Zhang Zheng

12.What is meridian?

In Chinese medicine, meridian is the network of running the Qi and blood, connecting the Zang and Fu and the other parts, regulating the body function. Jing means the meridian and vessels. Luo means the collaterals and subcollaterals. Regular and complicated intersection of the meridians connects the five Zang and six Fu, limbs and all bones, five sensory organs and nine orifices, skin, muscles, tendons, bones and vessels and turns them into one whole body to guarantee the formal life activity.

13.What consists of the meridian?

The meridian consists of the meridian and vessels, collaterals and subcolaterals as well as their annexed structures. The meridian and the vessels are the longitudinal trunk line and the collaterals and subcolaterals are the branch network of the former whose physiological function is clinically called the meridian Qi of which can act as communicating the different parts of the body, running the Qi and blood, nurturing the Zang and Fu, responding and conducting, keeping and regulating the balance of the body.

The meridian can be divided into twelve regular meridians, which include three yin channels of hand( the lung channel of hand taiyin, the heart channel of hand shaoyin, the pericardium channel of hand jueyin), three yang channels of hand( the intestine channel of hand taiyang, the sanjiao channel of hand shaoyang, large intestine channel of hand yangming), three yin channels of foot( the spleen channel of foot taiyin, the kidney channel of foot shaoyin, the liver channel of foot jueyin) and three yang channels of foot( the bladder channel of foot taiyang, the gall bladder channel of foot shaoyang, the stomach channel of foot yangming) and eight extra meridians of which include the Du meridian, the Ren channel, the Chong meridian, the Dai meridian, the yinwei meridian, the yangwei meridian, the yinqiao meridian and yangqiao meridian.

The collaterals and subcollaterals consist of fifteen larger collaterals of which are the meridians branched out of the twelve meridians and run interior and exterior along with collaterals of ren meridian, du meridian, and larger collateral of spleen), minute collaterals of which is the branch of the larger collaterals, superficial collaterals of which are minute collaterals located at the surface of muscle. The annexed part of collaterals and subcollaterals consist of tendons, skins, branches of the twelve channels.

14.How is the theory of meridian doctrine applied in the Health Qi Gong?

According to the theory of Chinese medicine, all diseases result from the imperforation of the meridians. No pain will occur when the meridians and the circulation of Qi and blood is unblocked and vice versa. The blood will run smoothly under the condition of the heat and condense of the cold. Therefore unblocking the meridians is common precautions taken against diseases in the exercise. For example, minding on some acupoints or parts make it heat to dredge some meridians and nurture the corresponding Zang and Fu. In addition, the exercise can play a role in stretching, dragging, turning and kneading some acupoints and meridians to prevent the diseases as the meridian runs through the four limbs. The action is the same as for the four sets of the Health Qi Gong.

15.What consist of five Zang and six Fu?

It is the summarization of the visceral organs in the doctrine of visceral state in Chinese medicine. The five Zang is the most important system acting as producing and storing the essence including heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney. Six Fu act as transporting, digesting the food and drink and discharging the waste including gall bladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, Sanjiao and bladder.

16.What is main function of five Zang?

The heart is the master of visceral organs and in charge of the blood vessels and mind. It has its outward manifestation in the face or complexion and its specific opening in the tongue. Its corresponding secrete of body fluid is perspiration.

The liver is in charge of storing the blood and soothing the emotions and assisting the digestion and absorption of the drink and food as well as all the tendons. It has its outward manifestation in the nails and its specific opening in the eyes with tears as its corresponding body fluid.

The spleen is in charge of the transportation of the essence of drink and food and transmitting and distributing the fluids. It can govern and keep the blood and distribute the clear refined substance. It is also in charge of all the muscles. It has its outward manifestation in the lip and its specific opening in the mouth with saliva as its corresponding body fluid.

The lung, which is compared to a canopy, is in charge of respiration, keeps the pathway of air unobstructed and disseminates vital energy throughout, cleanses the inspired air and keeps the Qi flowing downward, opens up and regulates the water course. It has its outward manifestation in the skin and hair and its specific opening in the nose with nasal discharge as its corresponding body fluid.

