About
Acupuncture is a therapy developed more than 2,000 years ago in Asia that consists of stimulating designated points on the skin by the insertion of needles in order to restore and balance the body’s energy or “Qi” (pronounced “chi”).
What is 5 Element Acupuncture?
5E acupuncture treats the root cause of disease. It focuses on diagnosing a person’s causative factor or the element which is most aligned with a person’s emotional and physical orientation. This element may be a person’s weak link; it is often also their strength. That element is supported through acupuncture and the functioning of the body/mind/spirit is enhanced. As all the elements are connected by the flow of energy or Qi, this enhancement helps the whole system. Qi runs in pathways through the body called meridians. Each meridian is associated with an organ or organ function and meridians are grouped into elements. The five elements are Wood, Water, Fire, Earth and Metal. Each represents an aspect of self and each has a role to play in health, growth, and a fully lived life. They interact seamlessly in a healthy person, supporting and controlling each other. Stress or injury can disrupt the balance between the elements and symptoms result. 5 Element Acupuncture can restore balance and harmony, it can remove any blocks to the flow of Qi and so can enhance wellbeing on all levels. 5E is constitutional medicine, supporting a person at a deep, constitutional level. Spirit points are used to tap into a deep source of healing.
Classical 5 Element Acupuncture supports a person physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and can be used to address many psychological concerns. Consistent 5E treatment can effect a transformation in one’s life.
“The practitioner of acupuncture must strive to see a person not as he is at the time of examination but as he would be if he were whole and perfect in body, mind and spirit, with every possibility of his ‘unique being’ realized…the work of the practitioner of classical Chinese acupuncture is to help each person become renewed, revitalized and brought to the fullness of his potential.”
— JR Worsley
What are the 5 Elements?
The Five Elements refer to the elements of Nature that underlie all creation. They are:
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water
Wood
Because we, as human beings, are also a part of Nature, each of these Elements lives within us. The Chinese developed a system of correspondences relating to the Elements. For example, the Element of Wood corresponds to the physical organs of the liver and gall bladder, and relates to our ability to have a vision of our future and make plans and appropriate decisions in order to manifest that vision. Thus, each of the Elements relates to specific organs, emotions, abilities, and functions. There are other correspondences as well, such as the seasons, time of day, color, sound, and odor, among others.
In order to be in a state of perfect health, each of these Elements needs to be healthy and balanced within us. We know, however, that we are not in a state of perfect health. Why is this so? According to Classical Five-Element theory, at birth or in early childhood a constitutional weakness is present or develops in one of the Elements. Eventually this weakness begins to affect the other Elements, in a domino-like effect.
The Element that is the basis for the imbalances a patient may experience is called the CF (Causative Factor). Because the CF is the root cause of imbalance, it is the focal point of treatment, in order to create a reverse domino effect that restores health and balance.
Huang Di said, “May I dare ask how the nine needles began? What are their origins, and how are they named.
Qi Bo said,
“One is in accordance with laws of heaven.
Two is in accordance with the laws of earth.
Three is in accordance with the laws of man.
Four is in accordance with the laws of seasons.
Five is in accordance with the laws of the tones.
Six is in accordance with the laws of the pitch pipes. Seven is in accordance with the laws of the stars.
Eight is in accordance with the laws of the wind.
Nine is in accordance with the laws of the regions.”
Huang Di asked, “Why do the needles correspond to this numerology of nine?”
Qi Bo said, ” The sages, men who possessed the beginnings of heaven and earth, possessed the numerology, one to nine.
“The first is the chisel needle.
It is patterned after a sewing cloth needle.
The second is called the round needle.
It is patterned after those needles for working cotton.
The third is called the spoon needle.
Its pattern is a tip like a grain of millet.
The fourth is called the lance needle.
It is patterned after the needles used for working cotton.
The fifth is called the sword needle.
It is patterned after a sword or lance
The sixth is called the round and sharp needle.
It is patterned after the hair from a horses tail.
The seventh is called the hair-fine needle.
It is patterned after a fine hair.
The eighth is called the long needle.
It is patterned after needles for embroidery.
The ninth is called the big needle.
It is patterned after the lance needle.”