Guest guest Posted March 16, 2000 Report Share Posted March 16, 2000 In TCM a tonic is something that adds or builds up. Yang tonics increase Yang energy, Yin tonics increase Yin energy, Energy tonics increase Qi, and Blood tonics build up the blood. Most energy tonics work directly on the Spleen and Lung systems. Why? Because these are the two systems most responsible for Qi. In TCM the Stomach " rots " (digests) the food, but it is the Spleen that is responsible for extracting the Qi from the food and transferring it to the Lung. The Lung extracts Qi from air. The Spleen extracts the Qi from food and transports it to where it is mixed with the Qi from the air you breathe. They mix, and together, this food Qi and air Qi make up the True Qi. This True Qi then gets divided into cloudy (the Protective or Wei Qi which circulates near the surface of the body and increases resistence) and clear (the Nutritive or Ying Qi which circulates through the meridians and nourish them). The thing to remember at this point is that most energy tonics work on the Spleen and Lung. The primary sources of Qi is the air you breathe and the food you eat. You do get some from light and other forms of radiation on the skin. But the air you inhale and the food you eat are the main sources. Victoria --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Share what you know. Learn what you don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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