Zang Organs Part I: The Heart

Zang Organs (Part I)

• Heart, Liver, Lungs are the Zang Organs discussed
• ACUP 127 - Jessica Walker BA, R.Ac is the course/presentation title and instructor

The Heart

• Title: "The Monarch"
• Main Functions:
  • Governs the Blood
  • Controls the Blood Vessels
  • Houses the Mind (Shen)
• Heart Relationships:
  • Smell is scorched
  • Colour is red
  • Taste is bitter
  • Climate is heat
  • Sound is laughing
• Other Functions:
  • Manifests in the complexion
  • Opens into the tongue
  • Controls sweat
  • Related to joy

The Heart-Governs the Blood

• Food-Qi is transformed into Blood in the Heart
• The Heart controls the circulation of Blood
• Heart-Blood influences menstruation indirectly
• Heart-Blood houses the Mind (Shen)
• Heart health and blood quality determines strength and constitution of the person
• Heart crack is constitutional weakness of the Heart; prone to emotional problems (anxiety)
• Heart controls discharge of menstrual blood and downward movement of Qi & Blood during menstruation.
• Liver Blood is stored in the uterus

The Heart-Controls the Blood Vessels

• The Heart influences the state of the blood vessels (e.g., hardening of blood vessels from Heart-Blood stasis)
• The blood vessels identify one of five energetic layers (skin, muscles, sinews, blood vessels, bones)
• Elderly often have hard pulse (arteriosclerosis) which reflects Heart condition
• State of the pulse (blood vessels) depends on the Heart's Qi and Blood
  • Healthy Heart-Qi = Full and regular pulse
  • Heart Qi deficiency = Feeble and irregular pulse
  • Healthy Heart Blood = Full and smooth pulse
  • Heart Blood deficiency = Choppy pulse
  • Heart-Blood Stasis = Blood vessels feel hard (possible arteriosclerosis)

The Heart-Houses the Mind (Shen)

• The Heart is the residence of the Mind; the Heart is in control of the Mind
• The Heart is the "root of life" and origin of mental life
• Five major Heart-Mind functions:
  • Mental activity (including emotions)
  • Consciousness
  • Memory
  • Thinking
  • Sleep
• The Mind and Emotions
  • Healthy Heart/Blood: normal mental activity, balanced emotional life, clear consciousness, good memory, keen thinking, good quality of sleep
  • Deficient Heart/Blood: mental-emotional problems (anxiety and depression), poor memory, dull thinking, insomnia or somnolence, unconsciousness
  • Excess Heart conditions: mental illness (such as manic-depression); other organs also affect the emotions
  • Heart affects the capacity to form meaningful relationships; ability to relate to other people; unhealthy relationships negatively affect the Heart
  • Three Treasures (Jing, Qi, Shen): Heart is affected by Jing and Qi as well. Jing and Shen show in the luster of the eyes.

The Heart--Other Functions

• Joy (lack of or excessive):
  • Excessive Joy = overexcitement, overstimulation, mania; new relationships; "Rock star lifestyle": too much partying, craving, stimulants, sex
  • Excessive Joy can cause palpitations, overexitability, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, talking a lot, and red tongue tip. Sudden Joy can be akin to shock, dilating Heart vessels
• Heart controls sweat:
  • Sweat is a Body Fluid; Body Fluids and Blood affect each other
  • Nervous sweating is related to the Heart
  • Spontaneous sweating: Heart Qi or Yang Deficiency
  • Night sweating: Heart Yin deficiency
  • Excessive sweating damages Heart Yang and Blood

The Heart--Other Functions (continued)

