5 Elements

5
SECRETS TO
Balanced,
Healthy Living
Harnessing the Power
of the 5 Elements
Carolyn Joy White, PhD Dr. Lisa Lewis, ND, LAc
Kimberley Smith Lukhard, MS, RD, LDN Penelope Elfn
CONTENTS
Welcome to the Five Elements ........................................................................ 3
Author Biographies .......................................................................................... 4
Chapter 1: Power of the Five Elements ............................................................ 6
Chapter 2: Chinese Medicine, Health, and Five Element Diagnosis ............... 18
Chapter 3: The Five Elements and Nutritonal Balance .................................. 33
Chapter 4: The Flow of Your Life and the Five Elements ................................ 46
Summary: The Next Step Forward ................................................................. 58
3
5 SECRETS TO BALANCED, HEALTHY LIVING: HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE 5 ELEMENTS
Dear Reader,
You are about to embark on a journey of life as experienced through
The Five Elements. The authors here will show you how to feel good
as you approach your day, your health and your spiritual desires so
you radiate with the fow of energy.
They will demonstrate how you can balance The Five Elements for
physical wellness and harmony, lifestyle and nutriton. The Five Ele-
ments model can take you deeper in a number areas of life and, over-
all, help you learn to live a life in harmony and balance, or, as ancient
ones said it, life in the fow.
Get prepared to get directon on what you can do to live a more bal-
anced lifewith The Five Elements and these authors. Absorb their
words and take advantage of their wisdomthe balance you feel will
make you glad you did!
My best,
Donna Kozik
2-tme award winning author
www.AuthorFast.com
4
Author Biographies
Carolyn Joy White, PhD
Carolyn Joy White, PhD, metaphysical educator and energy therapist, is a Cert-
fed Aura Video Staton Consultant as well as a Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy
(DCH), a Certfed Spiritual Counselor (CSC), and an Internatonal Hypnosis Fed-
eraton Certfed Instructor (CHI). She is a Reiki Master, a certfed refexologist,
and author of Think It->Say It->Be It: Use Your Words to Change Your Life. To
learn more, visit www.ChakraCoach.com.
Dr. Lisa Lewis, ND, LAc
Dr. Lisa Lewis is a leading Naturopathic Physician, acupuncturist, healthy living ex-
pert, and author. She is the owner of the Lewis Healing Insttute and co-owner of
NatureDrsNutritonal Supplement and Wellness Company. Dr. Lewis is a Bastyr
University graduate providing insightul knowledge combined with simple, prac-
tcal strategies to help people relieve stress, and live healthy, vibrant lives using
Natural Medicine. Look for her new book, Stop Stressing Me Out: 7 Strategies to
Overcome Overwhelm and Conquer Disease Naturally, at www.DrLisaLewis.com.
Kimberley Smith Lukhard, MS, RD, LDN
Kim is a registered diettan, counselor, and teacher. She is a faculty member in
the department of nutriton at East Carolina University. She is the author of the
forthcoming book Eat, Skate, Win: 7 Steps for Your Youth Hockey Star to Eat Like
a Champion. Visit htp://KimLukhard.com for your nutritonal needs.
Penelope Elfin
Penelope Elfn is an empowerment expert and facilitator of peoples soul jour-
neys and author of the now published book Dig Deep and Fly High: Reclaim Your
Zest and Vitality, Loving You from Inside Out. Penelope Elfns early poor health
sparked her journey into inner self-discovery. She works with individuals and
groups, and is passionate about supportng others on their own inner personal
journey. For her contact details, check out her website, www.YourSpiritualMama.
com, and receive your free e-book now: Step Up, Step Out: Your World is Waitng.
5
6
CHAPTER 1
POWER OF
THE FIVE ELEMENTS
Carolyn Joy White, PhD
Chinese Symbol for Joy
7
Chapter 1: Power of the Five Elements introduces you to the universal ener-
gies of Nature. These energies are constantly ebbing and fowing, ever changing
yet remaining true to their nature.
You are about to embark on a voyage of discovery and learningdiscovering the
essence of the Five Elements and learning how your awareness of these energies
promotes balanced, healthy living.
Chapter Author Biography
Carolyn White, PhD, metaphysical educator and energy therapist, is the author of Think It_>Say It -> Be
It: Use Your Words to Change Your Life.
Carolyns passion for learning about our Human Energy System (HES) and the mind/body/spirit connec-
ton spans over four decades, during which tme she sought out mentors who were both wise and pure
of heart.
As a result of this pursuit, Carolyn is a Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy (DCH), a Certfed Spiritual Coun-
selor (CSC), and an Internatonal Hypnosis Federaton Certfed Instructor (CHI). She is also a Reiki Master,
Refexologist, and a Certfed Aura Video Staton Consultant. She has certfcaton in neuro-linguistc pro-
gramming (NLP), Time Line Therapy, and color therapy. In 2007, Carolyn completed a doctoral program
that awarded her a PhD in esoteric studies from American Pacifc University.
According to Carolyn, all energy therapies need to be practcal and practced. Her teaching focuses on
employing the three Hshead, hands, and heartas the basic tools of energy medicine. Her personal
journey afer a serious motor vehicle accident in 2008 reafrmed the healing power of energy medicine.
She is a contributng co-editor for energy medicine at AllThingsHealing.com, where she shares her light,
love, and laughterthe best energy medicine! Visit Carolyn at her website at www.ChakraCoach.com.
8
Its Elemental: 5 Keys to Health and Happiness
Want to learn more about your energy?
For your FREE Five Element questonnaire, email:
ChakraCoach@gmail.com
Take this multple choice survey to learn more about yourself and your Energy
System.
Discover Your Lead Element and how it can help you be happy and healthy.
Learn simple, efectve ways to access the Energy of Your Lead Element.
Find out how you can clear and balance your energy through the Five Elements.
Plus receive a link to my relaxaton audio!
Receive Your FREE Five Element questonnaire and
Discover Its Elemental: 5 Keys to Health and Happiness
E-mail ChakraCoach@gmail.com with the subject line:
Five Elements - Give me more!
9
Chapter 1: Power of the Five Elements
What do you want out of life? If you are like most people that I work with, you want to feel good. You
want to feel good when you get up in the morning, feel good about getng a restul nights sleep, and feel
good about what you say and do on a daily basis. When you feel good, you approach every day radiatng
and glowing with energy.
Feeling good arises from the state of wellness. What is wellness? Wellness is a healthy balance of your
mind, body, and spirit. Wellness is about being a whole person, balanced in all aspects of your life. What
compass, what guidelines, can assist you in fnding a balanced life?
Ancient wisdomfrom the Hindus, Egyptans (Hermetc), Greeks, Chinese, and aboriginal culturesre-
alized that the cycle and rhythms of nature provided metaphors for living in harmony and balance. This
ancient wisdom viewed that dis-ease resulted from an imbalance of physical, emotonal, spiritual, social,
and/or environmental factors.
The metaphors for harmonious living were classifed into fve basic Elements of life. There is a univer-
sal, cross correspondence between the Elements and their qualites in each traditon. Each Element has
an animatng principle behind it, a color, a sound, and specifc characteristcs.
The concept of the Elements is probably as ancient as humankind is. The American aboriginals, Chinese,
Hindus, and the founding civilizatons of Western culture all shared this idea. Perhaps the traditon of the
Elements arose from what may be one of humanitys most characteristc behavior paterns: the desire to
classify things and seeks answers. Remarkably, each culture, from East to West, developed similar con-
cepts regarding the elements.
Essentally, the model of the Elements successfully served as a blueprint for wellnessthat connectvity
among body, mind, and spirit. This idea promoted a holistc view of your human experience. Over the
centuries, the lineage of the Five Elements was either lost or perverted. When aboriginal cultures were
conquered, many of their ancient traditons were lost. The ancient Western wisdom schools from Egyp-
tan (Hermetc) lineage were distlled by politcal and religious subjugatons. The Hindus and the Chinese
maintained and developed a system of wellness based on the Five Elements, with the Chinese further
refning their techniques to integrate this knowledge into a comprehensive wellness system, which
evolved into Traditonal Chinese Medicine.
Medicine: The science or practce of the diagnosis, treatment, and preventon of disease. Preventon
of disease = what is used to maintain wellness.
Traditonal Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides a model for your wellness in the fve principles of Water,
Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal Wu Xing. Westerners ofen translate Wu Xing as the Five Elements,
although the word xing connotes changing states of being, permutatons, or metamorphoses of
being. Think of these Five Elements as the Five Changes.
10
The only thing constant in life is Change. Franois de la Rochefoucauld
TCM arose from centuries of observing nature. Practtoners watched the natural cycles of the universe,
ever changing with consistency. TCM determined that the constants of natures cycles are Water, Wood,
Fire, Earth, and Metal. Each one was perceived as a diferent quality of interdependent energy in a state
of constant interacton and fux with one another.
This constant interacton is comparable to the swing of a pendulum. Each side of the swing has a yin
and yang side. Every organism in the universe has a yin and yang aspect. Yin is the feminine side,
and signifes contracton and the dark side of the hill. It is the feminine energy of intuiton, receptvity,
quiet, nurturing, and integraton. Earth and Water are yin energies. Yang energy is the masculine and
expanding force of the universe. It is the actve, expansive, and light side of the hill, the principle of
manifestng.
To maintain the fow and balance of energies, you must seek to keep the pendulum moving. You need
to maintain a balance of your mind, body, and spirit between your expansive energy (yang) and your
quiet inner processes (yin). If you spend your days contemplatng at home only thinking and planning
(yin), you remain insular and never act on your dreams. If you act and react in the outer world (yang) and
do not listen to your inner wisdom (yin), you become susceptble to the ideas and whims of others. If
you expand your business too fast without examining its inner workings, it will probably contract or fail.
Living a balanced life between contracton and expansion assists you in creatng harmony and wellness.
Understanding the nature of the fve changes helps you to maintain the swing of the pendulum and
become aware of the fow of these energies in your life. If you recognize and understand the interacton
of these energy paterns, you can maintain a life of balance and of wellness.
In TCM the Five Elements follow the universal energy paterns of yin and yang. Water is considered to be
energy gathering and sinking; Wood is energy expanding; Fire is energy rising; Earth is energy stabilizing;
Metal is energy solidifying.
The Western philosophical traditons, as previously mentoned, share the concept of the Five Elements.
These Five Elements are Water, Air, Fire, Earth, and Ether. The frst four Elements represent the essence
of the material world while Ether is the source of All That Is. Many similarites exist between the TCM
Elements and their Western counterparts. These correspondences and diferences will emerge as you
learn about each Element.
As you read about each Element, refect on the essence of each. Is there something about the Element
that resonates with your inner being? Do you feel a connecton with the principles? Do you see the wis-
dom of each Element? Can you relate each Element to your life?
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Water
Water fows from above and sinks into the earth; hence, it is energy gathering and descending, or receding.
As yin energy, it is sof, fowing, and yielding; yet Water can overcome Fire, Wood, Earth, and rock (Metal).
Water is cleansing. Life on Earth evolved from Water. Without Water, life does not exist. Out of control
Water, in the form of a food, devastates and transforms the landscape. Water destroys as well as creates.
What lessons can you learn from Water? Water symbolizes the fow of life. In Western philosophy, the
principle of Water represents your emotons. Think of emoton as E-motoni.e., energy (E) in moton.
What is energy? By defniton, it is the capacity for work or vigorous actvity; vigor; power; a source of
usable power, such as petroleum or coal (or the Universe!).
Energy is intangible. You know that it exists as you observe the work it does as measured by the
resultng phenomena.
You see the word energy frequently talked about in the context of self-help, self-awareness, and spiri-
tual teachings. TCM references Chi or Qi as the life force energy that sustains the essence of every liv-
ing creature. Qi is said to be everywhere in the Universe; Qi is omnipresent. What, then, is this energy
and how can you harness it?
