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Stagnation

Stagnation

by | 2727,May, 2025 | Traditional chinese medicine

When energy freezes

In the subtle vision of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), life is movement. Qi, Blood, and Body Fluids must circulate freely, like breath through branches, like a stream flowing between stones. This vital flow sustains health, mental clarity, and peace of mind. But sometimes, this current slows down. It swirls without moving forward, becomes murky, thickens… and eventually stagnates.

This phenomenon is called stagnation. It is not a static state, but a gradual, often insidious imbalance that can give rise to most modern chronic ailments. When energy ceases to flow, life becomes heavier, more strained… sometimes painful. This stagnation is at the root of many pathologies.

Repressed emotions

Stagnation can affect different levels. The most frequent is Qi stagnation, particularly in the Liver, the organ that governs the free flow of energy throughout the body. This imbalance is directly linked to repressed, unexpressed emotions, stress, frustration, and even suppressed anger. Modern humans are saturated with it. The signs are often subtle but revealing: tension in the sides, frequent sighing, fluctuating moods, chest tightness, menstrual irregularities, and even depression.

When stagnation persists, it deepens. The Blood, in turn, can cease to circulate harmoniously. This is known as Blood stasis. This type of stagnation is denser and more deeply rooted. It manifests as fixed, localized pain, often nocturnal, and sometimes intense. It is the root cause of many gynecological disorders—endometriosis, fibroids, painful periods—as well as lumps, nodules, and abnormal scarring.

On another level, stagnation can affect bodily fluids, leading to an accumulation of moisture or mucus. This creates a state of physical and mental heaviness: slow digestion, sticky fatigue, a coated tongue, heavy limbs, phlegm, and mental confusion. This is a gentle, slow, invisible—but persistent—stagnation.

When inflammation sets in

Sometimes, the nature of this stagnation evolves further. Excessively stagnant Qi generates heat through friction. This phenomenon is feared in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): the stagnation then transforms into heat. This internal fire can manifest as inflammation, irritability, redness, a sensation of localized heat, or even bleeding or skin disorders. This marks a turning point in the imbalance: at this stage, the blockage is no longer simply trying to release itself—it is attacking.

This stagnant fire can take root in the tissues and develop into complex pathological forms. This is referred to as “phlegm-heat” (Tan Re), a form of pathogenic accumulation that infiltrates the deep organs, forming hard, hot, painful masses. Thus, from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), certain degenerative processes such as cysts, nodules, or even tumors can take root not through external aggression, but through unresolved internal accumulation.

This imbalance affects all ages and all social classes. Women are often more susceptible due to the cyclical nature of their blood and their deep connection to the Liver and Uterus. However, men, children, the elderly, and those with sedentary or hyperactive lifestyles are also at risk.

Signs of stagnation

Because stagnation doesn’t arise directly from a lack of physical movement; it primarily stems from emotional imbalances.

  • The Liver governs anger and emotional flexibility. Its stagnation hinders adaptation and mental fluidity.
  • The Heart governs the spirit (Shen); persistent stagnation disrupts the Shen.
  • The Spleen, weakened by excessive rumination or worry, can produce Phlegm that blocks the mind.
  • The Kidneys, in cases of deficiency, can deprive the Heart and Liver of their Yin or Yang foundation.

It’s possible to experience this stagnation before it becomes pathological. Heavy digestion, a slightly purplish tongue, diffuse aches and pains, disturbed sleep, and an irregular menstrual cycle are signs of stagnation. Similarly, a constant need to sigh, and a feeling of blockage in the throat or solar plexus are also signs.

A suitable diet

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), stagnation is treated with herbal medicine, acupuncture, and, of course, diet. What we eat is not only matter but also information. A suitable diet can prevent stagnation or dissipate existing stagnation.

When Liver Qi is blocked, a light, ascending spring diet is recommended. This promotes free circulation. Green vegetables, sprouts, aromatic herbs such as mint, white radish, celery, citrus fruits, and light green tea are powerful allies. Conversely, excess fats, red meat, refined sugar, or alcohol worsen internal pressure.

When Blood stagnates, a blood-vitalizing diet is recommended. Red foods, which are nourishing and blood-thinning, are most suitable: beets, black rice, quail eggs, goji berries, carrots, and a touch of natural red wine. Anything cold, processed, or too salty should be avoided.

A personalized treatment

To combat dampness stagnation, often linked to a weakened Spleen, a drying and warming diet is preferred. Red beans, lotus seeds, pearl barley, dried ginger, white pepper, and steamed root vegetables are recommended. Dairy products, bananas, cold raw vegetables, and sugary juices are the main culprits in this process.

