Qi: The Art of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Chinese healing arts are rooted in the distant past. I went on a journey to the remote province of Yunnan, on a quest for the elusive qi, the mysterious energy of life. How much of the ancient knowledge has survived? Jinghong, the city of dawn. Even in winter, a warm subtropical breeze blows here. Sixty-eight-year-old Dr. Yuan travels all the way across town every morning to work. He represents the seventh generation in a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Under Mao's rule, Dr. Yuan, like all family doctors, had to work in a state-run hospital. Not until the economic reform was he finally able to open a private practice again. You always have to examine both hands. The left hand corresponds to the heart, liver and kidneys. The right to the lungs, spleen and the triple-burner meridian. The pulse is taken on three levels, superficial, middle and deep. That's how the pulse diagnosis works. Where does it hurt? I have a lot of pain in my abdomen. I've had the same thing in the past. I don't know what it is. Does it hurt when you pass water? Yes, and I have a yellow discharge. Does it itch? Is it itchy? Yes, very. OK, I know what it is. It will get better when you take this medication. But my whole body itches. Don't worry, we'll take care of it. It's a female complaint, but your husband has to take the medicine too, otherwise it won't go away. For both of us, then prescribe more, four packets, maybe. Have a good trip home. Thank you, goodbye. Dr. Yuan is doctor and pharmacist in one. He has gathered most of the medicinal ingredients himself. In ancient China, recipes for herbal remedies were well-guarded family secrets. As tradition dictates, his son is in line to take over the family practice one day. There is great demand for their services. Come on, come on, come on. You see, her fingertips are all pink, that's really difficult to identify. Now let me have the other one, I have to give it a stroke too. What do you see there? Something isn't right, the color is unusual. What's the matter? The color of her fingertips isn't normal. That tells you what's wrong? Yes, digestive problems and a cold. Number 32, please. Where do your patients come from? From all over China, and even abroad, from places like Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. Many come from other Chinese provinces. There are restrictions on traditional medicine in China. You have to have a medical degree to open a practice. Many traditional herbalists do a very good job, but they can't open a practice if they haven't studied medicine. If they do, the government regards them as illegal quacks. In ancient China, knowledge was passed on from generation to generation, which herb mixtures to use for what symptoms, things like that. This specialist knowledge can't be found in reference manuals. Each generation brings new findings. This is how such a huge store of knowledge was amassed over time. This here is for stomachache. You chew a piece of it, then swallow it, and I guarantee you your pain will vanish within 10 minutes. The biggest problem today is that the mountain woodlands are being deforested. If they keep that up, many herbs will become extinct. I have begun to grow some of these rare herbs myself, so that they don't die out. But that alone is not enough. While Dr. Yuan relaxed after a long workday, I set off on my way. We crossed the Mekong River and headed up into a remote mountain region close to the Burmese border. This is the home of one of China's many ethnic minorities, the Akha. Jian Kang is one of them. He not only plants tea, he also has unsurpassed knowledge of the medicinal plants that grow wild in this mountain region. We call this root tortoise. It's a traditional medicinal plant. It's mainly used to treat duodenal infections. It's also prescribed for dysentery. This is a moose tree. It cures coughs, pneumonia, and heart ailments. It's also a hemostatic, to stop bleeding. It can be used externally as well as internally. Then we have this plant here, paxillum, the dragon that climbs up the tree. It's used externally to treat sprains, broken bones, and dislocated joints. We use this one here to treat cuts. It's applied directly to the open wound. Now we'll just scrape off a bit of it. When you cut yourself, you can curb the blood flow by sprinkling this powder across the cut. It must only be used externally. You shouldn't swallow it. There are numerous applications for medicinal twigs and barks. Take this mixture, for example. The bits come from different trees. The active ingredients are everywhere in the wood. We found this mixture to be extremely effective in treating men with potency problems. The success rate is excellent. After taking this medicine, three quarters of all patients are able to get an erection. They can perform again. It's prepared as follows. You take a portion of it and chop it up. Then you boil it all in water until it gets soft and produces a broth. Then it's ready, not before. When you let it steep and then sip it like tea, the taste isn't particularly intense, but the effect is superb. It really does help. The mountain people in China have a reputation for superstition. Our minder from the Bureau of Propaganda wasn't exactly overjoyed that we wanted to film here. But one of the local healers is a real luminary, Yan