Aligning with Spring Qi: A Scientific Portal into Classical Chinese Medicine

Course overview

In the Huang Di Nei Jing SuWen, the ancient text that birthed Chinese medicine, nature is an ordered manifestation of the Dao. As such, if we choose to synchronise with nature's ordered rhythms, instead of living against the grain, we can tap into this additional source of vitality to optimize our biology and enhance our emotional wellbeing. Chapter 2 of the SuWen provides precise instructions for this alignment practice. While frequently discussed in romantic or metaphorical terms, I suggest that these nature-alignment guides represent a body of sophisticated spiritual technology that systematically impacts our physiology. Translating these alignment instructions into biomedical language reveals how these simple Chinese phrases might leverage chronobiology, fractal physiology, neuroscience and psychosocial medicine to promote physical and emotional health. This talk aims to facilitate entry to the world of Classical Chinese thought for modern Western clinicians.