Miscellaneous Patterns 58

About the author 60

Who is this for?
If you want to understand how Chinese medicine works and why pressing a
particular point on your body helps to trigger healing, this is the guide for you. Presented
to you is the foundational level in Chinese Medicine theory extracted from: The
Foundations of Chinese Medicine, the Handbook of Oriental Medicine, A Manual of
Acupuncture, & White Tiger QiGong course material.

My goal is to distill the medical texts I studied in school in order to provide you a
basic and clear understanding of Chinese Medicine and obtain benefits without having
to devote years of time studying. There is much more than I can present in this guide
but I believe you will have an understanding of the most pertinent points once you’ve
read through the theory section. When you’re ready to start putting this theory into
practice, my Acupoints 101 Guide will teach you how to start using acupoints.

Considerations:

1) This is a guide to help you recognize problem areas in yourself in order to give
you the power to take responsibility for your own health. However, it is not a
replacement for proper medical care from a licensed professional. Having personal care
from an experienced practitioner is always advisable.

2) The organs that are named don’t correlate one to one with Western anatomy &
physiology counterparts. This is an ancient medicine practice. No microscopes or
laboratories were used, nor was health and disease understood in the same manner.
Metaphors served to describe functions and conditions. Despite this, it's quite incredible
how many similarities there are between the organ systems both structurally and
functionally in Chinese and Western medicine.

3) You will find certain words like Yin, Yang, Qi (Chi), Blood, or organ names such
as the Liver or Heart have been capitalized. These terms are referring to Chinese
medicine terminology and thus, capitalization has been used to show this. Western
anatomical organs such as the liver will not be capitalized. To avoid confusion, when
you see capitalization used (ex. Blood vs blood), I am referring to Chinese medicine
anatomy and physiology rather than Western.
 What is Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine is an ancient healing modality that is built upon 2000+ years of
research and practice. Its roots are in shamanism, spirituality, and energetics, however,
as the medicine developed, it moved away from this and practitioners focused on
scientific methods to observe nature and how humans embody the same
characteristics. The goal isn't to be above nature and overcome it through intellect and
modern tools. Chinese medicine philosophy seeks to harmonize with nature and to be
part of it.

Since knowledge was developed without microscopes and tools to measure blood
levels, gut microbiome, and genetics, ancient practitioners used metaphors in their
medicine to explain how the human body and nature work. Through deductive and
inductive methods, patterns in nature and disease were found, tested, and passed
down. The beauty of Chinese medicine is that you don’t need high powered &
expensive equipment. All you need is to learn the concepts, apply them, and then tune
into your body to observe the effects.

From the outside, it may seem that Chinese medicine is based on “intuition” or
“feeling”. This is far from the truth. Serious study of Chinese medicine involves intricate
knowledge of organ function, diagnosis, and prescription principles. One does not intuit
a patient’s problem. Lifestyle questions such as sleep, stress, diet, menstruation, and
even the quality of a person’s stool are taken into consideration. Allopathic medicine
treats symptoms without looking at the cause(s). A Chinese medicine practitioner never
focuses solely on symptoms.

When you see a Western doctor with a stomach problem such as acid reflux for
example, the doctor may prescribe a particular medication to target the symptom. A
Chinese medicine practitioner will ask lifestyle questions that create a more complete
picture and inform on the root cause of the problem in the body. The collection of signs
and symptoms drafts what is known as a "Pattern".

If your stomach is hurting, it may not actually be the source of the problem and
masking this symptom with medication will not help you in the long run. A Chinese
medicine diagnosis in this case may be Liver Qi Attacking the Stomach. The Liver in
Chinese medicine is notorious for disrupting the functions of other organs as it is greatly
impacted by one’s stress level.
 In Western terms, you could say that stress is the culprit and should be addressed
first. You’ve likely noticed that during stressful times in your life, dormant symptoms
suddenly rise up such as: acne, stomach pain, diarrhea, headaches, or insomnia.
Stress impacts the body in many ways and interferes with numerous functions.

Imagine your body as a house. Each room is a different organ system that allows
everything to work together. If there is a fire in your kitchen, you don’t want to throw
away the smoke detector and ignore the problem. This allows the fire to spread to other
rooms that haven’t had their alarm system disabled. What appears as a smoke and heat
problem in the room above the kitchen is actually an effect of the fire below. The
unpleasant smoke is just a symptom of a bigger problem.

Shutting down symptoms tricks your body to stop sending the smoke alarm signal.
The fire is still there, but you are no longer aware of it. The key to healing is finding the
“Pattern” of symptoms and then treating that. The Pattern points to the root cause rather
than addressing one symptom. Pattern identification is extremely important in Chinese
medicine. There is an old saying:

“One Pattern, Many Diseases.

Many Diseases, One Pattern”

One pattern, such as Liver Qi stagnation, can manifest in diverse symptoms

including headaches, diarrhea, depression, acne, and anger. Likewise, many different
diseases can be caused by a single pattern. This means that two people who come in
for the exact same complaint can receive completely different treatments. The skill and
practice of Chinese medicine comes down to the ability to differentiate symptoms in
order to identify which pattern(s) caused the problem.

Chinese Medicine is Confusing

When I started my first semester studying Chinese medicine, it was unclear to me
what was going on. I had classes on channels, foundations, health cultivation,
diagnosis, and clinics. It wasn’t until I was 1 year into studying it that I finally started
putting the pieces together. My teachers would say that Chinese medicine is like looking
at a big puzzle. In the beginning, you can only piece together a few parts. It takes time
to see how all the pieces come together to make the big picture.
 Chinese medicine is also contradictory sometimes which adds to the confusion.
Different theories based on cultural norms, geography, climate, and the era they come
from create different branches and schools of thought. I’ve tried my best to eliminate
this for you by simplifying the concepts and removing extraneous theory that could lead
to confusion.

How Does it Work?

Chinese medicine seeks to restore natural Qi flow through the body so that it can
heal itself. Qi circulates through 12 primary channels, each of which corresponds to a
different organ. If there is a blockage in a channel, Qi and Blood are unable to nourish
the tissue and over time this leads to disease. Channels and Qi will be described in
greater detail later in the book, but here are a few metaphors that will help you
understand the importance of proper Qi and channel flow.

Let’s come back to the house analogy again. Imagine what would happen if you
sealed off the master bedroom from all light, air, and electricity. It would become dank,
dark, stale, and would likely start growing mold if moisture accumulates. Proper
circulation is needed in order to maintain it. If that room is left to fester for too long,
negative effects will eventually spread to other rooms and create more problems.

Another way to look at medicine is to consider a plant. If you have a rose that is
wilting and dying, the Western medicine approach would be to cut off the leaves that are
dying, spray chemicals on it, and add fertilizer (medication). All these are interventions
from the outside to help the plant whereas Chinese medicine aims to give the plant the
ability to heal itself.

A Chinese medicine approach would instead correct the flow of energy inside the
plant by helping the plant to restore fundamental nutrients. If the plant is in the shade
but requires light, move the plant into the light. If it has too much light, move it into the
shade. If there is too much water, remove it. If there is not enough water, add water.
This allows the plant to regulate and heal itself through natural means rather than being
reliant on an outside force.

When we live in harmony with nature, we can achieve better health. If you look at
any other animal in the world, they are actually part of their natural environment. When
you consider modern humans, they barely resemble how their ancestors used to live.
Imagine taking a lion from the wild, forcing it to sit at a desk from 9-5, to wear a suit, and
to no longer hunt for its food but instead eat processed junk. Would that lion thrive or
would it become unhealthy?
 The technologically-advanced environments humans have created to satisfy their
needs have effectively made life easier and more comfortable, but sacrificed the
relationship to nature. We now observe that many "advancements" are in fact toxic for
our physical and mental well-being. There’s a reason you feel amazing when you go for
a walk in nature. Much like the plant, the modern day human is not in the best
environment for their health. When you go into nature it has the same healing effects as
when you move a plant out of the darkness and into the light. Being in proximity with
natural elements (trees, plants, flowers etc.) reduces stress levels and is a testimony of
our biological ties with the natural environment.

Chinese medicine is a collection of modalities that include acupuncture, cupping,

GuaSha, moxibustion, TuiNa massage, QiGong, NeiGong, herbs and more. However,
it's difficult for medical treatment (osteopathy, massage therapy, acupuncture), to bring
about long-term benefits if detrimental habits and lifestyle remain. A specificity of
Chinese medicine is to incorporate elements observed in nature to understand
phenomena in the human body so that you can harmonize with nature during day to day
activities rather than relying on a 1 hour treatment once a week.

Overview of Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine is a prevention based medicine. It is there to help you in
everyday life, not just when you get sick or are in pain. This is the medicine that the
emperors of China used to maintain their health and power. They used it on a daily
basis and had the best doctors available to them. The knowledge that was once
reserved for royalty is now openly available to you. Use it to help heal and prevent
disease.

Chinese medicine incorporates many theories that ultimately lead to a diagnosis

and treatment plan. The theories presented will interweave Yin/Yang, 5 Elements, Qi,
Blood, Channels, and Organ foundations. These fundamental principles make up the
basis of Chinese medicine. You will also learn the causes of disease and a few
modalities outside of acupoints that can help you re-balance your body's energies.

This guide will cover the fundamentals of diagnosis as well while my Acupoints 101
Guide discusses how you can use acupoints to bring about better health in your mind
and body. When you understand how and why acupoints work, you will be more
consistent in using them as well as better able to apply them for your specific pains and
symptoms.
 Nature’s Cycles

Following the cycle of the seasons is important in Chinese medicine for optimal
health. If you look at a tree, you will notice that in Spring, the leaves sprout and the tree
might bloom and bear fruit. Growth peaks in Summer and as Fall arrives, the tree
gradually loses its leaves. In Winter, the trees are in hibernation mode. The tree follows
the cycle of the seasons. Energy & resource saving in the Winter, expansion in Spring.
The more aware and sensitive you become to that, the easier it will be to take care of
yourself.

Let's look at the 24-hour cycle to begin. If you go to bed at 10pm and wake up at
6am, you’ve slept 8 hours during an optimal time slot. If, however, you work a night shift,
you are desynchronized from the natural hormonal cycles (AKA circadian rhythms). This
is comparable to a tree trying to bloom in Winter or putting a plant in the shade when it
needs sun. No matter the compensations (medication or supplements), one may not
circumvent natural laws.

Yin & Yang

Chinese medicine, at its most fundamental level, is about balancing Yin & Yang. If
one is too Yin, one needs more Yang. If one is too Yang, one needs more Yin. Yin and
Yang are understood relative to each other. One cannot exist without the other. They
are both constantly changing and transforming into each other. Each is born from the
other's existence. You cannot have life without death nor can you know dark without
light.

Yin-Yang theory provides an understanding of the world by classifying phenomena

with opposing couples. Below is a list of concepts to give you an idea of what is meant
by both Yin and Yang.

