1 December 2020 – Anouk Schepers | According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the five elements are believed to be the fundamental of everything in the universe between which interactions occur. Everything is connected and in perfect harmony. This is reflected in the rhythm of day and night, the alternation of the seasons and the functioning of people.
According to traditional Chinese thinking, there are five seasons. Each season is linked to an element:
wood = Spring
fire = Summer
earth = Late Summer
metal = Autumn
water = Winter
The elements feed each other (in order):
The cycle begins with the water that nourishes the wood > wood can make fire > fire creates fertile earth > earth contains metal > metal can be converted into water.
But the elements holds each other in check too, it is a control mechanism:
Wood can grow through earth > earth can absorb water > water puts out fire > fire can melt metal > metal tools cut through wood.
Also…the elements are connected to the organs, tastes, senses, climate, tissues and emotions (SWIPE >)
It is quite complicated, but balance and harmony are key words for Chinese medicine. For acupuncture we use these elements to explain illness and health. As soon as there is a disturbance within this cyclical process of the successive phases, there will be a stagnation or overabundance of energy and this can cause health conditions. In TCM we find out what dominates or is deficient to you, which gives us important insights into your health and the opportunity to strengthen or weaken certain elements and find the right balance that contributes to good health.
