Acupuncture and natural harmonisation

What is it?

A simple analogy of Acupuncture could be to liken it to a car. You know what it's like when you avoid servicing the car or having the oil changed. Eventually you know it will give up on you and go wrong. How many of us carry on driving when the red warning light says we are nearly out of fuel? - we are just asking for trouble.

The body is very similar in some respects - we ignore all the signs and carry on until our warning lights stop flashing – the engine then packs up all together and in some cases it's too late or is a costly exercise to correct.

5 Element Acupuncture is the equivalent to that regular service and top up.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is: An ancient Oriental system/medical technique that involves inserting and stimulating particular points on the skin with fine needles. There are more than 360 Acupuncture points in the human body. The needles may be twirled, heated, stimulated with weak electrical current, ultrasound and sometimes even wavelengths of light. It is used in the treatment of pain, depression, allergies, asthma, arthritis, bladder and kidney problems, constipation, diarrhea, colds, flu, bronchitis, dizziness, smoking, fatigue, gynecologic disorders, headaches, migraines, paralysis, high blood pressure, PMS, sciatica, sexual dysfunction, stress, stroke, tendinitis, drug addiction, vision problems and even AIDS.

Acupuncture needles dating from more than 4000 years ago have been found in China. The first needles were stone; later, bronze, gold, or silver were used, and today needles are usually made of steel. Initially, needles were used only to prick boils and ulcers.

Acupuncture was developed in response to the theory that there are special “meridian points” on the body connected to the internal organs and that “vital energy” flows along the meridian lines. According to this theory, diseases are caused by interrupted energy flow, inserting and twirling needles restores the normal flow.

What is Traditional Acupuncture?

Traditional Acupuncture enables the body/mind/spirit to heal itself, as far as nature will allow. In Chinese Medicine any illness or symptom, either Physical, Mental or of the Spirit, is associated with an imbalance of the person’s vital life energy, or Qi (pronounced Chee).

When the body sends out a distress signal in the form of any symptom, it is a sign that there is an imbalance of Qi, which must be rebalanced to restore health.

This principle of Traditional Acupuncture is important because it means the underlying cause of the symptom is being dealt with (as opposed to the symptom alone) and conducted by inserting very fine stainless steel needles into acupuncture points.

Traditional Acupuncture affects the whole person – body, mind, spirit – and may therefore help a very wide range of different health problems. It can also be used as a preventative treatment, aimed at maintaining health on all levels.

A wide variety of people come for treatment, ranging from children to the elderly.

About 5 Elements Acupuncture
& Conditions it Can Help With

Quoted Below From J.R Worsley (1973)

‘From Health stems harmony, balance and unity. From disease we suffer discord, chaos and disunity. The Body-Mind-Spirit of every man, woman and child desires health so that we may be at one with the energy of the cosmos, both within us and without. When there is disunity the human life force signals it’s distress. We see this as pain, anguish, indecision.

These Life Force signals tell us that our balance is disturbed, that the energy is blocked and must be released, to flow smoothly throughout the human system. . Our drug-orientated and suppressive attitudes towards illness often create additional imbalance because we have not learned to place the emphasis on health as the unity which brings wholeness to the human condition. Health is not a medicine cabinet. It is a way of life.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of healing known to mankind. The Ancient Chinese, learning of life from Nature, discovered the Law of the Five Elements – the basic Law of Acupuncture. Beginning with Fire, then Earth, Metal, Water and Wood, it returns to Fire. This cycle describes the flow Qi energy which is characterised by its dual aspects of Yin Yang. Yin is the passive force - the negative in us, the night, the moon, never separated from Yang – the active, the positive, the day, the sun – the two are like poles of a battery. Without both poles the battery will not function.

Like Yin Yang, the Five Elements never stand alone. Each one governs and is governed by another. Fire creates Earth and rules Metal. Earth creates Metal and rules water. Metal creates Water and rules Wood. Water creates Wood and rules Fire. While Wood creates Fire and rules Earth’

Associated with Fire are the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium and Triple Heater, with Earth, the Spleen and Stomach, with Metal the Lungs and Large Intestine, with Water the Kidneys and Bladder, and with Wood the Liver and Gall Bladder.
(J.R Worsley 1973)

Acupuncture can be used to treat a wide range of conditions including:
•anxiety, stress and depression
•high blood pressure
•circulation problems
•digestive and bowel disorders
•respiratory disorders including asthma
•skin conditions
•migraine and headaches
•back pain, arthritis, rheumatism, sciatica
•general aches and pains
•menstrual problems

As well as seeking help for physical problems, many people come with stress-related disorders and the effects of mental and emotional conflict in their lives.