Yin Yang

Water Fire

Dark Light

Moon Sun

Night Day

Matter Energy
 5 Aspects of Yin and Yang:
Oppositional Everything has a Yin & a Yang component, e.g. Day (Yang) &
Night (Yin).

Mutual Consumption Yin & Yang are constantly balancing with each other. As the
day turns into night, the Yin consumes the Yang.

Interdependent Yin & Yang cannot exist without each other. You can’t know
what day is if you don’t know what night is.

Intertransformational Yin & Yang change into each other, e.g. The day gradually
turns to night. Night transforms into day.

Infinitely Divisible Yin & Yang can always be broken down further, e.g. An ice
cube is cold (Yin), but that is relatively Yang compared to the
North Pole.

Everything in Chinese medicine stems from this concept as the ancient theory of
Yin and Yang is at the core of Chinese philosophy. The equilibrium that characterizes a
healthy individual could be characterized as homeostasis in Western medicine.
Homeostasis is a state of balance among all the systems in your body that are needed
for you to function and survive. The body never achieves perfect homeostasis, however,
it attempts to move towards this state constantly.

The closer to balance, the more the body feels strong and capable of defending
itself from internal and external threats. When Yin and Yang are in balance, all the
systems in your body are working correctly. This image below demonstrates this.

Yin and Yang in Balance

 When Yin and Yang come out of balance, certain problems arise. Imbalance can
come from external factors (climate), internal factors (emotions), and lifestyle behaviors
along with genetics. An example of a Yin imbalance caused by an external factor would
be to sit in ice cold water for too long. You could also add Yang to the body by hanging
out on a sunny Hawaiian beach. If you sit in either of these environments for too long,
things would end badly due to an excess of either Yin or Yang.

Internal causes of Yin and Yang imbalance are also important to consider. If you
meditate in silence all day, you are inducing a more Yin state. If you run a triathlon for
10 hours, you are inducing a Yang state. Over-indulgence in either of these will induce
negative consequences.

Chinese medicine underscores the importance of balance in life in order to

maintain happiness and health. Common examples where you may come out of
balance include: over-working and under-relaxing, excess sweet & salty foods relative
to nutrient dense foods, being inside too much compared to being outside, or static
prolonged sitting vs getting enough movement.

Western society tends to glorify working, grinding, and staying busy. These are
Yang activities that drain your energy. Yang can be seen as an expenditure of energy.
Yin is more nurturing and restorative. Your body is like a battery. Yang spends energy
while Yin recharges it. If you engage in activities that constantly drain your energy and
you don’t recharge your body, you will experience fatigue which predisposes you to
disease as your body doesn’t have the resources on board to keep up. There are
activities such as QiGong, yoga, and breathwork that seemingly use energy, however,
they can actually help recharge you.

In Chinese medicine, imbalances are described as either an excess or a

deficiency. Excessive heat (Yang) or a lack of heat can be problematic. Likewise,
excessive cold or insufficient cold (Yin) can cause issues. The graphs below illustrate
the 4 fundamental patterns of disease that arise when Yin and Yang are not in balance.
 Excess Yang along with Yin deficiency both show up with Yang symptoms. What is
present in greater quantity determines the type of symptoms observed. However, when
applying treatment you must ask, is it better to remove Yang in or to add more Yin in
order to reach balance. Are you starting to see how Chinese medicine is not about
intuition, but rather an expansion in the understanding of how Yin and Yang work as well
as how you can balance both forces?

Yang Deficiency Yang Excess

- Appears similar to Yin Symptoms - Appears as Yang Symptoms (lack of Yin)

Cold Limbs / Chilly Heat / Fever

Exhaustion / No motivation Redness / Rashes

Lack of thirst Thirst

Pale face Agitated, restless, anxious

Loose stools Burning sensations

Copious and clear urine Dark, scanty urine

Yin Deficiency Yin Excess

→ Appears similar to Yang symptoms → Appears as Yin symptoms (lack of Yang)

Redness / Heat, often worse in evening Cold to the bone

Hot flashes Heaviness

Dryness (hair, skin, nails, lips, eyes) Pale complexion

Anxious, easily agitated Lack of appetite

Thirsty for hot drinks Lack of thirst

Dark, scanty urine Copious, clear urine

Night Sweats
 Using the previous example of moving a plant towards light, we may say that the
rose is suffering from either an excess of Yin (too much darkness) or a deficiency of
Yang (not enough light). By putting the flower into the sunlight, we are solving both
problems. This is a very linear and straightforward example. As we start working with
the human body, multiple factors come into play and interact with each other.

When you recognize areas in your life where you’re excessive or deficient in Yin or
Yang, try to counterbalance in a way to move towards equilibrium. For example, if you
work in front of a computer for 8 hours a day, go walk in nature after work instead of
going home and immediately engaging with another screen.

Perhaps you’ve tried meditation, breathwork, or yoga and you noticed

improvement in your health. This is because these tend to be restorative activities that
help build Yin. A great night's sleep is extremely Yin. Qi, channels, and organs follow
the principles of Yin and Yang by working in synchronicity to balance your system. Once
you understand how they interact, you are able to make lifestyle changes to
autonomously improve yourself by taking responsibility for your own health without
having to rely on an external authority.

The 5 Elements
Everything is cyclical in Chinese medicine. From the theory of Yin and Yang arises
the 5 elements, also translated as the 5 movements, phases or directions. These 5
elements follow a cyclical movement as they transform Yin → Yang → Yin. Those
elements being Water, Metal, Wood, Fire, and Earth. Each element is associated with
specific qualities which include (but are not limited to): organs, seasons, directions,
sounds, and tastes. Learning about the elements and their qualities provides a new
lense to observe patterns in nature and in ourselves.

Element Yin-Yang Season Direction Sounds Tastes

Metal Lesser Yin Fall West Weeping Pungent

Water Utmost Yin Winter North Groaning Salty

Wood Lesser Yang Spring East Shouting Sour

Fire Utmost Yang Summer South Laughter Bitter

Earth Central Transitional Center Singing Sweet

Element Quality Movement

Metal Moldable & can harden Contracts

Water Moist & flows downward Descends

Wood Can be bent & straightened Expands

Fire Flares upward Ascends

Earth Allows sowing, growing, & reaping Center & Stable

The relationships that connect the elements follow four cycles: the generation,
control, over-acting, and rebellious cycles. These sequences inform how each of the 5
elements relate to each other when they are in harmony as well as when a pathology
occurs. More associations with each element will be built upon as you go through the
guide.

The Generation Cycle

In the generation cycle, each element nourishes the next in a cyclical manner .
This is also known as the mother-son relationship. Earth is the mother of Metal; Earth
gives birth to Metal (provides the ore). Metal generates Water (condensation when it
cools down). Water nourishes Wood (and allows vegetation). Wood feeds Fire. Fire
creates Earth (renews the soil). This cycle is often out of balance and being able to
recognize different elements in yourself will bring awareness as to which elements are
excessive and deficiency allowing you to make more intelligent health decisions.
 The Control Cycle

This is an inhibitory cycle that controls generation and prevents elements from
overproducing. This is also known as the grandparent-grandchild relationship. The
grandparent limits the expression of the grandchild. This is a healthy relationship that
generates well-being when in balance.

Wood controls Earth

Earth controls Water

Water controls Fire

Fire controls Metal

Metal controls Wood

The Over-Acting Cycle

The generation and control cycles are physiological cycles that maintain balance
(homeostasis). The over-acting and rebellious cycles signal a pathology. When the
grandparent-grandchild relationship is out of balance, the grandparent is seen as
over-controlling the grandchild. If one element is much stronger than the other, it can
exert too much control, thus limiting the ability of the grandchild to express itself. The
over-acting cycle is characterized by an unhealthy dynamic between the elements.

Wood over-acts on Earth

Earth over-acts on Water

Water over-acts on Fire

Fire over-acts on Metal

Metal over-acts on Wood

 The Rebellious Cycle

If the grandchild element is much stronger than the grandparent, it can reverse the
control cycle and exert power over the grandparent. The rebellious cycle provides an
explanation for one of the body's reactions in the face of imbalance. These 4 cycles
demonstrate the complexities in your body while offering an opportunity to correct them.

Wood rebels against Metal

Metal rebels against Fire

Fire rebels against Water

Water rebels against Earth

Earth rebels against Wood

Why does this matter?

You will learn more about the 5 Elements and how other factors are categorized
into them. This knowledge can help you generate the qualities you’re looking for as well
as showing you how to control the ones that are in excess. For example, if you suffer
from symptoms relating to wood, you may need more metal to help control the wood
aspects of yourself. If you are deficient in fire, you can build up your wood to generate
more fire.

Restoring elemental imbalances can help to regulate your emotions and other
symptoms. Reaching equilibrium in your 5 Elements will rely on you understanding
where your excesses and deficiencies are and then using the points to reduce or boost
them as needed. Keep these cycles in mind in order to apply them to your healing
practices.
 What is Qi?
There is no singular way to translate Qi (pronounced “Ch-ee”) as there are so
many different meanings behind it. When you see the word “Qi”, you can conceptualize
it as life force energy that comes together to bring structure (bones, organs, muscles,
etc) and function (thinking, nerve function, breathing, etc.) into your body. The word Qi
can be translated in many different ways: energy, life force, vital power, matter, ether, &
other similar conceptions. In Chinese medicine, everything is considered Qi.

Your mind and body are made up of varying degrees of Qi. One way to think of this
is using the concept of density. Bones are a highly dense form of Qi that is very
substantive. We also call this Jing or Essence. On the other end you have what is
known as Shen (the Mind or Spirit) which is non-material or what can be considered as
being a very low density form of Qi.

Jing, Qi, and Shen are collectively known as the 3 treasures. Although these are 3
different names (treasures), they can all be considered as sitting on a spectrum of Qi
density. Jing (Essence) sits on one end while Shen (Mind) sits on the other. Qi is
constantly transforming and moving to keep you alive. To keep things simple, I will use
different words to represent different forms of Qi, such as Jing or Shen. Although
everything is Qi, we need to categorize Qi using different names as different forms
(densities) of Qi do different things.

Using a Western lens, think of Qi like this: we are all made up of atoms that cluster
together to form different tissues in our body. We know those tissues are made of atoms
but we don’t refer to the atoms once the tissue is there. In the same way that atoms
come together to form objects of different densities, functions, and forms; Qi comes
together at different densities to create structural and functional components.

Qi is Transforming

Your body is continually building and breaking itself down. When you eat
something, it becomes transformed and turns into the cells that make up your body.
Food provides the building blocks for muscles, organs, tissues, bones, metabolism, etc.
When you refrain from eating, your tissues break down to provide materials for other
tissues to use or to produce energy for metabolism. Your body is in a constant flux of
building and breaking down tissues which in Chinese medicine is considered the
transformation of Qi.
 There are many forms of Qi described in Chinese medicine. You have True Qi,
Original Qi, Food Qi, Central Qi, Upright Qi, and Gathering Qi as well as the Qi in each
channel, different Qi directions, and pathologies of Qi. When all of these work in
harmony, you can reach a state of health. When these are off balanced, disease arises..
We will only focus on a few types of Qi in this guide but if you want to dive deeper,
chapter 3 of The Foundations of Chinese Medicine is a good place to start.

