The cabin was so cozy and warm, and the view of the stars through the pine trees was magnificent. We ended up staying much longer than planned! As we relax having breakfast on the porch this morning, enjoying the breeze and the view, let me tell you about the five elements. These ideas form the basis of Chinese medical theory in such a simple, eloquent, and beautiful way.
The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. They are often depicted in a circle. Their clockwise arrangement around the circle shows their relationships to each other. The relationships can be generating, controlling, over-controlling/over-acting, or insulting. Normal, healthy physiological relationships, in this model of Chinese medicinal philosophy, include generating and controlling models. Pathological relationships include over-controlling, insulting, mother affecting child, or child affecting mother.
Wood generates Fire. Fire generates Earth. Earth generates Metal. Metal generates Water. Water generates Wood. Wood controls Earth. Earth controls Water. Water controls Fire. Fire controls Metal. Metal controls Wood. Controlling relationships can become over-controlling. Normally, a balance of control among the elements is healthful, but these relationships can easily become unbalanced when one element gets stronger or weaker than it should, thus affecting the whole dynamic. Elements can also become insulting, the opposite of their controlling relationships. Earth insults Wood. Wood insults Metal. Metal insults Fire. Fire insults Water. Water insults Earth.
The elements can also be viewed as having mother-child relationships. For example, Wood is the Mother of Fire, and thus Fire is the Child of Wood. If the Mother element isn’t strong enough to nourish and nurture the Child element, the Child will be weak. If the Mother element is strong or even excessively strong, the child will also be very strong. This is the idea of “mother’s disease affecting the child.” Elements can also transmit pathology to the previous element. A weak Child element can draw excessively from the Mother element, draining and weakening it. In general, treatment principles involve ideas such as “control the strong and support the weak.”
The purpose of five element medical theory is to (1) explain the function of and relationship between organs, (2) explain pathological changes to organs and how these changes affect other organs, (3) diagnosis disease using color, emotion, sound, and flavors, etc… in a way that comprehends the body as an organic whole, with the interior reflecting the exterior, and (4) treat disease using acupuncture and herbs to control disease development/progression.
Part II
As we walk along this well-trodden hiking trail, with the rock face to our left and open canyon to the right, look at all of nature that surrounds us. All of the elements are here. We can easily find wood and see the remnants of fire in the forest. The earth supports us in every step and we can find metal ores in the rocks and sands of earth. There is water all around us, flowing in streams and cascading down waterfalls. It is all truly magnificent!
Each element is connected with a body organ system and has characteristics such as season, direction, color, taste, climate, stage of development, yang and yin organs, sense organs, tissues, emotions, sounds, and more!
Wood represents bending and straightening. Flexibility of mind, body, and spirit is important to nurture healthy wood element qualities. This flexibility allows for free expansion and growth! The season of wood is spring and the direction is east. It is no surprise, during the bright new green growth of spring, that the wood stage of development is birth (germination) and the color is green! Surrounding oneself like we are now with the trees and forests at this lovely cabin is a nice way to soothe the wood element. The wood organ systems are Liver (yin) and Gallbladder (yang). The Liver is in charge of the free flow of energy in the body and Gallbladder is in charge of receiving and digesting. If the energy of this organ pair gets stuck, issues can arise in the sense organs and tissues governed by it: the eyes and sinews/tendons. The emotion of the Liver/Gallbladder is anger and the sound is shouting. Think of tension tightening and constricting, leading to an angry outburst. This is wood energy, and can be soothed by the greens in nature. Think of someone with high blood pressure, so angry they are about to pop; their eyes will often be bloodshot, the sense organ of the pair. Such constraint can be released by consuming the sour flavor, such as lemons and limes. The climate of wood is wind, and this climate can aggravate a Liver/Gallbladder imbalance. Especially if one is rigid in body and mind, the lack of flexibility will cause breakage during the winds. If one’s ligaments and tendons are flexible, or the mind’s thinking is flexible, such winds will simply test this flexibility. The sour flavor, time in nature, as well as acupuncture points that soothe the Liver/Gallbladder system, and herbs that go to the Liver and to the Gallbladder will help keep this system in harmony. There are also acupressure points and qigong sequences for this organ pair system; these can easily be found by performing an online search. Movements that involve the side body, such as twists and motion of the torso side-to-side can be beneficial for maintaining flexibility of this organ system.
