Author: Jahnke Roger
Affiliation: SB College of TCM, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Conference/Journal: 2nd World Congress Qigong
Date published: 1998
Other:
Pages: 41 , Word Count: 363
The classic of Chinese medicine state: 'the lungs move and adjust the water channels', 'The lungs regulate the water passages in the body', and “the lungs are the upper origin of water'. In the conventional paradigm of the Western world this mechanism seems to make little sense.
However, sound conventional research from Western physiology demonstrates that oxygen metabolism produces a major percentage of the body's internal water (6 02 + C6H1206 <ATP> = energy + 6CO2 + 6H2O) which becomes the lymph when it enters the lymphatic vessels. In addition, it has been found that several separate mechanisms contribute to the propulsion of the lymph (the lymph heart). The most prominent feature of the lymph heart is the action of the breath apparatus, which is a dynamic pump for the body's water.
The Chinese were aware of both the circulation of blood and lymph at the time of the compilation of the Huang-di Nei Jing (Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor), 300-100 BCE. In Western science Harvey, from England, didn’t clarify the circulation of the blood until 1616. Asselius, from Milan Italy, is credited for discovering the lymph in 1627; however, the circulatory dynamics of the lymph have only recently been clearly delineated. It is a startling ethno-medical point to realize that the 'unscientific' Asian system of traditional medicine was aware of these circulatory systems (in addition to the Qi) literally thousands of years before Western science.
This paper will explore the relationship between Qigong practice and the production and propulsion of biological water. There are strong implications that Qigong practice accelerates the immune potential, the trophic mechanism (delivery of nutrients) and the elimination of metabolic by products. While it is traditionally believed that the Qi vitalizes these mechanisms, it is also clear that the biodynamics of physiological water play a major role in the Qigong effect. In addition, biological water is infused with electroconductive minerals and can be altered to have specialized hydrogen bonds (structured water). These features increase the potential of bio-water to be a conductive media for the 'Qi' of traditional Chinese medicine as well as the ionic flow potentials preferential ion conductance pathways) and subtle energy circulation as understood by Western science.