The effect of Acupuncture however is not simply relief from a condition, but an improvement in overall well-being; increased energy and vitality, greater enjoyment of life, better sleep, improved digestion, and therefore may be beneficial where people feel unwell or ‘out of sorts’ without being ‘ill’ in the Western Sense.

With some conditions, acupuncture is often used in conjunction with Western medical treatment that may already be being received.

We are made up of the 5 Elements:
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water

They are our creative and controlling energies and ideally should all be in balance.

The Elements out of balance are known as the causative factor and become apparent in many ways. The causative factor is a POSITIVE thing. When a patient comes for treatment and is out of balance, then these problems will become evident to the trained practitioner. They will be able to diagnose problems within the patient by evaluating their colour, sound, odour or emotion. The practitioner can then put together a treatment plan that will treat the patient's causative factor or what Element they represent.

Which Element are you?

We are all made up of the 5 Elements, but there is always one predominant Element within all of us. As a 5 Element Acupuncturist Paul is trained to determine which one we are. It is when this Element becomes sick or out of balance that we feel ill and require assistance


The Wood Element

Spring is the season of the Wood Element, the time of rising Yang energy, creativity and birth:

"Simple and fresh and fair from winters close emerging, as if no artifice of fashion, business, politics, had ever been, fourth from its sunny nook of sheltered grass – innocent, golden, calm as dawn, the spring's first dandelion shows its trustful face". (Whitman ,W, 1819 – 1892, American Poet)

The Spring is the time when we look forward to the coming year with optimism and excitement or rather we should if our Wood Element is in balance. The Spring is all about fresh starts and new things bursting into life, it is seen in the plants and the trees around us and the wildlife coming to life after the long sleep of winter. We should be starting to make plans for the future now, putting to rest memories from the past and looking forward with optimism.

"Spring is the time of birth and regeneration. The burst of activity which surges out of the stillness of the winter has no equal elsewhere in the year; there is an energy and dynamic force abroad which brings life and vigor to everything". (Worsley,J.R.1998, p1.2)

The Springtime can be a very active and noisy time with people starting to go about there business and planning for the new year. The animals are starting to show more activity in the fields as the spring lambs bounce around. It is generally a time when things start to happen after the shutdown of the winter months. The gift of this season is the optimism and chance to look to the future. It brings to us an opportunity to start again and to put failure behind us and take a fresh approach to things. Obviously this only works if we are in balance, as if we are suffering from an imbalance during this season we will find it very hard to plan or look forward, we would have no energy no drive and no ambition. If we have no energy then we can become depressed and anxious, these are all signs that something is not right.

Spring is linked with the Wood Element because of the opportunities for growth and development. If a tree is not nourished and given a chance to grow then it will wither and die, very much like the body and also the spirit of a person who is suffering from an imbalance. Again like a tree we must be able to bend and be flexible adapting to things that may come our way, we must stay strong rooted but flexible enough to give a little should the need arise.

"And so the tree grows according to its destiny, in harmony with the seasons, in constant battle with the natural forces. As it grows strong, the winds and weather do it less harm. The tree maintains enough flexibility to sway in the wind, yet stays firmly rooted in the ground." (Herrmann,Christa-Maria 2000 p 180)

The Wood Element will show itself as someone who is well motivated and organised, someone who is a scrupulous planner; perhaps they might be self-employed or a director of a company, a person who is used to having things mapped out ahead of them. They are people who like to be pushed and their abilities tested and stretched. A Wood Element will be totally dedicated to anything that he or she pursues. This may be to do with work or the family, this can be taken literally to the point where that person would lay down their life for that cause. If we look at an example of a martyr in history who shows an example of this we could say somebody like Joan of Arc who was so totally dedicated to what she believed in, that she gave her life for it.

The spring is truly a time for inspiration, when things look more positive than perhaps at any other time of the year, this is the time when we can achieve and get things done.

"My beloved spake, and said unto me, rise up, my love my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. (The Song of Solomon verse2: 10-13)

The emotion that is linked with the Wood Element is that of Anger or lack of Anger. When a Wood Element is in balance, this emotion will not necessarily be portrayed as the usual idea of Anger, but perhaps more as a forcefulness of a wanting to get things done, not tolerating laziness or sloppiness. Whereas a lack of Anger will come across as someone who is very timid and perhaps who seems to have had the stuffing knocked out of them.

"The voice of thunder is heard and through the spring equinox, the Yang makes its victorious rise more visible. Celebrations are in the making and everyone is excited, pushed on with a slight feverishness. The songs of the workers rise in harmony with this awakening of spring. These are the aspects of the second month: the awakening of insects and the spring equinox." (Larre,C.1994 p28)

The Organs of the Wood Element are the Liver and Gall Bladder

These two Officials can be likened to the Architect and the Site Foreman on a building site, one makes the plans and the others makes the decisions on how to put theses plans into progress. The Gall Bladder is the Official of decision making and judgment.

