Chinese medicine views the human body as a microcosm of the universe. This means that the wisdom of nature, and her patterns, are contained within us. When we speak of the five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, we are referring to a cycle of energy that has five different phases like the seasons of a year.
The patterns of the five elements in nature are played out in the microcosm of our body. Everything about us from our emotions, the way our bodies are shaped, the foods we crave, the illnesses we develop, and the people we are attracted to, is determined by the dynamic relationships of the five elements within us.
Most people are born with a propensity to repeatedly go out of balance in one of the five elements. The imbalance causes uncomfortable physical symptoms and emotional responses. Over time we develop compensatory behaviors, physical strengths, and habitual emotions to help us cope with the original imbalance. This is both a gift and a burden to us, and inevitably we develop symptoms.
Five Element Acupuncture identifies the original imbalance, reactivates our innate ability to correct the imbalances, and heals our symptoms on all levels; physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual.