24.04.

14

Acupuncture & the 5 elements - Practice L. Spring-Taylor, Bern

Acupunctureandthe5elements
TraditionalChineseMedicine(TCM)ofwhichacupunctureandthe5Elementsisapart,
recognisesthathealthismorethantheabsenceofdiseaseandithasauniquecapacityto
maintainandenhanceourpotentialforwellbeingandhappiness.
TraditionalChineseMedicineisoneoftheoldestsystemsofmedicinedatingbackalmost
5000years.TheTaoistphilosophersofthattimewereastuteobserversofnatureandrealised
thatthefundamentalprocessesoftheuniversewereagoodbasisforunderstandinglife.
Acupunctureisthemostwellknowntherapyoforientalmedicine.Itisavitalcomponentofthe
healthcaresysteminChina,Japanandothercountries,theothercomponantsincludeherbs,
dietandanexercisesystemknownasQiGongandTaiChiChuan.Somehealthinsurance
providersevenprovidecoverageforsuchcomplementarytreatments.
Acupunctureinvolvestheinsertionoffineneedlesintospecificpointsonthebody.These
pointsliealongchannelscalledmeridians,withinwhichflowsenergy(Chi).
Themeridiansconnecttheinnerorganswiththesurfaceofthebody.Theneedlingofpoints
reestablishesbalancewithinthisorganmeridiansystem.
AlongwithYinYangthe5elementsarethemostimportantfoundationofchinesemedicine.

Accordingto5Elementtheorytheenergyoftheworldcanbedividedinto5movementsor
phases.TheseinterrelatedaspectsofenergyareevidentinnatureasWater,Wood,Fire,
Earth,andMetalandareinconstantmovementandconnectionwitheachother.
Throughtheassociationsmadewiththeelementstherearisesalanguagetodescribethe
worldandawaytoobserveanddeterminetheconstitutionofaperson.Therearemany
correspondencesassociatedwitheachelement,hereisabriefoutlinepertainingtothe5
elementdiagnosis.
Element

Innature

InHumanbeing

Water

Winter
Cold

Kidney&Bladder
Fear/Recklessness

Blue

Groaningvoice

www.5elements.ch/praxis/en/acupuncture.html

1/4

24.04.14

Acupuncture & the 5 elements - Practice L. Spring-Taylor, Bern

Blue
Seed

Groaningvoice
Willpower

Wood

Spring
Wind
Green
Growth

Liver&GallBladder
Anger/Frustration
Shoutingvoice
Lifeplan

Fire

Summer
Heat
Red
Mature

Heart&smallIntestine
LaughingVoice
Joy/Sadness
Responsibility

Earth

Latesummer
Humidity
Yellow
Harvest

Spleen&Stomach
Compassion/Worry
SingingVoice
Family

Metal

Autumn
Dry
White
Contracting

Lung&Colon
Lettinggo/Grief
Weepingvoice
Connection

Eachelementdescribesadifferentphaseinnatureandinaperson.Howapersonacts&
goesaboutliferevealsalotabouttheirinnerstate&alsoabouttheenergyintheirorgans.A
5elementacupuncturediagnosisisaboutrecognisingwhichphaseisoutofbalanceand
treatingthecorrespondingorgantoregainbalance.
Theorgansarenotonlylimitedtophysicalfunctions,butareresponsibleforouremotional
andspiritualbalance.
Eachelementhasauniquecharacterandtheycanbedescribedas5Types.

Healthyorgansgiveuscapacityforhealthyemotional
expression
Water

Kidney

capacitytofeelfear,sense&assessrisk&respondappropriately.

Wood

Liver

capacitytotobeassertive,havestructures&boundariesenablingusto
grow&develop

Fire

Heart

capacitytofeeljoygive&receivewarmth,love&varyingdegreesof
emotionalcloseness.

Earth

Spleen

capacitytosupport&nourishourselvesandothersappropriately

Metal

Lungs

capacitytofeellossandletgo,abilitytoreceiverecognitionandfeel
complete

Imbalancediminishescapacitiesassociatedwithorgan
Water

Kidney

frightened&notfeelingsafe
"CanItrust"

www.5elements.ch/praxis/en/acupuncture.html

2/4

24.04.14

Acupuncture & the 5 elements - Practice L. Spring-Taylor, Bern

Wood

Liver

anger,frustration
"Idontknowmydirectionnlife"

Fire

Heart

hurt,abandonment,feelingrejected
"Iamunlovable"

Earth

Spleen

notbeingnourished,orsupported
"noonelooksafterme"

Metal

Lungs

notrecognisedoracknowledged,feelingsomethingismissing
"I'mnotgoodenough"

(Forfurtherexpansiononthisthemepleaseread"HealingyourEmotions"byAngela&JohnHicks)

Examplecasetreatedwithacupuncture:
A52yearoldteachercomeswitheczema,headachesandmenpopausalproblems.
Eczemasincepuberty,betterafterhavingher2children,returnedwiththemenopause.
Headacheswhenstressed.Lowenergy,hastoliedownafterlunch.Lossofhairand
inexplicableweightgain.
Feelsbetterinthefreshair.Needsalotoftimealone.Holdshighvaluesforherselfand
othersandisdescribedbycolleguesasaperfectionist.Difficultyexpressingemotionswhich
makesherseemcoolandhard.Sheishurtbyalotofthingsbutdoesn'tshowit.Recuperates
bytakinglongwalksinthemountains.
Diagnosis:Metalelementinfocus
Treatment:Appropriatepointsalongthelungandcolonmerdian
Result:
1weeklater:Nochangeinsymtomsbutfeltveryrelaxedandhappier
2weekslater:Clearedoutherworkroomandthrewalotofoldstuffaway.Lesscriticalabout
herselfandmoresatisfiedwithherperformance.Fewerflushesofheatotherwisenochange
insymptoms.1badheadache
3weekslater:Feelingmuchbetterinherself"likeIhavemoreroomtobreathe"
4weekslater:Eczemaimprovingalittle,hasmoreenergytogetbehindthethingsshehas
beenneglecting.Startedadiet
5weekslater:Noheadaches,energybetter,nolongerneedstotakenaps.Eczemaslowly
improving.Flushesofheatmuchbetter,stilllosinghair.Innersenseofwellbeingandbetter
abletoexpressemotions."Iammoretolerantofothers'stupidness."Lost2kilos
Acupuncturetreatmentswerereducedtofortnightlythenmonthlyoveraperiodof1year,after
whichallsymptomswerebetter.Sheusesacupuncturenowasapreventivemeasureby
comingfortreatment2to3timesayearorinparticularlystressfultimes.
LorraineSpringTaylor
AcupunctureandTCMpractice
Thunstrasse22,CH3005Bern,Switzerland
Phone:+41313527383
MobilePhone/SMS:+41787668262
EMail:source@5elements.ch
Homepage:www.5elements.ch
www.5elements.ch/praxis/en/acupuncture.html

3/4

24.04.14

Acupuncture & the 5 elements - Practice L. Spring-Taylor, Bern

Homepage:www.5elements.ch
Webmaster:ThomasLthi,tomogramm.chWebdesignBern.
Lastmodified:25November2011.
URLforthispage:http://www.5elements.ch/praxis/en/acupuncture.html

www.5elements.ch/praxis/en/acupuncture.html

4/4