The Body Lords

A Taoist has to first know the inner workings of his or her body. It begins with knowing the five primary internal organs: the Heart, Lungs, Liver, Kidneys and Spleen. These are the Body Lords.
By learning to regulate the body's five major organs, you learn about yourself in a way you've probably never thought before. But in a very real sense, you are getting to know yourself.
The world and everything in it and on it is composed of five elements. It is a vital part of the Tao Medical Theory. Energy manifests itself as five basic forces. Fire, Water, Metal, Wood and Earth. We each have these five forces within us. Each of our five major organs is the storehouse for one of these five forces. When they are in balance, we feel good and healthy. By learning to regulate our five major organs, we learn to harmonize the five elements in our body.