The fire element represents heat and warming, and can be characterized by rapid growth, or flaring upwards. Summer is associated with the fire element, the Heart and Small Intestine organ pair, the emotion of joy, and the sound of laughter. The stage of development is growth. As the fresh new greens of spring expand and grow into fullness, it is easy to understand this association. The tongue is the sense organ of the heart; a bright red tongue tip indicates heart pathology. The vessels are the organ of fire. Summer is the height of Yang (think energy, movement, exuberance); taking time for Yin (cooling, quiet, still) activities during the height of day (noon - 4pm) such as afternoon siesta in the shade, gentle qigong or yoga nidra, and meditation are especially recommended during this time of day in the summer months. Consuming plenty of fluids and eating lighter meals that can be easily processed benefit the Small Intestine's job of transforming and transporting. Watermelon juice and seeds are cooling and cleansing and have a long history of use in Chinese Medicine, especially during the warmer months. The Heart is associated with the bitter flavor in Traditional Chinese Medicine; consuming herbs such as Huang Qin (Skullcap/Scutellaria baicalensis) or Shan Zha (Crataegus pinnatifida/Hawthorne berries) can be beneficial during summertime. Massaging the Heart-7 acupressure point helps to reduce anxiety that can be associated with too much "fire" and massaging the SI-4 and SI-5 acupressure points aids in digestive peristalsis and separating the pure from impure. There are qigong sequences for Heart opening and nourishing and for assisting the Small Intestines; these free videos can be found by doing an online search! Engaging in healthful exercise activities that feed your heart with enjoyment are some of the best ways to nourish your Heart, especially in the summer. Some healthful summer activities might be enjoying a campfire surrounded by friends under the stars, a paddleboard along the river, a walk along an ocean beach, or an adventurous hike in the forest. What are some healthful summer activities that you enjoy? Interestingly, the fire element is also associated with two other organ pairs, the Triple Burner and Pericardium. It is the only element to be associated with two organ pairs.
Earth represents stability. It is often depicted at the center of the 5-element circle. Earth is the core center of our bodies, sowing, development of fruit, and reaping the harvest. It is a place of transformation and the “mother of 10,000 things.” The season of earth is late summer as well as the transition from one season to the next. Earth is associated with the Spleen and Stomach organ pairs. Spleen is the yin organ and Stomach is the yang organ. The roundness of our abdomen represents earth. The stage of development is transformation. As late summer ripens into harvest, similarly a mother-to-be’s full belly allows for the development of her child. The sense organ of earth is the mouth and the tissue is muscles. Eating well-balanced meals consisting of whole foods and eliminating processed foods can assist the body during late summer and in the transitions between the seasons (and also in every season), as can chewing slowly and mindfully to help the body process and digest. Getting regular massage/bodywork can be beneficial during this time of year. Singing frees the earth element, while worry and overthinking cause the Spleen and Stomach to become sluggish. It is common for students to have weak Earth elements. If studying and spending a lot of time thinking are generally unavoidable, it is recommended to take breaks from study to stretch your muscles and get some light exercise. This helps rejuvenate the muscles and replenish the mind. The color of Earth is yellow; consider the yellow soils that grow so many of our foods, the fires of digestion, or the Ayurvedic/yogic link to the third chakra color of yellow. A yellowish hue on the skin can sometimes be seen in people with an Earth pathology. Sweet foods nourish Earth, but too much sweet can cause dampness, which bogs down the earth. Think of how one drop of honey can sweeten a bitter tea, but if too much candy, soda, or sweet breads are consumed, dampness in the form of being overweight begins to develop, particularly around the middle of the body.
