According to Ayurvedic philosophy, everything that we experience in life is made of the five great elements- space, air, fire, water and earth. These elements are the building blocks of everything found in nature both within us and all around us. In Ayurveda, we are seen as a microcosm of the macrocosm, we are comprised of what we take in and the elements that we are affected by in the environment.
For instance:
Are you grounded or ungrounded? Are you down to earth?
Are you on fire?
Do you feel washed out?
Are you blown away?
Do you wish you had more space to breathe? Do you want to lighten up? Do you have your head in the clouds?
When we really stop to think about it, we really do know and understand how these elements play out in our lives.
We all have a unique combination of all five elements (our doshas), and Ayurveda teaches us how to balance them through practices like diet, yoga, meditation, spending time in nature and having a healthy lifestyle.
The Space Element- Ether or Akasha
This element is mobile and subtle, but nothing new can be created without it. You cannot add anymore tea into a cup that is full. In Yoga we talk about creating more space in our bodies through movement, meditation and taking pauses.
Space is necessary for freedom, awareness, happiness and wisdom. Without space, there can be no movement or relaxation. It is thought of as the first element, without it, nothing else can be formed. Yoga poses to balance this element include shoulder stand, fish pose and legs up the wall. It is associated with the throat, neck, endocrine system, thyroid and pineal gland.
Air Element, Wind or Vayu
This element is connected with movement. We need it to move all the things that circulate around the body, so obviously it is connected with the cardio-vascular and respiratory systems. Emotions associated with this element include love, compassion, gratitude, grief, sorrow, depression and isolation. Yoga poses to balance the Vayus include cobra, upward dog and bridge.
Fire Element or Tejas
Fire is intense and it burns! It is hot, it purifies and it transforms. It brings light. It is the transformation in our digestive system as food is broken down into basic elements and used to form the tissues of our body. We experience it in our solar plexus and it manifests as self-worth and personal power. It can also be expressed as aggression, anger, competitive behaviour and low self-esteem. Standing poses, squats, plank and boat pose are all good for balancing this element.
Water Element or Jala
Water is heavy, but it is also mobile and fluid. It is needed for all of the fluids in the body and we are made up of about 70% water, but this declines with age. It is associated with the reproductive fluids that are totally necessary for new life and with the urinary system which helps to carry the waste out of the body and maintain homeostasis. Water is essential for life. It cools, calms, cleanses and nourishes and keeps things in balance. Yoga poses that help open the hips like pigeon, triangle and butterfly are good for balancing the water element.
The Earth Element or Prithivi
This is the densest element with the least amount of movement and so it is connected with the solid structures in our body like our bones and teeth. We need it in our body for our scaffolding, stability, connection and balance. Without it, we feel disconnected, ungrounded and unstable. However, if we have too much, we can feel lethargic or stuck. Without the grounding of earth, we can feel fearful, anxious and stressed. To combat these feelings, the Yoga poses of tree, mountain and squatting can really help. It is also associated with our elimination and with our legs and feet which connect us to the earth.
Change Your Habits, Change Your Life
When these elements are in balance we feel great, when they are out of balance we feel not so good.
By practicing the simple wisdom habits of Ayurveda we will naturally bring all these elements into balance. It is not a quick fix with medicines or treatments, it is about repeating habits and tuning into and living in harmony with the external and internal rhythms of nature.