The Five Elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine comprise of Earth, Metal, Water, Wood and Fire. Each element in this cycle nourishes the following and they work in harmony together. Tradition says that everything in the universe is comprised from the five elements.

There are many categories to which the Five Elements can be placed, from the food we eat, to our inner organs, to the outside seasons, to the directions, to the aspects of taste, smelling, touch, hearing and feeling and so on.

When the Five Elements are in harmony within our bodies, then we will experience good health. But when they are out of balance, then disease might have a chance to set in.

• The Earth Element is associated with the Stomach and Spleen
• The Metal Element is associated with the Lungs and Large Intestine
• The Water Element is associated with the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder
• The Wood Element is associated with the Liver and Gallbladder
• The Fire Element is associated with the Heart and Small Intestine

During our Qigong practice, certain exercises are designed to either tonify, harmonize or disperse a certain aspect of our bodies, which has an underlying connection with these elements.

Wood Element

• Organs: Liver & Gallbladder
• Color: Green
• Season: Spring
• Direction: East
• Emotion: Love / Anger
• Taste: Sour
• Sense Organ: Eye
• Body Tissue: Tendons, Sinews

Fire Element

• Organs: Heart, Small Intestine
• Color: Red
• Season: Summer
• Direction: South
• Emotion: Joy / Hatred
• Taste: Bitter
• Sense Organ: Tongue
• Body Tissue: Vessels

Earth Element

• Organ: Spleen, Stomach
• Color: Yellow
• Season: Late Summer
• Direction: Center
• Emotion: Worry / Overthinking
• Taste: Sweet
• Sense Organ: Mouth, Lips
• Body Tissue: Muscles, Flesh

Metal / Wind Element

• Organ: Lung, Large Intestine
• Color: White
• Season: Autumn
• Direction: West
• Emotion: Grief
• Taste: Spicy
• Sense Organ: Nose
• Body Tissue: Skin

Water Element

• Organ: Kidney, Bladder
• Color: Black, Dark Blue
• Season: Winter
• Direction: North
• Emotion: Fear / Courage
• Taste: Salty
• Sense Organ: Ear
• Body Tissue: Bone, marrow

Also, a quick note about the Metal element. It is also known as the Wind element but is translated from Chinese in such a way that it is described as “precious”. So if you find some Silver you will definitely regard that as precious. In the same way we need the very air we breathe or we could be dead in as short a time as a few minutes. So the Wind element is very precious indeed.