Have you ever atended a team-sportng event in a stadiumperhaps a football, baseball, or soccer
game? Maybe you have gone to a hockey or basketball game in a large auditorium. The venue is almost
at capacity, with the majority of the seats occupied by loyal hometown fans. You notce that the local fans
are waving fags, banners, and towels. They are cheering and clapping, and you hear lots of noise. Your
nose tells you that these fans are consuming the limited stadium menu of popcorn, hot dogs, pretzels,
beer, etc. You are experiencing somethinga palpable energy almost like electricity in the air. All of
these Elements combine to create an energy form called home feld advantage.
Sport statstcs bear witness to the home feld (or home ice/home court) advantage. Teams generally
have a higher winning percentage when they play at home with the support of their fans. If a team
doesnt have a loyal and supportve fan base (i.e., the team cant atract people to fll the seats), their
home winning percentage decreases. There are not enough bodies to create that powerful home feld
advantage energy form.
Winter is Waters season, when it appears that all nature is dormant. When Water sinks into the earth, it
seems to disappear, gathering in underground aquifers. Like Water, your emotons remain unseen, with
a lot going on below the surface, untl they emerge. To maintain health and balance, Water needs to stay
in moton. Water must fow and be channeled such that it sustains life.
Are you afraid to express your emotons? What happens when Water freezes? It ceases to move. When
Water does not fow, it loses its creatve and growth energy. Fear of expression stops the movement.
What happens when Water stagnates? Like a swamp, all types of overgrowth accumulate.
Do you hold in your emotons? What happens when Water backs up behind a dam and it breaks? An in-
stant, uncontrollable amount of Water gushes forth, randomly wreaking havoc on all in its path.
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Water is the great purifer. It has the ability to collect and flter impurites; hence, TCM associates the kid-
neys and bladder with Water. These organs, if functoning in harmony with the rest of the body, remove
toxins and waste. As Water follows its nature of gathering, consider what emotons you are gathering.
Are you clearing toxic emotons, such as fear, every day?
Spiritual mentors suggest that there are only two basic emotons: fear and love. What is fear? Fear is
really a future projecton, ofen with an irratonal emotonal charge. You are projectng that something
unpleasant might happen to you and you do not know what or when. It can be False Evidence Appear-
ing Real. In other words, when you experience fear, you are living in the future and ignoring the present.
Hate, anger, worry, arrogance, and sadnessother toxic emotonsare the ofspring of fear. Hate and
anger arise when you perceive potental harm coming from another person. Worry comes from the fear
of a worst-case scenario. Arrogance ofen hides fear. Sadness is the fear that you cannot cope with a loss.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate Thine
enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good
to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute
you.... Matthew 5:4344
Love is the way to sustain your Water Energy-in-Moton. Love channels a clear path for Water and keeps
it moving and fowing. Love is the great antdote to toxic emotons. When you frst arise, look at yourself
in the mirror and say, I love you! Live with the attude of love. True love knows no judgment. True love
creates wisdom.
Wood
Wood is the Element of the liver and gall bladder. In TCM, the liver is the master controller, as it regu-
lates the fow of Qi through the body. The liver holds the ethereal soul, that eternal aspect of our spirit,
which leaves the body with the spirit at the tme of physical passing. This soul, or Han in Chinese, re-
turns to the Primordial Void, or the source of all.
As the liver is the Yin organ, the gall bladder signifes the Yang energy, as its energy is more regulatng and
planning, both logical, lef-brain actvites.
There is no direct equivalency to Wood in the system of Western Elements. The Hermetc traditon
suggests that Western philosophy probably combined what TCM considered as the essence of Wood
with Fire, as both represent expansive energies. In the classic Tarot deck, the symbolism of the wand
wooden stafs with tree leavesthat is associated with the Fire Element evidences this link between Fire
and Wood. Spirit is also a key interpretaton of the wands cards of the Tarot. The wands of the Tarot
deck evolved into the suit of clubs, an object traditonally created from wood.
Wood is the energy of early spring, that tme when the trees are budding and new life is emerging from
the ground. This is the tme of birth, a tme of expansion. Energy and enthusiasm symbolize Wood. Think
of a tree, sending out its roots and shootng its branches toward the heavens. Do you reach out, like the
tree, with the positve emotons of generosity and kindness? Like the growing tree, these emotons are
examples of energy expanding and reaching out to touch others.
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A natural, precise form is inherent in the growth patern of the tree. There is a natural rhythm, a sched-
ule, which the tree must follow if it is to be true to its nature. The tree grows according to its nature yet
it needs to be fexible, to yield and bend in high winds.
While growing, a tree needs space to expand. If you want to cultvate relatonships or material aspects
such as a career, you have to provide the space and the tme in your life for these to fourish. Do you trim
back what you dont need? Like a tree, pruning promotes optmum growth. Get rid of the dead Wood!
The growth and expansion of the Wood Element can also feed anger, the antthesis of kindness. Anger
arises as a natural response to a situaton that is not desirable for you or those close to you. It could also
be how you react to injustce toward others. If you do not channel your anger into a constructve path of
acton, this volatle energy can adversely afect your health. Excessive anger, jealousy, rage, frustraton,
or stress causes the stagnaton of Qi, which creates an acidic blood conditon. (Remember: The liver is
the bodys regulator of Qi.)
When you experience anger, do you become so infexible that you snap like the branch of an ailing tree? If
something isnt working in your life, does your rage keep growing untl it is out of control? In order to stop
the growth of anger, cultvate the positve energy of Woodkindness. Anger can be turned around and
healed by forgiving all partes, including you. When you forgive yourself for partcipatng in the confict
that perpetrated the anger, you release the toxic energy that harms your body, mind, and spirit. When
you forgive your adversaries, you send a powerful message that can transform an enemy into an admirer.
Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by
holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is re-
discovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to
understand and accept other people and ourselves. Sidney and Suzanne Simon
Forgiveness is the ultmate act of kindness.
Fire
The height of summer expresses the Fire energy. It is the tme of radiant sunshine and growth. Both
Western philosophy and TCM share a similar view of Fire in that it symbolizes the rising and expansion
of energy. In Western tropical astrology, the height of the summer consttutes the sign of Leo, the Lion.
The Lion represents qualites of strength and pride. If pride is not balanced with an appreciaton of ones
connecton to the universe and All That Is, then pride evolves into arrogance.
Leo also represents the qualites of the Sun. The Sun, as the center of the solar system, radiates life-giving
light and energy. If the sun did not shine, there would be no life on Earth. Yet, if you approached the Sun
in a ship, the ship would perish and you with it.
Fire provides warmth and energy to cook food, providing sustenance. A fre contained in a campfre
makes available a place to get warm and enjoy the taste of cooked food. A fre that is out of control can
burn and destroy all in its path.
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In TCM, Fire is the Element of the heart and small intestne. TCM refers to the heart as the chief, as it
regulates the fow of all your internal organs via the blood fow. Spiritually, the heart is the seat of your
soul, the direct link to the Creator. The small intestne separates the pure from the waste of what you
consume. Psychologically, it discerns what is worthwhile from what is extraneous in your life.
Fire represents your physical expressiveness, aggressiveness, and yang (masculine) energy. Fire stmu-
lates an existng conditon and prepares it for transformaton. It is the Sunthe light of life. Fire is latent
in all things created yet it can be the source of destructon and disintegraton. Fire is the essence behind
the human will. If it is weak, there will be a lack of will and a poor sense of directon.
In the material world, the expansive qualites of Fire provide spiritedness, joy, passion, and a sense of
purpose. Suppressed Fire can manifest as covert hostlity, a lack of motvaton, and an inability to take
acton. Excessive Fire may promote ulcers, fevers, and some types of infectons. Some of the positve
expressions of Fire are actvity, enthusiasm, eagerness, courage, daring, resoluton, productvity, and
visual inspiraton. On the negatve side are glutony, arrogance, jealousy, irritability, intemperance, and
a predispositon to destructon.
Do you use your Fire energy to expand joy and purpose in this life? Do you think that you are more im-
portant than others are, using your Fire energy to destroy others, in order to make yourself look good?
A precursor to heart disease is an angry, hostle heart. Remember: Your stuf forms the basis of dis-
ease. A heart surgeon that studied with Taoist Energy practtoner Mantak Chia reported that patents
who succumbed to heart disease had hearts that looked like they were cooked. In TCM, the pericardium,
which surrounds the heart, absorbs heat and releases this heat through the meridians. This evidence of
a cooked heart muscle led Mantak Chia to conclude that, in cases of a heart atack, the heart and peri-
cardium were overheated by angry, destructve thoughts and emotons. This excessive heat, or Fire,
leads to heart disease.
How do you cool down the excessive heat of Fire? Practce joy and love. Focus on your passion and fnd
your purpose in your life. Be discerning of how you spend your energy. Like the positve energy of the
Sun, radiate warmth and compassion. Use your energy to grow in a positve way. Be kind and love, love,
love! Love others, love your life, and love what you do!
Earth
Earth is stabilizing and grounding energy. This is the Element of the stomach, spleen, and pancreas, all
involved with digeston. The Earth Element represents the tme of the harvest, the reaping of what has
been sown in the early fall.
Earth is the fundamental Element and the mother of all creaton. In Western philosophy, the basic two
Elements of Fire and Water form Earth, neutralized by the Air principle. When the interacton of the frst
three Elements is limited in space, the results are gravity, density, weight, and tme. Essentally, weight is
the appearance of the atractve power of the Earth, which is gravity. The polarity of Earths fuidsthe
balance of yin and yangis electromagnetc energy. Earth exemplifes the most grossly material Element.
15
As Earth is the solidifcaton of previous Elements, it rules the physical plane and, as such, is responsible
for support and strength. Earth, whose color is yellow-brown, has the efect of holding together the body.
As an expression of consciousness, it signifes the union of the other Elements in your ego and the at-
tendant instncts of self-preservaton and propagaton of your Earthly spirit.
The Earth Element imparts reliability and dependability, while suppressing the qualites of Earth mani-
fests insecurity. Excessive earth promotes rigidity and a dogmatc outlook. This Element helps you to slow
down, to be patent, and to be grounded.
Some of Earths positve qualites are endurance, respectability, resoluton, infallibility, resistance, thor-
oughness, concentraton, objectvity, responsibility, and self-assuredness. On the negatve side, Earth can
manifest in worry, insipidity, unscrupulousness, misanthropy, tardiness, laziness, unreliability, and laconism.
The energetc nature of Earthstability and groundingis ofen missing in contemporary life. The West-
ern lifestyle lends itself to stress and chaos. You compromise your Earth energy by excessive worrying,
anxiety, shame, guilt, and self-pity. Worry and anxietythe fear of what may happenerode your peace
of mind. When you worry, you are living in the future. When you live in the future, you are not grounded
in the here and now.
Anxiety frets about what is to be. What if I fail? Anxiety projects the fear of failure into your future. This
wisdom of TCM associates the Earth Element with the organs of digeston. What you feed your body is
just as important as what you feed your mind and spirit. Sometmes, its not what you eatits what
eats you! Happy, joyous, and positve thoughts about the future are far beter mind food for creatng
a happy, healthy outcome.
Its okay to have future dreams and projectons of what you would like in your life. The best way to realize
these dreams is to be grounded in the here and now and project only positve, joyful intentons.
Metal
Metal is another one of the Five Changes that has no direct equivalence in Western philosophy. The
symbolism of the classic Tarot suggests that Metal is an aspect of Earth as metal coins represent the
Earth Element.
In Hermetc traditon, the alchemist sought to create gold, the most precious metal of all, out of lead
stone (Earth.) This was the ultmate atainment of wisdom and enlightenment.
In TCM, Metal is energy solidifying. It is the tme afer the harvestthe late fall of the year. Afer the
harvest, you refect on what has been. It is the tme to rest and reevaluate. How did the harvest turn out?
