By Titanya Monique Dahlin

I’ve always been “a child at heart and of wonder”!  I was also always a late bloomer, being the youngest kid in my class…almost a year younger than all the other kids.   From the very first day of school (Kindergarten), life felt difficult.  Perhaps it was the way the school system grouped us together stifling our individuality like we were little soldiers…teaching us as if we were all the same.  I have always resonated with nature, lost in my dreamy imagination and the unseen realms and so the rigidity of the classroom with their rules and regulations made me confused and joy-less in school.

As school went on, I lost my childlike freedoms and found myself every day after school, throwing up behind the fence of the playground.  One day, my mom found me.  Of course she was very worried and went to the teachers to ask what could be wrong. They told her that “Tanya is such a good little girl,”… that I never caused any problems, and that I never talked.  Bingo!  My Mother realized that I had gone silent in a world that didn’t meet my individuality or learning style needs.

I never had a school which focused on the child’s unique qualities, such as Waldorf or Montessori schools when I was growing up.  I found them much later in life, and now I am a certified Waldorf teacher. Through elementary and junior high, I was shy and silent and escaped to my world of art and imagination. I developed a speech impediment, and had to take special classes.  I had dyslexia and dyscalculia (difficulty with numbers and spatial problems) and was in the “slow kids” classes.  I hated P.E. and one of the reasons was that I wasn’t a competitor. Some of you can commiserate, I was always the last person chosen for sports teams in school.  Recalling these moments of my youth, can still make my triple warmer freak out!  How I loved coming home to the safety of my room!  I would put on my loud music and dance away the stress. I pretended that I was popular and I would sing and dance for my dolls, as if I were on Broadway.

In the early 1970’s there was not a lot of help for children with learning difficulties and most students were put into the category termed “The Slow Kids” and had special classes for us. It was embarrassing to be one of the few kids escorted out of class, while the other kids were listening to the daily class lecture.  I wish I had Energy Medicine tools then! I feel that I could have conquered more in a shorter amount of time and possibly been empowered to “step up” and face my fears earlier.  Today I still have dyslexia and dyscalculia but I work with both through Energy Medicine techniques.  They have gotten better immensely, but when I have deep stress, I can still find myself going back into my habits of dyslexia and not being able to concentrate.

When Dondi, my sister and I were young, we were put into Polynesian dance classes after a trip to the South Pacific.  I had always loved to dance, but was very uncoordinated in the popular ballet classes where we weren’t allowed to be free to express ourselves.  Again, I felt like we were little soldiers trying to leap with the grace of gazelles.  My round, curvy body wasn’t ready for leaping and it came down with a plop, more like an elephant.  So, when I saw these beautiful island women, who were curvy like me, dancing to stories about nature, I felt home.  I knew I had found my personal dance style.

In Polynesian dancing, one of the dances we learned was the dance of the Maori, the native people of New Zealand.  Along with dancing and chanting mythological stories, the Maori people use poi balls as a dancing tool. Poi which literally means balls are cloth balls tied on the end of long strings that one can whirl and create figures with in the air.  Long ago in the ancient Maori civilization, this wasn’t a dance; it was a form of meditation and communication of the women in the tribe, when the men wouldn’t allow them to speak during their meetings.

As a little girl I began to get very good at playing with my poi balls creating complex patterns and designs.  Then something interesting happened… My mom observed my grades improving, my social skills getting better, my dyslexia lessening and my social life becoming healthier!  I had been a loner most of my life, with very few friends, but never really fitting in, and now I began to have more friends.  I was becoming graceful and my coordination and grace was becoming more apparent.  My Mom saw that the patterns that I was creating with poi balls were contributing to this and thought that there must be something to this ancient movement.

My Mother (Holistic health pioneer, Donna Eden) has always had the gift of “second sight” and natural intuitional healing. Early on, she wanted to go and find out what energetic patterns were that she was seeing. So she started to study Touch for Health with creators, John Thie and Gordon Stokes. In these early classes, she began to understand the importance of “cross-over” re-patterning and the figure eight movements for good health.  Donna continued to observe mine and Dondi’s poi ball play and realized that the cross-over movements we were making in the air, were crossing over the right and left hemispheres of our brain and body.   She could actually “see” that our energies were crossing over with her “second sight”.  We’d also get happier every time we played with them and she realized that our Triple Warmer was calming and our Radiant Circuits (Happy Emotions) were turning on.  This all made sense to her and it didn’t surprise her that our school work was also improving.

