symbolic-thinking

Chinese medical symbolism: the organ clock

October 4, 2011 by Eric Grey 24 Comments

Established readers : this is one of many reposted articles you will see in the coming months. It is part of the redesign process. I hope you agree that all of these articles are worth another look!

Chinese language is symbolic – it uses pictures (now highly stylized and simplified) to represent concepts. Chinese culture, even today, is infused with symbolism. What is a symbol? There are many potential definitions, naturally. For my purposes, I will simply say that a symbol is something perceptible that “points towards” a larger concept. There are many elegant and powerful systems of understanding symbols – one of my favorites comes from the work of Carl Jung.

To use a common example, the Apple logo () has come to represent a whole host of products, services, even people & communities. You can, of course, look to religious symbols like the Christian cross, the Jewish Star of David, and so on. These symbols hold great potency in many cases – in some real way they go beyond themselves.

Classical Chinese medicine takes the symbolic elements of the medicine very seriously. Over the thousands of years of the development of the medicine, a mind-boggling amount of symbolic information has been amassed and recorded. So for those of us who are committed to a deep practice of this ancient medicine, nothing else could be more important in our study and practice.

Vast amounts of information usually ends up organized into more manageable chunks. In Chinese medicine, various ways have been used to organize and help us find greater meaning in the symbols we encounter. One of the ways we organize the symbolism concerning the organ systems of Chinese medicine is through the use of a 12 section “organ clock.” Most people have heard about the organ clock – it’s one of the most popular Google searches that brings people to this website! To get a sense for the basic layout of the organ clock – see my unbelievably amazing artistry below.

hexagram chinese organ clock — HT = Heart, SI = Small Intestine, BL = Bladder, KID=Kidney, PC=Pericardium, TW=Triple Warmer/Heater/Burner, GB= Gall Bladder, LIV=Liver, LU=Lung, LI=Large Intestine, ST= Stomach, SP=Spleen.

Note: Focus on the general picture as some of the elements will not be explained right now (such as the constellation names “Wie, Mao, Bi,” etc).

The organs are laid out in the order of the energy flow through the channel system, then information known to be related is inserted in each section.

There are a lot of pieces of symbolic information that come in twelves. This is, I assume, why a twelve piece pie is so often used in discussing organ systems. We can use all of these to help us understand the organ systems, and thus the human body. Some of these groups twelves are:

The names of the organ systems, and thus the etymology of the Chinese characters associated with those organ systems. Also included here: information from a variety of medical systems concerning the physical organ associated with each organ system, information pertaining to the acupuncture channel associated with each organ system, etc…
Earthly Branches and their associated zodiac animals
YiJing (I Ching) tidal hexagrams
Two hour periods of the day
Month in the Chinese calendar, but also the related Western time of the year
Agricultural nodes – two per month, 24 total

We can also overlay information onto the twelve-part organ clock that comes in other multiples including (but not limited to):

The phase element (fire, earth, metal, water, wood) associated with each position (multiple of 5)
The direction of the compass and trigrams of the bagua (multiple of eight)
The six atmospheric influences or conformations (multiple of 6)
The relative concentration of Yin/Yang (multiple of 2)
The participation of each organ in one element of the Heaven, Earth, Human Being triad (multiple of 3)

Just imagine drawing several circles on tracing paper, one divided into twelve parts, one into eight, one into six and so on. Then imagine putting a representation of each piece of information in the correct section. When all of this information is put together, one begins to understand the complexity of the organ systems. For example, take the Heart. The Heart is explained as being the sovereign of the human body, keeping under control all of the other organ systems so they may work together in harmony. Using the organ clock we see that the Heart (only a partial list):

Is called Xin (心) in Chinese. This is often described as being a picture of the human heart organ with three drops of blood above it. Not particularly interesting, perhaps – though why there are three drops of blood is worth investigating. They could represent the ancient triad of Heaven, Earth and Human Being. Some primitive forms of the character look like a uterus, prompting an association between the Heart and femaleness.
Is associated with the Earthly Branch Wu (午), associated with the summer solstice and the animal of the Horse. The Horse is an interesting animal and deserves a post of its own, but everyone can agree that horses can work tirelessly (like the Heart) and that they tend to be very sensitive animals.
Is related to the Chinese agricultural periods (solar terms) called Xiao Shu and Da Shu, which are Small and Big/old summer heat, respectively. Summer heat is a heat with a damp quality – something anyone who has travelled in the American south in the summer can attest to. So, then, the Heart is related to this quality of intense heat.
Is associated with the element fire, in particular the Imperial fire that is pure, constant and the light of the whole body.

These are just a few of the elements we can use to expand our idea of what the organ system “Heart” represents. Now, because this is just a bit of an introduction and getting too long already, I won’t go into any greater detail. Let it suffice to say that when one investigates these elements to their fullest and combines it with more obviously medical information (like the kinds of herbs used to treat the organ, classical descriptions of physiology and pathology, etc) one has a true understanding of that system that is of great help in understanding difficult and complex diseases.

