TCM Lexicon

  • Blood stasis is the impaired, obstructed, or stagnant circulation of blood within the body.

    In TCM, blood is expected to circulate continuously to nourish tissues, regulate menstruation, support emotional stability, and anchor the spirit (shen). When blood no longer moves smoothly, stasis develops.

    Blood stasis is generally considered a more fixed, substantial, and chronic form of obstruction than qi stagnation.

    Common Signs of Blood Stasis in TCM

    • Sharp, fixed, chronic pain

    • Dark or clotty menstrual blood

    • Purple lips, nails, or tongue

    • Varicose veins or dark circles

    • Masses, cysts, fibroids, or scar tissue

    • Poor circulation, numbness, cold extremities

    • Easy bruising or dark bruises

    • Feeling emotionally “stuck” or heavy

  • Confucian duty refers to the moral obligation to fulfill one’s roles and responsibilities with discipline, loyalty, restraint, and respect for social harmony. Rooted in Confucian philosophy, it emphasizes devotion to family, hard work, self-sacrifice, filial piety, and placing collective needs above individual desire.

    In practice, it often includes:

    • Duty to parents and elders

    • Respect for hierarchy and authority

    • Emotional restraint and self-discipline

    • Obligation to family reputation and stability

    • Valuing perseverance, education, and hard work

    • Sacrificing personal comfort for collective wellbeing

  • The outward manifestation of an internal pattern; the way the body communicates its internal state through sensation, symptom, emotion, and pattern.

    In Traditional Chinese Medicine, symptoms, behaviors, complexion, pulse, digestion, sleep, and emotional states are understood not as isolated problems, but as expressions of underlying relational patterns and dynamics between qi, blood, organ systems, environment, and lived experience.

  • Wǔ Xíng /woo shing/

    Imperfect Translation: a system of patterns that describe how energy moves through the body, emotions, seasons, and stages of life.

    Health depends less on maximizing one state and more on maintaining flexible balance between complementary forces.

    • yin relates to restoration, cooling, nourishment, inwardness, stillness

    • yang relates to action, heat, movement, stimulation, outward expression

    In TCM, imbalance might look like:

    • excessive yang → agitation, inflammation, overstimulation

    • deficient yin → dryness, depletion, inability to rest

    • excessive yin → heaviness, sluggishness, stagnation

    • deficient yang → coldness, exhaustion, lack of activation

  • In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a pattern is a recognizable combination of symptoms that reflects an underlying imbalance in the body. Rather than focusing on a disease, TCM identifies patterns such as Liver Qi Stagnation or Blood Deficiency to understand how the body's systems are functioning and what support may be needed.

  • Smooth Movement refers to the body's capacity to circulate, process, and adapt—physically, emotionally, and behaviorally. When this capacity is disrupted, a person may experience tension, digestive discomfort, emotional constriction, or a sense of being stuck.

    PHYSICALLY

    Smooth movement can mean:

    • comfortable digestion

    • regular bowel movements

    • easy breathing

    • healthy circulation

    • relaxed muscles and tendons

    • regular menstrual flow

    • the ability to move without excessive tension or pain

    When movement is not smooth, symptoms might include:

    • bloating

    • constipation

    • muscle tightness

    • headaches

    • menstrual cramps

    • feeling physically "stuck" or constrained

    EMOTIONALLY

    Smooth movement might look like:

    • feeling anger without getting consumed by it

    • recovering from disappointment

    • adapting to change

    • expressing needs directly

    • moving between emotional states

    Lack of smooth movement might feel like:

    • irritability

    • frustration

    • resentment

    • rumination

    • emotional suppression

    • feeling unable to "let something go"

    BEHAVIORALLY

    The Liver is also associated with planning, initiative, and direction.

    Smooth movement can involve:

    • making decisions

    • starting and completing tasks

    • shifting gears when circumstances change

    • maintaining momentum without forcing

    Stagnation may show up as:

    • procrastination

    • indecision

    • feeling trapped

    • repeatedly circling the same problem

  • Stagnation is impaired flow within the body’s energetic and physiological systems.

    Stagnation may manifest as:

    • physical tension or pain

    • bloating or distention

    • emotional irritability or frustration

    • depression or feeling “stuck”

    • menstrual irregularity

    • digestive discomfort

    • swelling or accumulation

    • fixed or recurring symptoms

  • Qi /chee/

    Imperfect translation: Qi is the body’s capacity to do things well. The organs are like appliances and systems, but qi is the current allowing everything to function and communicate smoothly.

    Qi is a foundational concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese philosophy referring to the body’s vital energy or animating life force. Rather than describing a single physical substance, qi represents the dynamic movement that warms, transforms, protects, and connects the body and the natural world.

    In TCM, health is understood through the quality and movement of qi: when qi is abundant and flowing smoothly, the body is thought to function harmoniously; when it becomes depleted, stagnant, or disrupted, physical and emotional symptoms may arise. Because the concept encompasses energy, function, rhythm, and relationship simultaneously, qi does not translate neatly into a single Western term and is often left untranslated.

  • An impairment or constraint in the normal movement of qi through the body.

    A disruption in the body’s vital movement and functional activity, including the dynamic processes that regulate circulation, digestion, emotion, respiration, transformation, and communication between systems.

    Common Signs of Qi Stagnation in TCM

    • Feeling emotionally or physically “stuck”

    • Irritability, frustration, mood swings

    • Chest, throat, or abdominal tightness

    • Bloating, sighing, or digestive discomfort

    • Symptoms that fluctuate with stress

    • Wandering or distending pain

    • PMS or breast tenderness

    • Tension in the neck, shoulders, or jaw

    • Frequent sighing or shallow breathing

  • Qigong /chee-gong is a system of coordinated movement, breathing, and attention used to support the circulation of qi and promote physical, emotional, and energetic balance.

    Rather than focusing on exertion or performance, qigong emphasizes awareness, rhythm, and the smooth circulation of qi. Traditionally used to support health and longevity, it offers a way of listening to the body, releasing tension, and restoring a sense of balance between activity and rest, effort and ease.

  • Yīn Yáng /yeen yahng/

    Imperfect translation: two interdependent forces that create balance through dynamic relationship rather than opposition.

    Health depends less on maximizing one state and more on maintaining flexible balance between complementary forces.

    • yin relates to restoration, cooling, nourishment, inwardness, stillness

    • yang relates to action, heat, movement, stimulation, outward expression

    In TCM, imbalance might look like:

    • excessive yang → agitation, inflammation, overstimulation

    • deficient yin → dryness, depletion, inability to rest

    • excessive yin → heaviness, sluggishness, stagnation

    • deficient yang → coldness, exhaustion, lack of activation