Chinese Medicine in Our Daily Lives

This blog was inspired by a desire to share how the beauty and intricacies of Chinese Medicine can interact with our daily lives to cultivate wellness, health, vitality and joy. I was having a conversation with some friends on our way to Mt. Diablo to go rock climbing about the five elements (fire, earth, metal, water and wood) of Chinese medicine and how they pertain to individual people and their lives. My friends were curious about their own constitutions and how various types of activities, food and lifestyles might affect them in different ways.

The Taoists believed that being in harmony with the universe was very important. The cycles and processes of the universe were used as a model to understand the world. By carefully observing and contemplating nature, certain patterns and principles emerged. There is a world inside of each one of us. This inner world is connected to everything else. We contain a microcosm of the universe.

By observing the qualities in each season and the changes in nature, we can understand the Five Elements and how they manifest in people. Here is an abbreviated table of the qualities of the elements.

While every person possesses all of the elements, we tend to have one element that is dominant . This can be considered our core or constitutional element. For example, an Earth type person that is out of balance might be more prone to worrying, eating a lot sweets and have digestive issues. When Earth is in balance, that person can be caring, thoughtful, nurturing and grounded. A wood person that is out of balance might suffer from headaches, get easily irritated or have eye problems. A harmonious wood person is flexible, assertive, loves a challenge and has a clear sense of vision. Each element has it's strengths and we can nourish the weaker parts through diet, movement , attitude, rest, creativity, and love.