The Seven Layers of the Aura, Your Spirit: Key to Consciousness and Knowi

By virtue of our existing and without exception, every thing and everyone has a field or corona of light surrounding it called the aura. The term aura is loosely bantered about by many in everyday conversation and with little real understanding, but those who stop to truly learn what the aura is and does may become awestruck for the aura is key to consciousness and knowing.

This corona of electromagnetic light composed of many layers (many say seven layers of the aura) holds together the matter that makes up your physical body as well as the matter that holds together every single particum of creation—animate and inanimate.

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Each thing or being constantly emanates frequency back into the field of consciousness:

1) its own aware consciousness of being and,
2) its awareness of everything else around it.

This field or flow of consciousness is what many call the River of Knowledge, the mind of God, or divine Mind. This is where all things are known—where the answer exists to every question you could ever ask. This is omniscience.

Every living being, plant, rock, star, planet, even every particle of dust emanates the thought of its state of being back into the mind of God—back into its Source. And this is how God, Source, divine Mind knows all.

In a similar way, we have the ability to know all there is to know or all that we would want to know.

The aura is the Spirit of your being and it connects directly to Source, that flow of consciousness where all things are known. Yet we hardly tap into this knowledge, mostly because we have understood neither the aura or how our egotistical mind operates.

In the layers of the aura closest to the body is a powerful electromagnetic field composed of positive and negative electrum, but beyond this field there is no division of positive and negative. There is only one pure energy field of light. This is the part of the aura that allows all thought from the River of Knowledge to flow through your powerful auric field.

The feeling or emotion derived from every thought is recorded in your soul and then is placed into your aura as an expectancy.

This expectancy then activates your auric field to draw to you situations, events, objects, people that will create the same feelings to be experienced in your body and all as the result of all of your thoughts.

The purpose of this never-ending cycle is the acquisition of wisdom and the furtherance of our personal and collective evolution.

Idealistically, we have the potential to know all there is to know, but the aura, our Spirit, draws thought to us depending on what we think.

Through our auric fields, we absorb thought from the River of Knowledge. We feed this into our soul. This causes us to feel emotion. That emotion feeds and expands our entire being. And then we emanate the awareness of our expansion as frequency back out into the river of consciousness. And then someone else is able to pick up and create from the frequency we have sent out through the aura into the greater field—an exquisite demonstration of the connectedness of all creation.

Why, if we are receiving unlimited thought constantly through all the layers of the aura, are we not all-knowing then? Again, the aura, our Spirit, draws thought to us depending on what we think and depending on how open our fields are to expansion.

When thought comes through the aura, the thought we have attracted to us comes through in an unlimited fashion for the aura in its divine essence does not judge, categorize, define or limit it in any way. But these units of thought then travel to the upper left hemisphere of the cerebrum, the seat of the intellect and function of reasoning. This is where the egotistical logical mind is expressed and this part of the mind will refuse to accept any thought that doesn’t fit within its understanding of security and which does not perpetuate survival.

This part of the brain, the frontal lobe, is the limited fear-based mind which refuses to allow all thoughts constantly flowing in through the aura to be fully received and embraced within the body and mind of the person.

If we desire to receive more divine unlimited thought, we must expand our auric fields and awareness through intention and more thought that invites expansion.

We have some knowledge of the seven layers of the aura, each layer surrounding the body and greater than the one preceding it. Yet if existence is infinite and very many of us believe it is, and if the human person is a microcosmic expression of existence, and it is easy to see that this is true through the myriad examples of the natural universe, then these layers of the aura truly extend from the density of electricity closest to the body out into the infiniteness of thought.

Each layer of the aura could be equated with one of seven fundamental consciousnesses: 1) reproduction and survival, 2) fear and pain, 3) power, 4) felt love, 5) expressed love, 6) ‘God seen in all life,’ and 7) Oneness.

The first physical etheric layer closest to the body could be associated with the consciousness of reproduction and survival. It relates to the root or muladhara chakra.

The next layer out, the emotional layer, may be associated with fear and pain. It aligns with the sacral or svadishtana chakra.

Still further out is the mental layer which corresponds to power. It is relative to the solar plexus chakra where our ‘second brain’ resides. This chakra is also known as the manipura chakra.

Next is the astral layer connected to the heart or anahata chakra and this relates to ‘felt love.’

The etheric template layer connected to the throat or visshudha chakra corresponds to ‘expressed love.’

The sixth layer of the aura aligns with ‘God seen in all life’ as it aligns with the third eye chakra also known as the ajna chakra.

And the seventh layer of the aura, the ketheric layer (from ‘kether,’ named for the topmost sephirot or infinite emanation of the Kabbalah Tree of Life translated as ‘royal crown’) is realized Oneness. This chakra is the crown seal or sahasrara chakra.

Looking at these associations, it is easy to see where we sit in terms of focused awareness. With intention and even a very slight shift in the way we think, we can begin to expand the auric field and allow more beneficial, uplifting and creative thought to waft through the seven layers of the aura to permeate our consciousness.

Wherever you have placed and focused your consciousness, that is the reality (your heaven or hell) you will find yourself living in for the electromagnetic field of your aura, the Spirit of your being, will always and only draw you to the vibration of that sphere of consciousness.

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Earth Element Symbolism

Traditional Chinese medicine’s (TCM’s) season of the Earth element is an 18-day period of transition between each of the four major energetic seasons. Each of the five elements is rich with indigenous symbology and expression. Historic Earth element symbolism is rich with teaching metaphors that also give clues for health and a harmonious Earth lifestyle.

“… symbols have come to be placed within conscious, traditional and dogmatic systems, but their inner life still pulses beneath this rationalized order, even becoming audible from time to time.”

— J. C. Cirlot in Dictionary of Symbols

The Earth element not only refers to the actual soil but the character, dynamic state, and elemental force of the element.

We commonly see Earth element symbolism as feminine. Earth represents infinite creativity, the great mother, fertility, giver of nourishment, and longevity.

In a more general sense, when we juxtapose Earth with the spiritual heavens, Earth element symbolism represents matter.

In TCM, Earth element symbolism depicts the balance of yin and yang. As complementary equals, yin and yang relate to each other to create a dynamic balance and a harmonious whole.

“…there can be no sharp distinctions between spirit/nature, subject/object, good/evil, and victory/defeat. Each exists o­nly because of its opposite… yin and yang are direct opposites interacting together in harmony. The weakness in o­ne is overshadowed by the strength in the other. Yet, in weakness resides strength waiting to be used.”

— Joseph A. Bailey, II, M.D.

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Enjoy balance of the Earth skin condition: toxic skin with acne, blemishes and enlarged pores.

PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Earth line of skincare will help bring this condition to balance as it balances your emotional state too.

Earth type personalities sometimes embrace the Mother-Provider archetype too exuberantly. Out-of-balance Earth types take care of others but often to their own detriment. The quantum energetic Earth line of skincare will help you balance this emotion if you feel stuck and in overwhelm because of over-careteaking.

We find Earth element symbolism well articulated in landscape and building forms.

TCM associates the flat shape to the element of Earth. Earth mountains are flat topped mountains.

This particular Earth element symbolism we see evidenced in the Jura Mountains in France and Switzerland near to PHYTO5’s Swiss factory.

Another example is the twin peaked Mount Asgard(1) on the Cumberland Peninsula of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada.

We see Earth element symbolism in buildings, flat rooves and square or oblong structures like the Viking longhouses of antiquity.

Earth element symbolism manifests as a bridge or transition.

TCM observes Earth element symbolism as a transition aspect linking one season to the next as a kind of hyphen or dash punctuation mark.

Earth element symbolism points to yin and yang, famine and masculine aspects.

The Earth element embodies intrinsically yin energy. This means Earth presents primarily as a feminine energy element.

But each of the five elements express both yin and yang energy—one being more predominant.

When Earth expresses as yang masculine energy, Earth element symbolism appears as a hill and Earth’s color is yellow.

Earth element symbolism shows up in human characteristics.

Many people enjoy active yang energy cheery bright sunlight yellow. The Earth element symbolism displays in them as intellectualism, faith, and goodness.

Gold or ochre exhibits Earth element symbolism in yin energy expression. The valley illustrates Earth’s yin aspect.

We see yin aspect Earth element symbolism in people inclined to ochre or gold. They live more calm, passive, conservative, dependable, practical and grounded.

TCM tells us Earth’s location is center and center always stabilizes energy and balances yin and yang.

In the home, we can utilize Earth element symbolism to nurture ourselves and family.

The Earth room of the home is the heart of the home where nourishment occurs—the dining room.

Even before we see Earth element symbolism in the dining room, we see it in the fields. Earth’s grain is rice. It ripens in the yellow-ochre Earth and stabilizes the body with nourishment.

Earth element symbolism reveals itself as sign of stability and grounding.

Earth element symbolism runs through ancient Chinese history.

During the reign of the legendary Chinese king Huang Di(2)—the Yellow Emperor—the color yellow found enormous popularity.

The epitome of Earth element symbolism, they named Huang Di the Yellow Emperor. The people gave Huang Di this honorific because he and his army honored the value of two things:

• the Yellow Earth—the symbol of farming;

• and the Yellow River of their home, the central land they called China. 

We see Earth element symbolism in ancient Chinese lore as the Yellow Dragon.

In addition to dragon, the Earth element governs rat and ox signs of the Chinese zodiac. 

This same ancient Chinese lore depicts Earth element symbolism in the Yellow Earth Tiger (solar in color). Yellow Earth Tiger inhabits the Earth and reigns supreme over all the other element tigers: Wood, Fire, Metal and Water.

Very direct Earth element symbolism associates Yellow Earth Tiger with the heart of China. The center of the zodiac houses Yellow Earth Tiger just as the Yellow Emperor was situated in the heart of China, the center of the compass in the Chinese cosmos.

Earth element symbolism runs through much other ancient history too.

In Indian mythology, the elephant stands for Earth element symbolism.

We observe the square or cube dominant in Earth element symbolism. It’s the great cosmic symbol for Earth representing the cradle of humanity, home, and a place of origin.

The square or cube in Earth element symbolism hints at the end of material life while it simultaneously maintains life.

Earth embodies earthly progeny. It offers a sense of eternity. 

In Tibetan buddhism, we see Earth element symbolism represented by a yellow square or a tiered yellow cube (four or five squares nested within each other).

The Roman standard or signa romanum carried the symbol of the Earth element represented by a cube. It was a banner that identified a Roman unit or cavalry.

In Greek mythology, the anvil embodies Earth element symbolism. The anvil reminds us of the passive feminine principle (as opposed to the hammer that represents the fruitful making of things.)

In Vajrayana buddhism(3), the swastika expresses Earth element symbolism and Earth’s indestructible stability.

The Renaissance was fond of personifying the elements as gods from antiquity.

The great nature goddess Cybele of ancient Phrygia in Asia Minor stands as epitome of Earth element symbolism. She was called Mater Kubileya (Mountain Mother) and was given the latin name Magna Mater meaning Great Mother. Cybele was partially assimilated to aspects of the Earth goddess Gaia and to the harvest Mother goddess Demeter.

For South American Indians the spear has historically represented the Earth element.

In TCM, various types of catastrophes associate with an element. Earth element symbolism and the earthquake equate with each other in TCM.

We’ve derived the name Adam, the name used to personify primordial man, from the Hebrew adama meaning Earth.

According to Gershom G. Scholem in On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism, we conceive Adam as a “vast representation of the power of the universe” on Earth concentrated in humankind.

Observe Earth element symbolism in geometry and numerology.

he quaternary in Earth element symbolism—a thing consisting of four parts and concept of the number four— corresponds to Earth and the material pattern of life. The quaternary also reveals feminine energy, matter created from the thought or idea, and reason. 

“The ternary is the number pertaining to the idea; the quaternary is the number connected with the realization of the idea.”

— Plato

Earth element symbolism aligns with the number eight—a double-four representing and bringing balance. This symbolic numerology speaks that what we sow, we also reap.

For further reading on aspects of the Earth element, be sure to read our article on the Earth Type personality: The Earth Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance.

…

Endnotes:

1. Asgard: a god of Norse mythology

2. Huang Di is the emperor that is said to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese people; he ruled from 2697 BC to 2598 BC, approx.

3. Vajrayana buddhism is a form of esoteric buddhism with vajrayana being one of three vehicles to enlightenment (the other two are Sravakayana and Mahayana).

…

Sources:

The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. United Kingdom, Serindia, 2003.

Becker, Udo. The Continuum Encyclopedia of Symbols. United Kingdom, Continuum, 2000.

Cirlot, J. C. Dictionary of Symbols. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2006.

Scholem, Gershom. On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism. United Kingdom, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1996.

Levitt, Susan. Taoist Feng Shui: The Ancient Roots of the Chinese Art of Placement. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1999.

Chinese New Year 2023: Great Fortune Year of the Black Water Rabbi

Chinese New Year 2023 falls on January 22. Not only are new years in Chinese astrology represented by one of twelve animals, the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water are also incorporated as the zodiac moves through a different element each year. This year is not only the Year of the Rabbit, it’s the Year of the Black Water Rabbit and this is because the yin Water element is associated with the color black.

Black Rabbit is a very specially gifted and creative Rabbit who has not been seen since 1963, so this year 2023 promises to be a year of great fortune.

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Black Water Rabbit of 1963
1963 was a year in which Water energy flowed abundantly, especially enhancing communications of all sorts. Pop culture truly created roots with television shows like The Beverley Hillbillies, The Lucy Show and the Dick Van Dyke Show while films like The Pink Panther and The Birds became the rage.

The year had begun with the historic wintry “Big Freeze” followed by March’s inevitable thaw and gushes of water. And then in October that year, rain relentlessly poured on Northern Italy’s Dolomite Mountains until the ground was so waterlogged the earth could absorb no more. On the night of October 9, a landslide ensued that pushed half a hillside into the recently completed Vajont Dam, in turn creating a 300-foot high wave wiping out the town of Longarone in minutes and taking 2,500 lives that night.

On the political front, it was the year of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which astrologers believe was actually initiated during the preceding aggressive Tiger year.  Martin Luther King made his “I Have a Dream” speech and the Beatles were zooming to their zenith (soon to appear early the next year on the Ed Sullivan show in the states which virtually sealed their rise to incredible fame). There was civil and violent unrest which is never Rabbit’s way but Rabbit isn’t a pushover either and will allow these if necessary for change.

Welcome 2023

“ After the chaos and tumult of the departing Year of the [Black Water] Tiger, Water Rabbit energy promises to restore peace and harmony and shower the world with sparkling opportunities. But will you benefit from the Rabbit’s generosity?”

— Linda Dearsley in "2023: Thrive in the Year of the Rabbit"

The main source of energy in the Chinese calendar for 2023 is the Water element in its yin form indicating that 2023 will be a more restful time for contemplating our values and goals in life. In 2023, the Water Rabbit energy helps us bring our major life’s goals to life. 2023 also provides fertile timing to become a highly paid specialist, so apply yourself and you just may become significantly more abundant than you already are.

2023 is also the year for honing our skills of perception, intuition, and forging the way of peace—both inner and outer. Representative of youth and optimism, the Water Rabbit will be important on the political front as diplomacy, good negotiation skills and new more creative leaders step up to the plate. While previous enemies probably won’t get cozy with each other, they may at least begin to talk this year. Political leaders should know that Black Water Rabbit’s energy is no friend to indiscretions, especially the sexual ones.