Moving forward, when you see the word Qi, it relates to the functions listed below
and is susceptible to the dysfunctions (pathologies) as well. You will learn how Qi works
relative to Blood and how it fits together with each of the organs.

6 Functions Qi:
Warming Transforming

Protecting Transporting

Lifting Holding

4 Pathologies of Qi:
Qi Stagnation

Qi Deficiency

Qi Sinking

Qi Rebellion

Qi is considered Yang in relation to its counterpart, Blood. Qi has many Yang

functions that are necessary for proper health. When these don’t work optimally,
problems arise. Different organs use Qi in different ways to help produce these 6
functions. If any of these functions are failing, it helps give an indication as to which
organ(s) needs help. When one function fails, it is likely that others will eventually start
having problems as well.

Working with Chinese medicine can help reduce or eliminate these pathologies in
order to restore the 6 functions of Qi. The sooner you are able to address Qi
dysfunctions, the faster you can heal. If you have a disease or symptom that is 1 week
old versus 10 years old, you will have a much easier time with the new and acute
symptom. Taking care of yourself on a daily basis before it's necessary is always
advisable.
 Where does Qi Come From?

You have 2 sources from which you draw life generating Qi. There is pre-natal Qi
(also known as Essence) that is given to you by your parents at birth. You can imagine
this as a bank account of Qi that you are born with. When you’re young, this
hypothetical bank account pays a high interest rate of 10% per year. That means if you
started with $1,000,000 in the bank, you’d have $100,000 to spend every year without
worrying. This is stored in your Kidneys which are in your lower back. As you age, that
interest rate eventually becomes 0% and you start dipping into your initial principle.

Pre-natal Qi (Essence) has several important functions in the body. It's responsible
for growth, reproduction, and development. It helps form your bones and marrow while
also being the basis of constitutional strength. In Western medicine, you could think of
this as one’s genetics that are passed from their parents. It's also the resources that the
mother and father were able to give you in their current state.

A 20 year old couple will have a better chance of passing on strong pre-natal Qi
(genetics and resources) compared to a couple in their 60s who have already used up
much more of their Qi & Essence. However, if the 20 year old couple was doing hard
drugs and drinking during the conception, it doesn’t matter how good their genetics are
if they are passing these substances into the unborn fetus.

As you age, that $1,000,000 you started with, will eventually hit $0. This would be
considered the end of the road (at least for your physical body). Pre-natal Qi isn’t
something you have much control over. You can see this when you compare yourself to
others. Some people are seemingly born with $100,000,000 while others are born with
$50,000. Think of those who can eat whatever they want, stay out late, and not exercise
yet somehow maintain “good” health. They were fortunate enough to be born with a big
bankroll and high interest, but this lifestyle catches up to everyone eventually.

Through lifestyle and Chinese medicine, you can extend your initial bank roll of
pre-natal Qi. Let’s say you’re born with a lot of high quality Qi, but when you drink
excessively, do drugs, stay up late, skip sleep etc., you are depleting your pre-natal Qi
at an accelerated rate. Someone born with weaker pre-natal Qi can still have good
health and a long life if they take care of themselves. Protecting your pre-natal Qi
through post-natal Qi is extremely important. If you can produce your own Qi on a daily
basis, you will not need to access as much pre-natal Qi.
 Post-natal Qi is made from two components: air and food/liquids. If you stop
breathing, you die because your cells can no longer generate enough energy without
oxygen. If you don’t eat, you will eventually die as the body cannibalizes itself. This
process can take many months and you will likely experience a steep decline in energy
and health through this process. The primary organs involved in this are the Lungs,
Spleen, and Stomach. However, all the organs in the body contribute to the
transformation of food/air and transportation of the post-natal Qi they generate.

The 3 Treasures & 3 Harmonies

The three treasures of Chinese philosophy are the Jing, Qi, and Shen. These can
be viewed through many lenses: Body (Jing), breath (Qi), spirit (Shen). Earth (Jing),
human (Qi), heaven (Shen). In practical terms, these three substances help to generate
and sustain one another. You could not exist without all three of them. Doaist QiGong
practices seek to develop, protect, and harmonize these 3 treasures.

Jing acts as the basis of your life and is stored in your Kidneys. It is also
associated with your bones and genetics. It’s what you’re born with; it is your physical
body. Jing transforms into Qi which energizes your body. Qi is the electricity that allows
life to move through you. Qi transforms into Shen, which is your spirit (mind). You need
all three of these to work together in order to be healthy and happy.

To bring this into a Western perspective, you can think of your body as a computer.
You need the physical hardware (Jing) of the motherboard, harddrive, ram, fans, etc.
Software (Shen) is another essential component. Although you can’t see it physically,
you know that there is a computer language that runs and allows you to interface with a
screen, keyboard, and mouse. Of course, both the hardware and software are useless
without electricity (Qi). In order for a computer to come to life and function, it needs all
three components.

Keeping the computer analogy, you will now learn why the 3 treasures are so
important to protect, cultivate, and harmonize. Imagine running 5 different, heavy duty
programs and having 50 tabs open. Unless you have a brand new computer, you will
likely experience lag, delays, and a diminished work capacity. A brand new computer is
like a child. Lots of potential and difficult to overload with work. As the computer/child
ages, the hardware becomes older and less capable of handling more work.
 If you are always running your computer at 100% capacity, it will accelerate the
aging of the hardware. It will also make all the tasks you try to run much less effective.
However, if you keep your computer at a reasonable temperature, update its software,
and don’t overload its memory it will last you a longer time and be more functional. This
is the same with your Jing, Qi, and Shen.

The more you agitate your spirit, the more resources you pull from Qi and Jing.
Having excessive emotions and stress that you can’t let go of is like having 50 tabs
open in the metaphorical internet browser of your mind. This means more Qi (electricity)
and Jing (hardware) power needs to be tapped into, thus accelerating aging in your
body. When you calm your mind/spirit/Shen, you conserve your Jing and Qi, which can
be finite. Reducing the load on your mind reduces the load on your body the same way
closing tabs and programs frees up room on a computer.

Excessively thinking (using your Shen) by projecting into the past and future costs
Qi, which in turn costs Jing. The more you can calm and quiet the mind, the less Qi and
Jing needs to be transformed and spent. Chinese medicine is focused on generating
and preserving these 3 treasures. Whether it's through acupoints, QiGong, yoga,
meditation, or deep breathing, any modality that relaxes your mind will help you improve
your health.

What is Blood?
Blood, unlike Qi, is a much easier concept to grasp. Qi is more Yang whereas
Blood is more Yin. Qi is immaterial while Blood is material. Blood is a substance while
Qi is the driving force that moves it. Imagine you have a hose with water in it (this
represents your arteries and veins). If there is no pressure (such as the force from your
heart beating), the water will not move. In Chinese medicine, we say that:

“Qi is the commander of Blood.

Blood is the mother of Qi”

Qi moves the Blood throughout the body while Blood helps to give birth to Qi. Both
are required in order to achieve life. The more harmonized they are, much like Yin and
Yang, the better your health will be. We will soon discuss how these two forces come
together and circulate throughout the channels in your body. A problem with either of
these will lead to mild symptoms in the short term and disease in the long run.
 Each organ uses Blood in a different way to help produce these 5 functions. If any
of these functions fail, it shows you where the problem resides in the channels and
organs. Achieving good health means having adequate amounts of free flowing Blood to
serve these 5 functions. When this does not occur, disease arises.

Since Blood is a Yin substance, it has a moistening effect on the skin, eyes, hair,
nails, as well as the intestines. Therefore, if you have issues of dryness, we could say
that you’re deficient in Blood. We would use other symptoms to further differentiate
which organ system and channel is involved in order to treat the root cause of the
dryness.

Just like Qi, Blood relies on food intake in order to be generated. It also requires
Kidney essence (pre-natal Qi). If you eat good food and take care of your Kidney
energy, you will produce higher quality Blood that is capable of nourishing your body.

You can see that just from the concepts of Yin/Yang, 5 Elements, Qi, and Blood,
you can have so many things that can go awry. The interesting part in Chinese medicine
comes as we delve into combining these ideas with the channels and organs. Each
organ plays a role in allowing Yin/Yang and the 5 Elements to reach equilibrium as well
as the 6 functions of Qi and the 5 functions of Blood to happen.

As this is a beginner level guidebook, I have omitted certain things that would lead
to confusion and make your learning cumbersome. If you're a more advanced
practitioner of Chinese medicine, note that certain complexities have been removed in
order to make the information more digestible to people who do not have prior
experience with Chinese medicine.
 What are Channels?
Channels are pathways in your body that connect everything by creating a network
that allows for communication & transportation throughout the entire system. They are
thought of the same way as natural bodies of moving water. Certain rivers have heavier
flows of water while others are more thin and slow. There are rivers of Qi and Blood that
run throughout the body delivering nutrients and removing waste. When a river stops
flowing and the water stagnates, a swamp arises which gives the opportunity for
bacteria to congregate. When your channels become stagnant like a swamp, disease
can occur.

Acupuncture, herbs, cupping, QiGong and other modalities seek to restore this
flow through the channels and to remove stagnation. In Western medicine, if a part of
your body doesn’t receive blood, it will die. A similar pathology occurs in Chinese
medicine but the symptoms are thought to arise as a result from the reduction of
adequate Qi and Blood flow through the affected channel or organ.

There are 12 primary channels in the body with each one of them relating to a
specific organ. Many more channels, divergents, and pathways exist but these 12 are
important to understand as they are where acupoints exist. Through these 12 channels,
plus the conception and governing vessels, we will explore the theories related to
channels and organs.

5 Functions of the Channels:

To carry Qi & Blood to tissues

To connect the body

To help protect the body from physical trauma and external pathogens

To respond to dysfunction

To transfer Qi to diseased areas

Every channel and organ works with Blood and Qi in a unique way to provide these
functions. When those channels and organs are disturbed, these functions become
reduced leading to structural or functional problems. The channels act as infrastructure
in the body, allowing resources and communications to move across the system.
Without proper communication and transportation, the body starts to run into trouble.
 In Western medicine, channels can be thought of as nerves, blood vessels, and
the lymphatic system. They work to send electrical and chemical signals to organs and
tissues along with providing them nutrients and waste removal. Many acupoints are
located along major nerve pathways in the body. By using needles, acupuncture,
QiGong, or any other medicinal modality, you help trigger these nervous system
pathways to help heal your body.

How Were the Channels Discovered?

There are two main theories as to where channels and acupoints come from:

Theory #1: The points came first, and then the channels were found.

When people got sick, doctors noticed that certain spots became tender. When
they stimulated those spots, the patient’s symptoms were alleviated. With enough time,
experimentation, and record keeping these spots became codified. From there,
acupoints were connected with other points that treated similar problems which formed
the channels.

