Kitabı oku: «Reflexology: The 5 Elements and their 12 Meridians: A Unique Approach», sayfa 3
Wood generates fire by controlling earth;
Fire generates earth by controlling metal;
Earth promotes metal by controlling water;
Metal promotes water by controlling wood;
Water promotes wood by controlling fire.
The following example illustrates the interaction between the Five Elements from a Western medicine and a traditional Chinese medicine point of view. During congestive heart (fire) failure, changes in the lungs (metal) occur due to the fact that the blood can no longer flow to and from the lungs in order to excrete carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen. The affected lungs will subsequently cause cellular dysfunctions in the liver (wood). The congestive heart failure also causes pressure and congestion in the liver due to blood accumulating in the veins feeding the liver. The malfunctioning of the liver (wood) causes malfunctions in the spleen (earth).44
The yin and yang cycles operate simultaneously, creating a feedback system, in order to bring about and maintain balance in nature and throughout the human body.45
Every person has a natural and spontaneous affinity towards one of the elements. All Five Elements exert an influence in one’s life, but one will be manifest stronger than the others. Together, the Five Elements have a direct influence on a person’s personality, emotions, spiritual needs and predisposition to physical weaknesses. The two opposing but complementary cycles containing the Five Elements, being yin and yang, operate simultaneously in order to achieve balance in nature, as well as throughout the human body. Balance will result in good health, while imbalances between the elements and its two cycles will result in disease.46
A detailed analysis on each of the Five Elements is provided later in this book (see here). It is first necessary to understand a few further theories underlying TCM, as these theories will be integrated within the analysis of the individual elements.
Examination and Diagnosis
During examination, information is gathered in order to identify the symptoms, which will indicate any underlying imbalances. Analysis classifies these imbalances, and a decision is made as to how they will be treated and the balance restored.
The information obtained from the examination is integrated and organized, utilizing the principles of TCM to identify a specific group of symptoms. These groups of symptoms are referred to as symptom-complexes.47 A symptom-complex goes beyond a symptom. It is a summary of the functioning of the body at a specific phase or stage of the disease. It includes the symptoms manifested and connects these symptoms to imbalances in the body. The cause of the imbalances, location and nature of the disease are then identified. A decision is made based on these findings with regards to the treatment required.48 The aim of the treatment is to regulate the relationship between the factors of the symptom-complex by applying the yin/yang theory, restoring balance to the meridians and consequently the whole body.
The patient is always examined and assessed from the following perspective: the body functions as a whole, all body parts are interdependent, and the body and its environment are interdependent. Ohashi illustrates this interdependency when he says:
‘In Oriental diagnosis, we see the body as an orchestra whose music is the soul. Remove any instrument, or change the way it is played, and you alter the music entirely. To bring out the full breadth of the spirit, you must finely tune each organ as if it were an instrument. It must function optimally, as if a virtuoso was playing it. Yet you must never forget that each organ must blend harmoniously with the rest of the body – all the other pieces of the orchestra – to bring forth the most complete and beautiful being, which is you. The Oriental healer, therefore, is like the conductor of an orchestra. He or she hears the instruments that are playing out of tune and adjusts them to bring each into harmony with the rest of the orchestra.’49
The Theory of the Causes of Disease
The causes of disease are inherent to the theory of the Five Elements. As we have seen, the Five Elements are manifestations of the vital life-giving energy or Chi. Balance between the Five Elements, and therefore the flow of Chi, will promote and maintain longevity and good health. Imbalances in any of the Five Elements, implies an imbalance in the flow of Chi, which will result in disease. According to TCM, disease derives from one of two causes.
Environmental factors
If the human body lacks the ability to protect itself from harmful external environmental factors, imbalances will occur and disease will result. These factors are related to abnormal climatic conditions. When climatic conditions are in excess or lacking it disturbs the balance between the body and the environment.50 Chinese medicine refers to these abnormal climatic conditions as ‘the five devils.’ The five devils are associated with the Five Elements and the major organs inside the human body.