It wasn’t until 20 years later that Mom asked me to bring my poi balls to a workshop.  I didn’t know what she was going to do, but Mom always springs things like this on me, and I just have to go with her and trust it!  As it turned out, I demonstrated poi balls on stage and Mom showed the audience, through energy testing how my energies became stronger when I would swing the poi.  If you’ve ever seen my poi ball demonstration at one of Donna’s workshops, you know what an incredible tool this is, not to mention what fun it is.

~ Poi balls are great for Strokes or any kind of Brain injury

~ They help Dyslexia and other learning challenges

~ They raise your vibration up out of Depression and Illness

~ They help your Auric Field stay strong

~ They can Empower you and make you feel Confident

~ Helps with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Range of Motion in the Arms

~ And so much more! 

Poi balls are an enjoyable way to substitute the “Homolateral/Cross-crawl Re-patterning”.  With poi balls, one can follow the same pattern as Donna Eden’s re-patterning for Homolateral/Cross-over exercises…starting with circles on either side of your body (as in “Homolateral”) and then crossing over, making figure eights on either side of your body (as in “Cross-over”).    Spinning Poi Ball in this way is a more enjoyable way to substitute the “Homolateral/Cross-crawl Re-patterning”, which can take up to 5 minutes and sometimes  be difficult for elderly people or boring for ‘antsy kids’.

      Most people feel joy come over them and have a fabulously good time spinning Poi. For when poi balls are swung, the Radiant Circuits (Strange Flows/Joy Generators) get turned on, as well.  In Donna Eden’s words, “Radiant Circuits serve as inner wells of joy, supporting a vibrancy and a harmony throughout the entire energy system. Charging your radiant circuits can change your future, orienting the psyche towards happiness rather than despair. When charged they help us overcome self-sabotage and negative thinking. They sustain us in a more constant state of happiness.”

Swinging poi can also can help eye-hand coordination movements, allowing both sides of the brain to be utilized. The figure eight movements can be done in front of one’s body, on the sides of one’s body, high above ones head or wherever you can think of swinging them.  Poi balls are a great tool for those that are in a wheelchair or who can’t stand or move their legs for this “Homolateral/Cross-crawl Re-patterning”. In this case, wind them up on their hands to make them shorter or use pieces or silk material to cross over. They won’t be as strenuous to move and will do the same thing. Even if the poi are short, the figure eights patterns will go right down to our own DNA for healing and connecting systems within the body.

   Poi balls are good for the crossing of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This makes sense to me, because one wants the energy flowing from one side of the brain to the other, so why not actually make this movement over the face and brain as well. With poi balls, one doesn’t need to think about this…the poi automatically swings high and crosses over the midline of your face. The poi are so long that it helps bring in the cross-over patterns  high above your head and through the midline and down below your waist more you’re your arms would do in the same motion. When I see people doing the “Cross-crawl Re-patterning” in class but not crossing over the top part of their body, as they are so intent on touching their elbow to their knee, the motion stays below their belt only.  One isn’t getting a full cross-over going through your face and brain and you may be doing a lot of movement for nothing.  You need to cross over the center part of the brain (the midline), for most people with chronic Homolateral patterns.  When you have a Chronic Homolateral pattern, this means that most people with this also have chronic illnesses or depression and can’t get well easy. Poi Balls help with this in an easier way!

     If two poi balls are too difficult, start with one poi and cross over your body with eights.  This is just as important as two balls for your energy. Stay with one ball, until you graduate to two balls. The idea is not to get frustrated, because your triple warmer (your stress button) will turn on and freak out!  Remember, this was actually an ancient meditation tool.  Take a break, and breathe.  Do the Energy Medicine Technique of “three thumps”, including the thumps below the eyes, which are associated with worry (stomach points) in between the movements if it gets too difficult.  Now, become one with the poi.

     They help you Auric Field stay strong! Your Aura is the electromagnetic field around your body.  Most of us cannot see it, but it is full of energy.  It kinda looks like Tinker bell’s light around her body.  Our Aura is affected by all sorts of things in our toxic world.  If our Aura isn’t strong, we’d be getting sick all the time. Your aura can get weakened, due to illnesses, surgery, a terrible trauma, being around too many people or cities (for some).  When that happens…Gotta’ get your poi balls out and have some fun!

