Explanation of Five Elements Theory

Explanation of Five Elements Theory From book "Saam Medical Meditation" by Dr. Evan Mahoney. Included in these passages are the concepts of acupuncture, and the Theory of the Five Elements Explained, Meditation types, as well as my own personal story of healing with meditations. For complete book including the pictures and explanation of the 12 organ meditations please purchase a copy at Smashwords.com, Apple itunes, or other online retailers.

Foreword Welcome to both a new and old type of meditation and selfhealing. This meditation is based upon acupuncture points and patterns of Saam, a legendary monk and doctor from Korea. Using meditation as Saam did we will learn how to move from

sickness to health. We will evolve and grow through the twists and turns of our psychic and traumatic illnesses to reach our potential for full achievement and happiness. The path is laid out, the knowledge is there, men and women have been doing this throughout time. Master Saam did it, Qi Gong and Tai Qi are forms of it, I have studied it, practiced it, and healed from it. We will raise ourselves and grow to the fullness of our seed and fruit.

This manuscript was inspired by my personal healing recovery and how I, like Saam meditated and experienced the mystery of acupuncture. Through the healing power of acupuncture combined with meditation I hope to teach others about the secret and sublime sense that lies within us. This meditation can give us the ability to control illness using the power of both sense and mind.

The first thing you will feel is the presence of Qi, it will be like the pulse of blood in your artery, when this moment comes it will be the seed. Once you’ve reached the seed, guide and grow it by your knowledge, instinct, and intuition. “The seed is conception, a word, a spark, lit on fire in the great mind” This book is intended for all readers, to be shared between patient and practitioner.

Chapter 1

Saam Medical Meditation

Saam (sa-ahm) was a high monk in Korea during the Chosun dynasty, 15th century. He lived in a cave where through meditation he came to experience and understand the mystery of

acupuncture. Little is known about him other than he successfully treated many patients. Saam left few manuscripts of his treatments and his acupuncture technique was nearly forgotten. Revived in Korea in the 1980’s by Dr. Hong Gyeong Kim, Saam is now one of the most famous Korean acupuncture techniques used today.

In order to learn about Saam Meditation we will have to learn a little about Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM) and its theories. TOM is the use of acupuncture, herbs, plants, meditation, exercise, foods and other devices to facilitate good health and healing. TOM is rooted in the study and observation of nature’s patterns observed in the human form. A TOM practitioner adjusts and harmonizes these patterns using the tools mentioned above.

Saam Acupuncture - A popular Korean Acupuncture technique, based on Five Element theory. Four needles are chosen and placed on one side of the patient, (the left side for male, right side for female). Traditional Oriental medicine (TOM) – the curricular foundation of acupuncture and oriental medicine as taught in universities today. Meditation (for Saam Medical Meditation) – conscious act of self awareness. Recognition and active monitoring of internal systems and patterns of movement.

Qi – Primal, innate, universal, life force. In the textbook “Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion” by Cheng Xinnong “according to ancient Chinese thought, Qi was the fundamental substance constituting the universe. All phenomena were produced by the changes and movement of Qi. Qi along with “blood and body fluid

are the fundamental substances which maintain normal vital activities of the human body.” i[i] Metaphorically Qi can be considered as an underground aquifer beneath the surface. Invisible to the eye but providing for abundance and lushness of life above. Achieving ones awareness of Qi is the essential practice of Tai Qi, Qi Gong, and of this Saam meditation. There are many forms of Qi. Each organ generates its own unique Qi which constitutes its purpose.  Fatigue and low energy are associated with Spleen Qi deficiency.  Somebody lacking in Heart Qi may experience palpitations.  Persistant cough may be associated with Lung Qi deficiency.  Headache due to stress may be a symptom of Liver Qi stagnation, where the Qi gets stuck and stops moving. Different foods and herbs have their own unique character of Qi which gives them a unique property and usefulness. For the purposes of this meditation it is sufficient to think and feel Qi as a singular overall energy within the body. With enough sensitivity one is capable of experiencing Qi from external sources such as air, food, and herbs.

Meridians - Pathways and channels where the Qi of the internal organs circulates. Precisely mapped and located, the meridians contain the acupuncture points that are needled in an acupuncture treatment. There are additional meridians not associated with the internal organs called the “extra meridians”. The meridians are different from the nerve structure of the nervous system. Historically in TOM the nervous system was not well regarded. The meridian system mimics the action of nervous system in regards to keeping the connection of communication open throughout the whole body organism. There is likely a

mutual relationship of nourishment and enhancement between the meridian and nervous system. 5 Yin organs – Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Kidneys 5 Yang organs – Gall bladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, Urinary bladder  Yin – represents darkness, nighttime, cold, winter, stillness, solid, material  Yang- represents light, daytime, heat, summer, activity, ethereal, immaterial

The Five Elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood We associate the five yin and yang organs to an element, season, environmental condition, and color of nature. There are two relationships amongst the five elements. 1. The Mother-Son (nourishing, rebelling) and 2. Grandmother-Grandson (controlling, insulting) relationships.

