Oriental medicine has its origin in the Taoist (or Daoist) philosophy of balance. The ancient Taoists, who practiced their way of life in the depths of nature, often on remote mountains, were able to observe that the myriad changes in nature had as their basis the interaction of invisible energies, which they called yin and yang.

Yin refers to elements in nature that are cool or cold, that tend to move slowly, that go downward and inward, which occur in the fall or winter, that are smooth or fluid, and that are dark an feminine. Yang refers to elements that are warm or hot, that tend to move quickly, that move upward and outward, which occur in the spring or summer, that are rough or hard, and that are bright and masculine.

Yang is found closer to the exterior of the body, below the skin or even surrounding the body as a protective shield, and tends to move and distribute in the upper parts of the body. Women are more yin in nature, and men have more yang, thus women and men need to preserve their health, and also fall sick, according to their respective natures. Yin assists in rooting the yang, providing it with its soil, and gently nourishing it. Yang assists in moving yin, providing yin with sunlight, surrounding it with warmth and energy.

Often when people become ill, the root of the problem is that the yang, which provides qi, or a kind of life-energy, to the body, has become blocked or has declined in strength. As a result, the blood does not circulate properly, and becomes congested and filled with waste materials. Thus the five organs (the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys) and the six viscera (the small intestine, the gallbladder, the stomach, the large intestine, the bladder, and the triple burner) – as these are identified in Oriental medicine – lose their vitality, and give rise to all kinds of diseases.