"The Gall Bladder weighs 3 liang and 3 chu, is 3 ts’un long and lies within the shorter leaf of the liver. It can hold 3 ho of liquid essence (Bile). The Gall Bladders spirit is Lung yao "Splendor of the dragon" its epithet is " the stately and the radiant one" and its shape is that of a hybrid of turtle and snake." (Wallnofer,H and Von Rottauscher,A ,p 83 – 84)

The Gall Bladder is the Official that converts the plans into actual decisions, it excels in making decisions, and of course if this Official is suffering from an imbalance then the opposite applies and decisions will be very difficult to make. As we know a lot of thinking and decision making is done when we are asleep sometimes answers can come up for problems during this time. The Gall Bladders "Horary" time is between 11.00pm and 3.00am this ensures that we start the day with new optimism and new plans for the day ahead.

Our whole existence involves decision making on one level or another. On the physical side, for every movement that we make, a decision has to be made as to what direction, or how much weight, or when, can that arm or leg move. That is why people who's Gall Bladder is not functioning correctly might show signs of movement disabilities or stiffness of the joints. Obviously decision making is more evident in a mind situation and without this Official functioning to its best capability then the person will stagnate and be unable to make any decisions -they will flounder without any direction or purpose. They may also resort to being very judgmental about others they have a fixed idea of how they think things should be and there is no room for reason or discussion over the matter.

The Gall Bladder is one of the most influential Officials in the body becoming involved with all the other Officials it directs and organizes the rest of the Officials. It stands above all the others not coming into contact with polluted or dirty energy.

"In Chinese medicine the Gall Bladder is said to be the only Official who works with pure essence; all of the others either store or come into contact with polluted or dirty energy." (Worsley,J.R. 1998 p 10.10).

The Liver is the Official responsible for Planning, This manifests itself in body, mind and spirit. We must all have a plan, be it long term or short term otherwise, we would lack direction and meander aimlessly without one. The Liver Official is always evident in a Wood Element as they are always very serious planners. They usually have everything mapped out to the finest detail, they will also have a contingency plan laid out for those times when things don’t go quite as they expected. A Wood Element in balance will have all the angles covered. When things are planned to this degree this can give us the peace of mind to be able to relax as we know we have all eventualities sorted.

The body has many contingency plans of its own that spring into action when they are required. When we cut ourselves a plan is launched that begins to clot our blood, there are many plans that are laid down which release hormones into our system when our reserves are becoming depleted. Another example of a plan, this time in women is that of the menstrual cycle. This is a plan that is regular when we are in balance, as soon as we suffer an imbalance these plans go out of the window, the menstrual cycle can become irregular or can even cease.

The Liver carries on planning for our futures and without this service we would flounder and loose direction. The Liver also gives us the power to be flexible, when things don’t quite go to plan the Liver will give us the adaptability to change our plans. When there is an imbalance any change of plan, such as this, would be devastating and we would not be able to cope. The ability to plan is more important than ever to our spirit, we need to be able to look to the long term and we need to be able to realize the goals that we have set for ourselves. Without this ability to plan and look ahead we would almost have no reason to exist.

The Liver is the Official responsible for managing the flow of Qi and also blood, an imbalance in this official would emanate in the mind as an inability to move forward, a feeling of being stuck in the same place and eventually becoming stagnant as nothing is moving. On a more physical level an imbalance may show in the form of anemia or some other blood disorders, also it may be evident in poor circulation as the blood is not flowing freely to the extremities of the body. This in turn can cause poor joint conditions and arthritis, also the nails on the fingers and toes usually show signs of being in a poor condition, these are obviously at the extremities and not receiving the circulation that is required.

(This essay is the intellectual property of Paul Adkins)

The Fire Element

The Fire Element is linked to early summer. Within each Element there are Officials, they are defined not by physical properties but by specific roles in the processing, storage, and distribution of vital energy and therefore the maintenance of life. Unlike the other Elements the Fire Element has four Officials. These are the Heart which is the supreme controller and the Small Intestine which is in control of transforming matter, separating the pure from the unpure. Also the Pericardium, which is the heart protector and circulation sex official. Lastly the Triple Heater is the official of balance and harmony.

The physical attributes of this element relate to heart and cardiovacular function, autonomic nervous system, digestisve function, peripheral circulation. On a psychological level, this Element is linked to sorting and separating, boundaries, self-expression, joy and happiness, love, warmth, relationships, affection, sexuality, excitement, animation, enthusiasm, activity and passion.

When a Fire Element is out of balance it could result in cardiac disease, circulatory disease, arrhythmias, irritable bowel syndrome, small bowel disease, insomnia, environmental illness, dysatonomias, fatigue, neck and upper back pain.

