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).