Five Elements - The Usefulness of Chinese Medicine
Five Elements - The Usefulness of Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine has a powerful advantage over western based medicine - it is holistic and looks for the cause of a health issue.
The five elements is an esoteric approach which links energy pathways in the body.
After all, if we can command energy then we can control our health - more on Qi later.
There is no absolute law in the system of the Five Elements.
The classical Chinese view of the universe denies the possibility of absolutes.
The laws of the Five Elements are descriptions of the tendencies toward transformation within the framework of Five Elements.
In the human body the relationship between the 5 elements and the organs( zang-fu) can be seen.
Elements - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water
Zang (Yin) - Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney
Fu(Yang) - Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, Bladder
Sense organs - Eye, Tongue, Mouth, Nose, Ear
Tissues - Tendon, Vessel, Muscle, Skin/Hair, Bone
Emotions - Anger, Joy, Worry, Grief/Melancholy, Fright/Fear
Notes - Jiao, Zheng, Gong, Shang, Yu
As a convention of expression, the energies of the Five Elements may be said to possess the following creative powers.
Wood tends to create Fire
Fire tends to create Earth
Earth tends to create Metal
Metal tends to create Water
Water tends to create Wood
The Controlling Cycle brings harmony and balance via complementary and opposite tendencies. It is a check in what would otherwise be an unending increase.
The Controlling Cycle
Wood tends to control Earth
Earth tends to control Water
Water tends to control Fire
Fire tends to control Metal
Metal tends to control Wood
Broken Balance
The Over Acting and Insulting sequences handle the abnormal relationship among the Five Elements when the balance is broken.
The Over Acting Cycle is the same pattern as the Controlling Cycle except each Element over-acts on another by one Element being in excess energetically.
The Insulting Cycle is the reverse of the Over Acting Cycle. This cycle handles energetics that is opposite to the Over Acting Cycle.
The Five Elements have Ten Stems
Each Element has a Yin and Yang component, each balancing the other as in the nature Yin-Yang.
If Yang rises, Yin depresses
If Yin rises, Yang depresses
If Yang depresses, Yin rises
If Yin depresses, Yang rises
This produces a complementary and opposite balance within each Element.
Ten Celestial Stems Creation Cycle
The arrangement of the Ten Celestial Stems following the tendencies of the Creative Cycle shows how the Yang aspects create each other and the Yin aspects create each other.
Were there no check on the tendencies to create, the result would be a compounding increase of the energies from one Element to the other.
One way this is checked and balanced is by the Yin and Yang aspects of each Element throughout the system balancing each other.
Another way the system remains in balance is by the Yin or Yang aspect of any Element balancing on the Controlling Cycle the Yang or Yin aspect of the Element it controls.
These tendencies are shown here.
Ten Celestial Stems
Controlling Cycle Balances
The balances are bi-directional following a Yin-Yang pattern. If Yin increases Yang decreases and vice versa.
Wood Yin created by Water Yin creates Fire Yin.
Fire Yin creates Earth Yin creating Metal Yin, which creates Water Yin.
The Yang aspects are similar to the above Yin energetics.
The whole system is a delicate balance of all the parts.
In perfect harmony, this system continues to generate and maintain itself, but if any disharmony or imbalance occurs anywhere in the system, any number of transformations of this imbalance can occur.
The influence of transformations may produce symptoms considered as adverse effects. Some transformations have no symptoms.
The Yin-Yang energetics of any Element can affect the other Element in a way depending on the relative strength of either Yin or Yang.
Balance is the key to harmony.
I would like to quote a passage from the Lu Shih Chhun Chhiu. The author of this quote stresses very elegantly the importance of movement and the dangers of stagnation.
"The reason the water in the stream remains vital, yet stationary water does not, and the hinge does not age, yet the rest of the door does, is because they are moving.
The relationship of the form and Chi is the same.
If the form does not move, the Jing does not stream. If the Jing does not stream the Chi becomes stagnant.
If the stagnation is in the head, it becomes like a tumour or like wind. If the stagnation is in the ear, it will cause deafness."
In the Lun Hung from 82 or 83 AD, Chhung points out, "Disease is like confusion and chaos. The Jing and Shen become confused and mixed up."
The Huai Nan Tzu emphasizes the complementary view. Order is the "passing through without disturbance" that enables action.
I have found this relationship, using the Ten Stems to be a vital and integral approach and to be a much better guide to energetics, symptoms, disease and diagnosis.
The exciting implication of this is that if we understand this order and facilitate it, we become more capable.
Authors Note
Movement is certainly a key to wellbeing. However, the spiritual, emotional and physical parts of the body are linked.
If one tries to improve the physical only then eventually the system will collapse - yang cannot exist without yin.
The reason for this article was to put my opinion forward about the integrity of yin and yang and the myriad of tendencies(relative energy) associated with each and to make the reader aware that not only yin and yang, negative and positive, hard and soft, strong and weak exists but that there are infinite relative energies between these opposites.
As in the various lines of a magnetic field there are strong and weak areas between the opposite poles and at all distances between the opposites and so the infinite tendencies between yin and yang has its counterpart in fluctuating strengths of energy - always moving.
So the compelling argument for movement is made - all things must move. If joints do not move, they solidify. If blood does not flow in the right way then there is stagnation. If the lungs do not breathe then there is no Qi and death follows. It is also not enough to think and not do - there must be some transformation of thought into the physical by doing.
Balance in all activity is necessary for optimum health.
References:
Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Macioca, G, Churchill Livingstone
Five Elements and Ten Stems, Nan Ching Theory, Diagnostics and Practice, Kiiko Matsumota and Stephen Birch
Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Cheng Xinnong(editor), Foreign Languages Press
Ron Campeanu
Ron Campeanu - Industrial Chemist, Reiki Master, studying an advanced Diploma in Acupuncture designed the Q10Sport formula in 2003 in Australia. It is a Listed Medicine and a very potent energy formula. Actives are naturally occurring in the body. The formula helps rebuild cells to allow the body more energy capacity when needed - in times of stress, training, work.
For more information please visit the website at http://www.realhealthproducts.com where you can read more information in the various health blogs.
Dating a Person with a Drug Addiction: Dating Advice – Change Someone's Life! Read the Best Medical Alarm Reviews Improved well-being and vitality through Chinese Medicine Medical Assistant Course - Capable To Handle Administrative Works Career in Medical Management - Always Rewarding Medical Office Assistant - An Important Medical Staff Member Phlebotomy Technician - Managing Every Type Of Medical Work Always Hiring In Hays Medical Center The Prevalence Of The Shortage Of Medical People Medical Transcription Cost How To Safely Use Prescription Drugs By Web Md Medications Medical Transcription Company Providing HIPAA Compliant Services What to Do If You Are Arrested for Drugs