THE FIVE ELEMENTS

• All of nature is governed by yin/yang and the law of five elements.

• The elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water represent the fundamental qualities of all matter in the universe.

• An element is a process, movement or quality of qi, not a fixed “building block”.

SHEN CYCLE

• Wood creates Fire by burning

• Fire creates Earth from ashes

• Earth creates Metal by hardening

• Metal creates Water by containment

• Water creates Wood by nourishment

Mother – Child Relationship

• Through the Sheng cycle a practitioner can generate change in the organs of one element by treating another element

• If the “child” Element is deficient then it may be because it is not receiving enough qi from it’s “mother.

• It may be more effective to treat the “mother” to engender more qi in the “child”

• On the contrary if a “child” Element becomes too full, it weakens the “mother” Element.

Ke Cycle

• The cycle of control maintains unity within the Five Elements

• Without control, excessive growth would result in harm.

• Fire controls Metal by melting• Metal controls Wood by cutting• Wood control Earth by covering• Earth control Water by damming• Water controls Fire by extinguishing

The Organs or “Officials”

• The twelve organs can be looked upon as though they were “officials” in a court, each with a particular ministry or role.

• This portrays the organs more in terms of their function in a person’s mind and spirit than in the physiology of the body.

• Awareness of the “officials” leads to the practitioner emphasizing modes of behavior and ways of thinking when diagnosing their patients.

• This focus supersedes any indications arising from the physical symptoms.

Element Organ/Official Descriptive Name

Fire Heart Supreme Controller

Fire Small IntestineOfficial in control of transforming matter, of separating pure from impure

Water Bladder Controller of the Storage of Water

Water Kidney Controller of Water

Fire PericardiumHeart Protector and Circulation-Sex Official

Fire Triple Energizer Official of Balance and Harmony

Wood Gall BladderOfficial of Decision Making and Wise Judgment

Wood Liver Controller of Planning

Metal LungController of Receiving Pure Ch'i from the Heavens

Metal Colon Controller of Drainage and Dregs

Earth StomachOfficial in Control of Rottening and Ripening

Earth Spleen Controller of Transport

Wood

• This concept includes all forms of vegetation from trees to flowers, but the tree is the archetypal representation.

• People begin life with an internal map or plan as to their capabilities and direction.

• They strive to become their own form of tree and they encounter obstacles and frustrations along the way

• Like trees, people also require certain resources to fulfill their potential and they also require flexibility in order to adapt to changing circumstances.

Wood and Other Elements

• Wood is the mother of Fire

• Water is the mother of Wood

• Wood controls Earth

• Metal controls Wood

Color of Wood - Green

• Green especially resonates with spring• Green manifests on the face when the Wood

organs are chronically out of balance.• The color is usually lateral to the eyes, under the

eyes or around the mouth.• A green color is an indicator of qi stagnation,

much of which occurs from the Liver’s failure to ensure the smooth flow of qi

The Sound of Wood - Shouting

• Shouting is a sound naturally resonating with anger.

• Anger makes the qi rise and the upward movement of the qi gives the voice forcefulness.

• The person who shouts wants to be heard and is often asking for changes to be made.

• Practitioners may feel that they are being talked at rather than being talked at.

• A ‘lack of shout’ can occur when the qi fails to rise sufficiently.

Odor of Wood - Rancid

• Rancid is applied to fat that is no fresh

• Rancid is also like the smell of new mown grass, but not so pleasant

• The effect on the inside of the nose is somewhat prickling and makes people wrinkle their nose.

The Season of Wood - Spring

• Another cycle of growth begins• Wood people are very aware of the qi of

spring. They resonate with and usually benefit from the increase of Wood qi in nature.

• The Wood qi gives us a vision of our potential, to initiate growth and change and the determination to achieve that development.

The Power of Wood is BIRTH

• The notion of birth resonates with spring, growth, and development.

• Wood qi is required to give birth to new projects, ideas and events.

• If Wood qi is stagnant, the patient has lost the force to initiate change and innovation.

The Climate of Wood – Wind

• Wood people find a strong wind uncomfortable and often become irritable and restless.

• It can also manifest as tightening of the neck muscles and headaches.

• On the other hand Wood people can find the wind exhilarating.

Sense/Orifice of Wood

• The sense for Wood is sight, the orifice are the eyes, and the secretion is tears.

• Eye problems are traced back to the liver.

• The diminished vision can be myopia, floaters, difficult night vision or vision that declines as the day progresses.

• There can be a ‘mental’ lack of vision.

Tears

• A person can have tears of grief, sadness or joy.

• Tears can also be the overflow from held-in frustration.

• When a patient has frequent bouts of tears the practitioner might consider whether the reason is unexpressed anger.

Ligaments and Tendons

• Blood nourishes both the ligaments and tendons and when they are functioning well patients have a lack of clumsiness.

