The Separation of Breaths - Untangling the Threads of Practice

In the practice of traditional East Asian medicine there are many interlocking yinyang relationships that, although they cannot be entirely separated, are best understood on their own terms. This article explores some of these aspects, beginning by discussing acupuncture treatment based on point function versus balancing the channel system. Then the relationship of organs to channels is explored, and expanded to contrast the physiology of the body’s interior - a multifaceted world of organs, substance and climates - with the relatively simpler channel physiology that is accessible via the body’s exterior. The modalities of herbs and acupuncture are situated with respect to these regions, and the root and branch aspects of acupuncture treatment are clarified as a means to focus or dissipate the body’s resources in order to create the conditions for better health.