What is the Earth Element?

In five element theory we talk about the five elements. The wood element, the fire element, the earth element, the metal and the water. Each person has their own constitutional type. You will fall into one of those constitutional types as your main ‘imbalance’. What this means is a congenital imbalance. When you are born, one of these five elements will be constitutionally weaker within you. The way your acupuncturist diagnoses which element you're most likely to be is through observing your facial color, the sound of your voice. There's a vibe to you, a certain emotion that you give off. You also give off a vague fragrance. These are all ways that we can instantly diagnose your element when you walk into the treatment room.

Then we take a detailed case history in the initial consultation. We back up our diagnosis through finding out about your past, because how you began your life and what life was like for you in the early years will largely determine the potential state of your health for the rest of your life. We can get real clues as to what's going on in your current diagnosis by understanding what life was like for you growing up. A lot of your imbalances begin very early in life.

Your earth element is what we're talking about today, the organs of the Stomach and Spleen fall into the category of the earth element. If you were born with a constitutionally weaker earth element then you will notice issues with digestion, issues with thinking and worry, pathological overthinking and worry that can actually turn into OCD and obsessions. A lot of people do overthink and worry, but for an Earth constitution, overthinking and worry becomes disturbing to one’s peace of mind.

Weak digestive organs, namely the stomach and spleen, can actually lead to overthinking and worry. Your stomach and spleen are responsible not just for digesting food and transforming food into Qi, blood, fluids, essences that your body will use for all of its functions, but it's also for digesting information. When we take in a lot of information, or when doing mental work of any kind, it’s a good idea not to eat at the same time as this can overtax the digestive organs and over time weaken them further.

The virtue of the earth element is integrity. Integrity, balance and nourishment. Integrity in the body means the ability to hold things in their correct place, the organs of the earth element help to prevent other organs from prolapsing.

This element is all about getting needs met and maintaining the proper balance between giving and receiving. The earth element relates to a maternal or mothering energy. Receiving mothering and also giving mothering. Balanced masculine and feminine energies.

Color, Fragrance, Flavor and Dampness.
The color that is associated with the Earth element and Spleen is yellow, like the golden color of ripe wheat. If you're an earth element type you'll most likely have a slight yellow tinge to your skin, particularly around the corners of your mouth and corners of your eyes. This is why it is a good idea to NOT wear makeup to your first acupuncture appointment. Acupuncturists are trained to notice small signals of imbalance within the body. Showing up with a clean face will allow your acupuncturist to get a clear glimpse at your facial color. 

The climate that's associated with the earth element is dampness. When the earth element is out of balance in our bodies, the internal climate becomes damp. One of the functions of the stomach and spleen is to transform dampness and to keep everything in balance. If the spleen is weak it won't be able to do that efficiently. Cold and dampness in the environment will affect your spleen. If you've got a weak spleen anyway you'll feel generally more cold and you'll have more dampness internally. Cold and damp environments will penetrate through your skin and actually really increase your internal damp state. Stay as warm and dry as possible, as often as you can. 

If you experience a lot of dampness you'll find you have excess water retention, puffiness and you possibly produce a lot of mucus. As a result of this you may find that you catch more colds and that they linger. These are all signs of a weak spleen that's not transforming the dampness and the mucus very well in your body.

The fragrance which resonates with the Earth element is sweet, and the flavor is also sweet. Each of the elements has a flavor associated with it, if your earth element is out of balance you might crave a lot of sweet things. However, when you consume a lot of sweet things it can weaken the Spleen, therefore creating even more dampness. This compounded damp environment within the body will eventually increase the amount of water retention within the body, and can even make one appear ‘overweight’. This is one of the reasons Earth constituents typically struggle to lose weight. Calorie controlled diets are not the answer and can potentially create unnecessary suffering. 

If you are curious about your constitutional element, give me a call. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM) offer unique perspectives on holistic healing and can effectively treat a vast array of conditions. Don’t wait, schedule your appointment today.

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