ONE NEEDLE AT A TIME? –
Aug. 17, 2023 – In Chinese medical theory, the human body is considered a network of complex and interconnected processes, which are governed by the complements of yin and yang. These opposites are not considered material entities or forces, but rather concepts that describe how things function in relation to one another.
When yin and yang are balanced, a state of health and well-being is achieved, but when unbalanced, illness prevails. [4]
Qi is another important concept in Chinese medicine. It is sometimes described as vital energy, although an adequate translation into English is not so easy. It is more poetically described as “the fundamental quality of life,” “the pulsation of the cosmos,” or “energy on the verge of becoming matter.” [5]
The counterpart to the dynamic and transformative qi is xue (or blood), a soft and nurturing energy. [5] The channels that carry qi and blood through the body are known as jing-luo or meridians. These are described as an “invisible lattice that links together all the fundamental textures and organs.