Wood is related to the climate wind, affecting the gall bladder and liver;
Fire is associated with the climate heat and affect the heart, small intestines, circulation and triple burner;
Earth is associated with the climate dampness, affecting the stomach, spleen and pancreas;
Metal is related to the climate dryness and affect the lungs and large intestine;
Water is related to a cold climate affecting the bladder and kidneys.
The degree to which each of the climatic conditions will influence the individual is dependent on his/her affinity with each climatic condition and the strength of their Chi to protect the body against these external attacks.
While Western medicine identifies the external factors causing disease as bacteria and viruses, Chinese medicine does not specifically refer to these as external causes of disease. However, they can be accommodated within the Chinese medicine paradigm.51
Internal dysfunctions
Internal dysfunctions in the human body are related to extreme, intense emotions. These are referred to as the ‘five destructive emotions’ and they are associated with the Five Elements and with the major organs of the human body. The Five Elements are related to the five emotions as follows:
Wood is related to anger, affecting the gall bladder and the liver;
Fire is related to joy, affecting the heart and small intestines, circulation/pericardium and the triple burner;
Water is related to fear, affecting the bladder and kidneys;
Metal is related to grief and worry, affecting the lungs and large intestines;
Earth is related to sympathy and needs, affecting the stomach, spleen and pancreas.
When one or more of these emotions is experienced in extremity and excess, or when we are unable to express or experience these emotions properly, this causes imbalances in the Chi flowing through the body. These imbalances deplete the body’s ability to protect itself against both internal and external attacks on the body and disease will result. Other internal causes of disease include tension, overexertion, dietary maladjustments, excess sexual activity, excess mucus, blood clotting, and heredity dysfunctions.52
All these internal and external factors are interdependent and their interaction with each other leads to specific groups of symptoms. These symptoms are manifested physically (external or internal) and emotionally (in terms of behaviour) as described by the dynamics of the Five Elements and are indications of imbalances within one or more of the elements.53
Today we are once again beginning to learn what the Chinese knew thousands of years ago, that disease is mostly the result of wrong living – not living in accord with the natural laws of the universe. Ancient Chinese philosophy regarded the human organism as a miniature version of the universe and often referred to man as ‘the small world.’ Thus, man cannot be divorced from nature as he forms an organic part of it. Nature as macrocosm and man as microcosm obey the same laws. The Nei Ching says:
‘Those who rebel against the basic rules of the universe sever their own roots and ruin their true selves. Yin and yang, the two principles in nature, and the four seasons are the beginning and the end of everything and they are also the cause of life and death. Those who disobey the laws of the universe will give rise to calamities and visitations, while those who follow the laws of the universe remain free from dangerous illness, and they are the ones who have obtained Tao, the Right Way.’
Meridian Theory
The meridian theory represents the anatomy of the human body according to Chinese medicine. The Nei Ching states:
‘The Meridians move the Chi and Blood, regulate the Yin and the Yang, moisten the tendons and the Bones, and benefit the joints … internally the Meridians connect with the Organs and externally with the joints, limbs and the outer surface of the body.’54
The meridians are a network of energy channels of which there are 12 major ones (see here). Each meridian passing through the one side of the body has a mirror image on the other side of the body, resulting in 12 pairs of meridians. In order to maintain health, the circulatory and nervous system must be able to flow uninterrupted throughout the body; if it is not something is bound to go wrong. The same principle applies to the meridian network. When Chi flows uninterrupted throughout the body via the meridians, good health will be achieved and maintained. The environment (external factors), our thoughts and emotions (internal factors), and what we eat, drink and breathe all affect the flow of Chi in the meridian network, as indicated by the theory of the Five Elements.55
The flow of energy or Chi through the meridians happens in specific cycles within a 24-hour period. The energy flows at a maximum level for a period of 2 hours in each meridian and at a minimum level 12 hours later. This implies that a specific meridian and its connecting organ will dominate the body during a specific 2-hour period. If the Chi in this meridian is in shortage and consequently imbalanced, related symptoms will be felt intensely during this time period. (This is discussed in more detail in Chapter 4 under each individual meridian.)
