These notes are study materials which we have accumulated, from various sources, for topics on holism. We think of holism as a view of the physical universe … it does not seem to be theology, for spiritual faith is something very well defined in each of us .. and … holism does not quite seem to be philosophy either, for regardless of the cultures that these perspectives originate from, there is a practicality which applies itself to everyday life in developing solutions for a balanced emotional life, good health and social organization which benefits all members of a society. Holistic perspective seems to view the whole as more than the sum of its parts … and … see the interdependence of living and non-living components in our universe as agents which provide wholeness, goodness and harmony … our reviews here are very casual and lack any authority of disciplined study … we keep them on the internet for reference when we travel … you are welcome to read our notes if they are any interest … best wishes.

Our bodies and the entire physical universe, from one ancient view, have five basic components or elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. It's not too hard to see this logic. These elements are considered interconnected, that is one exerts control over the other. For example: water controls fire, earth and metal are related. These understandings are then extended to medicine so that different organs are associated with one specific element and the relationship controls which are observed in nature can then be applied to organized practices of preventive and curative therapies using endogenous herbs, etc..

If we have a satisfactory definition of the components, or elements, which comprise our physical universe then we must also consider the attributes of "force" within this conceptualization. Force is what changes our universe. All peoples, of all cultures and times, would have been as much aware as we are that change is inevitable. So force, as the agent of change, comes in many forms and degrees of goodness or severity. These observations inevitably lead to an understanding of force as two separate but complementary agents. We call these two forces: yin and yang. These forces applied to the physical universe, living things, our bodies, etc. are never completely yin or yang, rather a combination of the two. Yin and yang are constantly interacting, opposing, and influencing control over each other. In medicine the goal is not to eliminate either yin or yang, rather to allow a balance which permits the two forces to exist harmoniously together.

temperature .......... yin is cold and yang is hot

gender ................. yin is female and yang is male

activity ................. yin is passive and yang is active

light ..................... yin is dark and yang is bright

movement ............ yin is inward and yang is outward

direction .............. yin is down and yang is up

If we have successfully defined the physical universe and those forces which control it, we then come back to our topic which is holism. Holism is a view which considers the whole as greater than the sum of its parts. From a holistic perspective, the interrelationship of "parts" essentially generates "something" which adds value beyond the components themselves. In natural balance, this "something" brings harmony, it can be healing, it flows and is enriched by diversity. It is also very subtle, it's quiet and elusive. We'll refer to this "something" as Chi, though it is also termed Qi, Prana, Ki by Japanese culture, Mana by Polynesian culture, Ka by ancient Egyptians and many other terms in numerous cultures and languages. Many folks translate these terms as the "life force" … they may be correct … however … we prefer, for our purpose, to consider Chi as that "something" which is as much a part of our universe as physical objects and forces. If that is the case, then Chi is compliant with the physical laws of our universe. This permits us to consider various perspectives of holism as a separate consideration from the spiritual faith of all peoples and cultures. In our consideration of this topic, which we term holism, all spiritual foundations are separate, essentially, between each person and the Creator. We accept faith-in-God which incorporates these principles and also faith-in-God which does not. Our current  understanding of universal elements may be some what different from that of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water however what ever that understanding may be there is an intuitive wholeness in holism which should not challenge anyone's principles of faith, science or medicine. There seems to be something to learn from these very ancient traditions that might be good for us.

Chi enters our body from three sources

Prenatal Chi .... transmitted from parents to their children at conception and is stored in the kidneys

Earth Chi ........ comes from the foods we eat

Heavenly Chi ... extracted from the air we breathe

Chi has five functions that are responsible for the soundness of our body

Observable activity of Chi in our body