Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Tuo means collapse of Qi, which indicates a severe deficient syndrome in TCM, while Bi means “locked-up” or severely stagnant Qi, which indicates a severe excessive syndrome in TCM. They are both critical conditions.  

One method through which a practitioner of TCM gains information about his/her patient. The tongue is divided into several areas, and each of the organs are represented in these areas. A practitioner will look at the overall appearance of a tongue, including the quality and color of the tongue coating, the color, shape, and size…

This term refers to a substance that is released in the body to induce sexual maturity. It is equivalent to the hormonal changes that induce puberty.  

An acronym for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient herbal medicine system from China based around the concept of balanced qi (pronounced chi, meaning energy flow) that uses multiple plants combined with alternative medicine practices such as acupuncture. A complete, integrated, holistic system of medicine, including acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine and food…

When seen in the name of a Chinese herbal formula, this word usually means that the formula is prepared as a water decoction. For example: Gui Pi Tang or Ma Huang Tang.  

Usually translated as “Great Yin,” this is the fourth of the Six Channels. In this stage, the Spleen Yang has been damaged, causing deficiency cold. This manifests as abdominal fullness, vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, and a sensation of coldness. The next channel is Shao Yin.  

Usually translated as “Great Yang,” this is the first of the Six Channels. This is the initial stage, where febrile disease is caused by an invasion of the exterior parts of the body by cold pathogens. This usually manifests as chills and fever, a stiff neck, headache, and possibly sweating. The next channel is Yang…