Acupuncture or acupressure points are located along each meridian, which are linked to the structure of the organs. If a meridian is congested, stimulation of these points will allow energy to enter the meridians. Alternatively, if a meridian is overloaded with energy, stimulation of the acupuncture points will release the excess energy.57 Stimulation of the meridians clears congestions, and restores balance and health within the body, hence improving the flow of Chi.
Western medicine recognizes a nervous system and a circulatory system within the human body, but focuses on the structure and functions of each individual organ. Although, for instance, the circulatory system supplies each organ with the nourishment necessary to allow the functioning of all organs possible, Western medicine does not consider this interrelationship as significant. Western medicine sees the circulatory system as just another organ and analyzes it in terms of its structure and functions separate from all the other organs. In TCM, each individual organ is understood in terms of its functions and its structure. However, the structure of each organ is not looked at solely in terms of the cells, membranes and mechanisms that go to make it up. Instead, the structure of each organ consists of the organ and the meridian responsible for nourishing that specific organ with live-giving Chi. Included in the structure of each organ is how that organ relates to, influences and is influenced by the other organs and their meridians, as indicated by the theory of the Five Elements.
Although we refer to 12 major meridians, in fact there is only one single meridian running throughout the whole body, as all of these meridians are connected to each other, flowing into one another. They are bilateral (paired), giving 24 separate pathways. Each meridian is connected and related to a specific organ from which it gets its name – in most cases the organs are ones with which we are familiar. In addition, it is connected to a coupled meridian and organ with which it has a specific relationship. The coupled meridians consist of a yin and yang aspect, and come under the dominance of one of the five elements (see table below).
| ELEMENT | YANG ORGAN | YIN ORGAN |
| Wood | Gall bladder | Liver |
| Fire | Small Intestine/Triple Burner | Heart/Circulation |
| Earth | Stomach | Spleen/Pancreas |
| Metal | Large Intestine | Lungs |
| Water | Bladder | Kidneys |
It is difficult to draw a dividing line between the anatomical and physiological concepts of the Nei Ching. The organs are described for their function rather than for their location and structure, and the idea of cosmology (the continuous interaction of yin and yang, the four seasons and the five elements) dominates the theories of structure as well as those of function.
According to the Nei Ching, the body has five ‘viscera’ and six ‘bowels.’ The viscera, which are yin, are the heart, spleen, lungs, liver and kidneys. These have the capacity to store but not eliminate. They determine the function of all the other parts of the body, including the bowels, and also of the spiritual resources and emotions. The function of yin organs is to produce, transform, regulate and store the fundamental substances – chi, blood, Jing, shen (spirit) and body fluids. Jing is best translated as ‘essence’ and is the substance that underlies all organic life. It is the source of organic change and is generally thought of as fluid-like. Jing is supportive and nutritive and is the basis of reproduction and development.
The six bowels are yang organs and have the capacity of elimination but not of storing. These are the gall bladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder and the triple burner (triple heater or three burning spaces). The triple burner is not an actual organ, and will be discussed in more depth in the detailed description of the meridians (see chapter 4). The yang organs receive, break down and absorb that part of the food that will be transformed into fundamental substances, and transport and excrete unused portions.
The position of the viscera and bowels is compared to that of various officials in an empire, relating to the 12 main organs and meridians. The 12 officials must always work together for the maintenance of the whole, and never fail to assist one another.
‘When the monarch is intelligent and enlightened, there is peace and contentment among his subjects; thus they can beget offspring, bring up their children, earn a living, and lead a long and happy life. And because there are no more dangers and perils, the earth is considered glorious and prosperous.’
