Getting unstuck with 5 Element Theory

Are you curled up on the couch and its spring outside? Or maybe you are always doing, doing, and doing with no downtime in sight, even though you know you need and want it? Perhaps this brief explanation of Chinese 5 Element Theory will help you.

The use of 5 Element Theory helps us to understand cycles and patterns, and how and what you can do to help nourish yourself and give yourself the attention it needs.

The 5 elements includes:

• Wood

• Fire

• Earth

• Metal

• Water

In 5 element theory each of the elements works to generate the next element in the cycle. This is known as the generation cycle: Wood generates Fire; Fire generates Earth; Earth generates Metal; Metal generates Water; Water generates Wood and the cycle repeats. The balance of each element is important as it provides what is needed in order for the stability and health of the next element in the cycle.

Each of the elements have special qualities and correlations that provide insight into how your body maybe out of balance and what element(s) need attentions.

Some of the qualities of each of the elements include:

Quality	Wood	Fire	Earth	Metal	Water
Season	Spring	Summer	Late season	Fall	Winter
Movement	Outward expansive	Upward	Neutral, stability	Inward, contracting	Descending
Stage	Birth	Growth	Transformation	Harvest	Storage
Color	Green	Red	Brown	White	Black
Emotion	Anger	Joy	Pensive	Grief	Fear

If you find yourself stuck in a particular state of being, for example, you are always on the run and you don't slow down; maybe you are stuck in Summer, and not nourishing yourself with grounding Earth energy that helps us transition to Fall. Summer is related to the heart and joy, and when we are happy are hearts are full of joy. Perhaps your heart is not filled with joy and are constantly on the run so to not have to confront this maybe. If you are stuck in Winter - still on the couch with the cat and your favorite book, are you fearful of the coming action springtime brings and the explosion of new life - perhaps your ideas or ventures are still "pending" and not quite ready to be birthed.

Using the basic qualities of 5 element theory you can stop and ask yourself what is it that your body REALLY needs. What season is it stuck, what emotion. In the last blog, I discussed using the nourishing and grounding Earth energy to help you get out of a state of excessive, obsessive worry. Same is true for all of the elements.

The depth of 5 element theory goes beyond the scope of this blog, however, having some basic information may help you navigate certain times in your life.

If you would like to know more about how Chinese medicine can help you, please feel free to reach out.