Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
and Qigong Master
General Terms
Blood
Blood
The most dense fluid substance in the body, blood transmits nourishment, transports chi, and provides the material "matrix" for mental and emotional life.
Essence (Jing)
The most refined substance produced by a body, the essence is the material basis of an individual's life that can be passed to one's offspring and represents the accumulated chi of the body. Some essence is inherited, while some is obtained from the environment and food. Longevity relies on the quality of an individual's capacity to generate, conserve, and preserve this essence. The essence is represented by the quality of one's outer aspects, such as skin, hair, and tongue, plus one's inner aspects, such as creativity, potency, and vitality.
Lao Tze
Author of the Tao De Tsing, Lao Tze lived in China around six centuries B.C. and is considered China's greatest philosopher.
Qi (Chi)
The invisible substance that manifests itself in all physical and mental activities, Qi is the body's resource for energy consumption, transformation, and transmission. The highly refined essence of food and air in the body becomes what is known as Righteous Qi. Righteous Qi circulates in the channels of the body, regulating and nourishing body processes and activities. Qi is regulated by the liver, produced by the spleen, distributed by the lungs, and stored in the kidneys.
Spirit (Shen)
A person's Shen refers to one's external manifestation one's innermost being. The way a person conducts himself eventually affects not only the body, but one's family, community, country, world and ultimately the universe itself. One's Shen is reflected in the eyes, hair, skin, and other vital organs. One must strive to cultivate a pure and honest spirit in order to insure a positive and productive contribution to society.
Tao De Tsing
The philosophical and meditative book written by Lao Tze.
Yang
One of two fundamental polar forces that organize the universe. Yang manifests itself in form, light, color, heat, activity, and life. Yang organs are: gallbladder, small intestine, stomach and heart. Yang qualities appear as heat, dryness, activity, growth, expansion, dispersion, and fullness.
Yin
One of the two fundamental polar forces that organize the universe. Yin manifests itself as cold, dark, quiet and still, even death itself. Yin organs are: liver, urinary bladder, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Yin qualities appear as frost, humidity, inertia, reduction, slowness, and emptiness.
Yin-Yang Principle
The principle that fundamentally organizes the universe into opposites (light and dark, soft and hard, quiet and loud.) The Yin-Yang principle also symbolizes the interactive process that characterizes life. It is the basis of the pushing-yielding nature of the practice of Tai Chi.
Concentrating on a point slightly higher than the first cervical vertebrae is said to bring relief from headache, shoulder and neck pain.
Cervical vertebrae-7 (C-7) (seventh cervical vertebrae):
Concentrating on the seventh cervical vertebrae is said to relieve shoulder pain.
Coccyx (tail bone).
The coccyx, or tailbone is considered the starting point of Qi (Chi or energy) when it travels up through the Tu-Mo, or Governing channel.
Crown of head
The mid- point on the top of head is also known as the gate of heavenly energy. Concentration on this point stimulates the pineal gland and cerebral activities and is said to lower the blood pressure.
Dan-Tien--Lower Dan-Tien (below the navel)
All Tai Chi activity emanates from this golf-ball sized cavity located four finger-widths below the navel and one third of the way from front to back. The point where the "Jing," or essence, resides it is referred to as "The Golden Elixir," the primary meditation center. Concentration on this point stimulates the kidneys, pumps energy and generates peace of mind.
Dan-Tien--Middle Dan-Tien (between the nipples)
Concentration on this area near the thymus gland stimulates the heart and lungs. Since these organs carry blood to the arteries, stimulation of the Middle Dan-Tien is said to enhance the immune system.
Dan-Tien--Upper Dan-Tien (between the eyebrows)
The mid-point between the eyebrows, the Upper Dan-Tien, or Ming-Tang, is the strongest point for spiritual concentration, governing passion, intelligence and love.
Functional channel (front channel)
Also known as Len-Mo it is the front channel, an acupuncture meridian which starts at the perineum and extends through the center of the body via the stomach and Middle-Dan Tien and ends at the lower mouth. When you meditate, your mental focus stimulates the flow of energy, or "warm current," through the body's two main acupuncture channels, the Governing ("Tu-mo") and Functioning ("Len-mo.")
Governing channel (back channel)
Also known as Tu-Mo, it is the back channel, an acupuncture meridian which starts at the perineum and extends through the spinal cord, up to the top of head, ending at the upper palate or upper lip. When you meditate, your mental focus stimulates the flow of energy, or "warm current," through the body's two main acupuncture channels, the Governing ("Tu-mo") and Functioning ("Len-mo.")
Lao gung (palm at base of middle finger)
Concentration on this very sensitive mid-point of the palm produces purified energy used for transmitting or receiving healing energy. This purified energy is said to stimulate the heart and, indirectly, the kidneys.
Len-Mo (front channel)
The Front or Functional channel acupuncture meridian starts at the perineum and extends through the center of the body via the stomach and middle-dan tien, ending at the lower mouth.
Ming-Men (lower back)
The Ming-Men is the point between lumbar vertebrae 2 and 3. Concentration on the Ming-Men stimulates the kidneys and aids with lower back pain relief.
Ming-Tang (between eye brows)
Another name for Upper Dan-Tien.
Navel
Concentration on the Umbilicus stimulates the small and large intestines and is said to enhance digestive function.
Perineum
The halfway point between anus and testicle or vagina, the perineum is considered the point where all nerves end. Concentration on the perineum governs sexual essence.
T-11 (between shoulder blades)
Concentration on T-ll, or the eleventh thoracic vertebrae, stimulates the adrenal gland and pancreas. This stimulation is said to aid in control of diabetes and sugar and sodium level imbalances and bring relief to allergy sufferers.
Tai-Mo (behind navel)
Oval shaped acupuncture meridian which starts at the navel and extends through the kidney area, looping back around to the navel.
Tu-Mo (back channel)
The back or Governing channel, it is an acupuncture meridian which starts at the perineum and extends through the spinal cord, up to the top of head, and ends at the upper palate of the mouth.
Wei-lu (Back of the knee)
An acupuncture / acupressure point, it is the mental concentration point for the knee pain.
Yung-chuan (base of foot at middle toe)
The Yung-Chuan is also known as the bubbling spring or gate of the earth. Concentration on this area stimulates the kidney function. Also known as the K-1 acupuncture point, stimulation of this area is said to regenerate energy and lower blood pressure.