When examining this Element's psychological characteristics there could be relationship difficulties, a person who wants intimacy but is self-protective, depression and absence of joy, dysphoria, unhappiness, anxiety, insomnia, doubt and hesitation, confusion and inhibition, shy and withdrawn, no enthusiasm and pessimistic.

(This essay is the intellectual property of Paul Adkins)
The Earth Element

The Earth Element is linked to late summer, the time of declining Yang. Traditionally, it is seen as the central pivot for the other Elements.

"The exceeding beauty of the Earth in her splendour yields a new thought with every petal" (Richard Jeffries (1848-1887) English writer.)

"The ‘mother’ was the stabilising, balancing center – not unlike in most other societies. Even in modern societies the mother is, (often) still the center point for family; even though the times when the family actually gathers around the mother physically may be (in modern western civilizations) limited to feasts such as birthdays, Christmas etc. Could it be that our society has so much problems such as criminality, pollution, political instability and so on because it has lost its focus on the mother and/or the Earth?" (Christa-Maria Herrmann p87)

An Earth Element is a person who is used to serving others. It is something they do without complaint and they are at their happiest when they are helping people with one thing or another. This rushing around looking after other people could lead to a feeling of emptiness or being unfulfilled in one's self because all of your energy and time is taken up by other people. This lack of fulfillment may manifest itself in an Earth Element as an eating disorder - a need to eat in order to give themselves some attention. Although they would be eating it would not necessarily be for the reasons of nutrition, but more than likely as a need to do something for thmselves. This would probably lead to excessive eating and digestion problems with a feeling of being bloated or heavy - an Earth Element may show signs of heaviness or lethargy.

Another sign of an imbalance in an Earth Element is for people to go to extremes of one form or another. They may become obsessed with cleanliness or with how they look or they may go completely the opposite way and let their appearance and their standards go altogether, not taking any interest in themselves at all. Perhaps these feelings go back to when we were children and our mother was always making sure that when we went out we were always clean, neat and tidy.

We are all made up of the 5 Elements and although I do not consider myself to be an Earth Element, I do recognise that I may have a little of this Element in my make up. In the past I have always taken other people's problems on myself. I have worried about other people and what might happen if I don’t help them or if I let them down. I have noticed that this has distressed me a lot and made me feel ill. It is as if I were carrying a large weight across my shoulders which stops me walking upright and is grinding me down. I think that in more recent times, although I still care about other people, I must not take on everyone else’s lives and try to sort them out - they must do this themselves. This may seem a little bit selfish but, unfortunately, if I take the problems of the world onto myself then I will not be fit for anything. There must be a fine balance between caring and also thinking about yourself:

"When the Earth Element is not in particularly good balance this whole process starts to come unstuck, and we use almost identical words to describe both the physical and mental effects of this. On a straightforward physical level we see abdominal distention, discomfort in the epigastric region, flatulence and the retention of food in the stomach. We can get the food inside us but from there it does not go any further. All that happens is the formation of an unpleasant brew in the stomach and causes pain and discomfort." (Professor J.R.Worsley p 4.4)

If I reflect on my seasons diary and my observations that I have been making, I look back to late summer and the colour and fragrances that are around at the time. My diary has so far been based on my observations on beaches in Cornwall . This time of year around the coastline definitely reflects a yellow colour to many things. The sand, sun and the wonderful yellow flowers that grow amongst the heathers on the cliff tops. All of these wonderful colours are accompanied by fragrant odors that come from the air around the sea and the wonderful clean fresh smell that you associate with the seaside and coastline. If you observe people on the beach or relaxing by the sea at this time of year they are happy and optimistic, enjoying themselves and their voices resonate with the sound of singing. The sea itself is a great barometer for the seasons in the late summer. It represents a calm singing and fragrant time - a lovely comforting place to be. As the autumn and the Metal element takes over, the sea becomes more and more white and the sound becomes more weeping. As the winter and water element start to show themselves the sea becomes a deep blue and the sound it resonates is more a groan and of course the taste in the air definitely becomes more salty J.R. Worsley points to this example in the book Classical Five-Element Acupuncture:

"There is no need to spell out in detail how cold, north, blue and salty are associated with the Water Element" (J.R.Worsley p 8.10)

The Organs of the Earth Element are the Stomach and Spleen

The Earth Element is all about nourishment and nurturing, about taking on board food and digesting and distributing it around the body. This is done by the two Officials of the Earth Element, the Stomach and the Spleen. As well as nourishing the body we must also look after the mind and spirit equally.

