ICM  Institute for Chinese Medicine, acupuncture basel, chinese medicine basel,tui na Basel, tcm basel
D E F  
  • Acupuncture
  • Treatment Modalities
    • TCM >
      • History
      • Methods of Treatment
      • Diagnostics
    • Acupuncture
    • Auricular Acupuncture
    • Electroacupuncture
    • Chinese Herbal Medicine
    • Tui Na /An Mo Massage
    • Moxibustion
    • Cupping
    • Physical therapy
    • Qi Gong
    • Tai Ji Quan
    • Gua Sha
    • Chinese Nutritional Therapy
    • Wai Qi Liao Fa
  • Team
    • Elaine Yap
    • Damaris Vilarino
    • Gabi Rahm
    • Frank Hediger
    • Noriko Matsumoto-Loosli
    • Olivier Schmidlin
    • Edmundo Belloni
  • ICM Treatment Information
    • Treatment Rooms
    • Treatment at ICM
    • Treatment Costs
    • Treatment Procedure
    • Documents
    • FAQ
  • Health Insurance Coverage
    • Health Insurance Coverage
    • FAQ
  • Contact
  • DEUTSCH
  • Blog
    • FRANÇAIS

Breakfast Musings

9/7/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Color Wheel
Picture

​​One morning last week, I was sitting eating my breakfast at the dining table, looking at the flower that my son received from his graduation ceremony the evening before. It was a red Gerbera, with a long stem and fine petals. The night before, I had hastily found a container to put it in as we got home. But at that present moment of observing the flower, I realized that the container, rather low and broad, did not hold or support the Gerbera at all. What this flower being needed was a long, slim vessel. So, right after my breakfast I went to look for one and I imagined I found the right one to complement it. This got me wondering about the word "complement." 
 
The noun "complement" in English comes from French, referring to "means of completing; that which completes; what is needed to complete or fill up." As a verb it means to "make complete." If one were to begin an internet search with the word "complementary," we get suggestions like "complementary colors," "complementary angles" and "complementary medicine." 
 
Looking at the picture above, the color wheel, we see a chart for complementary colors used by artists and graphic designers to create contrasts that catch the eye, as well as the attention. In the middle are the 3 primary colors and when we want to find the complementary color for let's say red, we add blue and yellow together and we get green. These 2 colors are complementary to each other. The outer circle shows us the complementary colors in opposition to each other in different shades of the primary and secondary mixes. This color concept is really about how one color enhances the other.

​Then there are complementary angles referring to 2 angles that add up to 90°, which is a right angle. This is basic geometry we learned in math class. For example, if an angle is 30°, then the other will be 60°, adding the sum total to 90°. In this case, the 2 angles 
complete each other.
 
To have a complement is to be made whole and completed. I like this description to explain Complementary Medicine. This term was created in the 1980s to describe medical and therapeutic practices that did not/were not allowed to be fitted into conventional medicine. Chinese Medicine has landed in this category in the West, as it did not fit into the model created by the dominant allopathic medicine. To be very honest, I find that it is rightfully so. When I understand the word complementary as being "made whole," I am proud to say I practice this form of medicine. Then, my focus is to help a person be/feel whole and well; not cut up into pieces and detached from her/himself. For me the focus of medicine is the person, the individual and what their body-mind needs to be healthy. In feeling healthy and thriving, the individual feels empowered; thus, being able to live well and make healthy life-style choices for her/himself.
 
As I go back to the example of my son's Gerbera, I observe the being as it is and try to understand what it needs to thrive in its environment. I help it by providing the appropriate container and the nourishment, that it may feel safe, nurtured and supported enough to grow for the time that it is with me. As we know, we are not here in our present state or situation forever; life is finite, we should cherish the time we have been given and have gratitude for the experience. As such, I also know that at one point this being will have to go to its next stage of life and I, who have provided this container must learn to let go, to give this being the possibility to move on. In doing so, I am a complement to that being. 


