From Natural Living Magazine

March 2008
As winter is coming to a close our long dark nights give way to the sun’s invitation to emerge from hibernation.  Winter has been at time of introspection, rest, reflection, and restoration.  Or has it?  Not so many generations ago when we were more of an egalitarian society our ancestors took the time for such reflection and relaxation. They had canned and preserved their season’s harvest and were planning next year’s crop.

Many of us suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). Today’s fast paced society doesn’t allow us this time to be quiet, more inward and in tune with our deepest darkest senses where we can relish in the inner warmth of our nature.  How can we be prepared for the days ahead when we haven’t honored and supported our inner being?  This stagnation and ignoring of our need to take time to love ourselves can plunge us into despair and fear.

According to the Chinese Five Element Theory, winter is related to the element water.  Water is the essential medium of our bodies, through which all things pass. This fluid of life is important for functions like circulation of blood which carries heat and nourishment throughout the body; and the lymphatic flow, which helps to process and eliminate wastes and provides your ability to fight off infections; and for the flow of urine, saliva, perspiration, tears and sexual fluids.  The bladder and kidneys which deal with the body’s water, are the organs associated with the water element and winter.  The emotion fear ties into the water element.  If  we are not fluid within ourselves how can our emotions become fluid?  This is a breeding ground for fear.

The traditional Japanese style of bodywork known as Shiatsu is based on the Chinese theory of the five elements.  By having the bladder and kidney channels of energy in the body worked and nourished with this supportive style of massage we can wash away our fears.  We can enhance our rejuvenation process preparing ourselves for the Spring’s glory and the awakening of our inner glory as well as the rebirth of our spirit.

May 2008
Hello in there. Wake up! Spring is here! This is nature’s birthing season, the time of creation and development. The product of our self introspection during winter is surfacing and is ready to come alive with the full bloom of spring. We may ask ourselves from what in our past do we want to clear out of our interior and exterior environment. Spring is the greening season in which seeds sprout, trees bud and nature awakens. New growth in our lives, relationships, and work is stimulated. We now feel a new spark and power and are filled with inspiration and energy to act upon our ideas. This is a new start!

In the Chinese Five Elements system Spring is the season correlating to the Wood element which governs the liver and gall bladder. The Wood element refers to the human growth structure as well as to plants and trees. They grow simultaneously out and upward, down and inward. For trees and plants this includes the trunk, limbs, and roots. For the human this includes the spine, limbs, and joints, as well as the tissues that hold us together-the muscles, ligaments and tendons. A Wood imbalance may result in spinal problems, poor flexibility, muscle fatigue and weakness, or a weak rootedness of an individual. In the Chinese system arthritis is viewed as Wood problem.

The Wood element, corresponding to the birth of an idea and action upon it, creates our mental clarity and our ability to focus, plan, and to make decisions. In it also lie our stability, sound judgment, and ability to adapt to change. This is primarily governed by the gall bladder in which an imbalance creates the manifestation of poor judgment, planning and organization, a fear of change or the inability to make decisions. On the other extreme an overtly strong gall bladder may result in excessiveness and obsession. This is the person who organizes and controls everything, everyone, and every situation. This person may be prone to headaches and neck and back tensions.

The direction associated with the Wood element is the East in which the sun rises. A healthy liver gives one the capacity to rise energized for the day. A sluggish liver will make for a slow morning riser. The climate is characterized by the wind which brings in fresh new air clearing out the stale and old. Blowing wind strengthens wood, but too much weakens it causing poor resistance or a weak immune system including allergies.

The Wood element is associated with the taste sour and with the emotion anger (livid for liver) and the sound of shouting. Suppressed anger may damage the liver and gall bladder, not to mention your emotional health and relationships. Held in emotions of any kind may breed many diseases. If you have suppressed emotions you may want to consider learning how to express them in a safe and healthy manner. In general, a healthy balance of energy that can be achieved with balancing the elements allows for a constructive expression of emotions.

The wood element gives us the spiritual faculty, inspiration, and desire for life. The liver is said to be the home of the soul. If the Wood element is weak we may lack the enthusiasm and spark to live. But alas, remember that in spring all living things can be renewed and restored. This restoration and balancing process is easily facilitated by the Japanese technique of massage known as Shiatsu which is based on the Chinese Five Element Theory.

