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 […]

Kidney Yang Deficiency

Kidney yang deficiency affects many aspects of health including core energy, sexual energy, lower back strength, knee strength, bone strength, hair and reproduction. It is affiliated with CFS chronic fatigue syndrome. Lifestyle plays a crucial part in developing kidney yang deficiency. Kidney yang is referred to as the ‘fire for life’ and a deficiency is […]

Liver Yang Rising

This pattern is caused by anger, frustration and resentment over a long period of time disrupting the balance of yin and yang necessary for healthy behaviour. The loss of yin causes liver yang to rise, which then sets off a chain reaction of unhealthy and dangerous behaviours. Symptoms: Headache located at the temples, eyes or […]

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 […]