​
Image Color Wheel by 
vector portal-pixel77
Image Angle by bjus

0 Comments

    Elaine Yap

    I am a Chinese Medicine practitioner at ICM, mother of 2 sons, living on my third continent. I'd love to share with you my perspectives on healing, TCM, movement, plants, social change and life.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019

    Categories

    All
    5 Elements
    5 Pillars Of Chinese Medicine
    5-pointed-star
    Abdomen
    Abdominal Breathing
    Abdominal Thearpy
    Abdominal Therapy
    Acupuncture
    Acupuncture Channels
    Acupuncture Points
    Adapting
    Addiction
    Adventure
    Allergies
    Ancestors
    Ankle
    An Mo Massage
    Apple
    Arthritis
    Ask
    Asking
    Assumptions
    Autu
    Autumn
    Awareness
    Awe
    Baby
    Back
    Bacteria
    Balance
    Ballet
    Barefoot
    Being
    Being Thankful
    Belief
    Birth
    Blessing
    Blood
    Body
    Body And Mind
    Body Autonomy
    Body Mind
    Bodymind
    Bokashi
    Bonding
    Breath
    Breathing
    Buddhism
    Bulbs
    Camellia Sinensis
    Celtic Shamanism
    Centre
    Change
    Children
    Chills
    China
    Chinese Calligraphy
    Chinese Dietetics
    Chinese Herbal Medicine
    Chinese Materia Medica
    Chinese Medicine
    Chinese New Year
    Chinese Nutrition
    Chinese Philosophy
    Choice
    Christmas
    Cinnamon
    Circle
    Clinic
    Cold
    Common Sense
    Communication
    Competition
    Complementary
    Complementary Medicine
    Compress
    Congee
    Connecting
    Connection
    Conscious Living
    Consciousness
    Constitution
    Container
    Cooling
    Cooling Foods
    Core
    Courage
    Crocus
    C-tactile Afferent
    Cube
    Daffodils
    Dan Tian
    Dao De Jing
    Daoism
    Daoist
    Death
    Destination
    Detox
    Diagnosis
    Digestion
    Digestive
    Digital Media
    Dim Sum
    Discipline
    Divine
    Dreaming
    Ears
    Earth
    Earthing
    Earthquake
    Eating
    Echinacea
    Emotions
    Empower
    Emptiness
    Energy
    Epigenetics
    Essence
    Etiquette
    Everyday
    Evolution
    Excellence Of Self
    Experience
    Eyes
    Fantasy
    Fascia
    Fasting
    Father
    Fear
    Feet
    Fever
    Fire
    Fire School
    Fish
    Flexibility
    Flower
    Focus
    Food
    Food As Medicine
    Freedom
    Fruit
    Full Moon
    Games
    Gardening
    Genetics
    Gingko
    Gong Fu
    Gong Fu Cha
    Gratefulness
    Gratitude
    Green Tea
    Greeting
    Grounding
    Growth
    Habit
    Hands
    Handstand
    Hangover Cure
    Hay Fever
    Headstand
    Healing
    Healing Reactions
    Heart
    Heaven
    Herbal Decoction
    Herbal Formula
    Herbal Infusion
    Herbal Medicine
    Heroes
    Holistic Medicine
    Homeostasis
    Honouring
    Hope
    Hormones
    Hot
    Human
    Humanity
    Humility
    ICM
    ICM Garden
    ICM Garden Project
    Imagery
    Immune System
    Information
    Injury
    Insomnia
    Intelligence
    Intention
    INternal
    Inward Movement
    Jing
    Journey
    Joy
    Kidneys
    Labor
    Lao Zi
    Large Intestine
    Late Summer
    Leaf
    Less Is More
    Letting Go
    Life
    Life Love
    Life Training
    Listening
    Liver Qi
    Looking
    Lung
    Lungs
    Magic
    Manners
    Maple
    Martial Arts