In addition to the 12 organ meridians, there are also 2 ‘vessel’ meridians termed the ‘governing’ and ‘conception’ meridians. They serve as energy reservoirs for the entire meridian network. The governing meridian (the Du channel) stores energy for and supplies energy to all the yang meridians within the body. It has its origin in the pelvic cavity. From there it descends internally, surfacing at the perineum, passing through the tip of the coccyx. It ascends along the spine, the neck, over the head, descends along the middle of the forehead and nose, ending inside the upper gum. A smaller internal branch ascends from the pelvic cavity, through the buttocks to the kidneys. Another small internal branch leaves the main meridian at the base of the head and enters the brain.57
The conception meridian (the Ren channel) stores Chi and supplies it to all the yin meridians. It is called the conception meridian as it is thought that in women it originates in the uterus and is responsible for the development of the foetus. This meridian starts in the pelvic cavity, emerging at the perineum and ascends over the middle of the pubic area. From there it ascends along the middle of the abdominal area, the chest and throat to the chin. Here it penetrates and encircles the lips internally. Two internal branches pass from the lips on either side of the nose ascending over the cheeks, parallel with the nose ending underneath each eye.58
The meridians all have two sections – one section is close to the surface of the body and the other is internal and deeper inside the body. Each meridian and its connecting organ can be classified in terms of the yin/yang principle. Organs that are hollow, most often externally situated within the body cavities and involved in the process of discharging substances, are considered to be yang organs. These organs are responsible for the reception, transmission and digestion of food and liquids and the elimination of wastes. Solid organs, positioned more internally in the body and involved in the absorption, regulation and storing of various substances are considered to be yin organs. The meridians connecting these organs can be classified as supplying these organs with either yang or yin Chi. The meridian energy network connects the environment surrounding the body to the internal organs. The course of each meridian plays an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, as postulated by traditional Chinese medicine.
To recap, reflexology works to help attain and maintain the equilibrium in the Chi by activating the sections of the meridians present on the feet, as well as activating the reflexes of the organs relating to each of the meridians. This is why it is important to incorporate the concept of meridian therapy with the practice of reflexology.
Chinese medicine is essentially holistic. It is based on the idea that disease cannot be isolated from the patient and that no single part can be understood except in its relation to the whole. Nothing is treated symptomatically. According to the Nei Ching:
‘Illness is comparable to the root; good medical work is comparable to the topmost branch; if the root is not reached, the evil influences cannot be subjugated.’
chapter 3
applying a knowledge of the meridians in reflexology
‘Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember but involve me and I’ll understand.’
ANCIENT CHINESE PROVERB
As Ted Kaptchuk explains in The Web That Has No Weaver:
‘To Western medicine, understanding an illness means uncovering a distinct entity that is separate from the patient’s being; to Chinese medicine, understanding means perceiving the relationships between the patient’s signs and symptoms … The Chinese method is thus holistic, based on the idea that no single part can be understood except in its relation to the whole … If a person has a symptom, Chinese medicine wants to know how the symptom fits into the patient’s entire bodily pattern … Understanding that overall pattern, with the symptom as part of it, is the challenge of Chinese medicine.’
Using needles, cupping or thumb and finger pressure on the acupuncture points to stabilize and harmonize the flow of Chi in the meridians, an important reflexology tool uses the concept of congestions within the meridians as an assessment technique.
As we have seen, congestions result from blockages along the meridians, thus obstructing the flow of vital energy or Chi. Congestion such as sinus problems, tennis elbow, breast lumps, headaches or knee pain, has at its root the same problem. For each organ to maintain a state of perfect health, the Chi must be able to flow freely along the meridians. The meridian system unifies all parts of the body and is essential for the maintenance of harmonious balance.
