We Are the World: Cooling the Diaphragm to Create a More Peaceful Environment
Nicholas Sieben, LAc
Like many of us I feel concerned and moved by the current state of the world. As an acupuncturist I've been asking myself what is the dominant pathological state of our country, our epoch? How are we as individuals impacted mentally and physically? I study Chinese medical history, looking for clues and insight for treatment of present day affliction.
Rebellious Qi
Currently there are two major Chinese medical figures whose theories speak to me about our current times: Liu Wan Su (Jin Dynasty patriarch of the School of Cooling and Cold: 1100-1200 CE) and the Jing Dynasty alchemist Ge Hong (283-343 CE). Even though these two scholar doctors lived nearly 1,000 years apart, their theories both focus on the diaphragm and concept of rebellious Qi. Reference can be made to depression and inflammation as causes of disease and delusion. In our current era of despair, fragmentation, fear and anxiety imagery of the diaphragm is highly resonant.
The focus of Su is the treatment of inflammatory conditions, while Hong is famous for his alchemical practices. As we face a changing environment with predictions of calamity, as well as increasing idealistic polarization, conflict and belligerence, its helpful to look to the great minds of the past for guidance.
Climate change in the form of global warming is the dominant challenge of our time. The response has been increased nationalism, populism, fear, xenophobia and self-protective action. That which occurs in our environment is mirrored within ourselves. Therefore, a school of thought that addresses heat and hyper-vigilant reactivity as dominant pathological forces is important to explore. Su emphasizes the importance of the diaphragm in addressing inflammation. The diaphragm is associated with Yu: depression, which is rooted in Qi stagnation inhibiting expression, causing rebellion and hyper-reactivity.
Cooling the Diaphragm
Heat is created due to reactivity to the external environment, yet it can also be generated internally due to the emotions and lifestyle. The philosophy of Su is that we are too reactive. To stay healthy we must slow down, becoming more reflective; less Yang, more Yin. One of his major herbal formulas is called "Cooling the Diaphragm."
The diaphragm is modernly associated with the Liver and its metaphorical role as "the general" of the body, in charge of maintaining the borders. The era in which Su lived was challenged by Mongol invasions where border control was a big issue. His theories were inspired by the times in which he lived.
The diaphragm is a border between the external and internal aspects of the body. When the body is unable to maintain its borders, the Liver becomes stressed and reactive, stagnating its Qi. The diaphragm becomes "hot." Diaphragmatic constriction leads to rebellious Qi, but also to depression and inflammation. It's not difficult to see the imagery of the Liver, border control and rebellion resonating with our present times, especially in Europe and the U.S.
The "Nine Flower"
An acupuncture protocol I find effective for working with the diaphragm that is especially resonant with our current era of uncertainty, confusion and fear is the first of Ge Hong's 9-stage alchemical treatments, called the "Nine Flower." This treatment circulates around the point CV-14 Ju Que, the Mu-alarm point of the Heart. CV-14 as well as two of the other points in this treatment: KI-21 You Men and ST-19 Bu Rong are located at the level of the diaphragm. The other two points in this protocol are KI-19 Yin Du and KI-23 Shen Feng. All of these points treat rebellious qi. The goal of this treatment is the ability to successfully diffuse the Qi of the Lungs: this is how we know the treatment has worked and the cultivation of the alchemical stage has been achieved.
With alchemy we are using something that is heavy and dense and transforming it into something light and precious. The "Nine Flower" takes something in our life or consciousness we haven't been able to transform, which is the meaning of the point ST-19 Bu Rong, using life experiences (Yin Du: the Yin Metropolis) to revive our Shen: Sheng Feng: the Spirit Seal. We enter into this process through You Men: the Mysterious Gate. This point acts as an invocation, "coursing the Liver" to open up to a new reality of perception. The protocol finishes with Ju Que: the Gigantic Watchtower, which has strong imagery of an area of self-protection, like a fortress. Ideally the new reality we enter is one where we feel less victimized, less afraid of the "other," less reactive and self-protective.
The Philosophy of Su
The name Yin Du speaks to the philosophy of Su. The metropolis is an area of a lot of activity and diversity. This point is located at the abdomen, a site of internal emotional transformation. KI-19 asks if we can live in the world, in the center of activity but in a Yin way, not so reactive. Can we remain calm and reflective when surrounded by many different types of people, cultures and activity which we'd expect to find in a metropolis like New York or London?
The Liver is controlled by the Lungs. When strong, the Lungs diffuse their Qi, allowing us to be expressive and interactive, possessing a feeling of proper protection from the outside world, reducing our need to be hyper-vigilant. We can easily harmonize and let things come and go. When the Lungs are strong, the Liver is less likely to become constrained and rebellious.
Rebellious Qi, in the form of coughing and vomiting, nausea and wheezing are results of a constrained Liver, usually due to weak Lungs, commanding the diaphragm to push upwards preventing invasion from the external world. It can also be the result of an inability to harmonize the organs of the interior of the body. The heat resulting from diaphragmatic constriction will generate "wind" and "damp" which can cause aggression as well as other neurological and emotional presentations.
The philosophy of Su and his school of thought says the reason we become sick is due to inflammation which causes hyper-reactivity. We do too much, we worry too much, we feel we need to be hyper-vigilant. The major treatment strategy of Su is to relax the diaphragm so we needn't become so aggravated. This process he suggests is the way to become a "sage."
Treatment of the diaphragm is an acknowledgment that we are influenced by events and sentiments outside ourselves. We must therefore treat our individual ailments by also treating those of our culture, society and era. Alchemy can be an effective way to do this.
As modern medical standardization continues, the field of traditional Chinese medicine has the advantage of comprehensive personalization. For rare or complex cases, deeper consideration of constitution is invaluable. Proper constitutional assessment, especially with first-time clients, can guide desirable and predictable outcomes. This leads to a higher rate of return, and greater trust between you and your patient.
Though the creation of a financially sustainable, health-promoting model feels far away today, we are casting a vision for a full return on health, believing that this compels us to keep one foot firmly rooted in caring for the sick and the other foot firmly founded in maintaining health. Shifting from a fee-for-service model to value-based care using a phased approach is paramount.
Laser therapy has emerged as a powerful tool in the realm of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This new modality fits beautifully into the toolbox of the modern acupuncturist, as it can be used as a hybrid form of stimulation to acupuncture points, meridians, organs, nerves, and symptomatic areas in a new way that blends both moxa and energetic needle-like responses.
