tcm & five elements

5 Element Arch types

The I-Health system has the ability to discover your dominant arch type element. This element of self discovery can assist one through out their life with the basic knowledge of how they view the world and operate in it.

The Wood person in balance has a practical and clear imagination, as well as the ability to plan, to develop concepts, to make goal oriented decisions and to act accordingly, inspired by a clear vision. His innovative ideas indicate an open and free mind. The most challenging issues of a wood person are his impatience, restlessness and feelings of being powerless. These feelings may jeopardize his chance on prolonged professional success in society.

The Fire person in balance is optimistic and full of life.   He is charismatic, altruistic, ambitious, communicative, intuitive and has  great  convincing powers. A clear mind, congruence between thinking, feeling, acting and speaking are the genuine attributes of the Fire Element. The most challenging issues of a fire person are his pride and his lack of diplomacy.   These issues may jeopardize his natural social instinct for hierarchy and communication. 

The Earth person   in balance is scrupulous, careful, committed, loyal, supportive,  mediating and helpful.  An Earth person is always concerned about stability and harmony.  Processing and expressing emotional, sensuous and intellectual impressions, are the genuine attributes of the Earth Element. The most challenging issues of an Earth person are compulsiveness and too much concern.   This challenge may jeopardize his natural instinct for stability and harmony.  

The Metal person in balance is methodical, meticulous, disciplined, scrupulous and quiet, concerned with esthetics, clarity, control and distance. He possesses an excellent instinct for balance, order and proportion.  Reacting on changes adequately, down-to-earth and without prejudice are the genuine attributes of the Metal Element. The most challenging issues of a Metal person are aloofness, detaching and fear for the future.   These issues may jeopardize his natural instinct for proportion and order.

The Water person in balance possesses an inner wisdom, tranquility, resourcefulness, discernment, philosophy, versatility, attentiveness and imagination.   Genuine attributes of the Water element are willpower, flexibility, basic trust,  determination, targeting ability and a natural instinct for material and territorial issues. The most challenging issues for a Water person are distrust, fear, stubbornness, selfishness and secrecy, These issues may jeopardize his natural instinct for basic security and trust.

Table of correspondences from the Nan Jing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine).

Element Earth Fire Metal Water Wood Organ Couple Spleen/ Pancreas Heart / Small Intestine Lung / Large Intestine Kidney / Bladder Liver / Gallbladder Taste Sweet Bitter Pungent Salty Sour Sense Organ Mouth Tongue Nose Ear Eye Season Late summer Summer Autumn Winter Spring Climate Dampness Heat Dryness Cold Wind Emotion Worry Joy Sadness, Grief Fear Anger Tissue Connective tissue Blood vessels Skin Bones Muscles Color Yellow Red White- Grey Indigo / Black (blue) Green Odor Sweetish Burned Rank Putrid Rancid Direction Centre South West North East Vice Trust Moral, compassion Reason Wisdom Tolerance Stage of development Transformation Growth Harvest Storage Birth Voice Singing Laughing Weeping Groaning Shouting

Even though we all have our dominant element arch type, we also can be out of balance with the other elements in our bodies. I health intermediate and advanced training teaches how the elements interact with each other.   Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees the body as a whole system, each organ system depending on or controlling another system.   With the I-Health system we can determine how your systems are interacting with each other and where your imbalances exist.

All interpretation and therapies in the i-Health System are based on the 5 Elements relations as described in TCM. Together with the duality principles of Yin and Yang, the concept of the 5 Elements form one of the most important basics of oriental philosophy. The metaphors Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and water are visualized in a 5-star configuration. Each element corresponds to a Yin and a Yang organ. Yin organs are solid, whereas Yang organs are hollow. 

The Sheng - cycle  of generation, promotion, growth and nourishment needs a counter-acting sequence of  control: the Ko -cycle.  In this cycle, each Element is kept in check by another so that a proper balance between them is kept. If the  Sheng- cycle is not managed well enough, its influence will be too strong and abundant. Organic activity will  be excessive and regulation patterns will be  chaotic .   A too strictly  controlled Organic Network on the other hand will become too rigid in its beginning stage and will   implode by exhaustion on the long run.  Both situations will change into their opposites if maintained too long, and will result eventually into  withering and depletion of  the individual's basic vitality.

In a metaphoric way, this can be understood as follows:

• According to the feed back  cycle of control, Water may extinguish Fire. The Yin moisture of the Kidneys counteracts the Yang Fire of the Heart. 
• Fire may melt Metal. The blood flow capacity of the Heart complements the Qi-directing and Qi-moving capacity of the lungs.
• Metal may cut Wood. The Qi-moving capacity of the Lungs counteracts the blood collecting and activating capacity of the Liver. 
• Wood may suffocate Earth.  The activating capacity of Liver challenges the   absorbing, transforming and dividing capacity of the Spleen-Pancreas. 
• An Earth dam may hold water back.  The absorbing capacity of Spleen-Pancreas challenges the essence concentrating and fluid excreting capacity of the Kidneys. 

In the  Sheng cycle or mother-child cycle, the nourishing activity moves clockwise through the elements.  Wood is the mother of Fire. Fire is the mother of Earth, and so forth.  Wood feeds Fire. Fire generates ashes, which produce Earth. From Earth we collect metal; a metal container can hold water; water promotes new growth or wood.   In treatment procedures, weakness of an element may indicate a weakness of its mother as well.  By supplementing the mother, the son will benefit too.  Hay fever, for instance, may not only be a Metal problem, but could have its origin in Earth rather than Metal alone Spleen-Pancreas/Stomach, indicating Food intolerance.

The interaction between the promoting; Sheng cycle and the controlling Ko cycle could be summarized metaphorically as follows:

• Water nourishes; Wood by moisturizing; it and controls Fire by extinguishing it.
• Wood feeds; Fire as fuel; and controls Earth by covering it.
• Fire generates Earth by incinerating it to fertile ashes and controls Metal by melting it.
• Earth supports Metal by formation of minerals and controls Water by absorbing it.
• Wood may suffocate Earth.  The activating capacity of Liver challenges the   absorbing, transforming and dividing capacity of the Spleen-Pancreas. 
• An Earth dam may hold water back.  The absorbing capacity of Spleen-Pancreas challenges the essence concentrating and fluid excreting capacity of the Kidneys.