Gary Wagman - Your Yin Yang Body Type: The Korean Tradition of Sasang Medicine

YOUR
Yin Yang
BODY TYPE

Your Yin Yang Body Type is a must have. From the very first page you will embark on a journey to optimize your health based on the practice of a unique traditional Korean therapeutic form of medicine called the Sasang medicine. This book is an excellent read for one who is looking for a real-world approach to spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being.

SANDE MCDANIEL, PUBLISHER OF
ORIENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL

A one-of-a-kind Sasang medical book that portrays the essence of Lee Je-mas philosophy in a practical and modern way. I pray that readers in the United States and other English-speaking regions achieve optimum health by its virtue.

JONG YEOL KIM, KMD, PH.D.,
PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER, MEDICAL RESEARCH DIVISION,
KOREA INSTITUTE OF ORIENTAL MEDICINE

As a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, incorporating the perspective of Sasang medicine into the care of my patients has already enhanced my effectiveness. Dr. Wagman clearly lays out all we need to know to begin looking at those were caring for and ourselves in a unique way according to the principles of Oriental medicine. This book is well written with a great deal of accessible information for the layperson and for the practitioner alike.

JOSHUA SINGER, M.A.O.M., L.AC., DIPL. AC.,
INTEGRATIVE ACUPUNCTURE AND ORIENTAL MEDICINE

Acknowledgments

Without the support of so many wonderful people, Your Yin Yang Body Type would never have come to fruition. Hour after hour of writing and contemplating would have been inconceivable without the support and patience of my wife, So Young. Perhaps this time could have been spent being a better husband and parent to our daughter, Angelica, who constantly asked Daddy when he would write her another book. Their deeply encompassing love surrounded me every step of the way.

My deep gratitude also extends to Karen Christensen, my editor, friend, and, in many ways, my teacher. Her ongoing encouragement, willingness to contribute, and special way with words brought with them a spark that added life to my book. It was this spark that made Your Yin Yang Body Type a playful, yet informative introduction to Sasang medicine. Karens ongoing enthusiasm also enhanced my own appreciation of Sasang medicine and the task involved in writing this book. It was nothing short of a blessing to have worked with her.

A sincere appreciation also goes to my patients, whom I treasure as one would a family. With Sasang medicine as our vehicle, we have witnessed together time and time again the bodys ability to heal from within. Not a day goes by in the clinic without my being reminded of how deep our mutually enhancing relationship runs.

I would have never traveled this path in life if it werent for Lee Je-ma and his profound understanding of Asian philosophy and medicine. As the originator of Sasang medicine, he contributed greatly to the start of a new era of self-empowering medicine. I extend this gratitude to Dr. Kim Man San (Kwan Jung Sonseng Nim) and my mentor No Kyung Mun for capturing the essence of Lee Je-mas teaching and devoting their lives to preserving and expanding his vision.

My dream of presenting Sasang medicine to the public in an easy-to-read and accessible way never would have come to fruition if it werent for Inner Traditions publishing and Jon Graham, who first recognized its value. Thanks to the help of Jeanie Levitan (editor in chief), Meghan MacLean (project editor), and other skilled and detail-oriented staff members at Inner Traditions, my book gradually morphed into its present form.

Finally, I would like to thank life itself, for giving me the opportunity to follow my dreams.

Introduction

To stay healthy is no simple task, let alone trying to find our way through the labyrinth of countless new medical discoveries. Conflicting solutions regarding this or that remedy are ubiquitous in the media. Unwanted side effects often outweigh the therapeutic benefits of most pharmaceuticals, and even if they are deemed safe and effective for some, there is no telling what will happen to others. Could there possibly be a way to know which foods, herbs, exercises, and supplements fit our own distinctive physical and emotional needs?

Deeply rooted in the ancient classics of Eastern medicine, the Sasang (Four Body Type) approach provides insight into the particular requirements of our individual body type, serving as a compass to navigate our way toward health and harmony. It takes the guesswork out of discerning where to turn when we are ill, offers us practical ways to maximize our mental and physical well-being, and could even help us figure out why a relationship may have turned sour. Sasang medicine has identified four major body types, based on the relative strength of each bodily organ. Physical and emotional health depends on the harmonious interaction between our stronger and weaker organs. Factors such as stress, trauma, anxiety, and anger disrupt this relationship in different ways, according to our body type. Discovering our own body type gives us the ability to make effective decisions regarding our health and well-being.

Among the first of its kind in Western history, Your Yin Yang Body Type reveals the secrets behind the ancient Korean art of Sasang medicine. This user-friendly book contains almost everything you need to know about your Yin Yang body type. It begins with a practical, easy-to-follow introduction to Sasang medicine, offering handy self-analytical tools for determining your body type. Individual sections cover body typespecific foods, herbs, and exercises. Emotional Balance and Your Yin Yang Body Type describes the different emotional tendencies of each body type, addressing the mind/body emphasis that is central to Sasang medicine.

My path toward Sasang medicine began at the young age of twelve, when an obsession with Asian culture and philosophy produced an incredible desire to visit Japan. Realizing that there was nothing she could do to sway me, my loving mother reluctantly searched for a way to get me there. Shortly thereafter, I found myself on a plane to Japan thanks to a kind offer from a distant cousin residing in Tokyo. A short visit quickly turned into eight years of living in Asia, where my calling as an Eastern medical doctor slowly began to unfold. While living in South Korea, I became the first foreign student to study Eastern medicine at Daejeon University.

When I was a child, my parents, out of concern for my frail constitution, were always trying to get me to eat more. They could not understand why I ate so little but still had adequate energy to play like other kids. I was such a picky eater that almost all my food wound up being thrown away. Dinnertime was never fun because my sister liked to raid my plate while I couldnt wait to leave the table! Nobody could understand why I was so finicky about food. Many years later, after discovering the Sasang medical approach, I finally realized that this was not a reflection of my mothers cooking; rather it was due to my body type.

According to Sasang medicine, each individual has either a Yin or a Yang body type. My body type, referred to as Yin Type B, is born with a weaker spleen but stronger kidneys. The kidneys, in Sasang medicine, are a major source of energy. They store energy and release it when food sources are insufficient. The spleen is in charge of the digestive system. Thus, a weaker spleen results in a propensity toward digestive issues. As a young child, despite my inability to digest foods well, it was possible for me to tap into the reserve energy of my kidneys. Yet it was only a matter of time until my inability to digest food efficiently started to catch up with me.