June 2008
So, in my last two articles I have talked about 2 of the Five Elements based on the Chinese system of medicine. I thought I would give you an explanation of this ancient old system which exists still today due to its beauty and simplicity. It is a simple circle symbolizing a timeless continuity of life.

The Five Element theory is related to all energy and substance to each of the elements, which are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each is associated with one of the cycling seasons including the harvest season of late summer also known as Indian summer. The process of the Five Elements runs through Wood-birth-Spring, Fire-growth-Summer, Earth-maturation-Indian Summer, Metal-harvest-Fall and Water-storage-Winter and back to recreation-Spring. In day to day life, we see ideas, actions, manifestation, communication, and reflections which are also represented in the elements. Each element has a color, tissue it governs, and many other associations such as moods, food, tastes, and expressions of sounds.

There are two major kinds of relationships within the Five Elements. The first is known as the “creation cycle”, also called “Mother-Son Law.” For instance Wood creates Fire which creates Earth, therefore Fire is considered the son of Wood, and earth is the mother of Fire. The full cycle runs: Wood burns/creates Fire that with its ashes nourishes/creates Earth, with its minerals creates Metal, which gives Water its nourishing qualities and in turn waters/creates Wood.  The second cycle is known as the Control cycle in which each element checks and balances one another. (Imagine the Star of David drawn in the circle of elements in the diagram accompanying this article). If any get too weak, or too strong, they can injure or attack one another. Wood will injure Earth (root penetration), Fire destroys Metal (by melting it), Earth controls Water (dams), Metal attacks Wood (with an ax), and Water injures Fire (dousing it). Thus the Five Element system describes a circulation cycle of energy in the body.

These meridians have a yin and yang organ. Yang organs are on the outside of the body and correlate to the male energy which is a light principle that wishes to expand into everything. The inner yin, or female meridians are the receptive force that wants to contract into nothingness. Wood corresponds to the gallbladder (yang) and the liver (yin). Fire (which has two sets of meridians) relates to the small intestine and heart (this is known as Absolute Fire). The two other organs in the fire element are the triple warmer and heart constrictor which are in the meridian system called Supplemental Fire. Earth corresponds to stomach and spleen, Metal to large intestine and lung, and Water to bladder and kidney. (The first mentioned organ in each meridian system is yang and the second is yin).

These elements correspond to an organ system through out our body in a series of twelve channels of energy known as meridians. The meridians in the Five Element System create this flow of energy enhancing our life force also known as “chi”. As with the blood, lymph, and nervous systems, there must be an open flow to maintain health. Your environment and everything you think and feel affects this flow of energy. When the chi flow is upset then physical systems may manifest, for example high strung, work-a-holics with a “fiery” personality and a poor diet put stress on their heart therefore creating heart disease. When the flow is open and the mind is in harmony the organs are strong and functioning, thus creating balance and all is well. This balance can be achieved with the oriental technique of massage known as Shiatsu, through which acupressure points are used along the meridians to support and open this energy flow, therefore creating a healthier mind and body.

Illness is either classified as: yang-hot, in excess, and near the surface which is called Jitsu energy; or yin-cold, deficient and deep known as kyo energy. The Shiatsu practitioner feels for these jitsu and kyo qualities giving her a basis for balancing her client. The internal causes of illness are emotions like excess of joy or sadness, anger, depression, obsessiveness, worry, grief and fear. Other internal causes are intention, overexertion, dietary maladjustment, excess mucus, blood clotting, and heredity.  When you are out of balance, you are more sensitive to change and susceptible to illness. Thus during these periods you may need greater awareness and care, as well as a balancing flow between the meridians which can be achieved through Shiatsu massage. Essentially Shiatsu is facilitating the connection between the mind and body and at the same time enhancing the body’s own healing capabilities.

We are fortunate today to see Western medicine recognizing, respecting, and recommending Eastern medical practices and modalities such as Shiatsu and Swedish massage, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbolgy, and nutritional supplementation, as they also address ailments and provide an alternate enhancement to a cure. So give one of these modalities a try, and with regular maintenance watch your health be enhanced with a general feeling of well being.

Watch for theses five elements to be represented during the Olympics in Beijing this summer. Those athletes will be all “fired” up.