Earth element in Chinese medicine

Chinese Medicine is connected to a circle of Natural Elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. Different emotions are associated with these elements. These emotions are in turn connected to organs. The organs influence physical and emotional balance. In this blog, you will read more about the earth element in Chinese Medicine.

You can try Yin Yoga, Breathwork and Meditation as a tool to create balance between Yin and Yang in body and mind. On the mat, but also in everyday life.

The earth element always starts in the late summer season. This is a season in which Yin & Yang is active. Nature experiences the harvest season and the last flowering time. You may notice this in your energy. You are getting ready for the late summer season and fall. At the same time, nature is also slowly getting ready for autumn. Time to slowly flow back to balance and let go.

Organs which we focus on during earth element season:

In Chinese medicine, the organs are defined by meridians. We focus on the meridians of the following organs in the earth element season:

• Spleen meridian
• Stomach meridian

Emotion:

The emotion which is common during the earth element season is Worry. Feeling worried is a disbalance in the earth element. Feeling grounded is balance in the earth element.

The earth element is connected to the physical body, the world, a safe feeling, feeling at home, sensuality and a good night’s sleep. If you’re reading this, this has everything to do with coming home. You can come home to yourself. But also at a location. You may have experienced it at a specific location (think of an ashram, a yoga weekend, a retreat or at a familiar home). It’s about feeling safe. For yourself. You look deep inside and feel if this is what YOU want. Not because you have to from your environment or people in power.

“A sense of well-being.”

Nature – the planet

The earth element is part of nature and the planet.

The Full moon is also a sign of coming home to Earth. Therefore, the Earth element and the Moon cycle are linked together. It’s a time of grounding, celebration of previous happenings, projects and endings. Take time to reflect during the Full Moon.

You can express intentions at these moments that you want more of. What you want to let go and what you want to focus on. You can chant (sing) to the sea. Honoring the earth and water element at the same time.

Chanting to the earth and the sea.

Connection with rhythm during earth element season

Rhythm originated from nature. Nature has its rhythms. Day and night. The seasons. When you have a hard time establishing rhythm in your life, you have an imbalance in the element of earth.

Origin

Everything is connected. The planet, nature, rhythms. But where you come from is also connected. Motherhood. The moon cycles. Pregnancy. The cycle of the woman is connected to the moon cycle. Water. Like the moon, we are mostly made up of water.

Celebrating the earth element by the sea, a lake or a river is a party. Water element, the sand or pebble as earth and the moon as a symbol that connects us.

Vitality

Health is created by feeling safe, a good night’s sleep and nice people around us. Love. Touch (sensuality) gives us a feeling of coming home, feeling safe and belonging. Of course, you have to be content with who you are. But the connection that is made after that, the replenishment, is the mechanism to multiply.

This is where your family and your home, the safe destination, are created.

In addition, there is space for a physical home in the form of a place to stay (a house) and family connections.

Am I confident or am I worried?

Nourishment

Receive food. Nourishment received. Rest is the nourishment of a new charge of energy. Doubt and overthinking take energy from us and ultimately cause imbalance. If you notice that more energy is collected from you than is given to you, it is good to map out what those energy takers and energy givers are. Then you will do more with the energy givers to replenish your reserves. Breathwork and Yin Yoga can be a nice way to nourish yourself. But it can also be actual food, such as fruits and vegetables.

Furthermore, it is the question and the realization who cares about you.

Do they respect you for better or for worse?

Self-acceptance is a big part of the earth element. The first place you should feel safe is yourself. Acceptance is stabilizing. So if you fully accept who you are and can live according to your desires, you have already filled the first energy line.

How is your connection with your body? Do you like it? It has everything to do with feeling safe on a physical level.

Addictions

Addictions are related to the earth element. If you have an addiction, you often have difficulties to ground yourself. You have acquired a certain habit that you do not like as a person. It negatively affects your life, but also that of others. Addictions exist in a lot of ways. It can be ‘negative thinking’, drinking, smoking, using drugs, medication, gambling etc.

Control freaks compensate for a sense of security with things other than BEING and the PRESENT.

Diets and eating habits such as bulimia and anorexia are also related to the earth element. The stomach is also very much connected to this. When you are not happy. This often turns out in not having self-esteem, nor do you create security for yourself.

The Message of the Element of Earth

“Listen to your body” is an earth statement.

It’s about your necessities. Not anyone else’s. What do you need to grow? What do you need to build peace in? After that, you can let go and blossom.

Positive or negative?

The earth element is associated with obsessions, disorders, cravings, routines and rituals. Routines and rituals can also be good.

Stomach Meridian

Physical and emotional symptoms along the gastric meridian include problems with the mouth, nose, teeth, mental problems and pain along places on the gastric meridian pathway.

Spleen Meridian

Physical and emotional symptoms of an Earth Imbalance are:
Over-anxiety (mothering), choking attention, worrying, obsessions, torture, humility, contradiction, clinging, lack of sympathy, eating problems, cravings for sweets, overeating, nausea, diabetes, weak muscles, stomach problems, weight gain, pain along the sides

In yin yoga, we often only read which complaints are connected to the meridians and the organs. That may sound negative. But you can also turn it around. If you are reading this, and you do not recognize yourself in it, it probably means that your earth element is simply in balance.

Yin Yoga Postures that will balance the Earth element (Grounding)

These poses are supportive in balancing the meridians of the Stomach and Spleen.

• Mudra (Yoga for the Fingers): Prithvi Mudra
  Fingers point down to the ground
• Childspose (open or closed legs)
• Sphinx / half frog (raising one leg with the inside of the leg on the ground)
• Saddle
• Seated twist
• Snail (don’t do it if you have neck problems, you can also do the Seated Forward Bend Pose).
• Supported bridge (with block)
• Happy baby

There are also all kinds of intermediate poses that you do in between. You do this to find a balance between forward bends and back bends.

Find out more about the Earth Element and Chinese medicine

Personal guidance

I, Joyce Mol, love to guide you to deep safety within yourself. With grounding practices. I am a yoga teacher, breath work coach and womb keeper. I love to work with the rhythms of nature and guide you towards your purest self. By healing parts of yourself which feels unsafe, hurt or disbalance.

Feel welcome for a 1:1 session online via zoom or live in Puy L’évêque in the South of France. You can also join my Breathe Better Program in Dutch.