For the sincere of heart, Rabbit, no matter its color or element, represents good fortune both materially and in relationships. (Remember the rabbit’s foot people used to carry in their pockets for good luck?) Rabbit may not be the most robust animal, but its charm and speed are the qualities that attract money, fertility, lovers and success. These gifts are even more acutely present when Rabbit is combined with the Water element.

Rabbit prefers quality over quantity and views home as sanctuary so his energy may influence many this year to choose natural, classic, youthful and often upcycled fashion for home and clothing. Creatives like interior decorators, gardeners and upholsterers just may have an incredibly busy year.

Communications as another metaphor for Water will be big in 2023 as people will thrive for the sociability they missed the previous two years. People-in-the-flesh festivals, rallies and outdoor markets will be popular as online meetings forced by the previous two years diminish. And as it happened in 1963, communication through entertainment will blossom with unparalleled innovations and a birth of new stars in every field. In fact, the urge to communicate will be unstoppable this year since Water doesn’t return until the Water Rat of 2032.

Tiger years like last year are all about activating change, highlighting injustices, and breaking down barriers and because Tiger is who he is, he doesn’t tred lightly. He powers through. So after Black Water Tiger’s good long year of constant, sometimes shocking change but often change that leads to necessary changes, Black Water Rabbit’s time of tranquility is just what we need—a time to contemplate, adjust our creative endeavors and enjoy ourselves along the way.

Soft pawed Rabbit now hops in to counterbalance the outrageous Year of the Tiger that 2022 was as restful antidote. It’s time for Black Rabbit’s balancing sweet and happy fluffiness.

Why do we have two years of Water back-to-back?
According to traditional Chinese medicine, years are paired and each of the two years in a pair are ruled by the same element. This pairing occurs in order to create balance.

First the element sweeps in, in its strongest most potent form in year one and in the following year two, it works its way out in a quieter softer manner. Rabbit won’t undo all of Tiger’s work though. Rabbit modifies and refines, smoothes and repairs where necessary which ends up making a lot of Tiger’s collateral damage acceptable, if not, welcome.

So last year, Black Water Tiger brought us a number of flood events you may even have forgotten. Interestingly, most of them were 500- or 1000-year rain or flood events. These were events like the Pakistani floods between June and October 2022 which killed 1,739 people, and caused 3.2 trillion rupees worth of damage and 3.3 trillion of economic losses.

In the states, Yellowstone National Park endured a 500-year flood event costing more than one billion in damages. So, too, did Jackson, Mississippi and Dallas, Texas incur billions in damages for 1000-year flood events, not to mention Hurricane Ian that caused 30 to 60 billion in damages killing many people.

According to Taoist astrologers, we’re quite done with extremes like these—at least for the time being. Now Black Water Rabbit brings us water in the most pleasant of forms: soft Spring and Summer rains, gentle snows and Water’s more metaphorical flow materialized as financial wealth. Some economists may predict financial stresses for 2023, but this is not Black Water Rabbit’s way and these economists may very well be proven wrong.

Moreover, “… the Black Rabbit of 2023 is aiming to sprinkle the healing energies of Water across the whole year.” —Linda Dearsley in 2023: Thrive in the Year of the Rabbit

The key is not to be a nervous scared bunny or you might shoo Black Water Rabbit’s good fortune away. Instead, as master crafter of your life, remember that you choose how you’ll respond to this Rabbit year. Don’t leave it all up to Rabbit but instead remember that it’s the choices you make that will determine your 2023.

Dearsley advises everyone:

“Play it clever and you can charm shy Rabbit into snuggling close all year, showering you with bunny blessings. Get it wrong, and Rabbit will turn timid and hop away, taking all the goodies with him.”

#####

Endnotes:

–Dearsley, Linda. 2023: Thrive in the Year of the Rabbit. Bennion Kearney Limited. 2022. Print.

–Levitt, Susan, and Jean Tang. Taoist Astrology: A Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition. p. 171. Rochester, VT: Destiny, 1997. Print.

The Winter Solstice Spiritual Meaning Across Time and Cultures

The Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, is an annual solar event taking place between December 20 and 23. On this day the sun reaches its waning limit. By the next day, daytime hours increase once again. If you’re tuned in even a little, you can’t help but feel there’s a profound Winter Solstice spiritual meaning you can apply in your everyday life.

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The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning is evident throughout history and cultures.

Cultures have felt the depths of the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning for aeons. They all noticed darkness was falling earlier than at any other time of year. And the sun was shining at its lowest point in the sky.

They identified the Winter Solstice as moment of the sun’s death and inevitable rebirth. And they marked the Winter Solstice the formal beginning of the Winter season.

But the ancient Chinese and thus traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) placed the Winter Solstice smack in the middle of one of TCM’s five seasons—energetic Winter and the Water element. Like other cultures, the ancient Chinese viewed and TCM still does view Winter as an introspective hibernating time of year.

No matter the culture all have found Winter a time of deep inward searching giving dimension to the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning. The Winter Solstice signified the turning point of time and moment of new beginnings. The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning became metaphoric to life. It offered the people clues for harmonious cyclic living.

In ancient Egypt, the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning related to Ra, the sun god. The Egyptians saw it as the return of Ra.

The Egyptians had noticed changes in the position of the sun in the sky. This made them believe the sun’s warmth and strength might not return. And they feared they might not be able to grow food or sustain their animals.

So in keeping with the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning the people so deeply felt, they created a ritual and ceremony period. This was a time of camaraderie, goodwill, forgiveness and love so the sun would continue to be reborn. They celebrated the Winter Solstice to thank Ra for warming the land and blessing the people with abundant crops.

Almost nowhere else is the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning more dramatically outpictured than at Stonehenge in Southern England. People some 2500 years ago erected stones to frame the setting sun on the Winter Solstice. So vital to their spirituality was the sun they positioned the stones to allow the last rays of sunlight to gleam through a space between the stones.

The ancient Romans were no strangers to the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning either. They held a special week long Winter Solstice celebration to honor the god Saturnalia. The Romans intended their ceremonies and rituals to gracefully poise nature as it stepped over the border of the year.

The Saturnalia Winter Solstice festival revolved around sacrifice, gift-giving and feasting. In the spirit of the deepest Winter Solstice spiritual meaning—equality of all souls (at least temporarily)—Masters served their servants and citizens treated criminals with honor and respect.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning influences the Christmas celebration.

In the Romans’ celebratory rituals, we see the seeds of our Christmas celebrations today. The Romans all gave each other presents. Roman businessmen gifted their customers with their wares and parents gave their children clay or wax dolls. They hid coins and tiny gifts in pudding and brought evergreen trees into the home.

Our Christmas tree today was the Saturnalia evergreen back then.

We also see evidence of the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning in their Yule, Yuletide or Yulefest.

The Romans’ back then and our current burning of the yule log, decorating the evergreen tree and English wassailing(1) dates all the way back to the ancient Norse people. They called this time the festival of Jul (prononouced just as we say ‘Yule’).

Their lives revolved around the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning they held at heart.

Anonymous broadside in the public domain of the words of the carol "The Holly and the Ivy", published by H. Wadsworth, Birmingham, 1814-1818. Source here.

Original celebrations of Yule link also to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mothers’ Night(2).

Eventually, the Christian church sought to co-opt the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning for itself. They absorbed and christianized pagan customs. Now the festival of yule, which happened on the Winter Solstice, would mark the start of the famous Twelve Days of Christmas.

The Christmas carol, The Holly and the Ivy, derives from pre-Christian times when the Lord and Lady of the Greenwood were honored by the hanging of green garlands from the ridge poles of houses.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning naturally reverberates from the intense solar event it is.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning emits a profound, even life-changing energy. It extends to you the very real potential to activate and heighten your spiritual senses if you’ll allow it.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning equates to a supreme hush moment in time. It calls on all of us to pause, rest and restore ourselves in preparation for more lively seasons ahead.

Be acutely aware of when the Winer Solstice is about to occur and pay close attention to slight or potent shifts in your psyche. When you do you get the very most out of the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning.

Amplify or awaken your spiritual senses in meditation on that day and on the days just before and after. Open your being to the spiritual world of light and love.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning follows nature’s cues.

In this darkest period of the year around the Winter Solstice, our days are short and darkness falls early in the day. Nature’s inviting you to slow down.

Visit with nature. Take in the fragrance of pine needles or the glow of the dark night Winter moons.

Your own soul will respond in kind, asking you to put down what you’re doing, connect with loved ones and maybe enjoy a cup of warm tea together. Perhaps, in the spirit of the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning, choose to listen rather than speak.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning reflects in the entire Winter season.

TCM always tells us to take our cues from nature so we can know how to live in harmony with any season. The same kind of winding down we feel on and around the Winter Solstice are the same we feel throughout TCM’s energetic Winter and the Water element.

During the dark of Winter, seeds rest in suspended animation under the ground. Animals hibernate. Flora and fauna gather strength for the coming season of energetic Spring and renewal and we should, too.

Growth—whether it’s physical, mental, emotional or spiritual—actually happens in the times when we draw inward and rest.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning reminds us we need to open to change and accept it.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning is all about change and new beginnings. As in Buddhism where nothing is permanent the Winter Solstice calls on us to embrace life in flux and change.

To amplify the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning for you make it a point to meditate on that day and night. Intend to be well prepared for coming changes. Invite in the energy of the Winter Solstice. It will assist you to accept and flow with inevitable upcoming changes in a resilient way.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning brings hope. It signifies your sorrows will indeed return to joy. Your limitations can be cancelled out by abundance one day soon. And no negative thing in your life will remain that way forever.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning begs us to let go of strict dogmas and rigid ways of being.

Understanding this world, the swirl of incessant information, and peoples’ opinions and agendas is not an all black or all white thing. It would be easy if it were all mapped out for us but that just isn’t life. If everything were neat and tidy, you wouldn’t ever have to call on your own inner voice to discern if something is true or not. You’d be more automaton than human.

TCM tells us that kidney is the yin energy organ of the Water element active during the Winter Solstice. Kidney provides us with the energy we need to be wise and in spiritual faith.

In our blog, “Energetic Winter and Transcending the Emotion of Fear: The Kidneys are the Root of Life, Regeneration and Vitality,” we wrote:

The Winter Solstice energy and the energy of the Water element call on you to be a Sage. The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning embraces wisdom, introspection and flow. Like the flow of water, it calls on you to be less rigid in thinking and open to certain truths you perhaps couldn’t embrace before.

Kidney is our spirit storehouse. It holds a reservoir of energy we can tap into for self-assurance, trust, and faith in surviving our challenges in life.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning derives from a pivotal solar event that reinforces the vitality and happiness we enjoy from cyclical living.

In our blog, “Cyclical Living Is the Key to a Vitality Filled Life and Our Producing the Frequency of Love,” we write:

“Not all that long ago, the people of Earth lived in concert with it. They had to. There were no technological inventions to “make life better” and to keep them occupied, busy, even distracted. Instead, they were forced to look up at the sky for their entertainment and wonder. Many of our ancient ancestors noticed the cycles not just of the Earth but of the heavens and they came to understand that living in harmony with these cycles was key to their vitality and happiness.”

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning and the solar event itself help us see that cycles and seasons are important in life. The Solstice is a day that opens the door to a proving period of patience.

TCM teaches us all about the passage of cycles. It shows us how to live in harmony with this celebration day and season. It will help you remain patient with life and live in the present.

Living during the season of energetic Winter and the Water element is like living in the darkness of the womb. You must wait patiently to emerge into the light. But until then you remain quiet in the dark and allow the womb to nurture you increasing the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning deep within you.

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning endures throughout the entire Winter season.

The stillness, hush and energy of Winter have all the energetic ingredients we need to feel supported in our quest to know ourselves.

These energetic and spiritual ingredients of Winter and the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning encourage you to rest and dream. Then you’re strengthened to reach the sublime heights of spirituality.

Still, this is almost a feat for many. We’re so accustomed to running all the time. And even when we’re not running, many of us may sit quietly but artificially stimulated by smartphones while we sit motionless.

This isn’t true rest and inward journeying. And it doesn’t increase our spiritual foundation either.

When you learn to live in harmony with the five element seasons according to TCM you can remain emotionally stable. You come to understand the importance of each season and solar event. It leads you to embrace the attributes each has to offer.

This makes life more purposeful and exciting. 

The Winter Solstice spiritual meaning radiates the faith and trust intrinsic to TCM’s Water element of Winter.

Take the example of the sun at the time of the Winter Solstice to heart. It always returns to create the daylight. Know now that your desires will indeed manifest.

“The Holiday of the Winter Solstice celebrates the presence of Spirit and the power of faith and hope that our visions of the future will come into manifestation.”

— Ruth Barret, mysticmamma.com

May your Winter Solstice day and night be filled with magic, awareness and deep insights. And may you resonate with this solar event and the Winter Solstice spiritual meaning for vitality and abundance on all levels of your life.

…

Endnotes:

(1) Wassailing: a) drinking plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoying self with others in a noisy, lively way; b) going from house to house at Christmastime singing carols.

(2) Mōdraniht or Modranicht (pronounced [ˈmoːdrɑniçt]; Old English for "Night of the Mothers" was an event held at what is now Christmas Eve by the Anglo-Saxon pagans.

Energetic Winter and Transcending the Emotion of Fear: The Kidneys are the Root of Life, Regeneration and Vitalit

The energetic Winter season is associated with the element of Water according to traditional Chinese medicine, and Water’s associated organs are the yin kidneys and the yang bladder. 

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In traditional Chinese medicine, the kidneys are where our core vital energy is located so when kidney is strong and in balance, we promote regeneration of the body, youth, vibrancy and vitality. We could say that the kidneys contain our blueprint for health. They are considered to be the body’s most important receptacle of essential energy, known in traditional Chinese medicine as the “Root of Life.” The kidneys are also the root of all yin and yang energy in the body.

Consider how important the kidneys’ function is by the following:

• They filter waste metabolites from the blood.

• They control sexual and reproductive functions.

• With the large intestine, they control the balance of fluids in the body.

• They regulate the pH balance (acidity/alkalinity) of the body by either retaining or filtering out certain minerals.

• They control the growth and development of the skeletal system and nourish the bone marrow.

Kidney chi is approximate terminology for the functional combination of kidney energy. It is almost never in excess but it is frequently deficient. 

A good lifestyle helps ensure good kidney health.

Simply do all the things you would think are good for you and refrain from the things you know are not:

• Keep hydrated.

• Eat healthily, especially fresh organic fruits and vegetables; aside from their nutritional content, they tend to have a high water content beneficial for the kidneys and entire body.

• Get an appropriate amount of exercise that is enjoyable to you.

• Get friendly flora into your intestinal system by eating naturally fermented foods.

• Drink green juices and smoothies.

• Detox in epsom salt baths to help detoxify the kidneys.

• Moderate your use of over-the-counter drugs.

• Refrain from smoking.

• Don’t overdo sugar, salt and fat.

• Moderate your alcohol consumption.

Physical stressors compromise the Water energy and lead to imbalance. This can then exacerbate the fears and mistrust that lie under the calm waters of the well adapted Water Type person. Do not physically overextend yourself through excess of exercise, sleep, sports, or work.

