Therefore, in spring, it is good to suffer from bleeding, in midsummer, it is good to suffer from chest and rib diseases, in long summer, it is good to suffer from cold in the cave, in autumn, it is good to suffer from wind and malaria, and in winter, it is good to suffer from rheumatism and syncope. "- Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, Su Wen, Jin Kui Zhen Commentary, Volume 4
Let's first look at the original text: "Therefore, in spring, it is good to suffer from bleeding, in midsummer, it is good to suffer from chest and rib diseases, in long summer, it is good to suffer from diarrhea in the cave, in autumn, it is good to suffer from wind and malaria, and in winter, it is good to suffer from paralysis
This paragraph is very brief and the reasoning is consistent with the previous text. Because the last time we talked about "Spring qi is sick in the head, summer qi is sick in the organs, autumn qi is sick in the shoulders and back, and winter qi is sick in the limbs." The previous article also talked about "East wind is born in spring, sick in the liver, and sick in the neck. South wind is born in summer, sick in the heart, and sick in the chest and back. West wind is born in autumn, sick in the lungs, and sick in the shoulders and back." These contents are all in line with the changes in body qi corresponding to the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Qi rises, falls, floats, and sinks. Spring corresponds to ascension, so qi is in the head and neck, and the corresponding five organs are the liver. The Lord of Spring is angry. Spring gives birth and summer grows, summer is the main source of vitality, which is the concept of horizontal stretching. Illness lies in the heart. Xia Qi is sick in Tibet, while Yu is in the chest and ribs. Autumn sickness is in the lungs, Yu is in the shoulders and back, these are all corresponding. Autumn begins to harvest, and the Five Elements belong to the metal element, corresponding to the lungs, so the disease lies in the shoulders and back.
In winter, 'illness in the kidneys, Yu in the waist and thighs',' illness in the limbs for those with winter qi ', these are all things we have talked about before. The kidney corresponds to the "collection", which is born in spring and grows in summer, harvested in autumn and stored in winter, also known as ascending and descending, sinking and floating. Spring is rising, autumn is falling, summer is floating, winter is sinking, these are the changes in qi. From beginning to end, the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon talks about the changes of qi. The main diseases in the human body are still problems such as poor qi flow, obstruction of qi, and stagnation of qi. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine has always focused on one issue, which is regulating qi. Some people say there are methods such as regulating blood, regulating essence, replenishing essence, regulating spirit, etc., but under whose command does blood operate? Under the command of Qi. So Qi is the commander of blood - Qi is the commander of blood.
In a broad sense, qi actually includes blood, while in a narrow sense, qi and blood are separate. The broad concept of Qi encompasses the entire body's ascending, descending, floating, sinking, generating, growing, transforming, collecting, and storing Qi machines. Here, it is not only about blood, essence, and spirit, but also unified into Qi. Because ancient people sometimes talked about the concept of qi as a big concept, and sometimes they talked about a small concept. What we are talking about here is the big concept, which is the rise, fall, floating, and sinking of qi. The laws of energy operation are different. The diseases that are easy to get in spring are different from those in summer, autumn, and winter. Diseases that are easy to get in winter are not easy to get in summer; Diseases that are easy to get in summer are not easy to get in winter. It is easy to get different diseases in different seasons. Who has the the final say in this matter, and who has the the final say? no
If the brain can command, then it is not a correspondence between heaven and man. If one can command, it can be said that in spring, there will be no head disease, no bleeding, but joint pain and general fear of cold. The brain cannot command the body. The brain is our consciousness, and its command over the body is relatively limited. Our brain's command over the body is limited to the level of our muscles, which command the skeletal muscles. Most of the skeletal muscles are controlled by our brain. We can control whether we want to breathe faster or slower, because we can achieve it through muscles. Can we use our brain to command the heartbeat? I can't command. Can the brain be used to direct blood flow? I can't command either. Can we use our brain to direct the peristalsis of the intestines and stomach? I can't command anymore. The brain can't even direct these smallest things, what are these smallest things? The flow of bodily fluids, lymphatic fluids, and blood cannot be directed. Even some muscles cannot be commanded by our brains. For example, the smooth muscles of the internal organs, such as the muscles of the heart, cannot be commanded. For example, let the heart beat faster, and the heart muscles will not listen to the brain.
The ancients have long observed these situations, and they called it Qi Ji or Qi Li. In fact, the ancients used qi to describe the natural laws of the body's movement and changes, using our consciousness - the ancients called consciousness acquired, which cannot be commanded by acquired consciousness. It is an innate ability that each of us is born with, and this ability also includes the body's self-healing ability. The ability to recover after getting sick is not something that our brain can control. The lower the level of brain involvement and relaxation, the stronger the self-healing ability. The ancient Chinese discovered a characteristic that the participation of this consciousness in the brain can easily interfere with the body's natural recovery, growth, or self coordination ability. In fact, if the excitability of the higher nervous system is too high, it will inhibit the lower nervous system. High and low levels are the distinctions in neurology, meaning that the stronger the acquired consciousness, the more it will hinder innate abilities.
The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon and the Tao Te Ching both advocate for one thing, which is to reduce the level of excitement in our brain, called tranquility and emptiness. Our brain should not think too much, but should relax and rest. The Tao Te Ching is called 'To achieve the ultimate emptiness, to maintain tranquility and devotion'. Advocate for rest and tranquility, with a clear mind and less desires and delusions. After these things disappear, 'tranquility and emptiness, true qi comes from them.' True qi is the natural power of the body, the innate power that will obey and coordinate.
I have specifically mentioned before that when the true qi is obedient and coordinated, and the body's self coordination ability is obedient, there will be no illness and the body will be healthy. This is a rule. So whether it's the Tao Te Ching or the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, Chinese books on the correspondence between the body and nature for health preservation advocate that our human brain and consciousness should be relaxed and purified in order to be closer to nature. What is the state of nature? Nature is a state of health, a state of coordination, and a state without illness, which is something that is consistently implemented from beginning to end.
Disclaimer: This article is a sharing of health knowledge. The drugs, prescriptions, acupuncture and moxibustion and other treatment and health preserving methods mentioned in this article should be applied under the guidance of professional doctors, and should not be applied by yourself. We are not responsible for any issues arising from improper use.