• Heart and the complexion:
  • Healthy Heart and Blood = rosy and lustrous complexion
  • Dull pale: Heart-Blood deficiency
  • Bright white: Heart-Yang deficiency
  • Purplish or dark: Heart-Blood stasis
  • Red: Heart-Heat
• Heart opens into the tongue:
  • The Heart influences the tongue & disorders such as ulcers or soreness. Talking and speech can be influenced (e.g. talking too much, speech difficulty, stuttering, aphasia)
• The five spiritual aspects:
  • Mind (Shen): resides in the Heart, responsible for consciousness, thinking, affections, memory, sleep
  • Ethereal Soul (Hun): resides in the Liver, responsible for sleep, plans, projects, life aims, 'coming and going of Shen'
  • Corporeal Soul (Po): resides in the Lungs, responsible for physiological activities, sensations, sight, hearing, smell, taste, 'entering and exiting of Jing'
  • Intellect (Yi): resides in the Spleen, responsible for thinking, memory, concentration
  • Will-power (Zhi): resides in the Kidneys, responsible for willpower, drive, determination

The Heart-Sleep and Dreams

• Heart houses the Mind (Shen)
• Heart-Blood healthy: person easily falls asleep and sleeps soundly
• Heart-Blood weak: Mind has no residence and will float; causing insomnia, superficial or disturbed sleep and excessive dreaming
• Dreams: ancient texts mention dreaming of fires and smoke, volcanic eruptions and laughing.
• Dreams also related to Hun (Ethereal Soul) of the Liver
• Heart loathes heat: coma, delirium, aphasia
• The Heart controls speech: talking a lot, stuttering, aphasia

(Remaining sections, Liver and Lungs, are summarized below)

The Liver-Functions

• Main Functions:
  • Ensures the smooth flow of Qi
  • Stores the Blood
• Liver Relationships:
  • Smell is rancid
  • Colour is green
  • Taste is sour
  • Climate is Wind
  • Sound is shouting
• Other Functions:
  • Controls the sinews
  • Manifests in the nails
  • Opens into the eyes
  • Controls the tears
  • Houses the Hun (Ethereal Soul)
  • Affected by anger

The Liver-Ensures Smooth Flow of Qi

• Liver ensures smooth flow of Qi throughout body; important for all liver pathology
• Terms used: disperse, extend, loosen, relax, circulate, make smooth, and balance
• Effects of smooth flow of Qi:
  • Emotional state
  • Digestion
  • Secretion of bile

The Liver-Stores the Blood

• Liver stores Blood and regulates the volume of Blood in the body (rest and activity)
• Three aspects:
  • Liver regulates volume of Blood in body = body active, Blood flows; at rest, Blood flows back to Liver
  • Energy levels are affected by Liver function impairment
  • Resistance to EPFS (external pathogens/factors) is affected indirectly
• Influences our resistance to EPFs (indirectly)

The Liver-Stores the Blood-Menstruation

• Stagnant Liver-Qi leads to Liver-Blood Stasis; painful periods, PMS, menstrual blood with dark clots
• Liver closely connected to Ren and Chong Meridians. Malfunction in Liver affected menstruation.

The Liver-Other Functions

• Controls the Sinews:
  • Liver Blood moistens the Sinews (tendons, ligaments, cartilage and joints)
  • Liver Blood deficient = muscle cramps, pain, numbness etc.
  • Liver-Blood Stasis = stiffness, and rigidity
  • Liver Wind = tremor or convulsion
• Reciprocal relationship:
  • Blood can affect Liver and health; and vice versa
• Eyes:
  • Liver Blood moistens eyes and brightens vision.
  • Deficient Liver Blood = dry eyes, blurry vision
  • Liver-Blood Heat = red eyes and painful.
• Manifests in the Nails:
  • Nails dry, brittle, cracked = Liver Blood deficiency
  • Nails dark or purple = Liver Blood Stasis
• Opens into the eyes; controls the tears:
  • Tears are the fluid of the Liver ; lubricates, not tears from emotions
  • Liver deficiency = dryness of the eyes; Liver-Yang rising = watery eyes & frequent tearing

