Body Constitution Theory 1

Broadly speaking, Body Constitutions refer to the individual differences that exist among us. What is Body Constitutions ？ 2

Our gender, age, characteristics and living environment contributes to differences. 3 We are all different!

O Our growing and aging process are inevitably affected by the natural and social environment. O These environmental changes also shape our physique, physical and psychological reactions. O These changes manifested relatively stable in the way we interact with the others and the environment and form our body constitutions. 4

Physiological Basis of Constitution O Constitution means the relatively constantly comprehensive characteristic in morphological structure, physiological function and mental activities, which is determined by hereditary and acquired factors in the life process of the individual. 5

The human body is composed of tissue organs such as the viscera, meridians, body and orifices, and the basic substances such as essence, qi, blood, body fluid, which maintain the normal life activities. Physiological Basis of Constitution 6

O The difference in constitution expressed through tissue organs of human body is the actual reflection of deviant conditions of qi, blood, yin and yang of the viscera and difference of functional activity. 7

Physiological Basis of Constitution O The viscera are the center in constituting and maintaining the life activities of the human body. O The difference on constitution reflects partial or all characteristics of various essentials composing human body by taking the viscera as its center. 8

Relationship between constitution and viscera O The kidney and spleen have more obvious effects on determining the constitution of the human body. O Ample innate essence is the prerequisite for growing up healthily and having powerful vitality. 9

Relationship between constitution and viscera O If the innate essence gets deficient, it will result in not only growth retardation, but also easy contraction of disease. O The process of a person’s growth, development and senility is the evolutionary process in which taking the essence-qi of the kidney as the basic material to trigger and propel the functions of viscera. 10

Relationship between constitution and viscera O The spleen and stomach are the key acquired factor in the formation of the constitution. O A person with a shortage of the innate endowment can improve his constitution with the aid of replenishment from foodstuffs. O On the contrary, although with a good innate foundation, if a person is in lack of replenishment after birth, he can hardly maintain his health. 11

Relationship between constitution and meridians O The constitution is not only determined by the strong or weak functional activities of the viscera, but also dependent on their coordination. O The meridians are the structural foundation that communicate and coordinate the functions of the viscera O The viscera reside inside and their functions manifest outside, the constitution shows through the exterior morphological characteristic. 12

Relationship between constitution and essence, qi, blood and body fluid O The conditions of the body’s essence-qi, blood, body fluid and their distribution and circulation in the body determine the strengths/weaknesses of the constitution. O Age does affect the abundance or deficiency of essence and the constitution of the old is generally characterized by essence deficiency. 13

Climate & Environment Weather Diet Structure Living Environment Lifestyle Geographical/Personal Factors Contributes to the formation of different body constitutions Diet Structure Living Environment 14

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Factors Contributing to Different Constitutions O Natural Endowment: The condition of natural endowment is closely related with the quality of reproductive essence of parents such as their body constitutions, the blood relative, age of reproduction, maternal conditions, and fetal nourishment during pregnancy. 16

Natural Endowment 1. Constitution of the parents: O If the constitution of parents is strong, the children constitution would also be strong. O A mother who has healthy and vital essence, qi and blood would likely to be conceived easily and the baby’s constitution would also be robust. O However, if the constitution of parents is deficient in essence, qi and blood, the next generation would also be weak. O Furthermore, some hereditary diseases also can be transmitted by the parents to the children. 17

Natural Endowment 1.2 Blood relative of parents: O Close kin-ship between parents increases the risks of constitution defect, mental retardation, or any form of growth defects and affect seriously the child’s body constitution. 1.3 The marriage and reproductive age of parents: O The constitution of a person changes with his age. O It is advisable for the parents to marry and reproduce when they have abundant essence, qi and blood. O With essence gradually reduced in old age, the constitution of their offspring may be less strong. 18

Natural Endowment 1.4 Pregnancy Care: O The maternal health condition during pregnancy influences not only the growth and development of the fetus directly, but also the constitution after birth. O Maternal diseases during pregnancy can also influence the growth of fetus and the child’s constitution. O Hence, pregnant female should stay physically and mentally healthy during the pregnancy to cultivate health and strong fetus. 19

