Finding Balance through the Four Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air

(“The Four Elements”; courtesy of Nichola80)

“Be aware when things are out of balance.” — Tao Te Ching

According to Achim Eckert, M.D., author of “Chinese Medicine for Beginners”, the Chinese believe that the elements of nature affect our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Although Chinese medicine recognizes five elements—five powers, energies, or qualities of the universe—in this article we’re going to refer to the four elements of Western tradition: fire, water, earth, and air. These elements keep each other in balance and nourish, as well as constrain, each other. By regulating the flow of each of these energies, and adjusting any excesses or deficiencies, you can create health and harmony in your life, as the following quote by Achim Eckert illustrates:

“If the energetic relationships of the elements are not balanced, this expresses itself in a human being as discomfort and illness, and in a society as weakness, injustice, and war. If the elements in a person—as well as in a society or a state—are balanced and strong, one finds harmony and health, beauty and grace.”

The suggestions you’ll find here on how to balance the elements in your own life are taken from the following sources:

• Chinese Medicine for Beginners: Use the Power of the Five Elements to Heal Body and Soul by Achim Eckert;
• The Five Elements of Self-Healing: Using Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity, Wellness, and Health by Jason Elias and Katherine Ketcham;
• Psychic Living: Tap into Your Psychic Potential by Andrei Ridgeway; and
• Energetic Boundaries: Practical Protection and Renewal Skills for Healers, Therapists, and Sensitive People by Karla McLaren.

The Element Fire

(“The Four Elements: Fire”; courtesy of Liberoliber)

Fire brings out joy, laughter, awareness, and generosity. It generates passion, enthusiasm, and creativity. Fire makes you more alert, it awakens your primitive mind, and it allows you to experience the world more through sensing or intuition rather than just through reason or intellect.

An excess of fire energy causes the person to feel jittery, anxious, restless, and stressed, and to feel that they need to do everything themselves and control everything. In addition, a person with an excess of fire energy can be impatient and impulsive, and have trouble feeling joy and giving to others. A lack of fire energy can lead to fatigue, lethargy, unoriginality, and lack of motivation, and can lead to difficulty concentrating and paying attention.

To help balance the fire element, light a candle, burn incense, or even have a bonfire. Take a dance class, attend dance concerts, sing, and listen to music. Also, drink lots of water and substitute green tea for coffee. Slow bike rides and gentle jogs also help balance fire energy. To bring fire energy into harmony, chamomile is a stress-relieving herb that can be used, as well as inhaling lavender from the bottle or placing a few drops on a handkerchief. Getting a massage that uses smooth, rhythmic strokes can also be helpful in balancing fire energy, as well as going out on a sunny day and feeling the warmth and light of the sun.

The Element Water

(“Impact”; courtesy of tsgfarnetti)

The water element is associated with the emotions. Water changes shape effortlessly and yet never loses its essential character. If your water energy is strong you’re not afraid of difficult situations and you have a firm and unshakeable sense of self as well as the ability to follow your path with strength, purpose, and determination.

If your water energy is out of balance you can be prone to melancholy if there is a lack, or have an engorged sense of self if there is an excess. In addition, an unbalance in water energy can lead to moodiness and a volatile temperament, while a balanced water element can create an inner sense of serenity and tranquility.

To balance the water element, you can dip your hands in a bowl of water while you meditate, run a bath, go swimming, or go for a walk in the rain. You can also listen to classical music or take up a musical instrument. Another method you can use to bring the energy of water into harmony is to fill a rubber tub with warm water, throw in some crushed ginger, and soak your feet until the water begins to cool.

The Element Earth

(“Daisies”; courtesy of Dave Ward Photography)

The Earth is fertile, nourishing, and solid; it’s a stable, balancing force. The Earth element brings forth compassion and forgiveness, as well as a feeling of unity with the environment and the sense that one is at home and accepted wherever one is at any moment. Connecting with the earth element will keep you grounded.

Earth energy that is balanced is associated with the qualities of patience, thoughtfulness, practicality, and hard work. People with a weakness in the Earth element often feel insecure, are overly dependent on others, are always looking for attention and affection, and have trouble saying “no” and establishing proper boundaries.

To balance earth energy you can sculpt clay and plant flowers or herbs in your garden, or in terracotta pots. Also, you can go for a walk along the beach, go hiking, or even play golf. In addition, practice saying “no” clearly and without equivocation. Another way to bring the earth element into harmony is to prepare your own meals using ingredients that are as fresh and close to nature as possible. In addition, try breathing in deeply and when you exhale chant the mantra “om” or “aum”. Mythologist Joseph Campbell explains that “Om is the sound nature makes when it’s pleased with itself.” Other ways to balance earth energy are to drink lemon balm tea and getting a Swedish massage.

The Element Air

(“Don Quixote´s Windmills”; courtesy of olopez)

Air energy is associated with the power of the mind, the intellect, imagination, and visualization. At the same time, air energy is also associated with the spiritual. The breath is thought of as our connection to the universe, and most spiritual traditions use concentrating on the breath as a meditation technique.

A person with a balanced air element is friendly, knowledgeable, and persuasive. They trust life and are optimistic. With a disturbance in the air element, a person can have muddy thinking, be unfocused and easily distracted, and have trouble communicating thoughts and ideas. If the air element is out of balance your ability to give and take–from the inhalation and exhalation of breath, to the ingestion of nutrients and release of wastes, to the ability to maintain loving relationships and release toxic associations–is hampered.

To balance air energy, breath in deeply and as you exhale say “Ahhhhhhhhhh”. Also, go backpacking in the mountains and write in a journal. The scent of fresh Eucalyptus is a reminder to breathe deeply and rhythmically. Whenever you take a bath or shower, use a loofah brush to remove dead skin cells and allow the toxins to exit your body, thereby keeping the air energy in balance. Decluttering and organizing are also activities that help restore harmony in air energy, as well as keeping lists of things that need to be done.

Conclusion

“Nature’s richness lies in its power to nourish all living things; its greatness lies in its power to give them beauty and splendor.”

– The I Ching

You can bring the four elements into balance by following the suggestions offered above.  In addition, bring the elements into your life by doing the following:

• Have a small fountain in your home or an aquarium to help balance the water element.
• Have plants, rocks, or a ceramic statute to represent the earth element.
• Bake or light candles to represent the fire element.
• Wind chimes and books can represent the air element.

Colors can also be used to keep the elements in balance: red can be used to represent fire, white for air, blue or black for water, and yellow for earth. Wear a bright red scarf, use cream or ivory fabrics to decorate your home, buy grapefruits and lemons and place them in an attractive bowl in your kitchen, and arrange a series of black and white drawings in a central room of your home. The world inside of you mirrors the natural world. Create internal harmony and well-being by balancing the energy of the elements and regulating their flow.

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