And when stagnation has already transformed into heat, it is necessary to soothe while simultaneously draining: lotus, chrysanthemum, white peony root, cooked cucumber, celery, bitter melon, and clear soups made with light legumes can then complement a more comprehensive strategy of gentle detoxification. Fire is not fought with cold, but with cool, orderly dampness.

However, the best results will be obtained by combining the various tools of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with a personalized diagnosis and treatment plan. It will often be valuable to add emotional support and physical exercise, or even qi gong.

Cultivate a calm mind

Emotions therefore play a major role in the development of stagnation. Depending on the emotion involved, it will manifest in the organ to which it is connected.

Thus, excessive joy—or excitement—leads to stagnation of qi in the heart. The heart may begin to beat irregularly or too rapidly. This can also lead to hypertension, insomnia, a restless mind, etc.

Anger leads to stagnation of Liver qi, the main organ responsible for the free flow of qi throughout the body. This can lead to vision problems, diarrhea, dry and brittle nails, tinnitus, dizziness, and headaches. This stagnation—or overpressure of Liver qi—is also the cause of premenstrual syndrome or depression. According to the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, pain in the body is a direct result of anger interfering with the flow of Qi in the Liver.

Persistent thoughts or mental rumination can lead to stagnation of Qi in the Spleen and a loss of its vitality. This can result in decreased appetite, bloating, mental fog, and an inability to solve problems.

To remedy this, it is therefore important to be aware of our emotions, to be conscious of them, and not to let them control us. By cultivating a calm mind daily, we can limit the risk of emotional outbursts and, consequently, stagnation.

The five breaths

The five breaths

by | 2222,Apr, 2025 | Traditional chinese medicine

The dance of the Five Elements

The theory of the Five Elements is fundamental to Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is a model of the energy balances at work in Nature. Penetrating the essence of these elements and their interactions is a valuable learning experience.

The Five Elements are not fixed categories. They form an eternal cycle. Wood feeds Fire, which creates Earth (ashes), which generates Metal (in minerals), which condenses Water, which feeds Wood again.

A wheel that reminds us of the I Ching, or Classic of Transformations. Today, in the tumult of the modern world, this ancient wisdom has a new relevance. Whether we live in Shanghai or Marseille, in a monastery or an open-plan office, the Five Elements offer us an inner compass.

“If you can perceive within yourself the murmur of Wood, the warmth of Fire, the stability of Earth, the clarity of Metal, or the depth of Water… then perhaps, for a moment, you will have walked the path of the Dao.”

By observing our body, our emotions, our relationships, we can sense which element is in excess or deficiency, and restore harmony. This is the art of energetic diagnosis, but also of aligned living.

The Dao, the invisible thread of transformation At the heart of this system lies the Dao, the silent origin, the way that is not spoken but lived. The Five Elements are but reflections of the Dao in the manifest world. Each element is a mirror of the Dao in a particular phase of life.

By honoring the Five Elements, we return to the wisdom of the living, to balance and fluidity.

The origins of Breath

More than three thousand years ago, in the fertile valleys of the Yellow River, sages observed the sky, the earth, animals and the beating of the human heart. They already understood that life is not a series of isolated events, but a vibrant network of relationships and interactions.

Thus was born the theory of the Five Elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water – a poetic, philosophical and medical language to describe the dynamics of the Universe.

These elements are not materials, but movements and transformations. They represent phases of mutation of Qi, the vital energy, always in motion, always linked to the Dao, the natural path of the universe.

The morning of the world

Wood represents birth, momentum, growth. It is spring breaking through the ice, a child discovering the world. Its movement is expansive, pushing outward and upward. It is the tree splitting the rock, the will to live.

Wood is aspiration in spiritual tradition. It symbolizes vision—not only that of the eyes, but that of the heart. It inspires artists, inventors, pioneers.

Today, we find the Wood element in the creative entrepreneur, the activist who dreams of a better world, or in the teenager searching for identity.

But when Wood is out of balance, it becomes anger, frustration, and rigidity, which originate in the liver and gallbladder.

The zenith of transformation

Fire is associated with paroxism: summer for the seasons, the maturity of the accomplished adult, the brilliance of the day at its zenith. We speak of love, joy or human warmth.

Fire burns at the center of our chest in the Heart, the emperor of organs according to Chinese medicine. It also governs the Small Intestine, the Heart Master and the Triple Warmer.