I hope to be able to continue to unpack the organ clock in future blog posts and possibly a course. I’m particularly interested in demonstrating to others how this information can be used in Chinese herbal treatment.

Learning about the Lung through the Chinese medicine organ clock

July 7, 2008 by Eric Grey 10 Comments

To this day, some of my most popular posts involve the organ clock.

I find the organ clock to be fascinating, but lately I haven’t thought that much about it. Thus, I haven’t posted much about it.

As our education has focused more and more on the superficially practical information (points, needling, formulas) it’s become easier to ignore all that esoteric stuff we learned earlier on.

However, in my mentorship with Heiner Fruehauf, I’ve come to understand how important this symbolism can be on a very practical level. Because of this realization, I’m going to delve back into that material and offer it to my friends here at Chinese Medicine Central. I’m going to go in the order of the clock, starting with Lung. I’ll offer basic information and a few deeper gems. Please remember that I’m a student and what I offer here is either a repackaging of what I’ve understood from my Professors or is my speculation and experience based on that material.

One more note – not all of this information comes strictly from the organ clock, per se, but much of it is informed by that symbolic powerhouse.

Lung : Minister of Purity

Name and official : Lung is called Fei 肺 in Chinese. The term Fei is related etymologically to a word Pei (I believe the character is 佩, I could be off) that anciently was a term for the insignia that ranked officials would wear on the outside of their garments to denote their rank. Through this and many other symbols, I have come to associate the Lung with the face we show to the world and the external surface of our body. It’s also a clear relationship to the official of the Lung, the Minister or Prime Minister.

The Minister is the functional arm of the Emperor in the world. The Emperor (Heart) proclaims the direction of the nation (body) and the Minister figures out the practical implementation of the edict. One way I think about this physiologically is through considering the role of metal connecting fire down to water. It is through the descending power of metal that the fire of the Heart is able to warm and animate the cold Kidney water, thus steaming it upward – Shaoyin circulation.

As the minister, Lung gathers Qi from the entire body and distributes it where it is needed. Some texts say that the Lung is like a lid on the whole system, catching everything that makes it up to its exalted level. When this function of Lung is damaged, disorders of Qi are the result. For instance, a Lung deficiency can create symptoms of Qi deficiency like fatigue and difficulty moving about.

One last important point is that I have learned never to call the Chinese organ system LUNGS as that makes too much of the physical aspect of this organ system. Instead, simply call it Lung. Remember that Chinese organ systems are both physical and energetic. Further, the physical aspect includes a number of things that the Lung organ system energy regulates. In the case of Lung, for instance, we have to consider the skin surface, the respiratory features of each body cell, etc… Why is this important? Language is powerful. If you continually say Lungs Lungs Lungs, you will slowly (or quickly) come to oversimplify this broadly useful concept.

Element (Wu Xing) : The Lung is the metal zang/solid organ, paired with the metal fu/hollow organ Large Intestine. This is the first place that the balance of purity and filth come into play for Lung. The Lung is often said to be the sensitive organ system. We can think about this from an elemental perspective – metal is malleable, manipulable by external circumstances (heat) to the degree that it can be melted. In a polished state it also easily reflects the world around it. On the Western side of things, we can think simply of how easily our lungs are affected by the outside world. Dust, heat, cold, viruses and bacteria – the lungs are subjected to a wide variety of insults and while it’s amazing they take what they do (resiliance is another, perhaps paradoxical aspect of metal) they do become irritated relatively easily.

Thus, it is important for the Lung to have some degree of purity to function properly. It likes things to be on the middle road, not too hot, not too cold, not too damp, not too dry. Like cool, clear mountain air – unencumbered by heavy particulates. One more note about purity – in Chinese medicine, metal is associated with the color white. I think of pure white snow and the shining white of great white cumulus clouds. These bring to bear the imagery of water and dampness (discussed below) but also the purity of this organ system. We need Lung’s purity to help us mediate the impurities in our environment, to distribute clean clear Qi throughout the body.

We can also consider the descending function of Lung through the lens of metal. Lung sits in the highest place of any organ systems (though we often think of Heart as occupying this space) and extends fairly deeply into the body cavity. Breathing, through the rhythm of the attached diaphragm, shifts all of the organs around at least a bit. From such an exalted position, the only direction to go is down. Further, through the association with the great descender – Large Intestine – the metal system of the body goes from upper orifice to lower, allowing the most complete passage through the human body. (Clearly from a Western physical perspective, the Lung and Large Intestine do not connect – work with me, here.) Lung is easily afflicted by problems in downward movement – the funniest example being hiccups/hiccoughs. Note, hiccups aren’t funny for everyone.