Poi Balls builds up the aura the protection field around the body. With so many young children being born with sensitivity issues, the poi balls are a perfect tool for protecting the field around the body. The construction of the poi ball is interesting. My mom says that because of the weight and the pull of the ball at the end of the string, it expands your aura even more than if you did a Celtic Weave exercise (Donna Eden’s exercises).   I have always been a sensitive person to energies (toxic people and environments) and whenever I would swing my poi balls, I’d get happier, stronger, and more empowered to face whatever stood in my way.

     Poi Balls have been great communicators of children and adults, with Autisms and Aspergers Syndrome. My Mother and I have gotten great feedback from people about their kids with Aspergers syndrome, Autism, ADHD, and Dyslexia.  The kids have a longer attention span, their ability to learn accelerates and their joy becomes greater. If you have a teenager who is struggling with life and perhaps you can’t get them to do any Energy Exercises, you might want to get them a pair of poi balls, which they can later convert to fire poi (many teens are intrigued by the fire poi).  There are many fire poi spinning groups all over the world to connect to. The poi might help them to balance out and find a new talent in the meantime!

     Adults benefit from the poi as well. Every adult who comes to my classes begins to lighten up and find their own inner child when they swing their poi. I have received feedback that using poi balls can help with carpal tunnel syndrome and range of motion in the arms.  Personally, I have found that when I am depressed and if I swing the poi outside in nature, I can flip my energies around so that I am prepared to face the day in a happier more joyful way.

      The history of poi is rich and sacred.  It is a beautiful honoring to the Maori people of New Zealand.  The Maori people have an immense respect for the poi.  There are ceremonial poi movements and there are the movements done in performance with song (chanting) and facial expressions. To dance with poi is to become one with the poi.

I have heard many stories of how the poi came into being. One story was said to be a meditation and conversation between women at the times when men were having their meetings and women were supposed to be silent.  I have also heard that poi balls were created so that women’s hands would be flexible for weaving.   The men learned poi and brought it into their pre-war routines to train mentally and physically for battle. When the poi was used for physical training there was a hard egg or stone sewn into the rope for strengthening their wrists and honing coordination.

     The poi is an expression for so many things…It is danced for war, to tell stories of the Gods, for conversation, to flirt between lovers, to calm the baby in a mother’s tummy, to honor the turning of the seasons, in exercise, and in many rituals including the building of a house, and for peace.  Ngamoni Huata in his book- the Rhythm and Life of the poi, says “Poi can be anything you want it to be.”

     Today, we see many representations of poi from traditional poi, fire poi, streamer poi and poi on chains.  Many people excitedly tell me of toys they had when they were little that were similar to the poi.  In South America, the Argentine gauchos whirl “Bolas” which are hard balls attached to strings (like poi).  They strike them on the floor, making rhythms as they dance to display their talent. There are also numchucks, from martial arts, which use similar movements of cross-over patterns.

    I have introduced poi balls to thousands of people all over the world.  I have seen amazing shifts in people’s energies, from the moment they pick up a pair of poi.  Children find it natural to have fun with the poi and they like creating new moves.  Additionally, it can be very gratifying for a child to make their own poi balls. I have gone into schools to help the kids make their poi balls.  I teach them about the ancient Maori ways…the singing and the chanting. Then we chant their poi into being.  Teaching the children about the history of the poi and the Maori natives of new Zealand is important, as they can have establish a respect for the poi balls and themselves.

The art of the poi has been exploding all over the world since it’s early beginnings.  I am so grateful to the Maori people for this ancient gift of the poi. Little did they know where the poi would go! I am grateful to these indigenous people of New Zealand who seem so in tune with the land, the earth, the seasons, the flow of energy and the power of emotions.  With this connectedness to a very deep and spiritual place they have given us the gift of the poi which aides them in all aspects of life.  May the poi aide you in life and may they bring you happiness, joy and a greater sense of health and well being. Keep your poi balls with you at all times; you never know when you will need them! And keep them away from your dogs! Go forward and swing poi!

