Issue 49 - Tse Qigong Centre

Chinese philosophy is based upon the theory of Five Elements and thedual forces of Yin and Yang. The Five Elements and Yin/Yang theory can berelated to all areas of life, thinking, nature and even our bodies and health.Origins of the Five ElementsLife TrainingThe Five Elements are the basis ofChinese horoscopes, Feng Shui,Daoism, martial arts and Qigong,and is a concept which pervades all ofChinese society. It is as common asunderstanding how to drive and operatea car in the West. To understandthe Five Elements, it is usefulto know how this conceptcame about.Many thousands ofyears ago, Chinawas like an islandwith little contactfrom other countries.They hadeverything theyneeded, having theirown agriculture, art,education and a sophisticatedsystem of governmentwith an Emperor as head. Theyhad already invented gunpowder, the process of making silk, themaking of bronze utensils (16 th centuryBC/Shang Dynasty), astronomy andwritten language. It was also at this timethat Chinese mediccal theory wasdeveloped.China seemed to have everythingand so they saw themselves as the centreof the world. So in the Five Elementtheory, they became the centre. Thecentre of anything also representsstablility, a place of resting or foundation.Centre is the earth where everything iscreated and nourished. This is the role inwhich China saw itelf.Rice or steamed buns were astaple diet in varying parts of China. Itwas seen that when they boiled rice orsteamed something over a fire, that thesteam producedfrom the“China seemed tohave everything and sothey saw themselves asthe centre of the world.”water rose into the air. Thus fire wasconsidered a rising heat and so wasplaced above the centre. We can also seethat the sun’s hottest point is when it isdirectly above the earth, at midday. Sosouth became positioned above thecentre (earth). Looking at the sun again,we can see that as it rises, flowers openand warmth begins to permeate theground. With this warmth, things of theearth such as trees, grass and plants arenourished and begin togrow. East then becameassociated with the elementwood.As the sun travelacross the sky, it reaches itszenith at noon andcontinues onto thewest. West representsmetal,but can alsorepresent laterdevelopments ofsociety, such asthings createdfrom the earth.China’s bronzeage had flourishedand it wasfrom the earth thatthis precious metalhad been harvested.So following theopposite traverse of the sun,west then became associatedwith the element metal. Looking atNorth America today, can see that as aWestern country that their element isproven in that they create guns, weaponsand are one of the biggest manufacturersof cars and appliances. Metal also relatesto things being organised and this canbe represented by the straight, grid-likepattern of roadways that make up NorthAmerica.Lastly we have the element water.Water flows downwards, from waterfalls,streams or when poured from a cup.Water also can freeze to become ice. Sowater relates to someplace where it iscold. The place where it would be thecoldest, would be where it is furthest fromthe sun’s hottest point. This point wouldbe directly opposite and so in the lowestposition on the Chinese compass.When we think of the humanbody, it too can be looked at in terms ofQi Magazine 36