Jade Mountain Wellness series: The water element

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner Erin Potter’s summer series focusing on the cornerstone elements of TCM, and how they relate to your physical, mental, and emotional health and well being finishes with a final instalment focusing on the water element.

[quote_right]”Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it” — Lao Tzu[/quote_right]

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses a model of diagnosis known as The Five Elements. These elements differ from the molecules taught in chemistry class; rather than being actual physical properties, each element acts as a grouping for medical symptoms that occur within the human body. The Five Elements in TCM are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. When a TCM practitioner sees enough symptoms that can be attributed to one of the five elements, it becomes evident that the cause of these symptoms lies within that element. The job then is to restore balance.

The previous articles in this series have introduced the first four elements and this final instalment will explore the element Water. This article will briefly explore the properties of Water both within nature and the human body. Then, we will explore what it looks like when the Water element is out of balance and how to restore harmony.

Revelstoke Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Erin Potter. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer

The water element is the strongest in winter. Winter being the darkest of the seasons, can be a time of retreating within, conserving energy and finding stillness. The energy of plants and animals slows and there is a natural inclination to move inward. It is during this time of darkness that our body is able to be replenished and the seeds for growth are able to germinate.

Using modern world technology, we have the ability to to keep ourselves ‘bright,’ active and lively for as long we would like. We tend to fill our dark winter days with adventure, socializing, eating and drinking. Most people ignore nature’s example to slow down, be quite and turn inward. This can prove to be taxing on our system, depleting our natural resources and can ultimately jeopardize the water element in our body.

Fear is the emotion associated with the Water element. At times fear is healthy and can keep us safe, but when it consumes us fear can become an obstacle for movement potentially resulting in anxiety and phobias. These symptoms are indicative of an imbalance in the Water element. Other symptoms of Water imbalance include low libido, dark circles under the eyes, poor memory, grey hair and hormone issues.

Learning to nourish ourselves can help to prevent or eliminate these symptoms. Not working to the point of exhaustion, and prioritizing appropriate rest is essential to maintain a healthy Water element. Just as water is able to slowly, over time, erode the strongest of stone, someone who is abundant in the Water element will be strong, fearless, determined and possess great willpower. If you are feeling stable, your memory is good and you have a healthy libido, chances are your water element is well adjusted. Making sure to avoid drinking cold water in the winter, keeping your feet warm and eating enough salty foods like seaweeds will all help to rebalance your water element. If you still feel like you could use a boost in water or any other of the five elements, drop by Jade Mountain and see how we can help.

Editor’s note: Thank-you Erin Potter for your wonderful series! We really enjoyed it! We’re looking forward to more in the future.