Deciphering the five elements

The wu xing theory has numerous applications in traditional Chinese culture, ranging from medicine, martial arts, cooking, clothing, architecture, fengshui and fortunetelling, to astrology and warfare.

Taoist kung fu master Yue wu teaches his students the basic forms of the Wudang Chunyang Wu Xing Zhuang exercise in a park in Weihai, East China’s Shandong province, on Oct 2, 2018. Yue is an officially recognized key inheritor of Taoist medicine and martial arts of the Chunyang Sect, a branch of Wudang kung fu, in Central China’s Hubei province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

According to the wu xing theory, the five elements have a complex relationship with each other. To just give an example, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, and metal generates water. Meanwhile, metal overcomes wood, wood overcomes earth, earth overcomes water, water overcomes fire, and fire overcomes metal.

As for the Wu Xing Zhuang exercise, each of the five stances corresponds with one of the five elements -- water, wood, fire, earth and metal.

And each element corresponds with different internal organs and systems of the human body. Therefore, each of the five stances is designed to regulate the functions of the corresponding organs and related body systems.

Xiong Chuxing, a Chinese student studying at the University of Queensland, teaches local residents basics of the Wudang Chunyang Wu Xing Zhuang exercise in a Gold Coast beach resort in Queensland, Australia, on Sept 15, 2018. Xiong is a 24th-generation inheritor of the Chunyang Sect of kung fu, a branch of the Wudang Taoist martial arts. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

For example, the water element corresponds with the kidneys, urinary system and reproductive system; wood corresponds with the liver, gall bladder, digestive and hormonal systems; fire corresponds with the heart, blood vessels and circulatory system; earth corresponds with the spleen, pancreas and digestive system; and metal corresponds with the lungs and respiratory system. And the whole exercising process works positively on one’s locomotor and nervous systems.

When the equilibrium of the yin and yang energies within the human body is disturbed, that situation weakens the immune system and eventually leads to illness.

Local residents in Shiyan, Central China’s Hubei province, practice an advanced form of the Wudang Chunyang Wu Xing Zhuang exercise on the morning of April 22, 2019. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

To alter this imbalance, one has to perform the five stances in different sequences and do certain sequences for extra rounds, to strengthen certain physical functions and regain inner balance, besides getting medical treatment.

According to Taoist medicine theories, the adjusted physical conditions and a restored balance within improve one’s emotional and mental states, too.