The five yin organs are Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys. The Yin organs are paired together with a corresponding Yang organ. The five Yang organs are Gallbladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Urinary bladder. There are two additional organs in TOM not included here. The Pericardium is a Yin organ, the San Jiao is Yang organ.

Internal Organ Yin & Yang

Element

Season

Pathogen

Liver & Gallbladder

Wood

Springtime

Wind

Heart & Small Intestine

Fire

Summertime

Heat

Spleen & Stomach

Earth

Late summer/ early fall (or two weeks between the change of each season)

Damp

Lung & Large Intestine

Metal

Autumn

Dryness

Kidney & Urinary Bladder

Water

Winter

Cold

It is important to familiarize yourself with the element, season, and pathogen associated with each of the organs. The paired yin and yang organs have a close and mutually enhancing relationship to one another. There are special points within the meridian system called Luo connecting points where the meridians of the yin / yang organs directly connect to one another. Notice the paired yin / yang organs share the same element and season. A.

Relationships amongst the Five Elements

1.

Generating cycle

As winter gives way to spring, and spring gives rise to summer, so too do the elements have a similar order. We call it the mother

son and grandmother grandson relationships. The mother element generates and nourishes her son element. The Kidney is associated with winter, the Liver with spring. Therefore Kidneys are the mother of the Liver. The Kidneys generate and nourish the Liver. The Liver is associated with Spring, the Heart with Summer. Therefore the Liver is the mother of the Heart. This is the generating cycle of the five elements.

2.

Controlling cycle

The grandmother controls the grandson. As water puts out fire, water controls fire. Metal cuts wood, metal controls wood. The Kidney element is water and the Heart element is fire. Kidney (water)is the grandmother of heart (fire). Kidney controls Heart. Fire melts metal. The lung element is metal. Heart (fire) is the grandmother of Lung (metal). Heart controls lung.

When everything is in balance the mother son and grandmother grandson elements are properly nourished and contained. No element is excessive or deficient.

B.

Disturbance in Five Element relationships

When the five element relationship of generating and controlling becomes unbalanced we observe some elements become excessively strong and others become weak. The mother fails to nourish the son, the grandmother cannot control the grandson.

If heart fire becomes weak or the spleen too strong, their mother – son relationship gets affected. Spleen symptoms such as dampness, diarrhea, digestive difficulties, and weight gain may occur, or the heart may palpitate. If heart fire weakens or lungs become too strong, their grandmother-grandson relationship gets affected. The lungs will insult the heart and we may develop a cough or dryness because of this.

We use acupuncture and herbs to tonify an element that is deficient and sedate an element in excess. Saam acupuncture is popularly used in Korea and increasingly in the west because it is able to effectively adjust these imbalances.

Where’s the Qi? Where’s the acupuncture point?

Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM) was developed over thousands of years. The acupuncture point system comprises approximately 360 points on the body as taught by TOM today. The points are precisely located in specific landmark areas of bone, muscle, tendons, depressions, and grooves, or else measured in precise inches (cun) along a line of the meridian. The meridian systems are specific pathways where the qi of the five element organs and other channels circulate through the body.

In TOM theory, the Qi of the meridians resides most strongly in areas below the knees and elbows. The area below the elbows and knees contains the five shu point areas, Xi cleft, and luo connecting points. Each meridian has these special points. These are the most commonly used points by the Saam acupuncturist, but they are also complemented by corresponding points on the chest, torso, back, neck, head, and upper part of the arms and legs. In Saam meditation our focus will be on the areas below the knees and the elbows.

Who developed this system, of very finely and precisely located points and meridians? No one knows for sure how the acupuncture point system was identified. Some say it was given to us by divine beings, but what is certain is that the system developed piecemeal over the course of centuries. Acupuncture needles fashioned from stone and bone, have been found; indicative of early use in man’s history. From about 2000 years ago doctors categorized the acupuncture meridian system and synthesized it with five element theory and herbal applications.

There is evidence that people were practicing the movements and exercises of Qi Gong and Tai Qi thousands of years ago. This makes it almost certain that people were aware of the sensation of Qi and were using meditation upon acupuncture points. It was these people with probably less distracted minds and more sensitivity to Qi who developed and mapped out the precise locations of the acupuncture points and meridian systems.

