THE BODY
How traditional chinese medicine views the body
Where Western medicine looks at a single component of the body, Chinese medicine sees the body as a whole entity, its interconnected organs and systems, and its energetic pathways in order to nourish and rebalance.
The Body
ZANG-FU ORGANS
The health and functions of the body are based on harmonious relationships between the 5 Yin and 6 Yang organs— also known as "Zang-Fu organs."
Although these organs may share the same name in biomedicine, it is important to note that Chinese medicine defines them first by their functions. In this way, other elements of a system are not thought of individually, either. The adrenal glands are not separate or independent structures in TCM, but considered to be part of the Kidney organ system; of belonging to the kidneys. It is only through these relationships that the organs are defined. To reflect this difference, the organs' names are often capitalized.
Because everything in this world holds Yin and Yang, so do our organ systems. Chinese medicine recognizes five Yin organs, wu-zàng, and six Yang organs, lìu-fǔ.
Zang-Fu Organ pairs:
- Heart — Small Intestine
- Spleen — Stomach
- Lungs — Large Intestine
- Kidneys — Bladder
- Liver — Gallbladder
The Pericardium is sometimes considered the sixth Zang Organ. The Triple Burner has no physical manifestation but rather thought of as cavities that house the organs.
Zang Organs
THE 5 YIN ORGANS
Yin (zàng 脏 ) organs produce, transform, regulate, and store Qi, blood, essence, fluids, and spirit.
These include the Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Kidneys, Liver, and sometimes the Pericardium is considered the sixth Yin organ.
Governs: Vessels
Opens to: Tongue
Reflects in: Face
Fluid: Sweat
Pairs With: Small Intestine
Element: Fire
Spirit: Shen (神)
Governs: Transformation & Transportation
Fluid: Blood
Opens to: Mouth
Reflects in: Lips
Pairs With: Stomach
Element: Earth
Emotion: Pensiveness
Spirit: Yi (意)
Governs: Qi
Opens to: Nose
Relfects in: Skin and hair
Fluid: Water metabolism
Pairs with: Large Intestine
Element: Metal
Emotion: Grief
Spirit: Po (魄)
Governs: Bones
Opens to: Ears and genitalia
Reflects in: Hair
Fluid: Essence (Jing 精)
Pairs with: Bladder
Element: Water
Emotion: Fear / Anxiety
Spirit: Zhi (志)
Governs: Blood
Opens to: Eyes
Reflects in: Nails
Fluid: Blood
Pairs with: Gallbladder
Element: Wood
Emotion: Anger
Spirit: Hun (魂)
Fu Organs
THE 6 YANG ORGANS
Yang (fǔ 腑 ) organs are mainly responsible for digesting food and transmitting nutrients to nourish the body, blood, Qi, fluids, and spirit, and get rid of the rest as waste.
These include the Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, Bladder, Gallbladder, and Triple Burner (not a physical organ).
Governs: Receiving and Transforming
Pairs with: Heart
Element: Fire
The Small Intestine receives leftovers from the Stomach and further digests and separates the pure from the impure substances.
The pure part is sent up to the Spleen and the impure part is sent down to the Large Intestine.
Healthy Small Intestine functions are essential for normal urination and defecation.
Governs: Receiving & Ripening
Pairs with: Spleen
Element: Earth
The Stomach is responsible for receiving and ripening ingested food and fluids.
Pure substances get sent up to the Spleen for transformation of nutrients for the body.
Impure substances get sent down to the Small Intestine for further sorting and digesting.
Governs: Passing and Moving Downward
Pairs with: Lung
Element: Water
The Large Intestine receives the "impure" parts of the digested food from the Small Intestine and continues to process the substances. It then forms stools and send them to the anus.
Large Intestine disharmony presents with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation.
Governs: Storing and Excreting
Pairs with: Kidney
Element: Water
The Bladder is responsible for storing and excreting urine.
Water that is not used by the body is collected by the Kidneys and is sent to the Bladder for excretion as urine.
Disharmony in the Bladder can lead to urinary problems and can indicate a problem with the Kidneys.
Governs: Stores and Secretes
Pairs with: Liver
Element: Wood
The Gallbladder stores and secretes bile produced by the Liver and send it to the Small Intestine to help digest foods.
Disharmony of Gallbladder function can result in jaundice where one develops yellow eyes and skin as a result of bile buildup in the body
Governs: Transportation and Penetration of Qi
The Triple Burner is a special concept to Chinese medicine. It relates to Qi activities and movement of water.
The upper burner is the cavity above the diaphragm and includes the heart, lungs, and pericardium.
The middle burner is between the diaphragm and belly button, and includes the spleen, stomach, and gallbladder.
The lower burner is located below the belly button, and includes the liver, kidneys, large intestine, small intestine and bladder.
Disharmony in Triple Burner can lead to edema (water retention in the tissues) or difficult urination.
The Body
THE 6 CURIOUS ORGANS
There are also six miscellaneous organs otherwise known as Curious Organs (奇恒之腑 Qí Héng Zhī Fu), which include the Brain, Marrow, Bone, Blood Vessels, Uterus, and Gallbladder.
The Gallbladder is both a Yang (fu) and Curious organ because it is involved in breaking down food (input) but it contains a pure substance that's neither Yin or Yang— bile.
Our organs all work together in unison with each other, united by the pathway of the meridians. It’s in the balance of all these systems that health is measured. Without understanding the entire picture, this harmony we seek in TCM cannot be perceived. Organs depend not only on our meridians, but also on each other for dynamic functionality and integration.