Was it bountful and joyous? Did you have any regrets about what seeds you earlier planted? Do you la-
ment on what was? Do you have the courage to learn and release the past?
When something endsa project, a relatonship, a business, or even the loss of a partner or loved one
a feeling of sadness may occur. It is natural to experience grief. The suppression or retenton of sadness
and grief negatvely afects the lungs and large intestnes, organs associated with Metal.
16
The lungs circulate air, bringing Qi into the body. Inspiraton and expiraton are the natural functons of
the lungs. If you dont follow this cycle, your body ceases to functon. The large intestne excretes the
bodys waste. What no longer serves you is processed and eliminated via the large intestne. What hap-
pens if you dont have at least one bowel movement per day?
Grief is a natural response to a loss. Excessive grief and sadness, unless released, lead to despondency
and depression. Whereas TCM views depression as a primary imbalance of the Metal Element, Western
psychiatric medicine diagnoses depression as a disease. Prescripton ant-depressant drugs only serve
to mask the core issues behind depression. If you listen to your bodys wisdom; it will tell you when the
emotons of grief and sadness no longer serve you. You need to process and eliminate these feelings in
order to be physically and mentally healthy.
Metal is all about couragethe courage to go beyond mourning a loss and acceptng that life is all about
cycles. It takes courage to overcome the inerta resultng from the depths of sorrow. Every challenge is an
opportunity to grow, to go beyond what has been.
Breathing exercises are a great way to connect with the life fow of Qi. Here is a Playercise from my
book, Think It -> Say It -> Be It: Use Your Words to Change your Life.
Four Square Breath
Breathing is one of the few automatc bodily functons that you can control with your conscious mind. To
a point, you can decide how long to inhale, to hold your breath, and when to exhale. Paying atenton to
your breathing helps you connect to the present tme.
The Four Square Breath Playercise aligns, balances, and centers your energy. This breath additonally
relaxes you. Its easier to learn new things when you are relaxed. You can use this breath at anytme, any-
where, especially before your
other Playercises.
The Four Square Breath is
based on an ancient principle
of balance between the four
Elements: Water, Air, Fire, and
Earth. Basically, you inhale
through your nose to a count
of four, hold your breath for a
count of four, exhale for a count
of four through your mouth,
making a sof HA sound, and
hold your breath for a count
of four. The sequence of the
breath looks like this:
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The Inhalaton breath represents the energy of Water as it is fowing in to your body.
The Hold of your breath afer inhalaton represents the Element of Air. As you hold this breath, the Air
energy brings the energy to your head.
The Exhale breath represents the Element of Fire. As you exhale through your mouth with a sof HA
sound, think of a martal artst exhaling the force of their energy as they slam their hand through a board
and break it. This is power!
The Hold of your breath afer exhalaton represents the Element of Earth. Earth energy is very grounding.
The frst tme you do the Four Square Breath Playercise, repeat the square patern for four cycles. Each
tme you do this Playercise increase the numbers of square repettons.
A word about breathing for centering: The greatest beneft from breathing paterns occurs when you take
a deep abdominal, or belly, breath. Singers and wind instrument musicians refer to this as a diaphragmatc
breath, as the diaphragm expands down and outward on the inhalaton and pushes up on the exhalaton.
Since the lungs completely fll with air, the belly expands outward. When the breath is exhaled, the belly
pushes inward and up. Litle babies naturally breathe in this manner as well as most people when they
are lying down.
To check for if you are doing this belly breath, look at yourself in a mirror, paying atenton to your
shoulders. Take a deep breath. If your shoulders move up, you are flling your lungs only in the upper chest
area. Take your hand and place it on your abdomen. If your hand moves outward with your inhalaton
and in with your exhalaton, you are doing the belly breath!
When you breathe this deep belly breath, you are bringing more oxygen into your body. Oxygen allows
your cells to radiate a steady, gentle heat. This in turn enables the body to process food and rid itself of
waste products faster. Your brain is more efcient and your heart and blood stream are healthier.
The breath supports the words that you speak as they fow from your thoughts to the outside world.
Maintaining a regular practce of the Four Square Breath (and other centering breathing paterns) keeps
you balanced and the additonal oxygen is benefcial to your health.
Resources
Find Your Friggin Joy by Belinda Farrell (Balboa Press, 2012)
Emotonal Wisdom: Daioy Tools for Transforming Anger, Depression, and Fear by Mantak Chia and Dena
Saxer (New World Library, 2009)
Think It -> Say It -> Be It: Use Your Words to Change Your Life by Carolyn White, PhD (Balboa Press, 2013)
Your Hidden Symmetry: How Your Birth Date Reveals the Plan for Your Life by Jean Haner (Hay House, 2013)
CHAPTER 2
CHINESE MEDICINE,
HEALTH, AND THE FIVE
ELEMENT DIAGNOSIS
Dr. Lisa Lewis, ND, LAc
Chinese Symbol for Health
19
Chapter 2: Chinese Medicine, Health, and Five Element Diagnosis will
provide you with a peek into one branch of Chinese medicine, the Five Element
Model, and how its used in disease diagnosis and treatment. Five Elements focus
on the harmony between your body and the outside environment and are an im-
portant part of the diagnostic process.
The purpose of this chapter is to help you learn more about Five Element Diag-
nosis for achieving health and balance, based mostly on the relationship between
the Elements and smell, color, taste, and sound. You will also learn how this in-
formation can be applied to clinical practice and help you understand the disease
process. Finally, you will be given brief treatment explanations using acupunc-
ture and herbal medicine with the understanding that nutrition and other natu-
ral therapies can also be used to correct imbalances in order to achieve health
and vitality.
Dr. Lisa Lewis, ND, LAc. is a leading Board-certfed, licensed naturopathic physician, acupuncturist, and
natural medicine and healthy living expert. She is a Bastyr University graduate providing insightul knowl-
edge combined with simple, practcal strategies to help people relieve stress, and live healthy, vibrant
lives using natural medicine.
Dr. Lewis is the owner of the Lewis Healing Insttute and co-owner of NatureDrsNutritonal Supplement
and Wellness Company. She has authored and co-authored several books/e-books, including 3 Days to
Detox: A Step-by-Step Guide for Busy People to Naturally Lose Weight and Feel Great. Join the NatureDrs
Detox Challenge at www.DrLisaLewis.com.
Her new book is Stop Stressing Me Out: 7 Strategies to Overcome Overwhelm and Conquer Disease Natu-
rally (www.StopStressingMeOut.com). Looking for more hands-on transformatonal work? Her six-week
Stop Stressing, Start Healing Boot Camp will walk you through your own personal healing journal and
health breakthrough using the principles in her book (www.StopStressingStartHealing.com).
Learn more about Dr. Lewis, natural medicine, and how she is Making Healing Simple and Natural. Visit
her blog at www.DrLisaLewis.com/blog and follow her on Facebook and Twiter @DrLisa_Lewis.
20
Five Elements for Renewal:
A Total Health Makeover with Ancient Wisdom
Get Your Free Healthy from Inside Out Quiz!
More Informaton and More Insight:
3 Ways to Gets Balanced and Healthy Even Faster
Take this Free Chinese Medicine and Five Element Quiz and you will:
1. See which of your organs are the most out of balance!
2. Determine the best way for you to achieve balance!
3. Discover a wellness program that helps you simply achieve your health and well-
ness goals!
This quiz is for you if:
Your fatgue, sluggishness, aches, and pains are getng worse every day.
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21
Chapter 2: Chinese Medicine, Health, and Five Element Diagnosis
Vitality and energy are considered the foundations of life; in order to keep them
fourishing they must be protected and the life-giving force must rule.
Huang Di, Nei Jing
Chinese medicine is a complex and sophistcated approach to healing. It has been developed over a pe-
riod of at least 5,000 years and is based on ancient Chinese medical texts, clinical observaton, as well as
modern empirical research. Principles of Chinese medicine are based on the fundamental concept that
the physical, spiritual, and emotonal body are connected in their functon, and that a network of energy
called Qi (pronounced chee) fows through all aspects of the body. Chinese medicine is, thus, holistc in
its nature and focuses on the individual, instead of the disease.
Energy called Qi fows through the body in channels called meridians. Most of these channels are
named for a physical organ (lung, liver, stomach, etc.) to which they are correlated, though some are
named for more abstract concepts or systems in the body. The energy or Qi in each of these channels is
associated with specifc tssues, areas, and functons of the body, as well as with certain emotons, colors,
tastes, smells, etc.
Because of its holistc nature, Chinese medicine focuses on your entre bodily patern and the presence
or absence of harmony between systems and energies in your body. When a person is ill, the symptoms
experienced are only one part of a complete bodily imbalance.
Chinese medicine also focuses on the harmony between your body and the outside environment. So,
concepts such as defciency and excess, seeking to balance heat and cold, dry and damp, yin and yang
within the body are considered in the quest for balance and harmony.
Five Element Model
One branch of Chinese medicine is the Five Element Model. Just as concepts of yin and yang or defciency
and excess are of creatng harmony between your body and the outside environment, Five Element
Theory is an important part of the diagnostc process. The purpose of this chapter is dedicated to helping
you learn more about Five Element Diagnosis for achieving health and balance.
Nature and the Five Elements
For many ancient cultures, Nature and its importance were well understood and respected. People lived
according to the Elements. Man was acutely aware and dependent on the cycle of seasons. They survived
according to the laws of the Universe, and revered the fow and changes of the world around them. They
watched, heeded, learned, and engulfed themselves in the Elements.
Unlike today, as technology moves man farther away from Nature, ancient cultures embraced Nature.
They understood that just as Nature all around them followed its natural process of change, also Na-
22
ture inside them followed the same paterns. Intuitvely human beings go through seasonal cycles inside
themselves, and the Elements are re-created within them.
All Elements are present and necessary for basic life. For example, spring is a tme for new beginnings
as life emerges and bursts into world. And these new beginnings are not just happening outside of your
body; theyre happening inside the body.
Its not only the external winter that fosters regeneraton, rest and refecton in the outside world, it also
happens in your body, mind, and spirit. You are a refecton of the seasons. You are the Elements.
Nature is without and within you, every moment, all the tme. And this is a direct replica of this natu-
ral unending cycle of life, from season to season. Everything you dothinking, feeling, actng, etc.is
done in union with Nature.
Chinese medicine developed from that relatonship of human beings to Nature in body, mind, and spirit.
Five Element diagnoses and the system of examinaton, diagnosis, and treatment are based on these
natural processes. The concepts of health follow the law of balance with Energy and Nature.
Energy is considered the force called Life. The Chinese call it Chi (Qi) energy and compare it to the streams,
brooks, rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans of the Earth. The Life Force fows in you through interconnected
pathways called Meridians, similar to electricity. It fows in a current, and even though we cant see it, we
can see and feel the efects of it.
Chi can also be likened to blood fow. You know its inside you; although you usually dont see it, the ef-
fect of life pulsing through you is evident. All life has Chi, and it moves through every aspect of life. With-
out Chi energy, Life Force, there is no life.
Five Elements Concepts
There are many concepts to grasp within Five Element Theory, some of which are discussed in other
chapters, and much is beyond the scope of this e-book. This secton will focus on the physiology and
diagnostc aspects of Five Elements.
You will learn how Five Element Theory can help you understand
disease processes. You will also learn how to recognize when youre
out of balance. Hopefully this informaton will prompt you to take
the next steps toward using natural medicine for treatment and/or
disease preventon in your life.
The basis for Chinese medicine is that the existence of humanity
and all of Nature is dependent upon Chi. Its by Chi alone that you
live and breathe.
Since Chi is the basis of life, if it goes awry, it becomes the basis of
disease. Health and illness are defned by this life energy. So when
23
you hear your traditonal acupuncturist menton balancing, its a way of expressing that your chi is no
longer in harmony with your body and needs to be corrected.
