Chinese Five Elements (五行 wǔxíng) or 5 Phases
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From YMAA.com http://ymaa.com/publishing/qigong_DVD/five_animal_sports_frolics_chikung_DVD 5 Elements theory is the basis for many Chinese disciplines, including traditional Chinese medicine, and Qigong exercises, such as the Five Animal Sports.
The interdependence of the internal organ functions (Zang Fu networks) was noted to be a circle of five things, and so mapped by ancient Chinese doctors onto the five phases. For instance, the Liver (Wood phase) is said to be the "mother" of the heart (Fire phase), and the Kidneys (Water phase) the mother of the Liver, ie. kidney deficiency affects the function of the liver. In this case, the "mother" is weak, and cannot support the child. However, the Kidneys control the heart, so the Kidneys are said to restrain the heart. Many of these interactions can nowadays be linked to known physiological pathways (such as Kidney pH affecting heart activity).
Zang Fu (脏腑 zàngfǔ) is a concept within traditional Chinese...