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"Nature is the circumstance
that eclipses all other circumstances" - Emerson
Five Element acupuncture is an ancient tradition that establishes health reinvigorating your original nature, a balanced integration of five
elements. In this
system it is recognized that the physical universe is composed of;
water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. As part of the physical universe,
humans are composed of the five elements and therefore subject to the laws that
govern them. We are nature and subject to natural law.
With
treatment, relief from physical conditions and greater levels of well-being are
effected at the same time. Everything we do, from blinking an eye to
falling in love is the work of the elements within us. Health issues and
stressful events reveal where we are uneasy inside ourselves and signs of
imbalance eventually show up in one of the five elements. Diagnosis
of a person's "element" provides an organizing framework that yields
deep insight into each person's inner nature and path of healing. Treating
that element strengthens a person at the root of their being, creating lasting
vibrant health and strengthening the spirit.
A
five element practitioner uses their senses to pick up the subtle energetic
clues that indicate which "element" the client uses as their
organizing framework. This information provides diagnosis of the larger context in
which the client's illness or concerns are unfolding and enables the
practitioner to treat the whole person and not just the symptoms.
Treatment then strengthens that element as the causative factor or core energy of the
person. This type of treatment addresses the question "How is it that
you are you ill?" rather than"What is your illness?".
We
use the energy of all five elements to make our way in the world and each
element has it's own special
contribution to the cycle of life. In Five Element acupuncture we treat the element within
us that most reintegrates, us but each element has a specific contribution to
the cycle of life. As you read the descriptions below you will see
yourself in each one but only one of them is your "element", the axis
for you. You may or may not be able to discern your element. Just
remember that you are continually traveling this entire cycle.
"The
clear realities of nature seen with the inner eye of the spirit
reveal the
ultimate echo of God"
Ansel Adams
Everything that lives on our planet requires water for
life. It is the essence of all living things. In its role as
essence the Chinese say that water provides us with jing. Jing
is analogous to our inner battery or that which gives us the power to move
through the cycles of life. Water is said to be the source of our
will. This is another reference to our stored inner power. Most
references to water imply something deep, hidden and powerful. Water
has potency and moves relentlessly in the direction of its destiny. So
too, water as an element within humans imparts the natural skills and
abilities with which we take on life. When out of balance the water
element can make us feel like a caged animal unable to manifest our
potential in the world.
To understand the wood element you need only think of
the first plants that shoot up in the Spring. You get the sense of
life bursting upward, fresh, focused and unstoppable. This is the
energy of being young, bold, quick and effortlessly moving toward your
future. In humans this energy gives us the ability to imagine, plan
and grow. It is the energy of self-confidence and creativity.
When this energetic is not functioning well we can become rigid and
short-sighted, unable to envision the possibilities for our future. We
are unable to make momentary decisions or call forth wise judgment. We
can become impatient and irritable and tend to rush and push all the time
for no reason.
When you first think of the element of fire you tend to
sense that there could be something dangerous here. Instinctively, we
perceive that fire has both the power to warm us and the power to burn
us. In its capacity to warm us it gives us the ability to express love
and make connections with other people. Literally warming up to
them. Its capacity to burn us reflects the annihilation or burning up
of the ego that happens as we expand beyond our limited self and operate
more from our hearts. Fire is the element of expansion, maturity, the
expression of intimacy and the joy of the heart. It literally
dances! When fire is not functioning harmoniously we can become
excitable, as we fail to keep a steady flame or grandiose, as our fire puts
on a good show. It can show up in our lives as nervous exhaustion
(empty expansion) , problems with intimacy stemming from an inability to
open our heart or just difficulty in coming from the heart and expressing
our true self.
Everyone has a sense of earthiness. It implies
nurturing, being held and cared for, and having our needs taken care
of. It is the gravitational pull of earth that brings us toward our
center and allows us to feel grounded, stable, and receptive to the rewards
of life and the fruits of our labor. Earth gives us the ability to
feel abundant, satisfied and supported in life. It embodies
thoughtfulness through the giving of attention, ripeness as an expression of
the sweetness of life, and relaxation as a time to stop working and receive
nourishment. When the earth energetic is out of harmony it can show up
as selfishness, hoarding what one has been given, or feeling sorry for
oneself because you feel you are misunderstood or deprived in some
way. The idea that there may not be enough or that things may not turn
out well arises and if it becomes cyclical turns into chronic worry.
When we are feeling cut off from our own harvest we lose our ability to be
sympathetic and generous toward others.
Just as a knife cuts away what is not useful the energy
of the metal element gives us the ability to be inspired by what is pure and
valuable through separation and refinement. The ability of metal is
the ability to acknowledge what is good and to let go of the rest. To let go of what is no longer useful, thereby
imparting a greater a sense of clarity in the world and true value of the
self within. Metal gives us the ability to appreciate the beauty of the
world and at the same time shed its attractions. It cleanses us and
moves us forward on our evolutionary path through reduction.
Maintaining our purity we know that emptiness is desirable. Here is
our spirituality and the giving up of all attachments. When the metal
element is not strong we can become cynical because we do not see the purity
or feel that we are not valued as we look outside ourselves for our sense of
self worth. We may develop the coldness of metal and become cut off,
austere or self-righteous. Or, not seeing the perfection in
others we become perfectionists ourselves.
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For
information or to set an appointment, email
Kathleen
Tucson,
Arizona
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