• If the Wood element is out of balance, the ligaments tend to be too rigid or too flaccid and as a result movements are less precise and the joints may become sore and less stable.

• When the liver is functioning well, this means that when the body needs to move, the liver can release Blood to move and nourish the ligaments, tendons and joints.

Residue of Wood - Nails

• Nails that are ridged, dry, soft, or brittle suggest that the Wood element is unbalanced

• The state of the nails is dependant on the Liver’s ability to store Blood.

The Emotion of Wood - ANGER

• Regarded as a negative emotion due to it’s sometimes painful and destructive consequences.

• It is a crucial emotion – an emotion required to initiate change.

• Without anger there would be little or no growth, either personally or culturally.

• For Wood people, anger lies at the heart of their suffering.

• Feelings of frustration, resentment, bitterness and rage are chronic and produce disharmonious movements of qi.

Frustration

• Is a key emotion of Wood

• There are 3 basic responses – one is normal and the other 2 are pathological.

• The other two are rage and the other is the extreme turn to apathy or depression.

Normal Response to Frustration

• There are two normal responses

• 1- produce a “plan” B

• 2- to reassess what was wanted

• Flexibility is the key quality required

Rage

• People consumed with rage are no longer effectively striving to get what they want.

• In Sun Tsu’s , The Art Of War, he recommended that one should cause the enemy’s general to be angry, thus scattering his mind.

Resignation and Apathy

• The person exhibits little or no resourcefulness in overcoming obstacles.

• When chronic, the qi of the liver starts to stagnate.

• This can manifest as muscle tension.

• Other descriptions include – indifferent, apathetic, ‘laid back’, or blasé.

Wood –The Organs

• The two organs of Wood are the Liver, the yin organ, and the Gall Bladder, the yang organ.

• Although their functions are different, the two organs exist close together and have some overlapping functions.

Liver – The Planner

• Liver holds the office of general of the armed forces.

• Has to be aware of the ultimate goals, along with the outcomes relevant to any situation.

• It is essential to have higher goals.• A goal that cannot be negotiated becomes

a burden and any frustration with respect to it is a dead end.

Liver

• The archetype of a military commander is not a frail, spineless individual.

• Liver energy is focused and tied into the achievement of important goals.

• Planning is occurring all the time and on all levels of the body, mind and spirit.

The Spirit of the Liver – the Hun

• The Liver houses the Hun which is translated as the “Ethereal Soul”.

• It is thought to enter the body at birth and leave the body at death.

• The mental functions affected by the hun are thinking, sleeping, consciousness and mental focus on the one hand and thinking and strategizing with insight and wisdom on the other.

Hun

• The hun is rooted within the Liver Blood.• When the Blood is unhealthy, people can have a

feeling of floating off when dropping off to sleep. • They can also sleepwalk and have out of body

experiences.• They can find it difficult to distinguish dreams

from reality.• The hun is easily upset by alcohol and drugs.• Symptoms can range from absent-mindedness

to gross distortion of perceptions.

Hun - Wisdom

• Wisdom suggests that people’s experience helps them understand and have the ability to access and make sense of the patterns of events that occur in their lives.

• People with well rooted hun can make good decisions and plans, using their insight and wisdom.

• To assess the patient’s hun you need to ask : “To what degree is this person growing and developing towards his or her ultimate purpose or destiny?”

Gall Bladder – The Decision Maker

• The Gall Bladder is the official of wise judgment and decision making.

• The officials of the other organs come to the gall bladder so that it can make decisions.

• Many of the functions of the gall Bladder points refer to regulation.

• When people are regulated they tend to take action that prevents them from going to extremes.

• When not in balance there is extreme timidity, lack of self-assertion and lack of balance, regulation, and good decision making.

Time of Day for Liver & Gall Bladder

• Gall Bladder = 11 P.M. – 1 A.M.• Liver = 1 A.M – 3 A.M.• If G.B. or Liver under strain patient will awake at

these times with a very active mind.• The condition is worsened by eating a heavy

meal late in the evening or by drinking alcohol.• At the other end of the day the liver is the

weakest in the early afternoon. • People feel especially weak at this time if the

liver is weak.

Fire Element

• The Fire Element manifests on the physical level through people’s sensitivity to heat and cold.

• Emotionally, the Fire Element manifests in being joyful.

• To be with others, sharing, and communicating generates and maintains the fire within us.

• Chronic loneliness is not life enhancing

Fire – Relationship to other Elements

• Fire is the Mother of Earth

• Wood is the Mother of Fire

• Water controls Fire

• Fire controls Metal

Color of Fire- Red

• Red is associated with blood

• Emotionally red is associated with passion

• Normal amount of facial red is normal under or besides the eyes.

• If found in other areas it may indicate excessive heat in another region of the body.

The Sound of Fire is Laughter

• Laughter naturally emanates from the heart

• “A person should laugh three times a day to live longer”

• When out of balance one may laugh out of context (painful experience) in order to possibly hide their nervousness.

