Classical Five Element Acupuncture is based on the laws of nature. The Chinese observed how energy moves in the universe according to five elements. These five elements are: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. They have many associations and are reflected and expressed by movements of energy within nature and within ourselves.

In ancient China a human was perceived as a microcosm of the whole universe. They believed that all of life occurs within a circle, and everything within this circle is connected and mutually dependent upon each other. They called being part of this one unbroken wholeness: the Tao.

The Tao cannot be translated in its philosophical content. It simply means the way or the path which all living things must follow in order to find individual fulfillment. So, by living our lives moving within the flow of nature is the way (or path) to achieve optimum vitality in our body/mind/spirit. This philosophical principle is the basis of Classical Five Element Acupuncture.

Life is defined by qi and at the heart of Chinese medicine. Qi cannot be measured, grasped, quantified, seen, or isolated. It is an invisible force know only by its effects. Our material world is made up of qi (energy), as are all living creatures. The term “Life Force” and qi are also the same.

Another principle of Chinese philosophy is the law of yin/yang. They stand for the symbolic representation of a universal process that portrays a changing instead of a static picture of reality. Nature is ever changing and so are we.

If you were to translate literally the term yin it would mean the shady side of the mountain, and yang translated literally means the sunny side of the mountain. Yin/yang always coexist together and are mutually dependant on each other. They are always in a continuous state of movement and change, and they do this within a unified whole. The same principle is true for our body/mind/spirit.

Understanding some of the terminology of this system of medicine helps us understand a little of the nature of how acupuncture works to bring our energy into balance so our bodies/minds/spirits can heal.

Where energy flows, healing takes place. If there is a block in a meridian (meridians are pathways that energy flows through) that leads to one of our organs then disease will set in. For example if there is a blockage to the Heart meridian, then a person could show symptoms of chest pain (physical), depression (mental) or despair (spiritual). A qualified Classical Five Element acupuncture practitioner knows how to access a patient’s symptoms and treat according to the cause of the symptom, thus allowing the body/mind/spirit to heal. In essence then the body is healing itself. We as acupuncturists are merely assisting nature to allow that healing to occur.

I mention treating the cause of the symptom and not just the symptom because merely treating a symptom, ie: back pain, may not be addressing the real issue, and could drive the problem to a deeper level. Thus, harmony and balance are not restored.

In Classical Five Element Acupuncture each person is treated as a whole being. A being who lives in this world with a body/mind/spirit. When the body is affected by disease then the mind and spirit are also affected. And it’s also true that when the spirit is sick the mind and body are affected. Everything about us is interconnected.

There are other traditions of acupuncture. I suggest the best way to find out what tradition is best for you is to do a little research and find which tradition suits you. If you have been to an acupuncturist then you have some of idea of how the different traditions work. However, we all bring our individual personalities and healing methods to our practices and even in the same tradition you will find differences.

Acupuncture was originally used as a preventative medicine and is a wonderful gentle way to help us move through life with better health and balance. The Nei Jing, a Chinese medical classic written in the second century B.C. States: “Maintaining order rather than correcting disorder is the ultimate principle of wisdom. To cure disease after it has appeared is like digging a well when one already feels thirsty, or forging weapons after the war has already begun”.

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