Theory #2: The channels came first, and then the acupoints were found.

It is suggested that Daoists meditators could observe the energy traveling down
certain pathways in their own body. This led to the discovery of specific channels that
moved energy along definitive pathways. They later found the acupoints along those
channels. By the year 200 AD, 341 acupoints had been mapped out. Regardless of how
they were discovered (chicken or the egg), Chinese medicine practitioners have been
working with acupoints and channels for at least 2000 years, if not longer.

Western Medicine on Channels, Qi, and Blood Flow

As we go into channel and organ theory, it's important to think of the body as an
interconnected ecosystem. Certain systems are more critical than others in terms of
survival while others are nice to have, but you won’t necessarily die. For example, if you
removed your lungs or heart, you would die almost immediately. If you removed your
gallbladder, you would still live but would have to monitor your food intake to avoid
severe consequences. Likewise, if you removed one eye or one ear, you wouldn’t die
but life would become more challenging.
 We do not need to go to the extremes of removing an organ to demonstrate this. In
Western medicine, we have 2 important nervous systems that work to bring the body
into the state it needs to be in order to survive and thrive. These two systems work on a
spectrum. On one end we have the sympathetic nervous system(SNS) which drives
fight or flight, also known as the stress response. On the other side we have the
parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) that puts your body into a rest and digest state
of relaxation. Both work at all times, but depending on the situation, one will be more
dominant than the other.

The SNS has an elevating effect and is triggered when you’re stressed or afraid. It
is critical for your survival if you’re living in the wild. If you need to escape a predator or
catch your next meal, you need a way to immediately elevate your heart rate,
adrenaline, and generate energy in order to live. Resources in your body can be
immediately diverted to this task. If you couldn’t outrun your predators or catch your
prey, you would be dead.

The PNS has an overall sedating effect and works to prioritize resources towards
healing and repairing the body. Practices like acupuncture, QiGong, and meditation help
to bring you into a deeper state of PNS activity to increase healing. If you can increase
the activation of the PNS, your body will be much more capable of healing itself. PNS
leads to an anabolic state in which your body is building itself up. SNS activation leads
to a catabolic state which breaks down body tissue.

Blood is crucial for delivering nutrients to tissues and removing waste. If you spend
your day in a stressful environment with emails, ringing phones, and nagging clients you
are moving towards the SNS end of the spectrum. Stress diverts blood away from
organs and the processes of repair. Chronic elevation of the SNS weakens your
immunity and leads to disease because your body's limited resources are going towards
fighting off threats instead of repairing itself.

Your nervous system acts the same way Qi does by directing (commanding) Blood
flow. The body deals with demands placed on it 24/7 but has a finite amount of
resources at any given moment that it can dispense. If it feels threatened constantly, it
will continue to put out adrenaline and cortisol while diverting blood towards the
muscles, thus taking resources away from your organs.
 Blood is an important yet finite resource. The average adult has roughly 5L or 1.3
gallons of blood. Imagine your body as a field of grass and you have 5 sprinklers to
water it. If you constantly send 4 of the 5 sprinklers to one side of the field, the other
areas will suffer. In order to achieve a luscious green field, you need to spread the water
evenly. You may even need to draw more water to certain areas that are dying out. This
is how the body tries to achieve homeostasis or balance.

When you’re able to activate the PNS your body will direct resources into areas
that are often neglected which allows for healing. Consciously engaging in activities that
encourage the PNS more commands your body to send resources towards repairing
your tissues. A calm state requires much less blood in your muscles which can then go
towards digestion and tissue repair.

In Chinese medicine terms, you have two important channels and organs for
digestion: the Spleen and Stomach. If you’re in a stressed state, Qi and Blood will be
diverted from these. Remember, when your body is stressed, it thinks it's in danger and
needs to shift resources to the muscles in order to escape a predator. Until you can
calm your mind and body, that diversion of Qi and Blood will continue to occur,
eventually leading to chronic illness due to weak organs and tissues.

You Can’t Dissect Channels

Some might argue that since we can’t see and dissect the channels, they don’t
exist. This is a very Western way of thinking about it. It is also why I always encourage
people to feel and experience this medicine for themselves. If you get acupuncture, take
herbs, do QiGong, or use acupressure, it's best to observe your body and feel for
yourself. No one else can feel your body and sensations for you.

Just because you can’t see or aren’t even aware that something is there, doesn’t
mean it doesn’t exist. As humans, we understand the concept of microwaves, radio
waves, and that the internet exists. Most of us don’t know how these things work and
until we bring in a device that can pick up those signals and translate those energy
waves, we aren’t even aware that they are there.
 Before we had the knowledge and technology to detect electromagnetic waves in
the air, we didn’t know they existed. Just because we can’t see something with our
current set of modern tools, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Consider that an animal such
as a cat cannot see or even understand the concept of the internet, but that doesn’t
mean it's not there. Qi flow is meant to be experienced through your human body and
the more you become in tune with your own flow of Qi, the easier it will be to detect and
fix pathologies.

If you want to experience Qi for yourself, you can train to do it with QiGong. In
Western society, things like QiGong, meditation, and introspection unfortunately aren’t
taught in schools nor are they covered by the conventional health system. The ability to
look inward helps us develop better emotional, mental, and spiritual attunement and
stability. Western schools, however, focus on teaching us linear externalities such as
math and science that are observed outside of our bodies. Not to say that those are bad
things to learn, but there is very little focus on teaching us how to feel and connect to
ourselves.

With this fundamental knowledge of how your body functions through a Western
lens, you’ll now learn how Chinese medicine uses channel and organ theory to explain
symptoms that appear due to this dysregulation of the nervous system. Instead of using
the terminology of the nervous system, Chinese medicine considers disease, illness,
and symptoms as a disruption to Qi, Blood, Yin, Yang, the three treasures, and body
fluids which manifest in the organs, channels, and tissues.

Channels and Organs

There are 12 organs in Chinese medicine and each one has a corresponding
channel. It's important to distinguish that we can have problems in the channels and/or
problems in the organs themselves. They often end up impacting each other. For
example, the Lung channel runs through the outside of the elbow. Tennis elbow pain
would be considered a Lung channel problem whereas something like coughing or
emphysema would be a Lung organ issue.

If a problem is left unaddressed in the channel, it can affect the flow of Qi and
Blood into the organ. Likewise, if the organ is experiencing problems, the channel can
start to manifest symptoms such as trigger points, discoloration, loss of tone, loss of
sensation, etc. Whether you want to work on the channel or the organ, acupoints and
things like QiGong will help you access either one.
 Chinese Medicine Organs

There are 6 Yin organs and 6 Yang organs. Yin organs store vital substances, are
considered solid, and do not discharge. They revolve around Qi, Blood, Jing, Shen, and
body fluids. Yang organs transform food/liquid into Qi and Blood. They recieve,
transport, transform, digest, and excrete. They are the organs of digestion and do not
store. For this reason, they are considered hollow organs. Understanding the functions
of the organs will help you fit all the pieces previously discussed into place.

Yang Yin Element Color

Gallbladder Liver Wood Green

Small Intestine Heart Fire Red

San Jiao Pericardium Fire Red

Stomach Spleen Earth Yellow

Large Intestine Lunges Metal White

Bladder Kidney Water Blue or Black

Although the organs are separated into Yin and Yang, they still exhibit both
qualities. For example, the Liver stores Blood (a Yin quality) but is also responsible for
the smooth flow of Qi (a Yang quality). The Lungs are a Yin organ yet they govern Qi.
Remember, Qi is relatively Yang because it's immaterial while Blood is relatively Yin
since it's physical matter and has a nourishing effect.

Each organ has its own unique functions to fulfill in the ecosystem of the body.
Some functions will match the Western medical counterpart while others will not make
any sense if you view it from a Western mindset. For example, the Liver in Chinese
medicine is responsible for the storage of Blood. When you are not moving, Blood is
moved to the Liver. When you are more active, Blood is distributed outwardly. This is a
Chinese medicine function and not a Western physiology function.

At this point, the guide will be focusing on Chinese medicine theory for the organs.
If you have a background in Western anatomy and physiology, do your best to
disconnect and realize that you are dealing with a different codification system and that
certain functions will be given to different organs. This was tricky for me when I started
Chinese medicine school as I had taken several anatomy and physiology classes while
getting my bachelor of kinesiology. For the most part, many organ functions do mimic
their Western counterparts, but not all will fall in line.
 Below is a brief summary of the organs, their main functions, and associations.
There are more than I’ve listed here, but I’ve omitted things that are irrelevant to you at
this stage. It's also worth noting that each organ has specific interactions with other
organs. Sometimes 2, 3 or 4 organs are involved in producing the proper Yin/Yang, Qi
or Blood function. For this reason, several organs can produce the same symptom and
is why a pattern needs to be established in order to determine the true cause and origin
of a problem.

Yin Organs:

Organ Tissue Manifestation Face Emotion Climate

Lungs Skin Body Hair Nose Grief / Dry

Sadness

Spleen Muscles Lips Mouth Worry / Damp

Overthinking

Heart / Blood Complexion Tongue Joy Heat

Pericardium Vessels

Kidneys Bones, Head Hair Ears Fear Cold

Marrow,
& Brain

Liver Tendons Nails Eyes Anger Wind

In Chinese medicine, organs have structural and physiological processes that they
are responsible for. In the chart above, you see that the Liver is associated with the
tendons, nails, eyes, and anger. If someone has problems with their joints, nails, eyes or
the emotion of anger, we can infer that the Liver is experiencing a pathology. These act
as diagnostic tools to help identify which organs and channels have problems based on
the way they manifest on the exterior of the body and through your emotional state.

You’ll notice as well that “Climate” is a category. In Chinese medicine, climatic

factors can heal or damage an organ. For example, the Heart is associated with the fire
element, meaning that it is already hot and Yang. Adding more fire to fire pushes the
body out of balance. If you are a Yang person who tends to run hot, summer time (fire
element) will only amplify that leading to excess heat (Yang). In order to take care of
yourself, you would need to add the element of cold, helping to balance Yin and Yang.
 The Lungs are especially important when it comes to climatic factors. They are
considered the “delicate” organ and are the first to be hit when an external pathogen
attacks. You may have noticed that when it's dry or cold, your Lungs don’t feel good.
That is because the Lungs have a tendency towards dryness and therefore want a more
wet/moist environment to balance their natural predisposition. Learn to harmonize
yourself with the environment through these relationships.

