2.4 Traditional Chinese Medicine 4 中医 4. mp4

Summary

This lecture delves into Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), contrasting it with Western medicine through its holistic approach and theories of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. It explains the Five Elements theory, which associates elements like wood, fire, earth, metal, and water with natural phenomena and human health. The lecture also touches on the concept of 'Qi', vital for life and health, and its functions in the body. It concludes with a teaser for upcoming lessons on TCM diagnosis and treatment.

Takeaways

• 🌿 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views health and disease from a holistic perspective, different from Western medicine.
• 🔄 TCM emphasizes balance between Yin and Yang, and imbalance can lead to illness.
• 🌐 The Five Elements Theory is a fundamental concept in TCM, representing the base materials of the natural world: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
• 🔄 The sequence of the Five Elements follows a 'promotion' order, where each element fosters the next, and a 'control' order, where each element restrains another.
• 🌱 Wood is associated with the liver and the emotion of anger in TCM.
• 🔥 Fire is linked to joy, Earth to contemplation, Metal to grief, and Water to fear, reflecting the connection between elements and human emotions.
• 🌱 The holistic view in TCM suggests that humans should adapt to natural cycles and seasons, such as avoiding yang-rich foods in spring to prevent 'shanghua' or heat symptoms.
• 🍽️ Diet and climate are closely related in TCM, with different foods recommended for different solar terms to maintain health.
• 💪 'Qi' is considered the vital energy or life force in TCM, essential for the body's functions and maintaining life.
• ⚖️ Qi has multiple functions in the body, including promoting movement, warming, defending against pathogens, securing the body's integrity, and transformation.
• 📚 The next lesson will cover diagnosis and treatment methods in TCM.

Q & A

What is the fundamental difference between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western medicine?

TCM differs from Western medicine by explaining physiological phenomena and pathological changes from the theory of Yin and Yang and the five elements, and it also has a holistic view towards a person's disease, emphasizing disease prevention.

What is the concept of Yin and Yang in TCM?

In TCM, Yin and Yang represent the balance within a person's body. If there is an imbalance between Yin and Yang, the person is likely to develop illnesses.

What are the five elements in TCM and what do they represent?

The five elements in TCM are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. They represent the five base materials that make up all things in the natural world.

How does the concept of Metal in the five elements relate to its characteristics in TCM?

In TCM, Metal is characterized by change and is extended to represent all things that have the function of cleaning, purification, and astringency.

What is the promotion order of the five elements in TCM?

The promotion order in TCM is Wood promotes Fire, Fire promotes Earth, Earth promotes Metal, Metal promotes Water, and Water promotes Wood.

How is the overcoming order different from the promotion order in the five elements?

The overcoming order is Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, and Metal overcomes Wood.

How does TCM associate the five elements with the human body?

In TCM, Wood is associated with the Liver, Fire with the Heart, Earth with the Spleen, Metal with the Lungs, and Water with the Kidneys.

What are the five emotions associated with the five elements in TCM?

The five emotions associated with the elements are Anger with Wood, Joy with Fire, Contemplation with Earth, Grief with Metal, and Fear with Water.

What is the holistic view in TCM regarding a person's relationship with nature?

In TCM, the holistic view suggests that man is an integral part of nature and should adapt to changes in climate, regulate spiritual activities, daily food, and living habits.

How does TCM explain the concept of 'Qi'?

In TCM, 'Qi' is considered the fundamental substance constituting the universe and the human body. It is essential for maintaining life and has functions such as promoting movement, warming, defending, securing, and transformation.

What is the significance of the 24 solar terms in TCM, especially in relation to diet?

The 24 solar terms in TCM are significant for understanding what kind of food is suggested for people to eat in different seasons, aligning with the principles of growth and storage to prevent diseases.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

This paragraph introduces the fundamental concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emphasizing its holistic approach and the theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. TCM views health as a balance between Yin and Yang and associates the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) with various aspects of life and health. The speaker explains the characteristics of each element and how they relate to one another in a cycle of generation and overcoming. The Five Elements are linked to different organs in the body, with Wood corresponding to the liver, for instance. This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of TCM principles.

05:03

🔥 The Five Elements and Their Impact on Emotions and Health

The second paragraph delves into the relationship between the Five Elements and human emotions, as well as their influence on health. Each element is tied to a specific emotion: Wood to anger, Fire to joy, Earth to contemplation, Metal to grief, and Water to fear. The holistic view of TCM is further elaborated, suggesting that humans should adapt to natural cycles and changes in climate, which includes dietary adjustments to prevent diseases like 'shanghua' or 'spring fever.' The concept of 'Qi' is introduced as a vital life force, with various functions including movement, warming, defense, securing, and transformation. The speaker uses the example of teachers speaking extensively to illustrate how Qi can be depleted, leading to fatigue.

10:03

📚 Conclusion and Preview of Upcoming Lessons

The final paragraph concludes the current lesson and provides a preview of what will be covered in the next session, which includes diagnosis and treatment methods in TCM. The speaker thanks the audience for their attention and signs off with a goodbye, indicating the end of the lecture.

