Focus

Physiological Mechanism of Practicing for Health Preserving

(Supplementary material 6.)

Dr. Li-Chen Hsieh¹, Hsiu-Hsi Chen²

¹ Ji-Din Clinic, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

² Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract

It would be very valuable if the underlying physiological mechanism accounting for why breathing exercise for health preserving is beneficial to human body can be elucidated.

The origin of “Chi” defined by “Nan Jing” expounds that SangJaio together with epicardium meridian play an important role in the regulation of human body in the face of exogeneous and endogeneous environment. Triple Burners, namely the upper, the middle, and the lower SangJaio, compose a systematic but independent machine operated with each other for breath and circulation of human body. The upper Jaio makes contributions to supplying blood abundant with oxygen through breathing. The middle Jaio is conducive to the intake of water and nutrients. The lower Jaio is responsible for the filtration of blood by eliminating wastes and re-absorbing nutrients so as to render body system homeostasis.

Pericardium Meridian are composed of cardiac physiological electric conduction system. The heart pulse triggers the release of three varieties of “Chi”, regulating, nurturing, and protecting into blood that circulates throughout the body.

Breathing exercise is to regulate breathing with conscious determination through a series of influences from the upper Jaio to the lower Jaio in order to enhance positive efficient physiological feedback, which facilitates the renewal, rehabilitation, and regeneration of the tissues in human body through the circulation of aorta and pulmonary artery.

Breathing exercise for nurture is one of important contexts in the domain of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in preventive care. From the Chinese ancient medicine paradigm [Huangdi neijing] : Ancient Naïve Plain Questions 1, the sage physician named as the wise remote antiquity have already known that one can be perpetual and live longer with good quality of life provided that rules follow solar and lunar system, mediation through prophet, temperate diet, regular life, routine practice without overwork. It is obvious that the ancient people has already known the rules of breathing exercise for nurture. It is therefore reasoned that to be at home in breathing exercise for nurture under the context of solar and lunar philosophy enable one to be in pursuit of longevity seen in the ancient people. It is the ultimate goal of devoting ourselves to develop of maneuvering healthy.

There are a variety of terminologies used for breathing control for health preserving, breathing, spitting, dayoin, conduction exercise, practicing, meditation, reflection and so on.

As long as it makes a routine to keep regular physical exercise all the skills to practice like breathing, spitting, conduction with exercise is pertaining to Qi and is often called “Qigong practice”.

When it comes to its impact on human body function, there are three types, practicing、Liangong, Practise qigong with various definitions and objectives. We only focus on the physiological mechanism responsible for health preserving with Qi. The Qi acquired from practicing (doing exercise with breathing) is not air by nature and nor is oxygen in the lung transported from nose via inhalation but it has been converted into the Qi in active biological state that is prepared to spawn biochemical reaction in contact with blood, cell, tissue,fluid, organ, and system in human body and also provide the energy of Qi for human body in any time. Practicing is to do self-body-mind training by using three breathing techniues, , in order to have longevity and prevent and eliminate disease.

Only when one are familiar with practicing so as to produce energy at discretion is Qigong called. TCM therapists used to use a set of theories of medicine on breathing for health preserving, including TCM theory, the classification of yin-yang and five elements (metal, water, wood, fire, and earth), visceral and meridian manifestation and Yi Jing, to expound the law of Qi operation. Therefore, most of exemplification has underscored spiritual and mental aspects that is entertained by three treasures of spirit, Qi, and mind for enhancing physical and spiritual body. The emphasis of practicing is placed on practice in order to make use of self-empowered “Chi”. It is barely addressed that what on earth is which visceral part is responsible for the operation of Qi.

The efficacy of practicing for health preserving has gained attention in evidence-based clinical and experimental studies. Over the past five decades, a number of modern advanced technology, facility, equipment, and test were developed to throw light on why practicing can work in order to expound scientific basis of practicing and Chi using its physiological influences. Evidence-based studies consists of the effect of practicing or Chi on pulmonary physiology, blood circulation of physiology, and neurological physiology. Among these physiological responses, respiratory physiological change is the most salient.. According to the extent of peace and serenity of practicing, the respiratory cycle can be lengthened and the rhythm becomes slow, ampltitude becomes enlarged. The influx of Chi shows relaxed, slow, vivid, gentle so as to produce the manifested health benefit. However, the underlying physiological mechanism is still not clear and difficult to accept by scientists. This also renders many folk people hesitant and confused so as not to do practicing.

