Body constitution in traditional herbal medicine refers to the comprehensive and relatively stable inherent characteristics of the human body in terms of morphological structure, physiological function and psychological state formed on the basis of innate endowment and acquired characteristics during the life process of the human body.

It is the human personality characteristics formed during the growth and development process of human beings that are adapted to the natural and social environment.

Thus if we know our body constitution now, we may make proper maintenance to our body constitution to achieve perfect health. We may even repair our body if the damage is still relatively small.

Thus let us find out what our body constitution is, and how we may start a maintenance program to achieve perfect health. Then we will be far away from the doctor, medication, surgery, and hospital. Furthermore, we will be able to live actively and independently without nursing care.

01 Uses of the classification

We will start with the identification of our body constitution. Then we will go into the maintenance guidance plan aimed at the prevention, treatment, and health management of illnesses related to the body constitution thus identified.

The plan embodies the idea of “treating the illness before it is too late” prevalent in traditional herbal medicine thinking. The guidance plan is a proven effective way to “treat the illness before it is too late.”

Methods and important approaches are conducive to the implementation of individualized diagnosis and treatment, conducive to improving the health quality of the person, and play an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases.

02 The classification types

The body constitution identification and maintenance guidance specifically refers to determining the physical attributes of an individual through body constitution identification, and then aiming at a completely balanced constitution as the objective of health preservation.

Thus, as practitioners of life cultivation, if we practice daily on body identification and maintenance as a guidance, then we will be able to routinely perform maintenance of health on ourselves, adjusting our body constitution to its ideal norm through routine maintenance techniques.

In the year 2009, the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine released the “Classification and Determination of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution” and formulated the “Classification and Determination Table of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution”, which provides methods, tools and evaluation systems for the quantitative identification of traditional Chinese medicine constitution.

The body constitution is divided into nine basic types.
Type A, balanced constitution
Type B, qi-deficiency constitution
Type C, yang-deficiency constitution
Type D, yin-deficiency constitution
Type E, phlegm-dampness constitution
Type F, damp-heat constitution
Type G, blood-stasis constitution
Type H, qi-stagnation constitution
Type I, special constitution

Each body constitution has its own unique characteristics which we will explore later.

The judgment standard determines the balanced body constitution as the normal constitution and the other eight constitutions as deviations from the norm. The judgment results are then quantitatively graded.

The balanced constitution is divided into three levels: yes, basically yes and no. Thus, we may say that yes, we definitely have a balanced constitution, or, yes, we basically have a balanced constitution, or, no, we do not have a balanced constitution.

If we do not have a balanced constitution, then we have one of the constitutions that are deviations from the balanced constitution.

Likewise, the deviated constitution is divided into three levels: yes, inclinationally yes and no. Thus, we may say that, yes, we have a type B constitution, or, yes, we inclinationally have a type B constitution, or, no, we do not have a type B constitution.

Relevant maintenance guidance programs have been formulated according to various body constitutions. Thus, once we have determined which type of body constitution we have, we will be able to do regular maintenance to our constitution to return it back to the balanced one.

Maintenance guidance for a Type G qi-stagnation body constitution

As practitioners of life cultivation, we only focus on our own body constitution, and learn how to adjust our body constitution so that it will become a balanced body constitution resulting in a healthy and happy state.

First of all, we try to determine what type of body constitution we have, then we will follow a maintenance guidance plan to do the necessary adjustment so that we will have a balanced body constitution. The guidance plan is proposed by a Board of Professional Herbal Medicine Practitioners.

If we have a type H qi-stagnation body constitution, this is the guidance plan for it.

If we have a type H body constitution, it means that we incline to have stagnation of qi-flow. What does it mean?

01 Overview

01 Definition

It is a physical state mainly characterized by introverted and unstable personality, melancholy and fragility, and sensitivity and suspicion due to long-term emotional depression and stagnation of qi.

02 Causes

There are several causes: (1) congenital inheritance, (2) mental stimulation, (3) violent panic, (4) inability to achieve what one wants, (5) depression, or (6) others.

People with type H body constitution are on the rise. Fast pace of life, long-term excessive stress, and excessive thinking all contribute to the rise of this type of body constitution.

People who are fragile, withdrawn and stubborn and pursue perfection will easily develop a type H body constitution when their wishes do not come true and the contrast with their inner pursuits is too great.

03 Visible physical characteristics

Overall characteristics: Qi-stagnation is mainly characterized by depression, worry and frailty. A qi-stagnation constitution refers to the physical state of the human body that is biased due to emotional insufficiency or poor qi movement. The main manifestations are depression, fragility, sensitivity and suspicion caused by stagnation of the qi movement.

Physical characteristics: Mostly thin body.

