Oriental medicine originates 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.

동양 의학은 균형의 철학인 도가(道家) 사상에서 기원합니다. 자연 깊숙한 곳, 외딴 산속에서 삶의 길을 실천하던 고대 도가 철학자들은 자연의 무수한 변화들이 눈에 보이지 않는 에너지의 상호작용, 즉 음양(陰陽)에 기초하고 있음을 관찰할 수 있었습니다.

‘음(陰)’은 자연 속에서 차거나 서늘하며, 느리게 움직이고, 아래로 또는 안쪽으로 향하며, 가을이나 겨울에 나타나고, 부드럽거나 유동적이며, 어둡고 여성적인 요소를 의미합니다. 반면 ‘양(陽)’은 따뜻하거나 뜨겁고, 빠르게 움직이며, 위로 또는 바깥으로 향하고, 봄이나 여름에 나타나며, 거칠거나 단단하며, 밝고 남성적인 요소를 의미합니다.

In Taoist medicine, yin includes not only the blood, but also other fluids such as those of the endocrine and lymph glands, as well as bone marrow.

Yin is found in the interior of the organs and tissues, and tends to collect in the lower parts of the body.

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.

So in treatment of these conditions,

it is important to strengthen the qi,

and to clear the blood of its congestion, while also opening the energetic channels by which both elements move throughout the body.

The foundation of medicine is the trust that is built between a doctor and the patient. We hope that you might raise any questions you have about our treatments so that we may work together to find the best approach to treat your illness. We thank you for visiting this site, and we will make every effort to serve you with sincerity and competence.

• R. TCM. P Jong Rae Roh