Immunity & Traditional Chinese Medicine: Lungs, the Cou Li Space + Wei Qi

This article focuses on ancient strategies for enhancing the immune system

With the pandemic at top of mind for everyone on Earth, the people of the northern hemisphere are now entering its cold and flu season. I thought it would be topical to discuss strategies and concepts used by the ancients regarding the immune system. This is a completely different perspective from the current western view of how our body reacts to common viruses; I need to be very clear; these methods do not treat, nor do they cure COVID-19.

 When talking about immunity, these concepts don’t often mirror western medicine whatsoever. Today, I want to lay the foundation for how Traditional Chinese Medicine views immunology, how the common cold and influenza is treated and how to help prevent ourselves from getting ill.

 Let’s dive right and examine the function of the Lungs in this dynamic.

The Lungs job is to diffuse fluids to the skin to keep it lustrous, ensure the pores are opening and closing properly so that sweating will be normal and not spontaneous. The pores are known as the ‘doors of Qi’; meaning if the pores are too slack, they can let too much sweat out, letting pathogens in or they’re too tight not allowing any sweat out causing a whole host of other issues.

 The Lungs also have another powerful weapon in its arsenal, Wei or Defensive Qi. This Qi is said to live on the most exterior aspect of the body, and it protects us from an exterior pathogenic invasion. Basically, from the elements of nature such as the wind, the cold, heat and dampness.

The space where it lives is called the ‘Cou Li Space’ also known as the ‘Space Between the Skin and Muscles’. This space does not exist in western medicine lexicon. The Wei Qi warms Cou Li, regulating the bodies temperature by adjusting the opening and closing of the pores accordingly. Due to this close relationship of the pores, Wei Qi is controlled by the Lungs, therefore a weakness in Lung Qi can contribute to a weakness of Wei Qi, causing an individual prone to frequent bouts of colds and flues.

 

Sweating is a strategy used in Chinese medicine to rid the body of an external pathogenic invasion.

When the wind or cold obstructs the circulation of Wei Qi in the Cou Li space, it essentially blocks the pores impairing the Lungs diffusing function. The way to unblock this would be to induce sweating in the patient, via acupuncture, but mostly via herbal formula.

 I realize that to a person with a western background in medicine will probably find this odd or confusing. But let me put it this way, what would happen if you showered and went outside on cold day? Or you got caught in the rain during a cool spring shower? You would immediately want to dry off and warm up, right? Why? Is it because you might get sick; ‘catch your death of cold’ as the old saying goes?

 Traditional Chinese Medicine believes the elements can have a detrimental effect on human physiology if the Lung and Wei Qi are weak and unable to warm the Cou Li, i.e., maintaining one’s body temperature.

 Now that we’ve covered the basics, next time I’ll delve into ways you can keep your Wei Qi strong and what an acupuncturist and herbalist can do for you if happen to get sick.