De Natuurlijke Kookschool

Level II Cooking with the Five Transformations

The Chinese discovered many years ago that our body and its functions react to the different changes in our environment: climate, weather, and nutrition. It was first documented by Tung Chung Chu in 300 AD and put into a theory called the Five Transformations or Go-Gyo.

In essence, the theory of Five Transformations explains cyclical change caused by the interaction of the two main energy forces in the universe Ying and Yang. It makes a distinction between rising energy (wood), active energy (fire) descending energy (earth), contracting energy (metal) and flowing energy (water). In general, a transformation that is more Ying (Water, Wood and Fire) are stimulated in an environment that is becoming more Yang. For example when the temperature rises. Yang transformations (Earth and Metal) are stimulated when the environment becomes more Ying, for example when it gets colder. Every season has a relation to one of the transformations: spring is related to Food, summer to Fire, autumn to Metal and winter to Water. You think one season is missing. In the past, a 5th season was commonly know: after summer. We continue to adopt this season and it is related to remaining transformation Earth.

The model of Five Transformations is applicable to all aspects of our life, including the kitchen – and widely applied in traditional Chinese medicine and Feng Shui; now also in Shiatsu and we use it widely in the Macrobiotic kitchen.

This course is suitable for students who have completed Level I of the Natural Cooking School or have completed a similar curriculum elsewhere. In any case, a minimum of one year daily cooking experience is a prerequisite for this course.

This course is conducted over a period of 5 residential weekends (EARTH, METAL, WATER, WOOD, and FIRE), throughout the year and two 2-day workshops.
Weekends can be followed separately

Please contact our office for further information on the content of this course, eligibility or the next available start.