TCM

Traditional Chinese Medicine and 5 Element

5 Elements

Five Element Theory is a Chinese Philosophy used to describe interactions and relationships between things. The five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, water are believed to be the fundamental elements of everything in the universe between which interactions occur.

Five elements theory first appeared during the Spring and Autumn period ( 770 - 476 BC). it has become widely used in Chinese medicine, philosophy, fengshui, fortune-telling and martial arts.

Each element has its own characteristics and associations with different aspects of nature, such as direction, season, colour and so on. According to the 5 elements, each emotion corresponds to an element. Bad emotions can damage these organs, with reflexology we can make you feel relaxed, thus achieving the effect of curing disease.

Fire

Heart (yin) /Small Intestine (yang)

Colour: Red ( yang ), Purple ( yin )

Season: Summer Weather: Hot Direction: South

Sound: Laugh Odour: Scorched Taste: Bitter

Emotion: Joy/Sadness Virtue: Propriety Planet: Mars

Spectrum of Behavioural Responses in a Fire Element

Compulsively Cheerful – Miserable
Open and overly Sociable – Closed and Isolated
Clowning – Earnest
Vulnerable – Over Protected
Volatile – Flat

Main Issues of Concern in a Fire Element

Happiness and Emotional Volatility
Closeness and Intimacy
Love and Warmth
Clarity and Confusion
Control or Helplessness

If the Heart is out of balance, a person often feels sad or broken-hearted or they may become overexcited. They may feel out of control of themselves and their environment.

Heart blockages or weakness can manifest physically as problems with high or low blood pressure, angina, headaches, fevers, problems with speech, throat or the tongue.

Small Intestine unbalance can cause difficulty in recognizing priorities, as the Small intestine sorts the pure from the impure on a level of body, mind and spirit.

The Pericardium the Heart Protector, the guardian of the heart. Physically the Pericardium surrounds the heart protecting this most important organ. Emotionally and Spiritually it protects the emotions and harm attacking the Heart.

Earth

Spleen (yin), Stomach (yang)

Colour: Yellow ( yang ), Gold ( yin )

Season: Late Summer Weather: Damp Direction: Centre

Sound: Sing Odour: Fragrant Taste: Sweet

Emotion: sympathy/worry Virtue: Fidelity/Honesty

Planet: Saturn

Spectrum of Behavioural Responses in an Earth Element

Smothering or Mothering – Not supporting
Feeling Needy – Repressing Needs
Excessive Independence – Dependency
Uncentred and Dispersed – Heavy or Stuck
Over-dependant on security of the Home – Inability to Put Down Roots
Overthinking, Worry-Sympathy

Main Issues of Concern in an Earth Element

Feeling Supported
Getting Nourished
Being Centred and Stable
Mental Clarity
Being Understood

Spleen and Stomach organs are connected with the element of earth. When the Spleen is out of balance, the person can be very anxious, worrisome and pensive.

When someone has Spleen blockages and or weakness, they can get problems with mouth, muscle and dampness. This is due to lack of transformation of fluids through digestion. They can experience heaviness and slowness both emotionally and physically.

The Stomach function is to rot and ripen in order to digest physical, mental and spiritual nourishment. Emotional factors can cause digestive problems and lead to comfort eating attempting to fill your centre.

Metal

Lungs (yin), Large Intestine (yang)

Colour: White ( yang ), Silver ( yin )

Season: Autumn Weather: Dry Direction: West

Sound: Weeping Odour: Rotten Taste: Spicy

Emotion: Grief Virtue: Righteousness Planet: Venus

Spectrum of Behavioural Responses in a Metal Element

Fragile – Unyielding
Cut off – Seeking Connection
Resigned or Inert – Overworking and Achieving
Craving Quality and Purity – Messy and Polluted
Deeply Motivated – Nonchalant

Main Issues of Concern in a Metal Element

Grief and Loss
Recognition
Approval
Feeling Complete
Feeling Adequate in the World, Finding Meaning

When the lungs are out of balance, the person can feel loss and become an uninspired type of person. They find it hard to move into the future and can be jealous, grief-stricken, searching for quality and recognition. They may gather things of quality around them to help feel valued.

The Large intestine is the ‘drainer of the dregs’ of body, mind and spirit sorting out and letting go. This is important so internal pollution does not build up in a physical way. If mentally congested there can be difficulties to move on with life and to find quality from experiences.

With Metal imbalance there can be blockages or weakness. These can cause nose problems, dry or brittle hair problems, respiratory problems such as colds and flu. Difficulties with intimacy and relationship problems, seeking or rejecting value, accepting praise taking on new ideas and letting go. Also a general lack of energy and inspiration in their lives, due to being obstructed.

Water

Kidneys (yin), Bladder (yang)

Colour: Black ( yang ), Grey ( yin )

Season: Winter Weather: Cold Direction: North

Sound: Groan Odour: Putrid Taste: Salty

Emotion: Fear Virtue: Wisdom Planet: Mercury

Spectrum of Behavioural Responses in an Water Element

Risk Taking – Fearing the Worst or Overcautious
Distrusting, Double Checking, Trusting
Intimidating – Reassuring
Driven – No Drive
Agitation – Paralysis

Main Issues of Concern in an Water Element

Needing to be Safe
Being Reassured
Trusting
Drive
Excitation or Stimulation in Danger

Kidneys are the servant of life they have both control and strength to keep life on a firm footing. If the kidneys are out of balance, a person often feels scared, frightened and fearful, they can be hypersensitive, mistrusting and even paranoid.

The Bladder’s main function is to is to transform and move the Qi, keeping all the body fluids in the right place and keeping the natural quality and quantity. Up to 60% of the body is water, the bladder has a crucial role to do with the functions associated with body fluids.

Water blockages and or weakness can manifest physically as ear, hair and tooth problems, urinary infections, kidney stones, infertility, sexual problems, dull headaches, lower back, leg and knee problems, oedema, a lack of willpower and determination and kidney disease.

Wood

Liver (yin), Gallbladder (yang)

Colour: Green ( yang ), Blue ( yin )

Season: Spring Weather: Windy Direction: East

Sound: Shout Odour: Rancid Taste: Sour

Emotion: Anger Virtue: Benevolence Planet: Jupiter

Spectrum of Behavioural Responses in a Wood Element

Assertive or Direct – Passive or Indirect
Seeking Justice – Apathetic
Rigid – Over flexible
Excessively organised – Disorganised
Frustrated – Defiant
Over Obedient – Compliant
Decisive – Indecisiveness

Main Issues of Concern in a Wood Element

Boundaries
Power
Being correct
Personal growth
Development

Liver and Gallbladder organs are connected with the element of Wood. When the Liver is out of balance, the person can be very resistant and become literally a ‘stick in the mud’ type of person, who finds it hard to uproot themselves and adapt to changes. They can become inflexible, irritable, and nervous and even become angry, the liver promotes the free flow of emotions.

When someone has liver blockages and or weakness, they may have eye problems, nail problems, liver diseases like Jaundice, twitching, sharp headaches. Problems and pains will move around the body like the wind moves. Limbs may become arthritic; tendons and ligaments tighten causing difficulty in movement.

The Liver influences menstruation, the blood flow with heavy or lack of periods, painful periods and can affect fertility.

If the Liver and Gall bladder to not digest and assimilate foods well it can cause pain and stagnation.

Emotional responses may turn into impatient outbursts of anger, shouting at people and things in attempt to control a situation that they feel has lost control, maybe from bad planning.