I have been doing some studying and I guess phlegm substantial and insubstantial travels with the blood but goes where blood cannot. Many things can be phlegm I guess it is the “cause of odd diseases.” If I quote right. Is there a difference in transforming phlegm and breaking it down ? Fascinating.
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
Is there a difference in transforming phlegm and breaking it down ?
Not really, there is technically a range though - you have mild dampness to phlegm stagnation, a range of interactions - phlegm-heat, phlegm-cold, etc. But generally you transform the dampness/phlegm to regain proper qi circulation.
Comment by Archived User
dampness becomes phlegm then? That’s what I was thinking. But there’s water, moistness too that isn’t pathogenic to my knowledge. Dryness is cleared from the stomach and moisture is returned to the stomach I believe.
Comment by Archived User
What we learn in school is …
Damp is Like water that is standing still and becomes slimey.
As it stands still long enough, it becomes thicker and turns into fleghm.
Tot treat it, you have to “break it down/transformate it” and make it move!!
But correct me if im wrong
Comment by Archived User
I see. I have heard heat can “cook” damp and make phlegm. Or maybe cook stagnant fluids and make phlegm ? Is that possible. Phlegm blocks chi but does it block blood too ? If I’m right phlegm I have heard can go where blood can’t.
Comment by Archived User
When you heat something, it becomes dryer. It works also that way for damp. When it becomes dryer, it becomes more solid ->pleghm. Because of that, you must be careful with moxa in damp area’s. Warmth can move, but also dry what turns it into fleghm (worse). Damp can also cause heat itself, like compost/green garbage. So it makes an circle. Where is an obstruction (this can be because of damp/plegm), blood and qi stagnate. So I think its more the other way around. Qi andere blood can’t go where there is an obstruction of damp/pleghm.
But also here, correct me if Im wrong. I’m for now Just a student😉.
Comment by Archived User
I hear too there’s friction that can cause heat. What seems complicated to me is this zangfu cycle. The way these organs fit together. Not to mention the Dx techniques. That is an art. Pulse and tongue.
Comment by Archived User
Are you a student? Because I learned a lot of the basis of this stuff in the basic tcm year…The year you have tot follow in the Netherlands even before starting studiing acupuncture, tuina, herbs and so on.
There is a comon saying in Chinese that say’s : “To know and know that you know, not to know and know that you don’t know, that is to know.
Learning acupuncture/TCM never stops!
I’m a student for almost 3 years now (almost certified acupuncturist, nut that is the time the real learning starts😉)and every time you seem to “get it”, you learn something new a level deeper…for me that’s also the beauty in it! Wu xing is at first just memorising …after a while it will fall info place. Zang fu, you cannot memorise, it is too much. But thats defenetly nog where to start…
For your info: We did learn the first year basic diffrences between heat, deficiency heat, cold, defficiency cold, stagnation signs and so on. Then use the big symptoms of zang fu Like: palpitations: heart or pericard (accompanied with strange feeling on chest)in combinations with them tot find zang fu patterns. In the 3rd year of learning we did go deeper…
Comment by Archived User
Officially…no. As far as I am concerned absolutely Acupuncture is ok and all. But TCM is what fascinates me. Physiology, anatomy of all kinds is great. But the patterns, Wu Xing and so on. I have mental illness and I hate it. It might be my downfall. Anxiety and panic attacks basically, and depression. Nothing psychotic or anything. What really confuses me is getting these organs to work right and flow in the proper cycles. Generating not attacking each other and so on. A TCM practitioner I “work with” online says my tongue shows spleen patterns and I know she’s right. Scallops. Locally there’s a chiropractor and says he’s an acupuncturist. IDK about him. if I can figure the winds, internal and external. The evils, I will have accomplished something. I also have little money and can’t afford real help. Or believe me I’d be getting it!
Comment by Archived User
)and every time you seem to “get it”, you learn something new a level deeper…for me that’s also the beauty in it!
Oh, I love this particular sentence. Last year I was babbling on this forum, how I knew TCM wasn’t a weekend seminar, but more like a lotusflower, that slowly opens more and more dimensions, meaning the learning never ends. Your sentence says that in a much easier to understand way.
Comment by Archived User
I see what you mean. It’s a learning experience. I have been reading about acupuncture. My. If your good at that, that is an art.
Comment by Archived User
I really enjoy Chad and the other’s blogs. Things are easier to understand there. Tell me does damp heat from meat or food for example become heat ? Then move onto blockages of chi or blood via becoming phlegm or so.
Comment by Archived User
that’s truly an art! there’s my friend who is an acupuncturist and he told me a few things about it.