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Glossary
Acupoints- mapped points on a meridian where the flow of energy is more accessible to influence which can be with needles
(acupuncture), pressure (acupressure), or other techniques. Acupoints are areas of lower resistance and higher conductivity.
Acupoints are a central concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Five Element Theory. Acupuncture maps chart the
pathway of the meridians and locate acupoints. In TCM there are more than 600 main acupoints.
Aura- a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object like the halo of religious art (wikipedia). The aura reflects
the life force that permeates all things. Different layers of the aura have different colors representing different levels of vibration.
Human auras emerge from the chakras and contain information about the person. Kirlian photography has been used to
photograph auras.
Brainwaves- Nerves function on electricity; when they fire they give off an electric charge. In the brain this activity is measured by
an electroencephalogram (EEG) and measurements of an EEG are called brain waves. There are four main brainwave emissions;
beta, alpha, theta and delta (with three additional subtypes). Each is associated with a specific range of frequency and type of
brain function.
• Beta brainwaves are associated with normal everyday activity; when we are in beta states we’re awake. This is when most of
our activities and thinking processes occur.
• Alpha brainwaves are associated with deep relaxation yet alert mental function. It is often associated with creativity and is
useful for stress management.
• Theta brain wave states are associated with deep internal awareness and are associated with dreaming and deep states of
meditation.
• Delta brainwaves are emitted primarily during sleep, but can be associated with altered states of consciousness.
Chakra
The word chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel or disk and these energy centers are often described as ‘spiraling vortices’.
There are hundreds of chakras in the body with seven main centers located along the spine, each one correlating to a major nerve
ganglia branching from the spinal column. Chakras are the ‘energy organs’ of our spiritual development and evolution. Each one
correlates to a specific level of consciousness and stage of development which is expressed with an archetypal element, color,
sound, body function, and more.
Chi- is a Chinese body substance that is more energetic than physical and is integral to healthy functioning; physically, mentally,
emotionally and spiritually. It’s loosely translated as vital life force that nourishes every cell in the body. It travels along meridians
and can be accessed through acupoints.
Elemental Nutrition- refers to the nutritional principles of Chinese medicine that are based on the qualities in food that relate to
the Chinese five elements. The Oriental Medicine viewpoint of a balanced diet is very different from that in the West. In the
Chinese system, a balanced diet is one which includes all 5 tastes - spicy, sour, bitter, sweet, and salty. Foods and herbs which
have a particular taste tend to have particular properties. Using elemental nutrition requires assessing the client’s imbalance and
determining which elemental food quality will help rebalance the system.
Energy- refers to the vital life force, a force that animates and organizes life. Every culture in the word has a word for life force: chi
(qi) in china, ki in Japan, shakti and prana in Hindu, breath of life, etc.
Entrainment- is defined as the tendency for two oscillating bodies to lock into phase so that they vibrate in harmony, or as the
natural synchronization of two or more rhythmic cycles. The classic example is that of a room full of grandfather clocks. At first the
swing of their pendulums will not be in sync, however within a short period of time the pendulums of all clocks will be swinging
together. Another example is with the beating of hearts. When brought close together hearts muscle cells, and presumably the
hearts themselves, begin pulsing synchronistically.
Fascia- is a form of connective tissue that surrounds and connects every cell, muscle, organ and structure in the body in one
continuous web. Its most easily contacted at the layer located between the skin and the underlying structure of muscle. If you’ve
ever taken the skin off a piece of chicken you’ve experienced fascia. It’s the filmy white layer holding the skin to the muscle.
Muscle and fascia are united, forming the myofascial system.
Meridians- are channels or pathways in the body that transmit the flow of chi. Most, although not all, of the meridians travel up and
down the body in parallel pathways, acting like energy “arteries”, supplying all parts of the bodymind with chi. Points along the
meridians which allow interaction with chi are called acupoints. In TCM there are 12 organ meridians and 5 extra-ordinary
meridians, often called Strange Flows.
Yin and Yang - two interrelated, mutually exclusive forces. They represent opposite polarities that together make a whole.
Balanced yin and yang indicates a state of harmony and health while imbalanced yin and yang indicates illness. Yin, yang and chi
form the basis of Chinese medicine. From a medical perspective, the relationship between Yin and Yang and the flow of chi forms
the basis for diagnoses and treatment protocols.
