Quinary… nourishes and balances the FIVE systems!
The importance of ‘Five’ in Chinese philosophy.
The Chinese teachings of colour as well as the number five are essential aspects to understanding the difference between Western and Chinese thinking on the laws of nature and how balance affects the quality of human life. These teachings begin with an explanation of the five elements and the five constitutions. For now, let’s touch on the first three.
The teaching begins with the concepts of Yin and Yang. Basically it means opposing or balancing forces:
- up and down
- right and left
- hot and cold
- negative and positive
- Nourish ‘In’ and Cleanse ‘Out’
Yin is ‘In’ and Yang is ‘Out’
We nourish ‘In’ so we have energy ‘Out’. Most western people now understand that we will not be healthy if we have poor nutrition. The Chinese also teach that without proper cleansing, your body is not balanced. A toxic body will affect the chi and the ability of the body to balance itself by not allowing the harmony necessary between yin and yang.
The most visual example of yin and yang is black and white. Black and white is extreme ends of the colour spectrum. The five-element theory really expands Yin and Yang into the spectrum of living colour. Colour adds dimension to the world and helps clarify what lies in between the extremes of Yin and Yang.
If we recognize the existence of a Yin and Yang outline of life’, then we can accept the further explanation of the five elements and the five colours as a ‘colouring in’ of the basic workings of life in general. We are not practitioners but the visual tools of the Chinese teaching can help any of us better understand our bodies. This is a concept we call the ‘Circle of the Quinary’.
‘Circle of the Quinary’ refers to the Chinese teaching of five elements, five systems and five colours as part of the life cycle. It is the interdependent nature of a circle which represents the total involvement of the five parts that makes this so clear. All five parts need each other to complete the circle of life. Independently none of the five elements or systems can maintain life. It is the state of balance among the five that is life. Balance is what truly determines the quality of life. Thus the ‘Circle of the Quinary’ is basic to the understanding of the Chinese philosophy of balance or regeneration.
The Chinese teach that the five systems of the body correspond to the five elements of the world: Wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
These elements are part of all forms of life. The five elements govern the five major systems of the body. They correspond as follows:
- Wood to Defence
- Fire to Endocrine
- Earth to Digestive
- Metal to Respiratory
- Water to Circulatory
They also believe that there is a natural flow or balance needed among the elements. The flow is:
- Wood produces Fire
- Fire produces Earth
- Earth nourishes Metal
- Metal produces Water
- Water nourishes Wood
This is a basic explanation of the interdependency of the organs and systems.
The Chinese also believe that there is a law of production and control. For example it says that the liver controls the stomach, wood controlling earth. This sets the pattern for the relationship among the systems. This is another explanation for interdependency and a concrete view of the ‘Circle of the Quinary’. This control or interdependency can go beyond one organ controlling or affecting another. It is a play or relation ship existing at the core of the balance principle. Balance is really dictated by the quality and consistency of nourishment and cleansing. This happens in the body when the body is fed the proper combination of foods.
The traditional Chinese philosophy does not look to Western science, rather it looks to nature.
They have a philosophy referred to as Tao: The World is a single Wholeness.
They then follow a logic that life is a magnetic interplay referred to as Yin and Yang. Opposites are good examples, up and down, dryness and wetness, heat and cold, in and out. There is a relationship between these pairs, as there is a relationship with all living processes.
Western thinking is to diagnose, cure and heal.
Chinese thinking is simple: Health is the result of proper balancing.
The body is capable of restoring balance if it is nourished correctly with food, exercise and air..
The explanation also goes to colours. Each organ related to a colour.
- Stomach (earth) is yellow
- Kidney (water) is black
- Lungs (metal) is White
- Liver (Wood) is Green
- Heart (Fire) is Red
The Chinese philosophy allows us to see the value of a variety of colourful foods. Western teaching suggests that we eat 5 to 7 portions of fruits and vegetables a day. Think of the colour involved! How does this compare to the foods with the fewest colours, for example, animal products? Recently the United States Department of Agriculture released the food pyramid, its chart for explaining proper eating habits. The food pyramid has the colourful foods at the base, signifying greatest importance. These are the fruits, vegetables and grains. They are to be eaten in the greatest quantities. What is more colourful than fruits, vegetables and grains as well as herbs?
Interestingly enough, in the past 5 years the scientific community has taught us that bioflavanoids are key factor of life. There are over 20,000 in our food supply. They are found in the bark, stems, seeds, skin and roots of plants. They are prevalent in the most colourful plants. If we can accept that colours relate to organs and that organs are interdependent upon each other, especially for the systems to be balanced, then you have a basic understanding of the ‘Circle of the quinary’. The Western scientific community simply verifies what the Chinese have taught for thousands of years.
If you draw five circles that do not touch or overlap, they can be said to be independent of each other. If the circles are drawn to overlap, then their roles take on a new dimension, one that is more complex. Our body is certainly complex. All life is certainly complex. This is the reason science has been unable to produce it and has been unable to explain it at all levels. Science can control and explain reproduction, certain energy transfers and even have a great understanding about digestion, but when overlapping factors like stress and pollution and even genetics and environment are introduced into the question, science has difficulty proving or explaining the activity. Thos factors that affect life are more complicated than five independent circles.