Titanya Monique Dahlin is a multi-dimensional artist, a certified Waldorf teacher, a professional dancer, story teller, award-winning speaker and stage actress.  She is known for her one-woman mythological dance dramas.  Titanya assists holistic health pioneer and Mother, Donna Eden in Eden Energy Medicine workshops and has created many of the energy exercises used in Eden Energy Medicine.  She also leads her own popular form of movement, based on the work of Eden Energy Medicine called, Energy Medicine Dance. Titanya has four popular DVD’s: Energy Dance and The Energy of the Poi.  She is a graduate of the Donna Eden Energy Medicine Certification Program and is the “Eden Energy Movement and Activities Director and Mistress of Ceremonies” of the program. Titanya has studied many healing modalities as they relate to dance and movement.  In 1996 she created Five Element Belly Dance which incorporates the ancient Chinese five element system and Middle Eastern dance. She and her sister, Dondi, teach annual resort workshops in this very unique style. Titanya just created an audio CD about the Five Elements and is also writing the long-awaited book, Energy Medicine for Kids.           

Poi balls are for sale for $15 a pair.   You will also find the DVD- “The Energy of the Poi” which has 13 different exercises with instruction, as well as the history of the ancient poi dance of the Maori people. 

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In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy. – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, Biochemist and Nobel Prize Winner

Our ancient ancestors knew that movement was a form of natural healing. As a community, they danced through birth, death and every emotional storm in their lives. They would embody and mimic the illness of the sick person within the tribe and then, shake and shimmy it out, releasing the demons of the disorder. Through every passing season, primitive people moved with the rhythms of nature,
and in dancing prayer, they reached ecstasy to connect with their own Divine Source.

More than 5,000 years ago, the ancient Chinese knew this secret, too. They were so connected to nature that they began to acknowledge that there were five major rhythms, or elements, that we cycle through in life. When they followed the messages of these rhythms, they were able to stay in healthy balance within their lives. The five rhythms they observed in nature were Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. They created a wheel, symbolizing the cycle of the seasons, as well as the cycles of life through death. Within the wheel, nature’s rhythms flow from Winter, Spring, Summer, Indian Summer and Autumn and then continue all over again the following year. From this wheel, they began to establish the structure of the Five Elements used today in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Looking at the Elemental wheel as a compass for our lives, we can easily move through these rhythms creating a flowing dance through life’s cycles. Energy is always shifting and moving; it is the way of life. If we get stuck at any stage on the wheel, we create blockages in our life, sometimes resulting in health issues. When we dance and move, we tap into the divine mystery that is connected to our own Divine Source. Using movement as a medicinal tool, moving
through the Five Elements can be a therapy for staying healthy within our physical, emotional and spiritual being.

It was said that Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy, because he felt that an essential part of himself had been neglected. – Source Unknown

Our bodies hold secrets to everything we need to know.

As a dancer, I have been teaching the Five Elements for over 17 years through the power of movement within the international workshops and certification program of my mother, holistic health pioneer Donna Eden. Within this article, I would like to share with you the descriptions of the rhythms through their archetypal movements and how we can dance within our element in order to evolve and flow through the cycles in life.

We all have each of the Five Elements within us, yet one or two elements show up stronger within our own personality and reflect who we are to the world. Naturally, we may find ourselves gravitating to a type of movement that resonates with our own body type and rhythm. Sometimes, the challenge will be to dive into a rhythm that is unfamiliar to us or difficult, but if we do, we shift our consciousness and stay more balanced in health.

Let’s begin with the first element of Water. This is the beginning of life, where we all start as babies needing to be taken care of and supported. This is also the exciting place of beginning new projects. Like a toddler, we are learning to walk and move forward despite our fears. Fear is the ruling emotion for Waters—people who resonate most with the Water element—and can freeze them in their tracks so they do not move forward on their life’s path. Like the season of winter, Water element people hold an inward nature to their personality; they are quiet. Everything may look still above the surface, yet so much more is alive beneath it. Being inward, they have incredible imaginations and can think creatively out of the box. However, many times they get so stuck in the depths of their souls, they cannot seem as well. Swimming, boating, canoeing, water aerobics—any movement in the water is healthy for their well-being and can move their energy forward from a still place. Waters usually have a slow walk, as if floating down a river on a
lazy day. In my dance workshops, we improvise and dance our emotions of life’s experiences. With colorful veils, my Water students find this type of kinesthetic dance releasing for them as they find a form of moving expression to break free from their trapped depths. The organs/meridians that rule Waters are the bladder and kidneys. Waters usually hold water (edema) within their bodies and movement
can help free their circulation.