Keywords

💡Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a system of medicine that originated in China and has been practiced for thousands of years. It is based on the belief that the body has a vital energy, or 'qi,' flowing through it and that health is achieved by maintaining the balance of this energy. In the video, TCM is discussed as a holistic approach to health that differs from Western medicine by considering the balance of 'yin' and 'yang' and the five elements theory.

💡Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang are fundamental concepts in TCM that describe how opposite or contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate. In the script, it is mentioned that an imbalance between Yin and Yang can lead to illness, emphasizing the importance of balance in maintaining health.

💡Five Elements

The Five Elements theory is a concept in TCM that describes the universe as being composed of five basic elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. These elements are used to explain the complex interrelations of phenomena, including the functioning of the human body. The script explains how these elements are related to each other in a cycle of 'mother-child' relationships, influencing health and disease.

💡Metal

In the context of the Five Elements theory, Metal is one of the elements and is associated with minerals and metallic substances. It is characterized by change and is related to the function of cleaning, purification, and astringency. The script mentions that Metal is derived from the Earth, illustrating the connection between the elements.

💡Wood

Wood is another of the Five Elements and is associated with plants, flowers, grasses, trees, and grains. In TCM, Wood is linked to the liver and the emotion of anger. The script explains how Wood promotes Fire, as bending or burning wood can create fire.

💡Water

Water is one of the Five Elements and represents the various forms and characteristics of water. It is associated with the emotion of fear and is connected to the kidneys in TCM. The script mentions that Metal promotes Water, as melting metal results in water.

💡Fire

Fire is an element in the Five Elements theory and is related to heat. In TCM, Fire is linked to the heart and the emotion of joy. The script explains how Fire promotes Earth, as burning things turns them into ashes, which become soil.

💡Earth

Earth is one of the Five Elements and is associated with soil and land. It is linked to the spleen and the emotion of contemplation in TCM. The script describes how Earth is promoted by Fire and promotes Metal, as metals are found in the soil.

💡Qi

Qi is the vital energy or life force that flows through all living things in TCM. It is considered the most essential substance that forms the human body and maintains life. The script discusses the five functions of Qi, including promoting movement, warming the body, defending against pathogens, securing the body, and transformation.

💡Holistic View

The holistic view in TCM considers the human body as an integral part of nature, emphasizing the need to adapt to environmental changes and regulate lifestyle factors such as diet, emotions, and habits. The script gives an example of how eating certain foods in spring can prevent 'shanghua' or 'fire' symptoms, illustrating the connection between diet, climate, and health.

💡24 Solar Terms

The 24 Solar Terms are a traditional Chinese system for dividing the year into 24 periods, each about 15 days long. These terms are used to guide agricultural practices and are also relevant to TCM for understanding dietary recommendations and health practices according to the seasons. The script mentions that future topics will discuss the relationship between the solar terms and suggested foods for different times of the year.

Highlights

TCM differs from Western medicine by explaining physiological phenomena and pathological changes through Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory.

TCM emphasizes a holistic view and disease prevention.

Yin and Yang should be in balance in the body; imbalance leads to illness.

The Five Elements Theory relates to the five base materials making up the natural world.

Metal is associated with change and purification.

Wood represents all plants and is linked to growth.

Water symbolizes various forms and characteristics of water.

Fire pertains to heat and is associated with energy and transformation.

Soil refers to things with the nature of soil and land.

The sequence of Wood, Fire, Soil, Metal, and Water represents the promotion order or mother-child relation.

Wood promotes Fire, Fire promotes Soil, Soil promotes Metal, Metal promotes Water, and Water promotes Wood.

The overcoming order is Wood overcomes Soil, Soil overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, and Metal overcomes Wood.

The Five Elements are connected to organs and emotions in the human body.

Wood is linked to the liver and the emotion of anger.

Fire is associated with joy, Soil with contemplation, Metal with grief, and Water with fear.

TCM's holistic view considers humans as integral parts of nature, adapting to climate changes and regulating lifestyle.

Example given: In spring, avoid food with too much Yang to prevent 'Shanghua' or pimples.

Chi is the fundamental substance constituting the universe and human life according to TCM.

Chi has five functions: promoting movement, warming, defending, securing, and transformation.

Next lesson will cover diagnosis and treatment methods in TCM.

