Understanding the Five Elements and Their Cycles
Everything in life moves through cycles. Just as the seasons shift—spring, summer, fall, and winter—so too do we as individuals. This idea is deeply embedded in the philosophy of the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each phase represents a different stage of existence, transformation, and renewal. The arc of these elements mirrors not just the world around us but our own internal journey.
Wood (Spring: Growth and Expansion)
Spring is the beginning, the sprouting of new life. It is the Wood element—full of potential, full of expansion. This is the phase of youth, of learning, of stretching into the world. Breath here is about drawing in new energy, filling the lungs, and expanding outward like branches reaching for the sun. With every inhale, we bring in possibilities, and with every exhale, we settle deeper into our potential.
Fire (Summer: Expression and Flourishing)
The heat of summer ignites passion, joy, and outward energy. Fire represents the full bloom of life, where things reach their peak. It is movement, vitality, and intensity. In breathwork, Fire is the force of energy transformation. Breath becomes an engine—fast, vibrant, full of life. Inhaling deeply stokes the inner flames, while exhaling releases what is no longer needed. This is the moment of action, expression, and movement.
Earth (Late Summer: Balance and Stability)
Between the intensity of Fire and the cool descent into Metal, there is Earth. Earth is the stabilizer, the moment of centering. It represents the harvest, the time of gathering energy before the decline. This is the breath of grounding—deep, slow, and intentional. The breath moves into the belly, anchoring the body, stabilizing emotions, and providing the foundation for transformation.
Metal (Autumn: Cutting Away and Refinement)
Autumn is the season of letting go. Metal represents the time when leaves fall, when things are cut away, when unnecessary burdens are shed. At this stage in life—whether metaphorically or literally—one must refine, like a sculptor chiseling away at a block of marble. What remains is the essence, the truth. In breathwork, this is the exhale—long, steady, and deliberate. It is the cutting away of stress, unwanted thoughts, and toxic energy.
"How do you make yourself light? You cut everything that doesn’t serve you."
Water (Winter: Reflection and Transformation)
Winter is the deep, dark place of transformation. Some may call it decay, others call it renewal. Water is the space where energy is condensed, where breath moves inward. Here, the practice shifts to compression—holding, refining, turning breath into power. It is the alchemy of stillness, the magic of internal cultivation. In this stage, breath is the deepest connection to life itself.
Breathwork as a Tool for Transformation
Breath is more than an unconscious function; it is a key to transformation. Through breath, we move energy, we clear space, we refine. The practice of intentional breathing is a practice of mastery. It is the conscious removal of what does not serve us and the deliberate cultivation of energy that does.
"Push out the stress. Expel unwanted thoughts. Evict the squatters in your mind."
As breath moves through lower, middle, and upper spaces in the body, it creates movement, alignment, and strength. Holding and compressing the breath refines energy like coal into a diamond. With every inhale, we draw in vitality; with every exhale, we let go of resistance.
Aligning with the Five Elements in Practice
Each breath cycle can be aligned with the Five Elements:
Wood (Inhale deeply, expand the chest, stretch)
Fire (Fast, energizing breaths, building heat)
Earth (Slow, deep belly breathing, grounding into the body)
Metal (Long exhales, cutting away stress and tension)
Water (Holding breath, compressing energy, refining stillness)
This breathwork cycle mirrors the seasons of life. It is a continuous movement through transformation, a constant rhythm of growth, expression, balance, release, and renewal.
Returning to the Center
Stillness is never lost; it is always present. Just as breath is always available, so too is our center. It is not that peace disappears, but rather, we lose awareness of it. Mastery is not about never losing balance—it is about returning to it quickly.
"How quickly can you dial in? How quickly can the fish find water?"
Life will always have movement, change, and cycles. The practice is to move with it, to breathe through it, and to cultivate presence in every moment. The Five Elements are not just an external reality; they are within us, guiding us, shaping us, and reminding us that transformation is always happening.
With breath, with awareness, with practice—we align, we refine, and we transform.