Continuing education
This course promises to be an enlightening journey deep into the heart of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), exploring the intricate dance between the universal principles of Yin and Yang as they manifest in the six conformations. Understanding how these two primal forces interplay, giving rise to the dynamic processes that govern life and health, is crucial for grasping the essence of the six conformations, which represent the functional entities in TCM responsible for maintaining balance within the body.
So yes, in this course we are going to delve deep into the historical roots and philosophical underpinnings of TCM, drawing heavily on the seminal text, the Yellow Emperor's Classic. But it will be highly rewarding. Through this lens, you will see the depth of TCM's integration with Daoist principles, especially as illustrated by the I Ching, enriching their comprehension of health and disease. And that is of basic importance to all TCM therapists.
See what Dao has to do with our health
The basic movement of the Dao and the six conformations is described in chapter 5 of the Yellow Emperor’s Classic. The text is describing the function and form of yin and yang, and this also reflects the changes in the seasons. By understanding that a) what takes place in nature also takes place in living beings and b) that each of the conformations is associated with a climatic qi, as described in chapter 74 of the Yellow Emperor’s Classic, we can see how cold and heat, dryness and dampness and fire and wind all both balance and nourish each other, no matter where you look.
The movement and transformation of yin and yang in nature can be described as rising, falling, entering, and exiting. The language used to describe the rising, falling, entering, and exiting of yin and yang in humans is the same as the language used to describe nature. By understanding the movements and changes in nature we will also understand the movements of normal physiology in humans. We do this by using the strength of Chinese Medicine: reducing the most complex diseases to a simple format. All complex patterns of disease can ultimately be made simple by applying the theories of various yin and yang models.
What is left is the treatment of the disease. In Chinese Medicine that ultimately means restoring our connection with the eternal Dao and nature. When our rising, falling, entering, and exiting is self-regulating and following a normal pattern of change and transformation, we are healthy.
The importance of understanding the Classics
It all sounds simple, but mastering the ebb and flow of health through the lens of TCM requires a nuanced understanding of its principles and the skill to apply them in practice. This course is designed not just as a theoretical exploration, but also as a logical journey towards practical wisdom in healing.
By the end, you will not only comprehend the ancient wisdom encoded in the six conformations but also learn to apply these timeless principles in diagnosing and treating diseases. It will open an important yet rarely used door to what harmonizing body, mind, and spirit with the natural world really means. You might, like teacher Paul Freedman, be very surprised to discover how beautiful and practical these seemingly complex classic texts are once you understand how to simplify them to their essential meaning.
Paul Freedman