TCM Basics
Core concepts like Yin-Yang, Five Elements, Qi, and the organ systems.
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The Holistic Concept in TCM (整体观念): Seeing the Body as One Living System
The holistic concept (整体观念) is the philosophical core of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Learn how TCM sees the body as an inseparable whole, and the human being as part of nature — and why this view still shapes diagnosis and treatment today.
Syndrome Differentiation in TCM (辨证论治): Why the Same Disease Gets Different Treatments
Syndrome differentiation (辨证论治) is TCM's core clinical method — identifying the underlying pattern (zheng) behind symptoms, not just the disease. Learn the major systems of differentiation and why TCM treats the same illness differently in different people.
The Four Great Schools of Chinese Medicine (金元四大家): Fire, Attack, Earth, and Yin
The Jin-Yuan Four Great Schools — Liu Wansu, Zhang Congzheng, Li Dongyuan, and Zhu Danxi — each argued that disease should be treated a different way: by clearing heat, by attacking pathogens, by tonifying the Spleen, or by nourishing Yin. Their debates defined every TCM theory that followed.
A Short History of Chinese Medicine: From Shennong's Herbs to the Warm Disease School
Chinese medicine did not appear fully formed. It grew in recognizable stages — a legendary origin, a classical foundation in the Han, a pharmacological golden age, and a 19th-century revolution in epidemic theory. This is the history that shaped every herb and formula still used today.
Five Sound Therapy (五音疗法): Healing Through the Voice in TCM
Learn about the Five Sound system in TCM — how specific vocal sounds connect to the five Zang organs through Five Element theory, and how practicing these sounds can support Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney health through breath, vibration, and intention.
Tui Na (推拿): The Complete Guide to Chinese Therapeutic Massage
Learn about Tui Na, the ancient Chinese therapeutic massage system that treats disease through manual techniques — from rolling and pressing to kneading and pushing. Discover how it differs from relaxation massage, what conditions it treats, and basic self-care techniques.
TCM Acupoint Categories: Understanding the Special Point Systems
Learn the major acupoint classification systems in TCM — Five Shu Points, Back-Shu Points, Front-Mu Points, Eight Influential Points, and more — and why each category has unique clinical significance.
TCM Organ Relationships: How Zang-Fu Organs Work in Pairs
Understand the six Zang-Fu organ pairings in TCM — how each Yin organ connects to its Yang partner, why treating one affects the other, and how these relationships explain complex symptom patterns.
Phlegm in TCM (痰): Understanding Visible and Invisible Phlegm — The Root of Countless Health Issues
Explore the TCM concept of Phlegm (痰 Tan) — far beyond mucus, it includes nodules, obesity, foggy thinking, and cysts. Learn how phlegm forms, where it hides, and how TCM resolves it through diet, herbs, and lifestyle.
TCM Herb Categories (中药分类): Understanding the 20 Major Groups of Chinese Medicinal Herbs
Learn how TCM organizes its vast materia medica into 20 major herb categories — from heat-clearing and blood-tonifying to exterior-releasing and spirit-calming — and why this system guides every prescription.