Causes of kidney deficiency may include:

• overwork over a long period of time

• too much brain work

• a long vitality-draining illness

• overindulgence in sexual activity

• acute fever

• prolonged hemorrhage

• overconsumption of drugs

“During the winter months all things in nature wither, hide, return home, and enter a resting period, just as lakes and rivers freeze and snow falls. This is a time when yin dominates yang. Therefore one should refrain from overusing the yang energy. Retire early and get up with the sunrise, which is later in Winter. Desires and mental activity should be kept quiet and subdued. Sexual desires especially should be contained, as if keeping a happy secret. Stay warm, avoid the cold, and keep the pores closed. Avoid sweating. The philosophy of the Winter season is one of conservation and storage. Without such practice the result will be injury to the kidney energy…”

— The Neijing Suwen

The Spirit Quality of Water
Water’s spirit quality is known in traditional Chinese medicine as zhi. It may be expressed as the mental abilities of will and intent including the concepts of will power, ambition, and self-actualization.

Zhi, the energy of will, purpose and destiny, is the will we tap into in order to survive ordeals, persevere through challenges and overcome obstacles. With zhi we utilize our will to overcome our greatest fears, to transform ourselves and to create healing. It assists us to persist in life against all odds.

The Water element is considered the root of our constitutional energy. It correlates with having adequate energetic reserves bringing us the potency to overcome obstacles. Strength, determination and persistence arise and thrive in the Water element.

The Water element requires quiet and stillness to flourish. In traditional Chinese medicine, the kidney energy is considered the most interior and yin with the greatest power and potential for change. Tapping into that energy gives the courage to try, even when the outcome is unknowable. 

Emotions of the Water Element and Kidneys
Fear is the primary emotion associated with the Water element and the energetic Winter season which runs from November 8 to January 7 every year. 

While fear is the negative emotion of Water, will power is the positive emotion of the kidneys.

The kidneys control our short-term memory and provide us the capacity for strength and industriousness.

When the kidney energy is strong, we’re able to work hard and diligently for long periods of time. We have the will power to live life with focus and a good sense of direction.

When kidney energy is weak, we lack strength and endurance. We become susceptible to fear and anxiety.

The Water element stores the memory of who we are and the potential of who we can become. All of our accumulated experiences are stored in the Water element and therefore enhance our survival, adaptation and balance.

“In a sense, this element contains stories of survival and triumph passed down through the generations that can be used to ensure our own adaptive powers.

With any chronic condition, loss of the memory of wellness complicates recovery. Deep in the pool of the Water energy are the renewal and revitalization needed to recover wellness. Deep within the brain lies potential for change, knowledge, and wisdom.”

— Charles A. Moss, MD

The Water element corresponds to determination, energetic reserves, faith and trust.

On a physical level, it’s important to note that having a strong sense of faith affects regulation of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol release is necessary but left unregulated, it directly and negatively impacts our health and even our weight.

By connecting to our zhi, the power of the kidney energy and the root of life, we reconnect to the spirit of life and are better able to restore our enthusiasm, confidence, and sense of direction in life. Connecting with the power of the kidney energy and our zhi may also assist us to recover from trauma or medical challenges.

Spirit storehouse that kidney is, it provides us with a reservoir of energy we can tap into to regain self-assurance, trust, and faith in surviving our challenges in life.

For zhi to flourish, we must have a strong trust and faith in the process of life, in ourselves and in other people. When we are balanced in the energy of the Water element, our zhi assists us to overcome abnormal fears.

Some fear, as we know, is necessary to reinforce our survival instinct. It simply must be used wisely and in balance with heightened awareness but not hypervigilance, otherwise that hypervigilance will lead to imbalance.

If you feel you lack faith and trust, search your daily experiences to see how often the mistrust and fear you have felt were actually unjustified. We can all recall a times when we were fearful about something only to find out afterwards that there was nothing to be afraid about after all. Coming to this realization will help rebuild your faith and trust. This simple practice will prove especially valuable for when the next situation arises.

We can also dispel doubts and fears through meditation, prayer, and practicing self-awareness. In meditation, conjure a connection to your deep reserves and potential of the Water energy. Doing so can reinforce the faith you need to overcome obstacles and trust that you’ll not only survive but flourish in life just as Water does.

Another way to strengthen your faith and trust is by accepting reassurance from others. It can help to neutralize the fear-based experience and will strongly encourage all the positive attributes of the Water element within you. 

#####

Endnotes:

This blog was originally published November 21, 2017 but has been expanded here for freshness and comprehensiveness.

Sources:

Clogstoun-Willmott, Jonathan. Western Astrology and Chinese Medicine. Aquarian, 1985.

Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine: a New Translation of the Neijing Suwen with Commentary. Shambhala, 1995.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2010.

The Earth Element and Spleen Digestive Function: A Balanced Spleen Is Vital to Digestion, Nourishment, Mental Function and Vitality

In traditional Chinese medicine, the between seasons period of Earth is the season of balance, nourishment, nurturing and grounding. It corresponds to the stomach and spleen digestive function and energy. The spleen harvests nutrients from foods.

There are four 18-day periods in the year that occur between energetic seasons according to traditional Chinese medicine. The time period between October 21 and November 7 is the last of the year. The element of the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine associated with this season is Earth.

The spleen is the yin organ of the pair of organs associated with the Earth element and the Earth energetic season. The yang organ of Earth is the stomach.
 
What is the spleen and what is spleen digestive function?

“Among human solid organs, the spleen seems to be an orphan. With most other organs, such as the brain, heart, and kidney, much has been written on their history, anatomy, function and surgical treatment… Why has the spleen lagged behind other organs in published works? In the popular mind, many people are unaware that they even have a spleen. Still others do not know where in the body it is located. Almost no one knows what it does.”

— Leon Morgenstern, UCLA School of Medicine, California

The spleen contributes to the homeostasis of the body. It helps keep harmful microorganisms and unhealthy abnormal worn out and misshapen red blood cells out of the bloodstream. The spleen also makes lymphocytes(1) and stores blood cells. It’s the principle organ defining the shape of the red blood cells circulating in the bloodstream. 

Good spleen digestive function is key to the body’s immune system. 

Traditional Chinese medicine tells us the spleen is source of chi (vital energy) and blood. The spleen is responsible for the intake, processing, sorting and distribution of nutrients from food. Nutrients are then transported upwards by the spleen to the lungs. There both heart and lungs take over generating chi and infusing the body’s blood with these nutrients.

The spleen transforms food into nutrients and then transports these nutrients through the pushing/ascending action of the organ’s chi. This is how it relays nutrients to the heart and lungs, into the circulatory system and finally throughout the body.

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The spleen ascends its chi. The ascending action helps maintain the position of the organs in the body. Stomach chi descends to facilitate digestion and eliminate undigested food from the body.

The ascending action of the spleen and the descending action of the stomach complement each other in the act of digestion.

In spleen digestive function, sometimes the ascending function of the spleen gets out-of-balance. Its chi energy flows downwards rather than upwards. Symptoms of fatigue, flatulence, loss of appetite, diarrhea and giddiness are the result. When stomach chi is out-of-balance and does not descend vomiting is the result. 

The normal adult spleen lies immediately under the diaphragm in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It ranges in length from 2-1/3 to 5 inches approximately and in weight from 2-2/3  to 4-1/4 ounces.

Spleen digestive function and the elimination of toxins is very much associated with the Earth element. For this reason, PHYTO5 formulates the Earth line of skincare with ingredients that support spleen digestive function and the circulation of lymph(2). We do this according to principles of traditional Chinese medicine.

As the largest secondary lymphoid organ in the body, the spleen is responsible for a wide range of immunological functions.

Spleen digestive function plays several very important roles in the human body.

the human lymphatic system

1. In moms-to-be, the spleen begins producing the embryo’s blood cells gradually leaving the job to the mother’s bone marrow.

2. Spleen captures malfunctioning, abnormal or old red blood cells and expels them from the body.

3. Spleen recycles iron in red blood cells to create new healthy red blood cells. (If spleen chi is weak, bruising, blood in stools and urine, and purple-colored spots may be found under the skin, among other conditions involving bleeding.)

4. The spleen assimilates your food’s nutrients (also known as food essence or jingwei in traditional Chinese medicine) which are then conveyed throughout the body via lung, heart and blood vessels.

5. In the act of spleen digestive function, spleen absorbs water and then transports it through the body via lung, heart and urinary bladder to maintain normal water metabolism.

6. Good spleen digestive function helps protect the body from infections by producing white blood cells [macrophages and lymphocytes(1)]which travel to the infected parts of the body.

7. The spleen produces antibodies which help fight infections.

8. Lymph fluid(1) passes through the spleen where germs and other foreign bodies are captured by white blood cells.

9. Spleen digestive function contributes to good mental function when in balance. It affects intention which can be weakened by mental strain. Mental turmoil, poor memory, and irritability may be a result of impaired spleen energy.

10. Balanced spleen digestive function helps keep us free from abnormal fatigue, digestive issues and poor complexion. A deficiency in spleen chi often contributes to fatigue. It can cause symptoms like appetite loss, a sense of abdominal fullness especially after meals, loose stools, breathlessness and a pale yellow complexion. Feeling sluggish and tired may occur when a deficiency in spleen chi prevents inadequate nourishment for the organs.

11. When spleen digestive function is normal, it promotes the energy required by muscles and limbs producing a vitality filled body.

12. Spleen participates with the other energies of the body which it irrigates and moistens.

Dampness and the Spleen

Traditional Chinese medicine tells us a damp spleen occurs when the spleen can’t transport and transform body fluids properly. This leads to an accumulation of moisture within the body.

Dampness is turbid, heavy and difficult to reverse. Often originating in the legs it will move upward to the abdomen. Symptoms include a thick greasy tongue coating, loose stools, bloating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and a heavy feeling in the body or limbs.

High and frequent intake of raw, cold and spicy foods can damage the spleen and cause dampness. Dairy products, processed foods, alcohol, sugar and sweeteners will exacerbate already existing dampness in the body.

If you’re concerned about your spleen digestive function, here are some simple actions to take:

1. Assist your digestive process by chewing your food well. Chewing food thoroughly reduces the workload on your digestive system and food is absorbed more easily. By chewing your food very well, mealtime will be naturally longer and this will help you attain a feeling of fullness and prevent overeating.

2. Refrain from drinking fluids while having a meal.

3. Try not to drink cold beverages but if you must, have some warm tea first. Too much cold beverage can damage the spleen and drinking cold beverages at mealtime will force the body to take time to warm up the food before it can even be digested.

4. Eat lots of whole foods. Nourish the spleen with sweet whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Consume red dates, Chinese yam and lotus seeds often, if not, daily. This will help nourish your spleen digestive function.

5. Avoid overeating and feasting. This makes the spleen work overtime to sort through too many nutrients at once. Overeating also results in food stagnation. The spleen doesn’t have enough time to empty your stomach before your next meal. This causes bloating and fatigue.

6. Exercise most especially the abdominals and thighs because the spleen meridian runs up the legs.

7. Take time for relaxation. Traditional Chinese medicine finds mealtimes extremely important times of the day. They should not be mixed with working, reading or watching television. Doing so may inhibit the passage of food through the body and negatively affect your spleen digestive function.

…

Endnotes:

(1) Lymphocyte: a form of small leukocyte (white blood cell) with a single round nucleus, occurring especially in the lymphatic system

(2) Lymph: a colorless fluid containing white blood cells that bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream

Sources:

Liu, Yanchi, Kathleen Vian, and Peter Eckman. The Essential Book of Traditional Chinese Medicine. New York: Columbia UP, 1988. Print.

Photo by shironosov at Getty Images via Canva

Millet Extract: Consumed or Applied Topically in Skincare Is a Potent Therapeutic Ingredient for Soothing, Purifying and Beautifying Skincare

Millet extract works to restructure skin and improve the skin barrier that protects skin from environmental insults. It lends radiance to skin and prevents trans-epidermal water loss.

Millet extract is a principal ingredient in many of PHYTO5’s Earth element line which is formulated to balance the Earth condition of toxicity, blemishes, acne, psoriasis, enlarged pores, and sluggish lymph circulation.

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The millet seed is known for providing many fundamental benefits to the skin:

• softening

• soothing

• nourishing

• stimulating

• revitalizing

Nutrient rich millet contains a high proportion of essential vitamins and is close to 90% unsaturated fatty acids.

Though millet is not actually a grain, it is considered one of very few alkaline grains. In truth, it’s a power packed starchy seed native to South America. Gluten-free millet is extremely nutritious and has a very rich protein and amino acid profile. At approximately 15% protein, millet contains lecithin and the essential amino acid methionine.

Millet is also high in silica which is quite beneficial for bones and connective tissue. Millet’s rich silicon content helps to rebuild connective tissue.

Read our blogs on the topic of silica: Probably the Most Underappreciated Nutrient for Skin’s Radiance and the Body’s Vitality: Silica and Silica Rich Horsetail: Very Beneficial for Anti-Aging Skin and Hair Care.

Millet is rich in vitamins E, B complex, niacin, thiamin and riboflavin. In addition, phenolic compounds in millet provide potent antioxidant activity and thus benefits such as slowing signs of aging.

Physiologically, millet is a digestive dynamo. It supports the digestive organs, in particular, the stomach and spleen, your energy battery, so to speak. Easily digestible, millet strengthens weak digestion and helps improve nutrient uptake. It removes unwanted excess acid and aggressively helps to inhibit the growth of fungus and yeasts such as Candida.

Millet is quite resilient being able to thrive even with a lack of water and can produce seed in conditions where other plants cannot grow. Millet is the seed which bears the highest mineral content some of which are iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

Though history shows that millet was known for making hair, skin and nails beautiful, its positive beauty attributes have only been rediscovered relatively recently. With all of its nutritive attributes, millet actually motivates the skin to perform better. 

Millet extract is known to:

• support the skin’s natural functions

• beautify and smoothe the skin

• improve the structure of the skin

• contribute to radiant skin tone

Specific to skin, millet extract may also:

• Help reduce acne: Lipoic acid, an antioxidant found in millet, increases cell metabolism and blood circulation and is an anti-inflammatory, two actions which, when combined, help reduce acne.

• Improve elasticity and fight wrinkles: Amino acids L-lysine and L-proline help create collagen which provides structure skin tissue.

• Combat aging of the skin: The antioxidants in millet neutralize free radicals which cause aging. Millet assists to rejuvenate skin cells. The ubiquinone content in millet is a known wrinkle-reducer.

• Improve overall complexion: Millet is rich in complexion enhancing and antioxidant vitamin E which penetrates the skin’s layers and aids in natural wound healing. Millet forms a protective layer in the skin which can keep free radicals away from wounds. Millet also serves as a lubricant to the skin.

• Bring youthfulness to the skin: By consuming millet in the diet, we can assist the protection and strengthening of our cells and skin from the ravages of free radical damage thereby creating younger looking, more supple skin.

• Act as a moisturizing agent: Consuming millet assists us to retain the natural moisture content in our skin thereby reversing dull and dry looking skin to vibrant and healthier looking skin. Because of its ability to moisturize, it’s also beneficial for chapped lips.

• Reduce scarring: The antioxidant alium found in millet increases blood flow to scar tissue assisting the growth of new skin and minimizing scarring. Millet helps the skin to repair itself more quickly, and it protects and firms the skin.

• Protect the skin from sun damage: Millet’s selenium and vitamin C and E content are effective protectants against sun damage and skin cancer amplifying healthy fresh growth of new cells that bring youth to the skin and make it appear more radiant. It can assist to combat hyperpigmentation.

• Strengthen hair follicles: Protein rich millet is highly recommended for hair loss. Lack of protein is one factor which contributes to hair loss.

