Traditional East Asian Medicine’s Five-Element Theory proposes that there are five essential gestures at the heart of all phenomena. These gestures are known as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

The Five Elements are an elaboration of Yin-Yang Theory. As I establish in my article on Yin and Yang, Yang represents expansion and Yin represents contraction. Expansion and contraction are the fundamental movements that underpin all of existence.

Five-Element Theory helps us get a bit more nuanced in our understanding of Yin-contraction and Yang-expansion.

We can divide both the expansion phase and the contraction phase into two, which now gives us four stages:

• Initiating Expansion

• Fulfilling Expansion

• Initiating Contraction

• Fulfilling Contraction

Take your breath, for instance. A single breath involves an expansion (inhale) and contraction (exhale). The inhale and exhale can be divided into initiation of the inhale; fulfillment of the inhale; initiation of the exhale; and fulfillment of the exhale. A breath is a single event that can be split into these four basic parts.

Or we might consider the life cycle of a wave—whether it’s an ocean wave or a light wave or a sound wave. A wave begins its lifespan by thrusting upward (initiating expansion). It accelerates on its upward path, ultimately achieving the pinnacle of its wave-ness (fulfilling expansion). The wave then inevitably starts to dissolve (initiating contraction) and eventually completes its dissolution (fulfilling contraction), which marks the end of its life cycle. This gives rise to the potential for a new wave to emerge.

These four basic gestures are inherent in all phenomena, from the lives of the smallest microorganisms to the formation and destruction of the vastest galaxies.

The Chinese gave these movements the names Wood, Fire, Metal, and Water.

• Wood: Initiating Expansion

• Fire: Fulfilling Expansion

• Metal: Initiating Contraction

• Water: Fulfilling Contraction

The translations of these names are rather unfortunate, in that they suggest that these gestures are “things.” In fact, they’re verbs, not nouns. Here are some alternative translations we might consider:

• Wood: “Sprouting”; think of plants pushing upward and outward; this is the initiation of Yang

• Fire: “Ascending”; fire always wants to rise; it gives light and warmth; it is the fulfillment of Yang

• Metal: “Condensing”; think of earth contracting into minerals; this is the initiation of Yin—life is turning inward

• Water: “Sinking”; water always seeks the lowest place; consider the deep ocean—cold, dark, mysterious; this is the fulfillment of Yin

***

So, to recap, we’ve simply divided our two polar forces—Yin and Yang—by two, making four fundamental gestures. Now, you might be saying, I thought they’re were five elements, not four!

Well, you’re very astute. Earth—the fifth element—represents the central hub around which the “wheel of change” spins. Earth provides the stable center that makes dynamic movement possible.

So, these are the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. (Earth is placed between Fire and Metal, holding the position between Yang expansion and Yin contraction.)

I often refer to the Five Elements as the “Five Phases,” since this seems closer to the intent of the early Chinese philosophers. Again, we’re not talking about things; we’re talking about the gestures—the movements—that are at the core of all of life’s activity.

***

The Five Phases are perhaps most readily appreciated in the flow of the seasons. In the next post, we’ll use the seasons as a way of deepening our understanding.