Read more: In another article, Marije explains the meaning of the water element in TCM. The strength and flow of the meridian system is essential for the balance in our system, both physical and mental. You see, Metal Element types have a rigid system of belief and she did not believe that acupuncture worked for emotional balancing. So yes: create a health-supporting routine and a manageable schedule for yourself and combine it with my suggestions above. Copyright 2020 Insight Network Inc. All rights reserved. Choosing appropriate practices or activities will help to maintain or reestablish this balance. Grief, the Emotion of the Lung Explore how the element of metal in Traditional Chinese Medicine comes into this. Wuxing (Chinese: 五行; pinyin: wǔxíng), also known as the Five Elements, Five Agents, Five Movements, Five Phases, Five Planets, Five Processes, Five Stages, Five Poisons, Five Steps, or Five Ways, Five Virtues is the short form of "wǔ zhǒng liúxíng zhī qì" (五種流行之氣) or "the five types of chi dominating at different times". The sciatica took quite a number of treatments to resolve but each time she came to the office I asked about her mother; she acted as if it the loss had never been an issue. To keep metal balanced we need structure and routine equalized with an ability to let go and allow ourselves to be supported. This form is related to the Five Element Theory, which is derived from Chinese Medicine. Integrity turns to hypocrisy; fair relationships bend to authoritative punishments; The Yang organ associated with the Metal Element is the Large Intestine and correlations of the inability to 'let go' are quite apparent. Anxiety 2. According to Chinese Medicine there are 5 elements that are fundamental to the cycles of nature and are reflected in the cycles of our bodies. Metal represents the minerals, crystals, and gems of the world. Many scientific studies have been performed that relate an adults' inability to create personal bonds to being abandoned during infancy or childhood. These are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children. In a generative cycle, Wood feeds Fire, Fire creates Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal collects Water, and Water nourishes Wood. The Metal Element is also related to our ability to bond with others, and that loss of an established personal bond would lead to grief. Pungent–The Flavor Of The Metal Element Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pepper and curry – who doesn’t love a little spice? When we suffer a loss this can affect our respiratory system: I’ve heard multiple stories of elderly people getting pneumonia right after their better half passed away. To me, this is a pretty easy one to understand. Social 4. Metal also has a component of flexibility as it can be remolded many times. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000019342, Kim, Y. D., Heo, I., Shin, B. C., Crawford, C., Kang, H. W., & Lim, J. H. (2013). Someone with a Metal Element personality often has a difficult time resolving grief appropriately. Intuitive Fire Symptoms of Imbalance: 1. Five Element theory divides the energy and structure of the universe in to five movements or processes. Instead of Metal controlling Wood, if Wood becomes excessive, it can "insult" Metal, causing it to become imbalanced. The elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. After shedding their leaves or ripened fruits and seeds, plants die back or their energy retreats to their roots. A yoga practice with clear and precise instructions that includes many chest-opening poses will support the metal element. The characteristics of metal are hard, strong and precise. The Metal Element is related to our self-worth and our fortitude against the outside world in the form of personal boundaries; PTSD associated with Metal Element imbalances occurs when someone's personal boundaries have been assaulted by assault, war, or an environmental disaster. Generally, metal people have a balance of Yin and Yang, thus neither extraverted nor introverted, neither haughty nor humble but in a temperate manner. Of the 5 Elements, Autumn this is the season that corresponds to the Metal element. Autunm Associations in Chinese Medicine. As is true in every season, when you understand how your system is affected by it, you will be better able to take care of yourself. Element – Metal Yin Organ – Lungs Yang Organ – Large Intestine Emotion – Grief / Sadness Climate – Dryness Stage of Development – Harvest Flavour – Pungent Colour – White Sense Organs – Nose Tissues – Skin Sound – Crying Healing Sound – sssssssssss. Metal is yin/feminine in character, its motion is inwards and its energy is contracting. Metal governs our respiration; the lungs “grasp” Chi from the heavens and draw it inward for our body to use. If the Metal Element is out of balance, or is blocked from fully expressing itself, you may lack the qualities above, or