Introduction to Chinese Medicine, Twelve

Introduction to Chinese Medicine, Twelve

Getting to the Five Elements

Things manifest from an energetic Source or Mystery of Nature that is unseen, vast, and living. This Source is undifferentiated. In order for things to appear, first something “triggers” this Source to differentiate out Yin and Yang. From Yin and Yang, all things further differentiate into the Five Elements. From the Five Elements, manifestations arise in keeping with a variety of cycles.

Yin and Yang are the fundamental energies from which everything else arises. At the extreme (maximum), Yang turns into Yin, and Yin will transform into Yang. Night becomes day, day becomes night. Winter becomes Summer, Summer becomes Winter.  

The constant dance of Yin and Yang creates an overall balance. This natural order, reflected in the Universe around us and the Universe that is us.

A further division of Yin and Yang shows us four seasons and Yin-Yang balance within them (Summer and Winter, Spring and Fall). Each season corresponds to an element. We come to Five Seasons or the Five Elements by adding in Late Summer.

The “Creation cycle” flows in the same order as the cycle of the Seasons…Fire creates Earth, Earth creates Metal, Metal creates Water, Water creates Wood, Wood creates Fire.

The Creation cycle shows us how each Element nurtures the next Element. In this cycle, the Elements are encouraged to grow and expand. The Creation cycle is also referred to as the “Mother-Child” cycle. For example, Wood is the mother of Fire as Wood is the fuel of Fire, thus helping Fire to burn and grow. Using the seasons to help our understanding, winter becomes spring could be imagined as winter is the Mother of spring, or winter creates spring. And spring creates summer, summer creates late summer, and so forth.

Opposite in nature from the Creation cycle, the Consolidation cycle limits the growth or expansion of the Elements. This cycle is sometimes referred to as the Grandparent cycle…Fire limits Metal, Metal limits Wood, Wood limits Earth, Earth limits Water, Water limits Fire.

Putting these two cycles together produces the “Creation and Consolidation cycle.”

Here we see how balance is maintained through the relationships of the Five Elements. Expansion and growth are Yang attributes compared to Yin reduction and consolidation. When Yin and Yang are harmonized, moving, and balancing each other, all of the five Elements remain harmonious as well.

It is easy to see that if just one Element grows too large or too small, the balance of the whole system is thrown off. From this point of view, there is no difference between the energetics of the Elements and the energetics of the Organs, the meridians, and the associations with the Organ.

How can we support the balance of these Five Elements? By working with the QI in the meridians and Organs.

The physical body is a manifestation of energy. Organ systems are “crossroads” between the physical body and the energy that manifests, animates, sustains, and transforms the body. Much more than simple physical “things,” Organs in Chinese medicine are webs of energetic and physical phenomena. Again, to emphasize the difference between the physical-body organ and these energy systems, we capitalize the word “Organ” when referring to an Organ system from the Chinese perspective.

Meridian Massage,

Cindy Black