Too much yang or not enough yin: Introduction to the Chinese 8 principles (Proceedings)

• Identify problems according to the 8 principles (actually, 4 pairs of principles)

• Treat by acupuncture and/or herbs according to the 8 principles

• Not either/or, rather is more or less. Perfect balance is being in harmony. Extremes have more problems.

• Further development of the previous idea of yin and yang

The 8 Principles

Exterior/interior

Deficiency/excess

Cold/hot

Yin/yang

Influenced by

External pathogenic factors

• wind (can cause problems like stiff neck, but also associated with things that come and go, including seizures, headaches, twitching, trembling)

• damp (especially related to cold)

• heat

• dryness (usually related to heat)

Exterior/interior =acute (exterior) or chronic (interior)

Deficiency/excess

• To much or too little of: yin/yang, cold/heat, damp/dry. Deficient yang can look like excess yin.

• Deficient cold can look like excess heat.

• Excess is more boisterous, loud, aggressive. (Rottweiler personality). Deficiency is weaker, more depleted. (Toy poodle personality).

• Feral cat: attacks you, excess. Tries to hide, get away at all costs, deficient.

• Identify the basic problem first (heat/cold, yin/yang), then decide if excess/deficiency. If a treatment is not working, maybe it is the opposite problem.

Cold/heat

• Excess cold and excess heat can invade and cause problems

• Dampness related to cold (accumulates → fluid, phlegm = lumps)

• Dryness related to heat: dry, itchy skin, constant thirst, joint problems, dry cough

• Cooling and warming herbs can be good things to offset pathogens

• Cold signs: thin, watery, clear discharge. Cool extremities, sleepy, sedentary, sluggish

• Heat signs: thick, yellow, green, and/or bloody discharge. Agitation, high fever, swollen glands.

Yin/yang

• Yin properties: cool, moist, quiet, solid organs, fearful

• deficiency, underactivity, hypo, matter, parasympathetic, endorphins

• Yin: hot, dry, boisterous, hollow organs, angry

• excess, overactivity, hyper, energy, sympathetic, epinephrine