Nanshuo. He can even heal broken bones with herbs. He also uses ancient shamanistic incantations to support the healing process. Does it hurt? Yes, a little. Now you'll get a herb compress. What do you do after you've seen the x-ray? The x-ray shows me how and where the bone is broken. Then I have to move it back into the correct position and set it in a splint. After that, I treat the swelling using a compress of medicinal herbs. They support the healing process. That's it to start with. My grandfather taught me. But there are also written records. For instance, we have a book written in the Dai script. It contains many herbal recipes, the mixing ratios of the ingredients and how to apply them. The Dai wrote all of that down, a sort of user's manual. It should be used with a pure heart. You need a clear conscience if you want to keep developing what my grandfather spent his whole life gathering and documenting. He handed down his life's work to us so that we could continue to advance it. As you can see, we're keeping the practice going. Here we see a broken thigh bone. It happened in a traffic accident. I was riding in the back of a truck on top of the cargo and the truck started to skid. And because the load wasn't secured properly, I fell off. I could already prop myself up on my own, you see. When I first came here, I was in such pain that I couldn't move at all. You can see on the x-ray how the bone was sticking out. How long will you have to stay here? In five weeks I should be able to walk again. He said in five weeks. In Western medicine, they'd have put in an iron plate with screws in it. But after eight months, it would have all had to come out again. That would have meant two operations for me, which would have been much more trouble. In traditional medicine, it takes longer to heal, but I don't have to be operated on. Is that another break? No, she has arthritis. Her leg feels quite numb. The knee is infected, and it hurts. You can see how much swelling there is. How is that related to qi? I have to open up what are known as the qi points, and then the qi can flow freely again. Where is the qi blocked? At the joints. He rubs in the qi with his hands. When people get sick, they have a lot of problems. They need to be taken care of. They have to be treated and we need to take care of them. We also need to make sure that they're healthy. We also need to make sure that they're well-fed. We need to make sure that they don't die. Otherwise, they can't do anything. are called on to aid in the healing of body and soul. Ritual offerings are made at little altars, one for each individual patient. There is a Chinese saying, one drinks tea to forget the noise of the world. In Beijing, the old imperial capital is changed almost beyond recognition. I took a taxi to the western part of the city, to the renowned Guang'an Men Hospital, one of the few places where traditional Chinese medicine is being systematically researched and further developed. Over 10,000 different herbs and other natural healing agents from all over China are stored on the ground floor. A customized remedy is prepared for each patient. Four floors above, we find the acupuncture department. Dr. Huang has worked here for 20 years and is one of the most experienced experts in the field. His station can hardly cope with the daily flood of patients streaming in. Hello, doctor. Hello. What's the trouble? Nervous headaches. How long? For years now. Is it because of your sleep patterns, or are you stressed and overworked? I'm often tired and nervous, and then I get these bad headaches, or when I've worked through the night. You spend a lot of time on the internet? Yes, that's right. We can treat it with acupuncture. You'll be just fine. Where else does it hurt exactly? Here, on the left. Anywhere else? At the temples, maybe? It always starts here and moves to the left side as it gets stronger. Does it hurt here, too? Yes, there, too. And here? Yes, at the left temple and around the eyes. Good. Now relax. You can turn the needles. That's called toning. Or make them vibrate, like this. Making the needles vibrate intensifies sensitivity to the needle. That increases the effect. The needle needs qi. When there's no qi, then you must use the toning technique. The patient has to consciously feel the qi. A distinct sense of heaviness has to set in, a firm, full feeling. Only then can you get a really good result. Where does the life force qi come from? We say qi streams out from here, from the center, from the sea of life force, as we call this point. The qi flows along here into the lung meridian, then further onto the hand, where all the meridians meet. From there, it flows out through the entire body, in constant circulation, without ever stopping. But what happens when it stops flowing? Then it's over. Life comes to an end. It's like with the heart and blood circulation. When the heart stops, the entire circulatory system collapses, and life is over. To this day, we have not been able to figure out exactly why the meridian system is constructed the way it is. It's a model that dates back thousands of years. Scientific method has failed to confirm the existence of the meridians. Acquiring and passing on the ancient wisdom is a demanding task. We've practiced traditional medicine to the best of our ability, and we don't really question it, because the results are