According to Taoist philosophy and Chinese medicine, there
is an emphasis on living in harmony with the natural rhythms of the seasons.
One of the reasons for this thinking is that every season pertains to an
element and is also said to have a spirit. When looking at the seasons in this
way, we can see they affect our external environment, but they also impact us
on an internal level. What is
transforming around us is a larger reflection of our own internal processes.
There are five elements. One for each season, plus a fifth
that represents the rest periods in between. The cycle goes something like
this:
At the height of summer we have fire, these fires produce
the ashes that become the earth. In late summer the earth begins to rest to
prepare for Autumn and the element of metal. All metals are harvested from the
earth. Winter brings us into the depths
of the water element. The water prepares us for the rebirth of spring and supplies nourishment to the roots of the wood element. The wood then feeds the fire. Each element supports
the one that comes after, creating harmony. This is referred to as the productive
cycle. When this cycle is disrupted, there
is a disharmony which can present itself as a physical, emotional or spiritual imbalance. This same five elements theory is used in
Feng Shui to evaluate the balance of elements within the home.
Now onto the spirit of each element!
Fire houses the Shen*.
Another word to describe this would be simply the spirit. If you think about
the essence of fire, ascending or rising, it makes sense that this element
pertains to the Shen* I like to think of it as our inner light. That sparkle in
the eyes. Unwavering positivity and compassion.
We are all born with this, but shen* can also be cultivated through
practices such as meditation, tai chi, yoga etc. Activities that reconnect you to your true
essence. The fire element also pertains to the heart.
The spirit of the earth element is what is called Yi, or
intention. Proper thought. This is our
center and pertains to the abdomen or in Chinese medicine the stomach and
spleen. The polarity of proper thought is worry and most of us have experienced
the physical pit in the stomach that comes with worry! With excessive worry, we
can begin to experience digestive upsets or problems. The equinoxes and
solstice periods are ruled by the earth element and it’s not uncommon to
experience digestive upsets during those transitions.
The metal element is ruled by the Po or the corporeal
soul. That little voice inside you that
offers guidance for the physical body. When you get feedback to rest, to eat,
to exercise, that is the Po! It also represents the relationship between our
physical being and our spiritual being.
Our physical being is the yin aspect, and our spiritual self the yang. In balance, we are continually having
exchanges between these two aspects of self and hear the wise words of the Po!
The lungs and the large intestine are ruled by the metal and
we can see this function of communication in a more physical way. With the
breath, we have that exchange with our environment. In that moment of stillness
in between breaths, all possibilities are present, beginnings and endings. The large intestine is responsible for assimilation
and releasing that which is no longer needed. On an emotional level, both allow
for acceptance and letting go.
The water element houses the Zhi or willpower. I look at
this as our inner water well or reserve. If our well is deep then we have
plenty of resources, power to put behind our purpose. If the well begins to run dry, it’s much
harder for us to muster up the desire to manifest or do much of anything! In
traditional Chinese medicine, the water element also pertains to the kidneys or
the adrenals. We live in a society where
it’s very common to overwork, overstress, overtax our systems, which can also
lead to complete fatigue or burnout. The
water is the what feeds the roots so it is important to nurture your reserves!
Finally we have the wood element which houses the Hun or our
ancestral spirit. This pertains to the energy of our family lineage, and also
gives us the capacity to plan and find a sense of purpose, develop our
intuition and regulate our emotions. The liver/gallbladder are also associated
with the wood element. When there is an imbalance here we can experience outbursts
of anger or strong emotions, resentments or feeling stuck.
We are now at the time of the equinox and moving into the metal
element. In a way it is that space
between inhale and exhale. A time to release the thrills of summer and begin to
prepare for a quieter more introspective period. Listen to the whispers of the Po! Allow yourself this time to release and renew. Let your reserves restore in preparation for the water element that
winter brings!
Happy Equinox!
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