WHY WAIT TILL
WE ARE SICK
Acupuncture Balancing Yin Yang
AN ANCIENT WAY OF HEALING
Yin and Yang are
complementary opposites
representing a dynamic
balance of polar forces in
nature. The ancient
Chinese, who were astute
observers of nature,
noticed that natural
STRIKE AN EQUILIBRIUM
Have you ever watched with rapt attention a
world-class ballet dancer in action? The
physical and mental equilibrium displayed, the
grace and fluidity of m otion, create poetry in
space which gives us a true appreciation of the
idea of balance. In the visual arts, we judge the
beauty of a painting or sculpture by its balance,
or the harmonious relationship of its parts.
Even in the field of law, justice is symbolized by
a blindfolded woman holding a balanced scale
in her hand, one in which both sides are of
equal weight.
The idea of balance also teaches us much about
health and disease. A mentally ill person is
considered "mentally imbalanced." And in
Western physiology, a healthy organism is one
in "homeostasis," a state of balance achieved
between an organism and the environment. In
Oriental medicine, the concept of balance is
fundamental to an understanding of health and
disease. This is particularly the case with
acupuncture, which concerns itself primarily
with restoring or preserving health by correcting
imbalances in the energy field of the body.
processes were cyclical -
summer changed into
fall, which transformed
into winter, which
became spring, which
became summer again.
Day alternated with
night, activity with
repose. In other words,
Yin alternates with Yang.
The interplay of Yin and
Yang were also observed
in the human body. For
example, since Yang is
associated with fire and
activity, a person with an
excess of Yang energy
tends to generate a lot of
heat and might show
signs of mental and
physical hyperactivity. A
person with a deficiency
of Yang would be cold
and might be mentally
and physically sluggish.
Yin is associated with
water and inactivity, and
a person with a Yin
excess might show
evidence of an
accumulation of bodily
fluids, such as phlegm in
the lungs, or edema. He
or she might also tend to
be sluggish. A person
with a Yin deficiency
might have symptoms
associated with dryness,
such as dry skin and eyes.
Simply stated,
acupuncture helps to
promote or preserve
health by restoring the
balance of Yin and Yang
in the mind and body
through a manipulation
of Chi. A mental and
physical equilibrium is
then established which
enhances a person's
sense of well-being, and
helps to fight disease.
The beauty of such a
system of medicine lies
in the fact that physical
and mental imbalances
can be detected and
treated before they
become clinically
observable diseases. In
ancient China,
acupuncture was used as
a form of preventative
medicine. In the Yellow
Emperor's Inner Classic,
the oldest extant
acupuncture text, we
read that the physician
was paid while his
patient was healthy.
When the patient
became sick, the doctor
lost his salary.
Acupuncture also treats
disease once it has
become manifest, and in
fact, the World Health
Organization lists over
40 types of disease
acupuncture can help.
But why wait till we are
sick?
The acupuncturist uses
subtle diagnostic
techniques to detect
disturbances of the Chi.
Fine needles are then
inserted at specific
points on the body to re-
establish the correct
balance of energy. When
this is done, the body is
empowered to heal itself.
In Chinese medicine,
energy is understood in
terms of Yin and Yang.
T
he ancient Chinese
felt that everything
in the universe
was a form of energy, an
idea that we find in
modern physics. The
Chinese word for this
energy is Chi (also
spelled 'qi'). According to
Chinese medical theory,
the entire body is a
manifestation of chi, and
the major currents of chi
flow in pathways called
meridians. Along these
meridians lie points
where the chi can be
easily influenced. If the
chi is out of balance,
disease will result. When
the chi is in balance, the
person will enjoy
abundant health.
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