A student asked a great question: Why does neidan focus on capturing the true yang and not the true yin? (My initial reflection was: No, this can't be due to cultural bias, or can it?)
Jing, qi, shen are called the three treasures of life. In qigong there is not the idea of subduing the flesh in service of the spirit. In fact, the spirit depends on the flesh. So cultivation is the strengthening and refining of all three but at different stages of the practice more emphasis is put on one than another. 
We talk about jing>qi>shen. Its more complete to talk about zhuji>jing>qi>shen. Zhuji means building the foundation and is the first stage. Zhuji means restoring and strengthening the three treasures. When they are full and rich, the body mind spirit is prepared to launch into cultivation and refining. Without that it's going to be very difficult. So zhuji puts the biggest emphasis on the body, the yin. When you feel good after qigong practice you are feeling the effects of zhuji - the three treasures are fuller and more harmonized: the body is stronger, you feel more comfortable in the world, the mind is clear and calm. When we talk about capturing the true yang we are talking about an advanced stage of practice: spirit>emptiness. The emphasis is on the yang of spirit and beyond, not on the yin of embodiment.

Recently I talked about Li Shi Zhen and his treatment of a case of gui qi, literally ghost qi, or demonic influence. A ghost or demon invaded an acupuncture hole (an acupuncture point is actually a hole: it's three dimensional) and made himself at home there. Li Shi Zhen's treatment was moxibustion and offerings of food and wine and the case was resolved. Now this was an elegant two prong treatment: a stick and a carrot no less. Moxibustion boosted the yang righteous qi so it became most inhospitable for the demon. You can say he literally smoked him out of there. Then he also had food and wine waiting ouside for him. The demon could not refuse this offer: he had to leave. A couple things are remarkable about Li's treatment. First, it was compassionate and gentle. There was no attempt to kill or destroy the ghost. It was more strong diplomacy than anything else. Second, Li psychologically prepared his patient for the healing. He allowed him an understanding of the sickness; that it was a bad, uninvited, guest. If nobody knew what was going on it would be hard to treat. Now the patient had a narrative. There would be a way to persuade the ghost to leave.

Received this text and pic from a lymphedema patient today. I am deeply touched. Message is LYMPHEDEMA CAN BE CURED: "Never in my life I remember wearing a pair of tall boots because they never fit my leg. I bought a pair today and they fit me. Am crying out of joy. Thank you for all your help! You have no idea what this means to me."

Let's consider the idea of gui qi, demonic influence or possession as a cause of disease that was brought up in the last blog entry.

It's easy to dismiss gui qi, demonic influence or possession as a cause of disease, as primitive superstition. However, in the cited case Li Shi Zhen observed the signs and symptoms of the condition, located the disease, made a diagnosis, offered a two prong treatment and successfully resolved the problem. Isn't that what all doctors hope to do? I think a few factors may likely lead to a diagnosis of demonic influence:

• Abrupt onset of condition
• Drastic changes in the appearance and behavior of the patient
• Strange signs and symptoms
• No better existing explanation for the conditon
• The patient complains of demonic influence

Of course, the doctor with special senses may also be able to make that diagnosis regardless of the above. The question is, how is allopathic medicine today different. First, the diagnosis is likely based on various test results: imaging, biopsy, genetic analysis, etc. Then a diagnosis is arrived at, then certain drugs or procedures are prescribed. Li Shi Zhen's patient would probably be referred to a psychiatrist who would make a diagnosis, schizophrenia maybe, and prescribe certain drugs. He would likely be hospitalized. 

There was a time in the past when gui qi, or demonic influence, was an accepted cause of disease. Sixteenth century doctor and scholar Li Shi-Zhen, in Exposition on the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, reported a case in which an evil spirit invaded an acupuncture hole and made it home. With moxa treatment together with offerings of food and wine to appease the demon the condition was resolved. Li Shi-Zhen used tao ren (Semen Persicae), or peach seed in common parlance, to treat all kinds of demonic influence. Tao ren is an herb for moving blood and clearing blood stasis. It is quite commonly used together with other herbs to treat gynecological pain and pain from internal and external injuries. 

Recently I treated several patients with different problems but the tongue and nearby muscles were the locus of treatment. One case was a painful burning tongue probably due to exposure to toxic metals. Another was post stroke loss of motility of the tongue leading to speech difficulty. A third one was sleep apnea. Still another one had speech and swallowing problems after an operation to remove a brain tumor. There were similar and also some different distal points used but three points on and near the tongue: jinjin, yuye, lianquan, and yamen on the back of the neck were used for all as a local treatment. These points were chosen based on channel and point theory but also anatomical and neurological concerns. The etiology of the four cases were quite different but all of them involved loss of the functioning of the tongue and tissues near it. The distal points addressed the deeper issues while the local treatment addressed their expression. Since the cases were different the methods used to stimulate the points were different.