Yin Organ Functions

Lungs
- Govern Qi & respiration
- Control the channels & Blood vessels
- Diffuse & descend Qi
- Regulate physiological activities

Spleen
- Transforms food/liquid to make Qi & Blood (Digestion)
- Controls ascending of Qi
- Controls Blood (keeps it in the vessels)
- Controls muscles & 4 limbs
- Root of post-heaven Qi

Heart
- Governs the Blood (Circulation & Menstruation)
- Controls Blood vessels
- Houses the Shen (Mind)
- Controls speech
- Controls sweat

Pericardium
- Protects the Heart
- Similar to Heart functions
- Strong role in menstruations

Liver
- Stores the Blood (Regulates menstruation & distribution)
- Smooth flow of Qi (impacts flow of all Qi)
- Impacts emotions & digestion
- Affected by stress & anger
Kidneys
- Stores Jing (Essence)
- Produces marrow (brain, spinal cord, and bones)
- Governs water
- Controls reception of Qi (grasps the Qi - deep breaths)
- Controls the Gate of Life (Source of fire for all organs)
- Root of pre-heaven Qi

In accordance with Yin and Yang as well as 5 element theory, there is a strong
relationship between organ pairs. For example, the Liver shows in the tendons, nails,
and eyes. Since its Yin/Yang and 5 element pair is the gallbladder, it will also be
represented in these tissues. Relationships get more complex than I’ve laid out here
and as you get more advanced in Chinese medicine theory, you understand how these
organs support each other to do their jobs.

Yang Organ Functions

Large Intestine
- Receives & transforms (extracts water from stool)
- Excretes Waste
- Letting go (releasing the past)

Stomach
- Controls receiving (intake of food)
- Origin of Qi & Blood (breaks down food)
- Transports Qi & Blood to body/limbs (fatigue occurs if you can’t extract nutrients)
- Controls the descending of Qi (sends food to small intestine)

Small Intestine
- Controls receiving & transforming (intake from Stomach)
- Separates pure/impure fluids
- Important for discernment, judgment, & decision making

San Jiao / Triple Energizer

- Mobilizes original Qi
- Controls transportation & penetration of Qi in other organs
- Acts as the irrigation system
- Controls passage & excretion of fluids
Bladder
- Transforms Qi (liquids) into urine
- The longest channel of the body

Gallbladder
- Stores & excretes bile (unique for a Yang organ)
- Extraordinary Yang organ (not directly contacting food/liquid or waste)
- Controls courage and ability to take action

Two Odd Organs

There are two organs here that may stand out as peculiar if you’re not familiar with
Chinese medicine. The Pericardium and Triple Energizer (SanJiao). The Pericardium is
the wrapping that exists around the Heart and acts as a bodyguard. It has similar
functions to the Heart but it plays an important role in protecting the Heart which is
considered the emperor organ. If a pathogen attacks the Heart, the Pericardium will act
as a barrier.

The Triple Heater is a bit trickier to explain. Its Western medicine counterpart could
be considered the fascia which is a connective tissue that wraps other tissues in the
body such as the muscles in order to keep everything separate yet together. It is an
organ that doesn’t exist in one place and acts like a power grid system in a city. It allows
for electricity to be delivered to all parts of the body.

A System of Systems

Many pathways exist that allow organs to communicate with each other that have
been codified. Chinese medicine pairs organs in different ways to help identify these
connections. Pairings can be made through various qualities such as their elemental
associations (Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, or Wood) or relative Yin/Yang qualities, while
others are location, name, and even time based.

No organ can work in isolation. These codifications help us understand how organs
function in relationship to each other. Every organ needs resources and information
from the rest of the system in order to be able to do their job. For example, if we have a
factory that produces cars, the final product is dependent on the resources and
relationships of many other factories, transportation systems, and humans.
 Let’s suppose that the car factory is producing a Ferrari. It has finished the entire
car, but the wheels have not arrived. It would make no sense to order more engines,
brakes, and labor if you’re limited by the wheels. You would need to call the tire factory
to determine if they are having shipping problems, manufacturing problems or a lack of
rubber to make the tires. Likewise, many organs come together to construct products in
your body and relate to each other for different parts of the process.

There are organs that act as subordinates, employees, bosses, and producers for
each other. Thinking about the organs this way will help you conceptualize the different
functions, why they’re there, and why there are so many ways to go about pairing
different organs, channels, and acupoints.

The 24 Hour Flow of Qi

There are 3 circuits of Qi in your body. They flow into each other to form a chain
among the 12 channels. Where one channel ends the starting point of the next channel
is very close. This allows for a circular flow of Qi throughout the body. If Qi is blocked in
one channel, the following channel may become affected. All channels must flow freely
in order to eliminate pain and disease

There are 2 hour blocks throughout the day that dictate where a surplus of Qi will
be. Qi and Blood are flowing constantly throughout the body, however, at certain times,
more will be present in a given channel relative to other times. This induces certain
bodily reactions. For example, the time from 5-7am belongs to the Large Intestine which
can explain why many people tend to have a bowel movement in the morning.

In Western medicine, we can think of this as the circadian rhythm which is a 24

hour cycle of hormones that are based on nature (the sun and the moon cycles). When
we have good circadian rhythms, our hormones function optimally leaving us with better
emotional, mental, and physical states. If this cycle is out of balance our entire body
goes out of whack.

The 3 Circuits of Qi:

Earth (3am-11am) Heaven (11am-7pm) Human (7pm-3am)

Lungs → 3-5am Heart → 11am-1pm Pericardium → 7-9pm

Large Intestine → 5-7am Small Intestine → 1-3pm San Jiao → 9-11pm
Stomach → 7-9am Bladder → 3-5pm Gallbladder → 11pm-1am
Spleen → 9-11am Kidney → 5-7pm Liver → 1-3am
 If you experience a particular symptom at a specific time, it may be related to the
channel or organ involved. For example, if you wake up consistently at 3am most
nights, you could investigate the Lungs channel as this is prime time for this channel.
Stimulating points on the Lungs channel, taking herbs for the Lungs, or doing White
Tiger QiGong could be a starting point to improving this symptom.

The Spirit of the Organs

There are 5 spiritual aspects to a person and each one resides in a specific organ.
Understanding how these relate to your own personality can help you to know where
you should give more/less attention. If you have difficulty thinking into the future, making
plans, or having goals, we could say you lack a strong ethereal soul which is housed in
the Liver.

The 5 Spirits:
Name English Organ Responsibilities/Functions

Hun Ethereal Soul Liver Ability to plan projects & long-term goals, and
impacts sleep. Lives on after the body dies.

Shen Mind Heart Memory, thinking, affection, consciousness, sleep.

Relates to anxiety, insomnia, & depression.

Yi Intellect Spleen Concentration, thinking, memory. Impacts ability

to study and learn.

Po Corporeal Lungs Impacted through sensations & feelings,

Soul especially sadness & grief. Dies with the body.

Zhi Will Power Kidneys Determination, will-power, drive.

If you have an excessive or deficiency in any of these, treating the channel or

organ through acupressure, acupuncture, herbs, or QiGong can be an effective way to
correct imbalances. When you find yourself lacking vision and planning ability for the
future, working on your Liver channel can be helpful. As the Liver relates to the eyes, it
can be said that those who lack the ability to “see long term” may have that manifest in
their vision in that they are nearsighted.

I’ve personally experienced near-sightedness during times of my life where I felt

lost and without purpose. As I become more clear on my goals and future, my ability to
see at further distances improves. This may sound crazy at first, but if you are in-tune
with your senses, you notice when they are not sharp. Food, screen time, & stress also
impact my vision and are addressed when I feel my vision is off.
 The Liver is just one of many factors that can impact your vision. When I wrote my
first book, How to Lose Weight Without Working Out or Counting Calories, I spent so
much time in front of a screen that my vision degraded significantly. After I finished, I
had to train my eyes and restore their ability to see at a distance. Part of that restoration
process was getting clear on what my next steps in life were and what I wanted to do.

Emotions of the Organs

Chinese medicine boils down emotions into 5 specific ones. Anger, joy,
pensiveness, sadness, and fear. Of course other emotions exist and interact together,
but these are the key ones that have been identified as directly impacting the organs.
Excessive emotions lead to changes in the Qi that generate negative effects by
disrupting the ability for Qi to flow properly.

Since these names (along with every term in this guide) are translated from the
Chinese language, sometimes more than one word fits the description. Chinese
characters hold several meanings and are highly dependent on context. Where we
might use the word sadness, grief, or depression as different concepts, the same
character can represent all three of these ideas. I put multiple words to capture the
essence of the emotion in order to provide more clarity.

Emotion and the Flow of Qi:

Emotion Impact on Qi Flow

Anger / Stress Raises the Qi

Joy Relaxes the Qi

Pensiveness / Overthinking / Worrying Knots / Stagnates the Qi

Sadness / Grief Consumes / Dissolves the Qi

Fear / Shock Descends / Scatters the Qi

When you have an emotional reaction, it can directly impact the corresponding
organ. However, if an organ is unbalanced (excess/deficient), this too can lead to the
emotion arising without necessarily having a trigger for it. For example, the Lungs are
related to grief and sadness. An external event like a death can trigger these emotions,
which can damage the Lungs. If, however, you have Lungs issues, this too can lead to
sadness and grief without an external trigger.
 Organs Emotions

Liver / Gallbladder Anger / Stress

Heart / Small Intestine Joy

Spleen / Stomach Pensiveness / Overthinking / Worrying

Lungs / Large Intestine Sadness / Grief

Kidneys / Bladder Fear / Shock

You may be wondering, how does joy cause a problem? A deficiency in joy can
lead to obvious problems like depression, anxiety, and apathy but an excess of joy can
cause Heart problems too. When someone engages in an activity like skydiving which
raises adrenaline, it can be too much stress on the Heart. Another example would be
drinking and drugs. Spending excessive time doing that can tax the Heart leading to
premature exhaustion of the organ from excessive joy and excitement.

Getting Rid of Bad Emotions

There are no bad emotions according to Chinese medicine. All emotions are
natural and there for a reason. When you have excessive emotions that you hang onto
and do not allow to move through, they become stuck and impact your flow of Qi and
Blood. If you experience anger often, you are likely damaging the Liver and those
emotions become stored there. Over time, this leads to chronic disease.

From a Western neuroscience perspective, reliving emotional experiences or

projecting them into the future will cause certain chemicals to be released in your body.
As you get angry, you feel your blood boiling, you get hot, and rage rises up. A cocktail
of hormones is released. When you hold onto past events with strong emotions and
relive them, your body is releasing those same hormones again and again, even though
your present state and situation doesn't demand them.

The inability to release emotions and past events is a major contributor to disease.
Working with Chinese medicine, acupoints, QiGong, and herbs helps to induce a calm
state in your body which activates the PNS (rest and digest) response. If you want to
heal from emotional pain, choose the organ/channel that best aligns with the emotion
you’re experiencing and then work on it.
 Identifying Your Organ/Channel Issues
It's time to put everything you’ve just learned together in order to help you come up
with a rough estimate of which organs & channels could use some attention. These are
basic guidelines that a Chinese medicine practitioner would use to diagnose a patient.
I’ve omitted two other aspects to a diagnosis, those being tongue and pulse. For a full
diagnosis, those two components need to be assessed as well. They are beyond the
scope of this book as physical training is needed. Please see a licensed professional if
you want a complete diagnosis.

