The Unity of Heaven and Humanity in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine incorporates a more holistic view of the Unity of Heaven and Humanity.

To put it simply, it means that traditional Chinese medicine takes into account the influence of nature on humankind, rather than considering human issues in isolation.

For example, many people have had this experience:

I experience recurring allergies and sneezing every spring, and dry cough and itchy skin every autumn.

The same cold can sometimes manifest as a sore throat, and sometimes as a runny nose with clear mucus;

Sometimes, for some reason, my stomach and intestines just feel uncomfortable.

Sometimes, problems that have never occurred before suddenly arise this year.

This is puzzling to many.

Furthermore, a clear reason cannot be found, at least not under current scientific conditions.

However, the classic Chinese medicine text, the * Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon *, once mentioned a way of thinking about this.

Although further scientific verification is needed, it has at least provided some ideas.

That is, the correspondence between the changes in climate and the Qi and blood of the human body's organs.

This set of rules is neither metaphysics nor a theory imagined out of thin air.

It is a periodic experience gradually summarized by the ancients through thousands of years of observation of the correspondence between astronomy, meteorology and human diseases.

Simply put, the universe has a fixed rhythm of climate change (spring, summer, autumn, and winter), and the circulation of Qi and blood, as well as the waxing and waning of the internal organs, in the human body will also fluctuate in sync with this rhythm.

By understanding this principle, one can adjust their physical condition in advance and reduce the occurrence of diseases. This is also the most concrete manifestation of the traditional Chinese medicine concept of "Correspondence between Heaven and Humanity".

The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon Classic uses this theory to guide daily diet, rest, and disease prevention.

This reflects the holistic thinking approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Before discussing specific health preservation methods, let's clarify a core concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Humans are not individuals independent of nature, but rather a part of the universe. Changes in the Qi of the universe will inevitably affect the flow of Qi in the human body.

This principle is not abstract.

As the weather gets colder, the body automatically contracts its pores, draws blood and energy inward, and increases urination.

As the weather gets hotter, the body opens its pores to sweat and dissipate heat, blood and energy disperse to the surface of the body, and urine output decreases.

In winter, people tend to feel sleepy and have a better appetite, while in summer, they tend to lose weight and have a poorer appetite. These are all direct manifestations of how the human body adapts to changes in the weather.

The ancients continuously refined this correspondence, from the whole year to the seasons, and then to each day, summarizing a complete set of patterns.

Therefore, it is said that the China 24 solar terms are the fifth greatest invention in the world.

Traditional Chinese medicine can break down these influences into specific details and provide corresponding solutions.

There are five basic climate types in nature: wind, heat, humidity, dryness, and cold.

Everyone has a direct experience of these things.

Throughout the year, the climate follows the cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The Qi and blood of the five internal organs will also fluctuate regularly.

The degree of emphasis on the five climate types varies from year to year.

Some years are windy, some are hot, some are rainy and humid, some are dry and have little rain, and some are cold for a long time.

Different climates can lead to different health problems.

Different seasons have corresponding dominant climates.

Spring is windy, summer is hot, long summer is humid, autumn is dry, and winter is cold.

In the human body, liver qi is strongest in spring, heart qi is strongest in summer, spleen qi is most easily affected in late summer, lung qi is most easily damaged in autumn, and kidney qi needs to be stored most in winter.

This set of rules is essentially an ancient summary of the relationship between nature and the human body. Just as the Twenty-Four Solar Terms guide farming, it is a practical tool for guiding daily life and health preservation.

Its core message can be summarized in one sentence: adjust your body according to climate changes, so that the human body can keep in sync with nature.

The five climates in nature—wind, heat, humidity, dryness, and cold—each have corresponding characteristics, and also correspond to different organs in the human body.

When a certain climate is excessive or deficient, the corresponding internal organs will react accordingly, and related diseases are more likely to occur.

For example, a common type of asthma is thunderstorm-induced, which is more prevalent during flowering seasons, and people panic when typhoons arrive, etc.