Conformation (Liu Qi) : Lung is Taiyin damp, partnered with Spleen. Taiyin is the first conformation on the Yin level – sandwiched between Shaoyang and Shaoyin. Taiyin disease, from a Shang Han Lun perspective, is comprised mostly of digestive symptoms – not Lung symptoms (which are usually more at a Taiyang level). So, what can Lung being Taiyin tell us about Lung? Lung is closely associated with fluid metabolism in the body. Taiyin fluid congestion can cause phlegm at the Lung level. The Lung is also said to catch the fluids steaming upward from Kidney and Spleen. We can think again about the sensitivity of Lung, not only to heat and cold, but to dampness and dryness. Everyone can recall an experience of their Lung fluid metabolism being out of whack – coughing up huge amounts of white phlegm on the one hand or having a dry, hacking cough on the other.

Going back to the relationship of the Lung to Qi, we can consider the deep relationship of Spleen and Lung. Spleen Qi and Lung Qi deficiency both involve similar symptoms of a low energy state. When the Spleen is failing to lift essence of what we consume up to the Lung or when the Lung is failing to spread that essence throughout the body, the result is great fatigue and symptoms of low energy in all the organ systems.

The first month and spring Agricultural Periods : We’ve already had some discussion about the Spring association of the Lung on Chinese Medicine Central. Lung is on the first position of the organ clock, kicking off the year around the time of the western zodiac sign Aquarius, encompassing the Chinese New Year. Aside from the obvious water associations with Aquarius, the water bearer – we can simply consider the early spring. This period is associated with the two Agricultural Periods 立春 lìchūn (beginning of spring) and 雨水 yǔshuǐ (rain water/establishment of spring). Again we find water symbolism! However, the greater issue here is that of spring energy. The spring energy available at this early time is mostly submerged. Sensitive people (and animals) can sense it – of course. But anyone can see the early croci. The world is under a kind of tension at this time. The Yang energy is rising, but the cold Yin is still firmly in predominance. It is this quiet tension, the calm before the spring storm, that exemplifies Lung energy. Quiet, unhurried, life giving tension.

Lung 7 (LU-7) : 列缺, liè quē/Broken Sequence: I thought I would look at a commonly used point on the Lung channel to try to dig a little deeper into this material. Lie Que is one of Ma Danyang’s 12 Celestial Points (Tain Xing Shi Er Xue), which are 12 points determined to be maximally effective for a wide range of conditions (compiled as such, I believe, around the 1400’s) and is a point used quite often in clinical practice. It is the Luo connecting point for the Lung channel (thus an access point to the associated fu organ, Large Intestine). It is the Ruler point for the back of the head and neck, so has an influence on pain and tightness in that area. It is also the Master point for the Ren Mai/Conception Vessel.

I’ll quickly review the top 3 most important and interesting functions of Lie Que. The first, most obvious, function is that this point strongly regulates Lung Qi and can be a great help in releasing the exterior in external invasion situations. This relates to the metal element association of Lung and metal’s relationship to the surface of the body.

We can also think about the connection of Large Intestine and the way that this allows for swift purging of things out of the system. The second interesting function relates to the Master connection to Ren Mai. Ren Mai is most often associated with female reproductive physiology and pathology. We can relate back to the descending function of metal to consider how this point might help to expel downward anything being retained in the uterus. Particularly combined with Large Intestine-4 (contraindicated in pregnancy) we have a powerful, metal descending ability.

Finally, consider LU-7’s ability to treat urinary disturbances. In the West, we don’t commonly think of the Lung when we think of urination. But through the deep association of Lung with water, we can easily understand how a powerful point on the Lung channel might help to resolve incontinence or difficult urination.

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As always, there is so much more symbolic information that could be included – consider this an introduction. I’d be interested to hear any thoughts this has started for folks, and as always I would be happy to hear your contributions. Thanks!

Classical Chinese medical symbolism: Wood, Metal and Spring

March 17, 2008 by Eric Grey 6 Comments

Today I am featuring the first part of a two part guest post by my friend and colleague at NCNM, Michael “Delli” Dell’orfano. His article is a fine elaboration of the ideas I briefly presented in my post about Rest and Activity in the Year of Sagely Living. I will post the remainder of the article over the next few days. It will be followed up by another series that I’ve authored myself concerning treating external invasions with Classical Chinese Medicine.

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As the vernal equinox approaches we find ourselves situated in the season of spring according to the Chinese calendar, yet the organ systems clock tells us that this time of year corresponds with the Lung and Large Intestine organ systems. How does one make any sense of this?

The relationship of the Wood organ systems and the Metal organ systems of Chinese Medicine can be understood through the use of Yin Yang theory. Yin Yang theory is one of the fundamental principles upon which our medicine was founded, and so I think it is worthwhile to explain a bit about the Taiji (太極) symbol (often called the Yin Yang symbol) and how it originated. It is important to keep in mind that ancient Chinese medicine is a science of movement and energy consisting of symbols. Symbols are bridges between matter and consciousness since they have the potential to resonate at the same frequency. The quality of the frequency can reveal to us similarities between the physical world and the holographic world. On one level, symbols are meant to be a simple way to convey an idea, but at the same time these symbols contain vast amounts of information that we must first comprehend in order to use them effectively.

