- Energy & 5 Transformations
ENERGY AND THE FIVE TRANSFORMATIONS
We are energy. Everything is energy. If we understand the game of energy, if we feel energy we can play the game. We possess the key of the art of life and be able to change everything in it is opposite.
We all come from universe where there is oneness. The two complementary antagonistic poles yin and yang that we are experiencing in this life are resting in perfect harmony. As soon as we come into this body we want to experience that oneness, the perfect state again. We are striving to make balance in our body, in relationship, at work, in nature. We pray, meditate, dance, have family reunions, eat balanced food, make love to feel oneness.
If we look in detail at Yin and Yang, we can divide the energy into 5 stages; all phenomenon manifest as 5 transformations of energy from the most yin form (expansion) to the most contracted Yang form.
1. Tree energy: the stage of gas, which is the upward expanding movement and on a physical level nourish liver and gallbladder and their meridians.
2. Fire: the stage of plasma: the most expansive active movement and the energy function of the heart and small intestines and their meridians.
3. Soil (Earth): a half condensed stage, a downwards moving energy. The process of condensation and the energy functions of spleen, stomach and pancreas and their meridians.
4. Metal: the solid yang stage, the process of contraction and solidification and the energy functions of Lung, Large Intestine, Skin and their meridians.
5. Water: the stage of becoming fluid. The process of melting and becoming fluid is the floating energy and the energy functions of Kidney, Bladder and sexual organs and their meridians.
Physical problems often appear as symptoms that belong to one of these five energetic categories. The form of expression and the psychological behaviour of a human being changes according to this energy movement, as well as the changes in environment and surroundings, the season, the month, the day and atmospheric circumstances.
Everything in nature moves (along) according to these energy movements.
When there are distortions in one of these 5 movement phases from yin expansion to yang contraction we can heal them by adapting our lifestyle and eating patterns.
Certain foods will heal or stimulate some organs, other foods we need to avoid e.g. by eating beans we stimulate and heal the kidney and bladder, our Water energy but sweets and sweet foods can weaken our Water energy.
a Shen cycle: nourishing, stimulating, mother cycle.
a Ko cycle: dominating, breaking cycle, destroying cycle or controlling cycle
Ko Cycle
The yin Tree movement controls the more yang condensing Soil movement. The strong Fire movement controls the strong yang contracted Metal movement.
The condensing Soil movement controls the more floating movement of Water The strong Yang solid Metal movement controls the upward Tree movement The more yin Water movement controls the strong expansive Fire energy.
Shen Cycle
In the nourishing cycle (Shen) stimulates the
Fire movement which nourishes Soil
Soil nourishes Metal energy
Metal nourishes Water
Water nourishes Tree
In the next newsletter, I want to describe each of the 5 movements and we will study their physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual qualities. We will see how changes will show up in our behaviour, voice, posture, face and will read the body. I will give some suggestions on how to change certain conditions.
Oliver and I teach the 5 transformations at the Devon School of Shiatsu and we study and work with it in depth in our 3 year Macrobiotic and Life Counselling course.
Please ask for more information if you are interested in one of our causes or if you would like a personal consultation in which we use the 5 transformations. Please email me at de.meridiaan@gmail.com
Websites of our schools:
Lets have a look at our Fire energy, now summer is almost here!!
FIRE ENERGY
The movement in nature which spreads the strongest energy and course the biggest expansion is the Fire movement.
It is a more advanced expansion than the Tree energy (I will describe this later). The expansion is as intense as Fire and spreads fast, like a house that is on fire; Fire reaches everything around it by it’s vibration and radiation.
At the beginning of May, we are already entering the Fire stage in the seasons and we experience the first really hot days in the year. The warmth of the sun reaches Earth and the process of expansion starts. The leaves on the trees develop fully. The tendency of expansion in the plant world reaches the top, the flower, spreading it’s colour and fragrance everywhere.
The temperature on earth rises more and more, it becomes hot and the wind blows more from the south.
The height of summer is 21st June in the northern hemisphere and the heat of the sun reaches the earth in July. From August onwards, there is a gradual decline, the days become less hot and we reach the Indian Summer.
In general, the Fire transformation represents everything at its uppermost: the summer, noon, young adult, head, an orgasm, a flower.
Fire Energy in our body
Fire energy in our life represents: time of blossoming “adulthood”, the most active time of our life, making and realising our dreams and ideals. Social life and love.
