Introduction to the Five Elements

In Traditional Chinese Medicine many aspects of life are seen as connected and interacting. There are understood to be five elements each with a correlation to different seasons, colours, organs and more. Connected to this are different areas of mental and physical health and wellbeing. Here I provide a very brief overview of each of the elements along with some of their associations and how they interact within our QiGong practice. I offer further resources at the end of this blog along with a link to my video of one of the Five Elements sequences which is easy and enjoyable to follow and practice.

Earth is associated with the extra season, from a western perspective, of late summer, the colour yellow, and the stomach, spleen and mind. We can focus our thoughts at this time on our digestion, of both physical and mental nourishment, appreciating the connection between gut health and mental health.

Metal comes next sequentially from a seasonal perspective with autumn, and with this shift in seasons and elements we move to white, the lungs and large intestine and the ideas of strength, purpose and clarity. Autumns is also a time for letting go, creating space for inspiration and nourishment.

Water is the winter element, associated with kidneys and bladder and the colour blue or black. It’s a time for resting, soft strength, deep listening and stillness. We have movements that are understood to flush and cleanse the kidneys and bladder from a Qi perspective to remove unwanted toxins and enable optimum functioning.

With spring comes the wood element, with its connection to the liver and gall bladder. Its colour is green, and it is associated with flexibility, strength and resilience. With the liver we think about cleansing and decongesting to achieve smooth flow and enabling adaptability, and with the gall bladder about good judgement and decision making.

Last but certainly not least is fire. Fire is the element of summer, heat, and the heart, small intestine, pericardium (the hearts protective sac) and triple heater, the Traditional Chinese Medicine concept of three areas of the abdomen that together support the smooth functioning of our Qi, our life energy or energetic essence. Its colour is red. With fire, some areas we can think about include calmness, tranquillity, growth and potential.

This is just a small introduction to the elements. Beyond these introductory concepts there are many more aspects including associations with specific times of day, emotions, climate, numbers and directions for each element. In addition, the elements are considered to work in balance together, for example wood fuelling fire, and, also, having natural oppositions, such as water putting out fire.

Different forms and styles of Tai Chi and QiGong have developed movements to support and encourage the benefits of each element, including the five elements sequence that I share in my sessions. This is a lovely simple QiGong practice that takes us through each of the elements starting with Metal. It offers a focus on the associated organs and aspects of Qi, along with working from a physical perspective around key areas of our body for mobility, stability, balance and coordination.

To practice this Five Elements sequence at home you can follow along with the video on my YouTube channel here.

If you are interested to learn more about the five elements then the Tai Chi for Better Health blogs that cover each of the seasons are a great resource. In addition I recommend the book QiGong and the Tai Chi Axis by Mimi Kuo-Deemer. There is also a fantastic blog on the website Tai Chi Basics which provides an overview and background to the five elements.