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 […]

Phlegm Heat Obstructing Lung

The factors that cause this pattern are stress, relentless pressure and overwork in combination with unhealthy compensatory behaviours, such as smoking for stress management or high-pressure business lunches with excessive consumption of hot (this is an energetic quality not actual temperature), spicy and greasy foods. These affect the spleen’s function of transforming and transporting fluids […]

Phlegm Fluids Obstructing the Lungs

This pattern is common in middle-aged and older people. It is a chronic condition of phlegm in the lungs caused by over-exertion and poor diet over a long period of time which has impaired the spleen’s function of transforming and transporting fluids. In TCM the spleen produces phlegm and the lungs store it. As the […]

Damp Heat in the Large Intestine

This pattern is affiliated with ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colonic mucosa and is caused by overconsumption of hot (this is an energetic quality not food temperature) and greasy foods, or chronic sadness and anxiety. If these causes are combined, the pattern is worse. These factors cause dampness in the large intestine […]

Heat in the Large Intestine

Caused by excessive consumption of hot (this is an energetic quality not food temperature) foods (lamb, beef and alcohol) and dry foods eg broiled or baked meat. Symptoms: Constipation with dry stools, burning sensation in the mouth, dry tongue, burning and swelling in the anus, scanty dark urine.

Cold Invading the Large Intestine

This pattern is caused by underdressing in cold weather, especially leaving the abdomen area exposed. It can also be caused by sitting on cold and wet surfaces for prolonged periods of time. The exterior cold invades the large intestine and interferes with the movement of chi in the lower body parts resulting in sudden severe […]

Collapse of Large Intestine

This pattern affiliated with haemorrhoids, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic gastritis and is caused by irregular meals, unhealthy eating habits, overwork, constant rushing or eating while working or on the run. Symptoms: Chronic diarrhoea, prolapse anus, haemorrhoids, tiredness after bowel movements, cold limbs, no appetite, mental exhaustion, desire to drink warm liquids, desire to have the […]

Stomach Chi Deficiency

This pattern is affiliated with anorexia, dyspepsia, chronic gastritis and is caused by lack of nutrition, lack or protein or undereating. The production of chi involves every organ but starts with the stomach. If the stomach is weak it affects all other organs in the energy production. Tiredness is the main symptom of stomach chi […]