Liver Invading the Spleen

The liver, which is responsible for the smooth flow of chi throughout the body, is very close to the spleen which is the main digestive organ. When liver chi stagnates, due to stress, anger, frustration or inappropriate diet, it invades the spleen and disturbs the digestive process. From a psychological perspective liver invading the spleen […]

Liver Invading the Stomach

Lifestyle factors and emotional stress, combined with irregular meals and overwork stagnates liver chi and it invades the stomach. The stomach is the ‘giver of life’, but when disrupted it creates pain and disease. Symptoms: Irritability, distension and pain in epigastrium and hypochondrium, fullness in epigastrium, acid reflux, belching nausea, vomiting, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic […]

Liver Fire Insulting the Lungs

Anger causes the formation of liver fire, which rises upwards towards the chest generating breathlessness and asthma. The underlying cause for this pattern is long standing liver chi stagnation resulting from emotional and psychological issues. Symptoms: Breathlessness, asthma, fullness and stuffy chest and hypochondrium, cough, yellow or blood-streaked sputum, headache, dizziness, red face, thirst, bitter […]

Kidneys Failing to Receive Chi

The main aspect of this pattern is that the kidneys are too weak to receive chi from the lungs, and to hold it down. Chi accumulates in the chest causing an excess in the chest and a deficiency in the kidneys. Kidneys control inhalation and lungs control exhalation, so there is difficulty in inhalation. This […]

Kidney Essence Deficiency

This is a pattern affiliated with chronic disease (in TCM chronic diseases can be cured or relieved) and osteoporosis. The kidneys store your essence (jing), the substance that nourishes, fuels and cools the body, and is also responsible for human growth, reproduction and bones. In health, jing is abundant and is transformed into bone marrow […]

Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency

This pattern doesn’t happen overnight. A fast-paced life, years of overwork, stress (financial or emotional), malnourishment (junk food and nutrient poor foods) combined with tension, intense worry, frustration, anger, hopelessness and depression deplete the yin of the kidney and the liver. Symptoms: Sallow complexion, brittle nails, dull occipital or vertical headache, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, constipation, […]

Kidney and Heart not Harmonised

The heart and kidneys depend upon each other for support, but they also control each other. The heart descends to the kidneys to provide warmth (kidneys are the fire for all physiological processes) and the kidneys ascend to the heart to prevent it from becoming hyperactive (the heart stores the mind). When kidney yin becomes […]

Kidney and Lung Yin Deficiency

This pattern is caused by irregular eating habits and chronic overwork combined with longterm worry which injures the lung energy. It is a chronic pattern characterised by the exhaustion of the body’s chi. Symptoms: Dry cough (worse in the evening), dry mouth, blood-tinged sputum, insomnia, thin body, breathlessness from exertion, weak breathing, weak voice, sore […]

Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency

A chronic condition involving spleen and kidney. Your spleen controls transportation and transformation, and kidney yang warms the spleen to support its functions. Yang deficiency in the spleen or kidneys will cause dysfunction of transportation and transformation, leading to loose stools, diarrhoea, stomach rumbling, chronic diarrhoea, and a cold abdomen. Kidney yang can’t transform fluids, […]

Kidney Chi not Firm

This pattern is affiliated with the Western diseases of depression, sexually transmitted diseases, yeast infection, urinary dysfunction and is characterised by urinary and sexual manifestations. The kidneys can’t provide enough chi to the bladder causing incontinence, frequent urination, weak-stream urination and dribbling after urination. The chi is too weak to hold sperm or vaginal secretion […]