The Odor of Fire is Scorched

• Burnt toast

• Clothes coming out of the tumble dryer

• Shirt that has just been scorched while ironing

• The odor generally comes on during a fever state.

The Emotion of Fire- Joy

• Imbalanced Fire can manifest in a inability to join in a joyous occasion or express an excessive amount of joy.

• Prolonged sadness will affect the Fire Element the most.

• Intimate relationship breakups will equally create an imbalance in the Fire Element.

The Season of Fire is Summer

• An imbalanced Fire can manifest in a excessive craving for the warmth of summer.

• Also, people who experience aggravations in symptoms mainly during the summer may show a imbalance in Fire.

Fire – the Sense Organ

• The sense organ for Fire is Speech and the orifice is the tongue.

• Speech is the crucial tool for the heart.

• Irregularities in speech (stuttering, babbling, forgetting or mixing up words, or faltering speech) indicates a stress to the Fire Element.

Blood and Blood Vessels

• The Heart is said to govern the blood and the blood vessels.

• This provides the link between the Organs, tissue and body parts.

The Residue of Fire- Hair

• The connection between hair and Fire is via the blood.

• Blood’s function is to nourish and moisten.

• The quality of one’s hair will reflect the quality of their blood.

• The quality of hair usually shows a dryness.

The Taste of Fire - Bitter

• The biter taste can drain or dry dampness or disperse or clear excess heat.

• Bitter herbs sold at bars are used to clear damp and heat generated by the liver

Fire – The Organs

• Fire has two yin organs and two yang organs

• Two of these are not ordinary organs and are often referred to as functions.

• The two organs are Heart and Small Intestine.

• The two functions are Triple Burner and Heart Protector (also known as Pericardium).

Heart – The Supreme Controller

• The Heart holds the office of lord and sovereign.

• The welfare of all other organs is dependent o the heart.

• A healthy heart with no obstructions does nothing other than allow our spirit to rest peacefully within it.

Shen – The Spirit of the Heart

• The Shen enables people to radiate outwards from their spirit.

• Shen gives a person a sparkle in the eyes, an inner vitality, and an alertness of the mind.

• All the yin organs store a “spirit”. The Heart houses the Shen.

Relationship with other ‘Spirits’

• Shen is the overseer or leader of the other spirits.

• Wood – hun or Spiritual soul

• Earth – yi or intellect

• Metal – po or animal soul

• Water – zhi or will

Shen

• Shen affects our ability to sleep, especially to go off to sleep.

• The Shen goes outward during the day and engages with the world.

• At night, when it is time to rest, the Shen returns to the Heart.

• The Shen rests in the Blood of the Heart.• When the Blood is not healthy, the Shen is

not ‘rooted’ and becomes agitated.

Shen

• The Shen affects our short term memory.

• The Shen Also governs our ability to think clearly and have clear consciousness.

• This allows one to concentrate without wandering off

Imbalance of the Heart

• There is a lack of internal control• One experiences difficulty with getting off

to sleep.• There are excessively volatile emotions,

uncontrollable tearfulness and internal desperation.

• There is generally a lack of stability of the emotions.

Pericardium

• The Pericardium is the servant of the Heart and has the function to look after and protect the heart.

• When the Heart is properly protected, joy and pleasure can arise.

• The Heart protector requires flexibility.• Close friends, advisors, and confidants

need to be admitted and strangers and hostile people need to be excluded.

Pericardium

• When stuck open, people may have a tendency to get hurt easily and behave in inappropriate behavior. i.e., falling in love and getting married all in one day.

• When stuck closed, one has difficulty in making friends, building relationships, and being available to receive love and warmth from others.

Pericardium

• The Pericardium acts as a intermediary between the Heart and the Kidney’s ming men (vitality)

• The Pericardium works to connect the qi from the ming men and the Heat and to transform and harmonize both a person’s inherited and acquired qi and essence.

• Harmony between the Heart and Kidneys is very important for a person to be at ease mentally and spiritually.

Imbalance of the Pericardium

• The person’s ability to protect their Heart from feelings of rejection is hindered.

• There is a tendency to be overly-sensitive and to feel easily hurt.

• Excruciating emotional traumas in the past can block the pericardium to insure they will not have to feel those feelings again. They are not prepared to take a risk of another intimate relationship. Here, pets often become a welcome source of safe intimacy.

The Small Intestine - Physical

• All food and fluids that we take into our body needs to be transformed and sorted out during the process of digestion. The purer fluid is passed on to the large intestines for absorption while the impure passed on to the bladder for elimination.

• Nutrients are absorbed into the blood and food waste is passed to the large intestines.

Small Intestine – Mental & Emotional

• In the modern world we have an extraordinary number of lifestyle choices.

• In separating the pure from the impure, the small intestine has an important job of discrimination.

