THE FIVE ELEMENTS

Jan 7

The Five Elements

The Chinese Five Element theory is a profound lens for understanding yourself. Over the years, I have studied many different psychological and spiritual systems or personality type systems and I find the Five Elements gives me the most insight into a person (and myself) at a deep level. This is not about your psychological conditioning but who you are fundamentally. This system has been around for thousands of years. It began with acupuncture in China over five thousand years ago. Each of us contains all five elements; however, one of them or a combination of a couple, will be most dominant. The elements are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. These do not relate to your astrological sign; so if you are a Pisces, that does not make you a Water person. When you delve into the Elements, you will be more empowered to understand yourself and others, bringing more compassion, peace and joy into your relationships at home, work and with friends.

Here is a quick insight into the elements from Dondi Dahlin's (Donna Eden's daughter) book, The Five Elements:

Water: Searching for Meaning
Wood: Getting Things Done
Fire: Enjoying the Ride
Earth: Bringing People Together
Metal: Yearning for Refinement

Next, I will talk more specifically about the Water element.

Embrace your beautiful uniqueness!

The Water Element

The Water Person: the philosopher, the Innovator, the Thinker, the Baby...For the Water person, your time is Winter when the seeds are deep within the Earth, when things are germinating. You are the idea person, all about new beginnings, deep thinking, internalizing and you are often highly intuitive. When you are balanced, you flow at your own pace, for yours is a slower rhythm than most. Often Waters are late, as you operate on your own time schedule and the word hurry is not in your vocabulary. You love to have deep, meaningful conversations, thoughtfully delving into subjects for hours on end. You are sincere and earnest and search for meaning and importance in all you do. Some of the most creative and artistic people are Waters. You teach people to slow down, have patience, notice the details and not miss out on the deep beauty of life. Japan has a strong Water element (along with Metal) where meaningful rituals and traditions are important. As a Water, you need time alone, without getting lost in your mind. There are two main types of Water; one has the archetype of the philosopher and the other has the archetype of the baby with wonder and playfulness. When you are imbalanced, you can become isolated, fearful, depressed and even paranoid. Here are some things you can do when you are imbalanced: The Kidney and Bladder meridian are in the Water element so you will need to support these meridians to stay healthy. Make sure you drink enough water, avoid processed foods, do not drink sodas, and add sea salt to your diet. You need to stretch, move and shift your energies so you don't get stuck, like frozen water. Exercises that are fluid and gentle are good for you, like Tai Chi, walking, swimming, or Qigong. Acupuncture, acupressure or Eden Energy Medicine are also excellent for balancing these meridians. When you feel isolated, fearful or depressed, get out and connect with others. Find a Fire person who will cheer you up. If you are feeling stuck in your life and can't get past all those wonderful ideas in your head, find a Wood person who will help you organize and take those first steps. Know that you need more time than most people, honour your own rhythm, recognize that you need playtime and downtime to rejuvenate. Have faith and move forward on your ideas...the world needs what you have to offer. And if you know a Water person, help them to move past their fears and stop procrastinating while giving them space and honouring their depth and strength.

The Wood Element

The Wood Person: the Warrior, the Pioneer, the Visionary. Your time is Spring, a time of bursting forth and making things happen. You are fearless and determined, like the tree roots that push upward through concrete while still staying rooted to the earth. As a Wood, you see the bigger picture, provide leadership, find solutions, solve problems and move on to the next project. Justice and fairness are vital for you and you will often fight for the underdog. You are confident, bold, and determined. When you are in balance, you are the best coach, resourceful implementer, and decisive and clear communicator. When under pressure, you will just work harder and keep going. You have strong opinions, love a good debate and will rarely back down when you know you are right. Wood women are perceived quite differently from Wood men. Historically, Wood women were seen as rebels and troublemakers while Wood men were viewed as powerful. Hopefully that is changing...If you can learn to slow down, relinquish your need for control, relax and gain compassion for others, you will experience resilient health and well-being. Emotionally healthy Woods are authentic, down-to-earth, generous, honest, loyal and kind. When you are imbalanced, you get angry, frustrated and irritated. Imbalance can happen when you allow your anger to take over or you work too hard and don't stop to relax and have fun. The Wood element is governed by the Liver and Gallbladder organs. Support your Liver and Gallbladder by eating lemons, salmon, almonds and dark, leafy greens, getting plenty of sleep, avoiding too much alcohol and moving your body every day. Movement is very important for you, so stretch, go to the gym, do martial arts and stay flexible. As much as slow exercise can be annoying for a fast-paced Wood, slower mind-body practices are exactly what you need. Think of a tree in a storm - if it does not bend, it will break. You need to realize that most people are not like you. If they do not meet your high standards, that does not mean they are flaky, lazy or irresponsible. They are different so stay open to who they are and what they offer. You can appear to be uncompromising with a perfectionist nature that will stress people out. Learn to speak more mindfully and practice kindness because your direct nature can be intimidating. Take time to chill out, go have an adventure, or learn something new. Find a Water to help you slow down or a Fire to help you unwind. And if you know a Wood, a little recognition and praise for all they do will go a long way.

