As a practitioner of Five Element Acupuncture for more than 20 years I have observed a pattern in my patients, time and time again. They will arrive for an appointment for a specific issue and invariably, as the needles go in, it will transpire that something else entirely is ailing them on a deep emotional level.
The Power of Acupuncture: Unblocking Qi to Heal Body and Mind
More often than not, this is the root cause of the physical symptom and the revelation enables a holistic, tailored treatment plan with lasting and transformative results. It is just one of the beautiful things about this medicine.
Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of healing on the planet and has been practised in the East for over 3000 years. That is 3000 years of scholarship, study, trial and error, and documentation. What I’ve learned over the years is that nothing lasts as long as this medicine has unless it works.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), ‘qi’ is the vital energy that flows through the body along specific pathways called meridians. Everyday life, with its constant stressors and emotional demands, can lead to ‘qi’ blockages. An acupuncturist helps to manipulate or conduct ‘qi’ by invigorating specific points, enhancing its flow and promoting the efficient functioning of the organs. This can improve blood flow, hormonal balance, regulation of the endocrine system and adrenalin, and the overall efficacy of bodily functions. Treat the cause, and you’ll ease the symptoms.
The Principles of Five Element Acupuncture
My specialism – Five Element Acupuncture – relates to the ancient Chinese theory that mind, body and spirit are made up of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
Each element corresponds to different characteristics and functions. It is said that everyone is born with all five, but one of those elements will be out of kilter. The person’s physiological, psychological and emotional characteristics and attributes will come from that imbalance.
Identifying Imbalances: The Five Element Diagnostic Process
In my practice, diagnosing an elemental imbalance involves a comprehensive evaluation of physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms, such as a tendency to over – or under – react to a situation.
Various diagnostic tools and clues such as pulse reading, tongue inspection, facial lines, skin colour, voice quality, depth of breath and even the smell of the skin enable me to identify the dominant and imbalanced elements. For instance, individuals with Wood imbalances might show frustration or impatience, while those with Fire imbalances could display inappropriate laughter or a lack of joy.
Restoring Balance and Resilience Through Acupuncture
By targeting specific acupuncture points tailored to the individual’s elemental needs, Five Element Acupuncture aims to restore balance and nurture the spirit, often resulting in improved emotional resilience. For example, liver and gallbladder points for Wood elements help to break up stagnation and promote emotional and physiological flow. By addressing the underlying imbalance, Five Element Acupuncture helps individuals regain their ‘factory settings,’ leading to a more balanced, resilient state.
As one patient described it to me after a couple of sessions, “I feel like the version of myself that I prefer.”Nothing tests our emotional resilience quite like trauma. In the immediate aftermath of a shock, the disproportionate amount of cortisol or adrenaline that we release has a profound impact on our mind, body and spirit and this can manifest in different ways, depending on our dominant element. Left untreated, shock can lead us to spend months or even years in a slight PTSD state – unable to sleep, with a poor appetite and constantly catastrophising thoughts.
A Personal Journey from Healing to Practice
I myself came to Five Element Acupuncture in a profound state of shock and grief. I was 20 years old and my father had died suddenly. In my distress, my mother suggested I try acupuncture. I was treated for shock and I vividly remember coming out of my first session with some sense that, despite the pain and heartbreak, everything would be okay. It provided a sense of reassurance and emotional stability, and over the course of the next six months set me on the path to training as an acupuncturist myself. Like many practitioners in many different fields, I ended up doing it as a job because of how much it changed my life, in the hopes that I could do the same for others.
Over the years, I have treated thousands of people from many different industries and walks of life, races and religions. What I have learned about humans is that when it comes to our wellbeing, we generally avoid addressing the most challenging but necessary tasks first. Whether it’s reducing our caffeine intake, going to bed earlier, or expressing unspoken emotions, prioritising these actions can significantly enhance our emotional wellbeing. Addictions often stem from emotional imbalances, such as craving sugar due to liver stagnation. Treating these imbalances can reduce cravings and improve our overall emotional health.
I have also learned that our issues are universal. When working in Cambodia some years ago, I went to treat in a small village that had been affected by the Khmer Rouge. I expected to arrive ill-equipped for what those people might need. Yet the first person I treated came to see me because her boyfriend had broken up with her three days earlier, and she was suffering from heartbreak. Wherever we are in the world, and whatever our circumstances, we generally all suffer with the same emotions or lack thereof. Five Element Acupuncture can restore our sense of balance, joy, resilience and peace. I owe it a great deal.
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