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Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 1, No. 8: June, 2007
Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine
Yellow Emperor asked Qibo*, "I'm told that the ancient people could live up to one hundred years old and were still strong, but today, why do people become weak by the time they reach 50?" Qibo answered that those ancient Chinese knew how to nurture themselves according to the yearly cycle (four seasons and Yin & Yang**) and were living in harmony with na- ture. However, people today drink alcohol like fruit juice, are overworked repeatedly, seek sexual pleasure and exhaust the Life Essence (for longevity). They seek one-time pleasure and by doing so, reduce the true joy of living. Therefore, they become withered by the age of 50. Does this conversation somehow sound familiar to you? Yet, this was written 2000 years ago and was how the oldest medical writing*** in China began in Chapter One. The an- cient Chinese emphasized living with nature and its timetable, but were already lament- ing human weakness. If we can live in harmony and follow what nature is telling us to do, we might live longer and find true happiness in being alive. All the other chapters were written from this conviction (Su Wen****). *Yellow Emperor and Qibo (Daoist Master) are most likely fictional characters. **Four Seasons (four Qi or Energy) and Yin & Yang (四気陰陽): the Law of Nature ***Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine (黄帝内経) *****Internal Medicine has two parts: Su Wen and Ling Shu (mostly on acupuncture) 7-Year Cycle For Women, 8-Year Cycle For Men Within Chapter One, there are explanations of the female and the male cycles, which most westerners are not familiar with; however, in Asia, the cycles are stressed in the culture.
Female:
Age 7: Kidney Energy is activated, permanent teeth grow, and hair gets longer
Age 14: Kidney Energy matures, menstruation begins, and she is ready to have a baby
Age 21: Kidney Energy flows throughout the body
Age 28: Hair is abundant, physical strength is strong
Age 35: Facial complexion starts to deteriorate
Age 42: Facial wrinkles and white hair appear
Age 49: Reduction of Blood in the Blood Channel (or Pulse), menses stop,
and the ability to bear a child is lost.
Male:
Age 8: Kidney Energy is activated, hair and permanent teeth grow
Age 16: Kidney Energy matures, is ready to reproduce
Age 24: Kidney Energy flows throughout the body
Age 32: The body and muscles are strong
Age 40: Kidney Energy starts to decline, hair starts to fall out, teeth become loose
Age 48: Decline of the Yang Energy, facial wrinkles and hair become white
Age 56: Kidney Energy declines, muscles weaken, and reproductive capability declines
Notice that Oriental Medicine emphasizes Kidney Energy for the life span and the re- productive process. The important thing to remember here is that any disturbance of the cycle affects our long-term prospect for health. For example, females at the sensitive age of 14 should be careful during the year, since an early or late menstruation would affect GYN problems in the future. Men should be careful during the age of 40 or 46, when the body is chang- ing and loosing more Yang Energy to avoid the possibility of heart and other health risk factors. In Asia, those who are in each age group are reminded to be careful during the year and watch their health. Simple Things You Can Do For Your Health No. 5 Abdomen Pressing: With four fingers flexed, starting from the lower left quadrant, press the fingers into the abdomen. Then on the center line, move to the lower right quadrant, up to the upper right quadrant on the center line, then to the upper left quadrant. Repeat the process three times. Digestion controls our energy level, and harmonizing the stomach and the intestines helps balance our body and well-being.
© 2007 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture
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