We view the body as an organic whole, with a network of meridians connecting the internal organs, Qi ('vital energy'), blood, body fluids, muscles, bones, tendons and the skin. The belief is that the health of the body depends upon the balance of Yin and Yang. The two basic components of Chinese medicine and acupuncture , both aiming to regulate the meridians (the channels of the body) to unblock the stagnation of Qi, from which disease is thought to originate. Chinese herbal medicine, therefore, is a truly holistic form of medicine, aiming at treating the whole body and not just symptoms.