The Yi spirit in Chinese Medicine
Understanding Intention and Intellect
What would you say is the root cause of these two scenarios?
You find yourself overthinking all of the time, you spend hours ruminating to the point of feeling your head could fry an egg.
Doing something you are used to doing, but somehow it doesn’t go as planned. Like when you are doing things on autopilot and they come out poorly.
Brain fog? Attention span issues? Any guess?
Well, in Chinese Medicine, you are looking at issues involving the Yi or Intention.
But how could the Intention have something to do with rumination and overthinking? That’s the topic we’ll cover today.
Key Takeaways:
The Yi includes and is in charge of the intellect, motivation, clear thinking, pensiveness, memory, creativity, and overall, most of conscious thinking.
It is also the intention.
It plays a key role in decision-making and moving forward.
It is the Spirit stored in the Spleen and belongs to the Earth Phase/Element.
It is affected by Dampness and by worry.
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Let’s begin by asking What is Yi in Chinese Medicine?
In Chinese Medicine, the Yi is in charge of the intent among other aspects of your mental realm. It is one of the Spirits that are stored within your Zhang-Fu organ networks. In Chinese Medicine, the Spirit is one of the vital substances or textures of life; other substances are Qi and Essence.
The Spirit or Shen is the one that is unique to humans, bestowed from heaven. The Spirit includes everything related to your psychological and social realms, from feelings to psyche to interpersonal relationships.
Within the Shen, there are five ‘smaller’ shen that are stored within each of the Zhang-Fu organs (the Solid and Hollow main organs of Chinese Medicine). More specifically, they are stored in the Yin organs, namely the solid ones.
One of those five smaller Spirits/shen is the Yi, and like almost all Chinese Medicine concepts, it doesn’t mean just one thing.
The Yi in Chinese Medicine represents and is in charge of: intention, clear thinking, your intellectual faculties, memory, learning ability; and it is also your intention, pondering of possibilities, motivation, and creativity, problem-solving, focus, logical analysis.
So whenever you see one of those faculties and functions in action, it is the activity of your Yi.
To explain this point a bit further, let’s see how different authors have defined and conceptualized the Yi in Chinese Medicine:
Descriptions of the Yi
For this section I will reference two main definitions, one from the Huangdi Neijing or The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon which is the foundational text of Chinese Medicine written more than 2000 years ago and still used to this day, and an excerpt from the book The Web That Has No Weaver by Ted J Kaptchuk that sheds more light into this concept:
Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Medicine)
“In the human body there are the zang organs of the liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidneys. The qi of the five zang organs forms the five spirits and gives rise to the five emotions. The spirit of the heart is known as the shen, which rules mental and creative functions. The spirit of the liver, the hun, rules the nervous system and gives rise to extrasensory perception. The spirit of the spleen, of yi, rules logic or reasoning power. The spirit of the lungs, or po, rules the animalistic instincts, physical strength and stamina. The spirit of the kidneys, the zhi, rules the will, drive, ambition, and survival instinct.’’
‘’The five zang organs have their corresponding attributes of spirit. The heart houses the shen, the governing spirit. The lungs house the po, or courage and boldness. The liver houses the hun, or intuition. The spleen houses the yi, or intellect. The kidney houses the zhi, or willpower and volition.’’
Maoshing Ni, PhD. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine. A New Translation of the Neijing Suwen with Comentary.
As you can see, the five different spirits are stored in the Organs (the Zhang-Fu), and the Qi of these organs form the five spirits, showing a deep connection between Organs, Organ Qi, and the state of the Spirits.
The Spirits are not ‘parts’ or components of the Organs per se, but dwell in them, are housed by them. This means both that they are distinct elements sharing a deep connection and that any damage to either one of them will affect the other.
This will become important in the following sections.
In the case of the Yi, as the text shows, this spirit is related to reasoning and logic, meaning it is in charge of complex functions.
However, this doesn’t stop there. As mentioned before, the Yi is also in charge of other aspects like clear thinking and considering possibilities, which are manifestations of reasoning and logic.
