Oriental Medicine and its philosophy play an important part in the work we do at The Haven. This is one of Jock McKeen’s great contributions, as this philosophy truly encompasses the holistic nature of who we are in our world.

The 5 Element Tradition of Chinese Medicine is a model of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual natures, recognizing that each of those aspects are inseparable. It also recognizes different 'flavors' of energy that move within us, commonly known as the acupuncture meridians.

You may have encountered Oriental Medicine in a Come Alive or other courses at The Haven, when you saw the leaders feeling a participant's pulses. By doing this, the leaders were reading the ‘flavors’ of their energy, adding to their understanding of the participant, all being helpful information to help in their process. You may also have seen us stimulate certain acupressure points on the participant's body via pressure, an acupuncture needle or electrical stimulator. All of these are ways to engage those energies, to assist the participant to move from being stuck, into a place of greater harmony within. Personal contact is a crucial part of this energy work and is an essential part of all we do at The Haven. 5 Element Philosophy can offer important insights into every aspect of our work with people, and into our own lives.

Here’s a bit on how it works. When we are fully alive, these energies work in harmony with one another, expressing who we are in all of our aspects. When we block or overly use only one aspect, we create disharmony or ‘dis’ease. Like a wheel with a spoke missing, this disharmony will show itself as a symptom or behavior, whether that is physical, mental, emotional or in our spirit. When we do bodywork, acupuncture, breathing or other therapeutic forms ... All of this is with the intent of restoring harmony. Often times that means going through blocked areas first that are full of feeling. So, Oriental Medicine helps us to see where we block ourselves and move through them.

Here’s an example. The Elements are divided into Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, with each having its own unique quality. Wood energy is springtime, with the vibrancy of our energy. It is our impetus to move, to create, to have a vision and plan. It is the direction we create and all the decisions that go into moving toward our dreams. Like a tree, this energy is strong and assertive, well rooted, and reaches upward to our greatest heights, wanting to shine and be fully alive.

When our Wood energy is not in harmony with the rest of us, we can see one of two possibilities. We express too much Wood or too little. What that looks like is this. When it is overly active in us, we are in constant planning mode, with lots of ideas that fly everywhere, thinking that we ‘must’ achieve these things, becoming aggressive in our attempts to make it happen. You might become pushy and arrogant, working very long hours and pushing yourself. After a time, you are easily irritated, easily angered if anyone gets in ‘your’ way as you become more rigid in body, tight in your diaphragm/tendons and develop symptoms such as GERD, tendonitis, liver dysfunction, gall bladder stones, migraines, etc. You are always reaching for the best, the brightest, the biggest, the most … I’m tired thinking about it.

On the other hand, if you were not expressing your Wood energy, the opposite may be seen. You might be too easy going or easily pushed around, don’t plan much as you don’t think you could ever achieve it, don’t have a sense of direction for your life. Since you have little vision of what you want, it is hard to make decisions, about anything. You get more lethargic, tired, moving into depression, with body aches, digestion problems and generally feeling lousy.

Both of these are Wood disharmonies. One is an over expression, the other, an under expression of those aspects of ourselves. This imbalance creates body symptoms, changes our thinking, our emotions are affected and so too is our spirit.

Each of the other Elements, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, have similar patterns. In brief, Fire is our expression of intimacy, love, joy, connection, excitement, of creating and compassion. Earth is our grounding in our body, our sense of home within us, our appreciation, our empathy and caring for ourselves and another, our stability. Metal is our strength of character, of valuing ourselves and others, our commitment to those values, being able to move with them and to let go when needed. Water is our connection with the deepest spiritual part of ourselves and each other, our essence. It is the mystery of life, our deep unconscious, the feeling of being part of something greater than ourselves, of the unknown, of faith.

We move through/with these energies within us, forming a circle of life ever unfolding, with our Shen, Heart Spirit, being our central guide. So why do we use Oriental Medicine Philosophy in our work at Haven? Because it beautifully expresses the depths of us and how to restore ourselves to the Harmony within. This fits perfectly with the overall purpose of learning at The Haven.