Most people only look at genetic influences, lifestyle and natural cell aging to predict how they might age. But energy medicine, in particular, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), recognizes additional factors of an energetic nature for insights on aging. When you understand energetic influences specific to you, you can better anticipate the likely trajectory of your aging process.
This email has been updated for freshness and comprehensiveness on March 23, 2024.
The Five Phase Theory provides the framework for understanding our natural phases of life.
Traditional Chinese medicine’s basic tenet, the Five Element Theory, is also called the Five Phases Theory. There is a distinct reason for this. TCM recognizes that, barring a premature and mortal disease or accident, we move through five phases of life from birth to death.
Each of the five energies or elements of TCM exerts its own particular influence on a corresponding phase of life. The five phases of traditional Chinese medicine are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
The ancient Chinese identified each phase of life as approximately 15 years long. They based this calculation on an average lifespan of seventy five years. But in modern times people are beginning to live much longer. This is why we typically add from three to five years to each phase of life today.
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We also consider the energetic effects we experience from January to December of every year.
Each of the year’s five energetic seasons corresponds to one of the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine.
The unique energies of each season along with its particular climatic effects also affect us. These effects influence our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
Additionally, the moment of our birth—the hour, day, month and year—also influence our aging process. With specific energies embodied in those moments they combine to create our individual energetic biorhythm. One of the five elements becomes the dominant energy of each person.
The Wood element harmonizes with the first phase of life.
The first phase of life begins at birth and lasts until age 15 or slightly older. This is the Wood phase of life.
Youth associates with the energy of Wood. A burst of dynamic sprouting yang energy drives the growth of the body. During this youthful Wood phase, vital energy is very alive and needs to be directed.
Skin is likely to reflect the Wood skin condition during this phase of life. Excessive oiliness, blackheads and out-of-control vital energy flow describe the Wood condition. Using products from PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Wood line will help balance those conditions.
As we know, children experience intense growth during the Wood phase of life. Still learning and growing, they sometimes lack confidence while they process knowledge about the world and themselves. They also tend to feel frustrated, anxious, restless and angry. It’s easy to feel restless considering all the energy surging through their young bodies.
PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Wood line of skincare does more than balance oily skin and vital energy flow. It also helps bring emotions to balance. Wood products will help you balance anger, frustration and lack of confidence. They’ll assist you to have a greater sense of self-confidence and a kinder affect.
If Wood is your dominant energy you have a Wood biorhythm. This means you’ll likely tend to express some degree of Wood conditions through the rest of your life. Eventually, if you’re not a Wood type you’ll grow out of Wood conditions for the most part.
To learn more about the Wood type, read our article, Describing the Wood Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine here.
The Fire element harmonizes with the second phase of life.
The next fifteen-year phase of life from age 15+ to age 30+ is the Fire phase. During this time we become young adults. We continue our natural quest to acquire life skills and build our lives.
In the previous phase, vital energy circulation was dominant. Now it’s our red blood circulation that often needs balance and support.
Out of balance blood flow creates hot, sensitive, blotchy allergic skin during this phase of life. Using products from PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Fire line will help balance those skin conditions.
During young adulthood and the Fire phase of life, we’re building a life as we prepare to leave our family units. We encounter many stresses as we get educated, trained, find work and build relationships. It’s also the time when we discover pleasures of life we couldn’t experience as children.
Both stresses and pleasures can knock our emotions out of balance as we strive to find our balance. Now is when we’re more likely to experience the extremes of Fire’s emotion of joy. We may express the extremes as joylessness or over-the-top expressions of joy.
Joy-in-balance is the balanced emotion of the Fire element and what we should strive for. PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Fire line of skincare does more than balance sensitive skin conditions. It also helps bring emotions to balance. Fire products will help you balance a lack or overabundance of joy. The Fire line helps you achieve just the right expression of joy for joy-in-balance.
If Fire is your dominant energy you have a Fire biorhythm. This means you’ll probably experience Fire conditions more than other conditions through the rest of your life.
If you’re not a Fire type chances are high you’ll eventually grow out of the Fire skin and emotional conditions.
To learn more about the Fire type, read our article, Describing the Fire Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine here.
The Earth element harmonizes with the third phase of life.
Earth is the next phase of the more mature adult aged approximately 30+ or older to 45+.
During this phase, we’ve established families and nurturing family and friend relationships is important to us.
