Read the body. Keep the caveats.
Twenty-four guides to traditional Chinese medicine observation, written for people who want the vocabulary, the practical detail and the limits — not a promise that a tongue photo explains everything.
Tongue diagnosis chart
Colour, coating and shape, in the order a practitioner actually reads them. Includes the 25 patterns Daoyi uses and the photo conditions that make a tongue image usable.
10 min readWhy is my tongue white?
Thin white film, thick coating, greasy coating or white patches — how to tell them apart, and when to see a clinician.
9 min readWhy is my tongue cracked?
Fissured tongue, dehydration, vitamin deficiency and dry mouth — how to tell them apart, and when it is worth checking.
9 min readYellow tongue
Staining, coating or something more — how to read a yellow tongue and when to act.
8 min readWhite spots on the tongue
Lie bumps, canker sores, thrush or a patch — how to tell harmless spots from ones worth checking, and why three weeks matters.
9 min readScalloped tongue
Why the edges of your tongue take the shape of your teeth — and when it is worth checking.
8 min readGeographic tongue
Map-like patches on the tongue that move — what geographic tongue is, why it stings for some people, and what helps.
9 min readBurning tongue
Dry mouth, deficiencies, reflux or nerve-related burning — how to narrow it down and what to try first.
8 min readBlack hairy tongue
Why the tongue turns dark and furry, what causes it, and how simple hygiene changes reverse it.
8 min readTongue coating
Thin white, thick, greasy, yellow or peeled — how to read the coating on your tongue along four axes.
8 min readBumps on the back of the tongue
Normal papillae, inflamed taste buds, lie bumps and ulcers — how to tell them apart.
7 min readSwollen tongue
Dehydration, deficiency, hypothyroidism or allergy — telling a nuisance from an emergency.
8 min readThe 28 pulse types
The classical list is not 28 separate sensations. Learn six qualities — depth, rate, width, length, tension and smoothness — plus force and rhythm, and the names start to make sense.
8 min readThe nine body constitutions
Why two people with the same white coating get different advice — and how the nine types are actually used.
9 min readAcupressure for sleep
Six points, where to find them, how long to press, and an 8-minute wind-down sequence. With the cautions that matter and an honest look at the evidence.
9 min readWaking up at 3 AM
The ordinary explanations worth ruling out first, the traditional reading of the same hour, what to change tonight, and the red flags that need a clinician.
8 min readInsomnia: five patterns
Why one complaint splits into five patterns, how they differ by timing and accompanying signs, and the medical look-alike each one hides.
10 min readHerbs for sleep
What is used, what the trials show, and the risks that matter more than the benefits — interactions, liver injury, contamination, pregnancy.
11 min readSpleen qi deficiency
What the pattern actually requires, the four conditions that look identical, and why "spleen" here is not the organ.
9 min readBloating after eating
Timing is the clue: under 30 minutes and high means air, one to two hours and low means fermentation or transit.
8 min readLoose stools
Four patterns, the short list of tests worth doing first, and the red flags that are not a diet question.
9 min readNeck and shoulder tension
Four patterns, four red flags — and why high-velocity neck manipulation is a different risk conversation from the low back.
9 min readFrozen shoulder or rotator cuff?
Passive range is the dividing line. Three tests, the stages of each, and why "wait and see" is not neutral.
9 min read10-minute desk neck routine
Six movements with real dosage and stop rules — plus what posture advice can and cannot do.
8 min readStart with a topic
Twenty-four guides is a lot to scan. These three clusters are the ones where the guides go deepest — each has a hub page that sets out the patterns, plus the practical and safety pages that go with it.
Sleep and insomnia
Five patterns, the 3 AM waking question, an eight-minute acupressure routine, and an honest review of herbal risks.
Spleen and digestion
What spleen qi deficiency requires, why the timing of bloating matters, and the tests worth doing before treating.
Neck and shoulder
Four patterns and the red flags, the frozen shoulder versus rotator cuff distinction, and a ten-minute desk routine.
How to use these guides
Start with the tongue
It is the most visual of the four observations and the easiest to compare over time. Photograph in daylight, before coffee, and look at the same conditions each time.
Then take the pulse
Pulse is tactile and takes supervised practice. Use the guide to organise what you feel, not to replace a teacher or a clinical training programme.
Try the routine
Acupressure is low-risk for most healthy adults and easy to test at home. If sleep problems persist, treat the routine as support, not as the investigation.
What these guides are not
They are educational. They describe traditional concepts and self-observation practices; they do not diagnose, prescribe or replace care from a licensed clinician. Each guide says plainly where the evidence is thin, and each one flags the symptoms that need medical assessment rather than a pattern label.
If you have chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting, sudden weakness or slurred speech, or another urgent symptom, seek emergency care. Do not use a guide, a photograph or an app to decide about medication.
Medical disclaimer. The Daoyi guides are educational and describe traditional Chinese medicine concepts. They are not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Seek emergency care for urgent symptoms, and speak to a licensed clinician about any health concern or medication change.