VITALISM
Vitalism in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Donna Eddy | BHS TCM , Grad Dip Counselling & Psychotherapy , Dip HSc , CIV Pilates , CIV Workplace Training & Assessment , Cert Paediatric Shonishin & Shiatsu , Certificate Electromyography & GemT Dry needling , Certified Z-Health
I trained in TCM through the University of Technology Sydney ( UTS ), finishing my studies ( which I would more affectionately refer to as more of an introduction ) from 2001-2004 , and culminating in an eye-opening six weeks in China , just on the border of the capital of Beijing . My attraction to oriental lifestyles and history was solidified with these studies , as well as my immersion in martial arts . For lack of a better description , it all ‘ made sense ’.
I ’ d like to add a disclaimer to my training and this article , to be sure to give it just acknowledgement . Although I trained in TCM , my clinical practice has had a very Western focus on musculoskeletal therapies and corrective exercise . Before dry needling was a ‘ thing ’, my journey along the orthopaedic and pain management path was well and truly set . That said , my affinity with the holistic and the integrative nature of TCM methods , theory , treatment and practices ( including and not limited to meditation , breath work , diet and exercise therapy and lifestyle ) has always been strong and I ’ ve always been open to learning more . It is this inclusive nature of TCM to include all sources and tools to optimise health , promote longevity and even stimulate juvenescence ( my new favourite word for 2021 !) that melds the attraction for a journey within one ’ s life , committed to tapping into the very flow of life and the many seasons we enjoy through it .
First , a definition of Vitalism . From the TCM perspective ( for now ) Qi or Chi [ both pronounced ‘ Chee ’] is the animating force that is the focus of a healthy life and is traced back to ‘ source ’, otherwise known as the Tao [ pronounced ‘ Dao ’ or ‘ D-our ’]. In Ayurveda and yoga , it is referred to as prana ; in the Japanese or martial arts it is referred to as Ki ( pronounced ‘ Key ’). As one dives into the centuries of knowledge and wisdom that TCM provides , one sees that there is a whole lot more to Qi - that it is this allencompassing energy that is otherwise known as the material or physical evidence of life ( or ‘ being alive ’).
So vitalism encompasses the belief that an indescribable and invisible force is what animates living things . Even more so , it is this animating force that separates the living from the non- living . Let us journey along the Qi and Dao path and loop back to vitalism .
From the beautifully named text ‘ Nourishing Destiny ’ 1 Qi is the material that is transmuted to provide to the physical , which emerges from the Dao . It looks as though science is catching up to what the ancients long followed and taught .
In Chinese physiology , early heaven corresponds to one ’ s primordial endowment of Jing ( the essence of an individual ’ s being ), Qi , and Shen ( an individual ’ s consciousness , or mental function ) that are granted to each human at conception … the influences of later heaven corresponds to the essential Qi acquired during life from food , air , and the positive interpretation of experience . ( And when viewed ) as stages of development , early heaven corresponds to the period of time from conception to first breath and later heaven corresponds to the period of time from first breath to death . The interface of
212 | vol27 | no4 | JATMS