The Five Elements: Wood
Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash
Today we’re going to explore the wood element. Wood, along with water, fire, earth, and metal, make up the five elements.
Qualities of wood
Wood is vital, active, and flexible; think of a new blade of grass sprouting up out of the earth in spring. Wood energy is also related to upward movement and growth. People with balanced wood energy are flexible and diplomatic, able to see others’ points of view while also contributing their own balanced opinions.
Adding the wood element to your space
When might you want to incorporate the wood element into the design of your home? If you are easily influenced and struggle with asserting your opinions, you might benefit from the addition of wood. Adding wood can also boost vital energy and help you make changes in your life if you are feeling stuck or lethargic.
One of the best ways to add wood is with a living plant. Plants bring fresh, vital qi to a space, and are also great for improving indoor air quality! If you don’t have a green thumb, you can always add artwork that includes trees and plants.
Wood is also related to the colors green and blue (especially teal and aqua), so you can add the wood element by decorating with those colors. Depending on your space, you may want to paint your walls or add these colors in smaller amounts with accessories and furniture.
Too much wood
If someone is stubborn and inflexible, and unable to see other people’s opinions, they may have too much wood energy. To correct this imbalance, introduce the metal element, which cuts wood (imagine an axe cutting a tree trunk), or the fire element, which burns wood. Stay tuned for future blog posts on metal and fire--in the meantime, you can learn a little about the other elements here.
Is your wood element in balance? If not, what’s one design element you could add to your home to bring it into balance?