A Deeper Look Into Our Body Seeking Balance

Understanding The Message Of Pain

Each of the 5 phases or Elements has a unique relationship with each of the other phases.

Going clockwise around the circle of the phases we will begin with wood, which is like the parent of fire, because Wood nourishes Fire. Wood also precedes Fire as seen in the elemental clock above. This relationship is an important one as we look for clues to discover the source of our pain. 

Notice on the elemental clock that before Wood there is Water. This would make Water the parent of Wood. Water nurtures Wood and Water precedes Wood on the elemental clock.

Continuing with the family tree of Wood we look back at the clock and notice that Earth comes after Fire, making it like the grandchild of Wood. In the same way we notice that before Water comes Metal. The elemental family of wood now includes the Grandparent of Wood, Metal. 

This metaphor is helpful is diagnosing where a core issue comes from. Along with the story we get from the pain, how the pain manifests and how long it has persisted as well as where in the body it presents itself.

How does this work?

A parent should nurture a child. If a parent is weakened, this will likely affect the child. If a child has too much energy, this can then affect the parent as well as the Grandparent by depleting them.

This same pattern is recreated around the wheel.

Let's create an example. Say you have chronic low back pain that manifests on the right side of the L5/S1 vertebra, both above and below the iliac crest of the hip, By it's location, on the bladder meridian, we know we are dealing with the water element. It is chronic and not acute, so we are looking at an ongoing issue. Noticing if is hurts when weight is applied, as if standing on one leg, to the right side and the pain increases, it is more likely than not a physical compression at L5/S1. If it feels better when walking for awhile but hurt when sitting, it is more likely a muscle reacting to fascia bundling, which is a pattern that is created by lifestyle.

If it is a chronic issue, meaning it is there continuously over a long period of time, we look at it differently. This physical body as being part of Nature, has a message to give to it's occupant. Let's look for more clues.

Pressure applied with the fingers can give us insight. if it feels better when pressure is applied, then there's a depletion of Qi in that area. If it hurts, then there is stagnation. Either way, in the bladder meridian, the message is speaking to letting go of the perception that something is lacking in your life. A depleted water element is common. The kidneys, the Yin organs of the Water element are like batteries. If they are depleted we will feel tired and in chronic cases even depressed.

If we are looking at a depletion in the Water element, then it would be prudent to also look at the earth element, because Earth absorbs water and it also guides its flow and contains it. We should also look at fire, which can insult water by drying it.  Worry about money, would mean the earth element is stagnant with worry, possibly causing the feel of "not having enough," in the water element. We can look at our stomach or body temperature issues, to see if there are secondary related symptoms. 

On the other hand, if we are observing stagnation at the sight of pain, we then also look at the fire element, as water quenches fire. If fire is depleted, the joy of life is dimmed and one goes into depression, a water element issue. With chronic issues, we may need to look deeper in to the relationships, but we still start with the basic area of pain and then just keep searching! 

For this section, it is helpful to know the relationships of each element or phase. Also, know the emotions, both constructive and destructive, of each phase. Then know what chakra relates to the area of pain. Knowing all these things will give you the tools to understand the message of your pain so you may hear it, act on it and then be finished with it.

Wellness Is The Natural State Of My Body

                                                                                                     ~Louise Hay

Mirror Work With Affirmations

Build an unconditional loving relationship with yourself by doing 5 minutes each morning of mirror-work affirmations. Speak to your whole family of archetypes. Especially talk to your inner child with love and understanding. Much chronic pain comes from the trauma that our child is still experiencing to this day. The pain can also come from other stages in your life. They must all be understood, forgiven, and loved unconditionally. If your self talk contains any derogatory implications towards yourself, that habit must stop immediately.  The relationship with yourself is the most important one in this life, Nurture it!

Some Affirmations...

Wellness is a natural state for my body.

(While looking in the mirror) I love you, I really love you. I love every cell in my body.

I am a joyful breeze entering a room.

The pain I feel is simply a message that I will hear and act on so I can be whole again.

I love Life and Life loves me in return.

I put my mind's energy into things that support me.

I allow myself to be who I am without judgment.

I give myself space to grow and learn.

I am becoming closer to my true self every day.

I make a difference in the world by simply being.

I am creatively inspired by the world around me.

My mind is full of inspired ideas.

Conscious Aging

The process of aging is a constant decline of the physical body. We can slow sown that decline with our minds and our actions. However it is important to understand the purpose of that decline. 

We are here to experience this realm in a unique way, in this "one of a kind" body, to learn unconditional love. Then we transition back to our pure energy body. So that it is not a complete shock to our consciousness, we slowly decline. The purpose of that is so we can reintegrate into our energetic beings.

This brings us back to Qigong. This modality is training the mind to recognize and align with our energetic selves.

Self Discovery

What Element Do You Resonate With?  ~  What Element Challenges You?

To use this system for problem solving it would be prudent to know how the elements make up your unique design. In the following process you will be asked yes or no questions about traits of each element. There is no right or best answer, just answer if it sounds like you or something you've experienced or resonate with.

We all have parts of each elemental personality. However, some are more dominate and some recessive. Often, but not always, one is highly dominate. This will be the personality you exhibit in this part of your life. As you evolve and become whole, this will change as well. It is not unusual for your dominate element to also be where many of your challenges appear. 

You will likely relate to at least some characteristics in each elemental group, we all have some of each element in our make-up. Some will also have an immediate response of: "That's me!"

Remember, there are no right or best combinations. Some folks will have two or three elements that are most influential. Some will have one element stand out way more than others. This is your design at this moment in life and you have it to benefit you. It is a powerful in your evolvement and healing to understand who you are and how you operate, so you can use the tools from this class to help you get back to balance so you can move through life with more ease and comfort.