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 […]

Heart Yin Deficiency

This pattern is affiliated with autoimmune disorders (blood, chi and yin deficiencies), harmful or unmanageable stress, and the impact of violent movies and computer games on the mind. Causes include chronic anxiety or worry, prolonged periods of intense concentration; overexertion, drug abuse and excessive stimulation of the senses by realistic violence in movies or computer […]

Heart Fire Blazing

This pattern represents a physical reaction to excess stress, anger, frustration and long periods of depression. It is caused by emotional tension, from doing many projects at the same time or constant forced decision-making, that pushes the person over the top. Too much thinking causes heart fire and symptoms. This pattern also appears during drug […]

Phlegm Fire Harassing the Heart

This pattern is affiliated with bipolar disorder, alternating between manic (crazy laughter, over confidence, shouting) and depression (dullness, confusion, muttering to oneself). The initial stage is wild behaviour or over excitement that eventually develops into mental symptoms. This pattern is caused by severe emotional problems and depression that harms both heart and spleen. This pattern […]

Heart Blood Stagnant

This pattern is affiliated with atherosclerosis and CVD and can therefore be serious. Strong emotions particularly anxiety, grief, resentment or bottling-up anger over a long period of time, upset the smooth flow of chi, stopping its movement or disturbing its action. When chi stops moving, blood stops flowing and this causes blood stagnation. In heart […]

Spleen Yang Deficiency

This pattern is affiliated with chronic fatigue syndrome, candida overgrowth, ulcers, gastritis and obesity and is characterised by a deficient spleen creating chilliness and cold limbs. The spleen comprises the entire digestive system and aspects of the circulatory system. In spleen yang deficiency the digestive process is impaired and foods and fluids don’t move smoothly […]

Full Heat in the Small Intestine

This pattern is caused by emotional hyperactivity or chronic emotional problems which have a ‘heating’ nature. Behaviours include a relentless drive to work on several projects at once, mental restlessness, and the need to keep pushing hard in every direction and using up vast amounts of energy (many artists and creatives display this pattern). It […]

Spleen Chi Sinking

This pattern is affiliated with chronic fatigue syndrome, candida overgrowth, ulcers, gastritis and obesity and is characterised by a deficient spleen. In Chinese medicine the spleen comprises the entire digestive system and aspects of the circulatory system. In spleen chi sinking the digestive process is impaired and foods and fluids don’t move smoothly creating symptoms, […]