Now that we have covered the basics of Yin/Yang and Qi (see other blog posts), let’s talk about how they relate to each other in the body. To do this, we need to learn a little about Five Element Theory.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five Element theory states that there are 5 different constitutional types (elements) within a being. Everyone has pieces of all types, but will have 1 or 2 predominant constitutions. I have done some basic Facebook posts on the different constitutions, but am going to go into more detail here.
The Five Elements are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These elements are consistently controlling each other and keeping each other in balance. Each element is susceptible to imbalance in certain ways. Since it is summer, I am going to start with Fire Element and it’s traits.
FIRE
The fire element is the most Yang of all elements. It represents everything associated with heat and the summer. Things that are associated with the Fire Element include:
Direction: South
Season: Summer
Climate: Heat
Color: Red
Flavor: Bitter
Emotion: Joy/Fright
Organs: Heart/Small Intestine; Pericardium/Triple Heater
Sense: Taste
Tongue Location: Tip
Now let’s look at what a Fire Constitution Individual may be like: Fire constitutions are very social and love being the center of attention.
Personal characteristics:
-Easily excited
-Friendly/Playful
-Sensitive
-Noisy/Talkative
-Enjoy attention and physical contact
Characteristics and Diseases when Unbalanced:
-Hyperactive
-Behavioral Problems (separation anxiety, thunderstorm anxiety, restlessness)
-Heart Disease
-Sudden Death
Example diet recommendations for fire element: fish, brown rice, spinach, celery
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