What was your training in the Five Elements? Traditional or adventurous? Decades ago I stared at those white diagrams chalked up on the blackboard and thought, there has to be a better way. So when I started teaching I used flip chart and colorful markers to give the elements exaggerated facial expressions. My global students love it. They get the elements instantly. Together, we track them like a board game.
A New Way to Study the Five Elements
We add all the descriptions, associations and cycles. We breathe life into stark geometry. As we study an element-per-day, we wear the relevant colors. Note the subtle Qi changes in mood and ambiance when we switch Wood's crisp green for Fire's bouncy red or soft pink. Note the differences when we switch to Earth's nurturing yellow, then to the Metal starkness of white or silver, followed by the somber effect of Water's black or dark blue.
To enhance this 3D approach, I encourage my undergrads to create a storyboard by relating each of their family members to one or other of the elements in terms of personality, color, food, art and music preferences, acute and chronic illnesses, and also – family relationships. Who dominates whom? Who supports whom? Who sucks Qi or gives Qi and to whom? Suddenly they see their families in a totally different perspective. Fuzzy dynamics start to make sense. With this blueprint in mind, the Five Elements can then be applied to any form of illness or complaint.
In my CEU classes I go even further, helping participants craft individual, interactive profiles of clients on a Five Elements grid. Especially those clients who are really difficult to diagnose. Let's explore an array of case studies.
Case Study #1: Monika D's Migraines
Monika's symptoms crowd the Wood zone. Parietal migraines are prompted by wind/and/or changes in air pressure; flashing/strobe lights; stress; and computer overload. Zigzag patterns fragment her eyesight. Wood kicks out against Fire, and her speech starts to slur. Wood overacts on Earth and she starts to feel nauseous.
While in this state, Monika cannot stand to have her head and neck touched. One quick solution to reduce the symptoms? Utilize Water, as though clearing a blocked down pipe. Ask Monika to lie in side or prone position, whichever is most comfortable. Open the UB meridian. Thumb down either side of the spine. Place palm of hand on sacrum in a brisk upward movement. Then place thumbs simultaneously in UB 36 for a few seconds, before palming down UB on both legs. Pinch UB 60. Finally, apply thumbnails to UB 67. This reduces the intensity of Monika's sudden onset parietal migraine very quickly.
Case Study #2: Martin L's Grief
Martin consulted me when I lived near Zürich. His breathing was labored. He suffered occasional constipation. His complexion was somewhat doughy. At the time I felt we needed to walk (Wood) and talk (Fire) initially before a Shiatsu session was appropriate. Re respiratory difficulties or lung congestion I always avoid prone, supine or side positions and usually have clients sit comfortably in a chair. As it was a lovely day I suggested a walk around the beautiful Lake of Zürich so I could hear more about Martin's history. It was late summer and he admitted he dreaded fall as it evoked the memory of separation from his wife during fall two years previously.
I explained all the Metal associations - his labored breathing, and also the sense of loss around fall. I advised Martin to start planning some new activity before autumn leaves started to drop, triggering painful memories. A vacation? A new line of study? Or, a visit to his adult kids? He needed some Earth nurturing to be able to move from late summer into fall with vigor and purpose. Later I gave him a chair session, focusing on controlling and warming Metal) and good upper body stretches, with a focus on Ren 17, Lung 1 and K 27.
Later he told me the walk plus Shiatsu made him realize he had allowed himself to become sluggish. And how depression deepened in winter. Martin called after a couple of weeks to say he began to cycle or walk to work each day, choosing a different route. He became more conscious of his breath and felt more hopeful about tackling fall.
Case Study #3: Li W's Ears
My students in Hamburg, Germany asked me to work on Li, a young Chinese dissident artist buddy of theirs who was in exile in the city. He was experiencing ringing in his ears. My kind hearted students were busily pooling money to send Li to me for a session. After discovering Li had no Chinese dissident buddies in Hamburg, I said, "Don't waste money on me. Find the nearest city with groups of dissidents. Use your money to buy Li a train ticket to join them. He's missing his roots. His Earth core. His Earth can't control Water. Also, work on him yourselves." Which they did.
Off Li went on the train, to Paris I believe. By the time he returned to Hamburg, the ringing in his ears had stopped. A simple Wood plus Earth solution. Plus basic logic.
Case Study #4: Karin Z's Relocation
A former student, Karin, called one day saying she was having stomach problems, discomfort and cramping. I discovered she had just ended a relationship and moved to a new apartment in her home town. "Describe your surroundings to me," I asked.
"I'm stumbling over boxes. But don't feel up to unpacking, I'm so unhappy."
"Ah," I replied. "Your Earth element is fragmented and you could do with some Supplemental Fire. You're missing your nest. You need to nurture. Could your friends help you create a lovely nest even if its just in one corner? Perhaps they could prepare a nurturing soup of root vegetables to heat up and share with you if you can set up a table and chairs?" Within a week she called to say that was a turning point. Friends rallied. Her Qi was being restored. Though still surrounded by boxes, Karin felt less overwhelmed by the move. She made a beautiful sleeping nook for herself, draped with silk scarves and cushions in gorgeous colors. She didn't even mention her stomach problems and I forgot to ask.
Editor's Note: Pam sought works of art in museums and in local artists' and photographers' studios on her global teaching travels to illustrate her book "TAKE FIVE – the five elements guide to health and harmony."
As modern medical standardization continues, the field of traditional Chinese medicine has the advantage of comprehensive personalization. For rare or complex cases, deeper consideration of constitution is invaluable. Proper constitutional assessment, especially with first-time clients, can guide desirable and predictable outcomes. This leads to a higher rate of return, and greater trust between you and your patient.
Though the creation of a financially sustainable, health-promoting model feels far away today, we are casting a vision for a full return on health, believing that this compels us to keep one foot firmly rooted in caring for the sick and the other foot firmly founded in maintaining health. Shifting from a fee-for-service model to value-based care using a phased approach is paramount.
Traditional Chinese medicine and the Vedic traditions both offer rich frameworks for understanding human health, emphasizing the balance of physical, mental, and spiritual aspects. The concept of "souls" or spiritual components in TCM, namely Hun, Po, Shen, Yi, and Zhi, bears significant similarities to the yogic concept of koshas. Their similarities and differences provide insights into how these systems contribute to holistic health practices.
