Physical Characteristics and Gender in traditional oriental medicine

 Women are expected to be short, whilst men are expected to be tall. Women that appear feminine have small faces and slender bones, as well as plump lower bodies that are larger and more developed than their upper bodies. This appearance is reminiscent of the Venus de Milo. They have a triangular silhouette overall. A masculine-looking man, on the other hand, has a muscular body, similar to Michelangelo's David. They have larger heads, strong shoulders and backs, and thicker bones, giving them an inverted triangle shape. Furthermore, men have a somewhat projecting abdomen as compared to women. These physical disparities are caused by innate features that men and women both have.

"Men have yang energy, and women have yin energy," according to the Dongui Bogam. Men have a lot of celestial energy, whereas women have a lot of earthy energy..." Heavenly energy is known for "uplifting and protecting" humanity, and earthly energy is known for "nourishing, nurturing, and promoting weight gain." These fundamental features manifest the characteristics of men and women. Because men with celestial energy are more connected to the sky, their upper bodies are more developed than their lower bodies. Women with earthly energy, on the other hand, have more developed lower bodies that are closer to the ground. This topic might be easier to grasp if it were depicted in a diagram.

In this sense, men with sky energy always yearn for the ground and attempt to descend. Women with earth energy, on the other hand, are continually striving to climb towards the longing sky. Men with a stronger natural tendency to descend tend to be taller than women who struggle to ascend, because descending is easier and more natural. Women who struggle to rise, on the other hand, grow taller at a slower rate. As a result, it is a general rule that men are tall and women are short. Today, however, we see a lot of tall women. In this scenario, being tall suggests a surplus of heavenly energy in comparison to earthly energy. Tall women, like men, are better suited to social activities that require exerting energy. When this is reversed, tall women may feel insufficient in their duties as women. In other words, tall women frequently experience menstruation irregularities, infertility, and pregnancy and birthing complications. These ladies are also uninterested in housework. On the contrary, many short guys possess feminine characteristics. Furthermore, short people have a strong affinity for terrestrial energy, which leads to a preference for sexual activities.

Men should have nicely shaped noses, while women should have lovely lips. Humans are endowed with "qi" (energy) and "blood." Men are mostly made up of qi, whilst women are mostly made up of blood. Men, who are primarily constituted of qi, are more energetic and assertive, serving as leaders of houses and excelling in social activities. Women, on the other hand, who are mostly blood, find fulfillment in menstruation, conceiving, caring, and rearing children. However, some women are made up of qi rather than blood. These women are uninterested in household chores and feel suffocated at home. They do not want children and frequently struggle to conceive. Surprisingly, many infertile women appear more masculine. Furthermore, among working women, such as doctors and lawyers, there are many who are predominantly constituted of qi rather than blood. Qi and blood correspond to the nose and mouth on the face, which are located between the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. As a result, men should have well-shaped noses and women should have lovely lips.

A middle-aged woman once came to see me with acute itching in her hands and feet. She resembled a modern man, with a huge nose, prominent features, and a lack of flesh. She appeared to be a woman made primarily of qi in the eyes of a doctor like myself. In traditional medicine, she was classified as a "strong qi woman," a word used to describe women with a lot of vitality. She had several tests for her extreme itching, but no cause could be found. She had been to renowned hospitals, traditional medicine clinics, and acupuncture clinics, but nothing had helped, and she was in excruciating pain. Even a small amount of attention aggravated her agony to the point where she couldn't sleep at night. The pain was so excruciating at times that she wished her arms didn't exist.

It was natural that no anomalies were discovered in her examinations. Even if medical technology has evolved, symptoms of hand and foot numbness caused by insufficient qi circulation will never present in medical examinations. She couldn't stay at home despite being a full-time housewife. This was due to the fact that she felt suffocated at home. Following the examination, I recommended a herbal preparation called "Zheng Qi Tian Xiang Tang," which contained the key ingredient Xiang Fu Zi, to consume her qi and restore healthy circulation. She claimed that after taking the medication, the numbness in her hands had suddenly dissipated. The treatment would have been impossible if she had not recognized the notion that women should be predominantly constituted of blood.

Men are expected to have dark skin, whereas women are expected to have light skin. Women's inherent functions of conceiving, giving birth, and caring a child do not change regardless of how human life develops and times advance. This is an unchangeable principle. Furthermore, males are supposed to work outside to support their families, whereas women are expected to stay at home and bear and raise children. Men hunted in prehistoric periods, farmed in agricultural times, and currently work in a variety of vocations to support their families' lifestyles. People's appearances are influenced by changes in their living situations. In other words, while living outside, men must contend with environmental forces such as cold, wind, and heat. Strong and black skin is preferable than delicate and pale skin for this purpose. People who spend the most of their time indoors, on the other hand, have naturally fairer complexion. According to this viewpoint, men should have dark complexion and women should have pale skin. Of course, when we talk about men and women, we don't just mean the physical differences between males and girls. It should be interpreted in the context of a broader understanding of masculinity and femininity.

A woman with dark skin, for example, is a person who is more masculine than feminine. They are more suited to an active lifestyle similar to men, rather than peacefully staying at home, due to their strong constitution that can tolerate unfavorable external conditions. If a woman with dark complexion spends most of her time at home, she may not be able to properly release her powerful energy and become stagnant, leaving her more susceptible to diseases such as nervous headaches, nervous gastritis, melancholy, monthly irregularities, and thyroid issues. As a result, even ladies with dark skin should engage in a vocation that allows them to gather qi and release stagnation, which can be regarded a healthy prescription for both health and life wisdom. Every individual should live in a way that optimizes their intrinsic value based on their distinctive look.

the souce from cho sung tae's Disease comes as it looks.