Appropriate Environment

When we talk about the environment in TCM life cultivation, we are considering both types of environments - natural environment and artificial environment. Artificial environment includes both indoor and outdoor structures built by humans.

A term that may be familiar to some of us is Fengshui (or Fengshuishu) whose dictionary definition is “rules in Chinese philosophy that govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to patterns of yin and yang and the flow of energy”. There is no equivalent term in English as it is founded on oriental concepts. Fengshui knowledge is applied in establishing an environment ideal for prolonging life and life cultivation. It is also used to set up an environment in ways that enhance/bring in fortune, but that part will not be covered in this post. It is a rather comprehensive theory that encompasses and integrates all of architectural planning and design, geography, ecology, ethics, and aesthetics.

According to ancient Chinese fengshui, the essentials of a natural environment suitable for humans are a plentiful source of clear water, fresh air, sufficient sunlight, good vegetation, and a quiet and beautiful landscape. This type of natural environment satisfies the basic material needs of humans and the human psychological requirements. For the artificial environment, we should focus on our houses where we tend to spend the most time. A large area of the house should face south, south-east, or south-west direction which are appropriate for receiving adequate natural light. Exposure to natural light ensures control of humidity. There should be more windows made on those sides of the house compared to sides that are facing north where the sunlight does not come through. In America, the appropriate house would have its front door to the north, and all the living space towards the south, including the backyard. When all living spaces are on the south side, one may worry that the house will be too hot in the summer. However, in summer, the Sun’s altitude is high during the day, and its scorching rays will not come in deeply into the house through the south side windows. Instead, it will reach in the most as the Sun goes down on the west side. What this means is that there should not be too many windows on the west side of the house as the light coming from the setting sun will heat the house too much. The rise of internal temperature from this will cause the residents to turn on the air conditioner (A/C), but excessive use of A/C is not recommended as that can cause its own harm. In winter, the Sun’s altitude is lower and so the light rays come in deeply into the house during the day through the south side windows. This raises the house temperature during the winter and reduces the excessive use of heaters which is like A/C in the harm it poses. Also, because the Sun sets quickly in winter, the light rays will not come in for a long time as it sets on the west side. Therefore the west side windows are not that important to the house. The natural control of the temperature is the best. It is best to have the bedrooms towards the south side of the house, the kitchen to the east, and the washroom or storage to the west or north.

It also needs to be mentioned that apartments and condos which have corridor style are not good to live in. This type of structure where each unit can only have windows facing one direction does not allow for proper flow of Qi through the house. There should be windows in opposing directions, such as north and south so that air can flow through the house. Such flow of air allows the flow of Qi and it also prevents the build-up of humidity. In fact, a properly built house should not require the use of a dehumidifier. While Korea’s architectural style has been westernized a lot over the past decade, older apartments still have the form where the units are all on the same side of the corridor and the corridor itself is entirely open to the outside. More expensive apartments only have two units on each floor with the elevator in the center (take a look at the pictures below to see these building styles). Both of these structures allow the units to have windows in opposing directions as was recommended above.      

The harm coming from the excessive use of A/C and heaters that was mentioned above needs to be explained. Because they often work by blowing air of cooler or warmer temperatures, they directly affect our lungs. While their drying effect on the air is not beneficial to the lungs itself because lungs dislike dryness, what often happens is that it increases the likelihood of contracting common colds. There are different patterns for a common cold and the type that should naturally circulate in winter according to historical texts on infectious diseases is the Wind-Cold type which arises from exposure to cold wind. Instead, Wind-Heat type cases are more frequently observed in the clinic. What we can extrapolate from this data is that the dry, heated air that people are exposed to at the workplace or their houses when the weather starts to get chilly is the true cause of their common colds. Likewise, while we should see Wind-Heat type more frequently during summer, we actually see more Wind-Cold cases and the etiology can be hypothesized as the exposure to excessive cold air coming from A/C. We should not make the gap between the exterior and the interior temperature too big. A large temperature difference between the environments can weaken our immune system because our body has to work hard to adapt to the differences. The resulting fatigued body is more vulnerable to diseases. The recommended interior temperature in winter is 18 – 20℃ and in summer is 24 – 26℃.

Environment affecting human health was observed from a long time ago and was recorded in phrases such as “goitre prevails in the mountain regions”, and “malaria prevails in the south of the Five Ridges (the area covering Guangdong and Guangxi in China)”. Health problems like goitre and cavities can happen because of geographical deficiency of trace elements essential for the human body such as iodine and fluorine. On the other hand, the presence of radioactive substances like uranium ore and phosphorus ore which are harmful to the human body can lead to increased incidences of anemia, leukemia, and other types of cancer in local residents. While we may be able to work around a deficiency in the environment nowadays - e.g. avoiding endemic goitre and cavities from enriched foods such as iodized salt, fluoride treatment in water, and fluoride content in toothpaste, we still need to avoid the areas with harmful substances such as radioactive ores, high voltage electrical lines, strong magnetic field, and supersonic waves. Controlling other environmental harms such as the pollution of air/water/noise requires the joint effort of government, society, families, and individuals. Hence let’s not forget that environmental stewardship is also a component of our healthcare as well as the healthcare of the next generations.