Earth Element
Humans stand between Heaven and Earth, so our heads can take in the knowledge and energy of the heavens and our feet on the earth, so we can take in the energy of the earth grounding and stabilising us.
The element Earth is represented by the spleen and stomach. These 2 organs are best understood to do the transportation and transformation of all that goes into your mouth and mind. The hour of the stomach is 7am – 9am and the spleen 9 am – 11 am.
This is known as the harvest time of the year, so a time to gather and prepare to store the grains and fruits that have been produced over the summer. If the Earth element is struggling to transform food, a person may feel tired and suffer many physical symptoms, such as poor concentration – the ability to remember things (short term).
Yellow is the colour of the Earth element; it is associated with the soil. The sound is singing, so an earth type person will have a sing song sound in their speech, they have a fragrant smell and when out of balance may feel nausea when around pungent aromas.
EMOTIONS OF EARTH
When the Earth element is imbalanced, we may worry or have excessive mental agitation, lack of concentration or memory loss. We may feel needy, compulsive toward food or attention, seeking sympathy or entertainment. Indicators of imbalance in Earth include exhaustion, loss of appetite, poor digestion or loose stools and diarrhea, easy bruising, excess menstrual flow or other bleeding disorders.
Sense organ of Earth
The Earth organs ie Stomach and Spleen are responsible for the building and maintenance of the whole body. The organ tissues associated with the Earth are muscle, fat, and connective tissue. The Spleen helps generate blood, keeps it in the vessels, and generates white blood cells in bone marrow, which supports the immune system.
Spleen transforms nutrients and transports moisture; it controls the lymphatic system. Swollen legs, edema, poor lymphatic drainage, fatty tumors, and obesity all relate to poor transportation and transformation functions of the Spleen. The quality and function of your muscles and skin tone/flesh depend on the energy of the Earth element. If you have poor muscle tissue, this can indicate that the Earth element is weak. Cellulite is another reflection on how well the transformation and transportation of the Earth/ digestive system is working. If one wants to improve the lymphatic system and general circulation, try massage and dry skin brushing.
The mouth and taste sensory are associated with this element also. So if your sense of taste is not so keen, you may also experience difficulties with your digestion. The shape and colour of your lips are a reflection of how well your earth element is doing as well. The taste associated with Earth is sweet – not sugar or chocolate – a more subtle flavour, think of rice, carrot, chicken, sweet potato and pumpkin incorporate these foods in a healthy balanced diet, one doesn’t really have cravings for chocolate. Developing a balanced food intake is one of the most important methods to maintain a balanced Earth element.
A diet low in fat, high in whole grains, vegetables and fruits is easiest for the body to transform. Meat sources should be good quality, with small portions so as not to generate Phlegm. Taking time to eat, in a tranquil non-stressed way avoids ulcers, and digestive problems.
One of the quickest ways to rebuild Stomach and Spleen Qi is to do some of the work for your stomach. Soups and stews are kinder on your digestion than raw cold foods. It takes less digestive fire to eat soup than salad.