The Way of the Five Elements: 52 Weeks of Powerful Acupoints for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Health

by John Kirkwood

With its practical and immensely readable introduction to the nature and self-help uses of a key acupoint for each week of the year, this book is a gateway to the mysterious world of Chinese medical thought. The author journeys through the seasons of the year, and the five elements that make up the Chinese universe, looking at the physical, emotional and spiritual associations of the most useful acupoints associated with each element. Exploring the deeper meaning of the name, function, and healing use of each acupoint, he shows how to use the acupoint in real life, and explains its practical benefits for the reader, which vary from sharpening a sense of smell, avoiding jetlag, curing a headache, to improving a good sense of humour. With descriptions and images that capture the spirit of each element,and photographs of the point locations, this book will be a delight to anyone interested in a different view of the body and its deeper health, as well as students and practitioners of Chinese medicine looking for poetic and imaginative understanding of the five elements, and the key acupoints of each.

Genres: Health

312 pages, Paperback

First published November 21, 2015

Reviews

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of a Yin Yoga Teaching Training. Lots of great content. How to put into practice not quite covered eg ‘52 weeks’ appears only on the cover, there’s no weekly guide within the text. Which is appropriate, just a misleading cover.

[Lucie Paris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing and very interesting!

To be honest it was out of pure curiosity that I have requested this book. Mostly because of the tittle and the summary. I was intrigued.
Maybe a little too complex for someone who was just curious and not really into the element and acupoints but I really have spent a great moment with this book.

You learn about the elements associated with seasons, colors, smells and energy in your body. It's very well written and I have learned a lot.

An interesting read if you want to see your surroundings differently!

Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr...

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Netgalley for a review:

First off, I really appreciated how this book has the various acupoints very clearly labeled. A lot of books on traditional Chinese medicine either describe where they are located or use a more traditional meridian map with the points labeled, however this book has pictures of the place on the body with a large blue dot very clearly signaling where the point is.

That note aside, this book is quite good, an excellent guide to using the elements as a guideline for health improvements. I will probably add this book to my collection.