We must always be looking to digest as much knowledge and information as possible in order to keep the mind as active as possible. By taking all of this information in to our mind we are making ourselves feel secure and able to cope with problems because of the knowledge and experiences that we have stored up. When an Earth Element is out of balance this can also affect the mind and sas well as the more obvious physical symptoms. It will affect the mind in similar ways to the body. When the body is not working correctly the stomach can feel knotted up and not able to receive any more nourishment, in the same way the Mind and the Spirit can feel knotted up and unable to take anymore in. It can become confused and reject things in a similar way that the stomach will reject things when it is not right. these are all symptoms that both the physical and mental aspects of an Earth Element are not in balance.

Looking at the Officials of the Stomach and Spleen in a purely traditional way we see the Stomach is referred to as the controller of rottening and ripening and the Spleen is known as the controller of transport. The Spleen is a Zang organ and the Stomach is a Fu organ. The controller digests the food that it receives and also controls the creation of waste by-products. These products, either nutritious or waste, are transported throughout the body by the controller of transport - the Spleen. If there is a breakdown or imbalance in these Officials then the whole cycle of creation and distribution breaks down, thus creating problems throughout the whole body and mind.

It appears that both the Stomach and Spleen are integral to the well being of all of the other Officials throughout the body. In his book ‘In the Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor’ (Eckman,P.p78) the author refers to Ancient Chinese beliefs that the Stomach and Spleen Officials should be strengthened as a basis for all other treatments. If the distribution system is not functioning smoothly then food and by-products will not be distributed and they will rot and cause blockages throughout the system, these Officials must be allowed to transport and distribute efficiently in order to maintain an even balance:

"Some readers may think that the image of a road haulage system does not do justice to the wisdom and beauty of this system of medicine, but in truth there is no better example from our daily lives than this. When food has been harvested, stored, or brought to market, it has to be taken to where it is needed as soon as possible or it will rot. Exactly the same applies within the body, mind and spirit." Worsley,J.R.(1998) p13.7

We have observed that when something is out of balance it can affect the mind as well as the body. Someone with a Stomach imbalance may have a very vacant look about them, they are unable to digest any facts or information that may be given to them, this information will have to be condensed and fed to them in small sections so that they are able to take these facts on board. If too much information is thrown at them they will show signs of confusion and also anxiety.

The same distress can manifest itself when the Official of the Spleen is imbalanced. The Spleen is the transporter and if this function is not working smoothly, then worry and stress can set in which can cause as much of a problem as a physical slow down or blockage in the body. From my studies of the Earth Element and its Officials the Stomach and the Spleen, it has become clear that these Officials are integral to the efficient running and maintenance of our mind, body and spirits. They are the furnace that keeps our engines well stoked and full of power and energy - both for our physical well being and also to keep our mind and spirit alert. They are also the means of transporting this energy around our system to all the areas that require this stimulation. It has become increasingly evident that we would not be able to carry on with a healthy and rewarding existence if either of these Officials is not working correctly, therefore it must be in all of our interests to maintain a balance in these Officials before we can even look at other areas of our well being.

(This essay is the intellectual property of Paul Adkins)

The Metal Element

The Metal Element is linked to autumn, the time of rising Yin. Metal is about connection, inspirational quality, and purity. I consider autumn to be the time of winding down, getting together a storehouse ready to see you through the winter. If you do not get the reserves together in autumn, then it will be a very difficult winter to get through. It is also a time of reflection, when one looks back and perhaps takes stock of things and issues that have happened in the past. It can be a time when a person may put their thoughts onto paper or may paint and want to leave a more permanent record to pass on to their children and family. This can all sound a little bit sombre ,but it's not all like that. Autumn is also the time when nature has a last burst of colour and energy, as the trees and plants give an exhibition of wonderful hues.

People who experience an imbalance in this Element will often suffer from symptoms such as diarrhoea or constipation. These are signs that they are unable to let go and look forward, they are always thinking of the past and perhaps what might have been, they need to let go of their fruit and let it drop to the ground. What they are doing is hanging on and this fruit is rotting and causing them an imbalance:

"The Autumn is also a time where nature, one last time, comes out with a glorious show of colour. The beauty and luminosity of a Vermont (North Eastern USA) or Canadian Autumn; or the colour nuances of a Japanese mountain landscape in autumn, are beyond description. Similarly the inner riches of a person’s life might be summoned up at this stage in a display of talents never seen before, they may reveal insights and visions of great beauty." Herrmann Christa – Maria (2000)p117

It is very true that this time of the year is a time of reflection I usually find myself looking back on what might have been and am very often disappointed that perhaps the year has not lived up to my expectations. This is not always surprising as I do tend to set goals that are sometimes unachievable. It is very hard not to dwell on the past but this is really wasted energy, as what has gone is history and cannot be changed. What we really need to do is look to the future and be positive in our attitudes, which is sometimes easier said than done.

