Greg BeerlingHi Holistic Blissers, the world of traditional Chinese medicine is full of numbers; there is the 1 of the Tao, the 2 of the Yin and Yang, 3 of the Heaven, Earth, and Man, and the 3 Heaters of the Body, 4 levels of function and depth of disease, the 6 divisions of organ categorisation also the 6 External evils and 7 internal evils. Finally, there are the 8 principles of diagnosis. These are all part of the process of the ebb and flow of life, positive or negative function till they all then become the 10000 things (an ancient way of saying all of the myriad combinations of how life differentiates itself).
All of these numbers are part of the way of looking at a client who seeks our assistance. and most of them are a tool for looking at the way in which infectious disease impacts the health of the individual.
The secret of the 5 is different though, it is the Wu Xing (pronounced Woo Shjing) commonly translated as the 5 elements, 5 phases, 5 movements, 5 changes, 5 Steps, 5 agents. It is a method to track and recognise the conducive movements and interactions of a healthy metabolism or help visualise and intervene appropriately to divert it from a negative course.
The Elements of the Wu Xing are FIRE at the top, next is EARTH, after that comes METAL, followed by WATER, and finally WOOD brings up the last element but is also the first element in the circular arrangement that precedes FIRE again.
If you have seen it represented, it may look like the occult pentagram of the witch and warlock coven, but it is more benign than that, and is helpful to overlay both psychological and physiological evaluations to estimate where they may have come from, but also how best to correct the unacceptable symptoms that are being experienced by the client.
The arrangement much like the YIN AND YANG symbol, is meant to get you to appreciate the nature of continuous flow with no beginning and no end of the circle, simultaneously, supporting, controlling and antagonising functions that occurs to keep the physiology in check.
In some styles of acupuncture, it is often important to determine whether a client has a predisposing element that guides or generates the style of their regular physical conduct and behaviours.
Having this system is helpful in dealing directly with the relationships between conditions, both physical and psychological.
The system is great due to the ability to outline the dynamic behaviour of each element and the way in which to expect the element to act properly, and what to recognise when it behaves badly, rather than it being a binary yes-or-no determination.
Each element has a nature: FIRE expands and rises like heat; EARTH concentrates and thickens like clay. METAL is heavy and sinks; WATER is cooling and hydrating; WOOD moves and grows.
These relationships can be recognised due to the connection that these movements flow through from one set of aspects and responsibilities assigned to each organ in each element.
The organs that are assigned to each element are as follows, FIRE (Heart, Small intestine, Pericarduim, Triple heater) EARTH (Stomach and Spleen) METAL (Lung Large intestine) WATER (Kidney, Bladder) WOOD (Liver Gall Bladder).
I will go further into the attributes and features of the interaction of the elements, organs, and relationships in the next article see you then.
Connect with Greg and book a session today at:
Ph 0733668595
Email info@nrchi.com.au
Jacq Koloski
Marc and Milly
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