Traditional versus modern Acupuncture

3. CHANGE (transformation, rhythms, cycles, relativity, balance)

 
Change: Everything in existence must change in a ceaseless cycle of anabolism (building up) and catabolism (breaking down). Change reverses to the original state, in time. Nothing is permanent. Everything changes.

All great civilizations were aware of the rhythms and cycles in nature:

We have the activity/rest, the day/night cycles, sunspot cycles, political cycles. Internal (diurnal) cycles include the cardiac cycle (systole/diastole), the respiratory cycle (inspiration/expiration), the hormone secretion cycle (tropins/inhibitors) etc. All of life and nature follows cyclic patterns.

The Wheel symbolises change/transformation in a cycle of endless and beginningless revolution. The Monad, symbolises the Yin-Yang, and within the Yin is some Yang and vice-versa. Diagram of the Wheel and Monad: 

 Yin and Yang are opposite, essential but complementary parts of the same whole. Yin (dark area) changes to Yang (bright area) and Yang changes to Yin in a changing, yet changeless cycle. Thus, mountains become flat land and flat land becomes mountains. Rock becomes sand and sand becomes rock. Thus, tears and laughter are opposite yet essential parts of the same whole. Birth/death, day/night, potency/impotence, fertility/sterility, joy/sorrow are the lot of nature.

Yin-Yang concepts imply continuous Change, movement and transformation. Nothing is static. Day must become night. Change occurs because of the interplay of Yang Qi and Yin Qi. Winter becomes Summer as Yin Qi weakens and Yang Qi strengthens. Summer becomes Winter because of a reverse change. Thus Winter must become Summer when Yin reaches its LIMIT (mid-winter solstice) and transforms into Yang. Summer must become Winter when Yang reaches its LIMIT (Mid-summer solstice) and transforms into Yin.

Different Syndromes are categorised into Yin and Yang types. For example, chronic diarrhoea, with cold extremities and abdomen is Yin Syndrome and an acute febrile disease with raging thirst is a Yang Syndrome. But Yin disease can become Yang and vice-versa.

The change from Yin to Yang to Yin has many other analogies: In childhood, the male (Yang) may have predominantly Yin characteristics (soprano voice, no body hair, tendency to cry if hurt etc). Between puberty and old age, the Yang characteristics develop and the Yin characteristics decay. In old age, the male may revert to predominantly Yin characteristics again (quav-ering voice, breast enlargement etc). The opposite may occur in female (Yin) from childhood (tomboy = Yang characteristics) to fertile womanhood (Yin) to post-menopausal old age (many Yang characteristics).

Substance (Yin) transforms into function (Yang) and function transforms into substance. In the most profound sense, in the midst of frenetic change, nothing changes. Energy is merely transferred elsewhere in the total system.

RELATIVITY: Nothing is created or destroyed, it only changes form. Structure/mass (Yin) and blueprint/energy (Yang) transmute. That is all. The concept predated Einstein's equation (e = mc2) by thousands of years.

There was no "Instant of Creation" in which "Something" was created from "Nothing". Nor can there be an "Instant of Annihilation", in which "Something" can become "Nothing".

Nothing is absolute and all things must exist in relation to each other. Yin and Yang are RELATIVE states. The head is Yang relative to the chest (Yin), but the chest is Yang relative to the feet (Yin) and is Yin relative to the back (Yang). The front and inside are Yin, the back and outside are Yang etc. But the outside can become the inside (the neural tube becoming the brain and spinal cord) and the inside (emotions, organs) can become externalised (see correspondences in the paper on the Five Phases).

A man is predominantly Yang (aggressive, strong, phallus etc) but may have some Yin characteristics also (gentleness, laziness, compassion, sensitiv-ity). A woman is predominantly Yin (pacifying, gentle, compassionate, sensitive) but may have some Yang characteristics also (creativity, perseverance, courage, extroversion etc). In the family there must also be Yin and Yang. If both Husband and Wife are Yang (active, bossy) there are family arguments, and if both are Yin (passive, inactive the marriage will be dull, apathetic and uncreative. Either way, the lack of balance (antagonism between Yin and Yang) leads to poor family life. If the Yin-Yang balance is maintained, the marriage (unity) can be very stable.

BALANCE: The totally balanced system has equal amounts or Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are necessary for the other (interdependence) yet each opposes the other (inter-opposition). Balance or equilibrium is maintained by the mutual antagonism, yet mutual dependence of opposing forces. For example, for life to exist (as we know it on our planet) we need a balance of sunlight and darkness. If there was perpetual sunlight or perpetual darkness, life on the planet would cease.

Yin or Yang can not exist in isolation. If there is no day, there is no night. If there is no excitation, there is no inhibition. The balance of Yin-Yang is a dynamic, changing state. There is seldom exact balance, with equal amounts of Yin and Yang. For instance in Summer, daylight exceeds darkness (Yang is predominant) but in Winter, darkness exceeds daylight (Yin is predominant). Equal amounts of Yin and Yang (night/day occurs only at the equinoxes (March 2lst and September 23rd). The limits of Yin and Yang are seen, for example at the Winter solstice (December 2lst) when Yin is maximal (relative to Yang) and Summer solstice (June 2lst) when Yang is maximal. This transformation of Yin to Yang and Yang to Yin is a natural, universal phenomenon. It is natural for Yin to predominate at certain times and Yang to predominate at other times, in dynamic cycles. Allowing for the transformation of energy within the system, the overall state is one of balance.

The concept of balance is very important in Oriental philosophy, including TCM/TAP concepts of health and disease. The balanced body has a time for work and a time for rest (physical and mental). Deficient (depleted) energy must be conserved or renewed; Excessive energy must be drained or released.

Overactivity or underactivity in any facet of life causes Qi imbalance. Too much work (overexertion) or underactivity (laziness); too much sexual activity (loss of KI Qi) or inability to release sexual energy in some constructive way (frustration); overindulgence in food or drink, or undernutrition etc can have adverse effects. For example, too much sex (Water) can weaken the Water organs (KI, BL), resulting in lumbago, sciatica (controlled by BL, KI Channels), as well as throwing strain on HT, PC (heart, circulation) via the Ko Cycle (Deficient Water allows Excess Fire (HT, PC)). Inability to release sexual energy can cause Excess Qi in KI, causing Deficient HT Qi (Excess Water Qi causes Deficient Fire). Apart from cardiac problems and hypertension, this may cause, frustration, lack of drive, spirit and mental energy).

Balance also extends to food: too much (or too little) bitter food (Fire), sweet food (Earth), acrid/pungent food (Metal), salty food (Water) or sour food (Wood) can damage the corresponding COS in the Five Phase Cycle (see next section). Balance of the taste and food types helps to maintain good health. Over-cooking of food can destroy some of the good Qi in food. Under-cooking of food can cause indigestion or food-poisoning.

Similarly, the emotions are associated with the Five Phases (see section 5c). Control of the emotions to maintain a good balance is important.