Five Element
Acupuncture Chinese Herbal
Medicine Zero Balancing







Five Element Theory

What are the Five Elements?

The Five Elements are an expression of the ancient Chinese understanding that the fundamental nature of reality is ceaseless change. The Five Elements are aspects of one universal force, or vital energy (qi). This universal force constitutes and pervades all things, and is in a state of constant transformation. The Five Elements are related in cyclical patterns of change which manifest in all aspects of life, and represent its basic organizing principles.

Rooted in Chinese prehistory, Five Element theory is part of the symbol and metaphor of an ancient wisdom tradition, and its philosophical approach to understanding the cosmos. The original meaning of the Chinese ideogram xing ( 行）, which we translate as “element,” is actually “action.” The Five Elements could more appropriately be called the Five Actions or Five Phases.
The individual elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. In nature, the qualities and relationships of the elements manifest in the seasonal cycle of the year:
about FIRE
about WOOD about EARTH
about WATER about METAL

mouse-over to learn more about each element

The ancient Chinese understood that the microcosm (the world within us) is governed by the same principles as the macrocosm (the world around us). The qualities and relationships of the elements manifest in the acupuncture meridians, the rivers of energy which flow throughout our bodies and govern our vital life force.

The acupuncture meridians function like energetic entities within us, governing not only our physiological organs, but also our emotions and spirit. This way of understanding the character of our being arises from deep and ancient wisdom.

The Five Elements and the Art of Living

Implicit in Five Element theory is an understanding of our place in the cosmos. Our bodies, minds and spirits are governed by the same universal force that governs the world around us. We are creatures of the Earth, influenced by the same cycles of change that manifest in the seasons of the year: the growth and productivity of Spring, the maturation and intense activity of Summer, the harvest and abundance of Late Summer, the dying back and letting go of Autumn, the dormancy and inwardness of Winter.

Illness arises when our connection to nature is lost. Sadly, we live in a society where little value is placed on our connection to nature. We wander through life, split off from the wholeness of our being.

Yet we have within us everything we need to heal. By simply paying attention, we can begin to align our lives with the universal force, the ceaselessly-changing vital energy manifest in all things. Health is not a state of perfection, but rather unending movement through phases of transformation. Our healing and wholeness lie in free and unhindered movement through all five phases of the cycle.

The Five Elements and Acupuncture

The art and practice of Classical Five Element Acupuncture is uniquely based on a deep and intuitive understanding of the qualities and relationships of the elements, how they manifest in the acupuncture meridians, and how these govern the body, mind and spirit. Every person bears a distinct, in-born relationship to the cycle of the Five Elements and, when stressed, will manifest imbalances in certain phases of the cycle.

The Five Element practitioner is able to diagnose the core energetic imbalances for each person and restore the flow of energy. The goal of treatment is not to eliminate symptoms, but rather to create the conditions for a return of wholeness, the ceaseless transformation that is the true nature of health.