Upon observation of the symbol we can notice the contrast in color. Light and dark are contained within it, but do not disregard the fact that a dark circle exist within the light area and vice versa. The fact that Yin always exists within Yang, and Yang within Yin, tells us that nothing is purely Yin or purely Yang, but rather that all life is a mixture of Yin and Yang. In my opinion, this clue leads us to reason that the two are mutually dependent on one another for the continuation of life.

The shape of the Taiji is a circle, which tells us that it relates to infinity or completeness. We also get a sense of movement when we look at the way the dark and light shades are drawn in. These clues turn out to be very important because the Taiji is telling us that yin yang theory can be used to explain the movements of nature, because it is based on the movement of the seasons, and thus the Wu Xing (五行, five elements, five phases, five phase movements) are closely related to it.

The Taiji symbol originated from the ancient sages who observed the cycle of the Sun using an eight foot long pole posted in the ground at a right angle to record the position of the Sun’s shadow throughout the year. They found that the length of the year was 365.25 days and then divided the year up into twenty-four segments including the solstices and the equinoxes using the sunrise and Big Dipper positions.

They used six concentric circles, marked twenty-four segments points, divided the circle into twenty-four sectors, and then recorded the length of the shadow each day. After connecting the lines and dimming the portion between the solstices they created a picture that looked like the modern day Taiji symbol.

The Taiji symbol is actually a diagram charting the movement of the Sun so that the ancients could then use this information to better understand the world. This scientific breakthrough would allow the ancient sages to better understand our relationship to time and space and give them a starting point for classifying different types of energies.

The yin yang theory background is pertinent to understanding the Wu Xing (五行, five elements, five phases, five phase movements) because they resonate on many levels. Both the wu xing and yin and yang move in cycles throughout the seasons. One interpretation/understanding of the Wu Xing I came across stated that the elements are not five distinct things, but are one cosmic force, differentiated into five appearances by time and space.

Maybe this is good way to think about them because when first learning Chinese medicine many students tend to think of Jin (金, metal) and Mu (木, wood/flora) as being enemies since “Metal chops down Wood”. It is better to think of them as having a complementary relationship, because truly they balance one another out in a physiological state. When the relationship is in balance, Jin/metal works along the Ke (control) cycle to keep Mu in check since wood/flora can become relentless. If Jin over controls Mu, then our internal “forest” would be destroyed and a pathological process would be underway.

Nature can also be described by Tian Gan Di Zhi (天幹 heavenly stems and 地支 earthly branches). Together, the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches create the energy of the time and space continuum. Chinese think of the year as energy moving in a circular motion, while in the Western civilization we think of time as linear.

The stems and branches were originally a counting system used to keep track of hours, days, months, and years by the ancients after they had discovered the world moves in circles or cycles as proven by the Sun diagram. In the seasons, Jin/metal represents fall and relates to the Tian Gan (heavenly stems) Geng 庚 and Xin 辛, while Mu/wood represents spring and relates to the Tian Gan Jia 甲 and Yi 乙. Jia is the first Tian Gan, and it is classified as yang wood in character, while Yi, the second Tian Gan, is considered yin wood in character. Both are associated with the springtime.

Jia 甲 is picture of a very hard tree with scales or armor around it. The traditional Chinese etymology is the idea of a helmet on a big man. It also had the meaning of a claw gripping tightly on to something, meaning very great strength and protection. Yi 乙 represents the idea of a seed of a plant which is breaking through the earth. Together Jiayi means the movement of life as it bursts open. The spring season represents the movement of Heaven and Earth coming together after being separated in the fall and winter.

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Editors note: I regret having to cut off Delli’s article here, there were really no great stopping points. However, the whole article would be too long to digest on the web in one sitting! In the next part of this article, we will learn more about metal and the interplay between the symbolism of both metal and wood.

Rest and activity in the Year of Sagely Living

March 4, 2008 by Eric Grey 6 Comments

You might wonder why you haven’t yet seen a post from me about March’s Year of Sagely Living goal. Fittingly enough, I was at a Qigong retreat all weekend in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been with some of the greatest people I know. It was a good way to start off my contemplation of the rhythm of relaxation and focused work in my life! It reminds me that my program, while rigorous and sometimes quite difficult, does try to build in time for rejuvenation – we have a retreat every term! A luxury, no doubt about it.

When conceiving the Year of Sagely Living we decided to focus March, the time of first real visible manifestation of spring, on the balance between activity and rest. This is such a wide topic, there are a variety of possibilities within it. Originally, I explained:

Lung, Yin 寅 (Tiger)- Activity/Rest: This category will contain practices having to do with appropriate cycles of rest and activity in daily life – for instance, appropriate waking times throughout the seasons.

