Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Dai (meridian)

    One of the Eight Extra Meridians . Dai goes around the waist like a girdle, and acts as a girdle that holds and restricts the rest of meridians, and regulates the Qi and Blood circulating up and down. Dai is closely related to vaginal discharge.  

  • Cun section

    The first portion of the pulse that is felt with the practitioner’s index finger, which indicates Heart on the left wrist, Lung on the right wrist, and their related Fu organs.  

  • Cold and Heat

    Two of the Eight Principles. When using the Eight Principles to diagnose a patient, a disease is classified as being a “heat” disease or a “cold” disease. This is determined by evaluating characteristics of the tongue and pulse, bowel habits, urination, body temperature, and fatigue/energy level, among other factors.  

  • Chong (meridian)

    One of the Eight Extra Meridians. Chong acts as a sea of the blood, as well as the reservoir of all other meridians, and is especially important in women’s reproductive functions, such as menstruation, fertility, etc.  

  • Chi section

    The third portion of the pulse that is felt with the practitioner’s ring finger, which indicates Kidney Yin on the left wrist, Kidney Yang on the right wrist, and their related Fu organs.  

  • Blood

    This word carries a different meaning in the context of Chinese medicine than it does in standard English, often being capitalized. In TCM, blood is defined as a red liquid circulating inside the blood vessels that is a vital substance of the human body. The functions attributed to blood are nourishing and moistening the body’s…

  • Bi syndrome

    Bi literally means “obstruction” in Chinese. Bi syndrome refers to a variety of conditions in which there is a painful obstruction to the normal flow of Qi and Blood. In general, Qi stagnation is less severe, and Blood stagnation is more severe. Bi syndrome can be caused by an external invasion of wind, cold, or…

  • Beng Lou

    A group of disorders that would be classified as dysfunctional uterine bleeding in Western medicine. Beng Lou refers to uterine bleeding that does not happen during the normal time in the menstrual cycle. Beng means excessively heavy uterine bleeding, while Lou means continuous spotting that does happen during the normal time in the menstrual cycle.…

  • Ben Tun Qi

    An upward rushing sensation from the lower abdomen to the chest, throat, or even the vertex of the head. It often occurs with symptoms like a stifling sensation at the chest, rapid breathing heart palpitation, dizziness, and abdominal pain. It is a result of rebellious Qi in Chong channel.  

  • Vikruti

    The Doshic constitution you have today due to your diet, environment, lifestyle, and other factors. For example, you may eat many cold foods and live in a cold place, making your Vikruti Vata. The current state of the individual, as opposed to the original constitution (prakruti) at conception. It may also denote disorder.  

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