    Massage
    Medicine
    Meditation
    Menstruation
    Metal
    Middle
    Migration
    Mind
    Mindfulness
    Moderation
    Mother
    Mountains
    Movement
    Moxibustion
    Narcissus
    Natural Breath
    Nature
    Nei Gong
    New Moon
    News
    Normal
    Norms
    Nourishment
    Nourish Yin
    Now
    Nuclear Power
    Nurture
    Nǚ Wā
    Oil
    Olympics
    One-Size-Fits-All
    Open
    Optical Illusion
    Ouroboros
    Our Story
    Pain
    Parenting
    Path
    Patience
    Pear
    Pentagram
    Peony
    Peppermint
    Perception
    Perfect
    Permaculture
    Perspective
    Phantom Pain
    Pilgrimage
    Plant
    Plastics
    PMS
    Poison
    Post-Heaven
    Post-Natal Jing
    Posture
    Pre-Heaven
    Pre-Natal Jing
    Problem Solving
    Programs
    Pulse
    Purify
    Qi
    Qi Gong
    Rain
    Rebirth
    Recycling
    Relationships
    Resilience
    Respect
    Retreat
    Rhythm
    Ritual
    River
    Romanticism
    Roots
    Rose
    Routine
    Saffron
    Sarong
    Science
    Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis
    Seasons
    Seeds
    Self Care
    Self-Care
    Self Massage
    Self-Massage
    Sense Organs
    Senses
    Shang Han Lun
    Sharing
    Shen Nong
    Shoes
    Shonishin
    Simple
    Sleeping
    Snake
    Snow
    Solution
    Sound
    Space
    Space Time
    Spice
    Spicy
    Spiritual
    Spleen
    Sports
    Spring
    Staying Present
    Stillness
    Stomach
    Strategy
    Stress
    Stretching
    Summer
    Summer Heat
    Summer-Heat
    Summer Solstice
    Support
    Survival
    Sweet
    Sword
    Tai Ji Quan
    Tai Ji Symbol
    Taiwan
    Taste
    TCM
    Tea
    Teachers
    Temperature
    Tension
    The Pill
    Thermoregulation
    Third Ear
    Third Eye
    Time
    Toilet Paper
    Tools
    Touch
    Touching
    Transformation
    Trauma
    Travel
    Trees
    Tui Na Massage
    Unconsciousness
    Universe
    UTI
    Valleys
    Vibration
    Virus
    Vision
    Walking
    Warm Drinks
    Warming
    Water
    Watermelon
    Wei/Protective Qi
    Winning
    Winter
    Winter Solstice
    Woman
    Women
    Women's Life Phases
    Wood
    Words
    Wordsworth
    Work
    Wu Ji
    Wu Long Tea
    Yang
    Yellow Emperor Classic
    Yin
    Yin Yang
    Yin-Yang
    Yoga
    Zen Buddhism

    RSS Feed

Institut für Chinesische Medizin ICM GmbH

Falknerstrasse 4 | 4001 Basel
Tel. 061 272 88 89 | Fax 061 271 42 64
[email protected] ​
  • Acupuncture
  • Treatment Modalities
    • TCM >
      • History
      • Methods of Treatment
      • Diagnostics
    • Acupuncture
    • Auricular Acupuncture
    • Electroacupuncture
    • Chinese Herbal Medicine
    • Tui Na /An Mo Massage
    • Moxibustion
    • Cupping
    • Physical therapy
    • Qi Gong
    • Tai Ji Quan
    • Gua Sha
    • Chinese Nutritional Therapy
    • Wai Qi Liao Fa
  • Team
    • Elaine Yap
    • Damaris Vilarino
    • Gabi Rahm
    • Frank Hediger
    • Noriko Matsumoto-Loosli
    • Olivier Schmidlin
    • Edmundo Belloni
  • ICM Treatment Information
    • Treatment Rooms
    • Treatment at ICM
    • Treatment Costs
    • Treatment Procedure
    • Documents
    • FAQ
  • Health Insurance Coverage
    • Health Insurance Coverage
    • FAQ
  • Contact
  • DEUTSCH
  • Blog
    • FRANÇAIS