The Balance of the Five Elements
By Clive Witham
In the ancient Oriental medical system that was developed long ago, both yin and yang and the theory of the five elements were integrated as a way of better understanding the dynamics of the human body.
As in nature, the five elements– Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire – were noted to interact with each other within the body and to form an intricate relationship in maintaining good health.
Each of the elements is associated with organs in the body, as well as a whole host of other categories. Note: It is important to remember that the elements are representations of processes and functions in the body and not supposed to be taken literally. So, for example, the Lungs and Large Intestine are categorized as being within the Metal element even though there is nothing physically metallic about them. It is merely the case of using the principles of nature and applying them to other areas. Sometimes this makes logical sense – the Bladder is within the Water element, for example. Sometimes not – the Liver is categorized as Wood.
To maintain good health, all five elements must be in balance with each other. When they are not, signs and symptoms appear that can tell us which of the elements may be weak.
For example, an aggressive, tense person with a curt voice and a slight green tinge around their mouth could very well have an imbalance in Wood. This would probably mean that the two organs associated with Wood – the Liver and Gall Bladder – have developed their own imbalances.
Of course, the real situation is usually much more complicated than this, but these serve as very useful clues as to what is happening in the body.
The Five Elements
The following is a summary of how the body may react when one of the elements is out of balance. This information can be of great help in understanding some of our tendencies and where they come from.
When Wood is balanced it allows us to be calm, unaffected by stress, and have good decision-making and leadership skills. When imbalanced we can become frustrated, angry, impatient, aggressive, explosive, depressed, moody, unable to structure our lives appropriately, and prone to headaches, eye problems, and swellings.