so outstanding. Chinese medicine originated over 3,000 years ago. Some of its principles are difficult to grasp from a western viewpoint. According to the teaching, the life force known as qi is everywhere. It is an energy that cannot be seen, but it can be worked with. I went to the National Qigong Institute to meet with Dr. Sun. Using his hands, he is able to gather qi from the environment, transform, and release it again. There is also a hardening in the chest. Do you feel the qi? Up there? It's unpleasant. You're feeling the qi of the chest cavity. Is there again? We're finished. Can you move again now? It's loosened up. Your shoulder girdle was so tight that it was completely immobile. Now you can move again. I couldn't lift my arms before. I could only manage up to here. Now suddenly I can move again. I felt something while he was working on me. A hot, taut feeling in my fingertips. As if there were something inside my fingers. I have no idea. He just seems to have special spiritual abilities. We ordinary people can't grasp these things. We don't really understand how he does it. It's as if he could look into your body with his x-ray eyes. Just unbelievable. Unbelievable. I once had leukemia. Next to nothing was known about it back then. All you could do was wait to die. They couldn't do anything for me at the hospital either. So for me there was only one solution. I started to practice qigong. I spent eight months working intensively to build up my qi. When I got up in the morning I did qigong. Then I ate lunch and practiced again in the afternoon. And again after dinner. I kept up this training schedule for eight months. After that I was cured. But I carried on practicing. Then I discovered that I could identify illness in other people. At first I was unsure of myself and had to ask for confirmation. But after observing more and more people I knew for sure who was sick and who wasn't. Over time I became more confident and precise in my diagnoses. I've continued to develop this ability over many years. Your neck will be very difficult to heal. Your cervical spine column has completely collapsed. This is very hard to treat. Medically speaking there's no therapy. There's medical apparatus for it. We're going to pull the vertebrae apart again. Otherwise soon every movement will be painful. You can't hold your head straight and your shoulders are cramped up. I'm sure you also have pain when you're lying down. Yes. Today we're going to work on your spine. My spine? That's right. And there's trouble with your circulation too. You have to take care of your heart. Have you read my medical records? No, no. Not necessary. I'm giving you a thorough look. And that tells you everything? I can only give advice. Shoes please. Take off my shoes. Please rest your head on this hole. May I have a pillow? We don't use pillows. Lie down over the opening. And my hands? Hold them in a comfortable position. You should be comfortable. So let's get started. Now the shoulders. Finished. You can get up now. How do you feel? Give your shoulders and neck a test. They've loosened up. The teaching of Qigong is very comprehensive. We first work to build up the body and strengthen the entire human being. But it goes even further. We also use it to develop our spiritual faculties and make our thought processes more conscious. We can tap this whole great potential. Beyond the physical surface, there's another vast region. That's why Qigong isn't just an effective movement discipline. You can go one step further and change your consciousness. The spiritual level is part of it. All-encompassing. In China it is said that to treat an illness, a great doctor is needed. But maintaining health requires a true master. There are different ways to maintain health. But few Chinese still practice the traditional Qigong exercises. Right beside you is the path to enlightenment. The path to enlightenment is right beside you. Right beside you is the path to enlightenment. Right beside you is the path to enlightenment. Right beside you is the path to enlightenment. Right beside you is the path to enlightenment. Start. One more time. We're doing this because it stimulates the whole body. Qigong is very healthy. These movements get all the body parts revved up. The shouting activates the qi and brings it to the internal organs. We really massage it right in. You get everything moving, inside and out. That's why everyone likes it. The only disadvantage is that it takes so long to do the exercises. An hour plus is too long for some older people. But even they manage it in time. It's just a pity you can only shout so loud here in the park. If you did it anywhere else, people would get pretty upset. That's why we can only do it here. People in today's China are still influenced by Taoist teachings, which include the traditional healing arts. I finally received permission to visit one of the last functioning Taoist convents, deep in the Wudang Mountains, an area shrouded in legend. Taoist hermits used to retreat here over a thousand years ago to find the harmony of body and spirit. Their ultimate goal was to achieve immortality. There were once 500 cloisters scattered throughout the Wudang Mountains. Only six remain today. The Purple Cloud Palace is one of them. Since the late 80s, Taoist nuns have again been allowed to carry out religious ceremonies here. The Purple