Metal controls Wood: Exhale to relax

Many years ago, I had a client who's muscles were like rocks. He moved with a slightly manic energy and always seemed wound up. When he walked in, I took note that his muscles were very defined and had good tone, but when touched, his muscles had no give or pliability. They felt like rocks even when he was trying to relax. The wood element dominated him and had invaded his earth. The key to his treatment lay in the Metal element.

Metal moves in the opposite direction as wood. Wood controls earth. While Earth is the substance of the muscles, wood provides the motion, tension, and tone for the muscles. When you exhale,  metal is at it's strongest, and your energy descends in the body. This counteracts the rising expansion of wood and decreases the strength of the wood qi within the muscles. We experience this as muscle relaxation.

Over time, the tone of my client's muscles relaxed so his muscles were firm but pliable. It represented a more harmonious balance between metal, earth, and wood.

Photo courtesy of Tim_d