Chinese Medicine
-
Five Misconceptions About the History of Chinese Medicine
Has Chinese medicine remained unchanged for two thousand years? Has acupuncture always been its central therapy? Discover five widespread misconceptions and see how a closer look at history transforms our understanding of the classics and their clinical relevance.
-
The Breath as Clinical Method: A Practical Guide
“May not the space between heaven and earth be compared to a bellows?’Tis emptied, yet it loses not its power;’Tis moved again, and sends forth air the more.” Dao De Jing, Chapter 5 The Neijing establishes the principle that the same forces governing the cosmos operate within the human body. The image of the bellows,…
-
Shaoyin – Keeper of Mysteries of the Universe
A key to understanding Chinese medicine lies in the foundational concept of the human body as a microcosm of the universe. This correspondence between cosmic forces and human anatomy and physiology is articulated in a beautiful passage of the Neijing, Lingshu chapter 71: Heaven is round, the earth is square. Man’s head is round, his…
-
Out With the Old, In With the New: The Properties of Da Huang and Mang Xiao
In the Shennong Bencao Jing, the foundational ancient Chinese materia medica, three herbs are credited with the profound function of “removing the old to bring about the new” (推陳致新). While the logic behind this function is seemingly simple, its implications, both physiological and emotional, are often overlooked. When there is accumulation or obstruction, movement cannot…
-
Li Zhong Wan – Strength for Rising after a Bad Fall
Rehabilitation can be a complicated and often lengthy journey. It involves addressing not only the physical challenges—such as tissue damage, compromised physiological functions, lingering effects of injury, trauma, surgery, or debilitating illness—but also the emotional components that accompany these experiences. These emotional aspects are crucial to the healing process and can significantly influence outcomes. The…
-
“Qiological” Podcast with Hila & Orit
Hila Yaffe & Orit Zilberman had a fascinating conversation with Michael Max, the host of “Qiological” podcast. The conversation started in a discussion about the use of Ren-1 and Orit & Hila’s course in TCMAcademy , and evolved into much more! In Michael’s words: “Listen into this discussion on both the trauma and healing that…
-
Overcoming life’s challenges with a little help from chai hu
Chai Hu is a commonly used herb, associated with febrile diseases as well as with mental and physical manifestations of liver qi stagnation. Its classical description and uses reveal insights into its broad scope of its actions, offering guidance for the proper ways to use it. According to the Shen Nong Bencao Jing: Chai Hu…
-
Acupuncture is much more than point functions
In the past few years I have turned to Orit Zilberman for her knowledge and expertise in treating women who suffer from vaginal pain and discomfort. During our conversations we often discussed stories that women shared with us of traumatic experiences of treatments they had undergone in intimate areas of the body. In most of…
-
Tao He Cheng Qi Tang: The Mind-Body Connection
We often speak of blood stagnation in terms of physical obstructions, circulatory problems and damaged tissue. We often speak of the tai yang conformation in terms of external pathogens that need to be expelled from the body using sweating as the main treatment strategy. So why are formulas that treat blood stagnation mentioned in relation…
-
The Force of Harmony – Gui Zhi Tang
Gui Zhi Tang is the first formula described in the Shanghan Lun, and the most diverse. It is repeatedly mentioned in the text in relation to different clinical applications. It is often associated with the tai yang classification of disease, linking it to diseases of external pathogenic wind manifesting in fever, chills, body aches and…