The atom, the basic form of an element, is composed of a central nucleus formed of protons and neutrons, around which electrons revolve. One of the largest entities we know of is the solar system, which has a similar structure to the atom: the sun the central nucleus with planets revolving around it. A group of atoms makes up a molecule, a group of molecules forms a cell, groups of cells form tissue, a mass of tissue forms an organ, a group of organs forms a system, a number of systems become a person, several persons make up a family, many families form a tribe, a clan or neighbourhood, many neighbourhoods make a town, many towns a province, and so on. Thus, one is in everything and everything is in one. In every part of the body, we find the whole body projected proportionately in an organic, precise, logical way.
If we accept the viewpoint of human beings as multidimensional bodies of energy, it follows that human beings can be affected by energy. We need to understand that energy, the Chi being referred to here is a vibration, and everything on our planet consist of vibrational energy. Reflexology, acupuncture and many other therapies are in basic essence, vibrational therapies.
Vibration is a synonym for frequency – different frequencies of energy reflecting varying rates of vibration. We know that matter and energy are manifestations of the same primary energetic substance of which everything in the universe is composed, including our physical and subtle bodies. The vibratory rate of this universal energy determines the density of its expression or form as matter. Matter, which vibrates at a very slow frequency, is referred to as physical matter. That which vibrates at speeds exceeding the velocity of light is known as subtle matter. In order to therapeutically impact on the system, energy needs to be administered that vibrates at frequencies beyond the physical plane.
Vibrational medicines such as homeopathic tinctures or flower essences are thought to be charged with a particular frequency of subtle energy. These subtle energetic patterns, which are stored within the vibrational essence, may be used to affect human beings at a variety of interactive levels.
‘The acupuncturists see meridian dysfunction as a precursor of organ pathology. The meridian circuit abnormality reflects an imbalance in the polar energies of the forces of yin and yang. Neither force exists alone, but in relation to the total energetic needs of the organism.’
RICHARD GERBER, VIBRATIONAL MEDICINE
It is at this level that we need to consider the impact of reflexology treatments on the human system. The stimulation of reflexes and meridians we practise generates vibrational waves which, on reaching a target organ or congestion, trigger a chemical reaction in the body; our body reacts to two fundamental stimuli – contraction and expansion – which we can translate into heat-cold stimuli, or yin and yang.
Congestion of the Meridians
Cooking and eating good food are the cornerstones of human civilization, however what we eat has consequences for the amount of Chi we receive to keep the meridians and therefore our body and mind in a healthy state.
As we have seen, subtle energy vibrates at different frequencies – the lower the frequency, the more solid the matter will be. This means that food which is dense is likely to be stagnant and so congest the meridian pathways. For this reason it is important to make sure that what we eat is as pure as possible.
The vibration of our food is increasingly dense as most is man-made with high levels of non-digestible and non-biodegradable chemicals. Hormone expert Dr John Lee made the following comment with regard to xenoestrogens – empty oestrogens that mimic real oestrogens and take the latter’s place in the body:
‘Xenoestrogens from the environment come from pesticide residues, industrial residues and plastics, which contaminate water and get into the food chain. Research has shown that the combination of tiny amounts of these hormone-disrupting chemicals, equivalent to the levels found in human blood, is carcinogenic and triggers breast cells to proliferate.’
These alterations in our food chains are the major underlying cause of many of our most devastating diseases such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, mental imbalances, as well as the many widespread intolerances and allergies. Pure food, naturally grown, such as vegetables, herbs and fruits which have not been genetically modified, treated with hormones, chemically fertilized or cold stored, have a much higher vibration supplying us with a greater level of Chi.
High vibrational food
On the whole, if we buy commercially grown fruits and compare their aroma to that of organically grown equivalent, which have been allowed to ripen naturally on the tree or bush influenced by the sun’s rays, a marked difference will be found. A ripe, red sun-grown tomato, picked directly from the garden is deliciously sweet and has a strong pleasant aroma. By comparison, a commercially grown tomato has very little aroma, and the sweetness is almost undetectable. There is a crucial difference between the vibrational patterns of these two tomatoes. The one that has been left to ripen naturally under the sun in healthy soil has the optimum balance between its sodium and potassium, as well as other minerals, thus giving it a high vibrational pattern, as well as being alkaline forming.