Daily symptoms: (1) often feel unhappy and depressed, easily nervous, anxious, sentimental, emotionally fragile, easily scared or frightened, (2) often feel swelling and pain in the breasts and flanks, (3) often feel chest tightness, (4) often emit a sound of sighing for no reason , (5) often a feeling of blockage or foreign object in the throat, and (6) easy to suffer from insomnia.

Common manifestations: (1) introverted and unstable personality, melancholic and fragile, sensitive and suspicious, often feeling unhappy and depressed, easily nervous and anxious, (2) skin color is dull, pigmentation is prone to ecchymosis, the lips are dull, the tongue is dull or has petechiae, the sublingual veins are purple or thickened, and the pulse is usually depressed. (3) fullness in the chest and flanks, or pain when walking, often accompanied by bad breath, or belching and hiccups, or a foreign object sensation in the throat, or breast swelling and pain, poor sleep, forgetfulness, excessive phlegm, dry stool, but normal urination, (4) tongue is light red, coating thin and white, and the pulse is stringy and thin.

Often feel swelling and pain in the chest and flanks, often feel chest tightness, often emit a sound of sighing for no reason, easily feel flustered, have a fast heartbeat, often have a feeling of blockage or foreign object in the throat, are prone to insomnia, and are easily frightened.

Fullness in the chest and flanks, or pain when walking, often accompanied by bad breath, or belching and hiccups, or foreign object sensation in the throat, or breast swelling and pain, poor sleep, loss of appetite, palpitations, forgetfulness, excessive phlegm, and dry stools, but urination is normal. The tongue is light red, the coating is thin and white, and the pulse is stringy and thin.

Psychological characteristics: Introverted and unstable personality, melancholic and fragile, sensitive and suspicious.

Incidence tendencies: Susceptible to insomnia, depression, neurosis, panic, and visceral irritability.

Adaptability to the external environment: Poor adaptability to mental stimulation and dislike of rainy weather.

Qi stagnation is a common body constitution among people with high work pressure, such as white-collar workers and administrative personnel, especially women.

People with this type of body constitution are mostly thin. Their expressions are depressed and unhappy. Their complexions are yellow and lackluster. When they are severely depressed, their complexions will turn blue and yellow.

They are less able to withstand mental stimulation and are often depressed and have chest tightness. She likes to sigh and does not sleep well.

02 Guidance plan

The general guidance plan is offered by a Board of Professional Herbal Medicine Practitioners for the general public. Each individual is advised to seek professional help at the beginning to make sure he is following the right plan the right way.

01 Basic principles

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, there are three principles to follow to adjust our body so that we will return to perfect health. The principles are (1) soothing the liver to relieve depression, (2) strengthening the spleen to regain appetite resulting in adequate nutrients, and (3) promoting qi and blood circulation.

02 Living environment

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we should keep our rooms quiet with no noise allowed. The light should be dim to avoid strong light stimulation. This action will help us to soothe our liver.

03 Deep breathing training using Mustang tuna technique

Some of us apply the Mustang tuna technique to increase the amount of air that we take in, and to help to circulate the air and qi inside our body.

The Mustang tuna technique is a form of deep breathing with its unique way of leading the qi to flow inside our body as dictated by our mind. We may lead the qi flow to any part of our body so as to supply more oxygen to that particular part to do maintenance or repair.

As a collateral, it helps some of us to lessen our depression and sadness.

Read more on Mustang tuna technique on this website using keyword search.

04 Body movement using Mustang shenzhan technique

Among people with a qi-stagnation body constitution, there are more women than men. Especially before and after menopause, women may experience qi-stagnation and endocrine disorders.

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we should pay more attention to sleep. Moreover, we should not sit too much and we should move around more.

During activity time, we should increase outdoor activities and we should participate in group sports.

Physical exercise can move the body, regulate qi, circulate qi and blood, smooth emotions, and relieve depression.

Thus, we should participate in group activities such as playing chess, playing cards, and dancing. We may also engage in quiet relaxation training such as qigong, yoga, and meditation.

Regarding the amount of exercise we do, it depends on other factors. If we do not have a deficient cold constitution, a qi-deficiency constitution, or a blood-deficiency constitution, then our exercise amount can be moderate or above, to keep the flow of qi and blood smooth, and the harmony of qi will make our mind calm, lessening our depression.

Some of us like to engage in aerobic exercise. Some may try non-aerobic exercises such as fitness exercises or ball games and so on.

Considering that a qi-stagnation body constitution often involves the mutual influence of emotional qi-depression and physical qi-depression, some exercises that move both the body and mind may be more suitable.

Mustang shenzhen technique offers taiji, 8-brocade, and several stance techniques which are very effective for this purpose. Of course, exercises such as yoga and dancing are perfectly fine too.

In addition, sitting quietly is also a better way to relax our mind and body, relieve anxiety, and improve sleep.