Let’s see how Ted Kaptchuk frames it in his book:
The Web that has no weaver
‘’The Spleen stores the Consciousness of Potentials (Yi).Through this activity, the Spleen has an additional link to Qi. In its consciousness of potentials dimension, the Spleen is responsible for considerations of options, pondering, possibilities, and making final decisions. It is the source of motivation and creativity. If the Spleen is healthy, a person has clear thoughts, can make decisions, and has the insight to faithfully support the needs of other people and situations. A harmonious Spleen enthusiastically engages the world. If the Spleen is unbalanced, a person can worry easily, have difficulty making decisions, be mentally unclear and confused, be excessively helpful, or just feel bored and uninterested.’’
Kaptchuk, Ted. The Web That Has No Weaver.
In this definition, the author talks about other faculties that are included in the Yi, like considering possibilities, making final decisions, and moving forward in life. See that although they are framed differently, they are still manifestations of reasoning, logic, and intellect.
Also note the relationship between Organ health and Spirit health.
If the organ is healthy, its spirit is healthy and works properly.
There is no primary psychism in Chinese Medicine, meaning there is no mental or psychological illness that has its cause in the mind, but rather an unhealthy mind is the result of a damaged organ. A healthy Organ is resilient and can withstand the tolls; it is when the Organ suffers damage that mental issues arise.
The Yi also works in unison with other spirits to help you go further in life and move forward.
The Role of the Yi in Decision making and Moving forward.
The Yi works in conjunction with the other spirits belonging to the other Organ Networks to allow you to advance in your life, to do breakthroughs, and to engage in forward motion. Of course, this forward motion isn’t referring to walking down the road but about getting ahead in life, to take you from A to B.
In this case, the Yi works more with the Zhi of the Kidneys and the Liver-Gallbladder. The roles of the spirits of the Heart and Lungs also play a role in making sure every interaction and step is an adequate one, but for this specific example, let’s focus on the ones involved in helping you get ahead.
Let’s start with the Kidneys and the Zhi. The Zhi is your volition, is your will power, your capacity to do the things you want to do, as well as developing the wisdom of knowing which things cannot be willed.
Then we have the Liver-Gallbladder network. In this case, the Liver stores the Hun or the Non-corporeal soul. This spirit is in charge, among many things, of long-term planning. The Gallbladder is the partner to the Liver and is in charge of taking action, of getting out of your head and into physical life.
That’s why there is a necessary difference between fear and fear of action or shyness.
The Yi is helped by the volition and will power of the Zhi to decide to engage in a specific action for a goal. The Yi plans, considers different scenarios, with the help of the Hun, it plans long term, analyzes, and comes to a final decision. Then, with the help of the Gallbladder, it is capable of beginning to act on the plan.
So if you are having a hard time getting things done, you might want to sit and dissect the problem. Is it an issue of planning, of drive, motivation, or a fear to act? The answer can help you get to a better diagnosis.
Now let’s see how the Yi is integrated into the grand landscape of the human body and physiology. For this purpose, the Five Elements theory will be our best tool:
The Yi and its Associations based on the Five Elements Theory
among the depots it is the spleen;
among the colors it is yellow;
among the tones it is gong;
among the voices it is singing;
among the movements [indicating] changes it is hiccup;
among the orifices it is the mouth;
among the flavors it is sweet;
among the states of mind it is pensiveness
Paul U. Unschuld and Hermann Tessenow. Huang Di nei jing su wen. An Annotated Translation of Huang Di’s Inner Classic – Basic Questions. Chapter 5.
Here is a description of the Spleen in the Neijing, illustrating the different associations the organs have with other aspects of life.
This thinking influenced how the Five Elements theory is used in specific cases. The Five Elements, or more correctly, The Five Phases, is a theoretical framework developed in ancient China that arranges the phenomena of the world in five main archetypes. These archetypes show core characteristics that led them to be named after a specific ‘’Element’’, so you have Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
All of the components and processes of the world belong to one of the Five Phases.
So let’s analyze the associations of the Yi using the Five Phases theory as our guiding tool.
Associated Phase/Element: Earth
Like I was saying before, the Yi belongs to the Earth Element or Phase. The Earth is seen as the most balanced of the Five Elements and as the pivot of the seasons between the Yang part of the year (Spring and Summer) and the Yin part of the year (Autumn and Winter).
From this initial association, other ones follow that make it easier to understand, diagnose, and treat the Yi.
