Five Seasons? Winter with its short days, long nights, and wet cold weather seems to promote feelings of introspection. The ancient Chinese noticed this shift with the seasons and created a system of correspondences pertaining to the world around them. We know these today as the five elements, and they, along with qi and yin/yang, are fundamental to Chinese Medical Theory. In Five-Element theory, everything in the world is divided into five categories. In this system the year is divided into five seasons; there are also five key elements, five emotions, five pairs of organs, etc. As Glenn Rothfeld puts it in The Acupuncture Response, "Linking the seasons of the year, aspects of nature, and the bodyıs organs, the Five-Phase theory reflects the ever-changing and diverse aspects of nature while providing a unified structure to the universe." I want to point out that in some cases Five-Element theory contradicts other theories in Chinese medicine. The Chinese developed their medical theories over centuries and instead of throwing out the old when new theories came along they layered them on top of the old. In my practice I use some Five-Element theory, but not exclusively. Putting It All Together The ancient Chinese observed how winter (water) prepares the plants for spring, thus water promotes wood The Chinese applied this thinking to humans and the rest of nature. We should use the winter to prepare us for the growth that will naturally occur in the spring. By slowing down now you can build your reserves so when spring comes youıll be ready to burst forth. The chart available for download below shows that winter corresponds to water and kidneys. The kidneys are the mother organ in Chinese medical theory. They hold deep reservoirs of energy. Just as water is essential to our well-being, kidney energy is critical to good health and vitality. Because they are so critical they are often implicated (directly or indirectly) in most of the ailments that I see in my practice. Common kidney or water energy problems are stubbornness, panic disorders, osteoporosis, memory problems, chronic fatigue, and low back or knee problems. Kidney/water energy naturally declines with age. A good example of this natural decline is when skin gets drier with age. Just as moisturizer can help the skin, acupuncture and herbs can help the kidney/water energy. Putting It Into Practice As I mentioned above I donıt use Five-Element theory exclusively, actually I only use it a little. But I do find it fascinating at times. I use it to get an overall impression of my patients. Besides asking about food cravings, I notice moods, skin tones, sound and quality of voice, body shape, etc. One time a patient mentioned that she was craving salty, greasy food as well as sweets. Her pulses and tongue indicated that her spleen (sweet flavor) was weak and also that her kidney energy (salty flavor) was low. I worked on her spleen and kidney energy in the treatment and suggested she satisfy her cravings with sweet and sour Chinese food. By the next day her cravings were gone. I have had more than one patient with some type of lung problem (grief is the emotion for lung) or soreness in the front of the shoulder (a key lung point is located there) and when asked they tell me that someone close to them died recently. If you are curious about your kidney energy and would like more information on what acupuncture and herbs might do for you, give me a call. Be sure to review this chart to find out more about the elements and other corresponding features.
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