The commonality between Indigenous Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

The commonality between Indigenous Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

By Lily Aniwaya,

Adolescent Psychology in Cultural Context, Youth Advocate.

Abstract

The modern man is the only species on Earth living in Disharmony with the very planet he lives on.

There are many commonalities between Indigenous Medicine and TCM, surely because the root of both practices all comes from the understanding of the interconnectedness of man; element; and cosmic.

And both turn to plant allies to treat, heal and rebalance the body and mind.

Introduction

‘The idea that all living things are related. The philosophical essence of this idea can be expressed in one word – respect; respect for the land, respect for the animals, respect for the plants, respect for other people, and finally, respect for the self.The notion of respect is that humankind is not separate from any other thing in the world but just another living breathing creature among many. The disease is caused when people are out of harmony with the land.

Some important values and way of living that has some relationships with TCM are • Living life in balance and harmony(Yin‑Yang and Earth‑Sky) • Collectivist thinking and decision‑making (consensus) • Relationship between ancestors, cosmic forces, and the natural world • Interconnectedness of mind, body, spirit, and emotions’ [1] Ancient Chinese Medicine also roots in indigeneity, its traditions connected to the land and the sky are similar to the First Nations. The ways of the elements are the true teachers. Just like the tiger knows which tree branch has the properties to ward off mosquitoes, our paths are also guided by the elements and if we listen well we may hear the secrets of the plants. ‘Knowledge comes to a warrior,

floating, like specks of gold dust, the same dust that covers the wings of moths. So for a warrior, knowledge is like taking a shower, or being rained on by specks of dark gold dust.“[2]

Medicine Wheels

In Wǔxíng五行 the 5 Elements resembles greatly the Medicine Wheel of the first tribes.

One cannot deny the similarities of each wheel. Our ancestors all shared the same stories. We often underestimate the power of storytelling. They have shared their knowledge, and we still hear the echoes of men and women who walked this Earth before it was westernized and colonized. When I practice Martial Arts and Qigong, there is always a split second where I feel I am breathing and moving at the exact same rhythm and with the exact same movements of an ancestor, who did it centuries ago.

How amazing it is, that masters and shamans came to the same understanding?

In Hung Ga Kung Fu,also known as southern Shaolin Kung Fu which originated from the Qing Dynasty, there are 5 animals; Tiger, Snake, Crane, Leopard and Dragon. All representing the 5 elements of Fire, Water, Wood, Metal and Earth.

As for the Sacred Animals of the First Tribes there are more than 4, but mainly there is the Bear in the west that represents Water. The Wolf in the South is Fire. The Buffalo of the north is Earth and finally, the Eagle of the East, Air.

Animals and the environment have always had a big place in those teachings because they represent nature itself. Each animal has a behaviour, a characteristic it represents. When observing their ways and behaviours one can analyze and notice each unique attribute.

For example, the leopard is keen, fluid and fast. Therefore it’s technique and form; quick strikes and moves with the blocks. ‘Highly ferocious, this form emphasizes speed and charging at the opponent.

Unlike the tiger, the leopard form has no time or need for rooted stances. The only reason the leopard would root a foot is to get a better push off when he or she leaps at an opponent.’[3]

The formless Fire of Life.

‘At the center of all of the creation is the Great Mystery. As Black Elk said: When we use the water in the sweat lodge we should think of Wakan-Tanka, who is always flowing, giving His power and life to everything. . . . The round fireplace at the center of the sweat lodge is the center of the universe, in which dwells Wakan-Tanka, with His power which is the fire. All these things are Wakan [holy and mystery] and must be understood deeply if we really wish to purify ourselves, for the power of a thing or an act is in the meaning and the understanding.’[4] The First Nations believe that all things are sentient, all things have a life force. That all animals, plants, rocks, rivers are alive and can feel.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is understood that Qi is the vital force. The characters for qi consist of the word for ‘sun’ and ‘fire’, which indicates it is the warmth and essential life force. The formless Fire of Life. ‘Qi creates life; it is life, but it has no substance,.[5] This vital energy is to be cultivated, by way of life, in every aspect of living. Every action either contributes or hinders your vitality. Everything you ingest, may it be food or media/entertainment, plays a part in your balance and equilibrium.

It is why TCM focuses a lot on nutrition when treating illness and physical/ mental conditions. Cold damages the digestive Qi, depletes the Kidney yang. It is important to ingest warm food/beverages especially during winter months. Each person has a unique manifestation of yin and yang in their body and must have a diet according to it. If someone has a more yin body type, for example, they would be better off eating foods that are more yang. Here are some examples of yin and yang foods.