Yang-energy disperses in spring and summer, and is restrained in autumn and winter. Therefore, we will feel more comfortable in spring and summer, because our qi movement is easier to flow. In autumn and winter, qi- depression is relatively easy to get worse.

Normally, a person should exercise more in the spring and summer, and reduce the amount in the autumn and winter. However, with a qi-stagnation body constitution, we should also increase our exercise in the autumn and winter.

The amount of exercise should not be reduced, especially outdoor exercise. The exercise will relax the body and mind, and smooth the flow of qi and blood. Once things go smoothly, the mood will easily go well.

05 Mental adjustment using Mustang jingzuo technique

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we need to cultivate an optimistic mood. Thus we should often watch comedies, farces, inspirational movies, and avoid watching tragedies.

In rainy and hazy weather, we should try to regulate our mood because we often fall into melancholy. We should chat with friends often, develop new hobbies, and vent bad emotions in a timely manner.

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we are often introverted and lack communication with the outside world. When our emotions are not up to standard, we will be in a depressed state.

Qi stagnation comes first and stagnation is the root of all our trouble. Therefore, dredging the qi meridians is the key health care principle for us.

We should focus on regulating our mood. The best way is to participate in more outdoor activities and often watch comedies and inspiring movies. We should travel more and walk among mountains and rivers. We will not be so picky.

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we want to be alone, and we often feel depressed, nervous or anxious. Therefore, we should participate in more social and collective recreational activities and seek happiness from group activities.

We should listen to more relaxed and bright music to improve our mood. We should read more morale-boosting and inspiring books to cultivate a cheerful and open-minded mind.

We must learn not to be confrontational about things, and learn to be at ease with the situation and relieve depression.

“Life is like heaven and earth. Spring is when it is warm, and autumn is when it is miserable. The spring air is harmonious, so it can live, and the autumn air is solemn, so it can kill things. Those who understand the opportunity of life and death are on the paths to holistic wellness. ” —–Yishu

Life here is like heaven and earth, which refers to the impact of the human body’s mental state on its physiology. Psychologically, if it is like the spring air, full of vitality, then we say that spring air is harmonious, so it can live. In this way, our psychology affects physiology, which is a benign influence on the human body. Psychological vitality will drive physical vitality.

However, if we are in a gloomy mood, then the air in our body is like the air of autumn. Autumn air is solemn and full of chilling meaning, so it can kill things. In other words, negative psychology can have a negative physiological impact on the body.

Those who understand the impact of good or bad mental state on the body are those who understand the fate of life and death. Such people are those who deeply understand the way to maintain health.

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we tend to be withdrawn, and we often have difficulty in interpersonal communication, so psychological adjustment is particularly meaningful for us. We should take the initiative to participate in various social activities, communicate more with others, cultivate interests and hobbies that suit ourselves, and improve our enthusiasm for learning and work. This is a method of empathy.

If there are really specific things to be worried about, they should be analyzed in detail instead of taking a gloomy view without causes.

“According to things, peace of mind comes when things pass, then you can prolong your life.” —–Shou Shi Bao Yuan

This is the explanation.

When something comes up, I try my best to solve it. If I can solve it, it is the best. If I cannot solve it by myself, I will find someone who can help me to share the problem. If I still cannot solve it after trying hard, I will admit defeat and then I will not worry about it and let it pass. This way people tend to live longer.

Some of us prefer to use the Mustang jingzuo technique to empty our mind so as to achieve a calm and peaceful mind. The jingzuo technique is a very special form of meditation. Read more about the technique on this website by keyword search.

06 Mustang dietary technique for nutrients and health efficacies

01 Food

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we usually feel tired and uncomfortable. A professional practitioner will say that our liver-qi has invaded our spleen, leading to a disharmony between the spleen and stomach.

Thus, the key points of dietary nutrition are (1) to regulate qi and relieve stagnation of qi, (2) to regulate the spleen and stomach, and (3) to strictly follow dietary restrictions.

It is strongly recommended that we follow a diet that will strengthen our qi and eat foods such as red dates, lilies, and lotus seeds to strengthen the spleen, nourish the heart, and calm the mind.

We may drink a small amount of alcohol to clear our blood vessels and improve our mood.

We should eat more foods that help to circulate qi, relieve depression, and refresh the mind, such as fish, lean meat, dairy, soy products, citrus, roses, jasmine, hawthorn, and so on.

We should eat more foods that help to soothe the liver and promote qi, such as daylily, kelp, hawthorn, and so on.

We may also eat barley, bergamot, oranges, tangerine peels, buckwheat, leeks, fennel, garlic, ham, sorghum, sword beans, mushrooms, tempeh, citrus, radish, onion, bitter melon, rose, and loofah in appropriate amounts.

We should eat less ice cream and processed drinks. We should limit our intake of tobacco and alcohol.

We should avoid fatty foods, spicy foods, and puffed foods.