Metal is attributed with the qualities of discernment and quality and also that of purity this can be likened to the rich minerals and ore that are found in metals. These metals can then be processed to form precious metals such as gold and diamonds. A diamond is a perfect object which is flawless and pure, something which is untouched and untainted by anything bad, it is of great beauty and quality. These types of qualities in a person are something very special to have. They will come across, perheps, as a perfectionist or as someone who wants things done properly and in order. They will be someone who is outspoken about their beliefs and has very high ethical and moral views.

"When minerals or ore are purified in intense heat, they give us the most precious substance, such as gold and diamonds. Yet often not only heat is needed for this process, but pressure, intense pressure that forces them to contract. The humorous remark that a diamond is just a piece of coal is perfectly accurate. They are both the same mineral i.e. carbon, yet one has been under heat and pressure and contracted infinitely more than the other. Similarly air in our lungs changes under pressure; some oxygen is removed, the air we breathe out is condensed." Hermann Christa – Maria (2000) p107

Air is also linked with the Element of Metal and obviously this is one of the greatest gifts that we can have as without air there would be nothing. Air is what gives us life and vitality and what feeds our lungs. We must be continually looking for that clean fresh air that we require to develop and go forward. We do not want to become bogged down with impure and stale air, which can be likened to the old memories and feelings from our past that may stop us moving forward.

As we have discussed a Metal Element is very pure and inspirational, someone who is organized and very straightforward with no messing. A challenge to someone of this Element would be disorganization and irresponsibility, they would find it very difficult to tolerate scruffiness. They like to see things positive and cut and dried and would not want to see a 'don’t care do it tomorrow' type of attitude. I think you could sum it up by saying that you know where you stand with a Metal Element.

The Organs of the Metal Element are Lungs and Large Intestine

The Lung is of the greatest importance to us. It is the first sign of life when we are born and it is also the last sign when we pass away. It takes the energy form the outside of the body to the inside, it takes what goodness it needs from the air it has inhaled and it then expels what it does not need when it exhales. The Lung Official then circulates this vital energy throughout the body, mind and spirit. It breathes fresh air and life into our whole being and it also gets rid of the stale and tainted air that resides in us. However, we do seem to take even the act of breathing for granted. We have to eat, breath and drink to survive and we find that we soon panic if we cannot find something to eat or drink. This is very strange, as we can go for days without food and water, yet we can only survive for a matter of minutes without air. Do we really take much notice of the air that we take into our lungs? As a society we are always polluting what we take in. We inhale cigarettes, either by choice ,or secondarily by the environment that we put ourselves in. We are forever breathing in pollution from cars and factories and yet we do not seem to think twice about the consequences. If, however, we eat one too many cream cakes, then it is as if the world has come to an end.

I have done a lot of scuba diving in the past, and this is one sport that really highlights the importance of the lungs and the air that we breathe. When we first enter the water at a fairly shallow depth we are breathing clean and pure compressed air. This is not like the air around us, this is a pure untainted air, not natural, but also not infected with pollutants. Everything around you when you dive is wondrous. It is a beautiful world of colours and plants and life, that thoroughly enthralls you; it is very easy to get caught up in its splendor and forget that you are merely a visitor and not an inhabitant. However, as time goes on and you stray a little deeper, the air that you are breathing starts to become infected by gasses and is no longer pure.This starts to affect how you are feeling and how your brain reacts to things, eventually if not checked and you return to your own world, this stale air that you are taking in will eventually slow down your system and your body and you will die. What started out as a wondrous adventure can turn into a nightmare in a matter of minutes because the air, the life force that is feeding you, is no longer pure.

It makes you think perhaps we should take a little more care about what we are taking into our lungs.

"As soon as he leaves the surface and descends, a diver is exposed to an increasing partial pressure of nitrogen. At the same time the effects of nitrogen narcosis begin. At shallow depths the effects are mild, but as he descends the effects increase, altering his awareness of events and his own behavior. The danger in nitrogen narcosis lies mainly in the effect it has on the diver's awareness. Like a drunk who refuses to believe he has had too much to drink, a diver with nitrogen narcosis may not accept that there is anything the matter with him." British Sub Aqua Club Manual (1991) p100

The Lung Official is crucial to throwing away rubbish as it expels the carbon dioxide that builds up in our bodies. This pollutant is harmful and deadly and is very important that it is removed from our systems. The other Official associated with the Metal Element is the Large Intestine. This Official along with the Lungs are interrelated, as one brings goodness and vitality into the body and the other expels the waste and bi–products from the body.

"The functions of the Officials of the Metal Element are in many ways the easiest to follow; they share a great many similarities with the physical functions of their equivalent organs in western physiology." Worsley,J.R. (1998)p 14.1

The Large Intestine is the official of drainage and dregs. It is responsible for getting rid of the waste from the body that can cause blockages and problems when things are not running smoothly. Of course this also applies to the mind and spirit, as if things are allowed to build up and are not cleared out on a regular basis then they will rot and become stale. This can lead to the spirit and mind becoming clogged up and not able to move forward.