Associated Organ: Spleen
As you have been reading throughout this post, the Yi is associated with the Spleen. More specifically, the Yi is stored in the Spleen; it inhabits the Spleen. Both the Yi and the Spleen influence each other, and a toll on one has a direct impact on the other.
Being the Spleen the main organ for digestion in Chinese Medicine, the one that extracts the nutritive essence from food otherwise known as Food Qi, and brings it to the chest to be mixed with the clean Air Qi to form Qi; any impairment to digestion will also have an impact on your Yi and therfore on your intellect, intention, pensiveness, and motivation.
You are what you eat isn’t just a cute saying. It is a truth as old as mankind.
Associated Season: Late Summer/Chang Xia
In the Five Elements theory, each of the main Organs belongs to a specific season. Wood belongs to Spring, Fire to the Summer, Metal to Autumn, and Water to Winter.
But what about the Earth? Doesn’t it have its season?
Yes, indeed. Being the Earth Phase, the pivot and balance between Yin and Yang, its associated season is an interesting one.
Some authors refer to the season belonging to Earth as the Fifth Season, which is quite useful because it encapsulates the two moments where Earth is in charge. The Fifth Season refers to two moments of the year:
The transitional time between Summer and Autumn is also known as Late Summer.
The last 18 days of a season, when the current is fading and the next one is rising.
Both these times are known as Chang Xia in Chinese Medicine, and these moments belong to the Earth Phase.
Why is that the case?
It stems from the conception of Earth as being the pivot between seasons, as the time when Yin and Yang are at their utmost balance. If you look closer, the Late Summer is a transition period itself, only here the influence of the Earth Phase is more significant.
Note: The 18 days between seasons is an estimate as the season and the environment is dynamic. The onset of the Fifth Season can be earlier or later than the last 18 days of the current season.
But here is a fun fact about it:
Curiosity: Did you know you can see and spot when you are in the Chang Xia period between seasons? Whenever the season is about to end, Chang Xia is preceded by a lightning storm. So keep an eye on it next time!
Position in the Organ Clock: 9 am to 11 am
The concept of the circadian rhythm isn’t something new or recently discovered by neuroscientists. The ancient Chinese understood that your body had a physiological cycle of bodily functions. They arranged the day in 12 2-hour blocks that represented the flow of Qi through the body and the Organs.
In this organ clock, there is an ebb and flow of Qi through the body so that each Organ Network has a two-hour block when its Qi is at its highest, meaning their functioning is at its optimal state. Likewise, there is a moment when they are at their lowest Qi state, which is 12 h after their peak, like a mirror.
This means the Spleen has a period of the day when its functioning is at its maximum, and thus, you can leverage it.
The Spleen is the most active between 9 am and 11 am, and given that the Yi is housed by the Spleen, its peak hours are also from 9 am to 11 am.
What does this mean?
You can use this time to think, meditate, design a plan, be creative, use your intellect, and work through complex problems. This is the time when the Yi work at their finest. And the hours between 9 pm to 11 pm are the ones where the Yi is at its lowest Qi state.
So be mindful of it.
Pathogenic factor: Dampness
Within the Five Elements associations, there are Pathogenic factors that have more affinity for a specific Organ and therefore Spirit.
The Pathogenic factors are the causes of disease in Chinese Medicine; they are also known as the Six Weathers because they are named after environmental phenomena: Wind, Heat, Cold, Dryness, Dampness, and Summer Heat.
These pathogenic factors or Pernicious influences attack the body and try to enter it. The health of the Organs and of the Antipathogenic factors like the Protective Qi determine the outcome of such ‘confrontation’.
In the case of the Spleen and the Yi, the Pathogenic factor with the most affinity to them and therefore the one that affects them the most is Dampness.
Dampness refers to a problem in the metabolism of fluids, among other things. You can picture it as your bodily fluids becoming more viscous and gel-like. This then causes a myriad of symptoms and signs that form the pattern of Dampness.
The flow of Qi and fluids becomes clogged, turbid, and clumsy. Things aren’t as smooth as they are supposed to be. This affects both your metabolism and body, but also your mind.
When the Yi is affected by Dampness, clear thinking becomes difficult, rumination and overthinking happen. Your thought process is bogged down, and it feels like you can’t focus. You don’t have motivation, and don’t feel like doing things.
