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Five Elements Theory

The ancient Chinese used to use the yin yang logic to explain the constant transformation and change throughout the universe, but later adapted the interpretations to a new theory called the five elements theory.  Various processes, functions and phenomena of nature defined the new theory.  It asserts “substances can be divided into one of five basic elements: wood, fire, water, metal and earth, which contain their own specific characteristics and properties” says Shen-Nong. The original yin yang theory has a very closely connected relationship to the five elements theory.  The ancient Chinese medical philosophers these two complementary theories into their practices and created a formalized system of medicine called TCM.

Table 1The Five Elements, their Relationships with Nature and the Body

The different vertical characteristics belong to the same element, and horizontally each characteristic interacts with another according to a specific order and element. Working within this system of thought, everything has a correlation in nature.

No pay attention, I really don’t want to lose you.  It gets kind of tricky here.  Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water are not isolated, but instead work close together with their individual patterns and internal orders.  The rule that governs the five elements includes a mutual generation cycle, a mutual restriction cycle, over restriction, reverse restriction and balance between generation and restriction.

Mutual generation explains how the elements create each other. Wood burns, making fire, fire produces ash, creating earth;  earth contains mineral which metal is mined and extracted from;  heating and cooling metal forms water droplets as a result of condensation, thus, metal creates water. Water promotes growth of trees, which are wood. The cycle continues, giving rise to change and transformation.

In Chinese, the word “generate” translate to “sheng”, which also means to create, promote, nurture, support and enhance. This “generation” can also be applied to the human body as well, and is sometimes referred to the mother-child relationship (only a mother can give birth to a baby), ex. Fire is the mother of Earth because Fire creates Earth.  In the human body, the heart (fire element) is the mother of the spleen (earth element) because the heart supports and promotes spleen function.

Mutual restriction explains the manner in which the elements restrict and control one another. Wood breaks up soil and depletes Earth’s nutrients, thus controlling Earth; Earth mostly Water and as dam, prevents flooding, Earth controls Water; Water extinguishes Fire, controlling its spread; Fire controls Metal by melting it; Metal molds into an axe which cuts Wood into pieces, thus controlling wood, and so forth and so forth only to provide an opposite force to balance the generative power. The generation and restriction properties of the five elements hold each other in check, preventing over-functioning.

Over-restriction in Chinese is “ke” meaning inhibition or winning over.  In Nature, Wood controls Earth. In the human body, the liver (a wood element) controls the spleen (an earth element) and inhibits its functions in a balanced manner; becoming excessive will result in over-restriction of spleen function causing an imbalance in the body. This is because an excessive liver function produces fire, which in turns affects the smooth flow of qi; without good qi flow to start, the spleen cannot successfully transform food into more qi.

Naturally, if an enemy is too strong, then the “controller” itself, becomes the “controlee”, a reverse manner (insufficient original restriction), for example, when Wood is too strong and the controlling element, the ax (Metal element) is dull; it cannot sufficiently penetrate the Wood. This ill combination can even result in the ax breaking due to the rebound force from chopping the Wood. This example illustrates reverse-restriction because Wood restricts Metal, instead of the original (intended) way. In the body, excessive spleen function produce heat and dampness; not sufficient enough release in the body, in which this constrained, moist heat will in turn heat the liver and gall bladder, leaving gall bladder unable to regulate bile secretion; causing disease.

For a balance between generation & restriction, “the mechanism of creation cannot do without promotion, neither can it do without control; if there is no promotion, there will be no control. The unbalanced excitement will be harmful. It is necessary to have control inside promotion to have inside control, so that everything can operate continuously; in both a complementary and opposite way’, said Zhang JingYae (1563-1640 AD), a famous TCM physician.

This balance is vital for normal transformation of the five elements; each under the influence of the others in some form. Wood generates Fire and Water generates Wood (grows the trees), while Wood inhibits the Earth and in turn, inhibited by Metal; as the five elements establish an intricate homeostasis. The five elements theory is a very successful health maintenance strategy, used for thousands years in TCM.

Phenomena, occurring naturally throughout the world, are grouped according to their properties, functions, and appearances in relation to the five elements, however, correlation can be made amongst the group.

Using Wood, as an example,  we can relate its many relationships to those of the body. In spring, Wood is in season, the climate is warm, windy, young grass sprouts pierce the soil; trees begin to germinate and grow. The visual spectrum is now shades of green, all characteristics of Wood element, yet in a synergistic way. In the body, the liver (Wood element) is responsible for spreading and ensuring smooth qi flow, referred to as “sprinkling”, in Chinese terminology. Much like germination of grass, liver needs to be soft, light and gentle for a desirable healthy state. It physiologically and functionally relates to the eyes and gall bladder (jaundice – caused by gall bladder obstruction/liver malfunction with yellow eyes).

Diagnostic & Therapeutic applications in the kidney (Water element), which much like its controlee; the kidney supports birth, development, and maturation in humans. Storage of “jing”(substance essential for reproduction, development and maturation, as well as, provide vitality for performing daily life activities, which is the kidney’s main function; know as the “root of life”, and hence the reason it is considered the body’s center in yin yang theory. As a Water element, the kidneys control water, so disharmony of water in the body can be related to disharmony of the kidneys; including hearing disorders, like deafness, appear in the elderly who are kidney deficient. Kidneys are connected to ears and all Water elements.

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Diagnostic & Therapeutic application in the liver (Wood element) controls flow of qi; a person with angry emotions; liver will be affected and disharmony of the liver can manifest as a shady green shade on the face; also connected to the eyes, as with some types of dizziness and eye disorders, at least from a TCM view point.

Living a healthy lifestyle with the five elements play a vital role in maintaining a balanced lifestyle, as with the seasons; during spring (Wood element) we should avoid excessive anger in order to stay healthy; in winter (Water element)our bodies rather store energy, which makes resting very important – hence going to bed earlier during DST.  The trick is to understand the relationship between the elements to achieve a harmonious balance in nature and in life.