Water is the first element on the wheel of life and also the last. Water is the turning point, it is the beginning and the end; conception, birth, life and death. Without Water there is no movement, Water lubricates in the body, the consciousness, the instinctual responses, the biochemical intelligence of the endocrine system, reproduction and the knowing or our bones. The emotion Fear is related to the Water element this can give you drive to move forward or freeze you to the spot. When the Water element is out of balance, people can continually push themselves to the point of total exhaustion or have no initiative at all. They use chemical stimulants, emotional excitement, ambition and desire to move themselves forward. 

The Water Element energy (Qi) has been pushed to extremes with COVID-19 with many people working all hours to keep the country going, in the health service, government, postal services, the forces, shop workers and many more the keep the cogs of society going. Many parents having been struggling at home with no childcare and family support. Working and caring for children and teenagers at home needing schooling and caring for, bringing many parents to exhaustion and despair. Fear is rising as lockdown reduces, we need to keep safe and be strong to deal with the outside world. The Water Element’s Qi can give us the power to move forward.

Lockdown stopped Yang expanding in Springtime, stagnating our Qi and natural rhythms, which may have caused the emotion of Water Fear to raise. Before you read on please check out the Five Element Personalities page on my website, and you will have an understanding when reading the rest of this blog and how it relates to you! https://www.southwellacupuncture.co.uk/acupuncture-five-elements/

The Element Water and its Spirit Zhi can manifest in many ways:

• Power 
• Aligned Will, 
• Courage & Wisdom
• Memory
• Lack of focus to complete tasks 
• Fear
• Anxiety 
• Lack of will power 
• Over-controlling personality
• Inability to face obstacles in life 
• Depression 
• Lack of initiative and motivation
• Emotional despair Psycho/spiritual paralysis 
• Unable to find the inner hero 

Signs that can come from stagnation and imbalance in the Water Element can be:

• Insomnia
• Lack of Drive/ Motivation/ Initiative
• Hormonal disharmony 
• High or low blood pressure 
• Hyper/hypo thyroid 
• Backache
• Memory disturbances 
• Fatigue and hyperactivity 
• Addictive patterns
• Cold/hot hands and feet 
• Chronic fatigue
• Collapse of nervous system 
• Burnout

If you recognise any of these feelings and signs your Water Element, may be out of balance activities that can help can be:

• Nourishing foods without too much salt
• Good rest and peaceful sleep
• Calming exercise; tai chi and qi gong, yin yoga, walking meditation
• Not over exercising 
• Avoid excess thinking, working and desires
• Appropriate time each day to do nothing 
• Giving yourself time to be still
• Spend time with water, in every way and most especially in nature
• Foot massage and footbaths
• Opening yourself to Hope 

With the Five Element system every individual has a Gaudian Element or Causative Factor as you have read about on personality page on the website. The Five Elements of Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood. Each element has a connection to natures time of year, you’re Spirit, emotions and much more. This affects how a person may have responded to lockdown. We all have every element within us so you may relate to each element, though one will resonate more with you. 

Southwell Acupuncture Clinic now open to patients with PPE and disinfecting between patients as Lockdown passes – see blog .https://www.southwellacupuncture.co.uk/blog/2020/06/30/return-to-full-practice-with-care/ so please get in touch and arrange to come for acupuncture treatment to help you become balanced and well as we find our way back into normality.

For information and treatment contact Hannah on: https://www.southwellacupuncture.co.uk/contact/

Thank you for inspiration for this Blog from Anastacia White. 

ps – More about Wood (19^th June) Fire (25^th June) Earth (3^rd July) Metal (9^th July) looking at the emotions: Joy, Anger, Worry, Grief and Fear.