But Fire is also openness, generosity, sincere communication, the ability to love without possession. It’s the laughter of a child, the flame of a monk at prayer, the fire of a shaman in trance.

When Fire is unbalanced, it becomes overexcited, agitated and can lead to insomnia. In our contemporary world, saturated with digital stimuli, Fire is often in excess, fueled by a compulsive need for attention and gratification.

Anchoring to the mother

The Earth is the center around which life revolves. It’s the end of summer, the time of harvest. Organically, it governs the Spleen and Stomach, the organs of digestion, not only of food, but also of emotions and ideas.

Earth symbolizes stability, acceptance and trust. It is the energy of the nurturing mother, or of the wise man sitting in contemplation in a field. It embodies listening, caring and refocusing on the inner life. When this tranquility is disturbed, the individual falls prey to mental rumination, over-control, chronic worry or anxiety.

In an age of dispersion, the Earth is a reminder of simplicity, of presence. Shocking contrast: the lack of Earth manifests itself in inner exile; bodies are nourished, but spirits are starved.

 

Breath of detachment

Metal corresponds to autumn, falling leaves, old age and the return to basics. It is associated with the Lungs and the Large Intestine, masters of rhythm and elimination. It teaches the art of letting go, the beauty of silence, the nobility of impermanence.

Metal is the discipline of the monk, the righteousness of the samurai, the poetry of emptiness. It is the element of breath – the inhalation of life, the exhalation of death. It knows how to recognize the value of things and naturally detaches itself from the useless.

In a consumerist civilization, rediscovering Metal means learning to say “no”, honor grief and purify our inner space. When Metal is blocked, sadness, melancholy and difficulty in turning the page appear.

Depth and invisibility

Finally, water corresponds to winter, night, dreams and death. It governs the Kidneys and Bladder, the guardians of our ancestral energy. It is the force of Yin, of silence, of mystery.

It is the memory of the world, the wisdom that lies dormant within us all. It is the underground river of our intuitions, the fear that protects, deep sexuality and gestation. Spiritually, Water embodies absolute trust in the flow of the Dao, humility in the face of the unknown.

It is the energy of hermits, shamans and children in spontaneous meditation. Sadly, in our fast-paced world, chronic fear, exhaustion and existential emptiness all reflect a lack of Water energy. But when it flows freely, Water heals. It links generations, transmitting the very essence of life.

A diagnostic and treatment tool

These five elements perpetually interact with each other, the balance of one having repercussions on the others. These interrelations have been modeled by TCM (see below). The Chinese physician uses the theory of the five elements to diagnose and treat his patient.

The principle is always to restore overall balance by acting on the elements in imbalance. Feng Shui masters also use the Five Elements to balance the energy of living spaces.

The dynamics of the five elements

cycles des 5 éléments

The balance of the Five Elements is based on the interactions described by the following two cycles: the cycle of generation and the cycle of control.

The generation cycle (or creation cycle) illustrates a relationship of mutual nourishment and support. Each element begets the next: Wood nourishes Fire, Fire creates Earth (ashes), Earth bears Metal (minerals), Metal begets Water (condensation), and Water nourishes Wood. It’s a harmonious cycle that ensures a continuous flow of energy.

The cycle of control (or cycle of domination) describes a relationship of regulation and limitation. Each element controls another: Wood controls Earth (roots holding back the soil), Earth controls Water (dikes), Water controls Fire (extinguishes it), Fire controls Metal (melts it), and Metal controls Wood (the axe cuts the wood). This cycle maintains balance by preventing one element from becoming dominant.

These two cycles help us understand the dynamics of the five elements and their interrelationships within the body and the environment.

Diagnosis in TCM

Diagnosis in TCM

by | 2121,Mar, 2025 | Traditional chinese medicine

An ancient and subtle art

In a small consultation room bathed in subdued light, Maître Liang, an elderly practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is carefully observing his patient. Not a word has yet been exchanged, but already many clues are revealing themselves before his trained eyes. Because in TCM, diagnosis is an art as subtle as it is profound, going far beyond the apparent symptoms.

A legacy of Chinese wisdom

Traditional Chinese medicine does not simply identify an illness; it seeks to understand the individual as a whole. Every pain, every sensation, every bodily change is perceived as a message from the body, revealing a deeper imbalance.

Qi, the vital energy that circulates through the meridians, blood and body fluids, must flow harmoniously.

