Traditional Chinese Cultivation of HealthWestern medicine studies the human body according to its structure, trying to understand it accurately.Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors usually diagnose and treat diseases by differentiating syndromes, paying little attention to anatomy.Man and nature correspond with, influence, and guide each other 天人相应Internal organs Meridians → Yin and Yang collaterals• Yellow Emperor’s Canon of MedicineYin and Yang are two concepts in classic Chinese philosophy.They are used to describe such opposite but correlated aspects. Yang: mobile, exterior, rising, warm and bright Yin: static, interior, descending, cold and dark • The theory of Yin and Yang is used to explain the corresponding relationship between man and nature.• The changes of Yin-Yang and the variations of the four seasons guide the growth and development of all things.Five Zang-organs: liver, heart, spleen, lung and kidney ↓YinSix Fu-organs: gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder and Sanjiao ↓YangThe occurrence and progress of diseases are solely due to imbalance between Yin and Yang. The occurrence of diseases is concerned with both the healthy Qi and pathogenic factors.The progress of a disease is in fact the course of struggle between healthy Qi and pathogenic factors.The five elements: Wood Fire Earth Metal Water The relationships among the five elements can be described as promotion, restriction, over-restriction and reverse restriction.• Wood is characterized by free growth and external development. • So anything that bears such a property pertains to the category of Wood. • Fire is characterized by flaming up and warmth, and anything that bears such a property pertains to the category of Fire.• Earth is characterized by growing crops and supporting all things on the earth， and anything that bears such a property pertains to the category of Earth. • Metal is characterized by change and anything that bears such a property pertains to the category of Metal. • Water is characterized by flowing downwards and moistening things, and anything that bears such a property pertains to the category of Water.Five Zang-organs and five elements: liver ------Wood heart ------Fire spleen------Earth lung ------Metal kidney------WaterThe Twenty-four Solar TermsThe Beginning of SpringRain WaterThe Waking of InsectsThe Spring EquinoxPure BrightnessGrain RainThe Beginning of SummerLesser Fullness of GrainGrain in BeardThe Summer SolsticeLesser HeatGreater HeatThe Beginning of AutumnThe End of HeatWhite DewThe Autumn EquinoxCold DewFrost’s DescentThe Beginning of WinterLesser SnowGreater SnowThe Winter SolsticeLesser ColdGreater ColdPathogenic Factors in TCM• All the symptoms in a certain disease are caused by related pathogenic factors.• Traditionally, pathogenic factors in Chinese medicine are classified into three kinds, namely exogenous factors, endogenous factors and other factors.Exogenous factors• Wind • Cold • Summer-heat • Dampness • Dryness • Fire• Exogenous factors refer to climatic changes in different seasons, such as wind in spring, heat in summer, dryness in autumn and cold in winter.• If weather changes suddenly and abnormally, such as cold in spring and warm in winter, it will be harmful to human beings.• If the body is weak and cannot adapt to normal weather changes, it will also give rise to invasion of Pathogenic Factors.• The occurrence of many diseases is related to changes of weather.• Wind attack often seen in spring • Heat attack often seen in summer • Dryness attack often seen in autumn • Cold attack often seen in winterSpring• The dominant factor in spring is wind. • Wind flows fast. • Excessive or insufficient wind causes diseases.• The changes of wind in the four seasons are warm, hot, cool and cold. It tends to work together with cold, heat, dampness, dryness and fire to cause various diseases.• Invasion of wind into the skin will cause fever, aversion to wind, spontaneous sweating or cough and stuffy nose.• Simultaneous attack by wind and dampness will cause general pain. • Simultaneous attack by wind and heat will cause extreme thirst without aversion to cold.。