have lost them over time as the imbalance has grown more severe. Metal or Gold (Chinese: 金; pinyin: jīn), the fourth phase of the Chinese philosophy of Wu Xing, is the decline of the matter, or the matter's decline stage. The five elements — earth, metal, wood, fire, and water — are believed to be the fundamental roots of the universe, between which interactions occur. We all have the 5 elements within us arranged slightly differently. At times the metal element in me may be overbearing Wood, which will result in rigidity. Creative 5. Fire Symptoms of Balance: 1. Energetic 2. Metal imbalances tend to show up most in the autumn. Each element also corresponds to a climate, taste, emotion, internal organ and part of the body. Metal reflects our core issues, the most refined part of ourselves; an analogy is that of ore found deep within a mountain. In this blog, I will focus on the concepts of Chinese Medicine only. Fall is a common time for people to get sick. The Five Elements are deeply woven into the fabric of Chinese culture. This is akin to the child rebelling and insulting or trying to discipline its father. How To Ease The Stress From The Pandemic With Mindfulness, Blending The Benefits Of Meditation & Journal Writing, Ground Down, Focus & Daydream – Even Amidst Challenging Times, Ethics And Values Of Being A Mindfulness Teacher. Each element is associated with its own particular season, emotion, and organ system. Effectiveness and safety of ear acupuncture for trauma-related mental disorders after large-scale disasters: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review. Acupuncture for Treatment of Persistent Disturbed Sleep: A Randomized Clinical Trial in Veterans With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. document.getElementById("copyright_year").innerHTML = new Date().getFullYear(); Metal Element Personality in Chinese Medicine, Metal Element is all about refinement and self-esteem. Published 2018 Dec 11. doi:10.4088/JCP.18m12235, Jennifer L. Strauss, PhD, Ariel J. Lang, PhD, & Paula P. Schnurr, PhD. Other times Metal may be holding Water, so I can create space for my introspective practices. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is the season of the Metal element. Traditional Chinese Medicine - The Five Elements The Five Elements The Five Elements, or Five Phases, are aspects of Qi. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for PTSD. Today, Americans are rediscovering how attention to the elements can improve our health. You are a person of great integrity. These oils can be inhaled straight from the bottle or diffused in a diffuser. This is not only a practical solution to avoid feeling overwhelmed; it is actually an energetic predisposition. Read more: In the Yogic tradition, Prana is the empowering life force flowing through the chakras. The chemical compounds in this oil affect the brain to allow us to let go of control, embrace the flow of life, and be more adaptable. Integrity turns to hypocrisy; fair relationships bend to authoritative punishments; structure turns to rigidity; perfection seeking leads to disappointment; logic turns to self-doubt. The lung meridian opens into the nose, which is the doorway into the lungs. Metal allows us to shine, to be brilliant, to inspire. Acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and prospective clinical trials. You’re strongly influenced by Fire, which governs joy, strength and wisdom. It is associated with the autumn, the west, old age, the planet Venus, the color white, dry weather, and the White Tiger (Bai Hu) in Four Symbols. The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children. It may therefore not surprise you that the lungs and large intestines are the organs associated with the metal element. Metal element in the WuXing cycle & the 5 elements theory. From preventive and integrative medicine clinics to feng shuiin our homes and offices to yoga and fitness classes, finding balance through the elements is coming into the mainstream. We have the spleen as well as the stomach. This is why it is helpful to have an understanding of how the seasons and the elements are related. The core principles of the 5 elements of Chinese cosmology are based on the constant search for balance and harmony between the energies symbolized by the Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water elements. Physical Symptoms of Metal Element Imbalance. A brief overview of the basic associations of the metal element or phase in Traditional Chinese Medicine by Danny Blyth of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine. Kim, Y. D., Heo, I., Shin, B. C., Crawford, C., Kang, H. W., & Lim, J. H. (2013). Kwon CY, Lee B, Kim SH. Other clues emerged when she spoke of her ongoing feeling of sadness related to her mothers' death four years previous; this stern woman actually began to cry when she spoke of her mother. In Chinese medicine these 12 