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Do you know Lung Qi deficiency? There's more. This episode dives into Lung Yang deficiency - a pattern that goes way deeper than just shortness of breath. What happens when your lungs lose their warming power? Your qi contracts, cold solidifies in your lung lobes, and suddenly you understand why besides being constantly tired, spontaneously sweating and catching every cold, you're also fee...

This episode is about Zong Qi, also called Chest Qi or Great Qi, which arises from the combination of Gu Qi from the Spleen and air from the Lung. We discuss how Zong Qi nourishes the Heart and the Lung, controls the voice and promotes blood circulation. Weakening of Zong Qi causes three main problems: voice disturbances with soft voice and no desire to talk, failure of qi to move blood which give...

This episode covers two related Lung syndromes: the Lung as upper source of water, and failure of the upper body to control the lower body. We explore how the Lung regulates waterways through its spreading and descending functions, and what happens when external pathogens block the Lung or when Lung Qi becomes too weak to move fluids. The second part explains how weak Lung Qi fails to control the...

When Your Balloon Slowly Deflates Do you feel constantly tired? Do you catch a cold every month? Do you sweat spontaneously without doing anything? Then you might be dealing with Lung Qi deficiency - one of the most common patterns in Chinese medicine. In this podcast we dive into the pattern where your Lung can't do its work properly anymore. The Lung regulates your breathing, produces your Q...

The Magical Dance of LU-5 & SP-9 Ever wondered why some acupuncturists use just two needles and get better results than others who turn you into a pincushion? Today we're diving into one of Chinese medicine's most beautiful secrets: the powerful point combination of Lung 5 and Spleen 9. These two points together form a kind of "reset button" for your Qi system. Imagine your body is an orchestr...

The Multi-Faceted Spleen - Blood Guardian The Spleen does more than digest - it's also the security guard that keeps your blood neatly inside your blood vessels. When your Spleen weakens, blood can escape: downward (bloody stools), into your skin (bruising), or upward (nosebleeds). Worrying and stress weaken your Spleen directly, which is why stressed people often get unexpected bleeding. It u...

Why does a bloated belly feel "too full" when it actually comes from a lack of Spleen Qi? The Spleen works as the manager of your digestive factory - when weak, it causes blockages and stagnation instead of smooth flow. "Grain and water movement failure" means food gets stuck rather than moving through your system properly. Center Qi depression traps energy in the middle warmer, making everything...

The previous podcast we talked about the Spleen. Discover the powerful combination of SP-3 and LU-9 - two Yuan points that restore the Tai Yin (SP and LU) system when this system is deficient. From loose stools and after-dinner fatigue to shortness of breath and spotting between periods: learn when and how to use these points for Qi deficiency. Includes real case study and crucial needling techniq...

The Spleen and Raw Food: Challenging TCM Assumptions Episode Description For decades, TCM practitioners have warned against raw food, claiming it damages Spleen Qi and causes digestive problems. But what if this foundational teaching is wrong? In this episode, we examine groundbreaking research that challenges one of Traditional Chinese Medicine's most widely accepted beliefs. When researchers tes...

Sinking Spleen Qi: When the Ascending Force Fails Sinking Spleen Qi is a form of Spleen Qi deficiency where the ascending function of the Spleen weakens or completely fails. Instead of sending/holding Qi and organs upward, everything sinks downward. Recognizable symptoms are organ prolapse (uterus, intestines, anus), frequent urination with urgency, chronic diarrhea and a heavy sinking feeling in...

When your spleen goes on vacation... 🥱 You know that feeling? You've eaten "healthy" - a big smoothie bowl with raw nuts, a fresh salad with ice-cold cucumber - and yet you feel like you've been hit by a truck. Welcome to the world of spleen qi deficiency! In our Western world, we often think raw equals healthy. But your spleen thinks very differently about this. This hardworkin...

Qi and Blood Interactions How Qi and Blood work together in Chinese medicine - the classic relationship of "Qi is the commander of Blood, Blood is the mother of Qi" and what this actually means in practice. The Fundamental Relationship Qi as the commander of Blood - how Qi moves and holds blood Blood as the mother of Qi - how Blood nourishes and anchors Qi Why you can't really separate these two i...