Western scientific thinking starts with the idea that everything can be proven for its value and existence.
They test to prove its value or worth. They do not accept a principle as a law unless it can pass tests, maybe even double blind studies.
Chinese teachings are principles, which point out the need for flexibility in thinking and basic respect for the complexity and multi-dimensional nature of life. From this point forward, never think of an organ or a system as working independently but rather interdependently.
Interdependent systems and organs of the body reinforce the notice that we are what we eat and how we live. Factors such as stress and poor diet can affect all parts of the body in an almost even pattern of destruction, just as relaxation and eating of whole foods can regenerate.
We can develop a basic understanding of how it always works together, if we learn from the simple teaching of the Chinese. This can help us to develop an appreciation for life so we can honour and respect it as we should.
The Chinese teaching does not reply on scientific discoveries such as protein, carbohydrates or bio-flavanoids. These recent western scientific discoveries are better understood by the scientific community. They are confused and often oversimplified by the non scientific, lay community. Repairing a diseased body, for example, needs to remain with the qualified professional. The lay person’s role is to maintain the quality of life received at birth.
This can be facilitated by the basic understanding of life referred to as the ‘Circle of the Quinary’.
To improve the understanding of life is really to appreciate the complexity. Memorizing the systems, elements and colours as well as how they are interdependent is not our purpose. One can appreciate fine art without being able to copy the technique. Waste less time on the detail and spend more time appreciating the beauty, then you will see the need for better maintenance of your body.
Quinary feeds the 5 systems to promote balance, synergy, harmony and communication among the 5 major systems of the body.
Circulatory | Respiratory | Immune | Endocrine | Digestive
When these systems are properly nourished they work together synergistically, effectively communicating with one another to carry out a variety of essential bodily functions in harmony.
Circulatory system – L.S. (Lifestream)
Nourishes functions associated with the fluid-related processes of the body, including general circulation.
Signs of imbalance: high or low blood pressure, heart problems, cold hands and feet, easy bruising, slow healing, high cholesterol, poor eye-sight, varicose veins
Respiratory System – Conco
Nourishes functions associated with respiration and breathing
Signs of imbalance: tendency towards flu or colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus headaches, chronic congestion, asthma
Immune System – Alpha 20
Nourishes functions associated with the body’s resistance or capacity for immunity
Signs of imbalance: include persistent infections, colds, flu, painful or swollen glands, allergies, growth-like tumors, warts, cysts. Cancer, chronic fatigue, yeast problems, cold sores
Endocrine System – PA (Prime Again)
Nourishes functions associated with activity and performance, including activities of communication and integration associated with the endocrine and nervous systems.
Signs of imbalance: sore or weak muscles, premature grey, Hair loss, depression or mood swings, infertility, hypertension, PMS, weak sexual response, tendency toward allergic reactions, muscle weakness, unsteadiness, nervous emotional instability, menstrual and premenstrual discomfort and menopause problems, Muscle and nerve problems such as MS, MD, Parkinsons
Digestive System – A.D. (Assimilaid)
Nourishes functions associated with the digestion and assimilation of food.
Signs of imbalance: stomach discomfort, diarrhea, slow digestion, constipation, vomiting, nausea, gas, indigestion, ulcers, stomach distension, bloating, hiatus hernia, crohn’s disease, colitis
Recommendations:
- Have quinary capsules with water
- Have Quinary powder with Nuplus and a few drops of Suncare
- Have Quinary powder with Calli Tea or Fortune Delight Tea
Features:
Sunrider’s Quinary contains over 40 herb foods synergistically combined. The word ‘Quinary’ means consisting of five things or parts. Quinary consists of five unique herbal formulations designed to help nourish and strengthen the body’s five major systems and improve communication among them. It contains more than 40 concentrated herbs and extracts which together promote balance, synergy, harmony and communication among the major systems of the body.
Available in caps or powder in 3 convenient sizes:
100 caps/bottle
10/5 g packs
60/5 g packs
Contains:
Chinese White Flower, Scutellaria Herb, Dandelion Root, Gouteng, Licorice Root, Tora Seed, Mint Herb, Paris Herb, Fennel Seed, Cinnamon Bark, Poria (Mushroom Powder), Chinese Yam, Ginger Root, Sophora Flower, Barrenwort Herb, Chuan Xiong Root, Mongoliavine Root, Fang Feng Root, Ginseng Root, Honeysuckle Flower(Silver Flower), Yeuan Wu Root, Chyrsanthemum Flower, Dispace Root, Angelica Root, Alpina Gnger Root, Angelica Centis Root, Leek Seed, Balloon Flower Root, Bamboo Leaf, Dwarf Lilyturf Root, Papermulberry Seed, Senega Root, Imperate Root, Forty-Knot Root, Reed Root, Rhubarb Root, Broomrape Herb, Chinese Catnip, Asias Herb, Bai-Zhu Root, Eucommia Bark, Morinda Root