The Liver-Pathology

• Affected by anger: includes frustration, resentment, repressed anger and rage
• Causes Liver-Qi stagnation if repressed
• Anger that is vented causes Liver-Yang rising or Liver-Fire
• Reciprocal relationship: anger affects health, poor Liver health causes angry feelings

The Liver-Houses the Hun

• Liver houses the Ethereal Soul (Hun)
• Hun's natural capacity to survive the body
• Hun's ability to plan life= wisdom and direction
• Healthy Liver Blood = Hun rooted with vision and wisdom
• Liver-Blood deficient = lack of sense of direction in life; Hun not rooted
• If Liver-Blood/Liver-Yin very deficient : sensation of floating and can leave the body
• Hun is a 'source of dreams' and provides inspiration and ideas with restrictions by the Mind

The Liver-Correspondences

• Smell: rancid
• Colour: green
• Taste: sour
• Climate: wind
• Sound: shouting

The Lungs-Functions

• Main Functions:
  • Govern Qi & respiration
  • Control channels and blood Vessels
  • Control diffusing and descending of Qi
  • Regulate all physiological activities
• Lungs Relationships:
  • Smell is rotten
  • Colour is white
  • Taste is pungent
  • Climate is dryness
  • Sound is weeping
• Other Functions:
  • Regulate the Water passages
  • Controls skin and hair
  • Open into the nose
  • Control nasal mucus
  • House the Po (Corporeal Soul)

The Lungs-Main Functions

• Governs Qi and respiration
• Inhale "heavenly Qi" (air)
• Air combines with Food-Qi from Spleen to form Gathering Qi
• Gathering Qi in the chest
• Lungs are the most "external" of the Yin organs = connection between the body and outside world
• Easily attacked by EPFs (external pathogens) = "delicate organ"

The Lungs-Main Functions (continued)

• Control Blood Vessels
• As they govern Qi, the Lungs control acupuncture channels
• Nutritive Qi ("Ying Qi") flows in close contact with Blood, Lungs influence all blood vessels.
• Lungs play a role in circulation of the blood

The Lungs-Main Functions (continued)

• Control Diffusing and Descending of Qi
• Lungs diffuse Qi and fluids to the space between skin and muscles & forms Defensive Qi
• Diffuse Body Fluids to form sweat
• Lung-Qi deficiency can cause problems with urination
• The Lungs descend Qi to Kidneys; and descend Body Fluids (to the Kidneys); they evaporate the fluids to be sent back up to the Lungs which moisten the Lungs
• Lungs descend Body Fluids to the Bladder where excreted as urine
• Lung-Qi deficiency may cause urinary problems

The Lungs--Other Functions

• Control Skin and the Space Between Skin and Muscles: Lungs diffuse fluids to the skin giving it lustre, and regulate sweating; maintaining resistance to pathogens.
• Lungs and Body Hair: normal diffusing = lustrous hair; abnormal diffusing = brittle and dry hair
• Open into Nose/Nasal Mucus: breathing and sense of smell depend on Lung state; Nasal mucus is influenced by Lungs (moistening; secretion) & impaired nasal secretion can cause nasal discharges/stuffiness
• Lungs house the Corporeal Soul (Po): physiological processes; feelings & sensations; Yin in relation; created at conception; dies with the body; in charge of all the physical processes.
• Lungs affected by worry, sadness, & grief: Qi stagnation in the chest; tightness of the chest; slight breathlessness; tension in shoulders; sadness & grief = depletes Lung-Qi, breathlessness & tiredness

The Lungs-Other Functions (Continued)

• Lungs regulate the Water Passages:
  • Diffusion of Body Fluids to space b/w skin & muscles, descent of Body Fluids to Kidneys & Bladder.

Lung-Correspondences

• Smell: rotten
• Colour: white
• Taste: pungent
• Climate: dryness
• Sound: weeping

Explore the intricate functions of the Heart as a Zang Organ, from governing blood to housing the Mind (Shen). This quiz dives deep into the relationships and characteristics of the Heart, including its qualities and associated emotions. Perfect for students of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.