• Serve as therapeutic for scalp conditions: The magnesium in millet reduces scalp inflammation and is beneficial for treating eczema, psoriasis and dandruff. Consuming millet may help in pacifying metabolic syndrome, a health condition which causes premature balding.

• Stimulate the growth of hair: Millet promotes the circulation of blood circulation in the scalp and thus promotes hair growth.

• Reduce hair loss: Increased cortisol levels in the body may lead to significant hair loss however the magnesium in millet has been found to counteract it.

• Help prevent premature graying of the hair: The antioxidant content in millet effectively prevents tissue oxidation and may assist with premature graying.

…

Endnotes:

McKeith, Gillian. Dr. Gillian McKeith's Living Food for Health: 12 Natural Superfoods to Transform Your Health. United Kingdom, Piatkus, 2000.

Underkoffler, Renee Loux. Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods. United Kingdom, Penguin Publishing Group, 2004.

Simple Effective Preventives for Fall Colds and Viruses: Wear A Scarf, Get Cupped, and Seek Out a Good Acupuncture Physici

The connection between weather, especially Wind, and human health has been very seriously explored in many of the world’s most scholarly traditional medical systems such as traditional Chinese medicine.(1) There exists today a growing number of progressive medical doctors, especially in Europe who, convinced that the weather is much more important to our health than mere thermal comfort, have named an emerging discipline dedicated to this study. It’s called biometeorology. Whether you follow formal or folk medicine, many practitioners of both will readily tell you this: When it's windy, especially during energetic Fall and Winter, if you want to prevent the dreaded colds and flu of the seasons, cover your nose, mouth, neck and shoulders before going outside. But how is the simple habit of wrapping yourself up in a scarf able to keep you healthier during the cold weather seasons? Traditional Chinese medicine, for one, explains how.

“According to Chinese medical theory, cold and flu viruses are ever present in the air we breathe, and it is the Wind blowing into our faces that drives the virus into the body at the most common points of entry: the nose and the mouth. Protecting these portals is considered so important in China that instead of wrapping a scarf around the neck, people usually wear it across the face, covering the nose and mouth.”

— Ilkay Zihni Chirali in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Cupping Therapy.

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The five elements of traditional Chinese medicine are five aspects of the energy that regulates the material dimension of our lives, our bodies included. They are sometimes referred to as the “energy of earth” in contrast to the “energy of heaven” or cosmos.(2)

There are six components to this cosmic energy called the Six Excesses or Evils. Traditional Chinese medicine finds Wind to be one of the six environmentally related external causes (Excess or Evil) of imbalance which leads to diseases, conditions and disorders of the body. These six climatic excesses can attack the body, enter the body’s energy meridian pathways, and cause external diseases.

Wind is one of five climates that characterize the five seasons of traditional Chinese medicine and it is considered to be the backbone of many diseases by traditional Chinese medicine.

Wind is Yang Energy
Traditional Chinese medicine finds Wind to be a yang pathogenic factor that causes symptoms in the physical body that wander and change. Wind in the body resembles the Wind in nature. It generates not only movement but movement in parts of the body that would otherwise remain motionless.

This yang characteristic of Wind means it’s ‘elevated,’ mostly affecting the uppermost yang regions of the body—head and thorax. And it means it attacks the outermost levels of the body, too—skin pores, muscles and tendons, before penetrating the lungs, the most external and uppermost of all the internal organs. It is no coincidence that lung is the organ of the Fall season’s Metal element, the time of year when wind, colds and flu all ramp up in earnest.

Roots of this Knowledge In Ancient Chinese Medicine
In the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (the Nei Jing Suwen), the medical mentor and Taoist monk Qi Bo tells his student:

“Pathogenic Wind is the root of all evil.”

A digitized copy of a page of the Nei Jing Suwen

In Shigehisa Kuriyama’s Chapter, Wind and Self, in his book, The Expressiveness of the Body and the Divergence of Greek and Chinese Medicine, he aptly writes that ancient people were completely convinced that Wind had a diabolical influence on their health. He also points out the fact that in today’s times we rarely link Wind with illness.

Common Conditions Exacerbated or Caused by Wind
Many who suffer from heightened rheumatic pain when the weather changes don’t often connect the dots when they’ve also experienced very recent exposure to cold or hot Wind.

Many people affected with Bell’s (facial) palsy have often been exposed to Windy conditions just days before onset of the palsy.

School teachers will often notice a negative change in behavior in their students on Windy days.

People who work in highly air-conditioned settings will often report headaches and tight or painful necks and shoulders.

Wind in the Body
Traditional Chinese medicine indicates that a case of Wind invasion in the body includes symptoms of sneezing, headache, and congestion.

Wind makes it easier for other illnesses to invade your body because if you are already feeling a little sick and your immune system is compromised, you are more likely to be vulnerable to other problems. In other words, the presence of nefarious Wind helps other influences to invade and wreak havoc on the body.

Traditional Chinese medicine indicates that colds and flu can enter the body through the skin. Cold Winds pushing against the skin force cold into the body. If you have ingested a virus carried by the Wind, this virus will remain just beneath the skin for a short time before advancing deeper into the body and entering the lungs.

In order to maintain stasis, the body is forced to work against the cold, the Wind, and the actual virus, but a person may not have enough energy to fight them off. When this occurs, symptoms of cold and flu take hold.

Traditional Chinese medicine also identifies acupuncture meridians that travel through the body from the most superficial layer of the body–the skin–to the deepest, most interior parts of the body.

Colds and flu originate at the superficial layers of the body but when we are unable to fight off a Wind attack, it moves deeper into the body causing more serious illness. This could explain, in part, why some people whose immune systems are compromised, die as a result of complications from the flu or a corona virus.

Among the more superficial channels of the body providing the most common routes of cold and Wind entering the body are:

1. the bladder channel which travels vertically passing through the neck and back, and;

2. the small intestine channel which travels horizontally across the neck and shoulder.

When cold and Wind attack through these channels, we may experience a stiff neck, headaches especially at the back of the neck, an aversion to Wind, a lack of sweating, chills, listlessness, fatigue, and a stuffed up nose or head.

“Located on the neck and shoulders, the Wind points are considered both entry points for Wind and areas you can stimulate to expel the Wind and prevent further penetration of the body’s kingdom.”

— Ilkay Zihni Chirali

Author Chirali (whose quote is mentioned just above) writes how his teacher, a Vietnamese Buddhist wandering monk in the medical tradition, explained to him why a Wind attack to the body can be very painful:

“Wind allowed to pass through a narrow opening is ‘poisonous’ because it is compressed and pierces the flesh like a dagger. Its impact is funneled and focused, as if adjusting the nozzle of a hose to concentrate its intensity.”

Wind and Cancer Metastasis in Traditional Chinese Medicine
The scholarly article, The Concept of Wind in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Journal of Pharmacopuncture, December 2016, says this about how Wind may affect the metastasis of cancer in the body:

“Cancer metastasis is the spread of cancer cells to tissues and organs beyond where the tumor originated, resulting in the formation of new tumors. The formation of metastases is a major problem in clinical oncology because it is one of the main causes of death in most cancer patients. Classical Chinese medicine has no specific concept of cancer; however, experts in traditional Chinese medicine are studying the causes and treatments of metastasis. Traditional Chinese medicine doctors believe the causes of cancer are multiple, including toxins and other environmental factors, called ‘external causes,’ as well as ‘internal causes’ such as Blood and Qi stagnation, emotional stress, bad eating habits, wastes accumulated from food, and damaged organs. They also believe that Internal Wind of hepatic origin is not only one of the causes of malignant tumors but also the main cause for the formation of metastases. An analysis of the causes of internal Wind in patients with malignant tumors suggests that removing Wind is the fundamental method of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of patients with malignant tumors and metastases; thus, drugs that eliminate Wind are important prescriptions for treating patients with such tumors.”

Cupping as Therapy for Wind in the Body
The holistic healing modality of ‘cupping,’ known in traditional Chinese medicine as the ‘capturing of the Winds’ is believed to offer positive and healing actions.

Cupping is a Chinese therapy in which heated glass cups are applied to the skin along the meridians of the body, creating suction as a way of stimulating the flow of vital energy. (Skincare professionals reading this article may be interested to learn that the Biorhythmic Drainer, proprietary equipment offered by PHYTO5 and pictured just above, is a very safe, painless and effective way to easily and elegantly provide a state-of-the-art cupping therapy to clients.)

In Western and Eastern Europe and in Asia, cupping is considered a form of very effective folk medicine where mothers and healers improvise with glass cups, cotton cloth, olive oil, a bronze coin and a flame to create a system of induction efficient enough to remove Wind from the body.

Family lineages of skilled cuppers have been highly respected as healers for generations. Preferring to deal with the possibility rather than the outcome, they apply cupping either as a preventive or at the first sign of discomfort.

“Vietnamese people understand that getting a diagnosis of gio (Wind) means you are better off inside the home, otherwise to go outside means you are liable to be struck by Wind again and get far worse”

— The Buddhist Abbot the Venerable Thich Phuoch Tan

Famed canonized saint and eleventh century polymath, Hildegard von Bingen, also recommended cupping to relieve the effects of certain humoral (fluid) imbalances caused by Wind. She saw the body as microcosm permeable to the outside macrocosmic world. She understood how Wind is an elemental life force that normally circulated throughout the physiology of the body but she also was aware that Wind could be a exogenous pathological factor, too. She understood how Wind entered the body’s orifices right down to the body’s tiny skin pores thereby tipping the delicate balance of health with sickness the result.

“One of the chief reasons why cupping continues to remain popular as a folk practice and attracts modern day therapists is because it effectively withdraws climatic pathogenic factors from both the superficial and deeper layers of the body.”

— Ilkay Zihni Chirali

Wind In Another Form
• It should also be noted that  covering the neck and shoulders also applies to any type of Wind generation including cold breezes generated by air-conditioning and fans.
• Keep the air-conditioning in your home down to a minimum to maintain your healthful balance.
• If you sleep in cold weather with your Window open, open the window just a crack and be sure you’re bundled up in bed.
• Maintain a body that’s closed to Wind.

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Keep Your Pores Small and Protected
Additionally, if your skin pores are more open, they should have no contact with the cold and Wind. The pores’ natural capacity is to protect against any invasive climatic influences.

If you normally have enlarged pores, you may want to use PHYTO5’s Earth element Yogi Body Gel for the body and the Earth line of facial products. These are formulated to help reduce enlarged pores.

Conclusion
Reduce your chance of catching the common cold or contracting a flu virus simply by covering your neck, shoulders, nose and mouth in windy and/or cold conditions. 

You may also want to seek out an integrity holistic cupping therapist for prevention and especially if you feel the onset signs of a cold or flu.

Understanding the meticulous observations of the effect of Wind on health in ancient Chinese medicine is actually applicable for today’s public health specialists, traditional and complementary medicine practitioners. In addition to the practices of wearing a scarf or receiving cupping therapy, herbs and acupuncture are also commonly administered by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine to eliminate Wind in order to treat various diseases.

#####

Endnotes:

(1)This connection has also been studied in Ayurvedic(a), Unani,(b) Gaelic/Celtic(c) and Islamic(d) medicines.

(a) In Ayurvedic medicine, various changes in our natural environment such as Wind direction can create numerous issues connected with aggravating our dosha, one of three bodily “bio-elements” that make up one's constitution and govern physiological activity.

(b) Unani is a system of medicine practiced in parts of India, thought to be derived via medieval Muslim physicians from Byzantine Greece. It is sometimes contrasted with the Ayurvedic system.

(c) Today it is challenging to objectively evaluate Celtic medical lore since its records are faded and fragmented. These include Farquhar Leech, the healer, the Druids and St. Columba among many others. Many believe the 12 Celtic directional Winds tend to correspond with those of American Indian medicine wheels.

(d) Islamic medicine is the science of medicine developed in the Islamic Golden Age (eighth to 14th century). Islamic medicine preserved, systematized and developed the medical knowledge of classical antiquity, including the major traditions of Hippocrates, Galen* and Dioscorides.**

*Hippocrates (c. 460–377 bc), was a Greek physician and is traditionally regarded as the father of medicine. His name is associated with the medical profession's Hippocratic oath because of his attachment to a body of ancient Greek medical writings widely believed to not even having been written by him.

**Galen was a Greek physician (129–199), who while attempting to systematize medicine, made important discoveries in anatomy and physiology.

***Pedanius Dioscorides, c. 40–90 AD, was a Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, and author of De materia medica (On Medical Material)—a five-volume Greek pharmacopeia of herbal medicine and related medicinal substances that was widely read for more than 1,500 years.

(2) This explains why traditional Chinese medicine tells us we live “between heaven and earth.”

#####

Sources:

Photo of lady in blue scarf courtesy of Omid Bonyadian at pexels.

Photo of Chinese apothecary courtesy of freestocks.org via pexels

Photo of man being cupped courtesy of Antoni Shkraba at pexels

Image of the Nei Jing Suwen File:The Su Wen of the Huangdi Neijing.djvu courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Elias, Jason, and Katherine Ketcham. Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity: Understanding the Five Elemental Types for Health and Well-being. New York: Three Rivers, 1998. Print.

Chirali, Ilkay Zihni. Traditional Chinese Medicine: Cupping Therapy. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1999. Print.

Sage Journals: Your Gateway to World-Class Research Journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/.

Joiner, Thomas Richard. Chinese Herbal Medicine Made Easy: Natural and Effective Remedies for Common Illnesses. United States, Hunter House, 2001.

Kuriyama, Shigehisa. The Expressiveness of the Body and the Divergence of Greek and Chinese Medicine. Zone Books, 2011.

Dashtdar M, Dashtdar MR, Dashtdar B, Kardi K, Shirazi MK. The Concept of Wind in Traditional Chinese Medicine. J Pharmacopuncture. 2016 Dec;19(4):293-302. doi: 10.3831/KPI.2016.19.030. PMID: 28097039; PMCID: PMC5234349.

This blog was originally published on October 10, 2016 and is extensively updated here for freshness and comprehensiveness.

Sweet Almond Oil: Soothing, Softening, Anti-Aging Skincare Miracle of Nature

In skincare, sweet almond oil is used both for its properties and as a carrier oil.(1) Sweet almond oil, found in Metal element Sweet Almond Oil Shampoo and also in Ageless La Cure by PHYTO5’s soothing pink Clay Mask, is obtained from the kernel of the almond. Not only does it have a wonderfully pleasant aroma, it has a very soft texture and is slowly absorbed into the skin. Sweet almond oil is derived exclusively from edible almonds and is the kind used in skincare. External application of the oil can prevent dehydration by reducing moisture loss from the skin, scalp and hair.

Sweet almond oil, which can be used by itself, is a mild hypoallergenic oil which relieves itching and inflammation as it nourishes the skin with its oleic acid content (unsaturated fatty acids). It is well known for its ability to promote a more youthful complexion and overall skin health.

Sweet almond oil is rich in vitamins E and A, monounsaturated fatty acids, protein, potassium, and zinc.

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The vitamin E in sweet almond oil promotes suppleness of the skin, smoothing of fine lines and overall skin softness. Any almond oil that adds more vitamin E to a skincare product formulation would probably be utilizing synthetic almond oil since quality natural sweet almond oil already contains an abundance of the vitamin.

Vitamin E in almond oil also protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation. Most importantly, it is a powerful antioxidant which helps maintain your skin’s collagen layer.

