Taoism dates back to the time of the Yellow Emperor, approximately 5000 years ago. The word Tao can be translated in many ways: something like “the natural state of the way things are.” Master Mantak Chia speaks of “the Healing Tao:” as a universal force which can alleviate both disease and emotional suffering. So practicing in the Tao means to aim to be in attunement with the natural course of things, and so to be in a state of balance and equanimity. Living in accordance with the Tao is often represented by the metaphor of how water flows around a rock, rather than trying to break it by going into conflict.
At the heart of a life lived in alignment with the Tao is the practice of “Chi Kung,” which simply means “practicing with energy.” Chi refers to the basic life force, which runs in our own bodies as well as through the entire universe, and Kung translates as “cultivation through steady practice.”
Chi Kung practices aim to relax and dissipate blocked energy in the body and to increase fresh energy in such a way that it is flowing freely through the energetic pathways, or meridians. Chi is not just found in the body, it’s all around us. When you practice in the forest, or near a lake or the ocean, there’s a lot more fresh Chi available. Acupuncture uses thin needles to remove blocks in the meridians and to allow fresh Chi to flow, which can heal disease.
The Taoist practices of Chi Kung have been used consistently for thousands of years to promote better health, both physical and emotional. This happens primarily through recognizing that there are five elements which exist in nature, but also in our bodies. This is known as “five element theory.”
Earth
In nature, we walk on the earth. This element is associated in Taoist thought with the season of late summer. We can resonate with this element in the spleen, where it can be enlivened with fresh Chi in various ways. A healthy spleen full of fresh chi resonates with the color yellow, and has been understood as the seat in the body of emotions like trust and fairness. When the spleen gets depleted, or has too much stagnant energy, it can cause feelings of worry and distrust.
Metal
The lungs are associated in Taoism with metal, which the Taoists knew were buried in mountains. They came to discover that the lungs are associated with the energy of the fall, and that when the lungs are full of fresh, vibrant Chi, that energy is experienced as shining white or silver light, and then the lungs become the seat of integrity and the courage to tell the truth. When the lungs are depleted or stagnant, they can cause latent sadness and grief.
Water
The next element In Taoism and Chinese medicine is water: the ocean, lakes, streams and waterfalls. In the body this is associated with the kidneys and the color blue, like shining blue topaz. When the kidneys are full of the fresh, vibrant energy the ancient Taoists noticed that they become home in the body to feelings of tenderness, gentleness and peace. When you sit outside on your deck as the sun goes down, with a glass of Zinfandel or a cup of tea, and you feel overtaken by that feeling of peace, that everything’s all right, you are able to have that feeling because of healthy, balanced energy in the kidneys. When the kidneys are depleted or stagnant, they cause us to feel fear, stress and defensiveness.
Wood
The Taoists also recognize the quality of wood in nature, which doesn’t just mean trees, but all living growing things starting with the smaller shoot. Not surprisingly, it’s associated with the season of spring, when everything is coming alive and growing. We resonate with this element in the liver, and the color green like young barley shoots. The ancient Taoists discovered that when the liver is full of fresh, vibrant Chi, we experience feelings of generosity and giving, very much in the way that nature is overflowing with energy and exuberance in the spring. When the liver gets shut down with stagnant energy we may feel stuck in anger and frustration.
Fire
Finally, the Taoists recognized the element of fire, which we may experience when we burn wood, but we also experience it from the sun. Not surprisingly, they associated the fire element with the summer, when we feel the sun the most. They discovered that we resonate with the fire element in the heart, which is associated with the color red, like the color of ripe tomatoes. When the heart is vibrant and full of fresh Chi, we naturally experience appreciation, gratitude and joy. When it becomes stagnant or depleted, we can get caught in contempt, hatred and cruelty.
Discover for yourself
My partner in conscious relationship, Katherine Dessert, is a popular teacher of Taoist principles and a certified practitioner of Chi Nei Tsang. She encourages people to discover the qualities of the organs for themselves. In other words, rather than just learning from a book that the liver is associated with wood, has the color green, and the emotion of generosity, to discover it for yourself. I’ve invited her to guide you into a discovery of the qualities of these five elements, and you can listen to that guided meditation here [LINK], after you register your copy of the book. Although I thoroughly encourage you to make this a process of self discovery, I’ve also included a table to summarize the traditional Taoist understanding.
Use practices in relationship
As we start to recognize how these different elements and organs are associated with specific emotions, we can begin to see how working with directly with Chi could be so helpful in the aspiration for conscious relationship. Historically, the Taoist practices of Qigong has been used predominantly as a system to heal disease, to create health and longevity. That’s primarily what acupuncturists do with their needles: they are working entirely with these five elements and the meridians, or energetic pathways, which flow through the body. Some attention has also been paid to the impact on emotional health, but so far this has been viewed in an entirely subjective context. In other words, if you practice Chi Kung and fill your organs with fresh Chi, you may experience feelings of appreciation, gratitude, generosity, trust, etc. The practice of Chi Kung has also been used to transform Chi into Shen, which can allow us to experience states of spiritual connection. Little attention has been paid to the actualization or embodiment of these emotions in relationship.
I’ve been practicing Chi Kung pretty diligently for almost 40 years, and I’ve not seen Taoist principles applied to relationship very much, which is something I care about. That’s why I’ve decided to put this book together: because in my own life and working with clients, it seems like the perfect fit.