In our body those functions are governed by the Heart and Small Intestine. Both organs and their functions are an expression of expansive energy. They move intensively several times a minute, this is active Fire energy. They are both situated in a central place in the body. They are the most important energy channel in our body. It runs from our crown down to our anus. Through this channel moves the upward energy (Earth force) and the downwards energy (Heaven force). Through these forces, Heart and Small Intestine expand and contract and the blood circulation is activated.
The Fire energy pushes the blood and its energy in our arteries and co-develops the quality and strength of our arteries.
DIAGNOSIS
The Tongue
Another organ that is influenced and formed by this Fire energy is our tongue. The shape, colour, movement, moistness are an indication to read the condition of the heart.
The movement of that Yang, compact, solid and muscled little organ is caused by the earthforce.
Earth force is stronger in women, so mean will talk more easily than men. Strong stimulating yin-beverages (coffee or alcohol) start moving the Earth force so we can become too talkative!!
A very red tongue indicates too much stimulation of the tongue. One of the reasons it can develop is by consuming for a long time strong yin foods: coffee, tropical fruit and products so the heart becomes too expanded.
The Voice
The sound of the voice tells us more in detail which kind of life someone leads or what kind of food he or she eats regularly.
Someone who eats lots of salty food, very dry food, refined flour products talks faster with a higher voice. Someone who eats lots of fatty and oily food, dairy and drinks a lot talks slower with a lower voice.
By listening carefully to the resonance of the voice we can discover where there is a blockage in the body or where there is a lack of flexibility. Sounds make the different organs vibrate! Problems with the speech are a symptom of heart problems. Talking too fast or falling over words indicates an over-active heart or the tendency to develop high blood pressure.
The Hands
The condition of the heart can be diagnosed by looking at the hands. As an embryo in the mother’s womb, our heart starts to beat around day 24. One day later out of the chest area two little bumps develop into shoulders, arms, hands and fingers. Two open hands indicate the size of the lungs and a fist is the size of the heart.
The left side of the heart is represented in the left hand while the right hand represents the right side of the heart.
Often we see a redish colour on the outside of the hand. The circulation of the blood through both heart chambers is represented here.
A discolouration at the nail of the thumb, a pink or dark discolouration on the fleshy part of the thumb indicates that there is blood stagnation through the heart.
The condition of the two atrial valves of the heart we read in the centre of the palm of the hand. If that area is swollen or discoloured or painful when it is pressed, then the valves are weak, or they are hard and stick together by having too much cholesterol.
The way we shake hands tells us a lot about one’s heart condition. The colour and the temperature of the hands give us more in-depth information. Very warm hands and red hands or a little finger that is very red shows us an over-active heart with the tendency towards high blood pressure. The cause is often the use of too much sugar, sweets, fruits, juices, spices, alcohol in combination with animal food.
Cold and clammy hands indicate an expanded heart that becomes very weak through the use of imbalances food and drinks, especially very cold drinks and dairy products.
Cold and dry hands indicate contracted veins and arteries under the skin and in the heart due to too much salty animal food, refined flour products and dry and hard baked food.
People who have the habit of putting their hands in their pockets often have a fat and cholesterol problem around the heart and in the small intestine.
Talking with big gestures indicates an overactive heart due to the excess intake of spices, salt, tropical food, alcohol, coffee (expresso!)
Heart and Humour
Being too talkative, laughing all the time, giggling and very extravert humour indicates often a swollen, over active heart. Too much sugar, sweets, fruits, juices, salads, tropical food, coffee, alcohol in combination with animal food and poultry, dairy, eggs can contribute a lot to this condition.
Excessive laughing and especially hysteria can be seen as the sign of a weak heart.
Different kinds of humour are the result of where we live (climate) and the type of food we have been using. In colder climates, people eat more salty, dry, baked food and animal food – the humour will become dry too!
Unstable and bad co-ordination indicates heart problems. A red face shows up heart and circulatory system problems.
Healing the Heart
A diet that has whole grains as a core food, together with boiled vegetables, seaweed and beans prevents heart problems. Corn especially is strengthening for the heart. Vegetables with a bitter taste: chicory, dandelion, watercress, endives, turnip, radish, daikon are excellent to give back the flexibility of the heart.
Eliminate all saturated animal fat. If the heart is expanded, take kombu and shoyu broth a little stronger. The food can be boiled a little longer and some pressure cooked grain and beans are great.
If the condition is too yang, cholesterol is high, then the soup should be lighter and take care with salt in general. The cooking method should be lighter, steamed and lightly cooked vegetables. Ginger, daikon are ideal. They melt fat in the body.
In both cases, heart meditation is beneficial. Live from the heart, open the heart and solve problems in your intimate relationships. Feel the love, give and receive love and talk from your heart and don’t forget to laugh!!!
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