When you hear the word pathology, you could imagine any number of concepts from Western medicine—extensive studies of tissues, cells, and bodily chemistry changes among them. Pathology is somewhat different in the Daoist healing arts, though. It focuses on general illness processes and how they could be corrected, not about microscopic alterations.
Pathology functions as the lens through which we view the process of how imbalance, and thus illness, develops. But first we must grasp the larger dynamics at work—how the relative strength of the body’s energy (qi), the balance of yin-yang, and proper movement of qi are disturbed—before we can spot particular patterns of disharmony.
What Does Pathology Mean in Daoist Healing?
Pathology describes the processes that lead to imbalance, and ultimately illness, in the Daoist healing arts. Instead of focusing on disease diagnosis like Western medicine does, it examines how and why an imbalance arises, how it manifests in the body, and what has to be done to restore harmony.
Respected voice in the English-language study of Chinese medicine Giovanni Maciocia noted three core pathological processes:
1. Pathology of Excess and Deficient Conditions
This looks at the balance—or struggle—between any pathogenic factor—such as stress, emotions, food, or outside influences—and the body’s inherent capacity to protect itself as provided by qi.
- An excess condition results from a pathogenic factor either overwhelming the qi of the body, or the struggle between healthy qi and a given pathogen. Consider someone carrying pent-up tension or surplus heat.
- A deficient condition results from the body’s qi being too weak. In this case one’s qi is unable to withstand these elements. This could manifest as weakness, tiredness, or vulnerability to disease.
2. Pathology of Yin-Yang Imbalance
The body’s opposing but complimentary forces are yin and yang; calm versus activity, cool versus warm. When this delicate equilibrium is upset, pathology results.
- Too much Yang may cause you to feel restless, overheated, or overly stimulated.
- Too much Yin might show up as sleepiness, coldness, or a lack of engagement in life.
- The entire system suffers when Yin and Yang lose their equilibrium.
3. Pathology of Qi Movement
Qi moves in specific ways within the body—upward, downward, inward, and outward; it does much more than simply exist. These movements maintain optimal functioning of all the parts of your body. Imbalances result from disruptions to this flow.
- Qi that fails to ascend may cause a sense of fogginess or tiredness.
- Qi that fails to descend can lead to headaches, nausea, or bloating.
- Blockages in inward or outward movement could show up as tightness, distension, or trouble letting go—either physically or emotionally.
Why Does Pathology Matter?
Pathology clarifies the why and how of any given imbalance. Let’s look at some examples:
- How might stress cause tightness in your abdomen or tension in your chest?
- Why can unrelenting pressure lead to chronic fatigue?
- What makes these imbalances enduring and what’s required to correct them?
Exploring pathology helps us to establish a foundation for spotting particular patterns of disharmony—the distinct ways in which imbalance manifests itself in each individual. Pathology is the process; the outcomes are patterns of disharmony.
How Pathology Connects to Trauma
In terms of childhood complex trauma, pathology offers a structure for understanding how stress, and dysregulation of the stress response, permeate the body. Trauma sometimes:
- Overwhelms the qi in the body, producing excess conditions like qi stagnation.
- Depletes the body’s stores, producing deficiency conditions such as qi deficiency.
- Disturbs qi flow, therefore producing imbalances in its upward, downward, inward, or outward movements.
- Leaves you feeling constantly “off” as it throws yin and yang out of balance.
Understanding how trauma interacts with these fundamental processes helps us to appreciate why the body responds the way it does and how recovery can begin.
What Comes Next
Understanding imbalance starts with pathology. From here, we can begin looking at the particular disharmony patterns that follow trauma. Still, for now think about this:
- Do you find yourself blocked or stuck in any spheres of your life?
- Do you frequently feel exhausted, overburdened, or unable to keep things in balance?
These feelings are your body’s means of alerting you to things being out of sync; they’re not random. A road map for deciphering these signals and, eventually, restoring equilibrium is provided through understanding pathology.
Watch this space for coming entries delving further into both pathology and patterns of disharmony, beginning with the most often occurring ones like qi stagnation.