A patient of mine who I have determined to be a Wood Constitutional type asked; ”according to Five
Element theory what kind of life style changes would you recommend for me?”
What kind of exercises should I do and what kind of diet should I follow as a Wood element?
Moreover, what should I understand about the nature of the Wood Element to help me to relate to my body and mind in a healthier way.
To begin answering these questions, we need to understand that according to Chinese medicine, each organ has an emotional, mental, and spiritual function that does not always correspond with what western science understands to be its physical function. This is particularly well illustrated in the organs of the Wood Element, Liver and Gall Bladder.
The Wood Organs
The two organs that represent the function of the Wood Element are the Liver and Gall Bladder. (My teacher Professor Worsley of blessed memory refers to them as “Officials” to emphasize that we are talking about much more than just the physical organ.)
What Season is the Wood Element?
The season that is associated with the Wood Element is the spring. Like the spring, the energy of the Wood Element can be described as active, moving outward and upward. It is like the rebirth, renewal and growth in spring that follows the silence of winter.
People who are Wood elements can be described as busy as a bee and as unstoppable as sprouting seeds shooting upwards from the ground.
Liver and Gall Bladder
The Liver and Gall Bladder govern our ability to engage in purposeful and creative activities. The relationship between the Liver and Gall Bladder can be likened to the relationship between an architect and a builder.
The Liver
The Liver is the source of our creative vision (in Chinese medicine it is also related to the physical eye) and provides the “blueprint” for that which we wish to construct in our lives.
The Gall Bladder
The Gall Bladder is the source of the outward focused energy that we need for initiating, sustaining and completing a project. Directed, creative, goal oriented activity is what the Wood Element excels in.
Overactive Liver or Weak Gall Bladder?
They often come hand in hand. An overactive liver with a weak or under-active gall bladder would characterize a person whose is full of many grandiose plans and ideas but never seems to complete any of them. A person with weak liver energy and overactive gall bladder would be completely involved in frenetic activity, but without clear goals to as a guide; the main result would be chaos. Either case could easily lead to frustration, anger (the emotion associated with wood) and eventually depression (one of the main points for balancing energy or the Liver median is called “gate of hope”).
So a Wood Element person could be either angry, impatient, rigidly goal oriented and unable to slow down or unfocused, unproductive and unable to assert themselves.
Know yourself before making changes
Before I begin to make suggestions for a healthier lifestyle, I would like to emphasize one of my belief’s
about the optimal approach to healthcare and personal and spiritual growth. Our constitutional
endowment provides us with both our strength and weaknesses. In the case of Wood, one example would
be excelling in purposeful, goal oriented activity and the downside would be the tendency towards over
rigidity, impatience and an overly linear outlook on reality. The classic type A personality. It is essential,
in my opinion, for a person to optimally use the full potential of their strong points and challenge and
strengthen their weak points.
What workouts are recommended for the Wood Element individual?
As stated above the Wood Element thrives on directed, goal oriented activities.
Weightlifting, running, swimming, calisthenics are great; anything that keeps the energy directed and moving.
Wood elements love counting laps and measuring speed on the track or the pool, how many push ups or how much weight for bench-press. All these solitary and repetitive exercises which might not be of much interest for another CF are like bread and butter for the Wood CF. These kind of workouts are especially helpful for the Wood deficient Person who has trouble focusing and directing their energy.
In Chinese medicine Wood nourishes the sinews. All these activities when done safely and properly strengthen ligaments and tendons as well as the muscles. To balance the Wood person’s tendency to get too tight it is important to thoroughly strecth before each workout. Setting some time aside for some free form dance, the soft circular movements of Tai Chi, and the more flowing forms of Yoga are also important. They provide the balance needed for the Wood Person’s tendency to move fast, be overly tight, linear and impatient.
Wood Element Workouts
Any exercise that clearly directs energy outward and forward as most of those described above. Trapped,
stagnated and unexpressed energy is unhealthy for anyone but it is anathema for a Wood CF. For those
people who’s Wood is in excess this could lead to inappropriate expressions of anger For those with a
deficient nature, anger could be suppressed and turned inwards. In either case, using a punching bag or
some similar form of relief would be helpful. As stated above, for balance, a Wood CF should allow some
time for stretching, limbering, relaxing and less structured movements.
How should Wood types relate to their bodies?
In another article I noted that most people relate to their bodies only as a machine to accomplish their
desired goal. This unfortunate situation is even more pronounced in the Wood person whose approach to
life is often very businesslike and goal oriented. So even though it is extremely important for a Wood CF
to express their life’s vision through purposeful, creative activity; in order to maintain balance, it is
essential for them to set aside time for rest, quiet, and contemplation. This is expressed by the natural
cycle of the 5 Elements – Water nourishes Wood, just as Winter flows into spring.
What Foods should Wood types eat?
I often make dietary recommendations according to the Blood Type Diet, rather then a patient’s 5 Element constitution. While it is important for Wood types to eat enough protein to keep their energy high, it should be only the types of protein recommended for their blood type. One of the Liver’s main physical functions to is to detox the blood. Chemical residues, food additives, drugs or any foods that you are allergic or sensitive to can all put a strain on the liver. Fats and oils, especially refined, heated, and
hydrogenated can clog up the liver and gall bladder. Sour tastes nourish the Wood Element. Drinking a
mixture of cold pressed olive oil, and fresh squeezed lemon and grapefruit juice first thing in the morning
can help cleanse the liver and gall bladder. Wood types, because of their focus on doing and
accomplishing are more likely than other people to eat on the run. It is even more important for them to
sit and eat in a relaxed environment, chew thoroughly and ENJOY their food.
Other recommendations for Wood Types
We emphasized that a key attribute of the Wood Element is the ability for moving, doing, and creating.
We likened it to the energy of spring time. People with a Wood Constitution thrive whenever their lives
are filled with things to do and positive movement. However to keep in balance and from getting too
rigid and stressed out, they need to also include more quieter and less focused activities in their life. As I
stated above; the deep, still and quiet energy of Water is needed to nourish the full potential of the Wood
Element. For most other Organs in Chinese medicine their 2 hour slot on the Chinese clock is the most
advantageous time to fully engage in their functions. For example, it is best to eat the biggest meal of the
day between 7am and 9am when the Stomach official is most active. However, because of the active
nature of the Wood Officials, the times of the Liver and Gall Bladder should be best used for their rest and
restoration.
The time for the Gall Bladder is from 11:00 pm. to 1:00 am. and the Liver is from 1:00 am to 3:00 am.
Therefore it is essential for the Wood CF to start to wind down early and go to sleep by 11:00 pm.