Looking at the next place on our wheel, we come to the element of Wood. This is the stage in life that symbolizes the rebellious adolescent, when children are establishing their ego of who they are. This is also the season of Spring when nature’s flowers burst forward from the earth with gusto. People who resonate with the Wood element are great at setting boundaries and can take care of themselves. Anger and frustration are the controlling emotions for Woods and the ruling organs/meridians are the gall bladder and liver. Woods tend to address issues quicker than most so anger does not stick with them, yet they can also hold grudges for a very long time which brings toxicity to the body. Forgiveness is a great lesson for Woods and can be an intention for channeling their expressive movements to counter-balance the emotion of anger. Martial arts can be a natural movement for them and is great for releasing inner frustration issues. This ancient art form also requires mastery, discipline and a little competition, which Woods love.

Within my dance classes, I bring in strong world drum rhythms. To move with the clear drum beats, one needs to accent the beats with the body. This is not about flow and glide, like the Water rhythm—it is about setting boundaries with controlled movements. Woods like to have control in their world and move forward in their life, conquering their goals. Mimicking this, students move with strong hip movements, kicking obstacles out of their way, clearing a path before them. Wood bodies tend to have no curvature, but square forms and shorter legs. They make muscle easily but can also get tight and rigid in their body, especially in their joints. When they hold onto anger and frustration for too long and do not bend, flow and let go, they could develop arthritis later on in life. Woods need to move to release these emotions.

Coming to the Fire Element on the wheel is the place of high summer where everyone wants to be outside at summer parties and celebrations. Fires are like puppy dogs at a party, who flit from one person to another, joyously loving everyone. They really are the life of the party! Fire people love to move, dance, fly and jump. With energetic music or passionate Latin beats, Fires will laugh, smile and dance freely with wild abandon to salsa, African or energetic aerobic dance. This place on the cycle of the wheel is also the place of the teenager, who is a flux of mixed emotions. Fires are addicted to drama and when drama runs high, stress sets in and too much panic (their ruling emotion) can take energy away from the adrenal glands. Fires are the ones who juggle many things in their life. Like an octopus with many arms, their energy goes everywhere and they need to be aware of “adrenal burn-out” more than other elements. Joy is the counter-balance to this emotion and dancing is a natural joy and release for them. Rather than exploding with fiery dramatic outbursts, expressive movements help Fires free trapped emotions from their body. Fires’ bodies usually run high with heat naturally and they can get very hot when dancing. Triple Heater and Circulation Sex are the meridians (energy pathways) that the Fire element governs to regulate body temperature and hormones. Fires’ energy also governs the organs/meridians of heart and small intestine.

Let’s now talk about the Earth rhythm which arrives in Indian Summer, towards the end of summer. Imagine a pregnant woman swaying with ease and groundedness as she walks. This is the energy of the Earth herself and the rhythm of the archetypal Mother. Earths take their time and like to hold a balance in their life. Like a good mama, they make sure everyone has what they need. Earths love medium-paced music and movements that are not too jarring. A nice reggae 4/4 beat makes them feel at home, where they can just sway to the music. Being barefoot and connecting to nature through movement is natural to them and makes them feel alive. Earths also like to connect to community through gatherings. Earths love world dances that include tribal connections that come from the everyday activities of people in nature, celebrating transitions in life. Cultural earth and folk dances, such as belly dance, contra dance, Hawaiian and even some easy African or Brazilian 4/4 beats, are perfect for them.

One of the governing emotions for Earths is worry. They worry for everyone and everything in their life and end up giving too much of themselves, forgetting to give back unto themselves. The mirroring emotion of worry is compassion for themselves. Signing up for a movement or dance class would be a great place to start, when they can take time away from their husband or families for some loving time for themselves. Earths, who have a little more curve in their body, also need to learn how to really love and feel good within their skin. Belly dance, African and Polynesian dance all are great dance classes for curvier Earth women. As I always say in my own belly dance classes, the more you have, the better you will move!