The Five Elements are detailed descriptons of the Chi energy as it goes through cyclic transformatons. It
isnt just philosophical or agricultural, but its also a distnct part of Chinese medical thought. Since health
is the harmonious balance of cyclic interacton of these Elements, health is maintained only when the
Energy fowing through each of the Elements is clear and balanced.
The Five Elements give a framework thats closely connected with daily life and the cause of illness is
partly diagnosed through a Five Element examinaton. Its a convenient way to organize clinical reality.
The Five Elements are ofen used to describe clinical processes and relatonships, and to help formulate
proper treatments. Its an explanatory theory and is not meant as a binding doctrine.
The Elements Explained
You represent a smaller refecton of this large universe, a microcosm, and so the descripton of the en-
ergy that actvates the cosmos, the macrocosm, is the same descripton for you. This energy is described
as the Five ElementsWood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Waterand they have been discussed in the previ-
ous chapter of this eBook. So, now lets look at how the Elements are used to diagnose conditons.
Each organ is assigned to one of these Elements:
Five Elements
Element Yin Organs Yang Organs
Wood Liver Gall Bladder
Fire Heart Small Intestne
Earth Spleen Stomach
Metal Lungs Large Intestne
Water Kidneys Bladder
Colors, sounds, smells, emotons, tastes, tme of day, seasons, climates, numbers, planets, moons phases,
etc., all provide a part of the picture of how the Elements work inside you. See The Five Element Chart
below, which describes the Element qualites.
The pathways of energy within your body correspond to an Element. As you contnue to read, you will
learn all the pertnent Elemental qualites in Nature and medicine in more detail. Simply remember that
the Elements are never completely separate from one another. The Five Element Model is holistc medi-
cine where all Elements must work together for complete balance and harmony.
24
Five Element Chart
Nature WOOD FIRE EARTH METAL WATER
Seasons Spring Summer Late summer Autumn Winter
Climate /
Environment
Wind Heat Dampness Dryness Cold
Directon East South Center West North
Movement
Expansion,
outward
Upward Neutral/stable
Contracton,
inward
Downward
Stages of
Development
Birth Growth Transformaton Harvest Storage
Medicine WOOD FIRE EARTH METAL WATER
Yin Organs Liver
Heart and
pericardium
Spleen Lungs Kidneys
Yang Organs Gallbladder
Small intestne
& triple heater
Stomach
Large
Intestne
Urinary
Bladder
Colors Green Red Yellow White Blue/black
Sounds Shoutng Laughing Singing Crying Groaning
Odor Rancid Scorched Fragrant Roten Putrid
Emotons Anger Joy
Worry/
pensiveness
Grief/
Sadness
Fear
Tastes Sour Biter Sweet Pungent Salty
Tissues Tendons Vessels Muscles Skin Bone
Sense Organs Eyes Tongue Mouth Nose Ears
By reviewing the chart, it should be clear that the system of Chinese medicine, and specifcally traditonal
acupuncture, is based on a system that brings life together for everyone, not just those who are healthy
or ill. To understand them its necessary to at least be familiar with the concept of body, mind, and spirit,
which was mentoned earlier in this chapter.
This holistc concept of body, mind, and spirit is the belief in the unity and integrity of the whole person.
Although there are several diferent aspects of the self to consider, these aspects can never be isolated
from one another, or isolated in the way they afect your life experiences.
For example, digeston cannot be separated from your emotons, or your emotons separate from the
kidney, or the kidney separate from diabetes. Five Elements make these connectons and its important
to stretch your mind beyond what seems to be disconnected, to begin to see the connectons and fow
of the whole person that you are.
25
Five Elements Diagnosis
The Five Elements Model is extensively used in diagnosis. Its based mostly on the relatonship between
Elements and smell, color, taste, and sound, as the most important aspects. This secton will discuss the
Five Element diagnostc aspects of:
Colors
Sounds
Smells
Emotons
Tastes
Tissues
Sense orifces
Climates
The Five Element Chart below lists all Five Elements and their diagnostcs. Each aspect will be discussed
in general terms, and specifc examples will be provided to help you understand how they can be used in
diagnosing diseases, conditons, and imbalances.
Colors
Color observaton is the most important of all the Five Element diagnosis aspects. The color of the face is
the color that used most ofen in diagnosis. The observaton and prevalence of one of the Five Element
colors indicates is an imbalance in that partcular Element. See the Five Elements Chart above, which lists
all the Five Elements aspects.
Five Element Colors
Wood Green
Fire Red
Earth Yellow
Metal White
Water Black or Blue
Sometmes the complexion can show multple interactons between two or more Elements. The face
color doesnt always agree with the clinical fndings, but its useful nonetheless. Also, the face has its own
system of diagnosis, which is past the scope of this e-book. Just know that the face color elements cannot
be used in isolaton for diagnosis.
Sounds
The sound and tone of your voice can also be used in diagnosis. If someone tends to shout a lot in anger,
it indicates an imbalance in the Wood element or liver. If someone laughs a lot without reason, it indi-
cates an imbalance in Fire/heart. A singing tone of voice indicates an imbalance in the Earth Element or
spleen. Crying is related to Metal and it ofen is associated with grief, which is a lung imbalance. A groan-
ing or husky tone of voice indicates an imbalance in Water/kidney.
26
Five Element Sounds
Wood Shoutng
Fire Laughing
Earth Singing
Metal Weeping
Water Groaning
Smells:
Smells are useful in diagnosis when using the Five Element Model. A rancid smell indicates an imbalance
in Wood/liver. A burned smell indicates an imbalance in Fire/heart. A fragrant, sweetsh smell is ofen
associated with Earth/spleen. A roten smell is ofen indicatve of a Metal/lung imbalance. A putrid smell
is indicates a Water/kidney or bladder imbalance.
Similar to color, smell can be interpreted in other ways than those indicated by the Five Element Model.
Also, smells dont always correspond to this rather ridged system.
Five Element Smells
Wood Rancid
Fire Scorched
Earth Fragrant
Metal Roten
Water Putrid

Emotons
The relatonship between emotons and the Five Elements is really important for diagnosis. A person
who is prone to outburst of anger indicates an imbalance in the Wood Element. This emoton can also be
more subdued and less apparent when the anger is repressed. Its always best for the practtoner to ask
clear questons and get complete answers when determining a persons true emotonal state.
Joy is the emoton related to the Fire Element and the heart. Obviously a state of joy is not a harmful
emoton. What is meant by joy here, however, is a state of excessive or constant excitement. An ex-
ample of the negatve efect of excess joy is heart pain that can be triggered not only by bad news, but
also by sudden good news.
27
Pensiveness or over-concentraton is the emoton related to Earth. Admitedly this is not an emoton in
the way most people understand it, but its nonetheless the mental actvity related to the spleen. Worry
is also another emoton that can cause Earth/spleen imbalance.
Grief and sorrow are the emotons related to Metal and the lungs. Lung Qi is very much afected by grief
and or sadness. People tend to catch colds during tmes of grief. Fear is related to Water and, again this
emoton directly infuences the kidneys and bladder. Anxiety is also related to Water/kidneys.
Five Element Emotons
Wood Anger
Fire Joy
Earth Worry/pensiveness
Metal Sorrow/sadness
Water Fear/anxiety
Tastes
The tastes related to the Five Elements are a relatvely minor aspect of Chinese diagnosis. They are as
follows:
Five Element Tastes
Wood Sour
Fire Biter
Earth Sweet
Metal Pungent
Water Salty
A sour taste ofen accompanies Wood/liver disharmonies and a biter taste is part of the Fire/heart pat-
tern. A sweet taste ofen indicates Earth/spleen challenges and a pungent taste sometmes accompanies
Metal/Lung disharmony. A salty taste occasionally is associated with Water/kidney imbalance.
Each of the favors has an efect on your energy, so the combinaton of the fve favors insures balance. An
excess of any one of the favors can have an injurious efect, and yet, each Element can be strengthened
if the right favor is prescribed for it. Flavors are an important way to balance diet and choose foods that
you should eat daily.
For example, when people who crave sweets are asked, What is your favorite taste?, they would say,
without hesitaton, Oh, I have a sweet tooth! Now, there are some obvious commonsense relaton-
28
ships here. The Chinese medicine spleen represents the pancreas in Western medicine. The functon of
the pancreas is associated with diseases like diabetes, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and obesity, all of
which have to do with sugar imbalance in the body.
Tissues
Diseased or unhealthy tssues can be used in diagnosis as a way to show disharmony of the relevant Ele-
ments. For example, if the tendons are stf and tght, this indicates a liver and gallbladder or Wood dis-
harmony. A problem with blood vessels points to a heart or Fire imbalance. A weakness or atrophy of the
muscles indicates spleen or Earth issues. The skin is related to Metal and the lungs, and a lung weakness
is ofen manifested with spontaneous sweatng (the pores being open).
Five Element Tissues
Wood
Sinews/tendons/
ligaments
Fire Blood vessels
Earth Muscles
Metal Skin
Water Bones
The bones are related to the kidneys or the Water Element. Degeneratve diseases of the bone, which
are usually related to aging, can be associated with kidney energy or essence declining. Kidney essence
decline is part of the normal aging process.
Sense Orifces
Problems with the fve senses can also refect disharmonies in the relevant Elements. For example,
blurred vision ofen refects liver weakness; a problem with the tongue (such as ulcers) can be related to
the heart and Fire.
Problems with the mouth and lips (such as dryness) are ofen due to spleen disharmony or stomach
imbalance, which is the Earth Element. A problem with dry nostrils or frequent sneezing refects lung
disharmony and chronic tnnitus can be due to kidney imbalance.
Again, this model of relatonships is only partly applicable. For example, there are many eye disorders not
related to Wood. Some tongue pathologies can be due to stomach or kidneys. The lips also manifest the
state of blood and mouth problems can also be due to kidney imbalance. And by way, there are many ear
problems that are not due to Kidney imbalance.
29
Five Element Sense Orifces
Wood Eyes
Fire Tongue
Earth Mouth and lips
Metal Nose
Water Ears
Climates
Your sensitvity to a partcular climate ofen refects a disharmony in the relevant Element/organ. So, a
sensitvity to wind ofen refects disharmony in Wood/liver. If you have a heart disharmony, you may of-
ten feel much worse in the heat, which is the Fire Element. Dampness afects the spleen, which is Earth.
Dryness injures the lungs/Metal, and cold weakens the kidneys.
Five Element Climates
Wood Wind
Fire Heat
Earth Dampness
Metal Dryness
Water Cold
However, this model has limitatons, too. For example, heat can aggravate any heat conditon of any or-
gan, not just the Heart. Dampness can aggravate a damp conditon of the spleen, as well as the kidneys,
gallbladder, and bladder. Dryness injures the body fuids of the lungs primarily, and the stomach and
kidneys secondarily. Cold afect virtually any organ (in partcular the stomach, spleen, intestnes, lungs,
uterus, and bladder) and not just the kidneys.
Additonally, your climate preference in the traditonal Five Element Diagnosis is based on the associa-
ton of climate with energy or Chi. So, preference and aversion to climate are both signifcant. Its just as
important to know what climates you dislike as well as those you fully enjoy.
As mentoned several tmes before, in Chinese medicine diagnosis it is not always possible to make a
direct correlaton between two imbalances or Elements on a one-to-one basis. What counts is the impor-
tance of each imbalance as it relates to the whole patern. The Five Elements help to create a picture of
you that greatly improves the ability to make a complete and thorough diagnosis.
30
Putng it All Together
So, as you see the Five Elements system has important applicaton in human physiology/medicine. Ac-
cording to this model, each Element shows many connectons between the universe and your body that
are somehow expressions of each partcular Element. Now, how can this informaton be applied to clini-
cal practce and help you understand the disease process?
Lets take the Element Wood as an example, whose organ is the liver. I begin with Wood because Chinese
medicine and Five Element analysis view spring as the beginning of the seasonal cycle.