With qi-stagnation, we are usually depressed, and we are prone to getting angry. Thus, we would try to eat foods that help to clear away heat in our body, especially our heart. However, we should be careful that we do not overeat foods that are too cold in natural properties.

We should avoid stimulating drinks such as tea and coffee before going to bed.

02 Medicinal food

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we want to soothe the liver and regulate the qi. For that purpose, we may eat medicinal foods such as (1) orange peel porridge, (2) black bean and chuanxiong porridge, (3) chrysanthemum chicken liver soup, (4) hawthorn brown sugar soup, (5) lily Rehmannia tea, (6) albizia julibrissin tea, and (7) rose tea.

01 Ganzao wheat tea

Prepare with six grams of licorice, three pieces of red dates, and three grams of malt.

Health efficacy: Strengthen the stomach and regulate qi. It is mainly used for women suffering from emotional depression, hot flashes, night sweats, irritability and irritability during menopause. However, patients with high blood pressure should use licorice with caution, and patients with diabetes and those with abdominal fullness should avoid using red dates.

02 Mushrooms with sesame seeds stirred-fry

Prepare with one hundred grams of fresh mushrooms (or fifty grams of dried shiitake mushrooms), ten grams of perilla leaves, six grams of cyperus rotundus, and six grams of citrus aurantium.

Health efficacy: Soothes the liver and regulates qi. However, those with allergies and gout should avoid using mushrooms, and those with excessive sweating should avoid using perilla leaves.

03 Ganmai jujube porridge

Prepare with 50 grams of wheat, 10 pieces of jujubes, and 15 grams of licorice (fried).

Take on an empty stomach.
Health efficacy: Replenish qi and calming the nerves, nourishing and replenishing blood.

Take on an empty stomach.

04 Bergamot with sliced meat stirred-fried

Prepare with 100 grams of fresh lean pork and 250 grams of chayote.

Health efficacy: (1) Warm and strengthen the body, (2）promote qi and relieve pain, (3) soothe the stomach, and (4) resolve phlegm.

05 Orange peel porridge

Prepare with one hundred grams of japonica rice and fifty grams of orange peel.

06 Chrysanthemum chicken liver soup

Prepare with fifteen grams of dried white fungus, ten grams of dried chrysanthemums, twenty-four pieces of jasmine flowers, and one hundred grams of chicken liver. For seasonings, use cooking wine, ginger juice, and salt.

07 Tangerine peel porridge

Prepare with ten grams of tangerine peel and fifty grams of rice.

Health efficacy: (1) Strengthen qi and spleen, (2) resolve phlegm and (3) relieve cough.

It is suitable for relief of stagnation of spleen and stomach qi, abdominal distension, indigestion, nausea and vomiting, and cough with excessive phlegm.

08 Chenpi (tangerine peels) pu erh tea

Pu Erh tea is mild in nature, warms the stomach, produces body fluids, quenches thirst, and relieves constipation.

Health efficacy: (1) Regulate qi, (2) strengthen the spleen, (3) remove dampness from the body, (4) resolve phlegm, and (5) relieve cough.

03 Herbal medication

The information of this part of the guidance plan is intentionally left blank for general public reading. Those who want to read it may request the information by email.

07 Mental adjustment using music

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we should (1) listen to more upbeat music, and (2) participate in more social activities and collective recreational activities, and (3) read more books that are positive, encouraging, interesting, and show the prospects of a better life. These activities will help us to cultivate a cheerful and open-minded character.

08 Qi movement using Mustang tuina technique

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, we should massage (1) zusanli acupoint, and (2) sanyinjiao acupoint.

Other commonly used acupoints include (1) ganshu acupoint, (2) weishu acupoint, and (3) acupoints related to the gallbladder meridian.

Many years ago, tapping the gallbladder meridian was popular. It seemed like it could cure all diseases. In fact, not everyone is suitable for gallbladder meridian tapping.

Tapping on the meridians certainly has the effect of dredging the meridians, but if we tap too much, the qi will disperse. Thus, people with a qi-deficiency body should not overdo it.

However, what we are talking about here is the qi-stagnation type, so the technique of patting the gallbladder meridian is applicable here.

03 A brief summary

Check what type of body constitution you have. If you have a type H qi-stagnation body constitution, the first thing you want to do is to eat what is good for you. You have to eat in any event, so you might as well eat what will adjust your body constitution back to normal.

With a qi-stagnation body constitution, you will be easily depressed, so the key is to make yourself less depressed and more happy. Thus, you should choose activities that will boost your spirit.

All in all, once you follow the guidance plan here, you will adjust your body constitution from type H back to type A, the balanced type.

In our next article, we will focus on Type I intrinsic body constitution, on its classification and maintenance. Stay tuned.

If you wish to be notified of new publications by email, give us your email below.