All of those signs can point to a Dampness pattern.
As you have seen, the Yi is interconnected with the Spleen and the Earth Phase.
The Role of Yi in Deliberate Action and Healing Practices
Remember the second scenario at the beginning of the post?
Doing something you are used to doing but somehow failing at it can be a sign that you are not engaging your Yi. Among the different definitions and functions of the Yi, the intention is one of them.
The Yi is necessary for deliberate action and especially in healing practices like medicine and massage.
When engaging in an activity, the Yi allows for concentration but also for the right intention to be used. The ancient doctors understood this. During a conference, one of my professors talked about the importance of using the Yi when practicing medicine.
The role of meaning the things you are doing is necessary to secure an optimal healing outcome. This can be seen through the lens of energy use, like in Reiki and body workers, where it is important to be fully engaged in the activity for a good session, but also through the lens of deliberate and focused conscious action.
If you are giving a massage, you must be present, in the moment, feeling, and doing the massage with the intent of relaxing and fixing the issue. You have to be mindful of what you are doing.
If you fail to use your Yi, it can lead to accidents even if you are doing something you have mastered. Pretty much like when giving someone a massage, and somehow they end up worse than before.
Now let’s see some useful tips you can do to take care of your Yi.
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How to take care of the Yi
Taking care of your Yi goes beyond taking care of your mind, although it is also important. In this case, just like you have learned so far, the Yi goes hand in hand with the Spleen, so many of the tips to take care of your Yi will also be based on taking care of your Spleen.
Now let’s see some of those tips focusing on Acupuncture Points, Herbs, and Lifestyle and behavioral measures:
Acupuncture
Most of the Acupoints you will use are located within the Spleen and Stomach channels. The Stomach is the paired organ to the Spleen and thus influences it as well.
Now let’s see some useful points:
Spleen 6
This point is a must-have. This point is called Sanyinjiao or The Joining of the Three Yin. It is called that way because the three Yin channels of the foot converge at this point. The three Yin channels of the foot are the Spleen, the Kidneys, and the Liver channels.
By acting on this point, you also influence the other channels and organs.
Remember a while ago you learned about how the Liver-Gallbladder, Spleen, and Kidneys work together to move ahead in life? There you go.
This point is located in your inner leg, four finger widths above the tip of your inner ankle, right behind the edge of the shin.
Stomach 36
This point is sometimes called The Point of the One Hundred Prescriptions due to its versatility and how useful this point is. Stomach 36 or Zusanli is often paired with other points to increase the effects and benefits of the Acupuncture treatment.
Stomach 36 works as a main immunologic point that has been shown to increase the capacity of NK cells (cells of your immune system) to fight bacteria. It also increases the temperature of your body and improves digestion, which directly benefits the Spleen network.
Stomach 36 has been widely studies for its effects on the body. Ultrasound studies even show it increases the diameter of the Superior Mesenteric artery.
This point is located below your knee and to the outside of your shin. Measure four finger widths below your kneecap and then measure one thumb width to the outside of the edge of the shin. Right there, in the depth of the tibialis muscle, is Stomach 36.
Stomach 40
Stomach 40 is not as well-known as the other two, but an important point nonetheless. This point is used to help with focus as well as dispelling Dampness from the body, both benefiting the Yi.
To find this point, find the midpoint between the tip of the outer ankle and the popliteal/knee crease. It must be roughly 8 cun or 8 thumb breadths. Then, once you have found that midpoint or 8 cun spot, measure three finger widths (from index to middle finger) from the edge of the shin to the outside.
Stomach 40 is where those measurements connect.
Stimulate these points by pressing and/or massaging them for three to five minutes. Another way to do so is to press firmly each point for one minute and release for 45 seconds, then repeat two more times.
Start from Stomach 36, then go to Stomach 40, then go to Spleen 6.
Herbal Medicine
There are some herbs recorded in Chinese Medicine that have beneficial effects on the Spleen and Yi. Mainly through draining dampness, boosting Qi and Spleen-Stomach Health, and improving digestion. Let’s see some of them:
Chen Pi/Dried Tangerine Peels
Chen Pi is dried Tangerine peel. Next time you have some tangerines around, don’t throw away the peel. Instead, place them somewhere dry and let them dry for themselves. Then, once you need them, you can make an infusion or add them to your meals.