It becomes very important to make it explicit to elucidate the organ and the physiological mechanism affected by practicing. The eighth “Nan” in Nan-Jing, one of classical Chinese books, says those twelve meridians are derived from the origin of generating Qi. The origin of Qi generation is the fundamentals of these twelve Meridians…..the fundamentals of five viscera and six bowels, the root of twelve meridians, the portal of respiration, and the origin of SanJaio.

The 66^th “Nan” says twelve meridians is the vital life of body, which is called the nascent, leading to the so-called SangJaio “. The 25^th “Nan” says there are twelve meridians corresponding to eleven concrete organs (five viscera and six bowels) and the one called Heart Meridian of Hand-shaoyin, which is coupled with ShangJaio to compose inner and outer system. The 38th “Nan” says we have only five viscera and six bowels. What does mean by that? Having six bowels can be entitled as ShangJaio. Heart Meridian of Hand-shaoyin is named but amorphic. It is the surrogate of original Chi for being in charge of all Chi together. It represents outer systems of six bowels and renders five organs compose six bowels together with Sangjao that is the original Qi and in charge of the whole body.

The 66^th “Nan” mentions that SangJaio is the delegate of original Qi to channel through three Qi and transverse through five viscera and six inner organs. SangJaio is therefore the origin of Qi. We believe Sangjao is in charge of the function of five inner organ in connection with viscera through the link with Pericardium Meridian. The 31th “Nan” in Nang Jin indicates (What is SangJaio? ) (where to be produced? where to begin ? where to end ? How to govern ? whether to have ? It represents the road to basic need and the end to Qi. The upper SangJaio is located beneath epicardium and above stomach, input but no output, controlled point just at stenium, just one inch below belly lying between two breast inch below. The middle SangJaio is located at the body of stomach and is the degradation of water and grain with the controlled point at limbus. The lower SangJaio is at orifice of bladder with the function of cleaning out without any intake

Triple burner consists of Upper Jiao, which is the regulation system of respiratory centre at diagram, which supplies oxygen in the blood through expiration to generate Qi through the body. Middle Jiao, which is the evacuation of stomach and the regulation of stomach gate pump at the body of stomach so as to digest the intake of nutrient into “food mixture that is a mixture of water with grained food for generating Qi for maintaining body. Lower Jaio) is pertaining to the function of nephron, that is responsible for the regulation of filtration, the excretion of urine, and homostasis in order to generate Qi for protecting body.

Despite three independent systems of SanJaio with each role played on its own in upper, middle, and lower physiological function, they were correlated and coordinated to channel Qi through the whole body. The clinical function of SangJaio is to supply oxygen and nutrients through blood to render “Qi” regulate, nuture, and protect body from cell, through tissue, to organ, ending up with the renewal of Qi and the removal of wastes to maintain homostasis in the body and render the function of physiology operated. SangJaio is the exactly so-called the supplant of original Chi that is originated from the embryo of mother to become independent and self-governed though acquired regulation system. In other words, SangJaio and Epicardium Meridian are two sef-pumped systems, responsible for inner and outer system functioning with other for life. The former is divided into three parts, responsible for nose, mouth, annus, and urotrinary for outside communication to get oxygen, nutrient, and secretion. The latter is closely connected to heart to govern blood regulation. Two systems are reciprocally influenced and connected as network to dominate Chi and Blood, respectively. Once the circuit is stagnated or there is the lesion it is indispensable to get repaired from two systems rather than tissue structure.

Epicardium Meridian that is related to SangJaio through five viscera and six bowels is the electric physiological conduction system of heart functioned by cardiac cell. The automatic electric impulse becomes a vital and independent power system. The pulse propelled by the epicardium and heart tied together as an union becomes a propel for prompting blood to circulate through the body in order to provide oxygen, nutrient, hormone, enzyme, inter-connective medimum, and collect and filter wastes through kidney.

The rising subjective conjecture on health held by people, and the efficacy of practicing has gained attention. There are numerous studies addressing how Chi is conductive to human health by combing it with exercise (such as Tai-Zi and spitting), practicing, acupressure, and acupuncture. A number of scientists have been conducting multi-disciplinary studies, which reveal the characteristics and information affecting physiological change of human body. These not only corroborate actual effectiveness of practicing for health preserving but also provide data on relevant physiological changes. All causes accounting for physiological change have biological plausibility consistent with the mechanism of physiology.