Health Preservation Concepts – the Three Treasures
THE THREE TREASURES AND YOUR HEALTH CONCEPT
Ron Teeguarden, a famous tonic herbalist quotes, – The Taoist sages who developed Chinese Tonic Herbalism discovered that a human being is composed of the three “ treasures “.
The three Treasures are called Jing, Qi, and Shen. These energies are called “treasures” by sages such as Laozi ( father of Taoism) and Confucious because they are the basis of how our body works functionally. ( according to Chinese metaphysics)
These concepts in Western terms may relate to the Constitution( tissues and DNA and substances ), Metabolism ( nervous system and hormones and energy production ), and Mind Health ( including intellect and spirit )
The Ancient Taoists were keen observers of nature and identified that people are but reflections of their environment and body, Mind, and Spirit.
Metaphorically, they came up with the concepts of Jing, Qi, and Shen to understand the dynamics of how energy is expressed in the body.
Understanding these concepts gives a conceptual and practical method of developing health or preserving health. These concepts are part of “Yang Sheng “ -the Chinese way of nourishing life.
Yang in this context refers to nourishing, nurturing, fostering, and taking care. Sheng means life, birth, vitality, and health.
JING:
This concept is often translated as “essence”- this can refer to life essence, hormones, DNA, sexual potency, or one’s overall constitution as one came into this life at birth.
Jing is considered to be inherited from our parents but also may be acquired by diet, herbs, and Health cultivation practices,
Someone with a good “Jing” often refers to a good constitution and resilience to diseases or disorders, and this denotes that they can withstand stresses and strains of life better than others.
An example of this was depicted in a newspaper where there was an article on a 98-year-old world war II veteran who was reported as still able to march on Anzac Day, yet smokes a packet of cigarettes a day and having few daily whiskeys at night to help him sleep. A person with a weaker constitution would find that such habits would lead to weakening their constitution, “Leaking the Jing,” and would give rise to an early age-related disease or indeed an early departure from this planet! This old digger inherited good genetics from his forebears so that he could withstand the ravages of these pollutants.
We have both pre-natal jing, our constitution at birth, and postnatal jing, which we cultivate and preserve by living life in balance.
Jing has often been referred to as a bank account. One comes into life having money in the bank with some reserve. This account can be used occasionally for particular things and fall back in times of need.
An example would be an operation or accident or severe disease that can severely deplete our reserves.
Post Natal Jing is your current bank account that you use daily without tapping into our reserves. This account is depleted and regularly renewed, depending on your lifestyle and habits.
If you are continually stressed or make poor food choices or live an unbalanced life, this can gradually reduce your postnatal Jing reserve. You will then need to dip into your pre-natal jing. An example of this is someone who does not handle stress for long and becomes Adrenally exhausted. Then the next step is dysregulation of the immune system.
This leads to symptoms of fatigue, joint pains, frequent colds and cases of flu, etc., and if continued, can lead to chronic fatigue syndromes.
QI:
Often pronounced, “chee” is a word commonly used to denote the presence of Dynamic body energy. Qi is the energy of life and manifests as breath and body functions. Vital force energy!
Qi is often seen as being split into two.- Yang Qi -which gives rise to vitality, protection, circulation, and adaptability. This Yang Qi is, in medical terms, the functioning of the mitochondria of the cells within the body. Mitochondria are involved in producing ATP ( adenosine triphosphate ) that is the body’s energy currency.
The other is Blood Qi -which is considered yin and is related to blood and nourishment of cells. Blood must circulate nutritional substances to cells in the body, and Blood must help oxygenate the cells. Both blood nourishment and Mitochondria contribute to the Bodys -Metabolism or efficient working of organs, glands, and tissues.
So Qi, in western terms, may be looked at as cellular health and metabolism and the working of the Nervous system.
SHEN:
Is the concept of mind and spirit and much more. Good mental health is reflected in having a good shen. “Shen “ is also reflected in the eyes and complexion of a person. This may also be called “radiance. “
If someone has good Jing and Qi and Shen, they can be seen that they radiate good health. This is seen by younger persons and some seniors who age well or seem to defy age.
This can be illustrated in 100-year-old persons who are mentally competent. Their bodies may be old, but they have a good “mental presence: and indeed some seem to “shine ” or sparkle with good mental health. Vera Lynn, who passed away recently at the age of 103, was a good example of someone who had good ” shen” in old age.
If the Jing and Qi are not abundant, then the Shen will be weak or deficient. Mental health issues may occur.
One of the best ways to illustrate the concept of Jing, Qi, and Shen is to look at the components of a candle – see the illustration.
The base of the candle that contains the wax may be referred to as the jing or substances the body is made of, including DNA. Candle bases come in all shapes but only have one wick.
The candle wick facilitates the burning of wax ( nutrients), the Qi ( energy ) combustion that gives the flame. The illumination of the flame is the Shen.
Good constitution and right living lead to a good metabolism and abundant energy for life. This leads to good Shen and Radiant Health for all to see.
Conversely, Genetic defects ( damaged Jing ) or body metabolism ( damaged Qi ) gives rise to mental health issues ( poor shen or damaged Shen ). Many mental health issues are related to poor biochemical balance in the body. Most often, what I have seen in the clinic is Damaged Qi due to diet/exercise/ lifestyle /stress imbalances etc., that then affect the Jing and progress through to the shen of the body.
According to the World Health Organisation ( WHO), a person’s health and lifespan are dependent on 60% on lifestyle choices and only 15% on Genes.
Tonic Herbs would be beneficial to extend our lifespan for those who are not genetically gifted.
So how do you obtain Radiant Health?!
- Fill out a Three treasures analysis to identify your weaknesses on http://www.jingherbsanalysis.com.
- Tonify your three treasures with emphasis on supporting the weakest with Herbal Tonics.
- Determine the energy leaks and deficiency or excess in organs or tissues through pulse, tongue or ear diagnosis
- Harmonise and optimise all the organs, so they function more efficiently via Diet and lifestyle.
The parasympathetic nervous system ( rest and restore ) is generally regarded as Yin. The sympathetic nervous system ( fight or flight) is viewed as Yang Taoist thought describes the yin referring to tissues or nourishing; and yang, the nervous system, and energy of the body. Excessive yin means one may be deficient in energy, and with extreme Yang too much energy, leading to exhaustion or burnout.
For good health to be maintained, the Yin and Yang need to be balanced: i.e. the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic systems are in harmony.
1. Addressing specific health issues that will impact one or more of the three treasures affecting your long-term health.
2. No specific health issues a the moment, but want to enhance or maintain your health by getting a customised Health preservation program to optimise the three treasures. This is ideal for those who wish to maintain their health or those who are very active, maybe playing sport who want to enhance their overall energy! A full report and Health Program are provided after each consultation.
You may book a telephone consultation with tongue and Ear analysis ( to determine your current weakness and strengths ) or in the clinic with added pulse diagnosis. Go to my contact or appointment page to book.
If you are not sure, book a free pulse diagnosis session, and we can go from there.
Both these companies have excellent herbal products and information on the Three treasures concept of Health Enhancement.
