Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance

by Charles A. Moss M.D., Peter Eckman M.D. Ph.D. (Foreword by)

Overview

Harness the ancient Five Elements of Chinese Medicine to unlock your unique Adaptation Type, transforming stress into resilience and mastering cortisol management for holistic health.

Power of the Five Elements is your evidence-based, comprehensive guide to better health and wellness. Dr. Charles Moss melds three decades of acupuncture expertise with the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine and delivers actionable insights, including the impact of cortisol—a key stress hormone linked to various health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

What You'll Discover:

• Cortisol & Adaptation Science: Understand how cortisol affects your stress levels—and how discovering your unique Adaptation Type is a game-changer for managing cortisol naturally.
• Emotional Transformation: Dive deep into the Five Adaptation Types—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—and transform emotions like anger, worry, and fear into patience, empathy, and trust.
• Holistic Strategies: Use the included questionnaires to pinpoint your specific Adaptation Type. Benefit from individualized lifestyle modifications, meditations, and exercises for a more resilient and stress-free life.
• Ancient Wisdom & Modern Science: Immerse yourself in a synergistic blend of time-tested Taoist teachings and contemporary mind-body research.
• Real-life Case Studies: Be inspired by compelling transformations made possible by optimizing one's Adaptation Type.

The book is organized into two parts. It opens with essential theories of adaptation and health. Part II offers in-depth explorations of each Adaptation Type, each offering transformative emotional shifts and evidence-based wellness strategies to help you achieve whole-body health the natural way.

Whether you're passionate about wellness, a student of Chinese medicine, or seeking scientifically supported stress management, you’ll discover why readers have hailed Power of the Five Elements as an "indispensable," "enlightening," and "actionable" resource.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781556438745
Publisher:	North Atlantic Books
Publication date:	04/06/2010
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Charles A. Moss, MD, has been practicing integrative medicine and Five Element acupuncture in La Jolla, California, since 1978. A pioneer in combining Eastern wisdom and the best of scientific integrative medical practice, he has taught Five Element acupuncture through the UCLA School of Medicine, the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, and the Five Element Acupuncture Physician Training Program. He holds a master’s degree in acupuncture degree from the College of Traditional Acupuncture, UK, participated in the founding of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture and the American Holistic Medical Association, and is a Fellow and Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, and a Diplomate (Board Certified) of the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr. Moss has written multiple articles on Five Element acupuncture and regularly presents workshops through the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Preface xi

Part 1 Adaptation and Health

Chapter 1 Knowing Haw to Be 3

Knowing How and Mind-Body Medicine

Chapter 2 The Elements 17

The Five Elements of Adaptation

Chapter 3 The Science of Adaptation 39

Adaptation, Cortisol, and the Brain

Chapter 4 The Adaptation Types 65

The Five Types and Adaptation

Part 2 The Adaptation Types

Chapter 5 The Wood Adaptation Type 93

Transforming Anger to Insight, Frustration to Patience

Chapter 6 Fire Adaptation Type 137

Transforming Confusion and Vulnerability to Openheartedness and Love

Chapter 7 The Earth Adaptation Type 167

Transforming Worry and Neediness to Empathy and Satisfaction

Chapter 8 The Metal Adaptation Type 195

Transforming Loss and Grief to Appreciation and Acceptance

Chapter 9 The Water Adaptation Type 231

Transforming Fear and Doubt to Wisdom and Trust

Chapter 10 A Permanent Process of Adaptation 259

The Five Keys

Appendix - Questionnaires for Identifying the Adaptation Types 263

References 277

Resources 287

Index 289

About the Author 297

Editorial Reviews

In this enlightening book, Dr. Charles Moss offers us the opportunity to heal our modern world through the wisdom of the ages.”
—David Simon, MD, cofounder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing and author of Free to Love, Free to Heal

“Dr. Charles Moss catapults the discipline of Five Element acupuncture into the contemporary framework of an individual’s response to life’s stressors. His Five Adaptation Types each embody the qualities of an element, and he lucidly animates them with snapshot stories from his clinical practice. This is the inevitable next step of integrating the classical Five Element model into modern medicine’s understanding of mind-body dynamics.”
—Joseph M. Helms, MD, president of Helms Medical Institute and founding president of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture

“Dr. Charles Moss, a masterful physician and acupuncturist, penetrates the mysteries of classical Chinese medical thinking to give us a truly useful guide to meeting life’s challenges. He demystifies this deeply thoughtful approach to health while honoring its physical, emotional, and spiritual insights. Dr. Moss makes ancient wisdom immediately applicable to dealing with modern stress, giving us clear, specific instruction for using our adaptive strengths to live a healthy, more conscious life.”
—Martin L. Rossman, MD, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM), author of Guided Imagery for Self-Healing

“This book is a must-read for everyone who wants the answer to two questions: What makes a person vulnerable to illness and premature aging? What brings a person vibrant health? I loved it and highly recommend it.”
—Bill Bachrach, CSP, CPAE; author of Values-Based Financial Planning

“Power of the Five Elements is a must-read for those practitioners of acupuncture who desire to have a powerful and lasting effect on their patients' mental and physical health. The author points out that when combined with proper diet, mindful meditation techniques, and appropriate exercise, the adaptive powers of the Five Elements can provide ‘long life and everlasting vision.’ This book brings these ancient techniques to modem life usefulness.”
—Medical Acupuncture Journal

“Power of the Five Elements provides a unique way of finding essential peace for the sake of both mind and body.”
—Energy Times

From the Publisher