I am reminded to consider the Lung and everything we learned about that organ system in our classes with Heiner Fruehauf . When I read back through all the symbols associated with Lung I see a lot of contrasting elements. This makes sense given the “tension between opposites” that the actual physical Lung deals with. It interfaces between liquid and gas, it is part of what oversees the interchange between carbon dioxide and oxygen… One of the interesting contradictions we’re asked to ponder as we study the Lung organ system is the fact that while the Lung is most often referred to in terms of metal – as per the Neijing Suwen (and many other places) on the organ clock it is solidly placed in the spring! What can this mean?

I have thought of it in many ways over the last couple of years. First, the Lung/metal is in charge of descending the Qi of the body and the wood is responsible for ascending movement. This vital pillar of human physiology serves as the mechanism by which rhythm is maintained in the body. The Lung is readily associated with rhythm – along with the heartbeat our breathing rate is one of those regular things that happen all day, every day, without our even thinking about it.

Another way to look at it is simply by assuming there is something about the Lung which is Fall and something which is Spring. What parts of Lung function are similar to Fall? The Fall is crisp and cool, it is a time when the Yin energy begins to dominate strongly over the Yang. The Lung, too, is a Yin-like environment as an organ and as one of the six conformations. The Taiyin damp aspect of the Lung creates an organ that likes to be relatively cool (though not cold) and wet (though not filled!). There are other similarities, but I will move on. What parts of Lung function are in resonance with Spring energy? I think the best way to understand this is to take a few minutes and do some really deep breathing. See how the light returns to your eyes? See how your energy rebounds?

I will be thinking about the tension and similarity between Fall and Spring as I enter March and this phase of the Year of Sagely Living. I have a few ideas of what one might consider as practices to learn about rest and activity.

1. Chinese organ clock and its application: I have spoken many times on the blog about the Chinese organ clock. One of the pieces of information associated with the clock that most everyone has heard about is the two hour periods associated with each organ system. Here’s a quick rundown of the associations:

Lung – Fèi 肺 : 3-5 am

Large Intestine – Dà Cháng 大腸 : 5-7am

Stomach – Wèi 胃 : 7-9am

Spleen – Pí 脾 : 9-11am

Heart – Xīn 心 : 11-1pm

Small Intestine – Xiǎo Cháng 小腸 : 1-3pm

Bladder – Páng Guāng 膀胱 : 3-5pm

Kidney – Shèn 腎 : 5-7pm

Pericardium – Xīn Bāo 心包 : 7-9pm

Triple Burner – Sān jiāo 三膲 : 9-11pm

Gall Bladder – Dǎn 膽 : 11-1am

Liver – Gān 肝 : 1-3am

While the organ clock is vitally important and often eerily accurate, it is still something we must look at through the lens of individual experience, cultural application and the normal seasonal changes. Regarding individual experience – this is simply recognizing the changing terrain of the human body.

While I believe the human body is essentially the same as it was thousands of years ago, certainly the introduction of many human created chemicals and conditions have altered our bodies in some way. Perhaps some are more resistant to these changes than others. Regarding seasonal changes – in most parts of the world the Yang or light parts of the day are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. This means that the organ systems located on the “Yang” or daytime side of the clock will have, comparitively, more time in those months.

As an aside – if you have a Mac running OSX (anything before Leopard) you might want to go over to the site of my colleague, Brandon Brown. He has skillfully and artistically created a widget that takes into account these seasonal changes. At this point, it is somewhat limited in that it is focused on the West coast of the United States. He says he’ll work on a more robust version someday. 🙂 Regardless – the main lesson of the organ clock is to remember that all energy isn’t in all places at all times naturally. Everything in its time, in its season. Regarding all this organ clock business, one possible March practice would be to pay close attention to the flow of energy through my organ systems and consider how I might best organize my time to take advantage of the flow.

2. Appropriate amounts of sleep. In the Neijing Suwen, there are some important discussions about the importance of sleep – in particular, the optimal seasonal variations for sleeping and waking. In general, we understand that sleeping is important to bring the Shen back to be housed in the Heart and to allow the Wei Qi to descend into the organs to begin the process of rejuvenation. Sleep is vital! So, when should I wake? How long should I sleep at night? A natural goal here would be to try to achieve my mythical optimum and see how it affects my life. Another would be to try some kind of artificial sleep schedule, something outside of my optimum, and see how that affects my life.

3. Regulating relaxation. We are all told that we need to take time to relax. But, this means many different things to different people. In Chinese medicine school, we learn a lot about the taxing effect that continuous work has on both the Spleen and the Heart organ systems. Depletion of the Qi and Blood leads to what is often jokingly called “Exhausted Student Syndrome.” On my Qigong retreat, I found myself contemplating whether it is better to work very hard with little time for “relaxation” and then take a stretch of time COMPLETELY off or whether it’s more advantageous to work continuously, but with small regular breaks. Further, what is true relaxation? Watching television? Hiking? Playing a sport? Meditating? It’s a variety of things, to be certain, but what is it for me?

