Nourishing Life: Embodying the Five Phases of Chinese Medicine

Our bodies reflect the natural world. The Five Phases of Chinese medicine (wu xing 五行) mirror our inner and outer terrain, reflecting our bodies, seasons, life cycles, and more. Embody the Five Phases through movement, art, and nature. Experience how the Five Phases manifest within and around you. Personalize your Nourishing Life (yang sheng 養生) practices, adapt to changing seasonal rhythms, and come home to the wild beauty of your inner radiance.

Practice yoga asana, intuitive movement, creative expression, and nature connection with the Five Phase archetypes of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. This is a welcoming introductory course particularly suited for newcomers to Chinese medicine and also experienced practitioners seeking to deepen their practice.

We’ll begin with an overview of the Five Phases, focus on one phase each session, then refine our Nourishing Life practices. With each phase, we will:

• Move — practice yoga asana and intuitive movement to experience the phases by aligning body, breath, and Spirit. 
• Create — explore journaling, drawing, and other expressive arts to integrate our understanding. 
• Immerse — identify the phases within ourselves and in nature, recognize imbalance, and learn lifestyle medicine tools for restoring dynamic equilibrium. 
• Connect — explore the Esalen landscape with nature connection activities to welcome direct insights from the Five Phases in their natural splendor.

As the world shifts and shapes us, we can choose how we dance with our inherent gifts and challenges. Observe the Five Phases within and around you to honor your limits, embody your highest potential, and transform your greatest weaknesses into your greatest strengths.