Welcome to the 5 Element Functional Medicine Resource Page for Comal Springs Acupuncture

I have been using a simple set of protocols that are based on Chris Axelrad’s 5 Element Functional Medicine (5EFM) Program. This program was designed specifically for working with fertility patients. What we have discovered that the same basic principles that help to optimize fertility also help to optimize general health and function.

What I really appreciate and was attracted to this program was it’s simplicity and trust that the body already knows what to do and is doing the best it can with it’s current resources. By using simple interventions, you can help the body achieve what it wants to do naturally and everything works better. Thus you feel and function at your best.

This protocol is also fantastic for helping in all hormonally based conditions.

Here is a short video introduction about 5EFM.

You can buy the book here on Amazon.

5EFM Protocol

The “Big Three”

  1. Sleep

    consistent bedtime

    9 pm to 10 pm

    8 to 9 hours per night

    Essential for clear thinking, good mood, emotional boundaries, motivation, etc.


  2. Hydration

    3 Liters of water daily (as 6 .5 L doses)

    dehydration=destabilization

    water carries signals throughout the body, poor hydration=poor signaling

    clarity of mind is related to hydration

  3. Lovingkindness

    1. Be nice to yourself… no, really.

    2. But, how? This is where the meditations come in.


Meditations

A big part of the 5EFM Protocol are doing daily meditations. I have found these to be very beneficial. Here are links to several popular ones.

My favorite, the one I do the most is called PrimeLight Meditation as taught by Jesse Elder. Although it is not part of the 5EFM Program specifically, I feel this is the best “general purpose” tool I have encountered to help produce the results you desire.

It is a simple 20-minute exercise. It is divided up into 4 five minute phases. In each phase, you focus on a particular theme.

  1. Phase One= Be totally still and present in the body. Just notice what is. This is sometimes called “Somatic Tracking”

  2. Phase Two= Appreciate what is. In this phase, you just begin to appreciate whatever comes up or that you chose to focus on.

  3. Phase Three= Pre-paving by connecting with the future version of yourself you want to become. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Just imagine who, how, and what you are that you desire to become in the future. Have fun with this. You get to be whatever you want.

  4. Phase Four= Allow and Receive. Just be present and see what comes to you. Again there is no right or wrong way to do this.

For more information on PrimeLight Meditation and the guided version check out this page here.

5EFM Meditations

Below are the core meditations taught by Chris Axelrad as part of the 5 Element Functional Medicine Program