Yang foods are associated with fire and produce heat: Alcohol, Apricot, Beef, Caffeine, Cayenne pepper, Chicken, Cinnamon, Eggs, Garlic, Ginger,Hot peppers,Onions,Sweet potato.

Yin foods are associated with water and are more cooling: Apples, Bananas, Beans, Bean sprouts, Bok choy, Cabbage,Cauliflower,Celery,Cucumber,Grapes,Honey,Leeks,Lettuce,Kale,Mushrooms, pears, seaweed, turnips, watermelon.

In Chinese medicine, the food you eat can either support your health or diminish it. The key is to find foods that balance yin and yang and support your unique body type and environment.

From the Lingshu section of the Yellow Emperor's Classic: ‘"Xue and Mai, Ying and Qi, Jing and Shen are stored by the Five Zang. If a situation becomes such that by a succession of overflowings (leaking) and invasion they leave the Zang, then Jing is lost, and Hun and Po are carried away in an uncontrollable agitation."

Almost all stress diminishes Jing. If a person is highly adaptive, and possesses an abundance of free flowing qi, one may be able to overcome a great deal of minor daily stress for a long time. However, stress draws on our Jing and unless the Jing is replenished, we will lose a little bit every day of our lives. Jing is not automatically replenished as qi is. It simply goes away unless we know how to supplement it. A heavy or acute stress can drain a large amount of Jing quickly, resulting in overnight aging. This loss is known as "leaking."

The five primary organs (Zang) are all considered to be Yin because they all store Jing. However, the Kidney is the central and most powerful reservoir of Jing for the entire body/mind.

When we speak of the Kidney from a traditional Asian point of view, of course, we are including the structures and functions of the renal kidneys; the adrenal glands, both cortex and medulla, and their secretions and hormones; the reproductive glands, tissues and associated hormones, in both males and females; the skeletal structures, critically, from the point of view of longevity, the inner bone structure that houses, protects, nurtures and modulates bone marrow; the bone marrow itself, the source of stem and progenitor cells for the whole body throughout our lifetime; major aspects of the brain and mind; all the sense organs, and especially the sense of hearing and the tissues and organs that support these functions; and much of the functionality of the autonomic nervous system that controls fight and flight, courage and fear.

All of the Yin organs become more stable when they have an abundance of Jing stored within their tissues – especially when the Kidney function is strong. When functioning optimally, these Yin organs conserve Jing. They do not "leak." This goes double for the Kidney.’’[6]

Foods designed to nourish and enhance Jing: Royal jelly. Eggs of birds (Chickens or ducks) Fish eggs or roe. Seeds and nuts. Pollen. Brains. Fish, liver, kidney, bone and its marrow.

[7]

If food is Health, what does it mean when you are estranged from the land?

As Indigenous communities experience dislocation from their traditional land and territory, for example, there is a decreased ability to participate in the traditional food system and economy. This is especially true for urban Indigenous populations.

Whether because of residential schools, community relocation, urban migration, a contamination event, or some other cause, affected communities lose the ability to use and enjoy the resources of their homelands, and, over time, this disconnection can lead to the loss of Indigenous knowledge, reduced use of language specific to the land, limited social connections, and decreased value being placed upon the responsibilities and morals inherent to traditional food systems. [8]

Despite the growing base of evidence to suggest that Indigenous health and health behaviors are deeply rooted in disconnection from the land, health promotion programs tend to focus on behavioral change at the individual level, with little

recognition of the ways in which experiences of environmental dispossession underpin contemporary patterns of food insecurity that includes not only lack of food, but unhealthy and unsustainable consumption patterns and lifestyles. This is not to say that movements to revive traditional food practices are completely absent from the literature. Knowledge has survived and is being shared despite all of these assaults. To promote health and wellness and equity among Indigenous individuals, families, and communities, a more comprehensive understanding of the structural, historical, and environmental impacts on dietary practices and food systems is required [ 9]

Traditional indigenous foods are those that originate from local plant or animal resources through gathering or harvesting. This includes moose, caribou, elk, seal, whale, buffalo, rabbit, all kinds of fish and many species of bird. Every part of the animal is consumed or used to make clothing or shelter.

