A TCM Checkup - the water element
March 19th 2007 05:07
In Traditional Chinese Medicine one way of looking at our health is by what are called “the elements”. There are five elements: water, wood, fire, earth, metal. We need enough of each of these in our lives and they need to relate to each other in the right way.
Let’s look at the water element. In our bodies this not only has to do with urination but also our libido, our lower back and hearing. Any problem in these areas is a problem with the water element in our life. These are the areas we normally have problems with as we age. The water element tends to get exhausted as grow older, or if we exhaust ourselves by living on our constitutional energy instead of the energy we take in from food and air.
The water element also includes our constitution. Some people are simply born stronger or healthier than others. Some people age more quickly than others. And we need to deal with this if we are to live a long and healthy life. To pretend we are all the same is just silly. This doesn’t mean that we can’t compensate for a poor start – it means we need to pay attention to any constitutional weakness we may have and deal with it.
When the water element in our body is healthy – we have libido and vitality, we have a sense of who we are and what our gift is – then we can flow into action (which is the wood element). Water feeds wood. This can sound a bit vague, how are we to apply our energy – this is the role of our relationship and where we are in the world (the earth element), all those details that “bring us back to earth”. Earth channels water.
So this is one part of our health from the point of view of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The water element: that we have a sense of vitality and are flowing into action and manifesting our gift amidst all the details of our life.
Let’s look at the water element. In our bodies this not only has to do with urination but also our libido, our lower back and hearing. Any problem in these areas is a problem with the water element in our life. These are the areas we normally have problems with as we age. The water element tends to get exhausted as grow older, or if we exhaust ourselves by living on our constitutional energy instead of the energy we take in from food and air.
The water element also includes our constitution. Some people are simply born stronger or healthier than others. Some people age more quickly than others. And we need to deal with this if we are to live a long and healthy life. To pretend we are all the same is just silly. This doesn’t mean that we can’t compensate for a poor start – it means we need to pay attention to any constitutional weakness we may have and deal with it.
When the water element in our body is healthy – we have libido and vitality, we have a sense of who we are and what our gift is – then we can flow into action (which is the wood element). Water feeds wood. This can sound a bit vague, how are we to apply our energy – this is the role of our relationship and where we are in the world (the earth element), all those details that “bring us back to earth”. Earth channels water.
So this is one part of our health from the point of view of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The water element: that we have a sense of vitality and are flowing into action and manifesting our gift amidst all the details of our life.
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Comment by Anonymous
I'm not sure whether you think Chinese Traditional Medicine is a waste of time or is a big tribute and that the elements are to be totally embraced.
I agree that we need to keep learning and adjusting our theory accordingly. For me any theory is judged by if it is useful to us and makes sense of our experience.
For me the elements make sense of my experience and useful enough to guide to behaviour today. In this sense they are quite modern.
I hope my response makes sense.
Thankyou for your comment. Feel free to ask more or make other comments and I will respond as best I can.
Evan
Comment by gordman
Comment by Anonymous
I misunderstood.
I too think Chinese and Occidental medicine can complement each other.
Occidental medicine I think brings the wonderful gifts of surgery and public health. Along with lots of other stuff of course.
Chinese medicine I think is great for more of the 'everyday' complaints. And has the great gift of using low cost technology. This is incredibly important because much of the health funding crisis is due to the cost of technology. With hundreds of people trained in Chinese medicine we could solve the health funding crisis.
Once again many thanks for your comments.