Collagen lies under the skin in an even layer providing a kind of padding that keeps the skin taut and supple. When our skin begins to thin as we age, the collagen layer underneath the skin becomes uneven. This is when we also begin to notice the forming of fine lines. Almond oil is shown to play an important role in the delay of signs of aging, especially premature aging.

Because almond oil contains vitamin E in abundance, it can help repair some of the damage done to the collagen layer which is caused by oxidative stress.(2) The oil can also provide amino acids required for the formation of collagen because it is so rich in protein.

Vitamin A easily penetrates the skin working to cleanse it from embedded dirt and oil in the pores preventing blackheads and possibly acne from developing.

If your skin is oily, sweet almond oil is noncomedogenic meaning it is very unlikely to block your pores and it is excellent in the treatment of acne.

Sweet almond oil is also wonderful for hair and scalp to cleanse hair follicles because of its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties It softens hair, providing it the moisture it requires. It strengthens hair because of its biotin content. Sweet almond oil protects hair from sun damage. And together with zinc, it is also abundant in minerals magnesium and calcium which makes almond oil effective in controlling dandruff and loss of hair thus promoting hair growth.

Sweet almond oil helps hair develop a natural sheen.

The fatty acids in sweet almond oil work to heal chapped and irritated skin. Redness of the skin and inflammation can be calmed with sweet almond oil.

Because the oil is rich in zinc, it can be effective in the treatment of skin rashes and chafed skin.

…

Endnotes:

(1) A carrier oil is used to dilute essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin in massage and aromatherapy. They carry the essential oil onto the skin. Diluting essential oils is a critical safety practice when using essential oils because of the very high potency of quality essential oils. Essential oils used alone are volatile because they begin to dissipate as soon as they are applied. The carrier oil slows the rate of dispersion which varies based on how light or heavy the carrier oil is. Carrier oils often do not contain a concentrated aroma and they do not evaporate like essential oil. Excellent skincare products will use carrier oils that are completely natural and free from adulteration.

(2)Oxidative stress happens when the amount of destructive mutating cells or free radicals in our system exceeds the amount of antioxidants (a substance that removes potentially damaging oxidizing agents). This is when oxidation damages our cells, proteins and our DNA.

…

Sources:

Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: over 800 Natural, Nontoxic, and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health, Beauty, and Safe Home and Work Environments. New World Library, 2016.

A Natural Treatment for Age Spot

‘Age spots’ on the skin (also colloquially called brown spots or liver spots) are associated with aging, exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation, inflammation, skin injuries and a number of other potential causes discussed below. Age spots are characterized as hyperpigmentation of the skin. Hyperpigmentation is the darkening of an area of skin or nails caused by increased melanin.(1)

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PHYTO5, the maker of Ageless La Cure skincare, utilizes the essential oil of the alpine flower edelweiss, wakame, a Japanese brown algae, and natural phytic acid in Perfection Cream to effectively lighten brown spots:

• Edelweiss essential oil offers a high antioxidant content more potent than vitamin C to attenuate dark spots. It is clinically proven to reduce brown spots and decrease melanin. You will also find edelweiss essential oil in PHYTO5’s Swiss line product, Face Gel.

• Wakame is Japanese brown algae and is proven to lighten skin and smooth out age spots as it simultaneously inhibits the formation of new spots. Wakame is also a unique ingredient in the Swiss line Face Exfoliation, a mineralizing, stimulating and skin brightening product.

• Natural phytic acid is extracted from wheat and prevents brown spots by decreasing the synthesis of melanin. Phytic acid contributes to wakame’s potency.

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Age spots tend to develop in people with fair complexions, but people with darker skin can also get them. Many people who develop brown spots on the skin are hereditarily predisposed to them.

Hyperpigmented skin spots are generally associated with aging because from approximately age 40 onward our skin tends to be less able to regenerate itself as a result of exposure to the sun. The spots range in color from light brown to red or black and pop up in areas most often exposed to the sun, particularly the hands, face, neck, arms, and bald scalp.

Age spots were once believed to be caused by liver problems, but in actuality, they are most frequently unrelated to the liver. In addition to excessive sun exposure, possible causes also include:

• poor diet

• lack of exercise

• smoking

• poor liver function

• consumption of oxidized oils

• alcohol consumption

• hormonal changes

• metabolic disorders.

People who live in sunny climates are especially prone to age spots.

Brown spots are the result of a buildup of wastes called lipofuscin accumulation, a byproduct of free radical damage in skin cells. The presence of these spots is a sign that free radical intoxication of the body is occurring. Lipofuscin accumulation is caused by a deficiency of several key nutrients:

• vitamin E

• selenium

• glutathione

• chromium and

• dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE).

Using poor quality or old cold creams, cleansing creams or solid moisturizing creams can also lead to the formation of brown spots on the skin because they contain hardened saturated fats that become rancid very rapidly thus creating free radicals.

Not only do these free radicals cause brown spots, they can cause premature wrinkles. This is why it is important to be very selective about the types of skincare creams you use. The Ageless La Cure all Swiss-made line of products takes the guesswork out of it for you since they are organic certified, natural and manufactured under exacting Swiss practices and regulations. 

The use of plants to treat skin conditions such as age spots is as old as humankind. Alphahydroxy acids found in certain fruits, for example, increase cell turnover and their enzymes lighten the skin. Alphahydroxy acids (AHAs) from fresh peeled banana, mango and Amazonian mombin plum in PHYTO Peel are naturally derived fruit acids also known for their ability to firm and tighten the skin as well as reduce the appearance of facial lines.The antioxidants in these fruits help to ward off ultraviolet rays to prevent new spots from forming.

Perfection Cream mentioned at the outset of this article also contains the following natural ingredients with wonderful skin enhancing properties:

• Shea butter from West Africa: Very moisturizing with healing and anti-inflammatory properties, it softens and smoothes skin and stimulates the synthesis of collagen. Shea butter is recommended for the prevention of wrinkles and aging of the skin while protecting it from harsh weather conditions.

• Verbena flower water: Verbena flower cools, softens, firms, heals and soothes the skin. (It is recommended for cases of psoriasis of nervous origin.)

• Damask rose essential oil: The prized damask rose soothes irritation and redness and offers toning and regeneration to skin. Enjoy soothing damask rose essential oil and extract in many Ageless La Cure products.

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Endnotes:

(1) Melanin is a class of pigment responsible for producing color in the body in places such as the eyes, skin, and hair.

Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Nutritional Healing: a Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements. Penguin, 2011.

The Miracle of Myrrh for Radiant More Youthful Ski

Myrrh maintains healthy skin and tissues. A natural outcome of that action is myrrh’s ability to help mitigate visible signs of aging in the skin. For this reason, it's commonly added to many skincare products today, especially those that treat more mature skin. The botanical name for myrrh is Commiphora mukul and its extract is formulated in the facial serum inside PHYTO5’s Ageless La Cure Facial Serum and Cream kit for a 3-week cure.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural bxeauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique holistic beauty tips and offers.

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Antioxidant rich, myrrh is a natural choice for anti-aging, facial acne, redness, irritation, skin rejuvenation, and wound healing products. It encourages new cell growth and is effective in the prevention and treatment of facial lines. Myrrh offers skin nourishing benefits in hot dry climates.

Myrrh has been shown to improve circulation so vital for combatting signs of aging. Improved circulation creates an overall improved complexion with a healthy glow.

Myrrh essential oil, when added properly to a carrier oil and applied topically, can help ease muscle aches when experiencing a cold or flu or for aching joints not associated with these conditions. When used in a diffuser, it can help break up mucus associated with colds. 

Myrrh resin is a natural gum which seeps from the bark of the Commiphora tree once it is cut.

The word myrrh comes from the Arabic word "murr" which translates to “bitter.” Myrrh is actually one of many bitters that offers all kinds of health benefits from curbing sugar cravings to supporting liver function to encouraging healthy, radiant skin.

Myrrh essential oil is a safe essential oil overall but should be avoided during pregnancy because of its potency.

Myrrh as an essential oil is very powerful, its use dating back many centuries having been traded in the Middle East and North Africa for more than 5,000 years. Myrrh has a long history of medical use along the Silk Road from Arabia into China.

Myrrh essential oil has been part of medical practice in traditional therapies for millennia. It has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. It was so valuable in ancient times that it was, at times, equal in weight value to gold.

Throughout time myrrh has been known to offer all manner of healing benefits for conditions like asthma, athlete’s foot, cough, candida, ringworm, eczema, gingivitis, gum infections, hemorrhoids, mouth ulcers, ringworm, wounds, wrinkles, and chapped or cracked skin.

• The enormously gifted Benedictine abbess and polymath Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) included myrrh as a healing tool in her book of medicines.

• The Vedas, the large body of knowledge texts originating in the ancient Indian subcontinent from 1500 to 400 BC, prescribed myrrh for healing.

• The ancient Egyptians procured huge boat shipments of myrrh resin from the Phoenicians and used it in incense, insect repellent, salves for wounds and sores, and as a key ingredient in the embalming process. History indicates they also used it to treat hay fever and herpes. Even back then, Egyptian women abhorred wrinkles and aging skin and used myrrh oil as a rejuvenating facial treatment in their cosmetic preparations.

• An ointment of myrrh was carried by Greek soldiers into battle to counter infections.

Alain Touwaide, the Smithsonian’s scientific director of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions, tells us the Greek physician Hippocrates known for revolutionizing the practice of medicine (c.460–377 BC), wrote about myrrh for healing more than any other plant substance. He relates that myrrh was also used as an antiseptic, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory agent and calls myrrh one of the “antibiotics of history.”

Today myrrh is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and aromatherapy. Many natural toothpastes contain myrrh and there’s a reason for that: myrrh benefits dental and gum health and helps keep the mouth clean and gums free of infection. Many Egyptian skeletons have been found with teeth completely intact and archeologists and historians often point to the use of myrrh as a key factor.

Myrrh contains a high content of sesquiterpenes, a class of compounds that have a direct effect on the pituitary,(1) hypothalamus,(2)and amygdala in the brain.(3) Research has shown that sesquiterpenes have the ability to surpass the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain tissue. Research from the Universities of Berlin and Vienna show increased oxygenation around the pineal and pituitary glands when myrrh is used.

(Read more about terpenes and sesquiterpenes in our blog, The Terpene: Most Fundamental Fragrance, Flavor and Healing Component of Essential Oils.)

Myrrh is purifying, restorative, revitalizing, and uplifting and can be a supportive component used in meditation.

The properties of warm and spicy myrrh resin helps to calm stress and help bring us back to our center. 

Myrrh as an extract or essential oil is excellent to use in daily skin and dental care. It rejuvenates damaged skin, soothes skin irritation, supports clear breathing, and promotes emotional peace and tranquility.

#####

Endnotes:

(1)Pituitary: receptor of intuition and vision and the master gland of the body

(2)Hypothalamus: region of the forebrain that coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity

(3)Amygdala: a roughly almond-shaped mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere involved with the experiencing of emotions

• Young, Kac. The Healing Art of Essential Oils: A Guide to 50 Oils for Remedy, Ritual, and Everyday Use. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2017. Print.

• Jacknin, Jeanette. Smart Medicine for Your Skin: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Conventional and Alternative Therapies to Heal Common Skin Problems. New York: Avery, 2001. Print.

• Butje, Andrea. The Heart of Aromatherapy: An Easy-to-Use Guide for Essential Oils. United States, Hay House, Incorporated, 2017.

• Photo courtesy of Madeleine Steinbach at Getty Images via Canva Pro

Balance, Health and Wellness: You Really Can't Have One Without the Others

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), you can’t be ill if your body’s systems are in energetic balance. So the end goal of TCM treatments, including PHYTO5 skincare formulated according to TCM, is vital energy balance. It’s key for balance, health, wellness and quality longevity.

TCM views the human body as a holistic organic system with organs and tissues that interrelate exquisitely when there is a balanced flow of vital energy.

A complex system of meridians or vital energy pathways connects organs and tissues all over the body to nourish the body with vital energy and nutrient-rich blood. This nourishing symbiosis works to maintain balance between yin and yang energies, fluids, our essence and our spirit.

In the TCM system, the same fundamental forces that govern nature and the cosmos influence all parts of the body. The human body system is a microcosmic yet complete reflection of nature and the cosmos (often termed the ‘Heavens’ in contrast to Earth in ancient Chinese texts).

Author Daniel Reid, a leading Western authority on traditional Chinese medicine and Taoist practice uses the following metaphor to explain. He pays attention here not just to telluric energies (from the Earth) affecting balance but cosmic ones as well.

“When the elemental energies within the human system remain in a natural state of dynamic balance and functional harmony, ‘fair weather’ prevails within the body and the garden of human health flourishes,  both mentally and physically. But when balance is upset and aberrant energies invade the system, flood and drought, wind and rain, heat and cold, and other types of ‘stormy weather’ may occur, causing damage to the internal landscape. Because the mircrocosmic energy system of humans (ren) stands midway between the cosmic powers of ‘Heaven’ (tien) and the natural forces of Earth (di), drawing power from both sources, human health depends not only on internal energy balance within the system, but also on harmony with the macrocosmic powers of ‘Heaven’ (the cosmos) and Earth (nature).”

— Daniel Reid in Shambhala Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Balance: Fundamental to Health and Wellness

For us at PHYTO5, balance isn’t an arbitrary word we use to describe our skincare products. We formulate our skincare always with the goal of helping you achieve balance in skin, vital energy and even emotions. 

Balance is absolutely fundamental to health and wellness. And it’s a highly vital concept to understand if you want to know why you have a certain skin condition or why you may be sick or unhealthy.

• Anytime you feel sick, you’re out of balance somewhere in your body. 

• Anytime an uncomfortable symptom pops up, it’s a sign of imbalance. Pinpoint the imbalance, do all you can to restore balance and the symptoms should dissipate and with them the potential of a larger sickness or condition.

The balancing principle of TCM is responsive. When applied to your condition early enough, you can restore not just balance but health and wellness too.

Balance brings you health and wellness. Always strive for balance and you’ll feel healthy with an enormous sense of well-being.

Creating Balance, Health and Wellness In Three Important Aspects

Each of the five lines of PHYTO5’s quantum energetic skincare is vital energy balancing. We uniquely formulate them with synergistic blends of natural essential oils, selecting and combining them according to TCM’s Five Element Theory.

 In TCM and PHYTO5 quantum energetic skincare, we work to achieve balance in:

• your skin condition;

• the unseen vital energy that courses through your body (considered one of the body’s five fluids by TCM);

• the energy of your other four major fluids (red blood, lymph, blue blood and water);

• your prevailing state of emotion at any given time.

We’ve created a line of quantum energetic skincare that works to address the conditions of each of the five elements of TCM’s Five Element Theory.

Balance, Health and Wellness in TCM’s Wood Conditions

PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Wood line works to balance the Wood skin condition.

 This line purifies oily skin and blackheads, lightens hyperpigmentation and stimulates vital energy flow.

 One product in this line—the Phyt’Ether serum—helps you find emotional balance too.

The emotion of Wood when out-of-balance according to TCM is anger. The aromatherapeutic experience of energetically heightened Wood Phyt’Ether serum helps bring you to a state of increased confidence.

Balance, Health and Wellness in TCM’s Fire Conditions

PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Fire line works to balance the Fire skin condition.  

The Fire line calms sensitive overheated skin, redness, rosacea, and couperose. It helps regulate the energy flow of red blood circulation.

Just like the Wood Phyt’Ether serum balances the emotion of the Wood element, Fire Phyt’Ether works to help balance the emotion of the Fire element.