‘The seeds that Sky Women had brought with her [sic] began to grow into the plants and herbal life needed for survival. Plants grown from those first seeds included Corn, Beans, and Squash, and became the Three Sisters for our people. They are the main providers for our sustenance. It is our tradition and responsibility to honor our sustainers.’[10] Wild Rice, Bannock, Berries, Squash, Corn and Beans, Meat and Fish are the major foods traditionally consumed. These foods equipped/equip ancestors/us for the trails ahead, and all the energy it needs, hunting, fishing and gathering.

I try not to speak in the past tense when speaking of Indigneous Traditions because although colonization has tried, it is still present and alive.

Plants used both in TCM and Indigenous Medicine

Spruce Resin is used externally for cuts and wounds. And orally for colds, and stomach. Spiritually, Evergreen branches are used for baths, teas and smudging.

Mint is widely used for the stomach, both ancient China and eastern indigenous tribes have used it to help the digestive system.

Fern (Jue Lei) is used for throat and bronchitis in the east… It is also used as a vermifuge to treat worms.

Willow Bark, native from both Asia and North America, is known to be the modern day Aspirin. It is used as a tea to ward off headaches, as an anti-inflammatory but also the chemical salicin is believed to reduce the production of pain-inducing chemicals in your nerves.

Pine Resin is used externally as Rubefacient and Vesicant. Pine Nuts – Nutritive, Aphrodisiac. Inner Pine Bark, Needles, Pine oil – Diuretic, Rubefacient, Antiseptic, Antioxidant, Anticancer. Expectorant, Antimicrobial, Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic, Antipyretic, Antidepressant, Antispasmodic, Deodorant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Fungicide, Stomachic, Stimulant, Repellent, Tonic, Vermifuge. Inner Pine Bark, and Needles – Colds and flu, coughs, fever, sore throats, congestion, scurvy, urinary tract infection, sinus infections, skin rashes, lower blood pressure, wounds. Oil and Incense – Cleanse and purify the environment, lift the spirit, calm, open the mind, open the lungs and nasal passages, externally to treat wounds and muscle and nerve pain, repel ticks and fleas. Pine Nuts – nutritive, increase libido.

In TCM pine known as Song or Song Shu Tonifies Lung Yin. Inner Pine Bark – Heals Wounds.Pine Pollen – Yin tonic. Pine Oil – Opens the Lungs, Opens the Heart, Lifts the Spirit, Purifies the Environment. – Insomnia, depression, nerve, muscle, and joint pain, Open the Lungs, Lift the Spirit, Purify the Environment, calm anxiety, improve cognitive function.

Conclusion The similarities are vast and much more content could be added to this paper. When reflecting on both realities and how the teachings survived today, I see that the modern world is threatening its existence. And how indigenous people lost their own traditions due to colonization, TCM is also facing modernity and westernization. The earth will always open the way, it will always share its cures and poisons. It will provide. As long as we humans, learn how to respect it and how to cultivate its resources honourably. More and more the people are foreign to the local ecosystems. Blind to the native plants, investing in importation and mass production, society is losing touch with the natural world. The connection to the land is directly linked to health and collective well being.

References

[1]

M.H. France, Rodriguez, C, Traditional chinese medicine in Canada: An indigenous perspective; 2019

[2] Castañeda, [3] Hilton,

Carlos. The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way Of Knowledge, 1968-1996

Paul. https://www.purbeckkungfu.co.uk/images/body/the_leopard/profile_leopard.pdf

[4] Black

Elk, The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk’s Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux, rec. and ed. Joseph Epes Brown (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1971), 31–32.

S.Cohen, K. The Way of Qigong; The art and science of chinese energy healing. (Ballantine Books Wellspring1997)p30-31 [5]

[6]

Teeguarden,R. MH, Replenishing and Restoring Jing Acupuncture Today – July, 2014, Vol. 15, Issue 07

[7] Shennong

Ltd. Understanding Kidneys from a TCM Perspective,

[8] Richmond

C. The relatedness of people, land, and health: stories from Anishinabe Elders. In: Greenwood M, de Leeuw S, Lindsay NMeditors. Determinants of Indigenous Peoples’ health: beyond the social. 2nd ed. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press; 2018. pp. 167–85.

[9 ]De

Leeuw S. Activating place: geography as a determinant of Indigenous peoples’ health and well-being. In: Greenwood M, de Leeuw S, Lindsay NMeditors. Determinants of Indigenous Peoples’ health: beyond the social. 2nd ed.

Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press; 2018. pp. 187–202.

[10] Tsyunhehkwa,

“Tsyunhehkwa: Oneida Community Integrated Food Systems,” Welcome to Tsyunhehkwa (2005), http://tsyunhehkwa.org/.