Classical 5 Elements Acupuncture

For the past 14 years I have been blending the gentle Japanese techniques with another style of Acupuncture known as Classical 5 Elements Acupuncture. This style of Acupuncture particularly focuses on the spiritual and emotional aspects of Chinese Medicine. I am passionate about helping clients find a deeper sense of peace and wellbeing.

5 Elements Acupuncture

Each one of us are made up of the 5 Elements which are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. But there is one Element that is our main or Constitutional Element. As your 5 Elements Acupuncturist, it is my job to work out which Element is your main or Constitutional Element. And then by bringing that Element into balance using Acupuncture needles and moxa, your whole system will be able to be brought into harmony and thus heal.

Diagnosis

To diagnose which Element you are, I use the four techniques of:

• Sound (listening to your voice);
• Odour (each person has a unique scent);
• Colour (checking the hue of the face); and
• Emotion (personality traits).

Each Element has a unique Sound, Odour, Colour and Emotion, but within all of these catergories there is a range between person to person from the same Element. In addition, there can also be very subtle differences between the Elements, thus sometimes making it difficult to discern which Element you are.

SOUND

For example, the sound of a Fire Element person is laughter. So they may sound excited or that they are about to get to the punch line of a joke. But on the other hand, a Fire person at the other end of the range may sound like a sad drone, or a lack of laugh in the voice. This can sound quite similar to the sound of Water which is groan – it goes on and on often without pausing, like a river flowing into the sea. On the other hand, the sound for an Earth Element person is singing like that of a mother reading to her child. But at the other end of the scale, there can equally be a lack of singing for a different Earth Element person.

Odour

Each of the Elements has a specific odour, which can range from pleasant smelling to not so pleasant! For example, the odour for Fire is ‘scorched’, which can smell like clothes that have just come out of a dryer when in balance, but like burnt toast when out of balance. Earth is said to be ‘sweet’, which can smell like blossoms when in balance, but like flowers that have been in a vase for too long when out of balance. Metal’s odour is ‘rotten’, which can smell like a butcher’s shop when in disharmony. Water’s odour is ‘putrid’, which can smell like a sea breeze, or like cat’s pee. And finally, the odour for Wood is ‘rancid’, which can smell like oil that has gone off.

Colour

Similarly, the Colours of the different Elements can range from person to person even within the same Element. But the main colours for each Element are red for Fire, yellow for Earth, white for Metal, black/blue for Water, and green for Wood. These can be seen in the hue of the face, and are different from the person’s ethnic colourings.

EMOTION

There is an emotion or emotions connected to each Element as well. For Fire the emotions are joy and sadness; Earth is sympathy/worry; Metal is grief; Water is Fear; and Wood is Anger. But we also all have all five of these emotions and it is a matter of finding out which Element is out of balance, and how that is affecting the main or Constitutional Element.

• Fire people love to reach out and be in relationship with others, and enjoy a laugh. But there can be a deeper sadness or lack of joy below that.
• Earth people love to look after and nurture others, often to the detriment of themselves. They may then try to fill this emptiness with food (usually chocolate!)
• Metal Element people seek what is pure and spiritual. They demand the highest standards for themselves and others, and respect is important for them.
• Water people are persistent and determined and will often excel in situations that others find too scary (eg. paramedics, people who go sky diving, etc). Sometimes they may hide a deep sense of being frozen or washed away by their own fear (even to themselves!)
• Wood Elements either excel or have trouble in planning, decision making and taking action. They usually have a sense of going forwards and are able to see the future. But when out of balance, they may procrastinate or have a sense of no hope, and can become quite depressed.