The element wood

I have in this "5 Elements Qi Gong Course". started with exercises for the wood element. In principle, you could start with any of the 5 elements. After all, a circle has no beginning and no end.

The reason I chose the wood element is because of its association with spring. Spring is the beginning of the year and so the wood element also represents the new beginning. The first years of life are determined, from birth, by the quality of wood.

If you want to know how wood energy feels and what quality it has, I invite you to imagine a small sprout in spring. Just think about how the young shoot grows out of the earth. Determinedly it spreads its leaves upwards and lets nothing and no one stop it. Sometimes the force is so strong that the greenery grows through concrete or asphalt. This is the strong and expansive power of the wood element!

People who have a strong wood element are often dominant personalities. They pursue their goals consistently and, like the offspring, want to reach the top. Sometimes they can also appear aggressive. They take what they want. They pursue their plans vehemently, sometimes without regard for losses. They are basically ambitious and very committed.

The wood type must constantly be on the move and seek new challenges. He loves adventure. Basically he has a visionary view of life, but at the same time he has the ability to plan things. When he appears somewhere, he cannot be overlooked. The wood type has a strong, sometimes loud, voice and a handshake like a vice. Patience is not his strong point.

If one of his plans doesn't work out, he has the greatest difficulty accepting it. He basically goes with his head through the wall. Should this not want to give way, he becomes aggressive and quick-tempered. The choleric is the pronounced form of a person whose wood element is in imbalance.

Anger and aggression are the typical emotional qualities of wood. If someone is often angry or frustrated, this indicates an imbalance in the wood element and the corresponding organs. These include the liver and gall bladder.

This description is a, somewhat exaggerated, representation of the wood element, so you can get a feel for the wood quality. Only rarely do you encounter a pure wood type. Most often there is a mixture with other elements, so that the properties of the wood do not come to light as clearly as I have just described them.

Each element has a specific task. If each element performs this optimally, we are physically, but also mentally, healthy. The wood element has the important task of bringing man forward, of propelling him, so to speak. In the past, this was necessary for hunting. Today, wood energy helps us complete projects, achieve goals and master everyday life. Just as a tree grows upwards, man also wants to develop.

When the liver becomes acidic

When further development is not possible, for whatever reason, the most common energetic disposition in the wood element occurs, called liver qi stagnation. The liver energy stagnates and forms a blockage. One feels inwardly like a pressure cooker that needs to let off steam now and then, sometimes even threatening to explode. The choleric person can be mentioned here, as an extreme example. When he gets angry, things go round and round. By the way, sour is also the flavor assigned to the wood element.

Physically, liver qi stagnation causes symptoms such as: Neck tension, sleep disorders, digestive problems, migraines and headaches, menstrual problems and sciatica, possibly also tinnitus.

If the energy accumulates in the liver, due to the interconnection of the elements, this problem does not remain limited to the wood. It can also have an unfavorable effect on the next element (fire = son of wood) and the next element but one (earth = grandson of wood).

Therefore, the fire element and also the earth element will suffer from liver qi stagnation. Heat arises from this stagnation in the liver. This affects the heart. High blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, restlessness, and sleep disorders can be problems that result.

A dominant wood can also have a negative influence on the earth element, i.e. on the organs stomach and spleen. TCM calls such a situation "liver attacks stomach and spleen". In our western society this occurs very often. It results in digestive problems in the stomach area such as heartburn, bloating, nausea or gastritis. The treatment of the stomach is then a purely symptomatic, if not, the underlying liver problem, is treated. The stomach problems disappear only when the energy of the liver is set in motion again. And how this works, you will learn in a moment.

Here briefly summarized the profile for the type of wood.

Attributes of the wood element:
-Aggressive and dominant personality.
-ambitious, powerful and committed.
-Must constantly be on the move and seeks new challenges and adventures.
-Visionary view, being able to develop plans with the mind.
-Meets every obstacle with determination.

Emotions:
Anger and rage. Anger is seen as an adequate reaction to stress, frustration or injustice and is experienced as a cleansing storm. But when anger or rage builds up, problems arise.

Back to harmony

When the element wood is out of balance, to restore health and harmony, can be resorted to various strategies. However, the way of life must be changed in any case.

Here are the main points:
-Convert diet
-Reduce stress
-Improve relationship with other people
-Use the positive effect of herbs
-Use acupuncture

Nutrition

Wood-type people usually take on too many things at once. As a result, they "feel" they have no time to eat. They often do this on the side, at work, or on the way to an appointment. In between a small snack and they are already on the way to the next appointment.

For such people it is essential that they learn to relax for a few minutes to enjoy the meal in peace. It is very important to sit down, because standing or walking while eating puts additional strain on the digestive system. And a burdened digestive system is in turn bad for the liver. Our modern life is very stressful for the wood element. The two worst factors are stress, as well as the artificial additives contained in food. Our food is often too fatty, too denatured or refined. Sometimes chemical substances are contained in the food and drinking water, the effect of which no one can estimate.

One of the liver's important tasks is to store fat and, in an emergency, to convert fat into glucose for energy. If one now frequently eats very fatty foods, this puts a strain on the liver. Food additives and stimulants such as coffee, soft drinks, cigarettes and alcohol also lead to a gradual overloading of the liver. And so the task of cleansing the blood and eliminating bacteria in the body becomes increasingly difficult and the liver is weakened more and more.

The following dietary changes are beneficial for the wood element:

-Eat less meat from beef, pork and chicken. In these, especially the saturated fatty acids are stressful for the liver.

-Consume less fried foods such as French fries or schnitzel.

-Reduce consumption of coffee, cola or other stimulants.

