Close links between traditional Chinese medicine and Taiji

I have been practicing Chinese medicine in England since 1991. The majority of my patients are Westerners, suffering mainly from depression, anxiety and low energy, especially during the long cold winters here. Along with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, I believe Taiji is excellent for treating physical excesses as well as mental and emotional problems. For pure relaxation it has no equal.

The close links between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Taijiquan have long been familiar to the Chinese - both are based on the core value of balance and harmony, and the belief that balance is essential for a long and healthy life, physically, mentally and emotionally. This balance can best be summed up by the Yin-Yang concept. Click here to learn Blepharitis in TCM.

The main foundation for TCM is that of universal energy, or Qi (pronounced as "chee"), which surrounds us and is necessary for all living things, whether plants, animals or humans. Qi is considered positive and negative, dynamic and static, passive and aggressive, Yin and Yang - complementary opposing forces. In the human body, this energy circulates along channels known as meridians. There are points along these channels which can affect the flow of Qi, thus directly altering the body's essential balance and harmony. If certain blockages or imbalances occur, this can result in illness. TCM assumes that a balance between Yin and Yang is the key to health.

There are many ways to influence the flow of Yin and Yang: TCM is one way, by prescribing herbs to treat certain excesses or deficiencies in the patients' constitution; acupuncture is another, involving the manipulation of certain points on the meridians to stimulate Qi flow; and Taiji can also act to attract and circulate Qi through the body in a steady way, rectifying any imbalances through gentle exercise. When your body is ready, more vigorous exercises will produce even greater benefits. Click here to learn Acute Catarrhal Conjunctivitis  in TCM.

The medical classic, Yellow Emperor s Internal Canon of Medicine, produced over two thousand years ago, states clearly that the concept of Yin-Yang is at the heart of everything, including life and death, and this belief is the basis for TCM treatment as well as Taiji forms of shadow boxing, pushing movements offset with pulling, left movements with right, forwards with backwards.