The metal element is characterized by sinking and descending, by heaviness. It represents purification, elimination, and contraction. Autumn is the time of the Lungs (yin) and Large Intestine (yang) organ pair. They are the organs of the element metal, the color white, and the emotion of grief. It is not uncommon to feel sadness during the fall, as the Lungs begin to process grief (either recent or from a lifetime) and the Large Intestines help with letting that go. It is a time of taking in the pure, crisp air (Lungs) ~ a time for inspiration, and also for letting go with every exhale (Large Intestine). The flavor of the Lung/Large Intestine organ system is pungent or acrid. Pungent foods that are aromatic, dispersing, and spicy help transform dampness from the lungs, which can create heaviness that holds the emotion of grief rather than allowing it to transform and pass. Sang ye is a wonderful cooling and moistening herb for the Lungs, while da huang (Chinese rhubarb) is one of the most classic herbs for the Large Intestine. There are qigong sequences specific to the Lung/Large Intestine system; free videos can be found online. Qigong self-massage is another way to nourish and move this organ pair and free videos of the many variations of this sequence can also be found online. Massaging the acupressure points Lu-1 or -2 help to nourish the Lungs and bolster the immune system; massaging the acupressure points Large Intestine (LI)-10 is a boost for the immune system Large Intestine (LI) -4 are wonderful additions to any autumn health routine. In fact, routines, schedules, and boundaries flourish during this time and create the guidelines needed for the body, mind, and spirit.
The water element is moistening, downward descending, cold and cooling, and represents storage. Its season is winter and its direction is north. Think hibernation and the color black (sleep and going deep inside behind closed eyelids). The sense organ of water is the ears, which can be finely attuned by listening deeply to oneself. The Kidneys (yin) and Bladder (yang) are water organs. The Kidneys hold “yuan qi” or “source qi.” This organ system can be likened to our genetics, and is our very living essence, qi, yin, and yang; the idea of the Kidneys in Chinese medical philosophy houses all of these. The tissues of the water element are associated with storage (bones, joints, teeth, brain, and marrow). Think about joints such as the knees and low back that tend to become sore with age. Taking time for a lot of deeply restorative practices such as qigong, restorative yoga, yin yoga, and meditation are perfect practices for the long days of the winter water season. The emotion of these organs is fear. I imagine the deepest, darkest waters that hold secret depths ~ the natural human fear of the unknown. Strong Kidney and Bladder organ systems can help the nervous system remain balanced, even in the face of potentially frightening situations or scenarios. Any practice that helps to calm your sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze ) and activate your vagus nerve (rest, digest, renew, restore) ultimately helps to balance Kidney and Bladder energy. The ability to maintain an even keel in the face of fear, with few ripples on the surface of the water, is the sign of a balanced water organ pair, and often showcase the virtues of this system - wisdom, strength, courage, and willpower (zhi). The flavor of water is salty. I think of our primal origins in the deepest, darkest salty oceans. Salty foods go to the Kidneys and Bladder, but too much salt can damage this organ pair. Black foods such as black sesame seeds, black rice, and black chicken nourish the Kidneys and are all great foods to eat for deep, restorative sustenance. Acupressure can be applied to Kidney-3, between the medial malleolus and achilles tendon at the ankle, to tonify Kidney yin, yang, qi, and essence, while its opposite point, Bladder-60, between the lateral malleolus and achilles tendon can be rubbed to relieve neck tension. It also clears excess heat from the head. The first point on the Kidney meridian is on the bottom of the foot, and the last ones at the top of the chest, underneath the clavicle. Full treatments can be done based on this meridian system, incorporating ideas of birth, life, and death. Zhi fu zi (processed aconite) is a classical herb for warming Kidney yang, while Sang Ji Sheng (mistletoe) nourishes Kidney yin. Ze xie is a cold herb that helps drain excess fluids in the Kidney-Bladder system. There are Qigong sequences to help strengthen and balance the Kidneys and Bladder organ system, some of which involve clicking the teeth together many times. These sequences are freely available and can be found by doing a simple YouTube search. The temperature of the water element is cold. I think about how things slow down when they are cold. For life to happen, there needs to be warmth. As we get older, metabolism slows, we might walk or move a little slower than we used to, and in general experience lower energy. Water is the last element and the stage of life is the end of life/death. We can think of our return to the earth as coming full circle through the seasons and elements of our lives. The biochemical constituents of our bodies literally once again become earth - stored in and recycled into new life forms.
Spring gives birth to wood and new growth and then the growth of summer with the fire of the sun. Fall is time for harvest and the metal tools that cut the crops from their stems. In winter, there is storage of the crop in the darkness to preserve nourishing nutrients. Each season is its own cycle, and part of the larger cycle of seasons and cycles of our lives.
As with yang there is yin. Both are needed. Both complete the circle and the cycle. And so it is with our walk. Rest renews the body and spirit, and after that we will continue on again. As for now, we are still in the springtime of our hike.
written by kelly a. ilseman april/may 2022
with inspiration from the wise old owl,
my grandfather
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