A subset of the relaxation question concerns the importance of taking microbreaks while doing sit down work, especially at the computer. Repetitive strain injury is something all Chinese Medicine students and bloggers should think about. One quick note – some recent software programs help you avoid long stretches at the computer with no break. One simple practice I could incorporate into my daily life is simply to use a program like that and to review my ergonomics at my desk.

I’d be interested to hear how other people think about rest, relaxation and work in their own lives. Please leave your thoughts in the comments. In my next article, released shortly, I will declare my March Year of Sagely Living goal.

5 Ways Organ Clock Symbolism of Pericardium Unlocks the Door to Emotional Health

August 16, 2007 by Eric Grey 2 Comments

According to prevailing theory, while the five basic emotional states are associated with the five Zang – the Heart, Pericardium and Liver are actually most closely involved in the emotional life of the human being. The Heart as the house of the Shen/Spirit holds a kind of master key for the evolution and expression of emotional states. As the Emperor, the Heart seems to have the power to override the emotional thrust of other organs – possibly acting as the origin of emotional control. The Liver, as the source of hormonal power – especially for women – surely contributes to emotional health and pathology. However, I believe that often overlooked Pericardium offers the most symbolic insight into our emotional life.

In a prior article about Pericardium and the organ clock, I discussed several categories of symbolic information about Pericardium. I will repeat some of those here – expanding on them – and reveal a couple more that helped me to delve more deeply into the protector of our Heart, Pericardium.

1. Time of the year – The Earthly branches, the month on the calendar and several other symbols all relate to a kind of “death energy” that is exemplified by the Metal element in its focus on severing, letting go and moving on. Although the time of harvest is one of great joy, it is also one of recognition of the movement into winter – a time of lower activity.

What does this have to do with emotion? It’s an almost intolerable cliché to say that if you love someone you let them go, but there is deep wisdom in this statement. Even if the “letting go” is not physical – say by breaking up with someone – an internal recognition of the temporality of all human relationship is essential to recognizing their true power. We cannot hold on to those we love. Even if we manage to sustain the relationship over the course of our life, we will at least be separated by death. Because the feelings involved in close relationships are so strong, our desire to hold on to them is great – and this is a great teacher. Letting go of the need to have permanence in a relationship allows you to enjoy it in the moment, every moment. This includes your relationship with yourself.

2. Time of the day – Most times of the year, 7-9pm is either dark or on its way. It is also the time when families gather, and in some parts of the world it is time for the evening meal. For most folks, 7-9pm is a time for winding down, getting into more comfortable clothes, and eventually falling into the weird unconscious state of sleep. There is a two-sided lesson here. This time is for togetherness and unification but also a time for vulnerability and shedding of one’s external persona. Maintaining good emotional health requires both of these aspects. We must learn to come together with others, and also to unify the diverse parts of ourselves, in order to be healthy.

Perhaps a more important lesson here is the importance of vulnerability. Learning how to be vulnerable has been very powerful for me. In terms of my relationships with others, I have learned that if I don’t allow mysel

f to be open to both elation and deep pain I reserve important parts of myself from the other person. This creates unhealthy barriers. However, I find that vulnerability is important to my emotional health outside of my relationships with other people as well. When I allow myself to be open to the wide variety of experiences that this life has to offer – even if I don’t think I would prefer some of those experiences – I grow significantly. For example, I have learned to get past my barriers against doing exercise by realizing that it is a problem I have with being open to change. If I start exercising, I’m not sure what will happen and that makes me uncomfortable. By realizing that being open and vulnerable to the experience of challenging and changing my body creates space for me to grow as a person, I do myself a great service. This makes me a more well-rounded person emotionally and otherwise.

3. Zodiac animal related to Pericardium’s Earthly Branch – The dog is one of the most potent Pericardium symbols. There are many kinds of dogs now, as there were in ancient China. There are dogs for protection, there are dogs for sports like hunting, there are herding dogs, there are dogs that we enjoy simply for their gentle disposition and family-oriented attitude. But all of these dogs share a couple of key characteristics. First, they are fiercely loyal. A dog, even if treated badly, will defend its home and the people living in it. By simply being loyal to those you love and to your own principles and ideals, you will avoid many of the situations that put you in a bad emotional place. Perhaps easier said than done, but meditating a little on the steadfastness of Dog may help.

Another common characteristic of dogs is their ability to live in the moment. I don’t know about your dog, but mine has a very short memory. This is sometimes frustrating, as when he repeatedly sleeps on the couch despite my frequent admonitions, but mostly it is a simple lesson for me. This ability to forget the past has been a great key in my quest for emotional stability and health.

