What is the force within us that heals? Where is it located? How do we diagnose it when compromised? How do we best regulate it with minimal intervention? These are the questions rooted at the heart of Chinese medicine: How do we awaken the central healing forces to promote the true healing of heart, mind, body and spirit?

Chinese medicine and acupuncture, when applied with awareness and intention, can be powerful instruments in not only treating symptoms and healing disease, but in realigning people with their true nature; that which they are at the essence of their hearts.

What makes Chinese medicine even more distinct than its needles and herbs and their healing capacity, is its metaphysics (assumptions about reality), epistemology (ways of acquiring knowledge), and ideology (system of beliefs and values), all of which find their expression in the Daoist imperatives of preserving life and living in accord with nature.

To the extent that we learn to live in harmony with nature, each other and the earth, we have health, vitality, wisdom, purpose and contentment. To the extent that we do not, we suffer.

“ Heaven, Earth, and I are living together, and all things and I form an inseparable unity”. — Chuang Tzu

Chinese medicine transcends the illusion of separation. The ancient Chinese imagined themselves as part of one unbroken wholeness, called Dao. It is both the unity of all things, and the way the universe works.

The ancient Chinese did not dissect the mind from body, or man from nature. They understood all symptoms as part of one whole, and understood one symptom in relation to that whole. Caring for the human spirit was no less essential or real than caring for the human structure, nor separate from it.

Eastern philosophy is based on the premise that all life occurs within the circle of nature. Nature is one unified system, the Dao, within which there are polar aspects (the yin and the yang) that describe duality, and within which there are cyclical patterns (the 5 elements) that describe the process of transformation.

Sustained by the nourishment of Earth, and transformed by the power of Heaven, humanity cannot be separated from Nature — we are Nature, manifest as people, and we are propelled by the same elements that propel nature.

Out of Oneness emerges Yin and Yang. The doctrine of Yin and Yang is a symbolic representation that describes the world in terms of polar forces and opposite phenomena. The poles of a unified whole revolve around cycles of “one” opposing “the other”, and “one” becoming “the other”. Heat and cold oppose one another, but the summer heat also becomes the winter cold.

“ Where there is up, there is down; where there is left, there is right; where there is front, there is back; where there is surface, there is interior. Every beautiful act is necessarily matched by evil; every moment of ease by difficulty; every impulse of joy by spurts of anger; every cold spell by waves of heat; and the light of every day by the darkness of night. Such is the nature of the paired world. Yin is paired with Yang, life is paired with death, and there is nothing in this world that exists outside of the pairing of polar opposites.” — Chapter Jiyi (Basic concepts)

As modern practitioners, we understand the concept that the body also has opposing states, and is locked in an eternal dance that seeks balance, harmony and integration. By balancing the yin and the yang, stability and oneness prevail.

The five elements are a representation of the five fundamental powers that describe the process of transformation through life. These are conception, birth, growth, decline, and death.

All observations through the cycle of life are referenced to the symbolism and energetic patterns of water (origin of life), wood (birth), fire (growth), earth (maturation), and metal (death).

Based on the assessment of the five-element qualities (rather than structure), the five-element system acts as a point of reference for the assessment of nature that exists in the domains of mind, body, and spirit, and reflects the dynamic movement of dao inherent in any given situation.

Each of the five elements is associated with a season, colour, sound, odour, emotion, and virtue. In recognizing which of these associations predominates an individual’s self-expression and pattern of disease, a practitioner may assess the relative balance of the five elements in each patient.

Our integrity and vitality in life depends on the rhythm of each of the five elements within us, regulating our process through waking and sleeping, activity and rest, arousal and inhibition, and life and death.

Qi and Blood are the basic substances of the body. They contribute to the maintenance of life activity and are mainly derived from the essential substances of food, air and water.

