Do you ever feel pain or discomfort in your joints? Or do you experience feelings of insecurity or a lack of confidence at times? Although these two challenges may seem unconnected, they’re both signs of a Water Element imbalance.
Like each of the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine, the Water Element plays an important role in your physical health, emotional well-being, and even your personality. When you understand the qualities that the Water Element offers, it becomes easier to channel its gifts to experience greater peace and harmony within yourself.
Because the Water Element is connected to the season of Winter, right now is the perfect time to harness its potent energy. In this blog, you’ll learn how the Water Element shows up in different parts of your being, as well as how to cultivate its positive qualities to improve your health and vitality.
The Water Element is connected to the Kidneys and Bladder. It also is related to the endocrine system, joints, and bones.
Your Kidneys are the main organ where Jing energy lives in your body. Jing is your physical essence, playing an important role in your physical and sexual vitality. Therefore, Water is strong, it’s easier to feel vigorous and full of life.
If your Water Element is out of balance, on the other hand, you may experience tiredness, fatigue, or reduced libido. Water imbalances can also lead to joint pain, especially in your lower back and knees.
Like each of the Five Elements, the Water Element is connected to both positive and negative emotional states. When your Water Element is balanced, it’s easier to experience the positive qualities it offers. When it is out of balance, the less pleasant qualities can seep up and cause unrest.
The positive emotional qualities of Water include tranquility, peace, and contentment. When the Water Element is balanced, you experience a relaxing feeling that everything is okay. This is also described as feeling in flow, or to be in a flow state. It’s that feeling of effortless grace that everyone loves.
When Water is out of balance, you may experience fear or insecurity. This can manifest as an underlying disease or a lack of confidence in work or relationships. Also, people who have a Water deficiency may also feel uncertain about their path and have difficulty making decisions. All of these feelings build on one another in ways that can be unpleasant and harmful. Fortunately, if you rebalance your Water Element, you can remedy these challenging emotional states.
Similar to how the Water Element manifests in your emotional states, it also influences aspects of your overall personality in both positive and negative ways.
People who are rich in Water Element generally have a strong will and are able to overcome great challenges. Typically, they do this not by brute force but by finding graceful paths to accomplish their goals, similar to how a river flows around boulders in a river.
Individuals who have a lot of Water are also often introverted and need plenty of alone time. They’re able to really listen to their own truths and not become overwhelmed by what others are telling them they should. They also prefer to spend time reading or reflecting as opposed to going out and socializing. For this reason, Water personalities often have a small group of close friends rather than a large community of acquaintances.
While being introverted has its benefits, Water personalities can sometimes lack confidence in social situations. This can make it difficult to find the motivation to connect with others, leading to a feeling of isolation. To combat this, Water personalities may need to push themselves a bit to build and maintain meaningful relationships.
Each Element is connected to a different season, and Water is connected to winter.
During winter, the world turns inward, which is exactly what the Water Element helps you to do. In nature, many animals find refuge in their winter borrows, and plants recluse until the following spring.
The ‘inwardness’ of Winter is necessary in order for the earth to replenish itself. In your own life, you can harness this wisdom to digest your experiences in order to find new insights and inspiration. While this process happens naturally, practicing Qi Gong can help you further cultivate and balance the gifts that each season and Element have to offer.
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