East Asian Medicine (EAM) uses many different methods of diagnosing and treating patients. One of these is the observation of colors and what they are related to in EAM. This is part of a system known as the Five Elements Theory. By using the Five Elements Theory, we are able to make color associations that are linked to both physical and emotional characteristics in every patient.
The Five Elements Theory recognizes specific colors that are connected to how a person appears physically, as well as how they present emotionally. The five main colors are green, red, yellow, white and black. Each color is connected to a season, an organ system and specific emotions. Let’s break it down.
1. Green – The beginning of the year and the beginning of the color cycle is spring and the color green. As new plant growth bursts forth in the springtime, there is green as far as the eye can see. Green is the color associated with the liver in EAM and the liver is the organ associated with spring. Its partner in EAM is the gall bladder. The gall bladder and its product, bile, are seen as green in medical texts. This is not coincidence but ancient observation linking the nature we see to our own physical nature. The emotions associated with green / the liver are anger, frustration and irritability.
2. Red – Red, the fire element, represents the heart in EAM. Fire is associated with strength, power and volatility. And the same can be said for the heart organ and emotion. Red is the strongest of all the colors in evoking emotion. The emotions associated with red / the heart are joy, excitement and passion.
3. Yellow – Next we come to the spleen organ system, the digestive system in Western medicine, which represents the earth element and the color yellow. Yellow is an earth tone and the earth represents stability. Diagnosing and treating through the digestive system is arguably the most important aspect of treatment in EAM. Maintaining the health of the digestive system and keeping it grounded and stable is the key to good health. We are what we eat and what we eat determines how we digest. The emotions associated with yellow / the spleen are worry, overthinking and sympathy.
4. White – White, the combination of all colors, is associated with metal. White is close to the color silver and the color of metal objects like knives, coins and swords. The metal element is represented by the lungs and large intestine, partners to our immune system. The emotions associated with white / the lungs are grief and sadness.
5. Black – The final color on the Five Element chart belongs to the water element and it is the color black. This element is represented by the kidneys and it’s the deepest organ system, found in the darkest part of the year, winter. EAM works from the belief that all of our traits and genetics are stored in the kidneys. The emotions associated with black / the kidneys are fear, shock and anxiety.
Understanding the connections between color and the body’s systems and emotional characteristics is helpful in diagnosing patients. Applying the Five Element Theory may help in narrowing down a diagnosis when the patient shows a variety of signs and symptoms.
For example, when a patient says that they “saw red” and felt their face turning red with anger, it’s an indication that they were so angry and frustrated that their blood pressure may have spiked causing their face to flush. In this case, using acupuncture points along heart meridian can help to balance everything and bring the patient back into homeostasis.
If a patient has liver problems, like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, it can sometimes present as a greenish hue in the skin itself. This abnormal skin coloration may be a result of blood not being cleansed properly because the liver is overworked trying to filter an excess of waste products. The liver is not able to function at its maximum capacity and the body’s waste disposal system is clogged or backed up. Therefore, focusing on acupuncture points along the liver and gallbladder meridians would be very beneficial.
Nutritional balancing and working through emotional issues can also benefit the patient through the use of the Five Element Theory. Red cherries help the heart tonify the blood and reduce inflammation by carrying away free radicals from the circulatory system via the blood. So recommending tart cherry juice to a patient with knee pain for its anti-inflammatory effects might be a helpful addition to their diet. When patients are suffering with allergies or a cold, recommending white foods like garlic, onions and cauliflower can be beneficial in helping reduce the symptoms.
Color is integral to the most fundamental aspects of our lives. So the next time you’re feeling “green with envy” or you choose a specific color shirt over another, consider what it might be indicating in your life. There’s more to color than meets the eye.