• When unbalanced, the person may become mentally fuzzy, unable to make decisions or have difficulty evaluating what to do next.

• The person may be convinced that others do not understand them (and they may be correct), but not realize that it is due to their confusing comments.

The Triple Warmer

• The official of balance and harmony

• Is a function without an organ

• The three burning spaces (jiao) cover the process of a body taking in food, drink, and air, transforming them, separating them and absorbing part and excreting the remainder.

The Three jiao

• The upper jiao lies at the level of the chest and contains the Heart, Lungs and Pericardium.

• The middle jiao which is at the level of the solar plexus, contains the Stomach, Spleen, Liver and Gall Bladder.

• The lower jiao lies in the lower abdomen and contains the Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Bladder and Kidneys.

The Three jiao

• The upper jiao is compared to a mist

• The middle jiao is compared a maceration chamber or muddy pool.

• The lower jiao is described as a drainage ditch.

Evaluation of Triple Burner

• Because qi is also warmth, the assessment of the three burners involves feeling the temperature of the skin on the surface of each burner.

• Too hot or too cold may mean the Triple Burner is not properly regulating the water passages.

The Time of Day of the Organs

• Heart 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Small Intestine 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

• Pericardium 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Triple Burner 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Relationship of Fire Organs

• The Heart rules, and the Pericardium protects.• The Small Intestines shares the role with the

Pericardium by separating the pure from the impure.

• The Triple Burner maintains the flow throughout the three burners creating harmony.

• When the Hart and/or Pericardium are weak, people often have a tendency to have emotional ups or downs. With a healthy Triple Burner, there is moderation of these fluctuations.

The Time of Day for the Organs

• There are more cases of heart failure during the low time for the heart – between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

• Heart attacks, where there is too much energy, occur more frequently at midday.

• People with deficient Pericardium often feel an increase in vitality in the evenings. The evenings are also the time when people spend more time socializing and making contact with each other.

Behavioral Patterns of Fire

• 1.Compulsively cheerful -------- Miserable

• 2. Open and overly ---------Closed and

sociable isolated

• 3. Clowning ------------Earnest

• 4. Vulnerable ---------- Over-protected

• 5. Volatile ------------ Flat

Earth

• The Earth Element is often compared to a mother.

• The Earth like a mother provides us with support and security.

• Over time we learn how to care for others and to care for ourselves.

• An unbalanced earth child will be less able to receive nourishment and care from the mother.

Earth – Relationship to other Elements

• Earth is the mother of Metal

• Fire is the Mother of Earth

• Wood controls Earth

• Earth controls Water

• The Earth in the Center

The Color of Earth – Yellow

• When a person’s Earth Element is unbalanced it will manifest as a yellow or earthy color on the face.

• Yellow indicating that Earth is out of balance will be seen besides or under the eyes.

The Sound of Earth - Singing

• The singing voice tone naturally occurs when we sing a lullaby with a child in our arms.

• When this voice tone consistency occurs out of context, it indicates an earth imbalance

The Odor of Earth - Fragrant

• An imbalanced Earth Element emits an odor that can best be described as cloying and sickly sweet with a tendency to linger in the nostrils and the room.

Emotions of Earth

• The emotions of Earth can be described as over-thinking or obsessive thought, pre-occupation, rumination or cogitation.

• The Earth Element emotion can best be summarized as Worry and Sympathy.

Sympathy

• There should be a relative balance between giving it and receiving it.

• We need to maintain a balance between being independent and allowing ourselves to be cared for when appropriate.

• We also need to maintain a balance between caring for ourselves and being sensitive to the needs of others.

Varieties and Extremes of Sympathy

• 1. Excessively wanting sympathy and support

• 2. Rejecting any help, support or sympathy from others.

• 3. Excessively feeling and giving sympathy.

• 4. Being touched by other’s distress.

• These all indicate an imbalanced Earth.

Season of Earth – Late Summer

• Earth is located in the centre of the other Elements.

• It comes after the peak of high summer and before the leaves drop in autumn.

• At this time there is sense of time standing still.

• It is a time when yin and yang are finely balanced.

The Power of Earth - Harvest

• Are our patients reaping a harvest?• Are they gaining the benefits from eating

good quality food.• Have they psychologically benefited from

what they have experienced.• Does their study go into their mind and

bear fruit.• Are they satisfied with what they received

or are they hungry for more.

Climate of Earth- Dampness or Humidity

• When people have ‘damp’ on the inside they have a higher amount of fluid buildup than normal (Bloated abdomen, edema).

• With deficient Earth Element usually dislike damp or humid weather (joint pain, aching muscles, headaches or lethargy)

• Certain foods are classified as damp forming – dairy, all greasy food and alcohol.

The Sense Organ/Orifice for Earth

• The sense organ of Earth is that of taste and the orifice is the mouth.

• Taste guides what we eat. Unfortunately, people today are guided by factors other than taste.