Today acupuncture is practiced and studied worldwide. Every month clinical studies are released validating acupuncture as a useful and effective medical technique. The world health organization recognizes over 40 syndromes for which acupuncture is useful, including things like pain, stress, anxiety, gastrointestinal, internal, and external disease. Acupuncture has been found to improve athletic performance, age related disorders, and general wellness.

Chapter II

Meditation

Meditation is the key facilitator to accessing one’s Qi. To gain an awareness and physical sensation of Qi it is essential to meditate. Meditation has many documented health benefits including reduction of stress and improvement in sleep. People meditate for both spiritual and health purposes. Through meditation people can gain incredible control of their mind and self.

There are hundreds of types of meditations and techniques. A common and good way for beginners is Transcendental Meditation where the meditatator brings their mental concentration to the “third eye” (on forehead between eyebrows, frontal lobe of the brain), while also keeping an awareness of their breathing. Another called Kundalini, is where they focus on areas along the

spine and move through the chakras (energy centers along the spine, midline of the torso, neck, face and head).

Medical Qi Gong and Tai Chi Chuan (Tai Qi) are activities that engage gentle body movement and meditation together. They help facilitate an awareness and growth of one’s Qi. Particularly helpful for the elderly, these exercises have been shown to promote physical balance, strength, and mobility of the joints. Tai Qi while a peaceful practice also serves as the root for martial practices like karate.

Transcendental meditation is usually one’s introduction into meditation. As a learner this technique is useful in training the mind to recognize and slow the flow of thoughts that swarm our active brains. Containing and subsiding these active and busy thoughts is the key element to meditation. Transcendental meditation calls for continuous attention to be brought to the “third eye” and to one’s breathing. A beginner will usually waver from their mental focus after a few seconds by a busy and distracting thought. It is the meditators practice to become aware of these thought distractions, discard them, and to return their attention to the “third eye” and breathing. The third eye meditation provides strong stimulation to the pre frontal cortex of the brain. This area pertains to acupuncture points Yintang and Du point 24. To help achieve attention and focus, some beginning practitioners will count, repeating one through ten, others may focus on a Koan (which is like a riddle but with no specific answer). “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” is an example of a Koan.

Kundalini Meditation is where one focuses their attention along the spine. From the base of the sacrum ascending up the spine,

like steps on a ladder this meditation takes us through the chakra centers of the torso, neck, and head. Described as “sleeping, dormant, potential force in the human organism” Kundalini’s components are nadis (energy channels), chakras (psychic centers), prana (subtle energy) and bindu (drops of essence,) suggesting a physical material essence” ii[ii] This is a more advanced type of meditation, where one has already reached a specificity to the feeling of the components described above.

Like Kundalini’s prana (or subtle energy), TOM has its equivalent in Qi, which is derived from aspects of nutrition, air, blood, and essence and circulates and resides within the meridian channels. TOM also recognizes “essence” as being similar to bindu of Kundalini.

In TOM we are only given a limited amount of essence for our lifetime, half of essence is from pre-natal (derived from our parents), and half is supplemented by post –natal (derived from food and nourishment, and the effectiveness of our digestive processes). In TOM essence is stored by the Kidney’s which dominate lifelong processes of physical growth, sexual maturation, and decline of aging.

Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Transcendental, and Kundalini are all good meditations to practice before using Saam Meditation. These types of meditation will help one to gain an awareness of Qi. Once awareness of Qi is reached and you have gained a specific experience of its feeling, growth, and movement, you can begin to switch to Saam Medical Meditation.

Once you have reached specificity of Qi, it is important not to linger too long on Transcendental or Kundalini. Focusing on one single location will help to grow your Qi, but eventually as it gets stronger it will stagnate and exasperate problems. At that point we should not keep our meditation to a single location. The power of Saam is to spread the movement of Qi over the entire body. The hands and feet are critical areas of focus for our meditation.

With advanced knowledge a patient can use meditation in the same way as acupuncture. Achieving a specificity and awareness to the presence of Qi is the beginning. Observing nature as depicted in the five elements and identifying these processes within ourselves will give us the power to control and change the course of our evolution. Meditation upon the Saam patterns will help us orderly direct our Qi according to our needs. **** This concludes the opening chapters of "Saam Medical Meditation" by Dr. Evan Mahoney. For the complete transcript including the pictures of the meditational patterns please purchase the book available at smashwords.com, apple itunes, or other online retailers. Riddle: What lives for centuries, but dies before it is born? Answer: Books. Please read "Nongae of Love and Courage", "Saam Medical Meditation", "Saam Medical Meditation Part II" to be born into a more complete understanding of Saam Meditation. Thank you, Dr. Evan Mahoney