The Fire Element

The Fire Person: the Wizard, the Unconditional Lover, the Comedian, the Life of the Party. Your time is Summer, the time of expansion, joy and being in the moment. Fires are carefree, naturally exuberant, playful, demonstrative and exciting. People are drawn to Fires because of your contagious zest for life, love of connection and positive outlook. You are the life of the party, melting people and radiating joy. You have a huge heart and embrace everyone. You often giggle and laugh out loud, you are flirtation with everyone and you remind others that life is to be celebrated. Fires are performers and are not afraid of embarrassing yourself. Life is wonderful and you want to try it all! If a friend wants to share their sorrows, you will try to distract them rather than listen, so they can get back to enjoying life. You bring the other elements out of anger, darkness, boredom and worry. Above all other elements, you can let go of the past and live in the moment. You yearn for intimacy but get bored easily and can flit from one thing or person to the next. You often interrupt conversations and can hurt the feelings of more careful elements. In a relationship, you need people who are clear on their boundaries and provide variety, because sameness will bore you. Fire is ruled by 4 meridians: the Heart, the Pericardium, the Triple Warmer and the Small Intestine. When you are in balance, you bring fun, spontaneity and excitement to all around you. When you are out of balance, you can have insomnia, anxiety, panic, overwhelm, heart issues and adrenal burn out. You have a capricious nature and can say yes and then change your mind. You have a tendency to over schedule and then get stressed. When you crash, your enthusiasm dims, you can get despondent or become melodramatic. Find a Wood for some realistic support and to help you see the bigger picture. Learn how to take time off and replenish yourself before you burn out. Wait before you say yes to every opportunity (because it looks like so much fun!), sleep on it and then decide. Stop, take a break, get outside and allow calm to come. You can't go on at a high energy pace forever. Do exercises like dance, team sports, biking or jogging as you don't have the patience for slow moving activities. That being said, swimming or Qigong are good for you. You need cooling foods to balance out your heat: avocado, mind, coconut oil and heart-healthy foods like omega 3 fatty acids. Acupuncture and Eden Energy Medicine can help you maintain balance. Mindful meditation will also help you stay in balance. And if you know a Fire, don't hold back on the compliments. They love to be adored! And that is easy, as they bring so much life and love to the world!