The out-of-balance Fire emotion according to TCM is lack of joy. This serum’s energetically heightened aromatherapeutic experience helps bring you to a state of balanced joy.

Balance, Health and Wellness in TCM’s Earth Conditions

PHYTO5’s Earth line works to balance the Earth skin condition. It clarifies blemished skin and acne, stimulates the energy of lymph, detoxifies impurities and reduces enlarged pores. (Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells which bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream.)

Earth Phyt’Ether serum zeros in on helping you achieve emotional balance as well. The emotion of out-of-balance Earth according to TCM is a feeling of being stuck caused by overthinking. This being in your head confuses your ability to make decisions. You end up feeling stuck, unable to finish projects.

Energetically heightened Earth skincare brings you an aromatherapeutic experience that helps shift this out-of-balance emotion. It supports you to focus on taking care of yourself, finish unfinished projects and express yourself through creative activities.

Balance, Health and Wellness in TCM’s Metal Conditions

Our Metal line works to balance the Metal skin condition.

Quantum energetic Metal skincare oxygenates and mineralizes skin. It plumps fine lines and brightens skin, decongests puffiness, eliminates impurities and encourages the energy of blue blood circulation.

As with all of the five element serums, Metal Phyt’Ether supports emotional balance too. Metal’s out-of-balance emotions according to TCM are grief and sadness.

The aromatherapeutic benefits of energetically heightened Metal skincare helps balance this emotion so you’re better able to let go.

Balance, Health and Wellness in TCM’s Water Conditions

PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Water line works to balance the Water skin condition.

Hydrate, firm and tone mature, sun damaged skin and improve water circulation with the Water line.

Quantum energetic Water Phyt’Ether serum, in particular, bring balances to Water’s out-of-balance emotion of fear.

We’ve energetically heightened Water skincare to the quantum level too. It works to bring you to serenity and emotional balance.

Flow of Yin and Yang Qi for Balance, Health and Wellness

The most fundamental balance you can achieve is balanced qi (chi) or vital energy flow. This energy flow supports good function of your whole body.

Qi is also called life force. It’s the unseen vital energy that flows through us and all living things. Qi gives us life and animates our being. It’s our foundational ‘fluid’ that needs to flow optimally for total balance, health and wellness.

Our vital energy moves through our bodies in a flow similar to the flow of breath and blood. We need to keep it protected and nourished with healthy diets, adequate sleep and exercise.

Yin and yang chi, the fundamental feminine and masculine energies, respectively, help establish balanced flow of vital energy so crucial for maintaining balance throughout the body.

• Yang (masculine) chi protects.

• Yin (feminine) chi nourishes. 

Yin and yang affect each other.

• When yin is stronger, yang is weaker.

• When yang is stronger, yin grows weaker.

Maintaining balance between yin and yang creates a body in balance. Disturbing the balance between yin and yang chi is how conditions and illness result.

The Body’s Master Directive: Balance, Health and Wellness

A key in traditional Chinese preventive medicine is detecting and correcting abnormal patterns in the human energy system before they have a chance to become somatically rooted in the body. Once they take root they can cause  potentially significant damage.

It’s far easier to maintain balance and prevent sickness than reverse a condition or sickness once it arises.

“Before an omen arises,

It’s easy to take preventive measure…

Deal with things in their formative state; 

Put things in order before they grow confused.”

— A classic verse from the Tao Teh Ching(1)

The body holds a master directive in its DNA. That directive is to always seek balance, thus health and wellness. 

“By promoting and protecting our natural balance and inherent harmony… we can just as easily prevent disease, arrest degeneration, and prolong life as we can destroy health and hasten death through ignorance and violation of the natural laws that govern life on earth. All that life really requires to accomplish the goals of health and longevity is to synchronize its enemies with the natural pulses of the planet and the rhythms of the cosmos from which life springs. Traditional Chinese medicine endeavors to facilitate this harmonic balance on all three levels of body, energy and mind with nutrition, herbs, acupuncture, massage, qi gong, meditation and other holistic methods that restore nature’s patterns to the human energy system and weave it back into its proper position in the great web of life on earth.”

— Daniel Reid in Shambhala Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Keeping Symptoms from Arising In the First Place

Symptoms show up in the skin and body whenever our energies lose their internal balance. They fall out of harmony with natural and cosmic environmental forces.

No one goes through life without experiencing symptoms of sickness and imbalance from time to time. But you can respond to these symptoms in ways like Daniel Reid suggests in the quote above to restore balanced patterns in your energy system. Then you reduce the potential of a more serious condition developing.

Strive to create balance in your life every day. Rather than chase after symptoms and treat them on the surface, drill down to the root cause as TCM does. Work to bring alignment and harmony through nutrition, herbs, acupuncture, massage, qi gong, meditation and other holistic methods. Replace chaos and disorder with balance, health and wellness.

The more you learn to embody balance in all aspects of your life, the more you prevent conditions and sickness and the more health and wellness you’ll enjoy.

Learning to create this balance, health and wellness is an enjoyable, exciting and a refreshing way to live.

…

Endnotes:

(1) The Tao The Ching, translated roughly as The Classic of the Way and the Power, is a text central to both philosophical and religious Taoism, and has been highly influential to Chinese philosophy and religious practice in general.

…

Sources:

Stiles, Kg. Chinese Medicine Guidebook to Balance the 5 Elements and Organ Meridians with Essential Oils (Summary Book Version). N.p., Draft2Digital, 2020.

Twicken, David. I Ching Acupuncture - The Balance Method: Clinical Applications of the Ba Gua and I Ching. United Kingdom, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2011.

Zhaoguo, Li, et al. Key Concepts in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Germany, Springer Singapore, 2019.

Healthcare with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). N.p., Glittery Aurora, 2012.

Reid, Daniel. Shambhala Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine. United Kingdom, Shambhala, 1996.

Photo courtesy of Lucas Pezeta at pexels

The Heart Energy of the Fire Element: How It Oversees Not Just Physical but Emotional Functions As Wel

We instinctively place our hands on our Hearts when we feel love and appreciation. We instinctively know when our Hearts are open and generous. And we have observed that while our Hearts carry out an incredibly vital physical function, there is far more to the function of Heart than this and it involves the emotions of love, peace and equanimity.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the Fire element governs the heart, small intestine, circulatory system, autonomic nervous system (including parasympathetic and sympathetic branches), the small intestine and the triple heater meridian.

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The Heart is considered the home of Shen—the higher consciousness which descends from ‘heaven' and resides within us. The Shen is the universal consciousness that exists in every person.

Chinese medicine believes the various functions of the Fire element exist to protect Heart from injury especially on the levels of mind and spirit.

For example, the master of the Heart which is the pericardium together with the sympathetic nervous system works to protect us against hurts resulting from emotional vulnerability especially in relationships. They work to provide us the circulation of love and consciousness from the heart throughout the entire body and to other people as well.

The element of Fire relates to our desires and passions in life and also to the emotion of joy. If we become overly driven by any of these we may find ourselves with a clumsy Heart/Fire-based emotional issue.

Conversely, expressing heartfelt caring and developing deep connections with others from our humble quiet Heart demonstrates what Chinese medicine calls the art of the Heart.

The quantum energetic Fire element line of skin and hair care by PHYTO5 does more than work at the level of skin. It is also capable of bringing balance to an emotional state of out-of-balance joy. It is formulated in such a way that it penetrates the deepest core of the mind-body system where healing begins—the point where consciousness actually starts to have an effect.

Medical research appears to confirm that the health of our physical Hearts depends on good diet, exercise and a  connection not only to our spirit but with good social interactions. Studies show that the incidence of heart disease increases in situations of social isolation, difficult marital status and depression.

We see that heart attack victims who live alone experience twice the mortality of those who don't.

Depression doubles the mortality rate after bypass surgery.

Coronary atheroscleros is worse the more strained a relationship is.

In a study of 11,000 heart attack patients, those living with high stress levels were more common among that number.

A research team discovered that simply by asking patients with acute heart problems to discuss what and who they loved most in life led to less arrhythmias and lower blood pressure.

The art of the Heart involves quieting, peacefulness and an embracing of relationships. The Small Intestine energy does similarly as it quiets the mind by disallowing excessive or irrelevant thoughts or distractions to overwhelm the heart.

For the Heart to remain strong and healthy or to return to that state, the Heart must be able to maintain this calm and quiet. This is how we become able to adapt to the stresses of life and live long lives of substance and quality.

By being able to live strong with peaceful well functioning Hearts, we are, in turn, able to use these abilities to assist others in need of them.

Discrimination, prioritization, judgment, and simplification come from the Small Intestine in balance.

But confusion, hesitation, anxiety, and insomnia commonly result when the energy of the Small Intestine is out of balance. Shyness, moodiness, and fatigue can also occur when Small Intestine energy is not strong.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the triple heater meridian is responsible for encouraging the circulation of chi (vital energy), blood, fluids, and hormones throughout the body. It is also extremely encouraging as we maneuver our way through our many social and emotional relationships.

The triple heater meridian provides an appropriate milieu for the optimum transformation of food to energy which is needed to support the function of the Heart. When it is obstructed, fatigue and erratic behavior commonly result.

Traditional Chinese medicine calls the Heart the Emperor—the King who serves and reigns over the body with wisdom and equanimity. When people say with conviction, "I am coming from my heart," they are actually expressing an authenticity of belief and knowing that come from the Emperor one heartbeat at a time.

When the Heart chi energy is healthy and free flowing, this chi creates a rhythm in the body that is universal and available to all people whose hearts and triple warmer meridians are in balance.

Symptoms arising when Heart chi is out of balance include insomnia, anxiety and experiencing life as chaotic. This is because a Heart that’s not in control causes the Heart to beat irregularly, blood pressure to fluctuate, and even sometimes causes a loss of consciousness. Ultimately, we experience chaos both within the body and in our external lives.

Essentially, any situation that overstimulates the mind or emotions whether it’s a trauma or we feel overburdened with responsibilities and stress, may create too much Fire in the Heart potentially leading to emotional conditions such as nervousness, anxiety, and in extreme cases, mania.

When Heart energy is weak, holding to our beliefs can be difficult. When Heart is well adapted it grandly reigns with purpose and integrity. Grounding and a sense of self-assured sovereignty are ours.

“The Heart holds the office of lord and sovereign. The radiance of the spirit stems from it.”

— from Chapter 8 of the Neijing Suwen, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Chinese Medicine

The Heart is the supreme controller. It is partly human physical and partly divine spirit. Heart, residing in its palace, the protective pericardium, houses the spirit and keeps us in contact with love, peace and all that is of spiritual essence.

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Endnotes:

Anderson, Sandra K. The Practice of Shiatsu. Malawi, Mosby Elsevier, 2007.

Hicks, Angela, et al. Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. United Kingdom, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Photo courtesy of Monica Turlui at pexels (pexels-monica-turlui-8218377.jpg)

The Fire Element and Its Organs—Heart and Small Intestine—And How They Influence Our Joy and Vitality In Lif

Traditional Chinese medicine describes each of the five seasons in the Five Element (or Five Phase) Theory as ‘energetic’ to connote an additional aspect to the seasons—one of energy, vibration and frequency. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is not enough to call a season by its mundane name. It must be qualified as energetic because each season brings with it a host of attributes and conditions that result from energy frequencies coming from both the “heavens and the earth” (meaning the cosmic and telluric energies). In this article, we discuss the element of Fire which traditional Chinese medicine ascribes to energetic Summer (May 5 until July 19).

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A yin and yang* energy pair of organs align with each of the five elements and these are driven by the energy of its element. This organ pairing is required for balance and vitality according to the extensive observations registered by traditional Chinese medicine over time. Energetic Summer’s and the fire element’s pair of organs is heart and small intestine.

Heart

The yang energy heart is an almost obvious organ for Fire since it pumps blood, the very substance representative of life, vitality and joy which we instinctively associate with the Summer season of explosive life and growth (the peak of yang energy).

In traditional Chinese medicine, blood represents far more than the actual physical substance. To this ancient medical discipline, blood is a liquid form of yin energy with blood following chi or vital energy flow. The Yellow Emporer’s Classic of Internal Medicine** says that chi is the leader of blood and blood is the mother of that chi or vital energy.

Louise Hay’s seminal book on holistic self-healing, You Can Heal Your Life, says that blood represents joy and flow. Hay says that heart represents the center of love and security and that a heart attack is a metaphor for “squeezing all the joy out of the heart in favor of money or position.” Hay associates heart problems with "longstanding emotional problems and lack of joy and hardening of the heart.”

Traditional Chinese medicine tells us that the well adapted emotion for the Fire element is joy-in-balance. By joy-in-balance we mean that if someone is always laughing or giggling, especially at inappropriate times, this indicates joy out-of-balance—an indication of a Fire imbalance. Conversely, if a person almost never laughs, this, too indicates a potential Fire imbalance.

Blood and the heart embody not just physical but emotional and spiritual aspects as well. Joy, the heart and blood flow are a symbiotic trio. Each begets the other. A heart of vitality and balanced flow of blood support a healthy expression of joy and consequently, greater health, love and spiritual strength. If we’re joyful in a balanced way, our hearts will be healthier and our flow of blood encouraged to be healthy, too, showing up as glowing complexion and skin and body that are slower to age.

The condition of the heart and manner of blood flow is very much manifested in our complexion. Our complexion should have a healthy pinkness with eyes that are bright and expressive. This is a sign that blood is indeed nourishing our body tissues and organs. It is cooling, soothing and hydrating the skin and body. If our complexion is either overly red or too pale, this could indicate a Fire imbalance.

Small Intestine

The yin small intestine oversees and controls assimilation of nutrients. Again, the organ applies to concepts and emotions as well as its physical makeup and activity.

In order to learn something new or to be able to process an event that has taken place, we must assimilate what is before us to learn. We must be able to come to a place where we are able to integrate the new information or feeling into our being.

In our blog of December 25, 2020, entitled Cyclical Living Is the Key to a Vitality Filled Life and Our Producing the Frequency of Love, we write that people who lived on this planet from 1 A.D. to 2000 A.D. approximately:

“didn’t just observe these cycles [of the earth and the heavens] with their eyes, they felt the significance of the cycles in their bellies–what some people call today the ‘other brain.’"

Today, the ‘other brain’ or gut/small intestine is called the second brain since scientists have realized there is an enormous number of neurologic connections and neuro-regulatory bodies in the gut microbiome—the largest macro membrane in the body with a surface area of two tennis courts.

For example, 90% of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which modulates everything from mood to focus to creative capacity, is actually produced in the lining of the small intestine. The small intestine makes everything the brain needs and signals all this information to the brain making the brain secondary to the small intestine in so many ways.

Small intestine actually helps us to process information and feelings even long after a traumatic event. So when we are unable to process our traumas or take in new information, it might mean that the health and vitality of our small intestine needs addressing.

Speech impediments like stuttering may indicate a heart imbalance because Fire is associated with communication and the speaking of truth. Fire brings out the courage in us as well as the will to explore deeper issues for clarity and understanding.

Fire relates to connection, both with oneself and others. Connection to and love of oneself is most closely associated with the heart and the blood.

Heart and small intestine are connected to the shen and chi, respectively, thereby linking the spirit with the physical processes of the body.

• Shen is the spirit energy of Fire in the heart, the higher consciousness that descends from ‘heaven’ and dwells within us.

• Chi, as indicated earlier in this article, is another term for the vital energy that flows through our bodies unseen but which is fundamentally essential to have in balanced flow for health and vitality to exist. The purpose of chi is expansive yang. It warms the body and causes the body to move.