Natural Endowment O The specific constitution built by the innate factor is usually deep-rooted. O Given similar postnatal condition of cultivation, a person’s constitution is strong or weak is mainly determined by the natural endowment. O Inadequate natural endowment in childhood usually influences growth and development. O The shortage of innate factor may also influence life span of the person. 20

Diet O A rational and balanced dietary habit is an important guarantee in maintaining and improving the physique. O As people vary from people, the living condition and the dietary habit are difference and would give rise to different constitution 1. Over-hungry and over-eating: both undesirable dietary habits would affect a person’s constitution. O Overconsumption of fatty, sweet and oily food 肥甘厚 味 would cause a person’s body constitution to have phlegm retention. O Simple diet likely to avoid developing a biased body constitution. 21

Diet 2. Imbalanced Diet: refers to excessively indulging in certain food, prefer hot or cold food or addicts to one of the five flavors or adopting a irrational and imbalanced diet structure. O Such a dietary structure in the long run would cause biasedness of the body constitution. O For example, indulging in taking sweet stuff would generate phlegm and dampness and prone to developing a phlegm-dampness body constitution and such a constitution is more prone to developing diabetic. 22

O Factor of Gender -Male and Female have vast differences in terms of visceral structure, physiological, psychological characteristics and sexual differences. - Male mostly shows disorder of qi and female shows the disorder of blood. -Female’s constitution also change during menstruation, pregnancy and etc. - The defect of constitution in male mainly show them more susceptible to pathogens, contract diseases and with more pathological changers and higher mortality. 23

O Factor of Age - Constitutions change with the changes of age. - Children easily get deficient or excess syndrome and cold or heat syndrome in pathology. - Youth is the stage of strong physique, powerful viscera functions, sufficient qi-blood and low sufferings from disease. -As age increases, normal constitutions become abnormal/biased types of constitution. 24

O Emotional Factor -A harmonious emotional activity makes the circulation of qi-blood smooth, visceral function coordinated and the constitution strong. - A drastic or prolonged emotional stimulus that exceeds one’s physiological regulatory ability will cause impairment of qi-blood and dysfunction of the viscera, resulting in negative influence on the constitution. - Qi-depression and Qi-Stagnation are situations of undesirable mental and emotional states. 25

Geographical Factors O “In each region people there have their own special characteristics”. O People in different regions adopt different lifestyle and habits and among them, dietary habit has the strongest impact. 26

Social Factors O Over wealth or over poverty influence body constitutions. O Economic developments bring forth prosperity and also environmental pollution. O Changed thinking affects life and value system. O Nature of occupation, work environment, labor intensity, income, social status do play a part in influencing one’s body constitution. O Environmental pollution, incidence of epidemic diseases and eruption of war and natural disasters also lead to changing of body constitution. 27

Disease, Acupuncture, Medicine and other factors O A disease can accelerate the change of constitution as it can impair the body’s qi, blood and yin-yang balances, especially the chronic diseases. O Improper application of acupuncture, medicine and other treatment methods will aggravate the damage of constitution, resulting in bias qi-blood and yin-yang balances. O Late marriage,child-birth, indulging in sexual pleasures, improper exercise also contribute to changing of body constitution. 28

The 9 Different Body Constitutions Types 29 Balanced Type 平和质 Qi-Deficient Type 气虚质 Yang-Deficient Type 阳虚质 Yin-Deficient Type 阴虚质 Phlegm-Damp Type 痰湿质 Damp-Heat Type 湿热质 Blood-Stagnation Type 瘀血质 Qi-Stagnation Type 气郁质 Allegic/Congenital Disorder Type 过敏质 / 先天缺陷

Balanced Yin-Deficiency Qi-Deficiency Qi-Stagnation Dampness- Heat Phlegm- Dampness Blood Stagnation Yang- Deficiency Allegic/ Congenital Disorder 30 Recent Classifications

Summary of Balanced Body Constitutions 31

Characteristics of Qi-Deficiency Body Constitution 32

Yang-Deficiency 33

Yin-Deficiency 34

Phlegm-Dampness 35

Phlegm-Heat 36

Blood Stasis 37

Qi-Stagnation 38

Allergy/Congenital Disorder 39