The WOOD Animal

Personality types are described by the Five Element Theory and can provide additional insight into the health and well-being of my animal patients.  Today I will describe the personality type of a WOOD individual.

easily angered

pins ears back

dominates other animals

likes to be in control

tends to have eye problems

confident

athletic

prone to brittle nails

brave

When a Wood personality type is imbalanced the liver and gall bladder are the organs most often effected.  Clinical symptoms will worsen in an imbalanced Wood animal during the Spring, when there is windy weather conditions, and when the emotion of anger is left unchecked.  An imbalance will cause these individuals to have dry eyes, coarse hair, brittle nails, and dry/hard stools.  They  can be short tempered and develop tension in their shoulders and neck.

The EARTH Animal

Personality types are described by the Five Element Theory and can provide additional insight into the health and well-being of my animal patients.  Today I will describe the personality type of an EARTH individual.

lazy

craves food above all else

agreeable/easy going

gets along well with other dogs

obstinate yet non combative

worry wart

pushy

upset by changes

gains weight easily

dependable and consistent

When an Earth personality type is imbalanced the spleen and stomach are the most effected organs.  The late Summer and early Fall season along with damp weather can make an imbalanced Earth personality type more prone to illness.  Excessive worry can exacerbate symptoms of illness.  Abdominal gas or bloating, loose bowel movements and a variable appetite are often seen in an imbalanced Earth personality.  These pets tend to develop fatty tumors, have tender muscles as well as lack of muscle tone or strength.  It can be difficult to regulate weight in these pets.  They often are uninterested in morning meals and when they do eat there is often lingering hunger after a meal.

The WATER Animal

 Personality types are described by the Five Element Theory and can provide additional  insight into the health and well-being of my animal patients.  Today I will describe the personality of a WATER type individual.

cowers easily

prone to ear infections

dislikes touch

gets cold easily

fearful

trembles easily

averse to company

runs off and likes to hide

is deaf

prone to arthritis

Water personality types are prone to developing kidney and urinary bladder problems when the body is imbalanced.  The cold Winter season can worsen the weaknesses these personality types are prone to.  Fear is the emotion associated with Water animals and prolonged and overwhelming fear can lead to health problems in these animals.  These pets tend to get weak or sore low back, hips, knees and ankles decreasing their range of motion.  They tend to sleep a lot have weak vision as well as dull hearing.  Their coat may start to thin and they may urinate frequently when there is imbalance in a Water personality.

The METAL Animal

Personality types are described by the Five Element Theory and can provide additional  insight into the health and well-being of my animal patients.  Today I will describe the personality of a METAL type individual.

dislikes touch

ignores owner when punished

easily offended

prone to dry skin

unemotional

stoic

impersonal

reliable

restrained in actions

prone to having constipation

A pet who has a Metal personality will have illness most often reflected in the lung and large intestine when they are imbalanced.  Dry weather, the Fall season and the emotion of grief can worsen clinical symptoms.  They will be prone to respiratory allergies, frequent colds/coughs, and shortness of breath.  They tend to be sensitive to dry wind and cold weather and stiff joints and muscles can become a problem.  Dry skin, skin rashes, and constipation are additional clinical symptoms that often arise in an imbalanced Metal personality animal.

The FIRE Animal

Personality types are described by the Five Element Theory and can provide additional insight into the health and well-being of my animal patients.  Today I will describe the personality of FIRE type individuals.  

nervous

desire attention

enjoys physical affection

playful at home

easily excited

short attention span

needs the company of other dogs

easily hurt by reprimand

likes to bark

tires easily

When a FIRE pet is imbalanced illness will often effect the heart and small intestine, summer and heat will be a difficult time of year and excessive joy can exacerbate symptoms of illness.  These pets will easily overheat and can become easily confused or disoriented.  Vivid dreaming, restlessness at night, and excitability can become excessive.  These pets can become overly anxious and crave ice and cold water.  Poor circulation and vascular problems are common in an imbalanced FIRE personality.

Five Element Characteristics

The five elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood balance one another and their characteristics are helpful in determining patterns of health and disease.  I have already discussed the emotions, the yin (zang) organs and the yang (fu) organs that are associated with each element.  For example, Earth is associated with the emotion of worry and preoccupation as well as the (yin) spleen and the (yang) stomach.  A patient who has excess worry may become less interested in food or vomit after eating.

The elements have specific directions and colors associated with them and can help a feng shui specialist balance and create harmony in a living or working space.  However, our focus continues to be balancing the health of a patient.  The additional characteristics of the elements that provide health care guidance will be discussed today.

FIRE

Season = SUMMER  Climate = HEAT

Orifice = TONGUE  Tissue = VASCULAR SYSTEM  Sense = SPEECH

Emotion = JOY

Yin Organ = HEART  Yang Organ = SMALL INTESTINE

EARTH

Season = LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL  Climate = DAMP

Orifice = MOUTH  Tissue = MUSCLES  Sense= TASTE

Emotion = WORRY

Yin Organ = SPLEEN  Yang Organ = STOMACH

METAL

Season = FALL  Climate = DRY

Orifice = NOSE  Tissue = SKIN/COAT  Sense = SMELL

Emotion = GRIEF

Yin Organ = LUNG  Yang Organ = LARGE INTESTINE

WATER

Season = WINTER  Climate = COLD

Orifice = EARS  Tissue = BONES  Sense - HEARING

Emotion = FEAR

Yin Organ = KIDNEY  Yang Organ = URINARY BLADDER

WOOD

Season = SPRING  Climate = WIND

Orifice = EYES  Tissue = TENDONS and LIGAMENTS  Sense = VISION

Emotion = ANGER

Yin Organ = LIVER  Yang Organ = GALL BLADDER

When There is Balance There Is Health

I have previously written about the five elements of  fire, earth, metal, water, and wood and how each support and control one another to maintain balance in nature.  Ancient Chinese practitioners took their observations of the natural world a step further by drawing correlations between the five elements and our own bodies.  Their understanding of health care was based on the concept that when there is balance there is health.  

To understand the support and control needed in our bodies to maintain balance each element was represented by two main organs in the body.  The two organs associated with each element are yin and yang partners. A yin organ is the dense, solid organ and the yang organ is the hollow organ.  Fire represents the heart (yin)  and the small intestines (yang).  Earth is attached to the spleen (yin) and the stomach (yang).  Metal is associated with the lung (yin) and large intestines (yang).  Water represents the kidneys (yin) and the urinary bladder (yang).  Wood is compared to the liver (yin) and the gall bladder (yang).



Five Element Theory

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCVM) is based not in controlling the cause and effect of disease but in balancing the body's natural ability to fight disease.  Ancient Chinese practitioners looked at the elements in nature and how the forces of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood supported and controlled each other. These observations gave rise to the Five Element Theory.

These five elements support one another creating harmony in nature.  Fire supports the earth by creating ashes and strengthening the soil.  Earth gives rise to mountains and rock creating metal.  The hard influence of metal creates rivers, lakes and oceans providing places in which water can dwell and flow.  Water feeds the trees and bushes supporting the element of wood.  Wood creates the fuel needed for fire to burn.

Just as these elements are supportive creating harmony in nature they must also control one another to maintain balance in nature.  Fire melts metal.  Metal can be used to chop up wood.  Trees fall to the ground and so wood blocks earth.  Earth builds up and creates dams that block and control water.  And water douses fire.