What is Five Element Acupuncture? -
Acupuncture is the art and science of manipulating the bodies Qi flow through the insertion of fine needles
into predetermined points on the body. Just as Feng Shui maps out the Qi in the external environment so does acupuncture map the Qi of
the inner world - our bodies, and the relationship between the two systems has always been a close one due to the belief in the maxim
'as Above, so Below'.
The late Prof. J.R. Worsley of the College of Traditional Acupuncture was one of the first practitioners of Five Element Acupuncture in the UK. Whilst this is also my background as an acupuncturist I should point out that Five Elements was but part of the acupuncture story. TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine is finding favour both here in the west and in the east. TCM tends to be more allopathic than Five Elements (in my view) and therefore more acceptable to western medical thinking, it also utilises herbal remedies along side its acupuncture practices. The College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in Reading is a great example of the blending of Five Element with TCM. It has been a long road to acceptance by the British Medical Association for acupuncture and happily it has finally found favour within the western medical approach, although it is still seen by many western doctors as mere pain relief. In the east it is used to treat a widening range of ailments and is commonly seen in aiding birthing and anaesthesia.
The acupuncture model accept that there are 'meridians' of energy(Qi) permeating the whole body that could be likened to a railway transport system. The acupuncture points allow access to 'switch', speed up, slow down, add or subtract energy from the various organs of the body and this has a direct effect upon those organs, the body and support networks, as well as both hormonal and adrenal cycles. In Five Element acupuncture we believe that all illness stems from a causal imbalance in the individual and by getting to this root cause we are able to bring about healing within the client. This is a viewpoint shared with many forms of Homeopathy and other healing arts.
The Five
Elements (left) that we refer to are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. These are 'labels' or 'boxes' into which many aspects such as
a persons 'sound', 'odour' and emotional states are listed. The action - reaction between these elements is said to define inherent strengths
and weaknesses in any individual. By taking these factors into consideration we then manipulate the Qi through needling to best promote
a 'rounded' healthy outlook for our patients.
The Five Element model isn't restricted to just acupuncture, it forms the very basis of Daoist thought and is used in such things as Feng Shui, Qi Gong, Shiatsu etc.