The Earth Element

The Earth Person: the Caretaker, the Earth Momma, the Preschool Teacher, the Midwife. Your time is the transitions, the Equinoxes and Solstices. You are the warm fireplace, the soft hug, the soothing bath, the best friend. You take care of others, listening to your friends, cuddling your children and cooking homemade bread for your neighbours. Others call on you for help because you are always there. There is a kinesthetic warmth about you and you are kind, gentle and sensitive. You make people feel loved, accepting them for who they are. You are a hard worker, not a workaholic like a Wood, but one who will get the job done and do it well. Relationships, connections, love are important to you. You are often caught between people because you can see both sides of the story and you do not like conflict or struggle. You strive to make peace and you find it painful to see someone excluded. You are all about community, your home is a safe haven for all, and you want people to feel loved and happy. You are the ultimate empathetic person, drawn to people in need and will often do work that serves - teaching young children, protecting the environment, nursing the elderly or taking care of animals. Your downside is that many of you have a hard time giving to yourself, taking care of your own needs and desires. It is vital that you learn to love and nurture yourself so that your life has inner balance and harmony. As well, avoid being over compassionate and over generous. You are not responsible for another person's happiness. Learn this now, otherwise you will enable others and that will lead to codependence, which in the end, does not serve. You have a tendency to worry, ruminate and over mother. When you are imbalanced, you can feel resentful of always taking care of others. You may also fall into the trap of needing to be needed. Allow people to live their own lives, making their own mistakes so they can learn and grow. Although you hold the space beautifully for others in transition, you are the most resistant to change. You need to let go and move forward. If you find this difficult, find a Wood friend to help you out. And do not be afraid to ask for help; allow others to experience the joy of giving to you! You are governed by the Stomach and Spleen meridians and these are all about metabolizing and digesting. Earths will have a tendency to overindulge and overeat, so watch those sweet treats, starches and carbohydrates. Often, Earths need to be careful around gluten. Warm foods like sweet potato, cinnamon, squash are good for you. Chamomile, alfalfa and burdock root will also be helpful. Do movement exercises that are rhythmic, like dance or swimming. You need to exercise regularly, so find fun movement exercises that you can do with friends. Massage, acupuncture or Eden Energy Medicine will all help balance your Spleen and Stomach. And if you know an Earth, reciprocate their love and care! Help them take care of themselves.

The Metal Element

The final element in the Five Elements is the Metal personality. If you have missed the other Elements, check out the previous posts to find which one resonates most for you to discover your dominant element. Metal is the Queen, the King, the Ballerina, the Visionary, the Yogi, the Alchemist. A bell makes the purest sound and that is the essence of a Metal person. Your time is Autumn and like the leaves that fall from the trees, you are letting go of what does not serve and searching for the essence in life, what is deeply meaningful, what is pure and authentic. You are orderly, stoic, with high values, even higher standards and are usually very spiritual. Many yogis and gurus are Metals. You can be cool and collected and you do not often engage in conflict or drama. Like a Wood, you are pragmatic, practical and methodical. However, if there is something off in a relationship, you will detach while a Wood will need to express what is off, usually with anger. As a Metal, you are graceful and elegant, resolved and kind. You want to rise above life and find greater meaning. You can be very altruistic, giving your money and time to charities because you want there to be change for the better. In relationships, you like one-on-one connections and you will often have a smaller group of close friends. You seek to be authentic in all you do and it is vital that you find your true purpose in life. You are conscientious and careful in your work and can be quite detail oriented. You can often become detached from other humans, especially if that relationship does not enhance your journey. In fact, if you deem that a relationship is not serving your personal evolution, you will withdraw. A Metal off balance can detach from people, analyze things to death, or set such high standards that you will never achieve them. It is important for you to consistently open your heart and stay connected with humanity and with your own humanness. Metals are ruled by the Lung and Large Intestine meridians. These meridians are about letting go and the emotion is grief. Meditation, yoga and contemplation will be natural for you. Try Tai Chi or Qi Gong as well. It is also good for you to raise your heart rate, so vary your exercise to include something that gets your heart going. Make sure you include juicy fruits and vegetables, honey, walnuts, garlic and spinach in your diet. Deep belly breathing is good for everyone but especially for you. It will balance your lungs and your large intestines. If you know a Metal, help them stay connected and to play more and they, in turn, will inspire you and help you become a better human being.

Autumn is Metal Time

Autumn is here (or rather winter in Canmore) and it is the time of the Metal element. This is a time of going within, harvesting the abundance of the summer and storing up for winter. It is a great time to clear out what is no longer necessary in your life, to let go of what is not essential. Metal/Autumn is a time of completion, a time to finish up any projects you have on the go. Often people can feel sadness or even depression. It is important to embrace this time as an opportunity to take stock, to bring focus to what you want in your life and to let go of what no longer fits. Create space for growth in your life, for something new that will help you evolve. Autumn is also a time of colds, sinus infections, constipation, lower back pain and skin issues because this is the time of the Lung and Large Intestine meridians. You can support yourself by eating less salads and raw vegetables and add more steamed vegetables and warming soups (squash, yams, broccoli) to your diet. Breathing deeply, meditating, and consciously clearing out any clutter will all help you align with this season, bringing more calm and peace into your life.

Enjoy this time of going from Yang action to Yin contemplation!