Balancing Five Elements
Everything in nature is made up of five basic elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space. Knowledge of five elements allows us to understand the laws of nature and use them to attain greater health, power, knowledge, wisdom, and happiness. This arises out of deep intuition of how the universe operates.
Knowledge of five elements is an extension of pre-requisite for us because the five elements make up the world we live in and the structures of a body and mind. All the five elements work on us whether we know it or not. Knowledge of five elements is also the basis for therapies like yoga ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine, siddha medicine etc.
Through constantly working with elements, we learn how to attain and maintain health and also how to consciously enjoy a long and fulfilling life based on higher awareness. Each of five elements represent a state of matter. Earth is everything in nature that is solid. Water is everything that is liquid. Air is everything that is gas. Air is a part of nature to transform one state of matter into another. For example, Air transfers from solid state of ice into liquid water and then into its gaseous state, withdrawing fire recreates the solid state.
Fire is worshipped in many ancient cultures and rituals because it is the means by which we can purify, empower, and control the other states of matter. Space is the mother of all other elements. The experience of space as luminous emptiness is the basis of higher spiritual experiences.
Each element is responsible for different structures in the body. Earth forms solid structures, such as bones, flesh, skin, tissues, and hair. Water forms saliva, urine, semen, blood, and sweat. Fire forms hunger, thirst, and sleep. Air is responsible for all movements, including expansion, contraction, and separation. Space forms physical attraction and repulsion, as well as fear. If any element is impure or out of balance with another, disease and suffering may occur. Purifying five elements therapy helps us purify these elements so we can bring back balance and health, and unfold the inner powers and abilities contained in each element.
