In Practice: Rachel Hemphill, Acupuncturist
Who: Rachel Hemphill, DACM, L.Ac., FABORM Practice: City Pulse Acupuncture Specialty: Fertility, Women's Health, and Cosmetic Acupuncture Location: Oakland, California Ins...
THE 5 YIN ORGANS
Yin (zàng 脏 ) organs produce, transform, regulate, and store Qi, blood, essence, fluids, and spirit.
These include the Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Kidneys, Liver, and sometimes the Pericardium is considered the sixth Yin organ.
The YIN ORGANS
心 HEART
Governs: Vessels
Opens to: Tongue
Reflects in: Face
Fluid: Sweat
Pairs With: Small Intestine
Element: Fire
Spirit: Shen (神)
The Heart governs the flow of Blood and Vessels, houses the Mind/Shen, regulates the cardiovascular system, and maintains the nervous system's functions.
脾 SPLEEN
Governs: Transformation & Transportation
Fluid: Blood
Opens to: Mouth
Reflects in: Lips
Pairs With: Stomach
Element: Earth
Emotion: Pensiveness
Spirit: Yi (意)
The Spleen has an arguably much bigger role in Chinese Medicine than in Western medicine. It is in charge of the transformation and transportation of food Essences (nutrients), Qi, and Body Fluids to other Zang Organs.
肺 LUNGS
Governs: Qi
Opens to: Nose
Relfects in: Skin and hair
Fluid: Water metabolism
Pairs with: Large Intestine
Element: Metal
Emotion: Grief
Spirit: Po (魄)
The Lungs regulate fluid metabolism, blood circulation, the autonomic nervous system, and the immune system.
They take 'Clean Air' that we breathe in and combine it with the Food Qi (Gu Qi 谷气) to form Gathering Qi (Zong Qi 宗气). Then they distribute this Qi throughout the body to moisten and nourish skin and hair.
肾 KIDNEY
Governs: Bones
Opens to: Ears and genitalia
Reflects in: Hair
Fluid: Essence (Jing 精)
Pairs with: Bladder
Element: Water
Emotion: Fear / Anxiety
Spirit: Zhi (志)
The Kidneys store and release Essence - also known as Jing (精) which governs birth, growth, development, and reproduction.
They regulate water metabolism, the urinary, reproductive, endocrine and nervous systems.
肝 LIVER
Governs: Blood
Opens to: Eyes
Reflects in: Nails
Fluid: Blood
Pairs with: Gallbladder
Element: Wood
Emotion: Anger
Spirit: Hun (魂)
The Liver is considered the "General" because it is responsible for the body’s functions by ensuring the smooth flow and proper direction of Qi.
It also stores the Blood and regulates the amount of Blood circulated by the Heart.
心包 PERICARDIUM
Governs: Vessels
Opens to: Tongue
Reflects in: Face
Fluid: Sweat
Element: Fire
Spirit: Shen (神)
The Pericardium is a tissue membrane that surrounds the Heart. It protects and maintains the Heart, and houses the Mind (Shen 神)
THE 6 YANG ORGANS
Yang (fǔ 腑 ) organs are mainly responsible for digesting food and transmitting nutrients to nourish the body, blood, Qi, fluids, and spirit, and get rid of the rest as waste.
These include the Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, Bladder, Gallbladder, and Triple Burner (not a physical organ).
The YANG ORGANS
小肠 SMALL INTESTINES
Governs: Receiving and Transforming
Pairs with: Heart
Element: Fire
The Small Intestine receives leftovers from the Stomach and further digests and separates the pure from the impure substances.
The pure part is sent up to the Spleen and the impure part is sent down to the Large Intestine.
Healthy Small Intestine functions are essential for normal urination and defecation.
胃 STOMACH
Governs: Receiving & Ripening
Pairs with: Spleen
Element: Earth
The Stomach is responsible for receiving and ripening ingested food and fluids.
Pure substances get sent up to the Spleen for transformation of nutrients for the body.
Impure substances get sent down to the Small Intestine for further sorting and digesting.
大肠 LARGE INTESTINES
Governs: Passing and Moving Downward
Pairs with: Lung
Element: Water
The Large Intestine receives the "impure" parts of the digested food from the Small Intestine and continues to process the substances. It then forms stools and send them to the anus.
Large Intestine disharmony presents with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation
膀胱 BLADDER
Governs: Storing and Excreting
Pairs with: Kidney
Element: Water
The Bladder is responsible for storing and excreting urine.
Water that is not used by the body is collected by the Kidneys and is sent to the Bladder for excretion as urine.
Disharmony in the Bladder can lead to urinary problems and can indicate a problem with the Kidneys。
胆 GALLBLADDER
Governs: Stores and Secretes
Pairs with: Liver
Element: Wood
The Gallbladder stores and secretes bile produced by the Liver and send it to the Small Intestine to help digest foods.
Disharmony of Gallbladder function can result in jaundice where one develops yellow eyes and skin as a result of bile buildup in the body.
三焦 TRIPLE BURNER
Governs: Transportation and Penetration of Qi
The Triple Burner is a special concept to Chinese medicine. It relates to Qi activities and movement of water.
The upper burner is the cavity above the diaphragm and includes the heart, lungs, and pericardium.
The middle burner is between the diaphragm and belly button, and includes the spleen, stomach, and gallbladder.
The lower burner is located below the belly button, and includes the liver, kidneys, large intestine, small intestine and bladder.
Disharmony in Triple Burner can lead to edema (water retention in the tissues) or difficult urination.
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