The final element we come to on our wheel is Metal, which arrives with the season of Fall when the leaves fall from the trees. Metal’s energy is about coming to the end of a project, letting go of a relationship and surrendering aspects of our life that are no longer needed. The Metal Element person gravitates towards movements that stretch their lean and thin bodies, such as yoga, ballet or meditation. Metals like to be still, organized and contemplate their inner thoughts, so yoga is perfect as it follows a series of set movements in stillness and breath work. The yogic connection to breath work consciously exhales anything that is not needed for them and deeply inhales clean, good oxygen to help detoxify the lungs. This is a perfect movement as lungs are the organs/meridians governed by the Metal Element.

The ruling emotion for Metals is grief and they can sometimes hold onto unexplained grief for the world, never finding joy in life. The mirroring emotion for grief is trust and to have faith on their life’s spiritual path. Metals are perfectionists and it is very hard for them to let go of control; therefore, they can hold onto old patterns and beliefs. Movement can really help move this stuck energy out of their body. Metal also governs the large intestines, which is about release and holding on too tight. The movement and
metaphor of stretching with yoga is perfect.

The ending stage of Metal, where we rebuild ourselves back up only to begin again in the new stage of Water, is one of the most difficult places in life to be. Many people struggle with this transition and cannot get back into the flow of new beginnings, only to stay in their old lifestyles, never moving forward in life, for years.

Come dancing to divine knowledge. . .
and come, return to the root
of the root of your own self.

– Jellaludin Rumi

Donna Eden tells us that movement creates more oxygen in our body and then our brain begins to create new synapses of new thought. Movement and dance used as a spiritual practice can help move our energy forward with consciousness. Dancing organically through the stages of life can connect us with our own essence of who we really are.

Within this article, we have observed, learned and danced around our Five Elements wheel. Now, you may have a feeling of the rhythm you are and may want to experiment with these tools of movement to help shift you in your daily practices.

Energy never stops—it is always flowing and changing through the cycles of life. A moving practice can be used as a sacred tool for coming to know yourself and supporting where you are in the cycle of life. When we learn to move and flow, let go and begin again, dancing through the wheel of life without holding on and resisting, our lives become easier and we begin to know what it truly means
to be alive.

Within this first article, we have explored each of the elements and their natural movements in the flow of the Five Elements cycle. In the next article, I will suggest exercises that will help balance your body rhythms. I will also talk about moving into rhythms that may be challenging to you but if practiced, will be very good for bringing balance to your physical, mental and emotional growth. As we learn to shift and stretch, we evolve and grow on our life’s path.

When we dance and move, we tap into the divine mystery that is
connected to our own Divine Source.

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Movement can be medicine for the body, mind and spirit. It helps to move stuck energy from the body, and therefore, also clears energetic pathways in the mind. When we move, we bring water, oxygen and nutrients to our brains, all of which helps us think clearer and supports the circulation throughout our bodies.

In my article, “Moving with the Seasons of Life,” found in the Sept/Oct issue of Energy Magazine, we identified the five ancient elements that were discovered over 5,000 years ago in different parts of the Orient. These elements are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. In this article, we will look closer at the Five Element wheel and explore creative movements that may help you heal your body and evolve your mind. You may not initially love these movements as they may be different from the natural rhythms of your primary element, but they can help to transform and balance physical and emotional blockages, allowing you to have a healthier lifestyle.

Let us revisit the element wheel, shown above. To review, we all have each of the Five Elements within us, but one or two elements may be more dominant than others in times of calm or stress. The elements flow naturally into each other in an organic, clockwise fashion from Water to Wood to Fire and so on. Water feeds Wood to help it grow, as Wood stokes the Fire. Fire creates ash to replenish the soil of Earth, whereas Earth contains minerals, where Metal is mined. When Metal is heated and cooled, it forms drops of Water in condensation and the cycle begins again.

In Chinese Medicine, this clockwise flow is called “The Mother-Child Cycle,” whereby each element is fed by the element before it. Working with the wheel, energy healers and acupuncturists can see that when an element gets too imbalanced, it may be brought into balance by the “Mother Element,” found just before it on the wheel. When an element has too much or too little energy, stressful issues arise. We call this “being imbalanced.” Continued imbalance can cause health or mental problems. Utilizing the strengths of the “Mother Element,” we support or nourish the “Child Element” on the wheel, bringing it back into harmony.

Movement and sound have always been known in ancient cultures as forms of healing.