• With a weak Earth, people lose their taste, have a sticky taste in their mouth or have digestive difficulties.

• Color of lips should be bright, red, and moist. (not dry dull and pale color).

• Saliva should not be excessive or deficient

Muscle and Flesh

• The quality and function of the muscles and flesh depend on the qi of the Earth.

• Poor muscle tissue, lumps and swelling under the skin indicate poor transformation and a weakness of Earth.

• The skin should have a smooth consistency.

Residue of Earth - Fat

• Excess fat, which sometimes occurs in lumps under the skin (lipoma) is said to be Phlegm or a thicker form of Damp.

• So any excess fat on the body suggests a weakness of the Earth.

Taste of Earth - Sweet

• Sweet her does not describe the sweetness of sugar or candy.

• It is a more subtle sweet taste of rice, carrots, corn, cabbage, pumpkin.

• This type of sweet taste is said to have a strengthening effect on their qi.

• Eating too many sweets weakens the Earth Element which in turn creates a stronger craving for the sweet taste.

Earth – the Organs

• The Stomach and Spleen are responsible for the storehouse and granaries. The five tastes stem from them.

• The Spleen is described as the official of transformation and transportation.

• Transformation involves the conversion of food and fluid into qi.

Spleen

• The mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth with the addition of saliva, the breakdown of food and fluids in the stomach, the movement of digesting material through the small intestine into the large intestine for excretion through the anus is all under the control of the Spleen.

Spleen

• A breakdown in the transport system can also reflect mentally and spiritually.

• Thinking may be poor with no conversion into action.

• Concentration and memory are affected.

• People may also have obsessive thoughts.

The Direction of Spleen

• The main direction of the Spleen qi is upwards and it raises yang qi to the head.

• If the qi quality is poor, the patient will feel tired with a feeling of physical heaviness and emotionally depressed.

• Diarrhea occurs when the Spleen fails to move qi in an upward direction.

• The Spleen also holds the Blood in the Blood vessels.

• Symptoms arise such as nose bleeds, uterine bleeding, bruising or petechiae.

The Spirit of the Spleen - Yi

• Yi means ‘the process of establishing meaning in the world with words that come from the heart.

• The Spleen is therefore responsible for ‘applied thinking’, studying, memorizing, focusing, concentrating, and generating ideas.

• Cramming for exams can weaken the Spleen.• An imbalanced Spleen cause a preoccupation or

an obsession.• This limits one’s creativity, spontaneity and

happiness.

Yi - Intension

• This is a person’s ability to focus the mind on the desired object.

• If weak, the ability to concentrate on work or a conversation can be affected.

• Spiritually, it limits the person’s ability to remain steady in their purpose leading to agitation, insecurity, or lethargy.

• This leads to depression, anxiety, and despair.

Stomach

• The action of the Stomach is to rot and ripen.

• The Mouth breaks up the food and drink, adding saliva and warming the mixture.

• The Stomach carries on this process so the food essences, can be separated out and used to create qi.

Stomach

• Correct food and a healthy Stomach Official are required to digest physical, mental, and spiritual nourishment.

• The pathological expression of worry can easily disrupt the transformation process.

The Direction of the Stomach

• The Stomach’s direction is downwards.

• Any failure to send food downwards results in belching, hiccups, nausea or vomiting.

The Time of Day

• Stomach – 7-9 a.m.• Spleen - 9-11 a.m.• Between 7-9 a.m. is breakfast time• This is the time when our digestion is at it’s best. With a

healthy Stomach and hearty food, a person is set for the rest of the day.

• If imbalanced – the person has no appetite.• Low energy between 7-11 p.m. indicates a weak Earth

since this is the low period for Earth organs.• Eating at this time is very stressful to the Stomach

Patterns of Behavior

• 1. Smothering/ mothering --- not supporting• 2. Feeling needy ------ repressing needs• 3. Excessive dependency – overly independent• 4. Uncentered & dispersed ---stuck & heavy• 5. Over-dependent on ---- inability to put down

the security of the roots

home

Metal Element

• The Metal Element suggests something small in quantity but of great value, buried deep in the earth

• Metal is the minerals and trace minerals in the earth or in our food. 4% of our bodies are made up of trace minerals.

• These are used to regulate and balance our body chemistry.

• They are truly the valuable Metal buried deep within.

Metal

• In nature , Metal revitalizes the earth.• In autumn, leaves and fruit fall off the trees and

fall to the ground. They rot and enter the earth, providing minerals and nutrients that nourish and enrich the earth’s capacity to grow new plants.

• Metal also describes the role of impervious rock within the earth. Without rock all the water would soak through to the center of the earth.

• Thus Metal creates Water.

Metal – Relation to other Elements

• 1. Metal is the mother of Water

• 2. Earth is the mother of Metal

• 3. Metal controls Wood

• 4. Fire controls Metal

Color of Metal - White

• In the East, white is worn as an outward manifestation of the grieving process.