This Official is the dustman for all of the other Officials. When it is working properly and on time then the rubbish is cleared away and everything can run smoothly. If we think back a few years to the refuse collector’s strikes we can remember the devastation that was caused as the rubbish began to build up in the streets for many weeks. The danger of disease became very serious and eventually society would have ground to a halt. This is what happens to the mind, body and spirit if this Official is not functioning correctly. Eventually everything will seize up and stop working. Even when it eventually starts performing correctly there will be a back log to clear up, so a complete balance may take some time to achieve.

If you take a look at the society around us you begin to see examples of how this Official is out of balance in many people. We are bombarded with obscenities and foul language and there are continually unpleasant things happening to and around us. These are all signs that there is a build up of rotting and rancid material in our society that needs to be cleared out.

(This essay is the intellectual property of Paul Adkins)

The Water Element

The Water Element is linked to winter, the time of maximum Yin:

"Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than Water. Yet for attacking the solid and strong, nothing is better; It has no equal. The weak can overcome the strong; the supple can overcome the stiff. Under heaven everyone knows this, yet no one puts it into practice. Therefore the sage says: He who takes upon himself the humiliation of the people is fit to rule them. He who takes upon himself the country’s disasters deserves to be king of the universe. The truth often sounds paradoxical." ( Tao Te Ching 1972)

The type of character that springs to mind when I think about a Water Element is one of the guys in the old classic movie, Easy Rider. A rebel, the type of person that does not want to stay in one place for too long and is always looking to move on. Someone who does not conform and stands out from the crowd.

If you can call it a gift then it would be that a Water Element is a Free Spirit, any obstacle that confronts them is easily worked around and no container would be able to hold them for too long. These are all characteristics of Water, a stream that works its way around obstacles and boulders in its way, and also Water cannot be contained for long before it finds some way to escape. In fact the persona of a Water Element sounds like a very cool and attractive one to have, a bit of a James Dean figure, a person that is elusive and hard to pin down, who is perhaps on a different wavelength to the majority of people:

"Water itself is naturally elusive and resists definition. It can hold any shape, and yet cannot itself be grasped and held once and for all. It appears to have boundaries, and yet will find a passage around any dam or obstruction wherever it can " (Worsley,J.R. p 6.1)

The emotion associated with the Water Element is that of Fear, or Lack of Fear. This emotion can be traced back many years to when farmers would have built up their stores of grain and crops to last over the barren winter months. There existed the Fear, that if this was not done, there would be no food left come the spring. This Fear is still evident today in Water Elements who, during the winter are very conscious to conserve things and are frightened of the consequences of not doing this. The farmer would be very careful to make sure that he conserves as much Water as he possibly can in order that there would be enough supply for the dry season that would follow. This was probably more relevant many years ago when it was a matter of life or death, but never-the-less these feelings still apply today in our modern society.

During the lecture at college on the Water Element we were all asked to look at Fear and to recollect a time during our lives when we experienced true Fear. There were some very interesting examples; from being chased by a dog to falling down a mountain. My own recollection also involves Water. I was Scuba diving off of the West Coast of Scotland on an old World War Two ship wreck called the James Egan Lane. We were about three miles out to sea. I was diving with a buddy as we always do and we had had a very pleasant dive to about thirty metres. When we came up to the surface I witnessed real Fear for probably the first time. The recovery boat which was due to pick us up was nowhere in sight and we were left bobbing up and down in the sea with no hope of swimming back to land. The boat did turn up eventually after about ten minutes but those few minutes were probably the longest I had ever spent!!

Another experience of diving that I feel is relevant to the Water Element is a far more pleasurable one. There is a type of dive called a drift dive where you let the current of the sea or an estuary take you with it on its natural course. I have done this type of dive in an estuary in Scotland where you submerge to the bottom of the river and lie flat and let your body be taken along with the current. If you hold your arms out in front of you and use your hands as aerofoils you can actually steer over boulders and obstructions in the Water. It is as if you have become one with the Water itself, a truly amazing feeling and it would be easy to forget that you are diving and that you do eventually need to come back to the surface.

