Water ~ Wood ~ Fire ~ Earth ~ Metal

What is 5 Element Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a therapy developed more than 5,000 years ago in Asia that consists of stimulating designated points on the skin by the insertion of very fine needles in order to restore and balance the body’s energy or “Qi” (pronounced “chi”).

5 Element acupuncture addresses both physical symptoms and emotional and spiritual well-being. By offering deeply personalized care, treating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—clients will experience lasting relief from a wide range of physical and psychological concerns, while also cultivating resilience, balance, and a deeper sense of connection to themselves and their lives. This holistic approach goes beyond temporary symptom management, supporting clients in uncovering and addressing the root causes of illness, fostering long-term health, and nurturing their potential as human beings. 5 Element Acupuncture is medicine that treats the difficulties and gifts of life, from mild to severe, from birth to death.

5 Element acupuncture treats the root cause of disease or imbalance. It focuses on diagnosing the root cause (causative factor), the element which is most aligned with a person’s physical, mental and emotional orientation. The root of both strengths and weaknesses, the root of cure as well as the root of learning in each life. That element is supported through acupuncture, and the functioning of the body/mind/spirit is enhanced. As all elements are connected by the flow of energy or
Qi, this enhancement helps the whole system. Qi runs in pathways through the body called meridians. Each meridian is associated with an organ or organ function and meridians are grouped into elements.

The five elements are Wood, Water, Fire, Earth and Metal. Each is a living aspect of self and life itself and each has a role to play in health, disease, growth, challenge and a fully lived life. They interact seamlessly in a healthy person, supporting and controlling each other. Stress or injury can disrupt the balance between the elements and symptoms result. 5 Element Acupuncture restores balance and harmony; it removes blocks to healing, to the flow of Qi, and so can enhance well being on all levels. 5E Acupuncture is constitutional medicine, supporting a person at a deep, constitutional level, where the force of healing arises. Because 5 Element Acupuncture works physically, emotionally, and spiritually, it used very successfully to address many psychological concerns i.e depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD and more. Consistent 5E treatment effects a transformation in the whole of one’s life

The Neijing tells us that the healing process is not just mechanical–it is not simply the placing of a needle. The most important thing for healing is the relationship between the practitioner, the spirits, and the patient. This relationship begins with the personal attitude and inner behavior of the practitioner. Your own spirits and forces must be in a good concentration in order to be able to evaluate the patient and to be able to rectify what is wrong in the movement of his or her vitality. It is your spirit which enables you to make the diagnosis, choose the points, and give a feeling of rightness to the patient at a high level–without interfering with the patient’s freedom…When we needle a point or give herbs, we are doing a physical thing, but the goal is always to make a signal to reach the spirit of the patient.
Reestablishing the balance in any condition always depends on the spirit…The spirits are not wounded themselves, but they are affected, because they work at the highest level in the person and thus are present at the tiniest level of life. The classics say that life is conducted by the spirits–not just sometimes, but in all cases.

—Claude Larre and Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee

from The Practitioner-Patient Relationship: Wisdom from the Chinese Classics