An Analysis of Wood
Season: The season related to Wood is spring. In practce, its very common for a liver imbalance to be
aggravated in the springtme. This is probably because the liver energy fows upward and is very actve
in springtme.
Directon: An East wind easily afects the liver. In practce, some patents sufering from chronic pains,
like arthrits, headaches, or neck ache, sometmes will remark that their pain is worse whenever an East
wind blows.
Color: The face color related to liver imbalances will ofen be greenish. This is not skin color, but a sub-
dued hue coming from the face. Color can also be considered in terms of preferences. Whether you
surround yourself with green and wear green clothing to the exclusion of others, or if you detest green,
either of these circumstances can point to wood imbalance.
Taste: A small amount of sour taste in the diet is benefcial to the liver and an excess is detrimental. Its
frequently found that if you love vinegary foods, you may have a Wood imbalance or you may be trying
to correct it.
Note: This is an example of your natural sense of what you need, even though you might never have
been able to verbalize why you have a craving for a partcular taste. This is the mind, body, spirit connec-
ton; you know it as intuiton.
Climate: Wind very clearly afects those who sufer from liver imbalance, ofen causing headaches and
stfness in the neck.
Sense Organ: The liver moistens and nourishes the eyes. So, foaters and eye problems point to liver
imbalance.
Tissue: The liver also moistens and nourishes your tendons and ligaments. So, if you have tendon or
ligament weakness or frequent injury, this usually indicates a Wood imbalance.
Emoton: Anger is the emoton that is connected to Wood and the liver. Someone whose liver energy
stagnates may be prone to fts of anger.
31
Sound: Related to the example above, a person who sufers from a liver disharmony will be prone to
shoutng (in anger).
The aspects of all the other Elements apply in the same way. However, its important to realize that the
Five Elements Model is only one of the models in use and is not a standalone system. Its one aspect of
a greater system of diagnostc factors.
What Treatment to Expect
If you understand the Five Elements, its easier for you to know what organs may be out of balance and
take the necessary steps to put them back into balance. Although treatment wasnt discussed in detail
above, Ill discuss it briefy to provide you with a few possibilites. But I recommend that you search for a
natural medicine or Chinese medicine practtoner for your treatment advice. It can really make a difer-
ence in your health and your life.
Chinese medicine includes diet and lifestyle counseling, herbal therapies, physical medicine (similar to
massage and physical therapy), acupuncture, and therapeutc exercise. Acupuncture is one the most
familiar branches of the Chinese medicine system. In additon to acupuncture needles, various other
methods used to stmulate acupuncture points include electricity, heat, massage, and sucton created by
special cups.
When using the Five Element Model for diagnosis I begin by asking many questons about your general
consttuton, body functon, as well as details about your current organ symptoms. I also look at the tone
and health of your skin, hair, teeth, and nails. I also use pulse and tongue diagnosis. I feel the pulse in
three positons on each wrist as a way to feel the energy of each meridian represented in the pulse. I
also look closely at the tongue, as its color and quality refect many things about the balance of energy
in your body.
Afer collectng informaton by questons and observaton, a treatment will be chosen that is specifc for
you, as the patent, at that tme. I use acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and dietary and lifestyle
counseling most ofen with my patents.
If you receive herbal therapy, I will put together a specifc combinaton of herbs for your current condi-
ton and consttuton. The herbs will either be in whole herb form, like a bulk tea that you boil and pre-
pare, or the herbs will be granules or liquid form that simply needs to be added to water.
If you receive an acupuncture treatment, I will choose acupuncture points to refect the imbalances that
I fnd during the assessment and diagnosis. I will clean/swab each acupuncture point to be treated and
then insert the needles. Acupuncture uses very thin stainless steel needles to stmulate specifc points
along your meridians. This stmulaton can be directed to unblock energy that is stuck or to bring en-
ergy into areas that are lacking energy, ultmately assistng your body in moving back into balance.
Using the Five Elements Model and Chinese medicine practces bring a great deal of help and healing
to my patents. Since I also practce naturopathic medicine, the diet, detox and cleansing, the mental/
emotonal aspects of dis-ease are a primary focus of every treatment plan. The ability to practce both
32
naturopathic and Chinese medicine opens up a wider realm of diagnostc and treatment optons than
would be ofered by either medicine alone. Thats why Im honored to specialize in both.
For more detailed informaton about acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutriton, and naturopathic medicine,
log on to www.StopStressingMeOut.com or www.DrLisaLewis.com.
Resources
The Foundaton of Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive Text for Acupuncturists and Herbalists, 2
nd
Editon
by Giovanni Maciocia
Handbook of Oriental Medicine, 3
rd
Editon by HB Kim, LAc.
Traditonal Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements by Dianne Connelly, PhD
The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine by Ted Kaptchuk
33
CHAPTER 3
THE FIVE ELEMENTS AND
NUTRITIONAL BALANCE
Kimberley Smith Lukhard, MS, RD, LDN
Chinese Symbol for Balance
34
This chapter will focus on each of the Five Elements, the organs that are governed
by the Element, and how you can use nutrition to strengthen your body. You will
fnd four recipes and one meal suggestion in this chapter.
Kim Lukhards love afair with food began when she was in fourth grade. Her desire for extra spending
money fueled her frst business: making and selling popcorn balls door to door in her neighborhood in
Raleigh, North Carolina. Her use of food changed in junior high when she was diagnosed with hypogly-
cemia, afer a six-hour blood test. From that day forward she began to make the connecton between
what she ate and how she felt, not only physically, but emotonally. She earned her BA in psychology from
Simmons College in Boston, Massachusets, and her MS in nutriton science from East Carolina University
(ECU) in Greenville, North Carolina. She completed her dietetc internship at the Brody School of Medi-
cine. Kim has taught nutriton classes at ECU for 15 years. She loves awakening students to the power of
food. Her classes teach students how they can use food to change their lives. Kim is the creator of Hockey
Mom RD, a youth sports nutriton company. She is the author of the forthcoming book Eat, Skate, Win: 7
Steps for Your Youth Hockey Star to Eat Like a Champion. Her two sons were her inspiraton for the book.
Visit her site at KimLukhard.com.
Unleash the Champion in Your Youth Hockey Star
Learn the secrets to help your child be a champion on the ice and in the classroom. During your phone
chalk talk sessions you will learn how to apply two acton steps to unleash the champion in your youth
hockey player.
Do you want your child to:
Avoid their midmorning energy crash in school?
Have more energy in the afernoon?
Have lastng energy on the ice?
Build more muscle as they grow?
Learn how food can be just as important as sharp skates and their hockey stck?
If you answered YES to any or all of these, e-mail Kim at Kim@HockeyMomRD.com to schedule a FREE
30-minute phone chalk talk today.
35
Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. Hippocrates
Have you ever heard the statement Eat a well-balanced diet for good health? Practtoners of Tradi-
tonal Chinese Medicine (TCM) have been using the Theory of Five Elements for thousands of years to
heal and help balance the body. These healers believe that when all of the Five ElementsWater, Wood,
Fire, Earth, and Metalare in balance, people beneft by having good health, because their Qi, or life
force, is fowing and they experience health and harmony in their body.
There are two cycles in TCM: the Creaton Cycle and the Control
Cycle. Both cycles involve all fve elements. The Creaton Cycle
shows how the elements support each other and the organs
governed by each element. For example, Water feeds Wood
so that plants can grow. In the Control Cycle Water keeps Fire
in check. Lets look at this further. The Water Element governs
the kidneys and the bladder, and the Fire element governs the
heart and small intestne. If the kidneys are not healthy and are
causing a person to retain too much fuid, this can impact the
health of the heart. What both of these cycles illustrate is that
health is not stagnant, and that the health of one organ in your
body can impact the health of another.
This chapter focuses on the Creaton Cycle. You will learn how the Five Elements relate to modern
nutriton and which foods to choose to help you achieve balance in your diet every day.
Water
Water is the nourishing Element; its the winter Element, and it governs the kidneys and the bladder. In
the Generatng Cycle Water nourishes Wood to enable plants to grow. Life springs forth when Water is
involved. Just think for a moment. You began your life in water, in the protectve environment of your
mothers womb. Water has many jobs in your body and performs all of these jobs without your knowl-
edge.
Water helps to:
Carry nutrients throughout your body.
Dissolve the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and glucose in the food you eat, so those nutrients can
be carried throughout your body.
Rid your body of waste by cleansing your tssues and blood.
Make chemical reactons in your body. The water molecule is always being made or broken apart.
Lubricate your joints.
Act as a shock absorber inside your eyes, spinal cord, and joints.
Regulate your bodys temperature.
36
This Element is truly the Element of life. Your body is 60 percent water; all of the cells in your body need
to be well hydrated daily. If you dont drink enough water each day your body will experience a variety of
problems. You could experience headaches, urinary tract infectons, mental confusion, loss of appette,
and dark-colored urine. Your blood volume will go down, and this will impair your bodys ability to deliver
nutrients to your cells and eliminate waste. And to top it of your skin will begin to show signs of wrinkling
much faster than if you were well hydrated.
There may be days you may feel so spacey you forget the password to your work e-mail account. When
you fnally feel thirsty and the need to drink hits you, your body is already mildly dehydrated, which
means your body is lacking 2 cups of water.
One simple method to prevent this from happening is to carry a water botle with you as an external remind-
er to drink. For example, when you get ready to leave your house for the day, take a 20-ounce botle of water
with you. Then you can refll the botle throughout the day. This is an easy way to keep track of the amount of
water you are drinking. If you want to make sure you are well hydrated check the color of your urine; it should
be pale yellow. When your urine is a dark yellow, this is your cue to increase your water intake.
The general rule of thumb for water intake is eight 8-ounce glasses a day, or 2 quarts (2 L). If you work out
on a regular basis you will need to increase your fuid intake.
If you dont like the taste or to drink water you can prevent dehydraton by eatng fruits and vegeta-
bles. You can also make your own favored water by adding chunks of your favorite fruit and allow the
water to stand for an hour to steep the favors of the fruit into the water.
37
In Traditonal Chinese Medicine (TCM) Water Element foods help to balance the kidneys and the bladder.
When the Water Element is out of balance you may experience some of these physical symptoms: low
backaches, weak legs, dry mouth, fever, a thin, fast radial pulse (on your wrist), and a red tongue (dis-
tnctly). You could also experience some of the following emotonal symptoms: agitaton, irritaton, ner-
vousness, insecurity, and fear. To help with these symptoms consume foods rich in the Water Element.
The following foods are rich in the Water Element:
Tofu
Black beans, kidney beans
Blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries,
mulberries
Watermelon and other melons
String beans
Mung beans and mung bean sprouts
Potato
Sardines, clams, eggs, pork and cheese.
Do not consume excessive amounts of eggs, pork, and cheese, as this can drain your kidneys. In additon,
it is best to avoid warming foods: cofee, alcohol, tobacco, lamb, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and other hot
spices.
Water (Winter) Recipe
Hearty Black Beans
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS INSTRUCTIONS
2 c. black beans, soaked Place beans in water. Bring to boil. Cover.
3 c. water Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
1 clove garlic, minced Saut onion, garlic, coriander, and cumin.
1 tsp. ground coriander Add to beans.
1 tsp. oil Contnue cooking untl beans are done.
tsp. sea salt
38
Wood
Wood feeds the fre in the Creaton Cycle. Wood is the Element of Spring and governs the liver and gall
bladder. Spring follows Winter in the seasons and during the spring tme its good to choose foods that
are lighter than and not as heavy as the foods chosen in Winter. This will help the liver and gallblad-
der. Wood is the fuel to help the fre burn and keep burning; without wood a fre has no fuel.
Carbohydrates are your bodys Wood. Carbohydrates are the go-to energy source to fuel your body.