From both of these examples we can see many aspects of the Water Element from the extreme Fear through to the pleasure of being at one with the Element in its own flow:

"I AM WATER " "I am moving, fluid – still and stagnant taking up any form: changing effortlessly from the tiny vaporised particle to the most grand glacier moving gracefully as a ballerina and powerfully as a sumo wrestler following a law unto myself, respecting no political borders adapting to Water pipes and sewers alike, unattached throwing back the image of the moon from brackish marshes carrying the lotus flower in the muddy Balinese temple lake. Suffocating all life in my sucking swamps in the Everglades breeding flies in a stinking puddle in the African village" (Christa – Maria Herrmann p139-140)

The colour that we associate with the Water Element is blue, which seems obvious but there are in fact many colours for Water. Colours range from the crystal clear to the stagnant brown of a pond or canal. During our class time on the Water Element we went for a walk to observe different aspects of Water. We saw how the colour of Water could vary even in the same stretch of river - an example was the weir where there were different shades of greens and browns in the Water. We also observed the relentless persistence of Water to get to where it wants, it will find its way around any obstacle.

Along with these observations we noted the different odours arising from the Water. The odour for Water is putrid and this was evident near the treatment works where we could smell the chemical in the river.

The sound that is linked to the Water Element is that of groaning. This is very evident when you are taking a walk along the beach, the sea has that relentless groaning sound, one minute quiet and then a groan as the wave reaches a peak and breaks – a similar sound to a train.

The taste associated with Water is salty, and of course you can taste this on your tongue very easily when you are near to the sea.

The sea can be very persistent; it will keep on wearing away at the cliffs over a length of time gradually chipping away at the coastline. This is a feature that you can see in a person with a Water Element who is balanced, they will be persistent in what they do and not give up:

"A balanced Water person is persistent. He/She does not easily give up ideals or plans, but work slowly and steadily at an obstacle wearing away the resistance – very different from say a Wood person who also will not give up, yet in a driven way with the need to reach their aim" (Christa – Maria Herrmann p 146)

In writing this essay it has become very evident to me that this Element has a deeper significance to other things that we discussed in class. It has been very revealing to sit here and contemplate an Element that has so many things that link it to my own interests and characteristics- up until this point I have always thought of myself as a Fire CF but I really do believe that there is a predominance of Water in me. I think this is evident in the way that I have managed to talk about things that have meant a lot to me.

The Organs of the Water Element are Bladder and Kidney

These two Officials really do exactly what it says on the tin! They deal directly with the Water Element. Between them they govern the major aspects of our vital fluids. They are of the greatest importance to the whole of the body and other Officials as none of them can function without Water. In his book "The Five Elements and the Officials" (J.R.Worsley p15.1) the author refers to how without Water none of the cycles and rhythms of flows can be maintained.

The Kidney Official is known as the the Official who controls the Waterways. This, however, may be a little misleading as the Kidney does far more. Ancient Chinese philosophy believed that the the Kidney Official was the storehouse for ancestral energy that was passed on to each generation. It was the seed of life that was passed on. The Official takes some of the Qi energy from our intake of food and air and compiles it as a reserve. This supply can be called upon when we have heavy physical or mental tasks to cope with. A part of the Kidney Official is the Ming Men this is responsible for warming the essence of the Kidney, it is also a very important part of the Official as it is a warmer for all of the bodies organs.

The Essence that we have mentioned is the Kidney Jing. This is derived from both Pre- and Post-Heaven essence. The pre-heavenly essence is inherited from our parents at conception. It can be gradually depleted throughout our lifetimes unless it is conserved well. The post-Heavenly essence is taken from food and nourishment and can be replenished. The function of Kidney Jing in our bodies is to do with the basis of growth and development; pathology can result in stunted growth or retardation and bone and teeth problems. Kidney Jing is also the basis of our constitutional strength and the production of bone marrow, which fills the brain and the spinal chord. The pathology of someone with deficient Kidney Jing will be that of someone who is always weak and prone to constant infections.

The Bladder is known as the Official of the Municipal Waterways and is the reservoir of the Body, Mind and Spirit. It is the reserve that we draw from in the winter when things are running low. If there is no reserve to draw from then things can start to go wrong in body, mind and spirit.

As well as being a reservoir the Bladder is also charged with disposing of the impurities that are found in our urine. If these are left to build up and not disposed of this can eventually pollute our whole being. If the Bladder is out of balance it may not be able to keep its fluids in its boundaries. This may manifest as incontinence and cystitis type infections.

The Bladder is one of the few Officials that is similar in its descriptions of use both in Chinese and Western medicine. It is also the longest meridian on the body with sixty-seven points. The Bladder and the Kidney need to be looked at in the same context of equal importance:

"The Kidneys are rulers over the winter. Kidneys and Bladder are related and have to be treated as one in Acupuncture" (Wallnofer,H.and Von Rottauscher,A.p90)

These two Officials of the Water Element need to be treated with the greatest of respect, as they are responsible for an awful lot of Water in the body - in fact our bodies contain over 50–60%. That is a lot of fluid that needs retaining and managing so these organs need to be in the best of condition.

(This essay is the intellectual property of Paul Adkins)