Healing with the 5 Elements. part 1

Ok, here we are...the 5 Elements! Handed down from ancient China, it is one of the unchanging laws that brings order to the complexities of life, discovered through observing the workings of nature.

The Law of the 5 Elements is a further evolution of the Yin/Yang theory...which is the map for understanding energy. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses yin/yang theory to diagnose & treat the Qi (pronounced chee), or Vital energy to restore balance in the body. There's a delicate dance of yin/yang & they are inseparable....only when there is a onesidedness will it go against the natural order of things.

• Health is seen to derive from a flow between rest/activity, play/work, relationship/solitude, material concerns/spiritual awareness.

I call this the "Middle-Way" in which there are no extremes.

Essentially, the Law of the 5 Elements describes the circular sheng (CREATIVE cycle)- the Normal, healthy one:

• Wood creates Fire (when a log serves as a fuel for flame)
• Fire creates Earth (burnt ashes fall back into the soil)
• Earth creates Metal (within the Earth minerals are found)
• Metal creates Water (rocks in stream hold the water in its place)
• Water creates Wood (the source of life allows the trees to grow)

This is the cycle of way nature works. When there's an extreme or lack of one Element, disruption follows in the living cycle.

Our physical body, too, is a make-up of these 5 Elements (like a mini-Universe)...in addition to the conscious thinking Mind, 6th-Sense Intuition, 7th-Sense Ego, & even a 8th-Sense memory StoreHouse or "seeds" of previous Karma potential.

Thanks to Professor J.R. Worsley, who's brought the 5 Elements system to the West, we are able to have a better understanding of how to maintain balance in everyday life.

Starting with the Fire Element next time....I see this element so prevalent in today's society.

Thank you!