In this episode, we dive deep into the four main blood syndromes in Traditional Chinese Medicine and how to recognize them in practice. What is Blood in TCM? - How blood differs from Western medicine concepts and its relationship with Qi Blood Formation - The role of Gu Qi, Spleen, Lungs, Heart, and Kidneys in creating blood The Four Blood Syndromes: Learn to differentiate between blood stasis and...

In this podcast, we dive deep into the world of Qi patterns - the fundamental building blocks of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Whether you're just starting your TCM studies or looking to refresh your knowledge, this episode gives you a clear perspective on how Qi behaves in health and disease. Qi Deficiency - Why modern people, despite abundance, still experience energy shortages, and how this...

In TCM, Blood deficiency and Yin deficiency are two distinct patterns that are often confused. Blood deficiency is characterized by symptoms like pallor, dizziness, heart palpitations, and dry skin - the Blood literally cannot nourish the organs anymore. Yin deficiency, on the other hand, involves depletion of cooling, moistening energy: think night sweats, hot flashes, insomnia, and a feeling of...

Qi deficiency primarily concerns a lack of overall energy and presents with specific organ-related symptoms, while Yang deficiency manifests through a lack of warmth and movement. Qi deficiency is characterized by symptoms such as: Fatigue Shortness of breath Spontaneous sweating Yang deficiency, on the other hand, is marked by: An overall feeling of coldness Cold extremities A strong desire for w...

An EPF (External Pathogenic Factor) cold arises from exposure to external cold influences like weather or wind, causing acute symptoms such as chills, headache, and muscle pain. Yang deficiency, in contrast, is a chronic energetic weakness where the body cannot produce sufficient warmth, leading to chronic coldness, fatigue, and weak digestion. A "full cold" refers to an excess cold path...

Full Heat, Empty Heat, and EPF Wind-Heat: Differences and Similarities Today we're discussing three important heat patterns in Traditional Chinese Medicine: full heat, empty heat, and external pathogenic factor Wind Heat. While they all contain 'heat' in their names, their causes and treatments are vastly different. Full heat arises from an excess of Yang-qi in the body. The patient ha...

An external pathogen, the Xie Qi, manifests with excess characteristics when confronted by a strong defensive system, the Zheng Qi, of the body. When the body's defensive mechanism is weak, we describe this condition as a deficiency pattern.

In this episode of the podcast, I delve deeper into the symptoms of two important patterns within External Pathogenic Factors (EPF): Wind Heat and Wind Cold. I discuss the specific characteristics of both conditions and explain the differences that are important for proper diagnosis and treatment. A clear explanation of EPF Wind Heat: characteristic symptoms such as high fever, thirst, and rapid p...

In this episode, we dive into effective learning techniques and how they can be applied to mastering the  Ba Gang  – the Eight Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We are going to define the 'Exterior' of the body and explain what is meant by an 'exterior' pattern. Whether you're just starting out or deepening your understanding, this episode will help you integrate theo...

In this podcast about studying (part 2), I tell you the best way to study Chinese medicine. Research shows that reading and re-reading is not the best method. We will continue discussing how to best learn Chinese medicine. It appears that most students read and reread, thinking this will produce good results. While this often does yield results, the question is whether this technique activates you...

In this podcast about studying (part 1), I tell you the best way to study Chinese medicine. Research shows that reading and re-reading is not the best method.

Part 4 of the Ba Gang Yin and Yang form a kind of overarching umbrella for the other 6 principles.. Yin and Yang are a generalization of the other six Principles since Interior, Emptiness and Cold are Yin and Exterior, Fullness and Heat are Yang in nature. In a specific sense, the categories of Yin and Yang can define two kinds of deficiency and also two kinds of Collapse. Collapse of Yin or Yang...

In this 3 podcast about the 8 principles I will discuss the principles excess and deficiency. The 8 principles are used in Chinese medicine to make a diagnosis. The Identification of Patterns according to the Eight Principles is the foundation for all the other methods of pattern formulation. It is the basic groundwork of pattern identification in Chinese medicine, allowing the practitioner to ide...