Five Elements Framework and its application in the body organs 五行

Modern quantum science as well as the ancient teachings of Chinese medicine say that everything is energy. Everything that makes up a human being, mind-body-spirit, correlates at an energetic level to something “external” in nature. We can use the vibrational frequency of nature and these principles of natural law to heal and balance our bodies and emotions.

This principle of interconnectedness also applies between different physical aspects of our bodies. For example, the Kidney organ correlates with the tissue of bone/teeth, the sensory taste of salt, the sensory organ of the ear, and the areas of the lower back, knees, and the heels/feet. Before we get to this, let's examine what the five elements framework is.

The Five Elements are deeply woven into the fabric of Chinese culture. In fact, Five Element theory is the foundation of Chinese disciplines such as feng shui, the martial arts, and the I Ching. The Five Elements are a comprehensive template that organizes all natural phenomena into five master groups in nature. Each of the five groups—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—include categories such as a season, a direction, climate, stage of growth and development, internal organ, body tissue, emotion, aspect of the soul, taste, color, sound . . . the categories are seemingly limitless. The Five Elements reflect a deep understanding of natural law, the Universal order underlying all things in our world.

When studying the Five Element Framework it is important to emphasize that this multi-dimensional view of life offers a diagnostic framework to recognize where imbalances—body, mind, emotions, and spirit lie. The Five Elements include the internal organs, and the interconnected relationships between them. Below is the diagram that describes how the Five Elements each correspond to one of the major organ systems inside our bodies.

So what does the Five Element theory say to us about the world we live in? First, it speaks about how all things are connected. Everything within each element is related. Let’s take the Water element as an example. Look at the Five Element diagram: Water is related to winter, a cold climate, the north, the color black, the Kidneys, the emotion fear. These are things that share a deep, sometimes invisible, connection to each other. When it is winter there is a cold essence, it relates to and impacts in some way the Kidneys, the emotion fear is linked, though not always in an obvious, visible way.

The Five Elements show us how the structures and systems in our bodies are connected to each other; how we are connected to our environment and the natural world; how our world is part of the greater universe. Many people today have lost this deep connection to nature and no longer are able to feel this truth resonate in their being. The Universal principle of connection still exists nonetheless.

The Five Elements are five fundamental energies in nature in motion. There is a dynamism between them; they are not static. Within the structure of the Five Elements there are two fundamental relationships: generation and support. Without the balancing nature of these two relationships, things would fall out of order in a flash.

When the Five Elements speak about generation, it means a relationship that nurtures and promotes growth. Think of a mother and child. The mother gives birth to her child and provides her energy to ensure the growth of her child. An example of generation is the relationship between the Kidney and the Liver. (Kidney generates Liver).

Support, in terms of the Five Elements, represents a relationship that acts as a restraining energy or force, making sure that things do not grow too quickly or slowly, neither too strong nor too weak. Without support, things would fall out of proportion; balance would be lost.