One can go to a health practitioner for help, but I suggest the use of creative movement and sound, which may be equally beneficial to bring more stability to your body, mind and soul. In this way, we help ourselves heal through movement, bringing harmony within. Movement acts as a form of self-therapy. In this next section, I describe each of the Five Elements again and share some Energy Medicine Dance exercises to help you balance your own rhythm and body.

The Wood Element

Let us start with the Wood Element. People who hold the Wood Element are strong and can create boundaries in their lives easily. They are visionaries, can fight for their goals and will not bend until they win. Yes, they are great role models for other elements to follow, but when they are imbalanced, they can plow their way to the top in order to be the best, not realizing they may have stepped on others to get there. An imbalanced Wood person can be stubborn in his/her attitudes and may very well feel stiff and rigid in his/her body. They get stuck in their views about life and later on, it may be this stubborn quality that can get in the way of them finding a partner. As well, they can experience find more patience and a calmer demeanor when speaking. If Woods can regularly get in the water, like an ocean, river or pool, it would feed their roots and make them softer people.

Water Exercise for Wood Element

Bend your knees and sway from side to side. Take your hands in front of you and begin to make big figure eight movements from the right to the left, turning your hands organically as you move from side to side. Breathe and feel your roots strong and firm in the ground, while your body sways like a willow above. Make the slow sounds of “Shhhh”—as if calming a baby. Imagine this water quality moving into your joints and feeding your mind more open views and visions.

The Water Element

People who exhibit the archetype of Water are cre-ative artists, diving into their soul’s journey to bring out poetry and art from their own expressions. They can be playful or philosophical. Yet most Water peo-ple tend to be shy and retreat into their own world where they cannot be reached. Imbalanced, they may have difficulty finding words to express their feelings and depression can develop, leaving them feeling as if no one understands them.

Metaphorically, when they are drowning in the watery depths of their own experiences, Waters feel as if they cannot breathe or see a way out of their difficulties. Alone, they create illusions in their world, like ripples forming in the water. Fear creeps in caus-ing them to freeze and they can literally stop moving forward in their lives. Movement with breath-work would be beneficial for a Water. Bringing more oxygen into the body can literally move energy, allowing for more space both in the mind and body to re-examine thoughts and feelings in a more positive light.

The Water lesson is to realize that there is a way out of their dark ocean and that they need only to swim to the surface in order to see the light. Looking to the wheel, the element before Water is Metal. Mama Metal energy comes in to help make the Water energy crystallize so that it is pliable enough to see and move towards. Metal energy brings in the emotions of hope and inspiration during a dark, challenging time.

In addition, Waters tend to hold a lot of water in their skin, almost to the point of edema. The archetypal movement of Metal is yoga, which is all about stretch-ing the muscles and limbs, good for helping move the water (edema) out. The meditation and breath work of yoga is also effective for it brings Waters out of their inner depths to see the light.

Metal Exercise for Water Element

With your back on the floor, reach your arm to your op-posite leg, then again reach to the other side. Imagine that you are a piece of seaweed at the bottom of the ocean, stretching for the light above you. Become a bit more organic with this motion, stretching oppo-site arm and leg as you twist your body from side-to-side. Breathe as you move and bring in the sound of “Whoooo” — the sound of wind through a cave.

The Metal Element

People who show strong Metal element aspects aspire to higher standards. They are perfectionists, who wrestle issues to bring out the best from themselves. Metals are on such a spiritual journey that sometimes they block the realities of life. They live in their heads and therefore can disconnect from their bodies, as well. Metals can appear as if they have a “greaterthan-thou” attitude with their heads held high, as they glide proudly into a room. They will never show their emotions outwardly and can form a hard exterior, like armor. This protects them from being hurt, but it also does not let anyone in. Metals can stuff the emotion of grief within them, which can lead to skin issues, digestive problems and constipation. Imbalanced, the Metal person can detach from people at a moment’s notice, even from their best friends if they feel impeded on their spiritual paths. Metal’s lesson is to learn to work with their feelings and relationship connections. Who best to teach them this than their “Mother,” the Earth? Metals need a movement that brings them out of their heads and connects them back to their bodies and other people. Community dancing and natural dances such as belly dancing, Hawaiian, African, and reggae dancing can bring them back to this compassionate connection. These grounded dances are perfect for getting us out of our heads and into our bodies. Being in a movement class where there is a connection to others will be hard for the solo Metal, but this is what they need for better balance.