The kidney stores the congenital and acquired essence and is in charge of the reproductive development, bone and marrow, and regulating the water and fluid metabolism and Qi transformation. It has its outward manifestation in hair and its specific opening in the ears and two lower orifices. Practicers of Qi Gong think highly of the kidney as it is the foundation of the inborn constitution. The essence of the kidney is divided into the kidney yin and kidney yang.

17.What is the main function of six Fu?

Six Fu consists of gall bladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder and Sanjiao. The gall bladder, stomach, small intestine and large intestine are digestive organs. Bladder is urinary organ and Sanjiao is one specific Fu of which is only used in Chinese medicine with multiple functions.

Gall bladder has the relation of being interior and exterior with the liver and it is annexed to the liver and called the hollow organ containing refined juice as it stores the bile. Man with exuberant gallbladder Qi is courageous and man with deficient gallbladder Qi is timid and overcautious as it manages decision.

The stomach is interior-exterior relation with the spleen and in charge of the intake and digesting the food with its upper orifice called upper Wan, the middle part called the median Wan and the lower orifice called the lower Wan. It is preferable to descending and also called the sea of food and the foundation of the acquired constitution along with the spleen. It plays an important role in taking in the essence of food and drink and nurturing all the body.

The small intestine connects the stomach in the upper part and the large intestine in the lower and is in charge of separating purity from turbidity of which the purity is transported to the spleen and the turbidity is to the large intestine and bladder as the waste. The small intestine is interior-exterior relation with the heart and can be affected by the disorder of it.

The large intestine is in charge of transporting the discharges and interior-exterior relation with the lung. Dysfunction of transportation is likely to result in the diarrhea, dysentery, constipation and dry stool. Disorder of the lung is able to affect the large intestine.

The bladder is in charge of the body fluid metabolism along with the lung, spleen, kidney and Sanjiao and storing and discharging the urine. It has the interior-exterior relation with the kidney.

The Sanjiao is the passage of the energy Qi and body fluids with the function of transporting them. Qi deficiency in some parts is likely to result from the obstruction of the Sanjiao. The dysfunction of Sanjiao transporting the body fluids is likely to cause the disorders of oliguria and edema etc.

18.How to comprehend the basic meaning of the essence, Qi and spirit?

The essence, Qi and spirit are three treasures of human body in Chinese medicine. All those nutrients and substances constructing the body are involved in the scope of the essence such as the blood, fluid, sperm, liquid, the skin and hair, tendons and bones, muscles etc with the yin characteristics. Qi is the active essential substance warming and nurturing the body and the basic dynamic power promoting the life activity. Spirit is dominating and embodying the life with the function of reining the essence and Qi. Its meaning is extensive including all activities of Zang and Fu, meridians, Qi, blood, fluids and their outer manifestations besides from the psychological activity.

19.How to comprehend the Qi and blood and fluid?

The Qi, blood and fluids run all over the body through the meridians to keep the life activity in Chinese medicine. Qi has multiple physiological function such as promoting, warming, guarding, holding and transforming of Qi characterized as yang. Xue is basically the blood itself with the main function of nurturing and enriching the body. The fluids is generalized concept of all normal liquid inside the body including the inner body fluids of visceral organs and all normal secretions. Its main physiological function is to enrich the skin and hair, orifices such as eyes, nose and lips etc. It is closely relative with the health, weakness and diseases as it is the basic substance constituting the blood.

20.What can the exercise of the Health Qi Gong do for the Qi, blood and fluids?

The exercise can strengthen the waist and kidney to play a role in refining, nurturing and holding the essence. It can enhance the production and transportation of vital Qi to have got enough rest for the brain and body and the health effect of balancing the yin and yang. It can improve the activities of all systems including the nerve, respiration, circulation, digestion, motion, uropoiesis, reproduction and endocrine and turn them into the stable dynamic equilibrium, which can play an active in inducing, arousing and enhancing the vital Qi, as it can decrease the base metabolism and the oxygen consumption and increase the energy storage. Therefore, the practicer is able to rid of the diseases by ways of running the Qi in the opinion of the ancient people.

21.What are outer cold caused by yang deficiency and inner heat caused by yin deficiency? What can the exercise of the Health Qi Gong do for the condition?

