The Earth Element
Spleen/Stomach
It is believed in the science of Echo Psychology that a rise in depression and other mental spiritual illness in this day and age is due to the increase in technology and development, keeping people disconnected from the earth. Mother Earth gives us a home, nourishes our bodies with food and nourishes our minds through the abundance of gifts we receive through our senses. When one is connected and close to the earth, they are grounded in unconditional love, security peace and an abundance of energy. In Classical Five Element Acupuncture, it is believed that when the Earth Element within us is balanced and healthy we are able to both receive and give the gifts of nourishment and a motherly unconditional love. We feel secure and grounded, able digest and extract nutrients and energy from both the physical nourishment and the mental knowledge and experiences we receive. We have a healthy store of energy in our strong muscles and a reserve of knowledge and information to cope with situations that arise from being a human being.
When our Earth Element within is sick we are unable to receive the nourishment both mentally and physically from the world around us. Nutrients cannot be extracted from our food and our experiences, and we are left needing more. We do not feel the security of having enough food or love and when it is presented to us we cannot digest, receive or assimilate it and we are left needing and wanting more.
On the other hand we may reject nutrients, love, and caring completely. When the Earth is out of balance our ability to nourish and take care of ourselves and others is impaired. For example we can expend too much energy taking care of others and leave nothing for ourselves. The officials of the Earth Element are the spleen and the stomach.
The stomach official and meridian moves along the whole of the body starting at the eyes going down the face to the lips and up towards the ear, taking in the nutrients of the world through the eyes, ears, and mouth and bringing it down the to the stomach and intestines down the legs and terminating at the foot connecting us to the Earth. It takes the food, knowledge and experiences and makes them palpable and appetizing for the body to take in and absorb.
When our stomach official is sick, our food cannot be absorbed and our body cannot get the qi (vital energy) that it needs. Reality cannot be perceived accurately because we cannot take in, digest and assimilate the information from the world. Some symptoms of a sick stomach official will occur along the pathway including eye problems, headaches, tinnitus, deafness, acid regurgitation, abdominal pain. Other symptoms will be weakness, tiredness from lack of qi from food not absorbed, anxiety, neediness, and worrying from a lack of a sense of security and inability receiving and absorb love and nourishment from the outside world.
When the nourishment of the food and experiences are rotted and ripened by the Stomach Official they are then transformed into qi and transported throughout the body, mind and spirit by its partner the Spleen Official. The Spleen Official gives us the power of movement and flowing and is responsible for the movement of all substances that move within the body including blood, lymph, and stools. A sick Spleen official will lead to symptoms such as poor concentration a sense of being stuck, gynecological disorders, prolapsed organs or hemorrhoids, build of phlegm, lumps, fibroids, stones because the spleen is not transforming and transporting fluids. There will be uneven distribution of energy and causing cold hands and feet, fatigue, low energy. When this official is sick someone might feel stuck and unable to move.
When we have a strong healthy Earth Element within, we are receiving abundance and nourishment from the outside world and turning it into nourishment for our body minds and spirit. When we have a strong Earth Element we can both give and receive motherly care, sympathy and love.
References: Worsley, J.R., The Five Elements and the Officials, J.R. and J.B. Worsley. 1998.
When our Earth Element within is sick we are unable to receive the nourishment both mentally and physically from the world around us. Nutrients cannot be extracted from our food and our experiences, and we are left needing more. We do not feel the security of having enough food or love and when it is presented to us we cannot digest, receive or assimilate it and we are left needing and wanting more.
On the other hand we may reject nutrients, love, and caring completely. When the Earth is out of balance our ability to nourish and take care of ourselves and others is impaired. For example we can expend too much energy taking care of others and leave nothing for ourselves. The officials of the Earth Element are the spleen and the stomach.
The stomach official and meridian moves along the whole of the body starting at the eyes going down the face to the lips and up towards the ear, taking in the nutrients of the world through the eyes, ears, and mouth and bringing it down the to the stomach and intestines down the legs and terminating at the foot connecting us to the Earth. It takes the food, knowledge and experiences and makes them palpable and appetizing for the body to take in and absorb.
When our stomach official is sick, our food cannot be absorbed and our body cannot get the qi (vital energy) that it needs. Reality cannot be perceived accurately because we cannot take in, digest and assimilate the information from the world. Some symptoms of a sick stomach official will occur along the pathway including eye problems, headaches, tinnitus, deafness, acid regurgitation, abdominal pain. Other symptoms will be weakness, tiredness from lack of qi from food not absorbed, anxiety, neediness, and worrying from a lack of a sense of security and inability receiving and absorb love and nourishment from the outside world.
When the nourishment of the food and experiences are rotted and ripened by the Stomach Official they are then transformed into qi and transported throughout the body, mind and spirit by its partner the Spleen Official. The Spleen Official gives us the power of movement and flowing and is responsible for the movement of all substances that move within the body including blood, lymph, and stools. A sick Spleen official will lead to symptoms such as poor concentration a sense of being stuck, gynecological disorders, prolapsed organs or hemorrhoids, build of phlegm, lumps, fibroids, stones because the spleen is not transforming and transporting fluids. There will be uneven distribution of energy and causing cold hands and feet, fatigue, low energy. When this official is sick someone might feel stuck and unable to move.
When we have a strong healthy Earth Element within, we are receiving abundance and nourishment from the outside world and turning it into nourishment for our body minds and spirit. When we have a strong Earth Element we can both give and receive motherly care, sympathy and love.
References: Worsley, J.R., The Five Elements and the Officials, J.R. and J.B. Worsley. 1998.
