The Basics of Chinese Medicine

The wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine observes the relationship between our mind, body and spirit.

Keeping this in mind, it is a ‘holistic’ approach that promotes healing on multiple levels. So it is fair to say that traditional Chinese medicine focuses on holistic healing.

Holistic health refers to a philosophy of physical care that is of the view that our body, mind and even spiritual experiences are inter-connected. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

In the same way, traditional Chinese medicine sees the body as a universe, one which must be governed by the laws of balance (the yin and the yang). Our emotional and mental well being is just as likely to affect our vulnerability to disease, and external factors such as work, lifestyle choices, environment and even relationships are crucial to the overall picture of one’s health.

Contemporary Western medicine describes health in measurable and quantitative processes of chemical reactions. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine uses the idea of the yin-yang, the organ system and the five elements to look at the body and health. We have already discussed the concept of the yin and the yang briefly – but it is worth understanding these basic concepts in greater depth to improve our understanding of many other aspects of traditional Chinese medicine