Chen Pi helps mobilize the Qi and boosts your digestion. It is highly beneficial to the digestive system and especially to your Spleen network.
This also increases energy expenditure, so it helps with weight loss as well.
Make yourself an infusion and drink it three times a day.
Cinnamon twig
This is a great addition to any of your meals or teas. It will help drain dampness, remove phlegm, mobilize Qi and fluids, and improve gut and lung health.
Ginseng
Perhaps the most popular Chinese herb in the world, Ginseng specifically targets the Spleen network as well as boosts your Qi and overall vitality and energy. It is potent and has to be taken carefully due to how strong it is.
It improves your energy levels, vitality, and Qi overall and helps strengthen your Spleen, therefore fortifying your Yi.
Most of the time, it is used in the winter and consumed as a tonic.
These are some of the countless herbs and formulas you can use to benefit your Spleen and Yi.
And now let’s see some habits and tips you can do at home that will also benefit your Yi.
Diet and Lifestyle
Here are some tips and guidelines aimed at preventing the onset of Dampness, rumination, benefiting the Spleen, and taking care of your Yi.
Eat naturally sweet foods or bland foods.
According to Chinese Medicine, sweet is the flavor of the Earth phase and the Spleen organ; it is the flavor that energizes it. But one thing is important to note: the ancient Chinese talked about naturally sweet flavors, not artificially sweetened foods that wreak havoc on you.
Another rendering of the flavor used is bland.
Taking this into account, you can eat foods that are bland/sweet to strengthen your spleen.
Foods like yams, sweet potatoes, and rice can help you. Craft your meals accordingly.
No greasy foods
One of the causes of Dampness is the excessive consumption of greasy foods, which includes fried foods as well. Overindulging in these kinds of foods will ultimately lay the path for the onset of dampness and therefore make your thought process more turbid.
Avoid excessive sweets, fats, dairy, and highly processed foods.
Just like in the case of greasy foods, excessive consumption of sweets, dairy products, and highly processed foods, aka junk food, will definitely lead to weight gain, the onset of Dampness, and the impairment of the Spleen network.
In Chinese Medicine, excessive weight and body fat are seen as accumulated Dampness/Phlegm.
These foods make your body prone to creating phlegm, which is a manifestation of Dampness. This is why you should advise people with asthma against having sweet and sugary foods, at least if their condition isn’t good or they are having a crisis.
Keep an eye on meal times
Just like before, the Organ clock will also help you prevent tolling the Spleen and Yi too much. One simple but powerful tip is to avoid eating from 7 pm to 11 pm, especially if your digestion is slow. These are the moments when the Stomach and the Spleen are at their weakest, so they are less able at that moment to meet the demand of digesting food is.
This ensures you are mindful of your meal times and eating habits, and works as a kind of intermittent fasting rooted in Chinese Medicine.
Engage in mindfulness practices, meditation.
Chinese Medicine is holistic, based on numerous factors, one of which is the capacity to target both body and mind/spirit in every one of its treatment methods. Whenever you act on one, you will also influence the other.
In this case, practicing mindfulness and meditation will help calm your mind, relax yourself, and begin to heal your Yi, giving it stillness and rest.
You can choose any activity you want to be a mindfulness session, from standing still and paying attention to your breathing, to practicing calligraphy or origami. The options are endless.
Respect the stillness time between tasks
For this last point, it is important to remember that just like in nature, where there is a stillness time between processes, you also need some stillness time between tasks to avoid overexerting your Yi. Paired with the previous tip of being mindful, this tip also helps protect and take care of your Yi.
Picture it like a door where only one person fits at a time.
Keeping the stillness time will allow just one person through every time, therefore ensuring the door (your Yi) works correctly.
If on the other hand, you find yourself multitasking or quickly switching from one task to another without giving your Mind and Yi to prepare you are permitting that 10 people try to get through the door at the same time, the result is all of them get stuck and the door no longer works as it should.
So there you have it!
Now you know what the Yi is in Chinese Medicine and can take better care of it.
If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment below. I’ll be delighted to hear from you.
Have a topic you want me to talk about? Let me know below.
See you in the next post!
Can I eat goats & sheeps products or are these considered dairy?