Pericardium’s Organ Clock Relationships:

4. Clock pair (Stomach) – As I mentioned in my article about Pericardium and the organ clock, one of the most interesting relationships to analyze is that of the organ and its partner directly across the clock. One of our teachers, Heiner Fruehauf, said that organs across the clock from one another are able to “take one another’s shifts.” I think this is because of the concept of the energy circulation of the channels. Every organ system is said to have a two hour period (for Pericardium, 7-9pm) where the Qi is strongest within it. If there is this ebb and flow then it stands to reason that there will be a two hour period when the Qi is weakest within each organ system. The most reasonable time for this ebb would be twelve hours later – on the other side of the clock. But this will be a time when the energy of the organ 12 hours later will be strongest.

In the case of the Stomach and Pericardium, we have an unusual match. The Stomach is all about bringing in the material world. Thinking about the Stomach’s zodiac symbol – the Dragon – we can imagine the strength of the East, the all consuming power of that most exalted Chinese symbol. Here I see a lesson in our advocacy for our own needs.

While we don’t want to harm others, we also don’t want to allow harm to come to ourselves. Being capable of knowing when your own boundaries have been crossed and responding with the appropriate emotion is a key of emotional maturity. Also, enjoy the material world while you’re here! While we shouldn’t get caught up in greed, it is important to relax sometimes and to just take it all in. The clock pair relationship teaches us all of this.

5. Six Conformation pair (JueYin Liver) – I haven’t talked much yet about the Six Conformations. I will have to post about it soon. Let it suffice to say for now that the theory of Six Conformations is another way of organizing the organ systems as well as a way to understand pathology. It divides all twelve organ systems into six groups of two, a hand and foot channel for each conformation: Tai Yang, Yang Ming, Shao Yang, Shao Yin, Tai Yin and Jue Yin. Liver is the foot Jue Yin (the channel runs along the leg) and Pericardium is the hand Jue Yin (it runs along the arm and chest). The connection of the two is deep and when studied, reveals much.

Both Pericardium and Liver are involved with Blood. Liver is said to store the blood and while in TCM Pericardium isn’t related to the blood very often, the actions assigned to the Pericardium points have a lot to do with Blood. The Blood is Yin to the Yang of Qi, and because of its associations with hormones and the female principle – Pericardium and Liver both have a deep Yin quality. This realization is accentuated by the fact that from a 6 Conformations perspective, Jue Yin represents a very deep level of the human being – both mind and body.

When I contemplate this, I recognize the deep mystery of the emotions. Recognizing this makes me much more likely to have tolerance for the fluctuations I experience from day to day, as well as the fluctuations of others. Although emotional mastery is an important goal to work towards, we also need to realize that the deep mystery of our emotions is an intensely complex code to decipher. It requires patience, gentleness and a heaping dose of humility.

See How Easily You Can Use Five Element Theory to Eat Optimally

July 31, 2007 by Eric Grey 14 Comments

I’ve been seeing quite a few articles about balancing color in one’s diet as a way to eat well. These articles are always so beautiful – illustrated with plenty of photos of gorgeous blueberries, tantalizing tomatoes and the like. Further, the concept of choosing your food by color is an attractive one and also simple for most people to understand and use. I’d like to add a little to the conversation by showing how you can similarly choose foods to create an exciting and balanced diet by using two symbol categories associated with five element theory : color and flavor. Each elemental phase has a color and flavor traditionally associated with it, and while competing theories exist regarding the exact assignment of correlation – what I’ve listed below is what is most commonly agreed upon.

Note : If you are a patient looking for support as you explore the ways in which Chinese medicine theory can help you in adopting a healthy diet – reach out to me at Watershed Wellness (located in Portland and Astoria, Oregon). I do offer limited distance consultations, but they’re not available automatically through the website. Please get in touch by email or phone for more information.

By using the following structure as a guideline, you can begin to assemble a healthy diet aligned with some fundamental Chinese medicine principles.

Below I just list a few examples of foods that would fit in each category, you should pick a variety of foods in each category for maximal health. And, of course, you should use other basic dietary principles to ensure you’re getting the macro and micronutrients you need.

I have experimented with this structure in a number of ways:

I’ve used a different element for each of 3 meals and 2 snacks
I’ve tried to use all five elements in each meal
I’ve even used the creation and control cycles to have fun with recipe planning!

