The Vital Substances of the Body in TCM
Updated: 6 days ago
The Three Treasures (Jing, Qi & Shen), Blood and Fluids
We’re going to take a look at the vital substances of the body from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective..that is, the stuff inside that makes us work!
The body has its physical structures - bone, muscle, organs etc, but the vital substances are what powers the complete human experience. As Chinese Medicine looks at everything holistically, you’ll notice too that we’re talking about physical, energetic and mental/spiritual aspects all in one.
So let’s dive in with a look at the Three Treasures, and also Blood and Fluids.
The Three Treasures in Chinese Medicine is the name given to the three vital substances essential for life. These are Jing (or Essence), Qi (Vital Energy), and Shen, or Spirit. As with all things, the three Treasures sit on a spectrum of Yin and Yang, with Jing being the most Yin, and Shen being the most Yang.
Blood and Fluids are kind of what you think they are, but also extend beyond the physical level in Chinese Medicine.
Click on each substance to go directly to the relevant section learn more, or work your way down the list for the full package:
Jing
In Chinese Medicine, Jing is linked with our ability to reproduce, and our constitution (both inherited and developed over our lifetime). It is fluid in nature and nourishing, and comes in two types:
Inherited (sometime called pre-natal) Jing is derived from our parents and drives development from conception. Developed Jing (also known as post-natal) is built up via the food and drink we take in and the air we breathe. We need both of these aspects to work together to help the body grow and maintain itself.
Being linked to our deep constitutional level, Jing controls the cycles of development in men and women. It forms the basis for growth and development, and is the basis for the energy/ Qi of the Kidneys*, Marrow and constitutional strength.
Things that are reflected in a strong level of Jing include strong hair, strong bones, good fertility and reproductive processes, strong physical growth and brain activity and ultimately strong Qi overall.
Things that might be a reflection of weak Jing on the other hand might be greying or thinning hair, osteoporosis, low fertility and reproductive strength, poor growth, dementia, and weak Qi overall. It’s also no surprise that some of these are signs of ageing as well, given that our Jing depletes as we get older.
While we cannot improve the state of our inherited Jing, we can still maintain Jing overall through diet and living a balanced life, i.e. not overtaxing ourselves.
Qi
Qi is the foundation of Chinese Medicine, and of life! Qi is often translated as vital energy, but extends beyond that definition in that it can be thought of as the spark of life, of form and function.
That’s a better way to think about Qi, in my opinion - not only what it is, but what it does.
The nature of Qi defies its definition and categorisation. It is not just any one thing at a single time - for example there is Qi of the organs, Qi that flows in the channels, Qi that nourishes and Qi that protects us illness. The action of Qi is just as varied - it activates that processes in the body, it transforms, it warms, it defends from external pathogens, it holds things in place…all these are happening in multiple forms in multiple places at multiple times, so you can imagine if we were to try to pin Qi down to one specific aspect, we’d lose sight of the all the things it can be.
So if we consider that Qi is both form and function, there are a number of problems we can encounter with Qi, and these generally relate to deficiency ( a lack of Qi) or stagnation (a lack of ability for Qi to flow correctly).
It is said that those with strong Qi will have a light in their eyes, lots of energy, a strong constitution and will, and are able to get on with things. Weak Qi may show in a dullness in the eyes and spirt, a lack of energy, getting sick easily, and feelings of being struck.
Qi can be lacking in general, or it might be linked to a particular organ system, which may lead to things like digestive issues or immune problems. Qi can be deficient due to age, long-term illness, a poor constitution or poor diet or overdoing it.
If Qi is stuck or stagnated, we might feel pain or instances where things are not moving correctly, e.g. nausea or coughing. Things that can stagnate the Qi can be emotional frustration, injury, poor diet or external pathogens.
The main way we interact with our mind and body is through Qi, so some ways that we are able to enhance the flow of Qi are through acupuncture treatment, practicing specific movements such Qigong/ Taichi, eating good food, taking herbs or through meditation.
Shen
The third and most ethereal of the Three Treasures, Shen refers to our Spirit or intelligence - our mind, our thought or state of consciousness. In Chinese Medicine our Shen is thought to reside the Heart*, and is what keeps us conscious and alert during the day and rests at night.
If your Shen is strong you’ll be bright eyed and rosy cheeked, alert and with a interest in interacting with life. If not, your eyes and complexion might appear dull, distracted with no interest in things.
Problems with the Shen might manifest as agitation, confusion and insomnia, but we can look after our Shen by maintaining not just good mental and emotional wellbeing, but also our physical wellbeing as they are all connected in Chinese Medicine.
Blood
Blood in Chinese Medicine is slightly different to what we think of as blood - it has similar characteristics but is considered to be a dense form of Qi. Like Qi, blood is produced thorough digestion and it circulates with Qi via the Heart to provide nourishment around the body. Jing also has a role in that it creates Marrow, which (like in Western Medicine) supports the creation of Blood.
Blood nourishes the whole body, including skin and hair, and it also helps to house the Shen. The relationship between QI and Blood is very close, as Qi helps to circulate Blood, but Blood provides the nourishment to allow Qi to circulate.
Like with Qi, if someone is deficient in Blood (through blood loss or poor nutrition) then general signs might include dizziness, palpitations, dry skin and hair, a pale complexion or tongue, insomnia or stiff tendons or ligaments.
The other concern with Blood is Stasis, in the same way that Qi stagnates. Stasis can go hand in hand with Qi stagnation, through deficient blood or some form of restriction or trauma. Stasis might show up as stabbing pain, swelling or a purple complexion or tongue.
To support Blood, a good diet is paramount to produce a strong supply, and gentle exercise with relaxation can help transform Stasis.
Fluids
Fluids in TCM encompasses everything else that isn’t one of the vital substances above, so sweat and most other bodily fluids. Fluids are seen more as material rather than energetic, and rely on the state of Qi and Blood.
The Fluids help to moisten and lubricate the body, including the skin, and assist with Qi and Blood movement.
Like Qi and Blood, Fluid problems can arise through poor diet or excessive Heat and can be an issue then of too little fluids making things too dry, or stagnated fluids leading to obstruction in he form of Damp or Phlegm.
Bringing it all together
In terms of priorities when it comes to treatment, they are all important and should be addressed in a ‘right place at the right time’ sort of way.
In practice though, most often we’re dealing immediately with Qi and Blood in treatment as those are the most easily accessible and responsive in the short term.
By addressing issues with Qi and/or Blood, we are also then working to support Jing, Shen and Fluids as part of that through longer term treatment. While changes in Shen can come about quite quickly, Jing and Fluids might take a bit longer to come round given their more Yin nature.
If you’re interested in how Chinese Medicine views health and how you can leverage this knowledge to keep yourself healthy, then it’s equally important to be aware of how these different components play their individual roles so you can be aware of changes when they come up in your everyday life, and you can then take action to correct any imbalances before they go too far.
Hopefully this piece will give you a bit more of an insight into some of the inner workings of Chinese Medicine, but if you think need more support with any of these, then why not get in touch for a chat or book a session and see what we can do?
* When we talk about organs in Chinese Medicine, we are referring partly to the physical organ, but also their energetic quality and their function so the scope of Kidney or Heart for example is more than the organic nature of it, so don’t worry too much about “problems” with organs if we refer to them!
Comments