The Shaping of Our Bodies Infuences in the Formation of Fesh and Skin
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feature The shaping of our bodies Infuences in the formation of fesh and skin By Peter Torssell The Spleen builds form Spleen qi exuberance means a superabundance of the physical body.2 In all their settlements, the bodily capacities of the people are Earth is the basis of form. Spleen and Stomach sure to be according to the heaven and earthly infuences, as create physical form by transforming food and drink into flesh. As stated in classical cold or hot, dry or moist. texts and confirmed in practice, the form 1 – Li Ji (Book of Rites) of your body reflects the condition of one’s Spleen. Su Wen (Basic Questions) chapter 44 From the treasurehouse of Chinese medicine and classical “The treatise on wilting” offers this: “Spleen books we fnd universal ideas about how we are shaped qi heat causes dryness of the stomach and as humans, and how to use insights about food regulation thirst, numbness of the flesh and flesh wilting.”3 and other daily habits to maintain our balance in the face Li Dongyuan wrote in the Pi Wei Lun of constant change. In Chinese thinking there is an obvious (Treatise on the Spleen and Stomach) that: interconnectedness between man and his surroundings, and “When the Spleen and Stomach qi is empty, this article will focus on how this connection defnes and it causes inability to eat and emaciation, or shapes the body. Thanks to Chinese correlative cosmology, reduced eating and obesity.”4 we understand that the body and skin manifest a constitutional Sun Simiao discussed the flavours (wei) as a metaphor for nourishment and its effect: tendency, but not a static one. We live in our bodies, whether “The physical form (xing) receives the flavours they are healthy or sick. Chinese medicine theory, its terms in order to achieve completion. If the flavours such as qi, yin and yang, and its categorisation of signs and of foods are not harmonised, the physical symptoms, gives us tools to stay healthy and to shape those form will be spoiled. This is the reason why bodies in the way we wish. These tools allow us to choose the the sage first employs nutritional interdictions a proper food, drink and activity to achieve our goals. Two organ (shi jin) in order to preserve his nature. systems are key to shaping the body: the Spleen and Lungs. a. Sun Simiao (581-682) legendary scholar of medicine portrayed as god of medicine. The quote 28 Vol:15-3 feature In addition to the influence of the Spleen smelly armpits, they would almost certainly on the form of the body, there are also find no evidence for such effects. But when constitutional influences. As Ye Tianshi we approach the aetiology of reflux and observed: “When patients present with a body smells in a different way—a correlative sombre red skin colour and emaciation way—it is not unreasonable to consider such with solid flesh, their constitutional body is effects. These two patients have differently yang.”5 I view the constitution as not just the structured bodies, providing differing inherited body but also the influence of the circumstances for the interaction of those environment in which people live, another foods with their Spleens. Chinese medical aspect of heaven and earth. concepts and terminology are a useful way to appreciate the correlations between patients, Correlation is not causation their bodies and the food they eat. Just because two things occur together does not mean that one caused the other; The body as blood and fuids correlation does not mean causation. Medical Zhu Danxi wrote: “A fat person is abundant science with its causal analytic paradigm in dampness, while a thin person is abundant discounts correlation, but correlative in fire.”6 In the correlative frame of Chinese thinking has its uses. The body, the earth, medicine, humans are microcosmic mirrors water, climate, geography, food, desires and of heaven and earth. The body is associated psychological character all correlate, and so with earth while the mind is associated with Chinese medicine sets cause and effect in a heaven. In other terms, the body is water different light. The way the body is affected and the mind is fire. “Earth is the anchor for by food is a concrete example of how this heaven” is equivalent to saying “the body is type of thinking can apply. the anchor for the mind (shen)” and is also While the Spleen builds form, this is not equivalent to saying “water is the anchor of just cause-and-effect moving in a single fire”. direction, as the body also influences the It’s important to remember that not only Spleen. Because the Spleen and the body are members of a pair correlating with each influence one another, this