5 Element Theory & Energetics
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been practiced for many millennia before the pharmaceutical industry/allopathic approach took over. Finding a holistic health professional can be a challenging ordeal; especially in the veterinary industry! Plant/herbal medicine is extremely powerful, oftentimes more effective and nearly always much safer than most drugs offered today. Most pharmaceutical products are actually derived from herbal/plant origins! One example of this in human medicine is the origin of aspirin which is derived from willow bark. It contains the active agent ‘salicin’ which is similar to the chemical counterpart ‘acetylsalicylic acid’.
The problem with synthetic drugs is the actions they take on a cellular level such as organ damage/strain, hypersensitivity, and neurotoxicity. Many people (and the professionals prescribing them) do not associate “minor” side effects to the medications they are taking… Side effects can be so vast and varied between individuals! Headaches, gastrointestinal issues, increased inflammation, weight gain/loss, trouble sleeping, appetite control… The list is a very long one and unfortunately, nothing is done about it unless something severe happens and can be directly linked to a specific medication.
The Five Element Theory and energetics both have their places in herbalism, holistic medicine, homeopathy and other natural approaches for health support and healing. This will not be an in depth explanation (more of a very basic introduction) so you MUST be vigilant and do more research on your own if you’re interested in putting these modalities into practice in your own or your pets lives. You will hear “everything is connected” A LOT because it’s true! Our bodies, the plants, herbs, oceans, animals, stars and planets are all interconnected and so are our organs within our own individual bodies (pets included). Everything you consume and interact with has a direct effect on your energetics and therefore, your body!
Within these methodologies, you’re looking for patterns in order to accurately pinpoint their constitution. These factors are partially genetic, but also influenced by environment and individual lifestyle experiences. Do they prefer cool days or constantly hiding under warm blankets? Do they get easily heated in an argument or stay calm, cool and collected? What about their tendencies to sweet, salty or spicy foods? Does the plant, food or herb have a bitter or sweet flavour? Does it ease or increase inflammation? All of these things may not seem very important to the average person, but to an herbalist or holistic health professional; this gives us much deeper insight into how and what to use to heal and support different conditions in the body the most efficiently by matching the energetics of the individual with the plant/herb or food. The closer the match, the less amount needed to heal faster! If you’d like to find out what your pets constitution is, you can take Dr. Judy Morgan’s Pet Personality Quiz for free!
Five element theory (Wǔxíng) on the other hand, is a very expansive ideology that explains how all things in the natural world are derived from wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each of these elements mirrors itself in people, plants, animals, and more. There is much to learn in this subject, but an example would be how water is moistening while moving downward and fire is warming/bright, moving upwards. This theory also includes a wide range of other considerations such as, colours, transformations and QI (chi). If you are not familiar, this is the vital force within all of us. It stands for “the energy in everything”. When QI is unbalanced, there will be many physical, emotional, internal and external symptoms to observe. Another concept that ties into all of this is yin (dark) and yang (light). The intricacies of Chinese Medicine cannot simply be put down in short words in a blog such as this. Another wonderful resource for all things holistic is Dr.Josie Beug DVM. She is a very wise and knowledgeable individual when it comes to the elements and energetics.
One thing that can be somewhat easily touched on is the energetics of food, plants and herbs! Many holistic professionals will commonly suggest that individuals (pets included) with indigestion or gastrointestinal concerns such as diarrhea turn to slippery elm or marshmallow root for it’s soothing/cooling properties which effectively supports these conditions. Another example is turmeric or ginger which are both energetically hot/warming and not well indicated for individuals or conditions which are already very hot in nature. These are great for a number of inflammatory conditions but it’s important to consider the energetics of the individual first before reaching for a familiar remedy. Not all choices are the right one for every situation. Below is an image from Real Dog Box that shows common proteins and which area they fit into.
When it comes to food energetics, rabbit is usually the first cooling protein suggested to help fight inflammation and allergies in pets. Chicken and lamb however, are hot/warming proteins for most individuals. It takes time and patience to learn all the various constitutions and energetics of plants, herbs and foods. There are courses available to teach you in depth how to learn your pets energetics or you can work with an herbalist, TCVM professional or an integrative veterinarian who has an open mind and offers holistic support.
Now that you have a very basic understanding about the energetics of food, herbs and people, you can use this knowledge to further your own or your pets healing! Choosing remedies and ingredients that match on a deeper level will allow for quicker and longer lasting results in the long-term. It's truly fascinating stuff! Above is a slideshow showing symptoms associated with different energetics. This list is NOT exhaustive and there are many things to consider, so please make sure you work with a professional. You can also take a look at this wonderful blog on Adored Beast Apothecary where Rita Hogan explains things a little more in depth. You can also find Rita's Canine Energetics course here!