三焦部位〔说〕

The meaning of the Three Jiao[1]

上焦统心肺之气，至膈膜；中焦统脾胃之气，自膈膜下起而至脐中；下焦统肝肾之气，自脐中起而至足。

Upper Jiao governs the Heart Qi and the Lung Qi. The board to the Middle Jiao is the diaphragm. The Middle Jao governs the Spleen and the Stomach. It separates from the Lower Jiao from the level of the navel. The space from the navel down to the feet belongs to the Lower Jiao. The Lower Jiao governs the Liver Qi and the Kidney Qi.

上焦天也（即上元），中焦地也（即中元），下焦水也（即下元）。

Upper Jao is the sky (e.g. the Upper Yuan), Middle Jiao is the land, the earth (e.g. the Middle Yuan) and the Lower Jiao is the water (e.g. the Lower Yuan).

天气下降于地，由地而入水；水气上升于地，由地而至于天。故曰：地也者，调和阴阳之枢机也。

The upper sky Qi moves down to the earth, to the land and into the water; the water Qi floats up to the land, the earth, then to the sky. So, it is said: the land, the earth, or the soil, is the control to adjust the Yin floating and the Yang going down.

三焦之气，分而为三，合而为一，乃人身最关要之府，一气不舒，则三气不畅，此气机自然之理。学者即在这三焦气上探取化机，药品性味探取化机，便得调和阴阳之道也。

The Three Jiao Qi can be separated into three parts, but can also be regarded as one Qi, since it transforms from one into another as circle. The Three Jiao Qi is the most important part of the body. If the Qi in one part moves not smoothly, the other Qi will not move smoothly either. This is the truth for the Qi movement in the body. Readers need to study and understand the mechanism of the Qi movement among the Three Jiao, the influence of herbs on the movement, so to be able to master the way to adjust the Yin and Yang in the body.