-No soft drinks! These products contain large amounts of sugar and phosphorus. These two substances deprive the body of valuable calcium and magnesium.

-Do not use white flour products and refined sugar. They contain hardly any nutrients and burden the pancreas.

-Reduce alcohol consumption as much as possible.

-Chew well! This allows the food to be digested better and there are no stressful fermentation processes in the intestinal tract.

-Do not consume finished products.

-Use only organically grown meat and vegetables.

Reduce stress

People who have a strong wood element enjoy the feeling of pushing themselves to their limits. They love to set goals that are difficult to achieve and like the effort involved. They seek challenges, adventure and are quite willing to take risks. Their ambition drives them on and on. And so they load themselves with more and more tasks and responsibilities.

This leads to an ever increasing stress level. Stress means, from the TCM point of view, inner heat, tension and inner wind. And this is exactly what the liver does not like. Over time, the aforementioned stagnation of liver energy develops. This results in a state of exhaustion, which, in the worst case, manifests itself as burnout. The person is then completely burned out and no longer capable of anything.

If you are moving in this direction, then follow the previously mentioned dietary advice and learn methods to relieve stress. In this case, silent meditation is not the best method, because because of the fact that nothing happens here, the wood type gets nervous. Just sitting and watching the breath is not his thing at all.

Qi Gong is absolutely the right choice for the wood type, because it is a movement meditation. The flowing and soft movements relax and loosen all muscles, tendons and ligaments, which indirectly relaxes the liver. The muscle tone, for which the wood element is also responsible, subsides and a feeling of relaxation and lightness sets in.

Try the 3 exercises that, in the video "5 Elements Qi Gong Course", will be shown. Together with the short warm-up program and the already learned spinal breathing, you have a mini program to bring your wood element into balance again and again. And as mentioned earlier, this also greatly benefits the next two elements, the fire and earth elements. For these two elements there will be separate exercises in the next articles. But let's stay with the Wood Element.

Acupressure and acupuncture

At this point I would also like to give you 2 acupuncture points that balance the liver and gallbladder. Acupressure, the so-called pressure point massage, is one of the oldest healing methods in the world. Its effect is great. For me it is always amazing what the pressure, on a point on the body, can do. Just try it out and let yourself be surprised.

The following 2 master acupuncture points are important:

LE 03 - is the 3rd point of the liver meridian. It is located between the big toe and the second toe. LE 03 is one of the most important points of the liver meridian and restores the flow of liver energy.

Get to know acupuncture point LE 03 now

Gb 34 - this is the 34th point of the gallbladder meridian. It is located on the outside of the lower leg, just below the kneecap. GB 34 is a supportive point in case of "liver qi stagnation".

The two points can wonderfully calm the entire body and also the restless mind when used 2 times a day.

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine is one of the very important pillars of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is not for nothing that it is called the supreme discipline of TCM. With its help, energetic imbalances can be balanced very well. However, the right herbal preparation must be used. In the following I will introduce you to 2 preparations that have a balancing influence, especially on the liver energy. Both preparations were developed by Dr. Georg Weidinger from traditional Chinese recipes. The herbs are numbered W1 to W27, where W stands for Weidinger. By the way, Dr. Weidinger has written very recommendable books on the subject of TCM.

W22 - Full relaxation
This mixture is to be used in case of a pronounced liver qi stagnation. The typical symptoms of Liver-Qi stagnation are: Exhaustion, possibly cold extremities, upper abdominal pain, pain under the costal arches, menstrual problems, PMS, tension in the chest, irritability, headaches and migraines.

The formula W22 also helps when the "liver attacks the spleen". A liver blockage can also have a negative effect on the element earth, the next but one element. Symptoms are feelings of tension throughout the abdomen, flatulence, diarrhea and ravenous appetite.

W23 - Free and easy
This mixture comes from the original recipe "Xiao Yao San". This recipe is also called the "powder of serenity". If I had to choose one formula to help Westerners the most, I would choose this one. It was originally a gynecological formula used for menstrual and abdominal pain. It is also used for menopausal problems due to liver qi blockage.

This mixture has also proved very effective in the case of disharmony between the wood and earth elements, which often occurs here in the West. Stress and hectic, time pressure and multiple stresses cause "inner wind". This causes symptoms that constantly change their place. The pain moves from one part of the body to another.

Allergies, itchy skin and rashes, dizziness, weather sensitivity and headaches are also wind symptoms and can be treated well with the W23 formula. If there are still digestive problems such as flatulence, constipation, but also diarrhea or abdominal cramps, this herbal preparation is highly recommended.

Western herbs for the wood element

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinal)
Dandelion is one of the most nutritious herbs in Western herbalism. It is the liver tonic par excellence, as it supports the detoxification of the liver and blood purification. It is popularly used for digestive problems and metabolic disorders. Its blood purifying effect is very helpful for acne and skin problems. Besides, the dandelion can also have a regulating effect on blood sugar levels. In general, it helps with all the above symptomswhich are due to a disturbance in the wood element. So for headaches, neck tension, migraines, digestive problems, menstrual problems and stress.

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
The purifying effect of this plant was already known in the Middle Ages. It is also a liver tonic with countless beneficial properties. Numerous scientific studies have confirmed its effectiveness, in disorders and diseases of the liver and gall bladder. Milk thistle helps to eliminate toxins and replace dead cells. It can reduce stress and is a valuable helper in case of exhaustion and overwork.

These herbs can be taken in the form of tinctures, dried herbs, as tea or in capsule or pill form. Follow the dosage indicated on the respective products.

And now I wish you much joy and energy with the second episode of our "Qi Gong 5 Elements Course".

Sincerely,
Wolfgang