Listed below are the most common signs and symptoms based on Yin/Yang, Qi,
Blood, organs, and channels. Remember, a collection of signs and symptoms create
what’s known as a Pattern. Chinese medicine has more complicated Patterns than I
have laid out below and some have been omitted in order for you to understand at a
beginner level without being bogged down by uncommon Patterns.

As you read the Patterns, note which ones contain issues you are dealing with.
The Yin/Yang, Qi, and Blood Patterns are more generalized. As you go over the organs,
more specific Patterns can be identified such as Liver Qi stagnation which pertains to
the impacts of Qi stagnation that particularly impacts the Liver. You can also have Lung,
Spleen, Heart, and Kidney Qi deficiency. The more specific you can be when identifying
your pattern, the easier it will be to choose acupoints or channels to work on.

Yin and Yang: Signs & Symptoms:

Yin Deficiency: Yang Deficiency:

Redness or heat, often worse in evening Feeling chilly / cold limbs

Night sweating Exhaustion

Dryness (mouth, skin, hair, nails) Listlessness (low energy/mood)

Constipation / Dry, hard stools Loose stools

Anxious, easily agitated Pale complexion

Thirsty No thirst

Scanty dark urine Clear & copious urine

Yin Excess: Yang Excess:
Chilly / Cold Feeling hot (possible fever)

Pale complexion Red complexion

Gradual onset of symptoms Burning sensation

No appetite Raised red skin eruptions

Feeling heavy Feeling restless / agitated / anxiety

Thirsty for hot drinks Thirst for cold drinks

Clear copious urine Scanty dark urine

Qi: Signs & Symptoms

Qi Deficiency
Fatigue Pale complexion

Weak voice Slight breathlessness

Poor appetite Slight sweating

Loose stool

Qi Stagnation
Distension in the abdominal region Irritable / Moody

Distending pain that moves Depression

Abdominal mass that appears & Sighing often

disappears

Qi Sinking
Feel bearing down pressure Prolapsing organs

Listlessness (low energy/motivation) Fatigue

Depression
Qi Rebellion
Spleen Prolapse & diarrhea

Stomach Nausea, hiccups, vomiting, or belching

Lungs Asthma or coughing

Liver Dizziness, headaches, irritability

Kidneys Asthma

Heart Insomnia, mental agitation

Blood: Signs & Symptoms

Blood deficiency
Dryness (skin, hair, nails, eyes) Blurry vision

Scanty or no menstruations Dull, pale face & lips

Depression Fatigue

Poor memory Numbness/tingling

Insomnia Dizziness

Blood Stasis
Fixed, stabbing pain Abdominal masses that are fixed

Dark face, purple lips & nails Painful periods with dark blood and clots

Blood Heat
Feeling hot Skin problems with red eruptions

Dry mouth Bleeding

When you understand the functions of Yin/Yang, Qi, and Blood as well as how they
relate to the individual organs, the tables above make a lot of sense. If a particular
function of Qi isn’t working, you are likely to experience problems related to those
functions. When you see signs and symptoms for an organ like the Liver, there are
many different sub-pathologies that exist. In order to make patterns in Chinese
medicine, you often combine the related Yin/Yang, Qi, and Blood symptoms with
specific organs. For example, one can have:
Liver Patterns (Pathologies)
Liver Qi Stagnation Liver Wind

Liver Yang Rising Damp Heat in the Liver

Liver Blood Deficiency Cold Stagnation in the Liver

Liver Yin Deficiency Liver Heat

Liver Blood Stasis Liver Fire

A trained professional is able to ask the right questions to differentiate a Liver

pattern in order to give a precise treatment. The ability to combine Yin/Yang with Qi and
Blood problems and then correlate them to the organs takes a lot of studying and
practice. Chinese medicine is not based on intuition but rather precise diagnostics
related to what the patient is experiencing.

What is listed below is a general grouping of symptoms that are commonly seen in
most patterns that pertain to a specific organ. It is by no means an exhaustive list of
possibilities. Oftentimes, the same symptom can appear in many different organ
patterns and not just in one organ. This is a simple list that will allow you to get a rough
idea of which channels/organs need your attention based on what you’re experiencing.
The more issues you have that are grouped under a particular organ/Yin/Yang/Qi/Blood
category, the more focus you should give to that organ or channel.

General Signs and Symptoms in Organs:

Liver
Rib side pain Feeling of a “lump in throat” that’s not
physically there, especially when swallowing

Breast distension/pain/tenderness Depression, moodiness, irritability

Sighing often Lack of planning, clarity in life, inspiration, or

purpose

Excessive anger/stress Headaches related to stress

Eye issues
Heart
Insomnia Anxiety or restlessness

Heart palpitations Dream disturbed sleep

Chest pain or oppression

Spleen
Poor appetite Loose stools

Abdominal distension Pensiveness

Obsessive thinking Worrying

Lungs
Shortness of breath Sadness, grief, guilt

Coughing Catches cold often

Weak voice Dislike of speaking

Kidneys
Low back or knee soreness/weakness Fear or shock
/pain

Nocturnal emissions (bed wetting) Lack of will-power

Cold hands and feet Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

These are the main organs and their most common pathologies. For a further
breakdown of organs and their corresponding Yin/Yang, Qi, and Blood pathologies, you
can refer to the appendix at the end of this book.

What Causes Disease?

There are three pathways for disease to manifest: External, internal, &
miscellaneous. External causes of disease come from the climates. Internal causes are
the result of emotions that are excessive and that are not allowed to pass through.
Holding onto grudges, reliving past traumas, and projecting fear of the future damages
the organs and disrupts their function. Lastly, we have miscellaneous causes which are
akin to lifestyle factors and genetics.
External Causes:
Wind Cold Fire Summer-Heat Dampness Dryness

Internal Causes:
Anger Joy Pensiveness / Worrying Sadness / Grief Fear / Shock

Miscellaneous Causes:
Genetics Exhaustion Excessive Poor Trauma / Parasites Incorrect
Sexual Nutrition Injury / Fungus / Treatment
Activity Poison

Fundamentally, all causes of disease impact the flow of Qi and Blood along with
the balance of Yin and Yang. In order to restore these, it would be wise to take a
two-fold approach. Firstly, you should do your best to remove the root of the problem.
Secondly, you should use a healing modality such as acupressure, acupuncture,
QiGong, herbs, cupping, diet and lifestyle modifications to help you restore the flow in
your channels. Working with a professional can help accelerate this process.

Health and disease are, for the most part, an accumulation of many small events
over a long period of time. Eating pizza once a month won’t kill you. But if you eat fast
food everyday, work a stressful job, skip your workouts, drink alcohol, and do drugs,
these add up over time. This is known as “death by 1,000 cuts”. A few cuts, scraps, and
bruises won’t kill you, but having 1,000 tiny little cuts over a long enough period will
bring down even the toughest warrior.

Building yourself into a strong and capable human through daily actions and habits
is what makes it possible to survive and even thrive through traumatic, one-off events. If
two people are in a car accident, who is more likely to survive as well as have a quicker
recovery. The one who eats well, trains, and is conscious of their health generating
behaviors or the person who does very little to take care of themselves?

“You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you
cannot have someone bear the sickness for you” - Steve Jobs.

You cannot outsource health and the discomforts you have to bear that are brought
on by poor lifestyle choices. They say that an ounce of prevention is worth 1lb of the
cure. Chinese medicine is a prevention based medicine. Don’t wait for a war to break
out before you start building your offense and defense. Likewise, you don’t want to wait
until you're sick to start taking care of yourself.
 External Causes of Disease
The immune system is under the control of a person’s Zheng Qi (upright Qi).
Zheng Qi extends beyond just the immune function as it does much more. One’s Wei Qi
(defensive Qi) also plays a role in defending you from external pathogens, also known
as Xie Qi. In western medicine, this would be a bacteria or virus entering and attacking
your body as the white blood cells and immune system fight them off.

“If Zheng Qi remains strong, Xie Qi cannot invade the body, Zheng Qi must be
weak when invasion of Xie Qi takes place”

Zheng Qi speaks to a person’s overall state of Qi as many different types of Qi are

involved. When you are in good health, your immune system is strong and you can
withstand external pathogens. If your immune system is weak, you are much more
vulnerable to an infection. Chinese medicine serves to strengthen your Zheng Qi and
Wei Qi in order to maximize your ability to fight off outside invaders.

Climatic factors tend to rise up during specific seasons. Heat during summer and
cold during winter are prime examples. Whichever organ is aligned with that season is
likely to be impacted. The Lungs are associated with Fall and don’t like excessive
dryness or cold. This is why flu viruses are most common in Fall and Winter as the
external conditions are not favorable for the Lungs. The Lungs are also likely to be the
first organ to be impacted by external pathogens as they are related to the skin which is
in immediate contact with the environment.

Understanding seasons is critical for good health and Qi flow. For example, if you
do excessive sauna sessions and tanning during the summer, you are accumulating a
lot of heat in your Heart which can lead to something like a heat stroke when taken too
far. During the Summer,, you may actually want to focus on cold showers and ice baths
to help balance out the Yang and keep it from over-accumulating in your Heart and
other fire organs.

Everyone has their own unique constitutional make up when it comes to all the
elements in their bodies. Some people are more fire while others are more water. It
would be a mistake to give a 1-size-fits-all plan because of this. Even if two people
come in for a similar treatment, their constitutional make up will play a role in their
prescription. A 20 year old, 250lbs man will likely receive a different treatment than a 60
year old, 100lbs female, even if they have similar symptoms.
 The more factors you can line up to aid your unique body characteristics and
lifestyle, the faster you will heal. In order to be healthy, you want to take preventative
measures during each season and through the transitions. One of the best things you
can do for yourself is to protect against the wind element. In order for heat, cold,
dampness, and dryness to enter your body, it needs to be carried in by wind.

Wind likes to attack the back of the neck, head, and the lower back. If you can
protect these vital areas throughout most of the seasons, you will reduce the impact of
Xie Qi (pathogens) being able to enter your body. Scarfs, turtle necks and tucked in
shirts will go a long way. Wind is also related to anger and stress, both of which can
weaken your immune system when they are excessive.

Internal Causes of Disease

Emotions accumulate over time leading to chronic illnesses. External pathogens
are much more sudden and acute while internal causes of disease tend to take years to
develop. When Qi and Blood doesn’t flow properly in the channels for long periods of
time, the tissue degrades and its function is impared. For example, if someone has
depression for a long time, their Lungs weaken. Since Lungs are vital for Qi creation,
fatigue can arise.

There are no bad emotions, only ones that are excessive and not allowed to move
through. Here’s the analogy I often tell my clients. Based on your genetics and lifestyle,
you have a limited capacity for trauma at any moment. That trauma can be physical,
mental, emotional, or spiritual. The easiest way to understand this is through the
physical dimension.

Imagine yourself as a human punching bag. If someone punches you in the arm
very lightly, nothing will happen because you have the capacity to absorb that trauma in
that moment. If someone punches you with 50% of their force, you might end up with a
bruise that takes 1 week to heal. That punch exceeded your ability to withstand the
impact and now it will take 7 days to recover from it.

