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🌿 Foundational Principles and Modalities of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a comprehensive healthcare system developed in China over thousands of years, rooted in philosophical concepts such as Yin and Yang and the Five Phases (Wu Xing). It views the human body as a small universe, where health is maintained through a harmonious balance of internal forces and the environment.
Core Concepts:
Qi (Vital Energy): The fundamental life force or vital energy that circulates through pathways in the body called meridians or jing-luo, connecting to organs and functions (Zangfu). Disturbances in the flow of Qi are seen as the root of disease.
Yin and Yang: Opposite yet interdependent forces. Yin represents coolness, darkness, and passivity (e.g., blood, body fluids), while Yang represents warmth, light, and activity (e.g., Qi, heat). Health is a state of equilibrium between the two.
Five Phases: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—these elements describe the relationship of bodily organs, emotional states, seasons, and pathology in an interconnected…