• White appears on the face in an unbalanced Metal.

• This color usually appears under and beside the eyes.

• White usually appears ‘shiny’

Sound of Metal - Weeping

• The sound is usually associated with loss or grieving and therefore resonates with the emotion grief.

• There is a hint that the person speaking with a weep might easily begin to cry or weep in the ordinary sense (choking).

Odor of Metal - Rotten

• Like rotten meat

• Fills the inside of a person’s nose with tiny prickles.

• Clenches the inside of a person’s nose.

Emotion of Metal - Grief

• The emotion of grief is associated with the loss of a loved one.

• There is often shock and then an outburst of grief.

• We experience daily occurrences of grief ranging from very small to large.

• With a balanced Metal, there is an appropriate emotional response with the ability to let go.

Grief

• A sense of loss is the most intense emotion that some people have to endure.

• A person’s spirit can remain alive or become deadened and diminished by the event.

• Grief can also be experienced as disappointment, yearning or regret.

Grief

• The Metal Element (Lung & Large Intestine) give people the capacity to confront loss, let what they once possessed go, feel the pain and then move on.

• When out of balance, grief is less fluent and people can get stuck, not having truly let go.

• They can be inclined to be withdrawn and morose.

• Others maintain a perfectly bright exterior in an attempt to convince themselves and others that everything is fine.

Season of Metal - Autumn

• Autumn is the time that the yang qi of the summer becomes more yin.

• Many people feel a sense of melancholia, or a sense of sadness, at this time of year.

Power of Metal - Decrease

• Autumn is a time of decrease.

• It is a time of letting go.

• Stillness often accompanies the dropping of leaves and seeds.

• Grief resonates with this phase, as there is death, a letting go and a preparation for new life.

Climate of Metal - Dryness

• Dryness is considered to be an external ‘evil’, which can invade and cause disease.

• The main symptoms of symptoms are a dry nose, throat and skin, a dry cough and thirst.

• People on extremely dry environments are prone to respiratory illness.

Sense organs / Orifice

• Metal is associated with the nose and the sense it governs is the ability to smell.

• Breathing through the nose both warms and filters the air before it enters the lungs.

• This protects against pathogens entering the lung.

• Mouth-breathing can weaken the lung qi and the person will begin to feel depleted and low in energy.

Tissue of Metal - Skin

• Suppression of skin disease may drive the disease into the lungs.

• The connection between asthma and eczema is well known

• Weakness of Lung and Large Intestine will produce poor quality of skin resulting in dry skin, and clogged or inelastic skin.

• The state of the body hair may like the skin, indicate a weakness of the qi of the Metal Element.

Taste of Metal - Pungent

• Garlic, cinnamon and ginger are examples of pungent.

• Pungent flavors move the qi. They also frequently produce sweating (releasing pathogens)

Organs Of Metal – Lungs & Large Intestines

• The minister (Lung) converses with the sovereign (Heart), takes instructions and carries them out.

• The Heart controls Blood and the Lung controls the qi, two of the key substances that make up the person.

• The lung is said to be the “receiver of qi from the heavens’

• Breathing brings in air for the creation of qi.

Lung

• The healthier the Lung qi, the easier it is to be inspired and feel vital about life.

• When blocked, there is a feeling of oppression and sadness an a lack of inspiration.

Defensive qi

• The Lung has the function of spreading ‘Defensive’ or ‘Protective’ qi all over the body.

• It lies under the skin and protects us from climatic conditions such as wind, cold, and damp.

• A weak defensive qi will cause frequent colds and flu and be more likely to have allergic responses.

The Spirit of Lung - po

• The Lung houses the po or physical (corporeal) soul. Which is linked to the body and is best described as the organizational principle of the body.

• It gives us the capacity of movement, agility, balance and co-ordination of movement.

• Po provides protection against psychic attacks at the spiritual and emotional level.

Po

• People with weak Lungs are more sensitive to criticism or emotional assault.

• Po gives people the capacity to have clear sensations.

• A strong po means that people’s physical senses are keen and this in turn allows them to be physically and spiritually alert and animated.

The Large Intestine

• Receives transformed food and drink from the Small Intestine.

• Absorbs the remaining pure food and nourishment.

• Excretes the dirty wastes.

The Drainer of the Dregs

• The Large Intestines eliminates the physical matter and fluids from the body as feces.

• It also drains the dregs from the mind and spirit.• People can become physically and mentally

constipated and unable to let go and move on in their lives.

• They may also become increasingly negative in their thoughts and feelings.

• Deciding what to discard and let go of is therefore the role of the Large Intestine.

The Time of Day for the Organs

• Lung is 3-5 a.m. and Large Intestine is 5-7 a.m.• Commonly people with weak Lungs experience

impaired breathing between 3-5 a.m. • It is also the time traditionally that many monks

rise to meditate, pray and focus on their breathing. It is the easiest time to receive inspiration from the heavens.

