Water Element and Fear

𝓘𝓢 𝓘𝓣 𝓦𝓞𝓡𝓣𝓗 𝓣𝓐𝓚𝓘𝓝𝓖 𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓡𝓘𝓢𝓚?

We can sometimes feel confident that we can take Opportunities or Ideas and run with them right away. Other times we may well hesitate and ponder over the risks.

In Chinese Medicine, the Water Element is related to fear and safety. Some people are fearless and climb mountains or fight fires. Others are fearful of leaving the house or speaking in public. A normal person will have a rational level of fear. They will avoid fires, steep drops and poisonous or dangerous animals.

Everyone is on this spectrum from fearful to fearless.

We are constantly assessing the risk in different situations. Sometimes we will ask the question "Is it worth the risk?" As some Opportunities and Ideas can involve a certain amount of risk. If we are sensible we can take steps to mitigate these risks.

You might ask "Is this something that can change my entire life?" As we receive those opportunities or ideas we may feel conflicted about whether we should take the opportunities or not. We may well decide to play safe in our job or life. This is in opposition to the part of you that wants to take the risk and really change your life.

NLP has a method called parts integration that brings the conflicting parts of you that are stopping you to move forward in a particular situation into unity. This will allow you to move forward without conflict.

In TCM and Five-element acupuncture we can help normalise the fear by treating the Water Element

Scrambling through a stream in the Lake District

Harvest Festival Healing

Harvest Festival is a time when the crops have been gathered and people come together to celebrate the bountiful time. In terms of Chinese Medicine this time could be regarded as the time of the Earth element. It is a time when the harvesting of grains and fruits is taking place.

Above is an image representing the Shen cycle. This is a generative cycle. Each element feeds into the next.

The Chinese character for Earth is tu. The top horizontal line is the surface soil and the lower line earth below that. The vertical line represents plants that grow in the soil that are produced by the Earth.

Try out my free healing. To call it in just state your intention to receive the Harvest Festival Healing from Geoff. Use the picture to imagine a field full of corn. The corn is ripe and ready for eating.

Friends

My friend posing by a canal boat

I went for a walk by the canal with a friend of mine. We are both walk leaders for a meetup group called "Manchester Hiking." It was a sunny day and a pleasant stroll by the canal allowed us to have time to relax and unwind. Casual conversation with my friend allowed me to feel at ease. The pace of the walk changed with our mood. It started with a slow pace when we strolled through Dunham Park where there was wildlife to see and photograph. The deer are quite tame on the whole and they can come quite close to you. It increased as we moved onto the canal. We had a chance to sit by Lymm Damn and chat while we ate. Sharing problems allows us to feel heard. In Chinese Medicine the Fire element is what allows us to open up to other people and form relationships. We should open up appropriately. We shouldn't share the same personal information with the Postman as we would with a close friend.

Deer in Dunham Park

Damp

Chinese Medicine regards Damp as being like a soggy/muddy field. The sort of place that would be the perfect place to grow rice. In this country the moors are a similar environment. Heather grows and the moorlands and it suits grouse. One place I visit regularly that brings this to easily to mind is Derwent Edge in the Peak District (see pictures above).

Damp is characteristically sticky and difficult to get rid of. It is heavy and it slows thing down. It tends to settle in the lower parts of the body. It can refer to damp weather. Dampness can refer to living conditions, . such as a moldy bathroom or living on a canal boat or close to a river. Other factors that can cause damp include wearing damp clothes, sitting or working in damp conditions.

Grouse live on Moorland which is damp

Clothes can get damp when out walking

On Howden Edge

Fear and the Water Element

Fear is an emotion that is related to the Water Element in Chinese Medicine. The related channels are Kidney and Bladder. A normal amount of fear is good in that it stops us walking off cliffs or putting our hands in the fire. When fear is in excess we may feel anxiety and suffer from phobias. It can stop us from leading a normal productive life. We may see danger everywhere. It could be of an advantage in risk analysis. When fear is deficient we take crazy risks. These might involve driving at high speeds and being involved in extreme sports. It may manifest as adrenaline seeking behaviour and the failure to assess risks. We can overcome our fears by taking well thought out risks. This could involve scrambling in the mountains in fair weather.

Scrambling up Sharp Edge in the Lake District

Sharp Edge

Scrambling up to Crib Goch