You Have Four Hearts

1      Your Hearts

Under traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) a ‘heart’ is an organ which moves fluids through your body. In TCM, as explained below, you have three hearts moving blood and lymphatic fluids through your body. In addition, you can turn your spine into a fourth heart by practicing ‘dragon spine’, one of whose effects is circulating spinal fluid through your brain.

1.1    Three TCM Hearts

Yes, you have three ’hearts’. In TCM, a heart is something that pushes fluids around your body. To remain healthy your body must circulate blood, spinal, lymphatic, and other bodily fluids. You have a heart for your upper, middle, and lower body.

  • Your first (upper) heart is your heart (in the western sense), that organ beating in your chest. It pushes blood and qi around your body.
  • Your second (middle) heart is your abdomen. You activate it by doing abdominal breathing. This pumps body fluids, e.g., blood and lymph, and aids in digestions. (See our lessons on abdominal breathing.)
  • Your third (lower) heart(s) are your calves. Unlike your blood system, the lymph system is passive. Your body must move to cause lymphatic fluid to flow through it. Gravity pulls fluids down which can gather in your feet and legs. To push these fluids out so any waste in them can be expelled from your body it to get your third heart (your calves) to beat. You can do this by walking or by practicing Qigong movements, such as ’standing in a boat’. Movement is necessary for health. (See our lessons on ‘Standing on a Boat’).

1.2    Your fourth heart: Your Dragon Spine

Moving our spine activate a host of positive health processes. In Dragon Spine, we wave our spine by alternately arching our back (Horse back) and rounding our back by rolling our pelvis forward (Turtle back). In conjunction, we expand and contract our chest. These combined movements stimulate the spine, separate the vertebrae, and propel spinal fluid into the brain.

(See our lessons on ‘Standing on a Boat’.)

1.3    Efficient Hydraulics

By getting our four hearts beating we allow our bodies to function move efficiently. Nourishment is transported to the cells. Wastes are removed to the lungs and liver where they can be expelled. Our internal organs are massaged. All of this enhances our main goal of Respiration, Digestion, and Elimination allowing us to live more comfortably in our bodies.