Generally, the body is in a state of balance of yin and yang, integrity of figure and spirit, and whole harmony. Diseases will ensue as soon as the balance is destroyed. Yang deficiency is a state of decline of vital gate-fire, insufficiency of vital yang and decline of function and manifested as chilliness, pale facial complexion, lassitude, loose stool, clear urination, deep, thready and feeble pulse. The practicer should mainly do the active Gong of which can produce the Qi and yang to dredge the meridians.

Yin deficiency is insufficiency of yin fluids of which can result in the water being unable to press the fire to cause the inner heat. It commonly manifests as baking-fire, being fidgety, dry mouth, constipation, palpitation, insomnia with much dream. The practicer should do the quiet Qi Gong to increase and nurture the yin and fluids and get the effect of ridding of the diseases and health-keeping through the exercise of combination of motion with quietness.

22.What is the Sanjiao in Chinese medicine?

Sanjiao is one specific word in Chinese medicine including the upper, middle and lower jiao and subject to six Fu. Generally, it is considered as one Fu containing all visceral organs as well as the basic concept dividing the part of the body, that is to say, the part over the diaphragm is upper jiao containing the heart, lung; the part between the level of the diaphragm and the umbilicus is middle jiao containing the spleen and stomach; the part below the umbilicus is the lower jiao containing the liver, kidney, bladder, small and large intestine etc. Its function is to dominate the Qi transformation and the passage of the nutrients and fluids.

23.What is six Yin in Chinese medicine?

Yin is over or excessive by word. The change of six kinds of climate including the wind, cold, summer, damp, dryness and fire in nature is called the six Qi in Chinese medicine. They are called the six Yin as soon as they become the etiological factors under the condition of abnormal and abrupt change. They are called the six evils when they attack the body and cause the exogenous diseases. The common characteristics of the diseases caused by the six evils are as follows: It has relation with the season; for example, there are more diseases caused by wind in the spring, summer-heat diseases in the summer, damp diseases in the long summer, dry diseases in the autumn, cold diseases in the winter; the six evils can simultaneously attack the body such as the wind and cold causing the common cold, the wind and damp causing the arthralgia, damp and heat causing the diarrhea, etc. The six evil can be transformed each other. For example, the cold evil can be turned into the heat evil inside the body; prolonged summer-heat can injure the yin due to the production of dryness. The common passage is from the surface of the skin and the mouth or nose. So we should guard the body from the invasion of the six evils according to the different seasons.

24.What do the seven emotions consist of?

The seven kinds of emotion of human body are called the seven emotions including happiness, anger, sorrow, anxiety, sad, horror and terror. Generally speaking, the change of emotion is psychological activity of which won’t cause diseases under the normal condition. Only sudden, drastic and prolonged bad emotion stimulation will result in the diseases when it is beyond the modulation of body.

Different emotional change will affect different organs just as it is recorded in Huangdi’s internal classics•plain questions•discussions of yin and yang classification: anger will injure the liver, happiness will injure the heart, anxiety will injure the spleen, sorrow will injure the lung and terror will injure the kidney. It is called internal injury of seven emotions as it directly injures the Zang and Fu.

25.What is the main mechanism of seven emotions injuring the five Zang? What does the exercise of the Health Qi Gong do for that?

Abnormal seven emotions mainly affect the activities of Qi to result in the disorder the Qi and blood circulation and abnormal ascending, descending, coming-in and going-out of Qi. Anger drives qi upward. Rage will cause the disorder of the soothing of liver Qi and result in the upper punch of blood and Qi of which will block the upper orifices and cause the coma. Over happiness will cause the scatter of the heart Qi, absentmindedness and abnormal mind. Over anxiety will cause the block of the middle Qi activity and result in the digestive dysfunction and insomnia. Over sorrow will cause low-spiritedness and the exhaustion of the lung Qi and result in fatigue and lassitude. Over horror or terror will cause the cave-in and weakened renal qi and result in urinary and fecal incontinence or even abnormal mind.

The exercise of the Health Qi Gong is able to keep the practicer calm, happy, open-minded and rid of the disturbance of abnormal seven emotions to enhance the health of the body and mind.(continued)