Taoism began to emerge in China between five and ten thousand years ago from the shamanic traditions they had long followed. As people have always done they sought to make sense of their place in the world, to understand nature and the part they had to play in it. Through observing the forces of nature at work they saw the endless cycle of transformation and developed these observations into an understanding of "wu hsing" - the five movements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

These are commonly called the "five elements", although they are not physical substances like the elements in chemistry, but represent cyclic movements. These elements interact with each other. For example, water encourages the growth of wood which, in turn, can become fuel for fire. And through a process of refining by fire, ore can be taken from the earth and transformed into metal. However these elements are not just seen in this literal sense, the principles underlying them can be seen at work in a much wider way. The element earth is receptive - seeds fall onto the soil, and as it nurtures them a new life is created. This same receptive characteristic can be seen in people as they take new ideas and - if the ideas fall on fertile ground - learn from them. There are many other things that have the qualities that are seen in this element of earth. And so it is with the other elements too. They can provide a way of seeing how things connect together.

            In people, as in the rest of nature, all of these elements have a part to play, and as they interact with each other change comes about. No two people are the same - some are more fiery whilst others are more practical and "grounded" - and the way people with these different characteristics relate to each other shows one way in which the elements interact. By noticing the dynamic of these elements in our characters and by getting them in balance, we can learn to stop struggling against ourselves and take part in the regeneration that keeps the natural world constantly growing and changing - in the cycle of life itself.

 This table shows a few of the characteristics of the elements:

When people are healthy, the internal energy flows around the organs in a cycle, helping each organ perform its own function. The organs in the cycle support each other and people remain emotionally balanced. But imbalances in these elements disrupt the cycle and can show themselves in different ways. If someone has damaged their liver, for example in alcoholism, they will tend to shout and become angry. Or people who are excessively joyful may be putting a strain on their heart.

The imbalances in one organ can put a strain on the other organs - the organs can draw too much energy from the previous organs in the cycle if they are weak, or fail to provide the organs later in the cycle with enough energy to function properly. So if imbalances are not addressed the whole system can be affected. For this reason the approach in traditional Chinese medicine is to look for the signs of imbalances and deal with them before the problems cause illness. An understanding of the five elements can help with this diagnosis. But as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Eating a healthy diet and practicing T'ai Chi helps to regulate the flow of energy around the body and so can help repair damage and keep the body healthy.