Ancient Chinese scholars from thousands of years ago, recognized continuous patterns of change and transformation of natural cycles within the world and its environments that we exist in. The simple explanation can be distilled down to that basically everything we know of exists, in a delicate balance where each component affects every other component.
Not as basic, was how these patterns were interpreted using yin-yang (balance & harmony) logic. Later these interpretations were expanded to become somewhat more complex and called The Five Phase Theory (Wu Xing) or the Five Element Theory. The 5 Phase Theory is based on observation, contemplation, and meditation upon these various cycles and their processes, functions, and phenomena of nature and inner relationships with one another.
The theory proclaims that aspects of matter, can be divided into one of five basic elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each element contains their own specific characteristics and interrelationships. In modern times, the Five Phase Theory is still used as a tool for grouping substances and structures, as well as a method for studying changes of natural phenomena relative to health and disease.
One of the more obvious cycles is that of the change of climatic seasons from one to the next, initiating from the Earth’s yearly revolution around the Sun. Each season has a corresponding element as well as a relative balance of yin and yang. Spring spouts like growing plants (wood), Summer brings warmth (fire), late Summer brings maturation (earth), Fall brings the harvest (metal) while Winter brings transformation of death and rebirth (water). Just as these seasons affect the earth, so is plant and animal life affected.
The 5 Phase Theory is a major component of thought within TCM or traditional Chinese medicine. These elements have corresponding relationships within our environment as well as within our own being specifically the internal organs and emotions connected to them.
Most people are looking for some type of balance and harmony within their lives. Often, they have no plan nor method to achieve this other than doing their best on a day-to-day basis to find happiness. The 5 Phase Theory represents ancient wisdom that when studied and applied, can help to find the balance we seek.
I attached a graphic that I use to show the simplicity progressing to the complexity of this concept.
Be well!
Learn how this works and relates to your health and well being.
Qi is pronounced as “chee” and means “breath” in Chinese. Other definitions are vitality, energy, force, air, vapor. Qi is the life energy that all living creatures require in order to exist. Different cultures call this energy Chi (English), Ki (from Japanese), Gi (Korean) or Prana (Indian).
Qi is a type of energy in the human body and circulates within the blood, cells, and tissues throughout. “When qi moves, blood follows” is a root concept with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Qi flows in a specific pattern, at specific times from one organ to the next through meridians within the body. These meridians or channels might best be described as something similar to the electrical lines on a printed circuit board. There are 12 main meridians, with 2 for each organ (situated bilaterally from head to toe) for 12 organs. Zang Fu Zhi qi, is that which circulates through the organs. Jing Luo Zhi qi is that which circulates through the meridians.
Qi has mass the same way smoke or vapor has mass; both are transitional states of form. Qi (energy) is regarded as one of the 3 Treasures (San Jiao) or essential components of life, with essence (Jing) and spirit (Shen) being the other two. When energy, essence and spirit are in harmony with one another, the person finds themselves alert, healthy, and vibrant. Or the opposite if their treasures are in imbalance. If this harmonious flow is disrupted, illness occurs.
• Physically (jing): energetically manifesting as the body’s cells and tissues into form, bone marrow, blood and bodily fluids.
• Energetically (qi): as resonant vibration, heat, sound, light and electromagnetic fields.
• Spiritually (shen): energetically manifesting through subtle vibrations which extend through space or Wu Ji.
The following graphic shows how qi can be conceptualized into the Chinese ideogram of rice cooking atop a heat source and producing the wisps of vapor (energy) that we see rising above the cooking rice.
The amount of qi in one’s body and the quality of it determines whether an individual is generally healthy or prone to illness. There is a finite amount in our bodies and is gradually exhausted due to age and possible abuses. When it decreases so does the lifespan of the individual.
A proper balance of nutrition, exercise and a healthy lifestyle directly affect the quality and abundance of qi. Emotions and their balance or lack thereof, affects the quality of an individual’s qi. The emotions of joy, anger, sadness, grief and fear affect our qi within specific organs.
I write often about topics that affect our health and well-being. Additionally, I teach and offer lecture about qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:
It is almost always easier to maintain something than to fix it once it has broken. The same is true for maintaining health. Why wait for someone to “fix” your health when you have the tools in your own garage? Proper diet, active lifestyle, positive attitude, social interaction – these are the keys to your healthy house.
I have learned, studied, practiced and teach literally hundreds of various low-impact exercises that can build stronger bones, muscles and joints. Private, small or group instruction.
Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol is produced in the skin initiated from sunlight UVB radiation or absorbed from specific foods. The vitamin D3 is absorbed into the bloodstream and then into the liver where it changes to calcidiol. From the liver to the kidneys the calcidiol changes to calcitriol. Calcitriol then goes on to affect metabolic functions such as absorption in the intestines of calcium and phosphorus, bone regulation and cell regulation. As we age, vitamin D3 production can decline up to 75% leading to at the very least, muscle weakness and a reduction in bone strength and density.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Causes:
Winter side-effects (less sun exposure)
Sunscreen
Air pollution
High altitude
Poor diet
Imbalances:
Hypertension
Heart disease
Urinary infections
Tuberculosis
Depression
Schizophrenia
Liver disease
Rental failure
Crohn’s disease
Cystic fibrosis
Celiac disease
Muscular aches & weakness
Osteoporosis
Osteoarthritis
Rickets
Diabetes
Obesity
Solutions:
Sunlight on skin
Diet
Vitamin supplements
I have learned, studied, practiced and teach literally hundreds of various low-impact exercises that can build stronger bones, muscles and joints. Private, small or group instruction.
The joints of our body are composed of two or more bones joining together, along with the muscles, tendons, cartilage, synovium and ligaments that hold the whole structure together. The shape of our bones reflect the forces applied to them. For example, small bumps, ridges and other features on the surface of our bones are the attachment sites for tendons. When muscles are put under more load through activities, stress or exercises, the corresponding attachment sites enlarge to withstand the increased forces. Bones that are under more stress become thicker and stronger, while in contrast bones that are not subjected to ordinary stresses tend to become weaker, thin and more brittle. Wolff’s law, developed by anatomist & surgeon Julius Wolff in the 19th century, states that “bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed.”
Regular weight-bearing exercise is an important component for maintaining healthy bone structure. Avid weight lifters often have thick bones with very prominent ridges. Non-athletes or those who have little to moderate amounts of physical activity will find weight-bearing activities are imperative for stimulating normal bone metabolism of maintenance as well as maintaining bone strength.
Changes in bones of the skeleton can take place in relatively short periods of inactivity. For example, someone uses crutches to take weight off an injured leg while they wear a cast. Within a few weeks, the unstressed bones can lose up to a third of their mass. When normal weight loading resume the bones rebuild. However, it takes longer to rebuild bone than to lose bone density. The removal of calcium salts can be a serious health hazard for long-term bedridden patients or paralyzed individuals who cannot put normal stress on their skeleton.
Bones of the skeleton become thinner and weaker as a normal part of the human aging process. Inadequate ossification is called osteopenia. Everyone of us usually become slightly osteopenic as we age. Bone mass reduction begins between ages 30 and 40. Around this age, osteoblast (bone building) activity begins to decline, while osteoclast (bone breakdown) activity continues at the previous level. Women tend to lose about 8 percent of their bone mass every decade. Men often lose less, but around 3 percent per decade. The epiphyses or ends of the long bones, the vertebrae of the spine, and our jaws lose more bone mass than other locations. Side effects of low bone mass are more fragile limbs, loss in height, and sometimes the loss of teeth.
Osteoporosis is the further reduction in bone mass that inhibits normal functions. Bones become fragile and brittle making them more likely to break when exposed to stresses that healthier individuals could easily adjust to. This can be seen when an elderly person can suffer a hip fracture when simply attempting to sit or stand. A loss of mobility, independence and consequently self-confidence can occur when fractures result in older individuals leading to further weakening of the skeleton as they become less active and fearful of future injuries.
Hormonal balances are important in maintaining bone deposition. If and when hormone levels decline, bone mass also declines. After age 45, about 29 percent of women and 18 percent of men will develop osteoporosis. With women the condition increases after menopause, from a decrease in estrogen production. Men in the same age group tend to have less severe osteoporosis due to continued production of testosterone into their later years of life.
Osteoporosis can sometimes develop into the secondary effect of many cancers. Cancers within the bone marrow, breast cancer, and other tissues release a chemical called osteoclast-activating factor. This chemical increases the number and activity of osteoclasts and produces severe osteoporosis.
By engaging our bones with strategic trauma exercise methods (or specific stress without injury) that can be regulated by the individual to make bones stronger and prevent osteopenia and/or osteoporosis. These types of exercises fall into 3 different categories of tension, impact and vibration exercises. Ironically, while some of these methods improve bone and muscular strength, they sometimes can cause pain and injury to the same joints that the individual might be trying to strengthen. Fox example, jumping rope, hiking and tennis might cause more injury to a 60+ than the benefits that might be gained from these practices.
Tension Exercises:
Dancing
Elastic Bands
Qigong (Chi Kung)
Pilates
Stair-Step machine
Tai Chi
Treadmill
Weights
Yard Work
Yoga
Impact:
Aerobics
Hiking
Jump rope
Running
Stair climbing
Tennis
Walking – brisk
Vibration:
Machine therapy
Tapping methods
Reference(s):
1. Martini, F., Nath, J. L., Bartholomew, E. F., Ober, W. C., Ober, C. E., Welch, K., & Hutchings, R. T. (2018). Fundamentals of anatomy & physiology. New York: Pearson Education.
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I have learned, studied, practiced and teach literally hundreds of various low-impact exercises that can build stronger bones, muscles and joints. Private, small or group instruction.
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