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"There was something formless yet complete that existed before heaven and earth. Without sound, without substance, dependent on nothing, unchanging, all pervading, unfailing. One may think of it as the mother of all things under heaven. Its true name I do not know. I call it the Tao." These words are derived from the Tao Te Ching, an ancient book attributed to Lao Tze, that has greatly influenced Chinese society and the world. From philosophy to martial arts, and medicine, it has shaped the way that Chinese medicine view our health and the cause of dis-ease.
The ancient Chinese viewed that everything danced in a dynamic interplay of both complimentary yet opposing forces known as Yin and Yang. Yin represents the dark, passive, solid, and soft energies while Yang represents light, active, hollow, and hard energies. This description also correspond to our organs and it is how they are grouped. Yin organs are Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs and Kidneys. Yang organs are Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Bladder. Emotional states are also connected to each element.
Now, each of these organs are metaphorically attributed five elements that characterize the functional energies of these organs. For example, the heart(Yin) is considered fire because of its function involving blood and circulation. The small intestine is the heart's Yang counterpart due to its ability to absorb needed nutrients for the heart and dispel toxins from the body. Joy is said to be in the heart.
The spleen is considered earth. The spleen assist the stomach (Yang counterpart) to digest nutrients by secreting digestive enzymes. Without these enzymes, food would ferment in the stomach and very little, if any, nutrients could be absorbed. Without the proper nutrients in the soil, nothing could grow. The emotion of pensiveness is attributed to the spleen.
The Lungs are metal. Metal energy correspond to energies that are both solid yet flowing. For example, when a sword is forged metal is liquid then folded into a small mass. Lungs expand when inhaling then contract when exhaling. Lungs govern both Chi (energy) and breath. Conditions of the lungs are seen in the health of the skin and are accompanied by constipation. Its corresponding Yang organ is the large intestine. The emotion of grief is associated with the lungs.
The Kidneys are water and are also considered the second heart of the human body due to the storage of secretion of vital hormones. The kidneys also collect and eliminate excess water and toxins converting them into urine. It passes the urine to the bladder (Yang) where it is then excreted from the body. Fear is said to be found in the kidneys.
The Liver is wood. It is the storehouse of blood from the human body during our still hours and also the waste management for the entire body. As blood passes through our liver, these toxins are filtered out and the blood returned back to the body. Since trees not only produced oxygen, they also aid in detoxing the air we breath. The lungs Yang counterpart is the gallbladder. If the gallbladder is unable to digest fats properly, the liver is saturated with fats and produce high cholesterol. Anger is housed in the liver.
There are two ways that the five elements relate to one another. The Sheng cycle where the energy of one organ promotes the function of the other. Fire (heart/small intestine) produces earth (spleen/stomach) earth produces metal (lungs/large intestine) metal produces water (kidneys/bladder) water, water produces wood (liver/gallbladder) and wood produces fire. The cycle continues again as each organ/element benefits the other organ/element. This is the harmony and balance of our health. As long as this balance is maintained, the body can enjoy optimum health.
The opposite is also true. The Ke cycle illustrates how the elements control one another. Fire can melt metal, metal can cut wood, wood exhaust the earth, earth dries water, water extinguishes fire. This would illustrate when disharmony occurs in one element how symptoms can manifest in another area. By understanding the five elements, we can further our knowledge of the human body beyond and find harmony in the way. |