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Endnotes:

* Yang is active, bold energy, brightly and outwardly expressing. Yin is characterized as inward moving energy, dark, mysterious and quiet.

** Also known as the Neijing Suwen, The Yellow Emporer’s Classic of Internal Medicine is an ancient Chinese medical text or group of texts that has been treated as a fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia.

Anderson, Sandra K. The Practice of Shiatsu. Malawi, Mosby Elsevier, 2007.

Mayer, Emeran. The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health. Germany, Harper Wave, 2018.

Tucker, Tammy. The Belly Brain Solution: Gut-Brain Axis Connection to Health. N.p., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018.

Hay, Louise. You Can Heal Your Life. Hay House. 2004.

Image courtesy of Svetlana at pexels. (pexels-svetlanaõ-10457233.jpg)

Describing the Fire Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicin

Traditional Chinese medicine embraces a fivefold concept known as the Five Element or Five Phase Theory to explain a wide variety of phenomena from cosmic cycles to the interaction between the body’s internal organs to personality types. We all tend to be one predominant ‘type’ from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, however no one is one hundred percent one type alone. In this article we discuss both the in-balance and out-of-balance or maladapted Fire type personality.

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Describing this or any other type is not all black and white. Sometimes we are out of balance in our type which will often stem from childhood occurrences that marked us in an indelible way. But if we find ourselves out-of-balance in our type, we can bring ourselves back into balance simply by understanding our element and adapting ourselves to live harmoniously with it. To understand each of the five element archetypes is to understand the element and appreciate it as metaphor. 

Your Predominant Element Type

This article offers keys for bringing yourself back into balance with Fire if it’s your predominant element.

The outward manifestation of your skin is often a good first indicator of your element type. Our website offers a key to assist you with the five groups of skin condition for the face here.

If you are a Fire type, your skin will tend to redness, sensitivity, irritation, overheating, excessive perspiration, blotchiness and allergic reactions. These conditions are generally related to an active arterial (red blood) circulation due to a rising yang energy.

The Fire Energy

Fire energy in the body is all about expanding and engaging. It corresponds to the peak of yang energy of energetic Summer, high noon, heat, sultriness and freedom. Laughter is Fire’s voice quality, joy-in-balance is the emotion and scorched its smell. 

The capacity for both interpersonal and divine love comes from the Fire element. The Fire energy in traditional Chinese medicine is considered the source of joy, happiness, and emotional protection for the heart.  

Expressiveness and aliveness point to a balanced Fire type person. Concern for the welfare of all is the essence of the loving generosity and wisdom of the well adapted Fire type. On the other hand, a flat aspect, apathy, and lack of enthusiasm point to an out-of-balance Fire type lacking yang energy.

When Fire is in balance within you:

“… this energy leads to open-heartedness, intimacy, generosity of spirit, optimism, joy, and the heartfelt expression of love. These qualities might seem easily accessed by other types but for the Fire type they are a major theme in maintaining adaptation and health.”

— Charles A. Moss, MD in Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance

Conversely, when Fire types are out-of balance, calm, happiness, joy and open-heartedness can be elusive.

The archetypes of Fire are the Lover and the Protector of the Heart. If you are a Fire type you probably can identify with these archetypes. You probably find them alive and well within yourself.

These archetypes embody the immense capacity of the Fire type to develop profoundly deep and intimate connections with others. These archetypes are also the root of erotic love.

Balanced Fire types can be very open-hearted and are willing to take risks with love without fear of being hurt or betrayed by the other. It is this very willingness to dive into love that creates very deep and long lasting relationships for the Fire type whether it’s with friends or lovers. But when Fire is out-of-balance, emotional vulnerability can be a major issue.

Enjoying calling attention to themselves, Fire types can be flamboyant in their appearance or behavior. They are generally excited, flirtatious and enthusiastic people. They can either be the life of the party when feeling their power or terribly shy when feeling emotionally vulnerable.

Out-of-balance (maladapted) Fire types can exhibit manic expressions of over-the-top joy which sometimes swing wildly to its exact opposite—no joy at all and sullenness.

Maladapted Fire types must learn to balance excitement and enthusiasm and their need for intimacy and love by connecting with the spirit energy of Fire in the heart which traditional Chinese medicine calls the shen. Shen is the higher consciousness that descends from ‘heaven’ and dwells within us. The shen, or spirit, it is believed, will only dwell in a heart that is calm and generously in service to others.

Fire types tend to be emotionally fickle with commitments. They lose interest quickly after having initiated a commitment with great enthusiasm. They also can become confused in love and other aspects of life and may have difficulty processing their emotions. While some Fire types can recoil from emotional vulnerability and social engagement with others, other Fire types can be domineering, overpowering and intimidating. These are all signs of a maladapted Fire type.

Personality patterns can vary greatly with all the five element types, however only a very few core issues underly these fluctuations in behavior patterns.

For Fire, a principal issue is the ability to maintain open-heartedness when another shows a lack of interest. Another of Fire’s potential issues and thus, downfalls, can be the inability to draw from the power of their spiritual shen (spirit) as well as the ability to discipline mind chatter so that he or she may become focused, creative, alluring, and engaging. When Fire types are unable to tap into their shen as well as to focus the mind, they can feel confused and victims of chaos, insomnia and anxiety.

From the balanced shen and Fire element stem expressions of love and affection not just for others but also for the Self. Very well adapted Fire types are able to love themselves—not superficially as in admiring themselves when they look good in the mirror—but profoundly, on levels that are subtly revealed to themselves and to others.

Knowing they are lovable can often be a challenge for the Fire type. Many Fire types are lovingly expressive but are challenged to accept that they themselves are lovable. They are often challenged to feel that love for themselves. This is an important practice for such Fire types to engage in—the most fundamental practice of learning to love and appreciate themselves.

Fire types like getting “fired up.” They like taking control and if they feel restrained they do not do very well. Fire types have a perspective that comes from the grandeur of the heart energy and so they expect the best from their efforts. They are optimistic and natural leaders. People love and want to be around their positive and sunny energy because they exude power and energy.

Integral to action and excitement, for Fire types to be in balance, they must find the calm needed to somewhat contain their enthusiasm. Without this two-sided balance, enthusiasm turns into over-the-top expressions of joy which are not healthy.

Being able to modulate Fire energy within them is key for Fire types in order to prevent potential burnout or consuming themselves by their own passion.

When maladapted, the Fire type experiences physical and emotional conditions such as:

• overheated expressing as anxiety, rapid heart rate and mania, and

• burnout expressing as physical coldness, confusion, flatness, aloofness and indifference.

Madapted Fire types are often challenged to be open-hearted and generous with expressions of love because of fear of vulnerability to others or the possibility of being hurt by others in relationship. Fire types want so much to experience intimacy with others but when out-of-balance Fire holds back with hesitation this results in confusion and limitation in the relationship when it is the very opposite they desire.

Fire types typically are all about action. They like getting fired up. They like taking control and if they feel restrained they do not do very well. Fire types have a perspective that comes from the grandeur of the heart energy and so they expect the best from their efforts. They are optimistic and natural leaders. People love and want to be around their positive and sunny energy because they exude power and energy.

Keys for Returning to Fire Balance

• The Fire line of skin and hair care by PHYTO5 can actually assist you to regain balance. It is It is rich in natural essential oils elevated to the quantum energetic level which means that the line is able to begin to penetrate the deepest core of the mind-body system, therefore it has the capability to help balance your emotional state as well as your skin condition. (Read our blog on the quantum energetic breakthrough by PHYTO5 here.)

The antidote for maladaptive five element behaviors is often found in the virtues for each element and type.

• For Fire types the virtues of surrender and open-heartedness are key to balance. This practice begins with honoring and listening to the higher wisdom received from shen. Also embrace that you are both an emotive and a feeling person. Focus on opening your heart without fear and engage with others. It is the act of open-heartedness and recognizing the other in oneself that actually leads to Fire type balance or adaptation, vitality, happiness and joy-in-balance.

• Remember to laugh and smile for balance in Fire energy. Laughter improves oxygen utilization, circulation and relaxes the facial muscles.

• Know that you are lovable. Your first love is to yourself. This is a process of realization but it is not only possible for you, the Fire type, but probable that you will achieve it.

• Keep your life simple. Many out-of-balance Fire types become confused in many aspects of their lives. Keeping it simple will assist your balance.

• Take care of your physical heart and stay fit. Imbalance is never only caused by only one aspect of ourselves (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual).

• When Fire is out-of-balance with stress, chaos and struggle, they can and must consciously tap into and utilize the connection with shen to rise above, create balance, calm and authority of Self.

• By also engaging with other people in a cipher of generosity, love and selflessness, this, too, can assist maladapted Fire to deal with the stress and imbalance they feel in their element.

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Endnotes:

Photo courtesy of Евгений Горман at pixels.com (pexels-евгений-горман-10040245.jgp)

Hicks, Angela, et al. Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. United Kingdom, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Your Symptoms Point to the Root Cause of Illness or Conditions

Our bodies are constantly giving us feedback on the root cause of illness and the state of health and vitality of all our inner systems. When one of the body’s ten major systems(1) is out of balance, we receive feedback on the root cause of illness in the form of a set of symptoms.

Many energy medicine disciplines see illness as a disruption, an imbalance in or a blockage of the body’s natural energetic flow. They believe and have proven that restoring our internal energetic balance is key to healing the root cause of illness.

Root cause of illness or imbalance is the focus of a traditional Chinese medicine treatment.

While traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) examines the symptoms feedback being provided, it very much focuses on the quality of the patient’s vital energy moving along pathways called acupuncture meridians. It also focuses on the function of the system and how to improve it.

TCM might prescribe herbs and other natural ingredients that have balancing energy properties. Treating the root cause of illness may demand changing a pattern or diet.

TCM often offers treatment at the level of skin where energy flow can be accessed, in particular, when acupuncture is involved. The relatively painless practice of placing small needles into strategically prescribed points on the skin helps balance vital energy flow and put healing into motion.

An imbalance often shows up as a number of symptoms simultaneously. The root cause of illness showing up as surface symptoms is systemic. This means more than one organ or component of the system is affected.

Traditional Chinese medicine understands the symbiotic relationship of all organs with each other, perhaps more than any other medical discipline. Armed with this very holistic and comprehensive understanding, it approaches the root cause of illness usually with a very deliberate multi-pronged approach involving every aspect of the cause.

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This example points to how TCM addresses the root cause of illness.

For example, traditional Chinese medicine understands gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as a condition involving the pivot mechanism of the digestive system. This mechanism involves stomach, intestines, liver and spleen.

TCM acknowledges the symptoms of heartburn, reflux, bloating, gas and more. But TCM always goes straight to the cause of the condition in order to achieve not just relief but healing for the patient.

In the case of GERD, we can usually trace its causes to the pivot mechanism’s organs. By addressing what causes the root cause of illness in digestive imbalance, symptom alleviation, relief and even a complete non-invasive turnaround can occur.

Even esthetic skin conditions result from either an internal balance or imbalance.

The five elements of TCM classify all possible skin conditions into five groups. Your skin condition as well as your body shape can also point to an energetic lack or excess proceeding from any of the five elemental energies.

Skin manifestations often indicate it’s important to start looking for the root cause of that condition. They’re telling you that certain energies aren’t balanced.

Sometimes conditions stubbornly reoccur after symptoms were first temporarily diminished. This points to a chronic systemic energetic imbalance.

Wellness is a sustained state of well-being—feeling good—consciously experienced. It demonstrates an absence of symptoms of physical, emotional, and mental disease. All of these contribute to a state of peace and contentment.

True wellness can be achieved after experiencing a sickness or a chronic condition only when we get to the root cause of illness having pinpointed them through the lens of symptoms. They provide valuable feedback about our state of health and balance and then utilize that feedback constructively by treating the cause.

…

Endnotes:

(1) The ten major systems include the skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and the reproductive system.

Image credit: china view from Getty Images via Canva

The Virtue of the Five Elements With Specific Exploration Into The Virtue of Wood

While the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—exist as a harmonious collection of energies governing the functions of the human body, they are also manifested in action in the human psyche through what are known as the five Virtues of traditional Chinese medicine.

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The physicians of ancient China treated patients with acupuncture but they also very much examined their patients’ lifestyles and psychological states to assist them to determine the various changes the patient would need to make in order to achieve balance.

They saw embracing the Virtues of the five elements as a way for people to fulfill the potential of their five element ‘type’ and ultimately, achieve emotional health leading to holistic balance and well-being of not just emotions, but mind and body as well.*

Not only does each of the five elements in traditional Chinese medicine embody a Virtue, there exists within the element's energy the potential for its negative emotion, also called a poison.

These five element Virtues and their poisons are:

Wood
Virtue: patience, forgiveness, kindness [poison: anger, frustration, anxiety]

Fire
Virtue: politeness [poison: overbearing exuberance]

Earth
Virtue: integrity [poison: blame, overwhelm or over care-taking]

Metal
Virtue: innate ability to know right from wrong while not passing judgment [poison: grief, sadness, agitation]

Water
Virtue: wisdom and inner peace [poison: annoyance, worry]

Traditional Chinese medicine believes it very valuable to contemplate the presence or absence of these Virtues in our lives, but it’s particularly valuable to first examine our relationship with the Virtue of our constitutional element. Traditional Chinese medicine points out that we all tend to be one predominant constitutional ‘type’ from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, though no one is one hundred percent one constitutional type alone.

As any given Virtue erodes, an habitually occurring behavior arises depending on the presence of an excessive negatively expressed emotion. Put simply, the Virtues of our constitutional element most exalt us if we cultivate them or they can cause us to be very out of balance and ill if we do not.

According to the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (the Nei Jing Suwen), if you are ‘sick’ you are not living according to the laws of nature which are the basis of the five elements and types. And if you live with Virtue—correct and authentic conduct—you will be less susceptible, illness will be lessened and you will live a long life of quality.

Virtue and knowing how to live according to your well adapted element type definition include the Virtues of compassion, responsibility, honesty and integrity, among others. The five Virtues can be avenues for personal growth and the unfolding of one’s unique path in life. A Virtue for your type is usually one which seems most difficult to accomplish yet what is very much needed in order to move beyond certain key limitations in your behavior, personality and character. In fact, when persons are maladapted or out-of-balance with their dominant element, the antidote for their maladaptive behavior can often be found in the Virtue for their element and type.

Virtues for Wood

Patience and forgiveness are virtues for the Wood type. These come from the innate and natural vision and insight of the Wood energy. These virtues of patience and forgiveness can neutralize the toxic emotions of the out-of-balance Wood type: frustration, anger, impatience and hostility.

The Wood Virtues can help create a path back to balance so the Wood type may more clearly see how to make necessary life and character changes and adjustments and how to create new plans and more realistic goals.

The practice of forgiveness, especially for the Wood type, can help resolve feelings of anger, resentment, frustration, and hostility. It allows a more positive experience of life by accepting responsibility for one’s perceptions and actions. By doing so, Wood becomes less of a victim of circumstances and the actions of others, because he takes responsibility for the manner in which he has responded to those events. The Virtue of forgiveness can ultimately lead to Wood’s feeling like she has a greater sense of control—the very thing Wood strives for most in life.

The Virtue of patience may actually assist the Wood type to prevent cortisol dysregulation when Woods allow patience to bring balance to their sense of time pressure and competitiveness that is common with this type.