Transcripts

hello everyone welcome to China overview

today we'll continue to talk about

traditional Chinese medicine TCM is very

different from Western medicine because

it explains a person's physiological

phenomena and pathological changes from

the theory of in and Young and the five

elements and also it has a holistic view

towards a person's disease and also

emphasize their own the disease

prevention and in the previous hour we

talked about the Ing and the young and

speaking of Ing and young according to

the TCM the Ing and the young should be

in balance in the person's body if this

imbalance between Ian and young than the

person would certainly has illnesses and

today we'll continue to learn another

important element in traditional Chinese

medicine that is the five elements

so we have covered the basic theories

and then we focus on the five elements

the five elements Theory relates to

Concepts that were developed over time

in the daily life of the people of

ancient China the five elements are

the theory house that there's five

elements are the five base materials

which make up all the things in the

natural world so let's see some more

details of the five elements the first

one is metal metal refers to all

metallic minerals such as gold silver

copper iron and The Ting in ancient to

China it was said that metal is

characterized by change the meaning of

matter is therefore the extended to all

things that have the function of of

cleaning purification and astringency

all of these are therefore encapsulated

in a category of matter now let's see

what comes next

the next element is Ood and UD

represents all plants such as flowers

grasses trees and the grains

and then we have the set element water

water

refers to the various forms and the

characteristics of water

so the fourth element is a fire fire of

land represents all things that pertain

to heat the last element is the soil

soil refers to the category of things

that have the nature of soil and the

land so you might ask what's the

relationship between the five elements

now let's see the five elements in TCM

are mentioned in a sequence of Ood fire

soil metal and the water this is a

sequence was decided according to the

promotion order or the mother child

relation let's see the details now the

promotion order so would promote

Sapphire because we can understand that

this relationship in this way because if

you bend the wood then you have the fire

the next fire promotes soil why fire

promotes the soil we can understand in

this way because if you burn things then

the ashes will become soil that's why we

say fire promotes soil and then soil

promotes metal because tomatoes were

found in a soil in the earth so we say

soil promotes metal

and then Mato promotes water because if

you melt the metal then you get water

and water promotes odor because if you

water the wood the plants would grow

better and better so that's the

promotion order between the five

elements and then let's see the

Christian order between the five

elements would richen the soil and soil

restaurant water I think this port is

easier to understand right and the fire

regions matter and metal Christians Ood

so these are the Russian order between

the five elements now look at the table

of Correspondence among the five

elements nature and the human body so we

can see that in the traditional Chinese

medicine we use the wood to connect the

wood with the liver and we also used to

connect with the Ai and let's see the

five emotions so

UD is associated with emotion angry and

fire is associated with emotion joy and

the soil is associated with

contemplation and the metal is

associated with grief and the water is

associated with the fear and I would

like you to pay special attention to

this part

so because when we are diagnosing a

patient's disease we will need to use

these things or methods and just now I

also mentioned the holistic view so

according to the holistic view in the

traditional Chinese medicine man is an

integral part of nature it involves

adapting the body to changes in the

climate and the regulating spiritual

activities daily food and the clothing

and the living habits so how can we

understand that that is to say I'll give

you a very simple example for example

now when I'm teaching this lecture it's

the springtime and in the springtime

it's regarded that the yangti is on the

rise so when you are eating food you

need to avoid the food which might

contend too much young in this food

because if you eat too much food

contains young and then you might have a

kind of symptom which Chinese people say

frequently that is you might suffered

from shanghua right and if you suffered

from Shang well you will see some

pimples on your face so this is an

example between the relationship of the

food and the disease so that's why we

say that we need to obey the rules and

the principles of Heaven and the nature

and it's end it's adapted to the rules

of growth and the storage so as to

realize to prevent diseases and to keep

a feed and speaking of the relationship

between diets and the weather or the

climate the more details will be

discussed in the future topics that is

the 24 solar terms in the 21st solar

terms that part will get to know what

kind of food is suggested for people to

eat in different solar terms that is GHC

so that's for the holistic View and then

let's see the chi thing see is also

something many foreign students might

find it very hard to understand because

Chinese people always say

so what is chi now let's see here

there's a Chinese saying that states

human lives on a mouth of chi to judge

whether a man was dead or not people put

a piece of cotton by his nose if the

cotton didn't move it meant the person

she was exalted and that he was dead and

let's see some more information about

she is the fundamental substance

constituting the universe or phenomena

with the results of the changes and the

movements of tea according to TCM Chi is

the most essential substance that forms

the human body and the maintenance of

our life

so let's see the five functions of C the

first function is the function of

promoting the movement of the blood or

the of the things in the human body and

the function of warming for example we

say that if a person is that is that she

and the blood is not adequate then this

person is easily to feel cold he might

need to wear a coat in summer because he

or she lacks tea and a defensive

function that is if the t is enough we

have good C and the bad Chi if the good

she is enough in your body then the bad

C cannot enter your body so you might

not get a cold or have a disease but if

the good at Sea is not enough in your

body then the baddesty might enter your

body and then you might have illness and

the function of securing in the can

intending that is to save our body or to

secure our body right and a function of

transformation so with t t can be

transformed or can take things to

different vessels so you know things

like that and I'll give you another

example for example if a person speaks a

lot then it's regarding that that c is

used up so you will find that the

teachers usually have the symptom of

fatiguez because they they speak too

much so that she is not enough yeah and

in the next lesson we will learn the

diagnosis and the treatment of a

traditional Chinese medicine so that's

all for today's lesson and thank you for

watching see you next time goodbye