Harvest ‘Metal Energy’ to Improve Health
Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine
Elemental force can be harnessed to treat lung disorders
The swinging movement of a pendulum on a grandfather clock can be used to illustrate how metal interacts
with the other elemental energies. To understand this, it is useful to know that centrifugal force is the
expanding energy that makes rotating bodies move away from the center of rotation and centripetal force is
the contracting energy that makes rotating bodies move toward the center of rotation.
Stated in terms of the elemental energies, metal is the force that keeps the pendulum in motion, as it comes
into play at the point where the pendulum starts its swing back toward the center. Therefore, metal - and
water, the energy contained in an object's original state - is classified as part of centripetal force, wood
and fire, the expansive energies, are classified as part of centrifugal force.
Like the other five elemental energies, metal has many manifestations. Fall, the season in which dividing
energy is condensed - as the word "fall" literally indicates - is classified as metal.
In the summer, trees send nutrients to the leaves and branches. But in the fall they are stored in the
roots. This is why herbs harvested in the fall, like arrowroot (chik), are regarded to have an abundance of
nutrients and be more effective in treating diseases.
According to oriental philosophy, autumn symbolizes maturity and fruition. These two characteristics,
associated with hope and glory, are represented by "white." Therefore, autumn, maturity, fruition and white
all fall into the category of metal.
The sun, hanging in the middle of the sky during the day, starts to move west as it begins to set in the
evening. Accordingly, "west" and evening are classified as metal. On the contrary, morning and afternoon are
classified as "wood" and "fire," respectively.
The expanding energies present before evening are classified as "yang" and condensing energies which take
over between evening and dawn are "yin." If you experience insomnia, doctors of oriental medicine (OMD)
would classify your problem as an excess of yang energy. People with this condition are advised to eat herbs
and wild greens such as bracken or brake fern (gosari) or bellflower or Chinese balloon flower (toraji) to
reduce yang energy.
The lungs and large intestines, which play a major role in gathering energy in the body, are categorized as
metal. Among all the organs of the body, the lungs are categorized as the most important because they prevent the life force, or "chi", from slipping out of the body. People with lung dysfunction and those who have difficulty breathing should stick to a diet high in bracken and bellflower. OMDs also believe the lungs are greatly affected by the fall, so people with lung dysfunction should be extra careful during this season. Nuts, especially those harvested in the fall, like ginkgo (eunhaeng) and walnut, are considered excellent for those suffering from breathing problems such as asthma and excess phlegm. People with these disorders should eat 3-4 ginkgo nuts - cooked until they turn brown - as well as 2-3 walnuts a day. Orange peels also works well for people with breathing disorders. They are advised to make a tea with 10 grams of orange peel and 1 liter of water and drink it as often as possible. Because of its sweet flavor, this tea is especially good for children who don't like the taste of bitter medicine.
Lastly, hot, spicy flavors tend to condense the energy in the body. Because of this, red pepper, onion and
Welsh onion (pa) are commonly used by OMDs to cure or prevent breathing diseases. If you come down with a
cold, try bean sprout soup with powdered red pepper and onions. Eating this will induce sweating, and help
you to completely recover very quickly.
By Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine.
Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine is one of the largest integrative medical facility with 10
medical practitioners and it is a branch medical office of Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine,
which is the largest oriental medical hospital specializing in non surgical treatment of spine and
joint condition. Please visit our website for more info at