5 Elements

Cultures that lived by the seasons observed that the life of humans appeared to be a reflection of the larger environment. The ancient Chinese healers, shamans and sages were keen observers of their environment and noticed that there were 5 different energetic (qi) presentations in the world: Hun, Shen, Yi, Po and Zhi.  Their understanding was that these energetic presentations were represented by the elements wood, fire, earth, metal and water and that the characteristics of these elements constituted all aspects of life. So a tree, a bird, a rice paddy, a stone, a river or a human all manifested with a balance of the five phases that best reflected its essence.  The predominance of a particular energetic phase could indicate the essence for that being, or could predict an imbalance.

If we are patient we can observe the five elements most easily through the seasons of the year.  Wood is the Spring season, very active and dynamic with green as the color; Fire is the Summer season, warm and sustaining growth with red as the color; Earth is the late summer/early fall (and also the transitional time between seasons), bringing the sweetness of the harvest with golds as the color, Metal is the Autumn season, cooler and letting go of the leaves and fruits with silvery whites as the color; Water is the Winter season, quieting the cycle down in stillness with dark blue as the color.

Along with the above classifications, there are also the organ systems, the senses, the flavor, body moisture, emotions, expressions of balance, movements.  Check out this chart for some of the categories.

Five elements also represent the relationships of the energies and their dynamic interconnectedness. With any shift in the balance of these parts the whole is affected and will be shifted also.

As an Acupressurist, part of my assessment of clients is to determine how the

relationship of the five elements is expressed both in balance and in imbalance.

(to be continued)