The Healing Connection Weblog

Why The References To Traditional Chinese Medicine?

February 15, 2007 on 12:29 pm | In Nature, TCM |

In writing articles I often make reference to Tradition Chinese Medicine (TCM). In my practice the forms of bodywork employed are not inherently a part of TCM so why the frequent references to it? The main reason is that I’ve found TCM to be a great system for describing the interactive processes that are fundemental to the cycles of nature and to all life. It helps us to see the relationships between ourselves and the natural world.

The processes or cycles are represented by the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Each element has many correspondances, to specific organs of the body, to a specific function of the body, to a season, to an emotion, and so on.
Each element or process acts upon another. Each organ has a relationship to another organ. Each season leads to another. An interdependency is created where everything in the natural world, of which we are a part, is related to something else, controlling and being controled by, striving for a state of balance.

Another concept of TCM, perhaps more familiar, is that of the Yin and the Yang. Most people are familiar with the concept of duality or complimentary opposites. For more about Yin and Yang visit this page.

Focusing on all this brings us back to something we tend to forget in our modern world, the powerful influnce that these natural processes, represented by the changing seasons, have on our bodies, our emotions, or spirits, on our lives. Being in balance with nature can bring balance to our lives. This starts with just looking around us. Just noticing.