The Seasons of Acupuncture
The Chinese, as strong observers of nature, believed that when our connection to nature is strong, we have better health. In Chinese medicine, the theory of the Five Elements is a philosophy that sees the world in dynamic states or phases of constant change. Classical Five Element Acupuncture differs from other forms of acupuncture in the way it diagnoses and treats illness according to what is called the Causative Factor (CF), a person’s core constitutional element . The goal of Classical Five Element acupuncture, according to ancient Taoism (a Chinese philosophy based on living simply and honestly and in harmony with nature) is to bring the body, mind and spirit into balance with the elements of nature: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. These five elements correspond to five seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Late Summer and Fall.
It is always good to come in seasonally for a tuneup treatment. We are coming into the season of Earth, Late Summer. It is the time of beginning the harvest, a time to reap what we have sown. The days of late summer are just beginning to get shorter and cooler. Mother Earth is the source of nourishment and life. She is our stability, our balance and our groundedness. She is our connection and our center. From her all life flows and eventually returns.