If that same person punched a 250lbs male heavyweight boxer with 50% of their
power (the same impact), nothing would happen to the boxer as he has a much higher
capacity to absorb that trauma due to his training and probable size difference. This is
where genetics and lifestyle play a role in one’s ability to take physical trauma.
Everyone is affected by trauma differently, even if it's the same blow.
 Since we can’t visually see emotional, mental, or spiritual trauma most of the time,
what do we do? When a parent verbally abuses a child, that is the mental and emotional
equivalent to the physical trauma example from above. A child often has no real
emotional training to handle that in the way that a boxer who has prepared to take
punches has. This makes them more vulnerable.

When a person takes emotional, mental, and spiritual trauma as a child, it forms
their defensive/reactive patterns. Many adults handle their emotions, feelings, and
thoughts the same way they did as a child. Running away, eating pizza, or numbing
themselves with Netflix is a fair strategy that has worked for a lot of people, that is, until
it stops working because it has brought on disease and pain.

As a human, you have feelings and emotions that often get hurt. The urge is to
suppress these negative feelings by either numbing or avoiding them. This is the
strategy that many of us learned as children and I’m no exception. I used to avoid and
shut down my feelings immediately. Feelings of shame, guilt, anger, sadness, anxiety,
and depression are not bad. They are a signal to learn from and make adjustments.
Much like the fire alarm going off in the kitchen, if you ignore it, the fire doesn’t go away.

Ignorance to the problem doesn’t solve it. Just like physical damage, in order to
recover you need to allow the healing process to occur without interrupting it. If you
break your arm, you need to put on a cast and not use it for a few weeks/months. What
does that look like for emotional, mental, and spiritual healing? It can mean many
different things: therapy, meditation, divorce, dance, movement, QiGong, deep
breathing, or anything else that resonates with you. The key is to stop more trauma from
coming in (eliminating the root of the problem) while working through the emotions that
have already built up.

The challenge most people have is that they think these therapies and tools should
work instantly. You’ve likely tried deep breathing and meditation while you were stressed
out because someone said it would help. It probably wasn’t nearly as effective as it
could be because it wasn’t learned in a calm and safe environment. You didn’t have a
chance to practice before you were put in a live situation.

Imagine it's your first time seeing someone riding a bike. You think “WOW!” Look
how fast they’re getting to their destination. You say to yourself that that bike is a great
tool. One day, they lend you the bike in an emergency because you need to get across
town in 10 minutes. You jump on the bike and immediately fall, hurting yourself and not
getting any closer to your destination. Now you think the bike is stupid cause you got
hurt and it didn’t help you get to your meeting in time. This is a physical example of
exactly what's happening when you try a new modality like meditation, QiGong, or even
acupuncture.

The optimal time to learn and practice is not when your body is under stress. It's
like trying to learn how to throw a punch while in a real fight. You need to do drills,
practice your footwork, and hit a punching bag that is stationary first. Practically
speaking, this means having a peaceful environment and a guide that can help you.
Whether it's a live class, a video course, or a book, you will greatly benefit from having a
good resource.

Healing through Chinese medicine means learning to let go of emotions. Through

experiencing, acknowledging, and accepting them for what they are, you allow yourself
to clear blockages in your channels. If you choose to numb, avoid, or hold onto them
they get pushed down deeper into the body, eventually transforming into cancer, heart
attacks, strokes, or diabetes.

Remember how the SNS (sympathetic nervous system) and the PNS
(parasympathetic nervous system) impact your health? In order to achieve the healing
state of PNS emotions must be dealt with. Otherwise you keep pulling up moments from
the past that made you angry or upset which in turn trigger a SNS reaction. You may
also be projecting worry, anxiety, or fear about the future which also pulls you out of the
rest and digest state. Having consistent practices that bring you into the present
moment and allow you to be calm are important in your quest for health.

Miscellaneous Causes of Disease

Genetics and lifestyle also play an important role in your health. There is often the
question of nature vs nurture but in reality, both are important. You need to nurture what
nature gave you. If you have predispositions to certain diseases, the best thing you can
do is live a healthy life to mitigate the chances of those genes manifesting themselves.
How you play the cards life dealt you is as important as the cards themselves. Someone
could be born with the best genetics but if they don’t take care of themselves, they too
can become unhealthy.

You can’t know everything about your genetics and what you are susceptible to,
but you can do a lot to control your lifestyle. Francis Collins, the director of the National
Institutes of Health once said, “genetics load the gun, your lifestyle pulls the trigger”. No
matter what predisposition you may have, if you live a healthy lifestyle, that disease can
be delayed indefinitely. Focus on what you can control and the rest will take care of
itself.
 Exhaustion

Overwork and the art of staying busy has taken over Western society. It is
somehow become unacceptable to take time for yourself without seeming selfish. Yet, if
you don’t do that, your mind and body breaks down making it impossible to do your
work and take care of your responsibilities effectively. Sleep is the best medicine for
this. Avoid staying up late if possible (especially on weekends), aim for 7-8 hours every
night, and go to bed around 10pm.

Excessive sexual activity is said to drain your pre-natal essence. When a male
ejaculates, they release their Jing (essence). In turn, the body needs to produce more
sperm which taps into pre-natal Jing. The more often a male does this, the faster they
go through their Jing. When it comes to females, they will lose a lot of Jing during
pregnancy in order to create a child. To be clear, sex isn’t bad. Anything in excess is
bad and sex is no exception. However, it is an excellent way to boost mood and
stimulate the free flow of Qi when used well.

Nutrition

The food that you eat is the building block for every cell in your body. If you eat low
quality food, you will have low quality cells. In Chinese medicine terms, you will not be
creating good Qi and Blood, therefore, your organs and channels will not perform their
functions properly. If you have any digestive issues, removing processed foods, sugars,
and alcoholic drinks is a great place to start. Gluten, dairy, and raw foods can be difficult
for some people to break down properly so you may want to consider removing those
as well.

When you are unable to digest and absorb food properly, inflammation occurs in
your gut. This inflammation occurs for two primary reasons. Number 1, the food you are
eating is irritating your stomach lining because it's not healthy. Number 2, even if you’re
eating healthy food, your digestive system may be damaged and unable to absorb food,
leaving it to ferment in your intestines rather than getting absorbed.

You are NOT what you eat. You are what you can absorb. I suffered with IBS
(Irritable Bowel Syndrome) for years after getting food poisoning in China which
severely damaged my gut. Even though I was eating high quality organic food, I was still
experiencing gas, diarrhea, indigestion, and bloating on a daily basis. Something that
really helped me out was using a quality enzyme and probiotic.
 Your body has natural enzymes for digestion that should help break down the food
you’re eating. My natural digestive enzymes were very weak and I was unable to break
down food properly, even though it was good food. My gut microbiome was damaged so
I started taking a prebiotic and probiotic as well to help build up the good bacteria in my
digestive system.

When it comes to supplements, many of them are a waste of money. I know I’ve
spent thousands of dollars on well-marketed supplements with minimal results. How do
you know if you are getting quality supplements? I can almost guarantee that if you are
buying them from a local grocery store or pharmacy, they will not be high quality so
avoid that. Also avoid pills that are compressed rather than in capsules or powdered
form. Preservatives and glues are added to bind these pills making them harder to
digest and absorb.

Always listen to your body. If you’re taking a supplement, food, or anything and
your body has a negative reaction, it’s probably not good for you. If, however, you
experience better energy, digestion, and mood then they are likely working for you. I
personally use Masszymes and P3-OM from BiOptimizers. The code - Get10 - saves
you 10% on your order. Whichever company you decide to use, doing your own
research and testing is the best option rather than listening to the marketing..

Correcting Qi & Blood Flow to Heal Yourself

With your new knowledge, you are now ready to start applying Chinese medicine
to heal yourself. My Acupoints 101 guide goes in depth on over 100 acupoints that you
can use to correct Yin/Yang, Qi, Blood, Organ, and channel pathologies in order to
improve your health. The remainder of this guide goes into resources and tools outside
of acupressure and acupoints.

For more guidance on improving your lifestyle, my book - How to Lose Weight
Without Working Out or Counting Calories is an excellent resource. This book is much
more than a guide to losing weight. It helps you work through the physical, emotional,
mental, and spiritual barriers you have around food and taking care of yourself. This is
not a diet book, it is a guide to learning how to tune into your body in order to feel the
emotions that drive your actions.
 Heal Yourself with QiGong

QiGong is an ancient yet extremely powerful system of physical exercises,

meditations, and breathing techniques. Specific stretches and positions are practiced in
order to move Qi and Blood to the desired channels and organs. There are many
options to practice QiGong and over 3,000 forms exist. It is similar to yoga in its
concepts, but certain QiGong applications are more specific to Chinese medicine.

The practice of Medical QiGong targets organs and channels in order to restore
balance in your body. Instead of using needles or herbs, a QiGong practitioner does
specific movements with breathwork to send more Qi and Blood to the organ and
channel that needs help. This helps balance the Yin/Yang, Qi, and Blood in the body,
leading to the clearing of emotions as well as toxins.

Practicing QiGong is similar to exercising. When you do a push up, you target your
chest, shoulders, and triceps muscles. Likewise, a squat targets your legs (hamstrings,
butt, and quads). When you do targeted QiGong movements, you activate specific
channels and organs, helping to clear stagnation, move Qi and Blood, and promote
emotional release.

Moving your body into unique positions that open the channels while compressing
and expanding the organs to activate the entire channel is the goal, rather than
stimulating a specific acupoint. When coupled with your intention and proper breathing,
QiGong releases blockages and stagnation while returning the free flow of Qi. Targeting
the right channel and organ systems is important for accelerated healing.

Based on what you’ve learned in this guidebook, you can use the organ
correlations to give yourself a rough estimate of what you need to work on. For
example, if you find yourself dealing with grief and sadness, you can focus on the metal
element, Tiger QiGong animal form to help clear blockages from your Lungs channel. If
you have anger or stress challenges, you can work with the wood element, Leopard
QiGong animal posture.

QiGong also benefits your energy levels tremendously. Due to SNS activation and
lifestyle, most people only breath with 1/7th of their lung capacity. If you don’t take in
enough air, you limit the fuel source for post-natal Qi. QiGong incorporates extensive
breathing exercises to help strengthen the lungs and bring more oxygen in, thus
improving your metabolism and energy levels.
 Where to Start

Free QiGong videos and resources exist on the internet, however, I would
recommend following a well thought out system that can teach you everything in one
place. A lot of what you see online is actually a watered-down version of QiGong that
was designed for the masses and devoid of traditional spirit and wisdom. White Tiger
QiGong is straightforward and easy to learn. It fuses ancient Doaist QiGong with
modern anatomy and physiology to bridge Eastern and Western healing practices in a
coherent curriculum.

Another option is to start with my 15 Minute Qigong Routine. I teach you everything
you need to know in order to open your channels and to help Qi and Blood flow
properly. White Tiger also offers their 5 Element QiGong eBook for free so you can get a
sense of what QiGong is and how it can help you.

