WATER… strong, capable, resilient. These are the qualities, or general personality traits, of the element of Water, according to TCM.
What may happen when Water is blocking another element? When Water blocks Fire, people are consumed by the thought that everything in life needs to be serious. This is often coupled with the fight or flight response from stressful situations, which rightly need to be taken seriously. This block begins when there are not enough Earth resources to keep Water calm, especially when support is lacking. People feel like they need to do everything by themselves because no one will help them. The weight of being responsible for every detail of their life, with no help, can crush joy and Fire.
What may it look like when Water is the one being blocked? When Earth is blocking Water, all of the qualities, or general personality traits, of Water are lost. People feel weak, incapable, fragile, and will often say “no” when put before a challenge. They would rather someone else take care of them and handle their problems. They may get stuck in a child-like, dependent state because they cannot rouse their Will Force to take on a challenge.
What happens when Water is opened? When Water is opened, the person feels a flood of strength and capability. They feel like they can take on anything and often start multitasking, saying “yes” to everything. Water must process the question, “If I can do it all, why not?” When one takes on too much, nothing gets done to its best potential. Divided attention creates sloppy work, mistakes are made, and resources are wasted. Water comes to the conclusion that if our precious life resources are going to be spent, then it will only spend them on things that really matter, and gives 100% of its attention to that thing so that it gets done well. Water learns to say “no” when appropriate to honor and protect the individual’s needs.
Water is connected to the Jing, the vital life force. It is essentially one’s reserves of energy and nourishment. When Water’s Will Force is overused, these reserves are depleted and the whole body suffers. Water needs rest and relaxation in order to replenish and maintain its reserves. Stress is the most harmful to Water, whether physical or emotional, because one must call upon their reserves and inner resilience to endure stress. Adaptogens can be helpful, but until the person's stress level is changed, Water cannot fully recover. The kidneys, bladder, reproductive system, endocrine system, brain, and bones are all controlled by Water. Replenishing salts and minerals are one of the best ways to nourish and support water.
In addition to emotions, there are many other correspondences to each of the five elements. For example, Water’s quality is fluidity, its movement moistens downward, the season is winter, the direction is north, the color is black, the taste is salty, the climate is cold.
For an explanation of the theory of the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, please see our past recent post entitled “A Simple Introduction to The Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine”. Future blogs will continue to explore individual elements of the Five Elements theory and how they relate to our emotions. We’re excited to share more with you soon!
[The information in this blog is used with permission and taken directly from the transcript of “The Mind-Body Connection in TCM” by Paige Hill of Oak Leaf Herbal. It is for educational purposes only.]
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