Your brain can only use carbohydrates for energy/fuel under normal circumstances. Breads, starchy veg-
etables like potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, lima beans, fruit, and milk all contain carbohydrates. You
need a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates a day, or 520 calories, for your brain to functon at its
peak capacity.
These foods are protein sparing, which means your body will use the carbohydrates for fuel and will not
burn your muscle for fuel, which can happen if you are not consuming enough carbohydrates. When you
eat carbohydrates (lets say a banana) before a workout, your body will use the energy from the banana
to help fuel your workout, allowing your muscles to perform during your workout without becoming
fatgued too soon. For example, if you go for your morning bike ride or run, the carbohydrates in the
banana help you ride or run faster, thereby increasing your muscles strength and endurance. If, how-
ever, you had not eaten before your workout, your muscles would tre much quicker, compromising the
strength gains you wanted to achieve.
As you choose your foods make sure you include lots of fruits and vegetables in their natural state (i.e.,
apples in place of apple pie), and whole grains and whole-wheat breads and pasta products. Carbohy-
drate-rich foods are the foods that also provide your body with fber, insoluble and soluble. Think of an
apple. The apple skin provides your body with insoluble fber, which helps your digestve tract, and the
pulp provides soluble fber, which aids in the reducton of cholesterol. Foods rich in fber also help your
blood sugar to remain more stable.
The following vegetables contain 3g fber per cup cooked serving or 1 cup raw:
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
All colors of bell peppers
Legumes are an excellent source of fber. All of the following contain about 7g of fber per cup:
Black beans
Pinto beans
Lentls
Split peas
Garbanzo beans (the base for hummus)
The following fruits contain 3 grams of fber per serving:
Apricots, 4 whole, 8 halves dried
Blackberries, cup
Raspberries, cup
Strawberries, 1 cup
Tangerines, 2 small
39
Lets look at the two organs that are governed by the Wood Element: the liver and gallbladder. It is im-
portant to note that the liver is the organ that helps stabilize your blood sugar between meals. The liver
helps regulate blood sugar by using some of its stored glycogen (your bodys storage form of glucose).
When you have gone several hours without eatng, your pancreas secretes a hormone, glucagon. Gluca-
gon in turn signals your liver to release stored glycogen in the form of glucose, thus helping your blood
sugar to go back up into the normal range.
The gallbladder is the organ that stores the bile, made by the liver. Bile is essental for fat digeston and
absorpton in your body. When the liver is out of balance, usually due to excessive consumpton of rich,
greasy foods, the gallbladder can become less efcient at secretng bile due to the stones that accumulate
in it and block the passage of bile from the gallbladder into the small intestne to aid in fat absorpton.
In Traditonal Chinese Medicine (TCM) Wood Element foods help to balance the liver and gallbladder.
When the Wood Element is out of balance you may experience some of these physical symptoms: chron-
ic indigeston, allergies, fatgue, stress, and neck and back tension. You could also experience some of the
following emotonal symptoms: anger, depression, moodiness, poor judgment, and emotonal repres-
sion. To help with these symptoms consume foods rich in the Wood Element.
The following foods are rich in the Wood Element:
Sour food
Chicken liver
Most wild game
Wheat
Boy choy
Chard
Broccoli
Spinach
Sprouts
Asparagus
Celery
Citrus fruits
Wood (Spring) Soup Recipe
Chinese Noodle Soup
Serves 46
2 c. noodles, cooked and drained Heat broth.
4 c. vegetable broth Add carrots, onion, and salt.
1 carrot, cut into fowers (or slices) Simmer 10 minutes, untl carrots are almost tender.
1 green onion, chopped (optonal) Add greens and cook untl bright-colored.
2 c. spring greens, fnely cut
c. sprouts
Sea salt to taste
40
Fire
Fire creates earth from its ash. It is the Summer Element, and it governs the heart and small intestne.
Your body has its own fre: your metabolism. The bodys metabolism doesnt create ash, but it does
create energy for your body to use.
When you were a child you probably didnt give your metabolism much thought. Youth is a tme of
growth, and most individuals eat food without worrying about the number on the scale. However, as you
grew and matured you may have thought, How can I increase my metabolism? That is a queston I hear
frequently. It is not uncommon for individuals to gain weight as they age, or grow in wisdom. But this
doesnt have to happen.
You can think of your metabolism as your bodys fre. Your metabolism burns the food you eat to give you
energy. Many factors infuence your metabolism; some you can control and others you cant. You cant
control your gender, your age, or your height, but you can control how much you exercise. Exercise helps
to build muscle. The more muscle you have on your body the higher your metabolism. Your fre will
keep burning hot even while youre asleep.
Want to keep your fre burning while youre sleeping? Eat! The worst thing you can do for your metabo-
lism is not eat. When you do not eat enough calories to meet your bodys needs, you cause your fre
to burn fuel slower. Why? Because your body acts like you are starving it, so the safety mechanism is to
burn fuel slower.
Unfortunately for your metabolism, your muscles can be used for sugar by your brain. This is part of the
built-in safety mechanism that should only be turned on under dire circumstances. This is called protein
wastng. Many individuals are creatng this scenario every day because they think, If I eat less I will lose
weight.
Just as you keep the fre in your freplace going by placing wood on the fre, you must eat to keep your
metabolism high. When you consume less than 1,000 calories a day your body begins to slow down the
rate at which your food is burned, because your body fears you are starving and it needs to conserve
energy. Eatng will allow your metabolism to keep burning food and you will lose weight at a healthy rate
(12 pounds per week), without your body slowing down its metabolism.
Summer is the hotest tme of the year, so make sure you pick cooling fruits and vegetables like:
Apples
Watermelons
Lemons and limes
Cucumbers
Salads
On hot days it is best to eat light and avoid heavy foods like meats, eggs, and too many nuts, seeds, and
grains. Likewise, iced teas, drinks, and ice cream tend to stop digeston by contractng the stomach. So as
much as we gravitate toward these foods in the hot summer it is best to avoid them.
In Traditonal Chinese Medicine (TCM) Fire Element foods help to balance the heart (not only the physical
heart but the concept of heart )and small intestne. A quote by Dr. Dean Ornish, MD, heart specialist at
41
the University of California at San Francisco, sums it up: I think the mind is where heart disease begins
for many people. When the Fire Element is out of balance you may experience some of these physical
symptoms: poor circulaton, loss of memory, aversion to heat, severe chest pains, hardening of the arter-
ies, and depression. To help with these symptoms consume foods rich in the Fire Element.
Fire Element foods are about increasing the heat in the body and can be used to balance out the tem-
perature of a dish. For example, raw foods are cold or cool in TCM, so ginger, cayenne, and other spices
that create heat are added to the recipes to warm them up. Hot foods should be eaten sparingly in TCM.
Foods rich in the Fire Element include the following:
Lamb
Venison
Letuce, arugula, dandelion, watercress
Tomatoes, kumquats, apricots, plums
Raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb
Peppers, hot chilies, cayenne pepper
Cofee, tea, dark chocolate
Fire (Summer) Recipes
Oatmeal Yogurt
1 c. rolled oats or whole oats coarsely ground Blend oats at high speed. Slowly pour in water
and soy sauce or miso. Blend untl creamy.
1 c. water Set in warm place and cover. Do not seal.
tsp. unpasteurized soy sauce or miso Let ferment 610 hours to desired sourness,
then refrigerate.
Fire (Summer) Soup Recipe: Chilled Cucumber Soup
Serves 46
4 c. cucumber, chopped Puree all ingredients in the blender.
2 c. water or broth Serve chilled.
1 c. oatmeal yogurt (see recipe above)
1 clove garlic (optonal)
Several fresh mint leaves
teaspoon sea salt, teaspoon dill weed.
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Earth
Earth is created from Fire. Earth is the Late Summer Element, and it governs the spleen-pancreas and
stomach. The Late Summer season is the last month in Summer. The Earth Element is in the center of
the seasons: Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Fall, and Winter. The Earth Element is about the digeston
and absorpton of foods. During this tme of year, prepare easy foods using only a few seasonings, and
choose foods that have a mild taste. When preparing your meals try to include some of the following
foods because in TCM these foods are considered to be harmonizing and represent the center, due to the
shape, color, and taste:
Millet
Corn
Carrots
Cabbage
Garbanzo beans, soybeans
Squash, potatoes, okra
String beans, yams, sweet rice
Peas, chestnuts
Apricots, apples, grapes, peaches
Cantaloupe
When your Earth Element is balanced you will feel strong, have a good appette and digeston, and tend
to have patence and lots of creatve energy.
However if your Earth Element is not balanced you may experience chronic tredness and excessive
worry, and feel stuck, which interferes with creatvity. You may sufer from anemia, digestve problems,
nausea, abdominal bloatng, a poor appette, and loose stools if your Earth Element is out of balance.
To balance your Earth Element, choose from the following foods, which are rich in the Earth Element:
Millet
Sweet corn
All squash
Shiitake mushrooms
Beets
Onions
Parsnips, rutabaga, collards
Chard, artchoke, sweet peas, string beans
Sweet apples, fgs, cantaloupe, oranges,
honeydew
Raisins, sweet grapes, dates, papaya, tangerine
Salmon, tuna, swordfsh
Almonds, pecans, walnuts, sesame and
sunfower seeds
Agave, maple syrup, rice syrup, barley malt,
molasses
Remember: Take tme to chew your food so your body can easily digest it. Meals should be small and
frequent to help balance the Earth Element.
A lunch or dinner rich in Earth Element foods might look like this:
Entre: Grilled salmon
Side dish: Sauted onions, squash, and zucchini
Dessert: Chopped apples, drizzled with agave and topped with crushed almonds and pecans
43
Metal
Metal is the element that comes from the Earth in the Creaton Cycle. Metal is the Element of Autumn,
and it governs the lungs and the large intestne. Metals make up many of the minerals that the human
body depends on to functon.
There are major minerals and trace minerals, all which come from the earth. The major minerals include
calcium, sodium, chloride, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sulfur. You need to consume foods
rich in calcium, magnesium and phosphorous for bone health. Sodium, potassium, and chloride are the
bodys electrolytes, and sulfur is part of the protein molecule. The trace minerals include iron, zinc, io-
dine, selenium, copper, manganese, fuoride, chromium, and molybdenum. These minerals are needed
in smaller amounts than the major minerals (thus the label trace).
Each of the trace minerals has a unique role. For example, iron is a very important metal. Without iron
our body would not be able to transport oxygen throughout our blood. Zinc is an important mineral for
taste, healing, and growth. Iodine is important for proper thyroid functon. Selenium is an antoxidant.
Copper helps with collagen producton and iron transport. Chromium helps with blood sugar control.
Manganese helps with the formaton of bone and cartlage, and molybdenum is important in the me-
tabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids.
According to the Five Element Theory, Autumn is a tme of harvest, a tme to prepare for Winter. Autumn
is a drier tme of year, and you may experience symptoms of dryness such as dry skin, nose, throat, and
lips, and itchiness. To counter the dry season of Autumn, choose from the following list of foods, which
will add moisture:
Soybean products
Spinach
Barley
Millet
Pear
Apple
Almond
Peanut
Honey (cooked)
Milk and dairy
Eggs
Clam, crab, oyster, mussel
Herring
Pork
Using a small amount of salt when cooking helps to add moisture.
In Traditonal Chinese Medicine (TCM) Metal Element foods help to balance the lungs and the large in-
testne. When the Metal Element is out of balance you may experience problems with your lungs related
to phlegm. You could have symptoms of wheezing, asthma, shortness of breath, and a cough. To balance
your Metal element and decrease these symptoms, you should consume the following foods, which will
not promote mucus:
Fennel
Garlic
Radish
Daikon radish
Mushroom
Fresh ginger
Turnip
44
A general rule to follow if you are trying to decrease phlegm is to eat small amounts of fruits, legumes,
and grains and almonds. In additon you want to avoid the following: all dairy foods, mammal meats,
peanuts tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce, soy milk, and other soy products, amasake, and all sweeteners
except stevia leaf.