When an imbalance arises, the body speaks… You just have to know how to listen

magnétiseur

Observation (望诊, Wàng zhěn)

First of all, without saying a word, Maître Liang observes every detail:

  • The complexion and colour of his patient’s face, which mirrors his internal state.
  • The tongue, a veritable map of the organs, whose colour, shape and coating reveal any imbalances.
  • The eyes, skin and nails, which provide information about vitality and the state of the Blood.

    Auscultation (闻诊, Wén zhěn)

    Experience has also taught him to listen and feel. For example, the voice will be weak when there is a deficiency of Qi. It will be hoarse or loud if there is too much fluid.

    He observes whether breathing is fluid or, on the contrary, jerky or wheezy.

    Similarly, strong body odour is a sign of excessive heat or digestive problems.

    Palpation (切诊, Qiè zhěn)

    magnétiseur

    Next comes palpation. This includes :

    • Taking the pulse (脉诊, Mài zhěn), which reveals the state of the organs by assessing the depth, rhythm and strength of the beats.
    • Palpation of acupuncture points, whose sensitivity reflects energy blockages.
    • Palpation of the body. The temperature and texture of the skin reveal the state of Yin and Yang.

    Palpation (切诊, Qiè zhěn)

    Next comes palpation. This includes :

    • Taking the pulse (脉诊, Mài zhěn), which reveals the state of the organs by assessing the depth, rhythm and strength of the beats.
    • Palpation of acupuncture points, whose sensitivity reflects energy blockages.
    • Palpation of the body. The temperature and texture of the skin reveal the state of Yin and Yang.
      magnétiseur

      Interview (问诊, Wèn zhěn)

      Now that he has a general idea of the situation, Master Liang asks his patient a few questions about :

       

      • His medical and emotional history.
      • Lifestyle: diet, sleep, sources of stress, etc.
      • Body sensations: pain, shivering, digestion, elimination.

      A personalised diagnosis

      Finally, Master Liang closes his eyes for a moment and thinks… he analyses:

      • The general nature of the imbalance: Yin or Yang.
      • The extent of the imbalance: Superficial or Profound.
      • The presence of excess heat or cold. It may be the opposite, in fact; we speak of lack, emptiness or insufficiency. The same applies to energy.

      Each diagnosis is unique. The same symptom can have several origins, and only a careful look can identify the root cause.

      Tailor-made treatment

      By cross-referencing the information gathered through these different stages, Maître Liang makes his diagnosis and puts in place a treatment strategy to restore harmony:

      • Acupuncture will unblock the meridians and restore the circulation of Qi.
      • Chinese pharmacopoeia will prescribe plants and minerals to restore balance.
      • Therapeutic nutrition will adjust the diet to strengthen deficient organs.
      • Qi Gong and Tai Chi will help to get the energy flowing.

        The Pulse Melody

        Among all these methods, pulse-taking (see box) takes pride of place. Three positions and two levels (superficial and deep) are analysed on each wrist, providing invaluable information about the organs and meridians.

        Like a musician tuning his instrument, he listens to the melody of the beats, looking for the discordant note.

        As you will have gathered, for Maître Liang, diagnosis is much more than a simple clinical examination; it’s an in-depth reading of the body, an interpretation of the signs that the body is constantly sending out. Every patient is an enigma, every consultation a journey through the body’s energy flows.

        By understanding these subtleties, we realise that Chinese medicine is an art, an art of listening, observing and seeking harmony in all its complexity.

        Pulse diagnosis

         

        Hipocrate

        Chinese pulse diagnosis, or mai zhen (脈診), is a fundamental diagnostic method in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Its origins date back thousands of years, with ancient texts such as the Huangdi Neijing (黃帝內經) describing its principles.

        This technique developed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–23 AD) at a time when respect and modesty required doctors to have minimal physical contact (especially with the Empress!).

        Using six pairs of points spread over three areas of each wrist and on two levels (superficial and deep), the practitioner listens to the harmony and quality of the pulse, much like a musician checks that an instrument is in tune.

        The practitioner feels the radial artery at the wrist in three positions (cun, guan, chi) corresponding to different organs. They assess the depth, rhythm, strength, shape, and other characteristics of the pulse, which provide information about energy imbalances and the possible presence of pathogenic factors.

        There are 28 pulse shapes (slippery, rough, tense, etc.) classified into four categories: deep or superficial; fast or slow; long or short; thin or wide.

        Pulse diagnosis is used in conjunction with other diagnostic methods (observation, questioning, palpation) to establish a complete energy assessment.

        It is particularly useful for evaluating the functions of internal organs and the state of Qi, blood, and body fluids.

        Taking the pulse is a complex skill, a subtle art that requires a lot of practice and keen listening.