To really understand how acupuncture works, it is necessary to become familiar with the basics of Chinese philosophy.
The philosophies of the Tao or Dao, yin and yang, the eight principles, the three treasures and the five elements are all fundamental to traditional Chinese acupuncture and its specific role in helping to maintain good health and a person’s well-being.
The Tao of Chinese Medicine
• Tao is a way of life, not a god or religion.
• Tao literally means "Way" or "Path", a trail on the journey through life, which conforms, to nature's own topography and timetables.
• Tao maps a path between heaven and earth, but a man must walk it on his/her own power.
• Tao points out that only a strong, healthy body can house a strong, healthy spirit, which is why Taoism focuses so strongly on health and longevity.
• It advocates that human should live in harmony with the great nature forces that formed us as well as our environment.
• To go against Tao is like trying to swim upstream against a strong current, sooner or later you will exhaust your energy, grind to a halt and be swept away by the cosmic currents of Tao.
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The Foundation of TCM
• Yin and Yang.
• Three Treasures: Jing (Essence), Qi (Vital force) and Shen (Spirit).
• Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
Yin And Yang
• In Tao Te Jing: The one gave birth to two things...
• Yin and Yang, perhaps the most ancient Chinese idea on record, remain intricately involved in the daily life of Chinese people today.
• Chinese doctors apply the system in diagnosing and treating patients.
• Chinese chefs balance ingredients and harmonize flavors according to their nature affinities.
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Three Treasures - Jing, Qi and Shen
• In Tao Te Jing: The one gave birth to two things, then to three things...
• Like Yin and Yang, the Three Treasures are distinctively different and yet entirely interdependent elements.
• Unlike the energies of Yin and Yang, which permeate both the inanimate and animate worlds, Essence, Energy and Spirit are associated with life, especially human life.
• They comprise the three fundamental levels of existence for all living beings: physical, energetic and mental.
• Along with Yin and Yang and the Five Elemental Activities, they form the theoretical framework for Chinese medical diagnosis and therapy, as well as Chinese martial arts and meditation. To go against Tao is like trying to swim upstream against a strong current, sooner or later you will exhaust your energy, grind to a halt and be swept away by the cosmic currents of Tao.
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The Five Element Theory - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal & Water
• The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing) states, “The Five-Elemental Activities of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water encompass all phenomena of nature. It is a symbolism that applies equally to man.”
• Chinese physicians use a combination of Yin/Yang and the Five-Elemental Activities to diagnose the cause, and to chart the course of disease and debility, as well as to prescribe appropriate remedies.
• This is a basic tenet of Taoism that the same primordial principles that govern the universe at large also run through each and every part of it according to the same pattern.
• Chinese doctors view the human body as a microcosm of the universe, and make no distinctions between “nature” and “human nature”, as opposed to Western dualism, which isolates man from his/her roots in nature.
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