The Metal Element is the weakest in many people. To strengthen this Element it is important to eat the
following foods:
Plums
Grapefruit
Pickles
Caulifower
Raw onion
Garlic
Chives
Radish
Turnip
Tofu
Cinnamon, mint, tarragon, marjoram,
rosemary, thyme, cloves
Cilantro
In additon to adding these foods, an actve lifestyle is very important.
Metal (Fall) Soup
Shepherds Barley Soup
Serves 8
onion, chopped Saut onion, carrots, and parsnips in oil.
4 carrots, grated Add water, barley, and ginger. Simmer 1
hours.
2 parsnips, diced Add salt or miso, and simmer 15 minutes
1 T. oil Garnish with parsley.
2 qt. water
1 c. barley
1/3 tsp. ginger, grated
1 tsp. sea salt or miso
Parsley
45
Putng it All Together
Throughout this chapter I have briefy introduced and discussed the Five Elements and how modern
nutriton is connected.
It is easy to say eat a well-balanced diet and you will have energy and health, but how do you do that?
Think of your plate as a clock. Set up your plate by placing your starchy vegetables from 12 noon to 3:00
p.m., your protein from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and your crunchy vegetables from 6:00 p.m. to 12 noon.
Practce this and you will eat a balanced diet without countng calories. When you are freed from worry-
ing about calories its much easier to relax and enjoy your food.
Resources
Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditons and Modern Nutriton by Paul Pitchford
Vitamins and Minerals Demystfed: A Self-Teaching Guide by Dr. Steve Blake
Nutriton: Science and Applicatons, 3rd Ed. by Lori A. Smolin and Mary B. Grosvenor (Wiley, 2013)
Website: htp://Macrobiotc.About.com/od/menuplanning/a/FiveElements.htm
46
Chinese Symbol for Harmony
CHAPTER 4
THE FLOW OF YOUR LIFE
AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS
Penelope Elfn
47
The world over the last 50 years ago has changed rapidly, and not always for
the best. Currently the earth and humanity as you know them are going through
a dynamic shifta shift that is so profound, that humanity possibly is not in the
right conscious mind to appreciate the depth and signifcance of what is happen-
ing. It has been recognized by both ancient and modern sources that we are at the
end of a 25,920-year cycle upon Mother Earth, and are at a point in time where
we can no longer deny this shift, a shift to higher consciousness.
The question to ask is: How can we embrace this change easily and gracefully
so each individual can take advantage of this mammoth moment in history, and
what is needed to achieve this?
In this chapter I outline various methods that you can use that will enhance your
life through this shift, and create more harmony and fow. By taking small steps
to change your lifestyle, following the ancient system of the Five Elements, you
can maintain a sense of calm and balance in your health, your relationships,
your career and your inner peace of mind. So start adopting the Five Element
way and see the changes start to fow!
Penelope Elfn is an empowerment expert and facilitator of peoples soul journeys and the published
author of Dig Deep and Fly High: Reclaim Your Zest and Vitality, Loving You from Inside Out.
For the past 25 years, Penelope Elfns experience has been gained in the human potental feld and alter-
natve health arena. She is a Specialized Kinesiologist and Master NLP practtoner, and has studied many
other modalites including health, homeopathy, nutriton, brain functon, and various forms of spiritual
philosophies. She has worked with individuals and groups exploring the feld of awareness and personal
development. Previous to that, she worked in the corporate arena in the fashion and cosmetcs indus-
tries, in both the retail and wholesale sectors. For 15 years she ran her own commercial interior design
business.
In her early 20s Penelopes personal poor health sparked a journey into inner self-discovery, and today
she enjoys premium health, a sense of freedom, inner peace, and love.
Her greatest passion is to support you on your own inner personal journey, so we as a collectve can enjoy
freedom and peace of mind, and live in a loving, harmonious world.
Check in with Penelope on her website at www.YourSpiritualMama.com and request your free e-book,
Step Up, Step Out: Your World Is Waitng.
48
Start Your Inner Journey to Health and Harmony
Congratulatons for taking the leap to explore your life on another level. It takes tremen-
dous courage to want to change your life for the beter, to face the truth of who you are.
Allowing yourself to release what doesnt work or is no longer useful to you in your life,
and to adopt new guidelines and strategies is a gigantc step. I am thrilled to accompany
you on this journey, the benefts and rewards of which are many.
Receive my free e-book, Step Up, Step Out: Your World Is Waitng.
The benefts are:
Understanding the importance of following your inner path,
Supportng you to navigate how to take your next steps,
Getng clear on what is not necessary in your life,
Receiving support from an experienced traveler, and
Startng to become your own guide.
Go to my website www.YourSpiritualMama.com
and receive your free e-book now.
49
Be still like a mountain and fow like a great river.
Lao Tzu Tung
Currently the earth and humanity as you know them are going through a dynamic shifa shif that is so
profound that humanity possibly is not in the right conscious mind to appreciate the depth and signif-
cance of what is happening. It has been recognized by both ancient and modern sources that the world
is at the end of a 25,920-year cycle upon Mother Earth, and is at a point in tme where no longer can this
shif be denied, a shif to higher consciousness.
The queston to ask is: How can we embrace this change easily and gracefully so each individual can take
advantage of this mammoth moment in history, and what is needed to achieve this?
One way in which this could manifest easily, would be for each person to be responsible for their own
energy, balance, well-being, and fow of life. Changes made at the micro level by balancing all aspects of
life (for instance, in relatonships, life directon, health, creatvity, and an inner fulfllment gained by fol-
lowing your souls journey) would create harmony and equilibrium on a greater scale.
The world as it is now would gradually transform from what you see today to a more sustainable, co-
operatve world where people support and care for each others well-being. As a collectve whole the
energy of the planet would hum at a higher frequency.
To support this inquiry I follow the Chinese system of the Five Elements, a system that can simply show
you where you are in and out of balance, and can be used as a guide to show how your energies fow in
general. I liken it to a river, and how you are navigatng that. Are you swimming against the current up-
stream or going with the fow downstream?
This system has been around for over 5,000 years, and is used extensively by the Chinese and applied in
many areas such as health, astrology, agriculture, business, and the space you occupy, known as the ap-
plicaton of Feng Shui. In China, ofen a business decision is not made untl a consultaton is completed to
ensure the auspicious tming of the event planned.
50
The North American indigenous people also have a system of the Five Elements. When these systems be-
come disrupted, they cause major upheavals in both the individuals life and health and the community.
These systems are all interconnected and are part of the whole, connected to Universal Consciousness,
and together produce the sum of everything.
As a human being, you are the microcosm of the macrocosm. You are body and spirit, both tangible in
form (something you can touch and feel, and is run by your ego) and intangible in form (energy and a
form you do not see that is supported by your soul). This also speaks of either connectedness with all
things or an individual separated being. So when using the Five Element system, it allows this intangible
energy to be used as a basis for managing the energy in your life.
An Overview: The Three Treasures
As an overview, these Five Elements are known to consist of the Three Treasures: Jing, Shen, and Qi.
These are the three concepts of energy that underpin the philosophy of the Five Elements.
In this Chinese philosophy and from an invisible or intangible point of view Jing energy is called your es-
sence; this can be strengthened through your mind set, diet, and lifestyle.
Your Shen energy is your spirit or soul energy, which is strengthened through silence, meditaton, and the
martal arts. I actually call this the center of you, your heart or consciousness energy.
Your Qi energy is your dynamic and vital energy, the sum of the balance of yin and yang, your feminine
and masculine energies cooperatng and operatng at full capacity in your body, giving you your life-force
energy throughout the body.
This works at its fullest when all body systems are working cohesively. When these three energies are
operatng and working together in a balanced way, you live your life at your fullest potental.
The Five Element System and its Virtues
This system is made up of fve diferent Elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. Each of these ele-
ments is complementary and has a benefcial relatonship to the others if used correctly, or they can be
used in a destructve or hostle way.
The Water Element: Its archetype is the philosopher and thinker. It is feminine and yin in nature; in fact
approximately 80 percent of your body is made up of water. Water is about sofness, stllness, and con-
serving and rejuvenatng your energy when needed, like the Winter it refects. It is full of wisdom and
its messages can be heard when you are stll at your center. When in balance decisions are easily made,
without hesitaton, and it does not food or overwhelm your life, as it inherently knows when to fow or
be stll. It represents Winter, ofen a tme to rest.
The Water Elemental person is quite shy and creatve, and is a deep thinker and innovator.
51
The Wood Element: Its archetype is the pioneer and strategist. It is masculine and yang in nature, denot-
ing strength, yet fexibility and idealismperfect atributes when you need to be a leader in the external
world and remembering also you need to lead yourself. This person likes to grow and expand, and experi-
ence new adventures and new beginnings as in Spring when fowers start to push out of the ground; buds
blossom and start coming into their full expression. It is the start of the day at dawn.
The Wood Elemental person has drive and is socially adaptable.
The Fire Element: Its archetype is the socializer and wizard. It is masculine and yang with an expansive,
persistent, and outgoing nature. When they are in balance these people are warm, curious, and enthu-
siastc; playing at life with ease, fun, and pleasure; and looking for the magical. It represents Summer,
when all of nature is in its full bloom and its potental has fowered, and a tme of day that is at its peak
at noon. If a Fire Elemental person has an excess of this energy, it is easy to become restless and maybe
impatent with how life is fowing. This could result in burnout.
The Fire Elemental person loves change and something new.
The Earth Element: Its archetype is the mediator and peacemaker. It is both feminine and masculine, yin
and yangportrayed so elegantly by Mother Earth. This element is the one that brings aspects together,
to harmonize and create stability. It represents the afernoon, when the energy falls together. It is the
very foundaton stone of your world. Creatng stability needs virtues of patence, being practcal, and
thoughtulness for the whole. When the Earth Element is out of balance, obsessiveness, intolerance, and
a controlling and overprotectve energy can appear.
The Earth Elemental person is warm-hearted and supportve of all aspects of life.
The Metal Element: Its archetype is the alchemist and judge. It is feminine and yin, and it is known as the
breath of life. It controls the lungs, and therefore is strongly related to breathing in your life and expelling
what is no longer useful. It denotes Autumn, a fading, at dusk before dark descends. When in balance, as
a Metal Element you will know and be acceptng of yourself at a deep level, your worth to the universe,
and you will have healthy boundaries, trust, and respect for self, others, and life in general. When not in
balance this element can be hindered by not reaching out for support and being too controlling.
The Metal Elemental person is self-reliant, feels complete, and is persistent.
For balance in your life, the presence of all fve Feng Shui Elements is required for harmonyharmony
in yourself, the people you are in relatonship with, and your home or ofce space in order to thrive and
feel healthy.
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The Two Cycles
There are two cycles: the Productve or Creaton Cycle, and the Destructve or Control Cycle. When these
two cycles are in balance, life fows like a river. If any one Element is out of balance, it afects the other
Elements and then there is disharmony. It is like your bank balance: Too much spending puts a strain on
your incoming deposits.
The Productve or Creaton Cycle starts with the Element Water, which in turn feeds Wood. Wood then
feeds Fire, which nourishes Earth, and in turn Earth produces Metal, which produces Water, and so on.
Without Water feeding Wood, you would have no trees or nourishment for the Earth. So it is a contnu-
ous cycle, as each Element benefts from one another, creatng a constant fow and harmony.
The Destructve Cycle is equally as important as the Productve Cycle. This is where you can pinpoint
imbalances that are evident in your life. For example, if you have too much Water as an infuence in your
life, life becomes unmanageable. If you have too much Metal, there is a sign of harshness and sharp
edges. It comes down to the balance of these energies. In this cycle, Wood weakens Earth, Earth absorbs
Water, Water puts out Fire, and Fire melts Metal, which, in turn, chops Wood. It is an ongoing, contnu-
ous cycle. It allows you to balance the energies around you.