renders the other, but that in correlative thinking the efforts of Western reductive science and opposite member in a pair can switch places causal analytical thinking to establish one with another opposite—so considering defined effect from one defined cause rather earth-heaven and water-fire, earth can control complicated to achieve. For example, foods fire and not be regarded only as in opposition can have different effects depending on the to heaven. With the pairs movement-stillness situation. One man who was obese could and heat-cold, movement could control cold, not eat rice because it gave him reflux, but and stillness could control heat. after he lost weight, exercised into a fit state Keeping the same relationship, we can and generally felt better, he could eat rice change the terms to blood and qi. An without problem. A young, alert, thinly built important saying in Chinese medicine is that n Peter Torssell (Bachelor girl suffered from headaches, and her mother Blood is the mother of qi; qi is the commander of Chinese Medicine, reported that she had recently developed of blood.b Pathological changes of material Jiangxi University of smelly armpits. I recommended that she kinds will often be expressed as changes of TCM) has been a prac- eat more carrots and potatoes and within blood or fluids, such as regarding tumours titioner in Sollentuna, a week the smell had disappeared. It is not as stagnations of blood or phlegm. Looking outside Stockholm, since that carrots and potatoes are specifically at a body gives fundamental clues to the 1988. He is also Head indicated for resolving smelly armpits but in condition of the blood. Zhang Jiebin wrote: of Studies and teacher certain circumstances they could have this at Akupunkturakademin effect. If controlled studies were done on Abundance and exuberance of the muscles in Stockholm. He is cur- whether rice causes reflux, or potatoes cure and flesh ... whenever there is form or rently working with pre- substance in the human body all depends senting food as medicine is translated by Ute Engelhardt in “Dietetics in Tang from classical Chinese China and the frst extant works of materia dietetica” b. This statement does not appear as a whole in medicine, and in 2000 (2001) Innovation in Chinese Medicine, Cambridge early texts, but its component parts “qi is the leader published a book on the University Press. In her translation of wei she used the of blood” and “blood is the mother of qi” appear word “sapor” instead of “favour”. separately in a variety of texts. subject (in Swedish). The Lantern 29 feature on the blood. For instance, if blood Bodily guide to treatment strategy declines, the form will wither.” 7 The patient cases of Zhu Danxi are described concisely, notably without mentioning If this strong frm body Li Dongyuan made this comment on a tongue diagnosis but often including an is healthy, it is infused quote in the Nei Jing about the connection observation about the patient’s body and ‘‘with qi in adequate between the flesh and blood: character. An example is the following where amounts and Zhu applies turnip as a way of opening the considered a strong Turbid yin forms the earth... penetrates the circulation in a strong patient: constitution. But when five viscera, nourishes the blood vessels, something is material moistens the skin and fattens the muscles, Replete both in form and complexion ... and heavy, it carries flesh and sinews. This is what is meant by relying too much on his sturdy (physique) (the statement) that blood produces flesh.8 and his ability to eat undaunted, he defied the risk of stagnating. any prohibition ...then I told him to eat Fluids and blood are the material aspects only gruel with cooked turnip. that make up the body, and they should be in balance with qi. A thinner body is a type of In the Pi Wei Lun chapter 13, Li Dongyuan yin deficiency, and due to the imbalance with describes the same principle in cases of food qi will have a tendency towards fire. At the stagnation: same time, thinking analogically, thin people will also tend to other yang phenomena such Food damage is damage by tangible as dryness and wind. On the other hand, an substance. A mild case calls for dispersion obese body has an exuberance of yin in the and transformation through reducing food form of damp phlegm. So a thin body is a intake. Only severe cases call for ejection type of dryness that is lacking fluids, while and precipitation. a strong, firm body has sufficient blood. If this strong firm body is healthy, it is infused Whenever there is ample physical form, with qi in adequate amounts and considered there must be enough qi present for a strong constitution. But when something circulation and transformation.