Fire: Element of Heart, Pericardium, Triple Burner and Small Intestine. Resonates with the season of summer, inspiration, intimacy and the Sun.
- Red, the color of Fire
  - Red vegetables: Tomatoes – from a Chinese perspective, tomatoes are cool in nature and have both sweet and sour flavors, and go to the Stomach and Liver channels – both prime candidates for suffering due to heat. From a Western perspective, tomatoes are a great source of antioxidants like Vitamin C as well as being a source of lycopene, a cartenoid thought to be helpful in cancer prevention. Other red foods: Beets, strawberries, raspberries, pomegranates
- Bitter, the flavor of Fire
  - Bitter greens: Swiss chard – Bitter flavor clears heat, and given that these leafy green are cooling, they can be a great addition to the diet of someone who has followed the Standard American diet and thus have a lot of built up heat and dampness. From a Western perspective, all leafy greens contain very high amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, as well as providing a healthy amount of fiber. Other leafy, bitter greens: collards, kale

Earth: Element of Spleen and Stomach. Resonates with the times between the seasons or the very late summer, nurturing, stability and the earth beneath our feet.
- Yellow, the color of Earth
  - Yellow vegetables: Yams/sweet potatoes – Okay, so these are often orange in color, but some are paler. Work with me, here. From a Chinese medicine perspective, sweet potatoes are sweet in flavor and neutral in nature. They work on the Spleen, Stomach and Large Intestine – so work powerfully on a number of levels in improving digestion. From a Western perspective, they are a potent source of antioxidants and vitamin E. Other yellow vegetables: corn
- Sweet, the flavor of Earth
  - Whole grains: Whole wheat and/or spelt, brown rice, quinoa, millet – People are often confused about the sweet flavor in Chinese medicine. This is not the sweet of ice cream, Skittles and soda. To experience the ideal sweet flavor, take a bit of well cooked brown rice and chew thoroughly. That’s sweet. 🙂 So whole grains are the ideal candidate in this category. Rice is sweet and neutral and goes to the Spleen and Stomach. It is the perennial digestive booster, powerful enough to be effective but gentle enough for convalescing individuals. From a Western perspective, whole grains are the foundation of a great diet – providing key minerals, B vitamins and fiber for digestive health.
Metal: Element of Lung and Large Intestine. Resonates with the autumn, justice, permanence and high mountain glaciers.
- White, the color of Metal
  - Tofu/tempeh and other legumes, fish, chicken: quality protein sources in line with your ethical standards, keep it free-range, organic, local and well-cooked. Most of the greatest protein sources are white (or beige, or something like it). For those of you who want to argue about some of the legumes, point taken. But even many beans that are one color on the outside are pale within. Any of these sources, when prepared sans cream sauce, are excellent sources of protein as well as many minerals. In the case of legumes and their products (tofu, tempeh, etc) you will also get a decent amount of fiber.
- Pungent
  - Onions: Flavor is important, and pungent flavor is great for keeping energy moving through the body. Onion is both bitter and pungent in flavor and warm in nature. It goes to the Lung, Stomach and Large Intestine. It can activate the Yang principle of the body as well as helping draw energy downward as might be desirable in constipation. It also reinvigorates stomach fire when used responsibly – good for sluggish digestion. From a Western perspective, there is some evidence that onions may have protective effects against cancer. Other pungent foods: garlic, chilis
Water: Element of Bladder and Kidney. Resonates with the energy of the winter, wisdom and contemplation and the vastness of the ocean.
- Blue, the color of Water
  - Blue fruits: Blueberries – Blueberries have been in the media a lot lately, mostly their antioxidant benefit is touted. Unfortunately, I do not have information about the Chinese classification of berries in front of me but my sense is that they are probably both sweet and sour, with a neutral nature and probably an affinity for the Large Intestine among other organs. The data on blueberries from biomedical research is easy enough to locate – they are a potent source of vitamins C, E and several protective compounds that are being heavily researched now. Other blue fruits: boysenberries, black raspberries, blackberries
- Salty, the flavor of Water
  - Seaweed, condiments: Again, for food to be a holistic experience it must not only satisfy our intellectual understanding of nutrition or our emotional need to be able to look forward to a long, healthy life but the food must also taste good. I have used seaweed in place of salt in many situations with great results – many products are available to make this a simple experience. Other condiments are also fine, especially high grade sea salt and organic nama shoyu.
Wood: Element of Liver and Gallbladder. Resonates with the springtime, Yang energy, motivation and new beginnings and a rapidly growing field of grass.
- Green, the color of Wood
  - Green vegetables: Broccoli, from a Western perspective, is a powerhouse food full of vitamins, minerals and the ever crucial fiber. There are so many green vegetables to choose from, this is a category that you can expand pretty much endlessly – even including a green food of each flavor for a five flavored green feast! Other green vegetables: Lettuces, peas, celery, green beans
- Sour, the flavor of Wood
  - Citrus: Lemons – From a Chinese perspective, most citrus have both sweet and sour flavors, but lemon is distinctly sour. Its nature is slightly cool, which makes it a great candidate for cooling summerheat – the old time tradition of lemonade has some basis after all! It also goes to the Liver and the Lung – given that the sour flavor astringes, it may be helpful in restraining Lung Qi as in a cough or restraining an overactive Liver. From a Western perspective, these fruits are a prime source of Vitamin C. Other citrus limes, grapefruit

symbolic-thinking

By using the following structure as a guideline, you can begin to assemble a healthy diet aligned with some fundamental Chinese medicine principles.

I have experimented with this structure in a number of ways:

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