5 ELEMENT OVERVIEW

The five elements are five main energies that naturally emerge from the One (Tao, Unity, God, Spirit, etc.). The best way to understand the origin of the five elements is to understand what "five" is on an energetic level, i.e., how it is a natural development of 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5. If you want to skip this introduction and simply learn about the elements themselves, click here.

Numerology

Originally, there was One. This can also be known as God, the Tao, Spirit, Unity, the Great Spirit, or any way of looking at the world as originating from Oneness.

Then, there were 2. Any way of looking at the world that includes polarity, i.e. this or that, yin or yang, etc., is part of the two-space. When 1 became 2, it didn't lose its Oneness. The Oneness remains deep inside the two, and you can access it by transcending two.

Then, there were 3 (you can see where this is going by now, right?). Any way of looking at the world as 3 is part of the three-space. Three-space can be defined as what naturally arises when in an intimate relationship (which is 2). It's no longer me and you (2). Now it's me, you and our relationship (3). Three is the number of creativity and dynamic interaction. It moves. Things happen quickly in three-space.

Then, there was 4. Four is now coming into more entrenched definition - it's no long the creative, dynamic movement of 3. Now life is solid, and it includes the process of making distinctions and naming things. This is a chair, which is distinctly different than a table (4). It's no longer one of the possibilities of something to place people or items on (3). Once you start to name things they've lost their fluidity. And with this comes the possiblity of loss and death.

Then, there was 5. Five is even more specific than 4, but is also less stable (and more dynamic) because it's an odd number. Five is all about inter-relationships (like 3) but in the larger venue of an ecology. It's your family dynamics. It's the reality of seeing how the destruction of the rainforests affects world ecology. Eventually, it will affect all local areas.

Five element medicine is concerned with your inner ecology, the relationships within your body, mind and spirit. Five element acupuncture, herbs and shiatsu balance your inner world, helping everything to work together in health and harmony.

The five elements create the seasons and other aspects of nature, and they operate according to specific natural laws. Their relationships with each other are intimate, delicate, and precise. Five element acupuncture's knowledge of how the elements relate and its techniques to balance them makes it incredibly powerful - it excels at balancing your unique inner ecosystem, creating health and wellness for your entire being.

Elements Overview

The five elements are water, wood, fire, earth, and metal.

Water is the energy of winter, and it empowers you with the wisdom to use your resources wisely. Your water element is the source of your will to manifest your destiny, and it is the seed of your potential. It gives you the capacity to sink into the depths of silence, as well as the cleverness needed to adapt and survive.

Wood is the energy of spring, and it imparts the vision, perspective, and long range planning needed to achieve your goals. Your wood element gives you the growth, creativity, and flexibility required for forward movement and true healing.

Fire is the energy of summer, and it helps you to fully blossom into maturity. Your fire element provides the warmth and safety needed to give and receive love, and it helps you feel connected with the people around you. The fire element’s joyful nature help you to celebrate life to the fullest.

Earth is the energy of late summer, and it houses your ability to have an intention. Your earth element nurtures, mothers, and supports others for the sake of world service. Your earth element’s empathetic nature allows you to feel the pain and suffering of others with compassion.

Metal is the energy of autumn, and it helps you relinquish attachments to the material world. Your metal element receives the purity of heavenly qi as you breathe, and helps you let go of the impurities you no longer need. Your metal element defines how you assess the value of others and of yourself.

Elemental Correspondences
In the subtle energetic realms that interpenetrate the physical world, each element is constantly transmitting its own frequency in service to the Tao (the One, God, Spirit, etc.). Each element is singing its own song. As the songs blend together and move into denser realms, creation is born.

The elements physically manifest in ways that are characteristic of their intrinsic natures. The aspects of earthly life associated with each element are known as correspondences. For instance, some of the water element correspondences include:

• Winter
• Blue
• Cold
• North

Can you feel how they all have the same root and are energetically associated? These are four of the "songs" of the water element. Naturally, each song can have an almost infinite number of variations.

Constitutional Factor (CF)
Five element masters observed that we each have a strong affinity with one of the five elements from birth. We resonate with one element primarily, continuously living in its energetic world. The element you resonate with most is called your constitutional factor (c.f.).

Your c.f. is the source of your greatest virtues. The strengths of that element are the root of your most prominent natural gifts. Similarly, the ways in which that element becomes imbalanced are the ways in which you become imbalanced, as well.

Your c.f. is the path through your greatest challenges, and its virtues lead you to true healing and the realization of your destiny. When you receive treatment on the meridians associated with your c.f., your acupuncturist supports you in transforming the deepest roots of any physical, emotional, mental or spiritual illness.

The Laws of the Five Elements
The five elements manifest in known ways because they follow natural laws. These natural laws determine how the elements interact and their relationships. Here are a two of the most important laws the five elements follow.

The Law of Mother and Child

As we see all around us, every healthy mother nourishes and cares for its child. The same is true within the five elements. While the elements mutually arise in the subtle realms in a non-linear fashion, they also have specific nurturing relationships with each other.

The Creative cycle is where we see the Law of Mother-Child in action. Each element is considered the "mother" of another element, and each element is the "child" of another element. It looks like this:

These relationships are evident everywhere we look.

Without Water, Wood is dry, brittle and inflexible.
Without Wood, Fire cannot burn.
Without Fire, Earth is wet, cold and barren.
Without Earth, Metal would not be able to form.
Without Metal, Water would be without its important trace minerals.

The Law of Grandparent and Grandchild

In cultures where extended families live within a single home, grandparents and grandchildren relate differently than is often seen today. In these cultures grandparents provide boundaries and structure for children still too young to be in school, while the parents are working to provide for the family.

In this same way, the elements provide checks and balances for each other. The Control cycle is where we see the Law of Grandparent and Grandchild in action. Each element is considered the "grandparent" of another element, and each element is the "grandchild" of another element. It looks like this:

Water controls Fire
Wood controls Earth
Fire controls Metal
Earth controls Water
Metal controls Wood

These relationships are evident everywhere we look.

Without Water, Fire runs rampant.
Without Wood, Earth is destabilized (think of how tree roots help prevent mudslides).
Without Fire, Metal is cold and unmalleable.
Without Earth, Water would flow without boundaries.
Without Metal, Wood would be untamable.

The Human Spirit
Chinese medicine considers the spirit the defining characteristic of the human being. It is what enables us to bridge heaven and earth, embodying the highest virtues of each, and integrating them within.

Five element medicine focuses on treating the spirit, because it is considered the highest form of medicine. Why? Because your spirit is the vital connection between you and the Tao (the underlying universal law whose nature is unity). Through deepening your relationship with the Tao, you become more present and able to authentically respond to each moment. Our bodies, hearts and minds naturally heal with this type of treatment.

Many people find that their entire lives change when they receive spirit level treatment. They are able to open to their destinies in a new way, and they find happiness and personal fulfillment.

A Little History
The first written document which mentions the five elements in a medical context is the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Nei Jing). This foundational work was written in 100 B.C. and is studied by acupuncture students of all traditions. Five Element theory is also evident within the I Ching (Book of Changes), which was written as early as 1100 B.C.

In the 1970's, J.R. Worsley brought five element acupuncture to the United States. He described five element acupuncture as the classical method of acupuncture handed down by oral tradition from antiquity. To learn more about him and the development of five element acupuncture, read In the Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor by Peter Eckman.

Five Element Resources

• Five Element Acupuncture
• Five Element Acupuncture School