Fatigue in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In this article, I propose to try to understand fatigue in TCM. Traditional Chinese medicine offers a very interesting angle of view to better understand fatigue.

The legend

In one of the founding books of traditional Chinese medicine, written nearly 2,500 years ago, the Su Wen, the Yellow Emperor asks about the energetic health of his contemporaries.

His master, Qi Bai, explains to him that many generations ago, men and women were in great shape because they lived in communion with nature. They understood and lived with the movement of yin and yang, and of the seasons.

But many generations later, that was no longer the case. As a result, the inhabitants were endlessly tired, fell ill often and aged badly.

This topic of fatigue was already present, 2,500 years ago.

Of course, he gives advice to feel better. That's what we're going to see in this article.

Living with the seasons

To be in shape, you have to live at the rhythm of the seasons.

I really like this comparison with farmers of old.

In summer, they were in the fields working. As the fields grew, they had to maintain them, water them, then do the harvest. Long days helped. So in summer, farmers slept little, just like nature.

In winter, nothing grows, so farmers stayed home, by the fire. Going to bed early and getting up late. Without electricity, hard to do otherwise.

As a result, nature gives us a beautiful lesson in life, for those who know how to look.

In winter, everything goes underground (including energy), to build up a big reserve of energy. As spring arrives, everything comes out of the ground like a champagne cork, and it lasts until autumn.

Today, we have to be productive from January 1st to December 31st. There's no moment when we hibernate. As a result, energy isn't put in reserve. When spring comes, there's too little energy in reserve to explode like a champagne cork. Who among us goes to bed at 8pm to get up at 9am the next day, for three months straight?

That's one plausible explanation for burnout.

And there you have one of the explanations for the fatigue we experience every day.

So, ready to ask your employer to work less in winter and more in summer to be in shape all year round?

The energy of air to fight fatigue in TCM

In traditional Chinese medicine, we often talk about energy that runs through our body. It's what makes us in shape or not. But fundamentally, where does it come from?

Obviously, there's an energy that comes from our parents, but today that's not the topic. We're mainly going to talk about the energy that comes from the air and the one that comes from the earth.

The energy of the air reaches us through our breathing. It is captured and transformed by our lungs.

This energy is captured by plants, then transformed so that it's available to us, living beings.

Now, we can also analyze that for centuries, human beings have been modifying the environment. By massively deforesting, for example. More recently in history, by massively emitting micro-particles into the atmosphere.

As a result, the energy circulating in the air is of poor quality. Which weakens us all the more.

Fewer plants, fewer trees. That impacts us.

The energy of the earth to fight fatigue in TCM

The other important energy that helps us stay healthy is the energy of the earth. And it comes to us… from food.

The quality of food is just as poor as the quality of air.

Of course, it's possible to talk about pesticides, microplastics and other delights.

I'm mainly talking about the way the vegetable is produced. For example, a tomato that grows in winter under glass won't have the same nutrients as a tomato that grew under beautiful sun in spring and summer.

Same thing: if you eat an animal that has never seen the sun in its life, how do you expect the nutrients it contains to be nourishing?!

Yin and yang

To finish, the fight against fatigue in TCM is also (and above all) done through the thought of yin and yang.

A gentle balance of yin and yang must be achieved in the body to be in shape.

Yin and yang are two complementary things. One couldn't exist without the other, because one nourishes the other, while the other protects the one.

If one of the two isn't in shape, then nothing works anymore.

There's a lot of marketing around fatigue and ginseng. Supposedly it can help.

You should know that ginseng strengthens yang. So it's a one-in-two chance: either you're tired because you're in a yang deficiency, and then it's a good thing. Or you're tired due to a yin deficiency, and then ginseng will at best be ineffective, at worst not good for your energies.

If you have a yin deficiency, you'll then need to go to the sea to recharge, or at least consume products that come from there.

I should also clarify that I'm not competent in Chinese pharmacopoeia, and this is general knowledge for me. To be sure, don't hesitate to ask your traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. He or she will be able to tell you.

In conclusion

For sure, with fatigue in TCM, there are quite a few causes that can explain why many people are exhausted and burn out.

So how to act?

• Sleep better, and above all sleep more.
• Eat better: if possible eat seasonal, local food and as much organic or reasoned agriculture as possible. Don't eat meat from animals raised in battery farming to cut production costs.
• Breathe better, this can be done by breathing. I've seen that many people breathe through the chest. It's a shallower breath that uses a lot of muscles, so it's more tiring. Better to breathe from the lower belly, using the diaphragm.
• Go to the seaside or to the forest as often as possible. The air is less polluted and cleaner.

In the Su Wen, it's simply said: whoever wants to be in shape must not work at night, and must not carry heavy loads. Something to meditate on.

This is a very general point of view. There are plenty of other causes of fatigue, such as deficiencies or others. Don't hesitate to consult your primary care doctor.