Both cycles need to be balanced in your life, not in excess and not in lack.
Use this system to create correct energetc fow in your life. It is good to understand each Elements
aspects and how you can apply them simply. The beauty is that the Five Elements, when applied, can
realign your emotonal inner life and its discomfort, and your psychological developmentyour spiritual
fow and connecton to the whole. When understanding your mind-body connecton, health and well-
being, checking in with the Elements is a good startng point.
These Elements have many reference points that you can use in your life, and each Element governs a
diferent aspect.
In deeper studies of the Five Elements there are reference points to diferent areas of human life. Over
the thousands of years, this system has been applied to understanding the fow of your body energy in
53
your organs, tssues, and your body-mind system; your senses, favors, and odors; all sound and music;
your emotons and virtues; colors surrounding you in nature; food that is grown; shapes of buildings,
objects, and the terrain; diferent directons; the seasons in a year; the environment and planets beyond;
domestc animals; the climate; and, importantly, the developmental stages of your life. So this is a system
you can apply to everything you come in contact with, as well as your life in general.
Individual Applicaton
Not everyone is the same. Diferent people have diferent energy systems, and these need to be respect-
ed. So you can apply this Elemental system to your emotonal and spiritual fow, your relatonships, your
health and well-being.
From a more personal perspectve, you can research which Element you were born under, and your per-
sonal Kua number and how that afects your life fow. (Your personal Kua number is similar to your life
number in numerology.) For instance, you will sleep well if you are facing the right directon that is in fow
with your personal Kua number; if not, you will have disrupted sleep.
As sleep is possibly one of the fve major aspects of good health, not sleeping properly can be a trigger
for imbalances and dis-ease to fnd you. When your whole system is weakened with a downward adrenal
and nerve response, it is imperatve to ensure that your sleeping positon is to your optmum beneft.
In the diferent Feng Shui schools, in partcular The Flying Star, your Kua number is routnely used to apply
auspicious aspects in your life and space, in partcular your environment, in which you live and work. It
is well worth the research and can give some deep insights to your life. So even if you are a diferent Ele-
ment than your partner, when you apply these principles, you are able to come to solutons that support
both of your energies. Always good to know!
You can take this knowledge of the Five Elements and apply it across your life, and I invite you to do that.
I will take a few areas discussed above to give you examples of applicaton: your health and body, your
emotons, colors and shapes representng your mind-body, your emotonal state, and your environment.

Your Physical Health
In health, many modalites use the Chinese Five Element system: acupuncture, kinesiology, acupressure,
acupoint therapies, plus others. They are used to fnd out where the imbalances lie so your system of
energies in the body and mind can be balanced, thus relieving any imbalances and blockages in your
energy feld to create fow.
The Elements correspond to various systems. Your circulatory, glandular, respiratory, lymphatc, structural,
muscular, digestve, nervous, emotonal, mental, and reproductve systems, including your skin, brain,
cells, and organsall communicate through your meridian system. This carries informaton from one part
of your body to the other. So it makes sense that if imbalances occur in your digestve system, for instance,
or your muscular system is blocked, it can have an efect on your glandular and lymphatc systems.
54
Your system is a whole energy system. Remember that everything is connected, so are the bodymind
parts! The fve diferent Elements also have specifc tmes of day when they are at their peak and their
weakest.
Elemental Body Organs
Water: Kidney and bladder
Wood: Liver and gallbladder
Fire: Heart and circulaton: triple warmer and small intestne
Earth: Spleen and stomach
Metal: Lung and large intestne
In each element one yin organ is paired with one yang organ, and they work in concert. The yang organs
are known as the hollow organs. The fve yang organs drain fuid and energy out of the body, and are the
large intestne, stomach, small intestne, gallbladder, and bladder.
The yin organs produce, transform, and store Qi, blood, bodily fuids, and essence. The fve yin organs are
the lungs, spleen, heart, liver, and kidneys. The triple warmer is sometmes considered a sixth yin organ.
When your systems are not in harmony you create stress and imbalance. Your body does not like stress
at all. Most dis-eases today are related to the impact of stress on your body and mind. Western society
is so busy, noisy, compettve, and stressful; your Elemental system is ofen out of balance as a result of
this. Remove the stress, and automatcally your body will respond, and will create and enjoy calmness
and harmony. There are many ways to support your system to counter this. Here are a few tps to help
you along in your day:
1. Meditate or take tme in nature each day, and regularly do exercise you enjoy!
2. Eat healthy organic foods and prepare them yourself, and drink lots of water.
3. Ensure you sleep well.
4. Keep a youthful and actve mind, smile, and have fun!
5. Dont carry grudges or resentments, dont compare yourself to others, and forgive yourself ofen.
Your Emotons
Your emotons are afected by many things. This includes how you mentally flter what is around you,
your thoughts and beliefs, what happens to you directly and indirectly, and what you ultmately perceive
through your reality. So what you have stored in your subconscious mind over tme, any responses of
your senses, the odors you smell, the favors you taste, your environmentpeople, spaces, colors, ener-
gies. You will have a response to all of it, whether you are aware of it or not. These emotonal responses
will have either a positve or negatve efect on you, all signposts to the fow in your life, giving you indica-
tons of what is or is not working for you. The queston to ask is: Is your energy going against you, and
what can you do to change it?
55
Elemental Emotons
Water: Fear and anxiety or calmness
Wood: Anger and resentment or patence
Fire: Hate or joy and love
Earth: Worry or empathy
Metal: Grief and guilt or courage
Big negatve emotons have a habit of contractng your energy quickly, and then you have no space to be
centered and grounded. Here are a few simple tps to handle your emotons and let them pass so you are
not swallowed up in their drama:
1. Breathe fve deep breaths slowly, and see how your energy changes immediately and your auric feld
expands.
2. Take a fve-minute walk away from what you are doing.
3. If there is a persistent worried thought, acknowledge what it is, write it down, and come back to it
later.
4. Tell yourself the truth about the emotons you are feeling; accept and take responsibility for what you
have created.
5. Move your body around for a few minutes by stretching or dancing; it is amazing how this shifs a
mood!
Your Space and Environment
56
In my days of interior Design, I was asked to check out the design of a casino in relatonship to the Feng
Shui of the foor plan. I made suggestons for improvement of the design fow, which were not imple-
mented. Within nine months of the commencement of the project it had collapsed. Is this coincidence,
or was there something deeper at work here? My belief is that energy plays an enormous part in our
daily lives, and it behooves us to take notce!
Imbalances are also caused by cluter that surrounds you in your home and ofce. Cleaning out what is
no longer wanted, or giving away items that no longer portray your life or represent your deepest values,
is a very powerful acton to take. It keeps energy fowing, clearly and concisely. One small tp when doing
this: Have a friend with you, as the process can bring up a lot of emotons, maybe anxietes, as you visit
old memories and cut old cords that need to be honored and be released. However, the gif at the end is
a clean palete to do with what you will.
When applying Feng Shui principles in design, each Element has a specifc shape and color. This system
can be applied to your living and working space, ensuring that energy fows and supports your lifestyle.
Each Element relates to the building blocks of life and the fve platonic solids (i.e., Earth denotes a square
shape, Fire a triangle, etc.; see below).
Elemental Shapes
Water: Wavy
Wood: Rectangular
Fire: Triangular
Earth: Square
Metal: Round
Elemental Colors
Water: Blue, black
Wood: Green, brown
Fire: Red, strong yellow, orange, purple, pink
Earth: light yellow, sandy/earthy, light brown
Metal: White, gray
There are many diferent schools of Feng Shui where you can learn about the fow of your environment;
they number too many to list. When Qi or energy is blocked in your space, the outward manifestaton of
this is easily recognized in the form of whether your career is fulflling you, atractng to you the correct
relatonships that support you, ensuring your health and energy are at the optmum, or your abundance
is fowing. You can apply Feng Shui principles throughout your house, your bedroom, your ofce, and
even your desk that can enhance the fow of positve energies.
To enhance the elemental fow of your environment, depending whether you want more or less impact
of an element, use the shapes and colors above. Here are some tps you can use to do that for you; always
check in with yourself on how it feels. A good idea is to leave it for a few days. Then, if the change you
have made does not feel right, you can shif it around again. Always make sure you are happy with what
you have done.
57
Allow your creatve spark to rise, be imaginatve in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms, and remember
to use these techniques in any outside areas, too. You can create miracles by thinking outside the box!
The Water Element is about fowing and refectng: Use the color blue with sof shapes. Use black frames
for paintngs, images, or photos of water landscapes. Use small table fountains for running water, or mir-
rors to refect nature into your house. Use scater cushions and throw rugs to sofen seatng, or fowing
curtains. Maybe a lovely black stone Buddha! Feel how it makes a diference!
The Wood Element is about feeding and nurturing: Use healthy and vibrant plants. There are partcular
plants that purify your space; you can even use the smell of herbs in the kitchen. Use wooden photo
frames, statues, Buddhas, and objects in places where you cannot use plants (i.e., the bedroom). Use the
color green to give you a feeling of nature. A bamboo plant is supposed to be lucky! Have bamboo hang-
ing chimes for a general sound when blowing in the wind.
The Fire Element is about expanding and purifying: To brighten up an area, use splashes of the red spec-
trum around the house. Not too much, as it can become overpowering use it in sparingly. You can have
fun with choosing objects, paintngs, candle holders, photo frames, cushions, rugs, and materials that
have texture. Natural fabrics are best; perhaps choose velvet or silk for a luxurious feel. The ultmate is to
be able to create fre with candles and with a freplace.
The Earth Element is about stabilizing and grounding: Here you are looking to create grounding in a
space. You can use items that speak of the earth, such as crystals or large stones, or even earthenware
potery in the kitchen. Use objects and fgurines made of earth such as clay, terracota, or even salt rock
lamps, as they add a warmth and calmness to the space. You can use crystal chandelier lightng for some-
thing diferent. Add lovely earthen tones for foor rugs made of natural fbers.
The Metal Element is about transforming and letng go of the old: Use white, gray or even metal-
colored (i.e., gold, bronze, silver, etc.) paints to change and brighten up an area instantly. Anything metal
goes: photo frames, picture frames, metal wind chimes, metal fgurines or Buddhas, or even metal wall
sculptures. Mental vases and dcor items can also be used for enhancing the space. Add the sof colors
of white and cream, and metal colors in gold, silver, and bronze, in the form of rugs, curtains, bedspreads,
and throws to sofen an area.
Applying all these principles will afect the nature of your life, your relatonships with yourself and others,
and your life directon and souls journey. So be adventurous; do something new to your space at home
or your ofce. Ensure the changes you make feel and look right for you. Be clear about the results you
want to achieve.
Have fun with Feng Shui and the Five Elements. Notce the changes in your life as you become more
balanced and in fow with your energy and the space around you.
Wishing you harmony in your travels!
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao Tzu Tung
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SUMMARY
THE NEXT STEP
FORWARD
We hope you enjoyed your experience reading 5 Secrets to Balanced, Healthy Liv-
ing: The Power of the Five Elements. Let this experience propel you into taking
more responsibility for your wellness. The outer realms of your environment re-
fect what is inside of you. Realize that you are part of the greater whole.
Currently, the world is experiencing a shift in consciousness. In order to turn the
world into a co-creative and cooperative place, massive changes are required. You
are part of this change; respect all life. If you nourish and nurture yourself, you will
create a cohesive, harmonious space for all.
Take responsibility for your own backyard. Be accountable for your own energy
and health. Be mindful of your emotional state of being, and your spiritual devel-
opment and expansion. Recognize that you are a part of the wholevone Universal
energyone body, mind, and spirit.
May your journey be fruitful!
May you fnd joy, health, balance, and harmony!

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