Acupoints- mapped points on a meridian where the flow of energy is more accessible to influence which can be with needles
(acupuncture), pressure (acupressure), or other techniques. Acupoints are areas of lower resistance and higher conductivity.
Acupoints are a central concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Five Element Theory. Acupuncture maps chart the
pathway of the meridians and locate acupoints. In TCM there are more than 600 main acupoints.
Aura- a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object like the halo of religious art (wikipedia). The aura reflects
the life force that permeates all things. Different layers of the aura have different colors representing different levels of vibration.
Human auras emerge from the chakras and contain information about the person. Kirlian photography has been used to
photograph auras.
Brainwaves- Nerves function on electricity; when they fire they give off an electric charge. In the brain this activity is measured by
an electroencephalogram (EEG) and measurements of an EEG are called brain waves. There are four main brainwave emissions;
beta, alpha, theta and delta (with three additional subtypes). Each is associated with a specific range of frequency and type of
brain function.
• Beta brainwaves are associated with normal everyday activity; when we are in beta states we’re awake. This is when most of
our activities and thinking processes occur.
• Alpha brainwaves are associated with deep relaxation yet alert mental function. It is often associated with creativity and is
useful for stress management.
• Theta brain wave states are associated with deep internal awareness and are associated with dreaming and deep states of
meditation.
• Delta brainwaves are emitted primarily during sleep, but can be associated with altered states of consciousness.
Chakra
The word chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel or disk and these energy centers are often described as ‘spiraling vortices’.
There are hundreds of chakras in the body with seven main centers located along the spine, each one correlating to a major nerve
ganglia branching from the spinal column. Chakras are the ‘energy organs’ of our spiritual development and evolution. Each one
correlates to a specific level of consciousness and stage of development which is expressed with an archetypal element, color,
sound, body function, and more.
Chi- is a Chinese body substance that is more energetic than physical and is integral to healthy functioning; physically, mentally,
emotionally and spiritually. It’s loosely translated as vital life force that nourishes every cell in the body. It travels along meridians
and can be accessed through acupoints.
Elemental Nutrition- refers to the nutritional principles of Chinese medicine that are based on the qualities in food that relate to
the Chinese five elements. The Oriental Medicine viewpoint of a balanced diet is very different from that in the West. In the
Chinese system, a balanced diet is one which includes all 5 tastes - spicy, sour, bitter, sweet, and salty. Foods and herbs which
have a particular taste tend to have particular properties. Using elemental nutrition requires assessing the client’s imbalance and
determining which elemental food quality will help rebalance the system.
Energy- refers to the vital life force, a force that animates and organizes life. Every culture in the word has a word for life force: chi
(qi) in china, ki in Japan, shakti and prana in Hindu, breath of life, etc.
Entrainment- is defined as the tendency for two oscillating bodies to lock into phase so that they vibrate in harmony, or as the
natural synchronization of two or more rhythmic cycles. The classic example is that of a room full of grandfather clocks. At first the
swing of their pendulums will not be in sync, however within a short period of time the pendulums of all clocks will be swinging
together. Another example is with the beating of hearts. When brought close together hearts muscle cells, and presumably the
hearts themselves, begin pulsing synchronistically.
Fascia- is a form of connective tissue that surrounds and connects every cell, muscle, organ and structure in the body in one
continuous web. Its most easily contacted at the layer located between the skin and the underlying structure of muscle. If you’ve
ever taken the skin off a piece of chicken you’ve experienced fascia. It’s the filmy white layer holding the skin to the muscle.
Muscle and fascia are united, forming the myofascial system.
Meridians- are channels or pathways in the body that transmit the flow of chi. Most, although not all, of the meridians travel up and
down the body in parallel pathways, acting like energy “arteries”, supplying all parts of the bodymind with chi. Points along the
meridians which allow interaction with chi are called acupoints. In TCM there are 12 organ meridians and 5 extra-ordinary
meridians, often called Strange Flows.
Yin and Yang - two interrelated, mutually exclusive forces. They represent opposite polarities that together make a whole.
Balanced yin and yang indicates a state of harmony and health while imbalanced yin and yang indicates illness. Yin, yang and chi
form the basis of Chinese medicine. From a medical perspective, the relationship between Yin and Yang and the flow of chi forms
the basis for diagnoses and treatment protocols.