TCM Physiology: Stomach, Spleen, Qi, Digestion

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This is some very basic info for the list members who are new to TCM

and for the beginning TCM students. The info in the post will form a

foundation for understanding more about TCM later. A reminder that

TCM Organs are not equivalent to anatomical organs.

 

Food and drink are " rotted " and " ripened " in the Stomach. The Spleen

extracts the Qi from the rotted and ripened food and drink, and

carries this " Food Qi " to the Lungs where it mixes with the " Air Qi "

that the Lungs have extracted from air. This resulting Qi is

called " Zong Qi " or " Gathering Qi " . The body uses Zong Qi in a

number of ways, and it also is further refined to other types of Qi.

But this point isn't important at present. For now, the parts about

the Stomach rottens and ripens the food and drink, the Spleen

extracts the Grain Qi and carries it to the Lungs, and the Grain Qi

combines with the Air Qi the Lungs have extracted to become Zong Qi

are the important points for now.

 

Another imporatant concept to keep in mind for building upon in the

future is that there are a series of refining steps. You'll see

this worded as " the Clear is separated from the Turbid " and " the

Clear is sent upwards and the Turbid downwars " . Don't worry about

what up and down means for now. The main points are that there are a

series of refining steps, the Clear gets separated from the Turbid,

and the Clear is sent upwards and the Turbid downward.

 

In the case of the production of Qi, the Spleen extracts the Grain

Qi (in this example the Grain Qi is the Clear) and transports it

(upward) to the Lungs. The " Turbid " (the partially digested food)

gets sent downward into the Small Intestine. But there is still

some " Clear " in that partially digested food and drink. There will

be other steps to separate more Clear from the Turbid and send it

upwards. For now don't worry about what those other steps are. The

main thing to keep in mind is that there are a series of refining

steps.