We’re busier than ever with family, home, friends and career. Life can be rigorous and demanding and our skin might respond by becoming toxic. Enlarged pores, acne and blemishes may show up in skin because our lymph flow might become sluggish.
Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells that bathe our tissues. Balanced lymph flow drains waste through its system of capillaries and vessels into the bloodstream. Less toxic skin means our lymphatic system is flushing toxins.
Using products from PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Earth line will help balance toxic skin conditions and support lymph flow.
It’s admirable to care for our relationships and others as many of us do during this phase. But we can easily get caught up in over-caretaking. If we try to be all things to all people we start to go into overwhelm. And this emotion will spill into other aspects of our lives. It can keep us from finishing projects and stagnate our creative expression. But these emotions can be brought back to balance.
PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Earth line of skincare does more than balance skin conditions. It works on the level of emotion as well. This means that if you feel in over your head overdoing and over-caretaking, the Earth line can help you come back to center. You’ll be able to clear out the chaos and finish unfinished projects. Your creativity will bubble to the surface once again and you’ll start feeling more free to express it.
If Earth is your dominant energy you have an Earth biorhythm. This means you’ll probably experience Earth conditions more than the other four of the five conditions through the rest of your life.
If you’re not an Earth type you’ll most probably grow out of the Earth skin and emotional conditions.
To learn more about the Earth type, read our article, The Earth Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance here.
It is only a matter of time before we all experience some degree of the elements that mark the most visible phases of the aging process, namely, Metal in our fifties and Water in our sixties and beyond.
The Metal element harmonizes with the fourth phase of life.
Metal, the fourth phase of life begins somewhere around age 45+ and lasts to roughly age 60+. Well established adults, we're now better equipped to meet life where it is. We’re more able to focus on what’s important including a greater awareness of our true self.
We lose important age-mitigating minerals in our skin during the Metal phase of life. We also might start noticing blue blood circulation issues. Typical skin conditions include surface dryness and flakiness, congested dull lifeless skin and more visible veins, particularly on our legs.
Using products from PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Metal line will help balance these skin conditions.
Many people tend to grief and sadness during the Metal phase of life. These negative emotions can be balanced creating a sense of contentment and a sense that all is well.
In addition to balancing Metal’s skin conditions, the quantum energetic Metal line works on the level of emotion. This means that if you’re plagued with feelings of grief, regret and sadness, the line will help bring you back to a more even emotional state. It will help you achieve that sense that all is well.
If Metal is your dominant energy you have a Metal biorhythm. his means you’ll probably experience Metal conditions more than any of the other five conditions through the rest of your life.
To learn more about the Metal type, read our article, The Metal Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine here.
The Water element harmonizes with the fifth phase of life.
Water, the energy of Winter, is the fifth and last of the five phases of life (after sixty+ years of age). Rich with wisdom from life experience, people in balance with the Water element are more than wise. They’re sages.
The Water phase of life influences body shape and skin condition. During this phase, the body's water circulation tends to be out of balance. Dehydration increases and causes loss of skin tone, collagen and elasticity. Loss of skin tone amplifies the appearance of wrinkles. The body begins to stiffen.
The quantum energetic Water line can help balance these skin conditions. It also works on the level of emotion.
The out of balance emotion of the Water energy during this phase of life is fear. When this emotion is brought to balance by the products from the Water line, we’re more able to face our fears and thus achieve a state of zenitude.
If Water is your dominant energy you have a Water biorhythm. This means you’ll probably experience Water conditions more than the other conditions through the rest of your life.
To learn more about the Water type, read our article, The Water Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance here.
Many factors determine how we age:
the energetic influences of our biorhythm according to the time of our birth;
how we respond to the effect of each yearly and seasonal energies and their climatic effects;
our lifestyle and how we manage our emotions;
how we live through each fifteen year+ phase of life.
All these factors influence and affect our health, body shape, skin conditions and emotions.
Your age will show you where you stand on the cycle of the five phases of life. The energies of each phase will point to the symptoms of aging you might be likely to experience as you age.
You can, however, anticipate and even mitigate many likely skin conditions and emotional imbalances. Do this by understanding the energetic influences in your current phase of life and bring them to balance now to your best ability. Then look at the potentials you’re likely to experience in the next fifteen+ year cycle. By being proactive now, you can slow and lessen many conditions others endure in advanced phases of life.