Cloud Palace Most of the nuns spent their time in solitary practice and would hardly say a word. But then I met a nun called Cao. She was prepared to talk to me about qi and the way of the Tao. How you conduct your daily life is crucial to maintaining good health. Food, clothing, living conditions, each is a contributing factor. I go out every day in the fresh air and spend time among the flowers, under the trees and by the water. There I do my exercises and meditate. I let go of everything and try to clear my mind of all thought. I push aside everything unpleasant. The heart must become calm. You can meditate standing up with outstretched arms or seated in the lotus position. The important thing is the subconscious. You have to throw the constant flood of thought and everything negative overboard. Each of us nuns has her own room. Mine is a testament to all the saints and other people I believe in. There are very many. I also have a whole lot of flowers. They expand the heart and put you in a good mood. You can do the daily meditation simply seated with legs crossed. I sit in a cross-legged position, the simple lotus. There is also an intermediate and an advanced lotus position. When I sit down to meditate, I interlock my thumbs, fold my hands together and rest them on my navel. This hand position is called the mudra of life or I make circles with my thumbs and index fingers. There are many different mudras, such as the mudra of fearlessness and of fulfillment. Each one has its own specific effect, provided that the mind is clear and calm. One of the primary meridians runs from back here, over the head, and then back down here, like a circulatory system or the cycle of a day. The noon hour wu is good for the heart, because it lets the fire burn lower. You relax. A feeling of extreme lightness and relaxation sets in. There is a type of inner kung fu, especially for women. It allows you to achieve long life and enlightenment. When the heart has become calm, we fuse with the qi and transcend. We enter into the prime source of existence. When we practice inner kung fu, we harmonize the internal organs. The way of the woman is different to that of the man. First we focus our full concentration on the breasts and store the qi there. Then we concentrate on the abdominal area and store it there. Men do it differently. They don't store their essence in the abdomen, where women store their qi. So there's a small difference there. In Taoism the polarities yin and yang unite at the highest summit, on Tai Chi. Nothing can exist beyond the highest point. For centuries monks have practiced Tai Chi to achieve this harmony. For a long time Wudang Tai Chi was only handed down in a secret tradition. I was very small and frail as a child. I had a weak constitution and was often sick. In school I was always one of the smallest and weakest. When I was 14 my parents felt it was time I became independent. They sent me into the Wudang mountains to study the Taoist teachings with a master, to become stronger and healthier. That's why they sent me here. Practicing Tai Chi requires calm and concentration. In the city or a hectic atmosphere you can't find the quiet of the heart. The teaching says with softness you conquer hardness, through the movement with calm. That refers to the power of qi. Why do people die? Because the original store of qi is used up at some point. Why do we who follow the way of the Tao live longer than other people? Because we enhance our qi when we do martial arts and meditate. When enough qi is present no one and nothing can get to us. We lay out our dead in the temple for three days, as the soul moves over into the realm of the dead. Sutras are chanted. Then the deceased is brought here. The gravesite must be arranged precisely according to the laws of feng shui and the position of the temple. You have to determine the location and the direction. The soil god must give his consent before ground is broken for the grave. Only then may the deceased one live there. We enter the convent and take our vows because we want to achieve immortality. We want to free ourselves from the eternal cycle of reincarnation and not return to be born back again into this world in a new existence. Otherwise we might be born again as a pig, sheep or bird and have to experience suffering once again. We call that the eternal cycle of reincarnation. When the soul has left the body there is emptiness. Only when we have meditated correctly in our lifetime can we enter the realm of the immortal. If we have meditated correctly, we can enter the realm of the immortal. I return to Beijing and worldly pleasures. A farewell meal with my friends at one of the best restaurants in town. Here we indulged in the favorite Chinese national pastime – eating. Even that is medicine in China. What's next? Ah, the chicken with medicinal herbs. You're right. That's ladies' made winter mushroom chicken filled with red dates, sea buckthorn and Chinese turmeric. It strengthens the blood. Enjoy your meal. The noodles are prepared with medicinal plants. That gives you a lovely complexion, especially good for girls to eat. Dig in! How is it? Nai Nai explained to me that we also take in qi with our food. If I followed all of her advice, I would have a long life ahead of me. And, as a Chinese proverb says, life is like tea. The longer it steeps, the better it will be.