The tomato which was commercially grown and picked green, not allowing the sodium and potassium to become balanced by the action of the sun’s rays, and which may contain many pollutant chemicals, will have a lower vibrational pattern resulting in a tomato with little or no aroma or sweetness, as well as being acid forming.
Although we may be under the impression that we are eating very healthily when we eat much fruit and vegetables, this may not be the case if they are grown in such a way as to distort the mineral content and therefore the Chi.
This illustrates how important it is not only that we eat healthily from the point of view of food groups, but also from the point of view of vibrational energy – or Chi.
The Thoughts We Think – and the Feelings We Have
As humans we are energy and we are sustained by energy. Our bodies are ever-changing, dynamic fields of energy and not static physical structures. Every part of our body contains information about the whole. We know from quantum physics that at the sub-atomic level, matter and energy are interchangeable. Christine Northrup in Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, uses the expression: ‘Matter is the densest form of spirit and spirit is the lightest form of matter.’
When you are confronted with or you are the recipient of negative, hurtful or destructive actions, you experience negative thoughts and feelings. If you do not let go of those feelings, they become heavy dense vibrations. And this energy vibration will manifest somewhere, maybe in the subtle body or maybe in the physical body. Furthermore, it will drain the Chi that is otherwise needed for homeostasis. Caroline Myss, in her book Anatomy of the Spirit, brings it together concisely when she says that ‘your biography becomes your biology.’
How Much Chi do We Need?
Food labelling on most man-made products indicates the amount of kilojoules or calories they contain, converting them into a measure of energy. In addition, an indication of the content of fat, vitamins, colouring and preservatives using E-numbers gives the consumer an estimated idea of what they are eating. Lifestyle experts have worked out how many kilojoules an average male and female will need in order to stay healthy and active without too much of a weight problem – yet the developed world is becoming obese and lethargic with many diseases relating to a weak immune system.
However, no food labelling gives the Chi content of a product, nor do we know how much Chi we need for our meridians to function optimally, thereby supplying our cells, tissues and organs with the correct amount in order to experience homeostasis.
As an analogy, vital energy may be seen as a form of electricity. This does not mean it is electricity, but that its behaviour, responses and reactions indicate that many of the laws applying to electricity also apply to vital energy – Chi. Every life function depends on this energy. According to Eastern tradition, it circulates in the viscera, the flesh and, ultimately, permeates every cell and tissue.
According to Chinese medicine, the body has 12 pairs of meridians, as well as 2 special meridians. Together these constitute the body’s energy system, which works to maintain the health of the human body. The meridians are pathways forming a continuous circuit through which the universal energy – the life force, the Chi – circulates. It circulates through the body organs and keeps the energetic system of the body in harmony. In these terms, the meridians can be thought of as electrical pathways, which can be used as an assessment tool by warning us that there is insufficient energy running through them.
Internal branch congestions versus meridian congestions
Throughout the artwork of the meridians found in this book, you will see dotted and solid lines, representing ‘Internal Branches’ and ‘Meridians.’
When I first wrote The Art of Reflexology in the late 1980s, I came across this division, although scarce information was then available on the subject. Since then, I have since come to appreciate the difference and have added my own interpretation. The ‘normal’ meridian is illustrated with the solid line and the internal with the dotted line.
To continue the electrical analogy, when we flick a switch in our home, we automatically have electricity supplying us with power; however, we rarely even consider the source. With the meridians, the idea is very similar. The meridians (solid lines) can be compared to outdoor electricity. Each streetlight can be likened to an acupuncture point, which is an amplifier for this electricity. These are needed because without boosters the effect of the electricity would be weakened and eventually lost over the course of the circuit. Our acupuncture points are like these electrical amplifiers; when stimulated they release blockages along the pathways, amplifying the energy and allowing it to flow freely again. This is one way to try and visualize the internal meridian.