Self-Care

If you believe that your doctor, parents, spouse, kids, or coach cares more about
your health than you do, you’ve gone down the wrong path. If you’re giving away
responsibility for your health to someone else, I invite you to reflect on that proposition.
You can and should have guides helping you, but you must be the one who cares the
most, above everyone else. When you take 100% responsibility for your well-being, you
are able to find solutions and follow through.

If you want to heal, you need to take your hand off the fire and apply your own
medicine instead of ignoring the root issue. Imagine having a rock in your shoe that
causes you to walk with pain and a limp. If you take advil to mask the pain, your body
will start compensating as you develop knee, hip, and back problems. Instead of
masking the symptoms, I invite you to remove the rocks in your life.

Spend some time evaluating where you are in life and where you want to be. If
you’re not moving towards a reality that you enjoy, then you are moving towards the
opposite. Start making decisions today that will help guide you in the direction you want
to go. The first thing is to decide where you want to go and then work on how you’re
going to get there.
 Make Small Changes

Bob Flaws, a famous Chinese medicine practitioner, talks about the 3 free
therapies everyone can use: exercise, sleep, and diet. Exercise helps to move your Qi
thus improving blockages or stagnations. Sleep helps the body recover and recharge its
Yin while diet is the foundation for Qi and Blood creation. Taking small steps to improve
these 3 areas in your life will do wonders for your health.

Oftentimes, we find ourselves setting big goals when it comes to health. This is a
mistake. You cannot go from “A” directly to “Z”. You must take consistent steps on the
path. Setting small achievable goals is the best way to do this. Here are a few
examples.

- Going for a 10 minute walk in the morning.

- Drinking 1-2 cups of water upon waking.
- Reading a book before bed for 5 minutes.
- Going to a group workout class.
- Doing QiGong for 5 minutes everyday.
- Taking 5 deep breaths before eating your meal.

Once a small change starts becoming second nature, then you can add another
small change. Progressive movement towards health is much better than 1 week of
crazy intention followed by 6 months of nothing. You cannot take a 60 minute shower
and expect the results to last for a week. 5 minutes a day is what’s needed. Be realistic
in your goals and celebrate the small victories.

Add Joy & Play

The stagnation of Qi through unfulfilled desires, stress, and emotions leads to

dis-ease in the human body. In order to balance this out, you must ask: How much time
do I spend enjoying life and playing? If life has become something you dread waking up
to everyday, consider consciously adding things you enjoy to your daily or weekly
routine. Here are some ideas you can incorporate.

Listen to live music Dance Sing Journal

Practice gratitude QiGong Yoga Workout

Sex Acupuncture Acupressure Self-Massage

Draw Read Play chess Volunteer

 Instead of relying on substances like weed, alcohol, or caffeine to move your Qi
(which they do), you can use the suggestions above. When you live in constant
frustration, you become a ball of dense energy that feels heavy. Release yourself from
this by bringing more joy and play into your life.

What's Next

When you are ready to apply your new knowledge of Chinese medicine, check out
my Acupoints 101 guide. There, you will use everything you learned to pick points that
are customized to your unique needs. Whether you want to improve sleep, digestion,
emotions, or physical pain, you will know where to press and why you’re stimulating
each point.

Use the Patterns presented in the guidebook as well as in the appendix below to
identify which organs and channels you need to assist. For example, if you have stress,
rib-side pain, depression, irritability, and anger issues, you’re exhibiting a Liver Qi
stagnation Pattern. Using points to help move the Liver Qi will help alleviate those
symptoms. It is possible to have multiple Patterns at the same time such as Spleen Qi
and Lung Qi deficiency. Working both organs/channels at the same time is optional.

Appendix of Organ Specific Signs and Symptoms

Here is a short compilation of the most common Yin/Yang, Qi, and Blood
pathologies for specific organs. More patterns exist, but these are the ones you’re likely
to see in yourself. Many more Patterns and combinations of Patterns exist but they are
beyond the scope of this guide. Bob Flaws is an incredible resource when it comes to
Pattern identification and his books are insightful if you choose to go deeper into
Chinese medicine.

Yin Deficiency in Organs

Heart Yin Deficiency
Palpitations Insomnia

Poor memory Sleep disturbed by dreams

Heat in the hands and soles of feet Night time fever

Night sweats Dry mouth & throat

Restlessness Mental agitation

Kidney Yin Deficiency
Dizziness Tinnitus

Poor memory Insomnia

Soreness/Weakness of low back and Bed wetting

knees

Dry mouth Evening fever

Night sweats Dark urine

Liver Yin Deficiency

Dizziness Headaches

Blurry vision Dry eyes

Weak/Stiff joints Irritability

Rib-side/chest pain Irregular or scanty menstruation

Vertigo Tingling/Numbness of limbs

Stomach Yin Deficiency

Burning pain in stomach Empty/Uncomfortable feeling in stomach

Hungry but with low appetite Dry vomiting + hiccups

Dry mouth/throat Constipation or dry stool

Thirsty but no desire to drink

Lung Yin Deficiency

Cough that is unproductive or with small Cough with bloody sputum
amounts of sticky sputum.

Dry mouth and throat Horse voice and tickly throat

Evening fever Night sweating

Hot palms and soles of feet

Yang Deficiency in Organs

Heart Yang Deficiency

Palpitations Shortness of breath with exercise

Spontaneous sweating Low energy/motivation

Cold limbs Blue lips

Purple tongue

Kidney Yang Deficiency

Unhealthy, pale looking face Cold limbs

Sore/Weak low back and knees Impotence

Infertility Dizziness

Tinnitus

Spleen Yang Deficiency

Unhealthy, pale looking face Poor appetite

Fatigue Abdominal distension that's worse after

eating

Dull pain in the abdomen that improves Cold limbs

with warmth and pressure

Muscle weakness Loose stools

Edema
Qi Deficiency in Organs

Spleen Qi Deficiency
Unhealthy, pale complexion Emaciated/thin/fragile

Fatigue Low energy/motivation

Weak appetite Weakness in the muscles

Stomach distension / bloating Loose stools

Bruise easily

Lung Qi Deficiency
Weak cough Shortness of breath thats worse with
exercise

Clear sputum No desire to speak, low voice

Low energy/motivation Dislike of wind/drafts

Catches colds easily Spontaneous sweating

Heart Qi Deficiency
Palpitations Shortness of breath with exercise

Unhealthy, pale face Spontaneous sweating

Low energy/motivation

Kidney Qi Deficiency
Sore/Weak low back and knees Frequent urination (clear urine)

Weak urine stream, dribbling after Bed wetting, incontinence, or waking up

urination at night to urinate regularly

Men: Premature ejaculation or wet Women: Prolapsed uterus, chronic

dreams vaginal discharge
Qi Stagnation of Organs

Liver Qi Stagnation
Depression Moody / Irritable

Sighing often Rib-side distention or pain

Belching, stomach gurgling Poor appetite

Diarrhea Feeling of something in your throat

Difficulty swallowing Breast distension

Irregular menstruations and painful PMS

menstruation

Heart Qi Stagnation
Palpitations Distension or oppression of chest

Depression Sensation of lump in the throat

Weak & cold limbs Slightly purple lips

Pale complexion

Lung Qi Stagnation
Difficulty swallowing Sensation of lump in the throat

Chest distension or oppression Slight breathlessness

Sighing often Sadness/Grief

Slight anxiety Depressed mood

Blood Deficiency of Organs
Liver Blood Deficiency
Unhealthy, pale face Dizziness & vertigo

Insomnia Blurry vision, floaters in the eyes

Dry eyes or worse vision at night Muscle cramps or joint pain

Scanty menstruation or amenorrhea Brittle/Weak nails

Dry hair and skin

Heart Blood Deficiency

Palpitations Insomnia

Sleep that's disturbed by dreams Dizziness & vertigo

Poor memory Unhealthy, pale face

Pale lips Anxiety and easily startled

Blood Stasis of Organs

Liver Blood Stasis

Prickling rib-side pain Vomiting blood or nose bleeds

Painful or irregular menstruations Dark menstrual blood with clots

Abdominal pain Palpable mass on abdomen or ribs

Purple lips, nails, or face Dry skin

Heart Blood Stasis

Palpitations Stabbing pain in the chest, often refers
into shoulder and arm

Purple face, nails, and lips Cold limbs

Spontaneous sweating
Miscellaneous Patterns

Liver Yang Rising + Kidney Yin Deficiency

Dizziness Blurry vision & dry eyes

Numbness & tingling of limbs Headaches (top or back of head)

Outbursts of anger Dry throat

Insomnia, dream disturbed sleep Tinnitus

Heat in chest, palms, and feet Sore/Weak low back and knees

Night sweating Dry, difficult to pass stools

Scanty/Delayed menstruation Bed wetting

Gallbladder Deficiency
Dizziness Blurry vision

Nervousness Timid

Easily startled Lacking courage or initiative

Sighing often

Worms in the Small Intestine

Roundworms: Vomiting of worms, cold limbs, abdominal pain

Pinworms: Itch anus, often worse in the evening

Tapeworms: Constantly hungry no matter how much is eaten

Small Intestine Qi Pain

Sharp & acute pain in lower stomach Abdominal distension

Dislike of abdomen pressure Gurgling in stomach

Passing excess gas which relieves pain Pain in testicles that radiate to low back
Damp Heat in the Large Intestine
Blood & mucus in stool Abdominal pain

Stool that has a strong smell Yellow diarrhea

Loose & watery stools Burning sensation in the anus

Painful stomach cramps Heavy feeling in the body

Stuffiness of chest and abdomen Dark yellow urine

Damp Heat in the Bladder

Urgent & frequent urination Burning pain with urination

Dribbling post urination Turbid/Cloudy urine, deep yellow color

Blood or stones in urine Abdominal distension or back pain

Fever Thirst

Large Intestine Dryness

Dry stools or constipation Dry mouth and throat

References:

The Foundations of Chinese Medicine (3rd edition) by Giovanii Maciocia

Handbook of Oriental Medicine (3rd edition) by H.B. Kim
A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman, Mazin Al-Khafaji, & Kevin Baker
White Tiger QiGong Teacher Training by Master Tevia Feng
About the author

A health and wellness influencer by day and deep sleeper by night, Radoslav shares
knowledge to help you become happier and healthier. He has a Bachelor of Kinesiology,
a Chinese medicine diploma, and is a level 3 Lifestyle Coach under Paul Chek. Mixing
ancient wisdom and modern medicine in order to help people heal themselves is what
he loves.

While training Kung Fu and QiGong in China, he discovered the healing powers of
Chinese medicine & QiGong which prompted him to study the medicine on a deeper
level. He helps you become the best version of yourself through sharing foundational
knowledge of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. He focuses on teaching
you how to get to the root of your problems and to stop masking your symptoms. His
goal is to empower you to take responsibility for your own health and well-being.