• Between 5-7 a.m. is the time of day one has the healthiest bowel movement in a balanced Metal.

Lungs and Large Intestine

• Both organs take in and both let go of toxins and emotions.

• The Lungs contact heaven. The large Intestines, as the final stage of the digestive process, contacts the Earth.

• People who cannot take on something new because they cannot find a way to let go of what is no longer relevant to them.

• This can take the form of an idea or a relationship as there is no room for something new to be created.

Responses to Issues

• 1. Fragile ------ unyielding• 2. Cut-off ----- seeking connection• 3.Resigned or inert – overworking & achieving• 4. Craving quality & purity -- feeling messy &

polluted

5. Deeply moved --- nonchalant

Element Water

• Water is the most yin of all the Elements• It is everywhere but has no shape.• Water makes up 55-60% of an adult’s body

weight.• A newborn baby is roughly 80% water.• As people age their bodies become dryer, their

hair more brittle, their skin withered and their movements less smooth.

• Ageing is partly a drying up process, a sign that the Water element is weakening and that we are losing our water reserves.

Relationship to the other Elements

• 1. Metal is the Mother of Water

• 2. Water is the Mother of Wood

• 3. Water controls Fire

• 4. Water is controlled by Earth.

The Color for Water is Blue/Black

• When Water is out of balance a black, dark blue will manifest on the face.

• The color can appear at the side of the eyes, under the eyes or around the mouth.

• This look is common to people who are overworked and who lack adequate sleep.

• This will deplete the reserves that are normally said to be stored in the Kidneys

The Sound of Water - Groaning

• This is a sound when one is threatened and the person speaking is anxious or afraid.

• An unbalanced Water would produce this type of voice when there is no threat present.

• The sound of groaning is one of flatness as if the more normal ups and downs of the voice have been squeezed or flattened out.

• This should not be confused with a flat ‘lack of laugh’ voice which would indicate a Fire imbalance.

The Odor of water is Putrid

• Putrid is described as the smell of water in a stagnant pond or the smell of stale urine or bleach or ammonia.

• It can be a sharp aggressive odor that makes the inside of your nose clench or seize up/

The Emotion of Water - Fear

• Fear is the emotion most often associated with Water and fright or shock is the emotion which might occur only once, but can cause a lasting imbalance.

• Some forms of epilepsy are caused by the mother being shocked while the fetus is in the womb.

Fear as an appropriate emotion

• Fear is one of our most primary and necessary emotions because it allows us to survive.

• Without fear we would not be alive and human life would cease to exist.

• Fear of death is the most basic fear.• It threatens one of the key functions of water –

the drive to survive.• Caution and prevention are the positive aspects

of this emotion.

Mental aspect of Fear

• 1. Awareness of a threat

• 2. Feeling of fear

• 3. Mind considers solution(s)

• 4. Acton

• 5. Safety (or return to 3)

Abnormal patterns of Fear

• The extremes of this pattern are phobia and hysteria.

• In both aspects they can not hear potential solutions even if offered by others.

• Some people hide their fear by being joyful, sad or angry.

• Some tend to be physically restless and other become paralyzed with fear.

Fear

• Intense fear often makes people urinate in a hurry.

• In chronic cases, one experiences physical pain in the torso.

• Some feel a sensation in the heart and chest.

• Other feel it in the pit of the stomach.

Fear

• The patient’s response to reassurance can reveal an imbalance in Water.

• It is impossible to reassure an imbalanced Water state. They find it difficult to trust others.

• Their fear is deeply irrational and cannot really be touched by words or information.

Lack of Fear

• Some people have learnt to repress their feelings of fear.

• They become hyper-aware and attempt to anticipate threats and deal with them before they happen.

• This usually stems from a frightening experience in childhood.

• They grow up and evolve strategies that involve suppressing the intensity of the emotion to the point of becoming unaware of the feeling.

Lack of Fear

• People with this pattern frequently take unnecessary risks.

• They find activities like parachuting, bungee jump etc. fun and exciting.

• Some are very competent entrepreneurs who take frequent risks.

• With careful assessment they rarely fail.

Lack of Fear

• Diagnosing this pattern is difficult.

• Often these patients are motionless in their bodies, but their eyes are alert for every possible danger.

• There is a tendency for the practitioner to feel anxious in their presence and cannot understand why.

The Season of Water - Winter

• Life slows down in winter. It is a time when nature rests and water freezes over.

• This means that in winter we should go to bed early, slow our activity to a minimum and preserve and protect our reserves of qi.

The Power of Water - Storage

• In winter our qi will naturally flow deeper inside us.

• If we rest and take life slowly we will preserve it.• Water stores much of the person’s reserve

energy. That is why over-work and lack of sleep easily depletes Water and the Kidneys.

• Water fatigue has a particular characteristic.• When they feel tired they often have a desire to

stop completely.

