TCM – THE FIVE PHASE THEORY
The five phase theory includes the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water), correlating with the concept of five seasons (Spring, summer, late summer/seasonal transition, autumn and winter),
the five climates( (wind, heat, dampness, dryness and cold), the five organ pairs (Liver/Gallbladder, Heart/Small intestine, Spleen/stomach, Lung/Large intestine and Kidney/Bladder), the five flavour’s (sour, bitter, sweet, Pungent and salty), five colours (green, red, yellow, white and black), the five imbalances of emotions (anger, joy, pensiveness, grief and fear), the five tissues (Tendons, blood vessels, flesh, skin and bones) and the five sensory organs (Eyes, tongues, mouth, nose and ears).
The Five Phases
The chart below represents the five-phase theory – the relationship of seasons to organ systems, directions, climates, movements, emotions, flavours, sense organs and parts of the body.
WOOD
Season: Spring Organ system: Liver, Gallbladder Direction: East Climate: Wind Movement: Upwards growth and renewal Emotion: Anger Flavor: Sour Sense Organ: Eyes Parts of the body: Sinews, muscles, and tendons
FIRE
Season: Summer Organ system: Heart, small Intestine Direction: South Climate: Heat Movement: Expansive and abundant Emotion: Joy Flavor: Bitter Sense Organ: Tongue Parts of the body: Blood Vessels
EARTH
Season: Late Summer and seasonal Transition Organ system: Stomach, spleen Direction: Center Climate: Dampness Movement: Harmonizing, nourishing and stabilizing Emotion: Pensiveness Flavor: Sweet Sense Organ: Mouth Parts of the body: Muscles, flesh and limbs
METAL
Season: Autumn Organ system: Lung, Large intestine Direction: West Climate: Dryness Movement: Contracting and containing Emotion: Grief Flavor: Pungent Sense Organ: Nose Parts of the body: Skin
WATER
Season: Winter Organ system: Kidney, bladder Direction: North Climate: Cold Movement: Downward and inward Emotion: Fear Flavor: Salty Sense Organ: Ears Parts of the body: Bones
What are the External environmental influences and what can it do to us?
Wind
Winds are quick, forceful and move through the body. Wind is the most predominant in spring, when the weather can abruptly change. In TCM, protecting the body from wind invasion is key to preventing the invasion of other climatic effects. Wind symptoms are most often seen as manifestations that come on and progress quickly. Wind invasions most always carry cold, heat or dampness with them. Think! Have you ever may be well one moment and suddenly you are experiencing fever or chills, body aches or burning sore throat. That is wind.
Heat Heat exposure can cause inflammations, strong allergic reactions, skin eruptions, fevers, sudden irritability, headaches or drying out of the body, causing excessive thirst or hunger. Heat is countered with either cooling yin or cooling foods or herbs.
Dampness
When there is internal dampness, the following symptoms are prominent: lethargy, bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, a feeling of heaviness, foggy thinking, slowness of thought and movement, pain along with aching in the joints. Dampness countered by foods that nourish the stomach and spleen, such as whole grains and beans, aromatic herbs and spices such as basil, parsley and coriander and small amount of bitter food.
Dryness
Dryness most always occurs with cold or heat symptoms and can lead to feelings of dryness, dehydration, excessive thirst, dry skin, lips or nostrils, or a dry cough that wont go away.
Cold
Catching a cold can cause chills, headaches and body aches and can aggravate join pain.
Summer Heat
It can cause heat stroke, exhaustion, fever, heavy sweating, a dry mouth and excessive thirst.
*The above information is for reference/sharing purposes only.
《This information should not be used as a substitute for the advice given to you by a Chinese medicine practitioner. If you are in doubt, please consult your practitioner in charge. "
*以上资料供为参考。 《此信息不应替代中医师提供给您的建议。如果您有疑问，请咨询您的中医师。》
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