Earth Exercise for Metal Element

With your bare feet on the soil or grass, stand and feel your connection to the earth. Widely stretch open your arms, as you also open your chest. Meet your hands in front of you, as if you are holding a big beach ball and round your back. Go back and forth, breathing in as you grasp your world and as you let go, move your arms back and make the sound “Sssssss”—as if you are letting go of everything you hold dear. Breathe in and out as you continue this motion.

The Earth Element

Earth personalities are very compassionate. Like a tending mother, they take care of everyone, leaving very little time or energy for themselves. Their lessons are to give back to themselves. Imbalanced, they can be like an over protective and meddling mother. It is more difficult for an Earth to metabolize food or situations, so they tend to be very curvy or round, holding onto a lot more fat in their bodies than other elements would. When energy gets stuck in an Earth element body, they tend to have circulation problems, leading to possible blood clots and tumors.

Earth’s “Mother” is Fire. The Fire element is all about blood and circulation. Earths love when things are in harmony, so quick stressful change can be hard on them. Fires metabolize situations quickly, and they usually have quick metabolisms as well. Earths need a form of activity that helps them speed up their metabolism to allow their bodies to absorb fat efficiently. Fast African dance, salsa, zumba or aerobic dancing would be great for their unique body types. Leaving the house and family once a week to do something for themselves, like a dance class, would be a healthy balance for the Earth person who tends to everyone else’s needs.

Movement may be a medicine for your own healing within your explorative journey.

Fire Exercise for Earth Element

A few times a week, put on your favorite fast paced rock ‘n roll, pop or world music and dance for about 20 minutes. Just dance, joyously and wildly like no one is watching! You can even do this while cleaning the house. As you cool down, sit comfortably and hold your heart chakra (located in the center of your chest) and bring in feelings of self-love with the humming sound of “Mmmm.”

The Fire Element

Let us look at the last element on our wheel—Fire. People with the strength of the Fire element are dramatic. They are the life of the party, bringing joyous laughter and positive outlooks on life. Like happy-golucky optimists, Fires can have a sense of being ungrounded. Therefore, they can seem very scattered and disorganized in their lives, in their emotions and sometimes even in their relationships. The “Mother” of Fire is Wood.

The Wood movement brings focus for better grounding to make necessary decisions in life. It is helpful for a Fire to go towards a wood movement like martial arts, which is organized and disciplined. Decisions and commitments are also hard for Fires to make and keep; this is part of the Fire’s lesson. Fires tend to wear happy masks that make everything seem as if all is fine, but then they experience shocking bursts of anger that rage out of control, burning down everyone in their path. Martial arts carry a certain quality of aggression that is expressed outwardly and directly, still maintaining a sense of boundary and discipline. Drumming too, can help maintain a structure where a Fire can keep a steady rhythm and therefore help balance their own fiery natures.

Wood Exercise for Fire Element

Put on some drumming music and begin to make movements of stomping, kicking, blocking and chopping with your arms and legs, as if you are releasing aggression and moving obstacles away from your body. Use the quick sound “Shhhh”—to express your stuck emotions. After the music has stopped, sit down to calm and ground yourself, placing both hands on the floor in front of you. Breathe and feel your heart beat alive and steady as it comes to a rest.

Experiment with the Five Elements for yourself and find which element you connect with the most. Movement may be a medicine for your own healing within your explorative journey. When we learn the qualities of each of the Five Elements, we begin to find compassion for those around us, knowing that we are all on a path of discovery and evolution. Our relationships become easier as we learn to relate to each other’s rhythms. We can better understand the ways each element flows into the next and we can begin to recognize that by shifting and stretching our own lives, we can meet each other’s needs as well as our own. In the Orient, they say that the Sixth Element is “Sympathy for the Self.” Learning the language of our body’s unique energy, we create an inner language as a way to listen and connect to ourselves through movement. In this way, we become our own therapists, shedding our inner obstacles in order to really love our whole being. Bringing sympathy to ourselves and to our path’s lessons, we dance and let go of the mistakes we have made, and eventually stand in complete and utter Self-love, ready to learn new dance steps on our evolving adventure