Wood types should practice having patience with themselves first, breathing deeply when feeling any tension of time contraints, stress and resulting impatience. They should adopt an attitude of non-attachment to outcomes and they will tend to find that patience comes more easily. Wood types should be wary of projecting their own needs for things to change or to materialize quickly onto others, always aiming to simply give others a break in the spirit of non-judgment.

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Endnotes:

*We have published an article on the following five element types:
Wood Type Personality
Earth Type Personality
Metal Type Personality
Water Type Personality

Kirkwood, John. The Way of the Five Seasons: Living with the Five Elements for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Harmony. United Kingdom, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016.

Po-tuan, Chang. The Inner Teachings of Taoism. United Kingdom, Shambhala, 2001.

Image courtesy of Thirdman at Pexels (pexels-thirdman-6599730.jpg)

Scent, Flavor and Healing Are Found In All Plants Because of Terpenes

If you’ve ever cleaned paint brushes from oil-based paints using turpentine, the strong fragrance of the solvent is because of turpentine’s terpene content derived from the sap of pine trees. Terpenes are aromatic metabolites found in the oils of all plants. In fact, scientists originally developed the name terpene from turpentine.

Almost without exception, when a plant produces a scent, that odor comes from the terpenes present in the plant. And terpenes can exist anywhere in the plant: leaves, stems, bark, roots, and flowers, most especially.

Similar to fauna, flora utilizes scent to attract mates or ward off predators which is why some terpenes can sometimes be so potently or almost aggressively pungent.

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Terpenes aren’t only responsible for scent. They create flavor, too. The fragrance and flavor carrying terpene is carried in plant structures called trichomes—tiny scent=bearing hairs, outgrowths or appendages on aromatic plants. Glandular trichomes store and secrete terpenes on the plant’s surface as a first line of defense agains insects, pathogens and herbivores.

Any substance containing plants in any form will contain terpenes. In our previous blog, The Terpene: Most Fundamental Fragrance, Flavor and Healing Component of Essential Oils, we discussed how terpenes abound in essential oils. And by virtue of that fact, terpenes are plentiful in all PHYTO5 skin and hair care.

Our seven chakra oil blends are also rich in terpenes. Each one of these blends are composed of several essential oils which lend qualities and actions specific to the chakra for which it is formulated. (Read more about chakras in our article, 13 Tips for Balancing Your Chakras.)

Since March is the month of Spring and all things green and because the heart chakra (energy center/vortex) emits green light, let’s look at the terpenes found in our Heart Chakra Balancing Essential Oil Blend. Each terpene noted below is responsible for many health benefits however since the chakra oils are synergistically formulated more for etheric/spiritual upliftment, there is no point in listing the physical health benefits in this article. Nevertheless, we have indicated some very interesting facts about many of the oils’ terpenes in the paragraphs below. (Health benefits can be easily found online.)

Heart Chakra Oil

• Rose essential oil: citronellal, geraniol, and nerol. (Geraniol lends a fresh, natural scent.)

• Neroli essential oil: linalool, limonene, farnesol, geraniol and citral. (Farnesol is believed to provide an anti-aging effect. Read about the related topic of Nutrigenomics and Xenohormesis here to understand how this might be possible.)

• Melissa essential oil: citronellal, citral, and geraniol. (Citral is a main component of citrus fruit's peel oil. It is especially found in orange peel and is actually a mixture of neral and geranial.)

• Lavender essential oil: linalool, also found in birch and jasmine, linalool is responsible for lavender’s sedative effect.

• Blue Tansy essential oil (aka Moroccan blue chamomile): pinene, chamzulene (responsible for dark blue pigment)

Terpene Tips

• You can mentally escape to the woods with a whiff of borneol. Borneol has a pine woody camphor balsamic fragrance with a slightly sharp, earthy-peppery note. It is often used in perfumery.

• If you have a citrus craving, you might satisfy it with a whiff of linalool. Linalool has complex odor and flavor properties. Its odor is similar to floral, spicy wood and somewhat resembles French lavender plants, bergamot oil or lily of the valley. It has a light, citrus-like flavor, sweet with a spicy tropical accent.

• You can refresh your tastebuds with a tiny hit of pulegone. Pulegone is a clear colorless oily liquid with a pleasant odor similar to pennyroyal, peppermint and camphor. It’s used in flavoring agents, in perfumery, and in aromatherapy.

• Terpenes and THC* (tetrahydrocannabinol) are complements to each other. Terpenes affect our endocannabinoid system just as much as THC and CBD (cannabidiol). In fact, terpenes interact synergistically with THC to affect the psychoactive area of the brain as well as the blood-brain barrier that moderates chemical outputs.

• Find a plant strain with high levels of caryophyllene for anti-inflammatory and arthritis relief.

• Consider taking in the fragrance of linalool if your skin is breaking out.

• Reach for limonene if you're feeling blue.

• More than 30,000 terpenes are believed to exist on this planet.

• The Terpene Wheel—a multi-colored infographic—allows us to reference which terpenes are contributing to the unique aroma and/or flavor of our edibles or essential oil. The graphic wheel lists:

  • every common terpene;

  • in what plants each terpene can be found;

  • whether the terpene is herbal, flowery or fruity; and

  • whether the terpene is spicy, sweet, earthy or sour.

• Pinene is probably the most utilized terpene in traditional Chinese medicine because of its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anticancer and “antibiotic” abilities.

• Alpha-pinene, abundant in pine needles, is alerting.

• Limonene found in lemons is, of course, sunshiney.

• Beta-myrcene, found in hops (cumulus) is sedating.

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Endnotes:

* THC (tetrahydrocannabinol): a crystalline compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis

Sources:

Wilson, Cathy. Terpenes, The Healing Connection Between Essential Oils and Cannabis. N.p., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017.

Image courtesy of Maksym Golovinov from Getty Images via Canva

How the Liver is Directly Involved in Energy Flow, Emotional Balance and Life Planning According to Traditional Chinese Medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine one of the principal roles of the liver, the organ associated with the Wood element and energetic Spring, is to help chi (vital energy) and emotions flow smoothly throughout body and mind. Its physiological function is to dynamically bring smoothness to the flow of chi. If it doesn’t, liver stagnates causing mental, emotional and physical problems.

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In additional to controlling free flow of vital energy, its functions include storing nutrients, governing detoxification and regulating the blood. It is related to vision (both literally and figuratively), the eyes, tendons, energetic and emotional ups and downs as well as the ability to make major decisions.

The liver is our body’s unsung hero. It works very hard to keep us healthy by getting rid of what we don’t need. It’s tasked with filtering everything we eat and drink including any pharmaceuticals we take.

“Liver symbolically represents choice and the execution of one’s life plan, vision, planning and action. In traditional Chinese medicine it gives the capacity for being goal oriented and resolute…” —Sandra K. Anderson in The Practice of Shiatsu

“Because the Wood element is associated with self-expression, assertiveness is a key aspect of healthy Wood. A person who is timid and shy is not able to engage in self-expression. Someone who is overly assertive, to the point of being aggressive, is out of balance to the other extreme.” —Sandra K. Anderson in The Practice of Shiatsu

Liver stores the blood giving us the fortitude to make decisions and feel supported. Liver blood deficiency will often show up as stagnancy in the form of eye problems, fatigue and lack of luster and color in the hair and nails.

Liver’s mission to elegantly flow chi energy throughout the body is actually characteristic of Wood’s tendency to grow and flourish. Wood represents new life and in the body the Wood element is responsible for action and expression of self as well as the smooth flow of chi.

Anger, frustration, anxiety and restlessness are the emotions associated with Wood and an out-of-balance Wood type.

“The color green correlates significantly to the Wood element’s emotional relationship with its main organs, the liver and gallbladder. You may have heard people say, ‘He’s “green with envy,” or ‘She’s “green” with anger!’” —Susan Levy, D.C. in Your Body Can Talk: How to Use Simple Muscle Testing for Health and Well Being

Traditional Chinese Medicine tells us when emotions remain unexpressed, repressed, prolonged and not brought to balance this toxicity of emotion has the very real potential to damage our health.

Excessive irritability, restlessness and anger can negatively impact the liver resulting in conditions like menstrual pain, headache, redness of face and eyes, dizziness, and dry mouth. An out-of-balance liver may also result in stormy moods.

Liver chi stagnation may also lead to overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, elevated cortisol levels and higher stress levels, and these, in turn, compromise the immune system.

Learn how to keep your vital energy balanced. Your vital energy always come first. It’s the fundamental generator of the body and of all your body’s other functions. Read how Wood is the energy of the energy in our blog, “Describing the Wood Type Personality…” here.

Ways to help keep Wood energy, emotions and liver balanced:

• Use the Wood line of skin and hair care by PHYTO5; it’s quantum energetic and works on the level of not just skin, but vital energy and emotions. If you can choose only one product of the line, begin with Wood Phyt’Ether serum which is the most potent in the line. Learn more about Wood Phyt’Ether here.

• Understand traditional Chinese medicine’s Wood element and its characteristics. It can help you to make balanced choices in your life and to live in harmony with Wood.

• Work to keep your chakras balanced. They are powerhouses of vital energy. Balancing the seven chakras is essential to beautiful wellness and vitality.

• Stay active through exercise. Balanced Wood enjoys being physically active.

• To support and respect the liver, refrain from eating two to three hours before sleep. Late night eating causes the liver to stagnate preventing it from doing its detoxifying work and preventing our bodies from repairing themselves at night. 

• Keep in mind that overeating puts undue pressure on both liver and gallbladder. Do your best to stop eating when you feel 80% full.

• You can support the liver by consuming whole grains like brown rice, barley, millet, quinoa, spelt, kamut, oats and wheat berries. Since crackers, bread, bagels, and cereals are baked and dry, they are not conducive to optimum liver function.

• Eat leafy greens,* fresh herbs and berries which help to build liver blood.

• Journal to get your angry emotions out.

• Practice meditation which helps to keep emotions balanced, especially emotions of anger and restlessness.

• Learn to let go, forgive and accept what is. Practice appreciation.

• Learn to be assertive, not angry. Learn to be flexible, not rigid.

“The liver function is considered to be the grand architect for our vision of the future. The liver is the center of strategic planning. The gallbladder is thought to be the center of our ability to make decisions and judge wisely. From the functions of the liver and the gallbladder, we can plan and choose–we combine new future possibilities with the wisdom of the past and, as a result, are able to see the clear and appropriate course to take.” —Jennifer Dubowsky, LAc.

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Endnotes:

* bok choy, carrot tops, collards, daikon tops, dandelion greens, kale, leek, lettuces, mustard greens, nappa cabbage, radish greens, turnip tops, watercress

Press, Tsinghua University. Traditional Chinese Medicine: Theory and Principles. Germany, De Gruyter, 2015.Levy, Susan, and Lehr, Carol.

Levy, D.C. Susan. Your Body Can Talk: How to Use Simple Muscle Testing for Health and Well Being. United States, Kalindi Press, 2013.

Anderson, Sandra K. The Practice of Shiatsu. Malawi, Mosby Elsevier, 2007.

Stiles, Kg. Chinese Medicine Guidebook Essential Oils to Balance the Wood Element and Organ Meridians. N.p., Draft2Digital, 2020.

Image courtesy of Dziana Hazanbekeva at Pexels

Why You Should Use the Wood Line of Skincare During Energetic Spring Even If You Don’t Have the Wood Skin Conditi

All five energies according to traditional Chinese medicine—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water—are synergistically at work in the proper function of cells and healthy tissues. In traditional Chinese medicine, Wood is one of the five aspects of vital energy and is fundamental to the optimal function of the other four.

The body is not just matter made up of solids and fluids but unseen energy known as vital energy also courses through it. This vital energy is called prana in yoga and Ayurvedic medicine and chi in traditional Chinese medicine and by practitioners of Asian martial arts. This ancient concept is also a modern one as it is now demonstrated by quantum physics.

The skin is actually a vital organ possessing reflexive properties which correlate to the body’s organs. This is because vital energy connects all parts of the body to each other. PHYTO5 utilizes the reflexiveness of skin to practice facial reflexology demonstrated by the Five Clay Mask quantum energetic facial. 

A Wood imbalance usually manifests as:

• oily skin, blackheads, and hyperpigmentation

• oily scalp and hair

• issues of vital energy circulation meaning the flow of vital energy is either impeded or overactive

• emotions of anger and/or anxiety.*

If you have any of these Wood imbalances, this means your body might be out of balance with its vital energy flow.

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Any skin condition, for that matter, likely has a root cause in vital energy imbalance or blockage of vital energy flow. And your skin condition can actually help to pinpoint where you have that imbalance or blockage.

Traditional Chinese medicine tells us that in addition to five seasons, five elements, five basic emotions and five sets of skin conditions, the body is host to five major fluids, four of which are clearly matter:

• the Fire element’s red blood

• the Metal element’s blue blood

• the Earth element’s lymph, and

• the Water element’s water.

The other fluid of the Wood element is simply energy—vital energy.

You could say it is the energy of the energy because without Wood energy nothing else happens. This is why, in any series of esthetic treatments which follow the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, the Wood treatment is always the first one we do. It ensures that the initiating energy is balanced because it must be before we go on to balancing the other four fluids.

By stimulating vital energy flow we give energy to the cells. If cells aren’t properly nourished, including being nourished with vital energy, the body begins breaking down.

A burst of yang energy occurs during energetic Spring, the season of the Wood element, and it’s important to encourage this expanding and rising of yang whatever element ‘type’** we may be. During energetic Spring the burst of yang energy drives the growth and vitality of the body.

For these reasons, youth is associated with the vital energy of Wood.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the Wood element’s color is green—the color associated with Spring, new life, vitality and growth. PHYTO5’s Wood line labeling features this color. And green is prominent in our naturally colored quantum energetic Wood element green Clay Mask itself.

We want to make sure our vital energy is stimulated when it needs to be and kept in balance since it fundamentally supports the other four vital energies. An energetic deficiency left untreated for any length of time invites others, and problems will then accumulate exponentially.

For example, an imbalance of Wood vital energy causes sluggish Fire (both are part of strong yang with limited yin energies). Insufficient Wood and Fire allows Metal (growing yin energy) to be too strong, keeping Wood weak (since Metal is the break of Wood) while it augments Water which also maintains Fire weakness. But Water, being the peak yin energy, is not likely to strengthen the rising yang energy of Wood and so the original condition is maintained or even worsened.

The cure is a stimulation of yang vital energy and a diffusion of overbearing yin vital energy. And this is the reason why all esthetic treatments addressing a difficult situation should always start with a Wood treatment followed by a Fire treatment, then Earth, Metal and finally by a Water treatment, each treatment taking place two to three days after the previous one.

To support your balance at home of skin, vital energy and emotions, be sure to use the Wood line periodically and especially during the Spring energetic season which runs from February 5 to April 17 every year.

The entire Wood line is quantum energetic*** and will work to support your vital energy balanced flow, but if you have to choose only one product, choose Wood element Phyt’Ether serum, the most potent in the line.

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Endnotes:

* In traditional Chinese medicine, there is an ancestral knowledge that each major emotion has a seat within an organ. For example, anger is an emotion linked to liver. Chronically angry people will not, as a result, have healthy livers even if their diet is otherwise perfect. Consequently, they may display the physical symptoms of a Wood energetic imbalance as well as emotions of anger and/or anxiety.

**The five element ‘types’ are well described in a number of our blogs:

• Describing the Wood Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine

• The Earth Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance

• The Metal Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine

• The Water Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance

***In fact, all five element lines are quantum energetic.