The Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is also called the Five Phases Theory, and for good reasons. From birth to death, we move through phases. Actually, the five TCM faces are:
- Wood
- Fire
- Earth
- Metal
- Water
It is said that we spend approximately 15 years in each phase during which we are particularly under the influence of that elemental energy. That is based on an average lifespan of 75 years. Today, it might be necessary to somewhat increased by a couple of years the time spent in each phase to reflect the modern lifespan.
In addition, there are also the energetic effects we experience from January to December of every year as we move through the five energetic seasons we are subjected to the changing energies of the seasons that at times can be quite aggressive. In addition, the moment of birth – the hour, the day, the month and the year — imparted to specific energies of those moments. (Canas 80)
Associated with the energy of Wood; it is a time when the burst of yang drives the growth of the body. It is also when the skin is likely to reflect the Wood condition, namely, excess of boiling us and blackheads. Eventually, those who are not the Wood type, those who are not of Wood biorhythm, work themselves out of the natural manifestations typical to Wood as they enter into Fire, the next 15 year phase of their life. Those who are of the Wood type will have a tendency to continue to express the Wood conditions throughout the rest of their life. That is true of all dominating energies of the bio rhythm.
Fire is the time of young adulthood while Earth is the one of more mature adults. It is only a matter of time before we all experience some degree of the elements that mark the most visible phases of the aging process, namely, Metal in our 50s and Water in our 60s and beyond.
Water, the energy of Winter, is also the energy of the peak of yin. It's the fifth and last of the five 15-year phases (after 60 years of age). It influences body shape as it increases the tendency to stiffen and to dehydrate causing loss of skin tone. There is also a loss of collagen with yang energy at its lowest point.
As you age, you accumulate the effects of your own energetic and balance according to your biorhythm of the seasonal/climatic effects of your lifestyle and of the 15 year phases as you make your way through your 60s and beyond. All those energetic factors bear, to some extent, on your health, your body shape and your skin conditions.
More on the aging process in an upcoming post. For more info., visit phytobiodermie.us.
Canas, Jon. Energetic Skincare Naturally. Eustis, FL: Phytobiodermie, 2010. Print.
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