The Climate of Water - Cold

• The colder the weather, the greater number of fatalities from angina pectoris, coronary thrombosis, cerebral hemorrhage and myocardial infarction.

• The cold of winter makes our qi run slow in pull inwards.

• We need to question how patients respond to cold, both in themselves and with respect to their symptoms.

Sense organ/orifice for Water the Ear

• The sense of Water is hearing and the organ is the ear.

• People who are chronically afraid have a hard time hearing and taking in reassurances.

• It is not to do with the hearing mechanism but with the mind.

• This person will typically turn away and close the eyes.

• Since aging is a drying up process, hearing is equally affected due to the Water element.

The Tissue of Water - Bones

• The strength and function of the bones depends on the qi of the Water Element.

• Irregular or abnormal bone growth before 10 years old suggest a Water imbalance.

• Osteoporosis can be linked to a weakness of the kidneys.

The Residue of Water - Teeth

• Very early deterioration of teeth suggest a serious imbalance of Water.

• The decline of teeth associated with ageing supports the view that the Kidneys tend to decline in later years.

Taste of Water - Salty

• Excessive amounts of salt tend to retains water within the body.

• A craving for salty food will indicate that the kidneys are out of balance

Water – The Organs

• Kidneys are the controller of water and the Bladder the controller of the storage of water.

• The significance of the kidneys are that they are the servant of life and that they both have control and the strength to keep life stable.

• Healthy Kidney energy maintains strong muscles, shiny hair and stamina.

jing

• JIng is the essence that is stored in the Kidneys that is the foundation of our qi and is the seed of life itself.

• Jing is the inherited constitution from their parents and ancestors.

• Exercise, rest and breathing exercises nourish jing

• One can deplete jing by working too hard, ejaculating too often or having too many childbirths, taking drugs, eating a poor diet and not getting enough rest or exercise.

Jing

• The balanced functioning of the Kidney is therefore essential for people to have abundant energy and power.

• Skill, ability and cleverness can also be gained through the Kidney’s effect on the brain and mind.

The Spirit of the Kidney – The Zhi

• Zhi gives people the ‘drive to survive’• Includes the drive to reproduce.• Regarded as the most powerful drive in

people in order to ensure the survival of the species.

• Willpower requires goals and the determination to push towards them.

• The Kidneys give people the strength to push consistently towards what they want.

The yin & yang of the Kidney & the zhi

• The yang is the outward-moving, warming qi and the yin is the inward-moving cooling qi.

• Those with deficient Kidney yang qi tend to listless, weak and lacking movement, physically and mentally. They are cold. Shivery and curl up in bed.

• Those with deficient Kidney yin tend restless, active and overly determined. They are hyperactive, hot and moving relentlessly towards their outcomes.

Fear and zhi

• Fear can manifest in two ways when it is unbalanced.

• One leads to no action and feeling too much fear to act.

• The other creates hyperaction and anticipating threats and dealing with them before they happen

• Both are patterns of an imbalanced will as much as imbalanced emotions.

Bladder

• The controller of Storage of Water.

• It controls the appropriate amount of body fluid in the right location.

• It is also responsible for keeping dry areas separate from wet areas.

Physical Function of the Bladder

• Moist eyes to see• Saliva in the mouth to digest• Nasal fluids when breathing• A moist throat and vocal chords to speak• Sufficient synovial fluid in all the joints to move

smoothly.• A moist Large Intestine to pass stools with ease• A moist vagina for pleasurable sex• Flexible, moist skin to protect and maintain

beauty.

Emotional Fluidity

• A healthy Bladder helps one’s mind and spirit flow and manifest smoothly.

• People in a chronic fear state become limited in their thoughts and only see a small percentage of what is possible.

• They find it difficult to move their minds from subject to subject,

• These people resist change, become agitated and find it hard to formulate effective strategies as their thinking becomes panicky and scattered.

• These people also exhibit both physical and mental jerkiness.

The Time of Day - Water

• Kidney is 3-5 p.m. and Bladder 5-7 p.m.• Weakness in Water Element wake up between

3-5a.m. to urinate.• This is the lowest time for Kidney and Bladder

and when Water qi is at its lowest.• People also experience anxiety and heat at this

time.• People whose Kidneys are weak become

agitated at this time due to becoming ‘burnt out’ from overwork.

Kidney and Bladder

• Both deal with fluid• The Kidneys are more concerned with the

quality of the fluids and the Bladder with the distribution.

• The major difference is the Kidneys function of storing the jing and therefore being the source of strength to fuel the long-term cycles of growth, development and reproduction.

• The Kidneys provide the capacity to develop sexually, to endure, to reproduce and to grow old gracefully.

Response to Issues

• 1. Risk-taking ----- fearing the worst

overcautious

• 2. Disturbing ---- trusting

• 3. Intimidating ---- reassuring

• 4. Driven ---- No drive

• 5. Agitation ---- paralysis