Understanding the 5 Elements in TCM – Which One Are You?

They say health is one’s greatest wealth. Good health isn’t only the absence of illnesses and diseases in one’s body, but the complete physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual well-being of an individual. There are two schools of thought about this topic — western and eastern.

In western medicine, good health is believed to be determined by good genes. Its main aim is to identify and treat specific symptoms to allow the patient to heal and recover more comfortably.

On the other hand, Traditional Chinese Medicine’s (TCM) basic philosophy is to treat the person as a whole by diagnosing both symptoms and a person’s overall body condition. It does this by understanding a person’s body based on the 5 elements theory. These elements are namely Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. This theory has been used in TCM diagnosis as early as ancient China’s “Warring States Period (476-221 BC). Each element represents a particular body organ, emotion, and meridian.

TCM practitioners believe that a healthy body is a body where the 5 elements are in balance, namely the Yin and Yang.

A person who is born with a balance of their 5 elements is better known as someone considered to being born with good genes in the western definition. However, it is important to note that even if one is born with an imbalance at birth, this can be corrected through making conscious food and lifestyle choices which we will outline in this article.

Here are the 5 element theories in TCM explained.

1. Wood

Likened to a tree, wood types seek out challenges and thrive under pressure. These people are known to have a type-A personality which means they are hard-working and driven. People in this group tend to overwork themselves leading to stress, tightness in the neck and shoulder, and jaw. They’re also prone to having a bad temper and irritability.

The wood element is associated with:
Body: Liver, gallbladder, tendons, eyes
Colour: Green
Emotion: Anger
Flavour: Sour
Weather: Wind

If you exhibit the following features, it signifies liver issues, which is commonly associated with the wood element:

Forehead: If you’re pale or veiny
Eyes: If you have tired eyes or poor vision, yellowish or bloodshot eyes, wrinkles around your eyes
Nose: Red and prone to nose bleed
Tongue: Pale tongue

Symptoms: Emotional fluctuations, insomnia, memory issues, appetite issues, constipation, have low energy