Like water, Blood is a soft, yielding substance that takes on the form of its container. Moist and dense, it is the medium that feeds the skin, tissues, sinews, organs and brain with nutrition and hydration. Blood maintains life by nourishing the body and by providing the basis for consciousness. Blood keeps us present in the here and now. Note how severe blood loss results in the loss of consciousness.

Like fire, Qi is insubstantial, mobile, changeable… a catalyst for movement and transformation. Qi maintains life by keeping the body active and warm, providing the basis for immunity, digestion, respiration, circulation and reproduction. So long as there is warmth and movement (Qi), we know the person is alive.

Qi and blood can be summed up in the difference that lies between “being” (Blood) and “doing” (Qi). They are as inseparable as Yin and Yang. In order to maintain life, the Qi (Yang) must move the Blood (Yin).

A lack of activity leads to the stagnation of Blood, and a loss of blood leads to the scatter of Qi. This in turn leads to degeneration and disease, just the same as when bedridden people develop bed sores, or when anemia leads to fatigue and emaciation.

What does it mean to have one’s heart awakened? To have “heart”? To wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve? To put one’s heart into action? To get to the heart of the matter? The amount of expressions associated with it makes it clear how important the Heart is to our existence.

The Heart is the organ that animates us, gives us joy, allows for our expression and provides purpose. A well-functioning Heart empowers us to respond freely and spontaneously to each new situation in life, unimpeded by the mind’s interpretation of events. The Heart allows us to acknowledge our true nature, and provides the capacity to be intimate and passionate. It allows the connection to spirit and its expression through us. It is the grounding place of consciousness and awareness.

The Heart is considered to be the Emperor (or Empress) of the body. So long as the Emperor is sound and healthy, so will its kingdom be. The Heart must rule and the mind must follow.

The circulation of Qi and Blood begins with the Heart organ. Through the circulatory system, our entire being is in touch with: the spirit of the Heart - that which animates us; and with the function of Blood - that which provides conscious-awareness. Being the only organ that reaches and permeates every cell in the body through its veins, arteries, and capillaries (which are extensions of the Heart organ), all illness may be considered the indication of having lost touch with the truth in one’s “heart of hearts”.

Acupuncture involves the placement of thin needles in specific energetic points on the body to awaken the central healing forces within. The traditional Chinese medical concept of using acupuncture as a therapy is known to be a technique that energizes the flow of Qi (pronounced “chee”), balances the yin and the yang, nourishes blood, uplifts the spirit, calms the mind, opens the heart and supports the proper functioning of the organs and tissues.

Herbal Therapy involves the use of ancient knowledge in the preparation of herbal formulas that are prescribed specifically for your needs. Herbal supplements have the ability to tonify and move Qi and blood, eliminate pathogenic factors that cause ailments in the body (such a cold, heat, wind, dampness and dryness), and treat a variety of illnesses including mental, emotional and physical issues.

Fire Cupping involves the placement of glass cups suctioned to specific muscle groups on the body in order to improve Qi and blood circulation, ease tension and relieve pain. Fire cupping is also beneficial to treat asthma, coughing and wheezing by opening the lungs with a special technique called “flash cupping”.

Moxibustion is a therapy that involves the burning of the herb mugwort on particular acupuncture points on the body. Moxibustion can dredge meridians and regulate Qi-blood, and has been used to prevent and cure diseases for more than 2500 years. It is used to treat chronic pain, to expel cold and dampness in the body, as well as to assist in turning a breech baby.

Gua Sha is a therapy that involves scraping the skin with a massage tool to improve circulation of Qi and blood within the muscle and tissues. This helps stimulate new oxygenated blood flow to the areas, promoting metabolic cell repair, regeneration, healing, and recovery. Gua Sha is also a technique used to treat headaches, and common colds.

Dietary Therapy involves the recommendation of avoiding and/or including certain foods in the diet in order to treat and/or prevent disease. The traditional Chinese concept of using diet for healing aims to maintain the balance of yin and yang in the body, heal the digestive tract, and promote optimal nutrition absorption required for healthy function of the body and organs.