meridians are given personalities as though they are 12 officials working in a kingdom, each with its own job and duties contributing towards the collective good of the person. The Metal aspect is the diamond found within each one of us. The Five Element Relationships in Chinese Medicine. The five-element theory of ancient Chinese Medicine encompasses each of these interpretations as a single, comprehensive theory. Grief is the emotion of the Metal element. Metal is yin in character, its motion is inwards and its energy is contracting. Four years is an unusually long a period to grieve so I did the acu-points for grief along with her pain treatment for sciatica. Meridians are like rivers or tributaries. Metal element, one of the TCM 5 elements, is associated with Lung and its partner organ, Large Intestine. This can also result in issues with the respiratory system, the skin, elimination, and with the lymphatic and immune system. It is suggested that this Life Force flows through the body in particular pathways called Meridians (Chinese Medicine) or Nadis (Indian Yoga). Rubbing a drop in your hand and inhaling is an effective use as well. As I spoke with her it became clear that she had a classic Metal Element personality as she authoritatively explained to me what tendons and muscles I needed to treat. For many, fall is the season to restructure things. In Chinese medicine, autumn is the season of the element Metal (or air). The Five Elements are a Chinese model that organizes all natural phenomena into five groups (or patterns) according to certain elements in nature. The lungs open out to the nose and control the skin, pores and hair on the skin. Effectiveness and safety of ear acupuncture for trauma-related mental disorders after large-scale disasters: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review. METAL ELEMENT = LUNG & LARGE INTESTINE The main functions of the lungs are breathing, regulating water metabolism and descending and dispersing qi throughout the body. London journal of primary care, 8(1), 12–14. You are typically an expert in your field and seek perfection. Additionally, the skin is correlated with the Lung energetic system in Chinese medicine. In Chinese Medicine, and in particular, what is commonly referred to as Five Elements Theory (Wu Xing), the element of Metal comes to represent a moving away from the outward Yang like energies of the Wood and Fire elements that came before it and the grounded central point of Earth. Insomnia 3. Grief cleanses us of what is no longer needed in our lives. Explore how to balance the chakras and release the energy in your body. Chi has an intelligence of its own; when we assist its smooth flow it knows exactly how to bring our system back to homeostasis. We glide through Late Summer at the equinox and then slide into Autumn–the season of Yin within Yang according Asian (Chinese) medicine. Symptoms of Metal Element Imbalance. Aging also requires the ability to accept change and release obsolete expectations and motivations. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013, 615857. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/615857, Huang W, Johnson TM, Kutner NG, et al. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) fall is associated with Metal: the element of structure. It is based on the understanding that the entire universe can be divided into five core elements and these are: • Wood • Fire • Water • Metal • Earth Earth Element – Sweet Taste. Metal is of late autumn, when leaves fall to the earth to be recycled into rich humus. Enter your email to receive announcements! The theory outlines the relationship between the different elements in nature and the life force, or “qi,” that flows through them. 2018;80(1):18m12235. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, having an imbalance of metal element is related to the lung, large intestine, and skin organ systems and meridians. In general, the elements are considered to have the following qualities: It is the variation in balance between these elements that influences our health and behavior. “I believe we are all connected … The five elements represent energies that succeed each other in a continuous cycle. As is true in every season, when you understand how your system is affected by it, you will be better able to take care of yourself. It is like growing up and bringing things to the essence. These five groups are fire, water, earth, wood and metal and are of great importance in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In Chinese medicine, as in reality, there is no way to separate the mind and the body; by treating the Lungs, according to TCM, you correct emotional imbalances associated with Metal Element; likewise, by addressing emotional issues associated with Metal Element, you treat the Lung energetic organ system according to Chinese medicine. 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