A life saving chart

This is the chart of the 5 elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I've manually written on the chart the relationships among the elements so anybody may readily refer to the chart after understanding some basic principles.

The elements are usually represented by the following YIN vital organs which are the solid organs (the YANG organs are hollow and have active movement in the hollow space like the small and large intestines):

1. FIRE (hot and upwards): Heart
2. EARTH (nurturing and nourishing): Spleen
3. METAL (contracting and descending): Lungs
4. WATER (cold and downwards): Kidney
5. WOOD (growing, expanding and straightening): Liver



The sequence from one element to another is very important so I thought the number before each element could help. Knowing the role of each element to the next element is also important:

1. WOOD YIELDS FIRE (without wood, fire will burn out) 
2. FIRE GENERATES EARTH (fire creates ashes which can be used to nourish the earth)
3. EARTH PRODUCES METAL (metal is mined from the earth which helps it to form) 
4. METAL GENERATES WATER (by acting as a conduit for water to move)
5. WATER PRODUCES WOOD (plants cannot live without water)

Another important basic principle is the CONTROLLING or RESTRAINING function of one element to a specific element:

1. WOOD controls the EARTH (Wood keeps the Earth in place).
2. EARTH controls the WATER (Earth acts like a sea wall or dam).
3. WATER controls the FIRE (Water prevents Fire from getting out of control by cooling it down).
4. FIRE controls the METAL (Fire moulds the Metal into shape).
5. METAL controls the WOOD (by cutting and shaping the Wood).



I am just a layman and at this point, I can't help but translate the 5 elements to the representing organs because I noticed that some very recent medical findings or even ongoing Western Medicine studies prove that there are such relationships which I feel we should all be aware of, to improve our lifestyles and prevent illnesses.

1. The LIVER supports the HEART and controls the SPLEEN.
2. The HEART supports the SPLEEN and controls the LUNGS.
3. The SPLEEN supports the LUNGS and controls the KIDNEY.
4. The LUNGS supports the KIDNEY and controls the LIVER.
5. The KIDNEY supports the LIVER and controls the HEART.

For example, if we have Hypertension (an illness originating from the HEART), we should take care of our LIVER and KIDNEY. Unfortunately, when we take medicines for hypertension, the LIVER and KIDNEY are gradually damaged. The best therefore, is change in lifestyle, so both the liver and kidney can eventually control the hypertension.

The emotions found in the chart can also affect our health as follows:

1. Anger or Depression => harms the LIVER
2. Overjoy or Upset => hurts the HEART
3. Over-thinking or Stress => drains the SPLEEN
4. Sadness or grief => damages the LUNGS
5. Worry or Fright => wear the KIDNEYS out


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