THE FIVE ELEMENTS

The science of Ayurveda counts 5 elements in nature, of which 3 are fundamental: Air, Fire and Water which are eternally present in the body.

The element Air represents the fundamental principle of movement, essential to life. The Fire element is the fundamental principle of transformation, which is proper to life and the Water element is the fundamental force of cohesion, essential to any living organism.

Each of our doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) is made up of two of the 5 elements in a primary and secondary way. For Vata, Air is the main element and Space (also called Ether) is the secondary one, for Pitta, Fire is the main one and Water is the secondary one and for Kapha, Water is the main element and Earth is the secondary one.

According to our Ayurvedic constitution (which is defined by our doshas), we must balance, awaken, energize, lower, calm the 5 elements more or less present in our body by practicing series around these 5 elements.

ANCHORING WITH THE EARTH ELEMENT

The Earth element is the last of the five great elements, it is born and evolves from the other four elements, it contains the essence of these elements in it. Earth gives form to the human body and to all creations, it is from it that the other elements act and spread. It provides the structure and foundation for the growth and development of tissue.

The qualities of the Earth are solid, heavy, cold, rough, dense, hard, calm. To understand all its qualities is to better control its balance and to know when to increase or decrease its presence in our body.

An Earth-deprived person feels lost, vulnerable, insecure, irritable or stressed. They have weakened bodies and brittle bones. Since earth is responsible for maintaining body heat and regulating internal temperature, a person with an earth deficiency will get cold quickly.

Conversely, a person with an excess of Earth has a body that remains structured but is more toxic and will have digestion problems. The more Earth element is present in the body, the more rigid the body structure becomes. A person with a lot of this element in their body often has hard skin, strong nails, large muscles and thick hair.

With the Earth element balanced, the person is stable and grounded, confident but flexible and their decisions are thoughtful.

In practice, one should root oneself through the feet, hands, skull and sides of the body to better rise to the sky from strong roots. This tones and strengthens the muscles and joints of the body. The work of finding balance deposits the mind in calm and stability.

ENERGIZE YOURSELF WITH THE AIR ELEMENT

Air is the gaseous state of matter, it represents mobility, speed, rhythm and creativity and dominates the chest. In nature it is the wind and the movements it creates. Nowadays, this element is very present because it relies on speed, constant communication and movement. Air is linked to the fourth chakra, Anahata, located in the joints of the upper body, the shoulder girdle and the rib cage.

When a person has too much air element, he/she is scattered, anxious, because air has no weight, so it is very unstable. When the air element is well balanced, the person will be very lively, very fast, very communicative and very creative because the action linked to air is to move, to breathe, to communicate.

In food, air is present in everything that is dry and light, in raw vegetables and in sparkling water.

LETTING GO OF THE WATER ELEMENT

Water is the liquid matter that represents fluidity and also softness, letting go and cleansing. Having too much water leads to congestion and retention. Water, which represents up to 70% of our weight, is essential for our survival. This element controls all the fluids in our body and dominates the pelvis and lower abdomen. In nature, this element is the streams, rivers, rain, lakes and in food it is the juicy fruits. A person whose dominant element is water is pulpy, fluid and letting go.

WAKING UP WITH THE FIRE ELEMENT

Fire represents intelligence, motivation, learning and is linked to a powerful and radical cleansing. Fire is starlight, lightning in a storm, a firefly or anything bright. In food, it is spices and colored fruits. Its action is to warm, to purify, to transform and this element dominates in the lower abdomen, the center of digestion and determination.

Yogis are sun worshippers, we often practice sun salutations to light the inner fire. These salutations warm up the body and create harmony with the breath, welcome the breath which is the sacred with the heart.

The fire creates an internal cleansing through sweating to eliminate toxins and get rid of impurities. It creates strength, stamina, flexibility and balance, sculpts and tones the figure and tones the heart muscle.

RELAXATION AND MEDITATION WITH THE SPACE ELEMENT

The element space has no physical representation in our world, it is the most subtle of the 5 elements. It represents connection, presence, consciousness. It is the blue behind the clouds, it is the silence between the sounds and dominates the head. In yoga we call upon this element by activating our concentration and our presence in the present moment through breathing and meditation. We learn to inhabit our body thanks to the breath and to feel the fullness and the emptiness in the body and the spirit.

To bring the space element to the forefront, we must relax the neck and head to better place the body in space and focus our attention to minimize the fluctuations of the mind.

Yoga has as a priority the control of the mind. Patanjali states: "Yoga is the cessation of mental activities". The control of the thought is assimilated to the immobility, the immobility of the body, the breathing and the thoughts.

The posture is the immobility and the firmness of the body, the immobility of the breath, the immobility of the mind.

To obtain the stillness of the mind it is necessary to try to place the head correctly in the space because it requires an exclusive attention by occupying the mind over a given period.

To become aware of the stillness of the mind, one must alternate movement and stillness of the body through postures. To be suddenly in a posture and to breathe in it allows to put the breath and "When the breath is agitated, the mind is agitated. When the breath is still, the mind is still. The yogi attains fixity. That is why one should stop the breath" (Hatha-Yoga Pradipika, II, 2)

Certain postures such as inversions help to stabilize concentration, mental discipline, energy and attention. Once all this is balanced, concentration becomes an integral part of the being and the fluctuations of the mind disappear over a more or less long period of time depending on the practice habits.