The Five Elements of Life
Have you ever heard of the 5 elements? Do you know what they are? If not, this free series will teach you all about the elements and how they show up in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual body.
The 5 elements are fundamental and the cornerstones of health. They are present in everything, everyone, and all the time.
Your daily practices, habits, and rituals shape your health. We do the same things every single day and some are contributing to your health and some are chipping away at it. Often times, we don't even notice our habits until we experience symptoms or become ill.
Understanding the 5 elements of life is the foundation for Ayurveda, TCM, and holistic wellness. This is the start!
So let's dive in, shall we?
- The Water Element & Why It's Important -
How the Water Element Presents in the Physical Body
We are going to break down how the water element presents itself in the physical body and how we can determine if we have a balanced water element, too much, or too little.
Why Mineral Water is Best
When we think of water you probably automatically think of hydration. Ding, ding, ding, this is correct!!
Ensuring you are drinking enough water every single day is crucial (and probably not new news). However, we not only need to consider the quantity of water but also the quality.
For example, have you ever cried and then tasted your tear? It's salty. Our internal waters are essentially a big salty ocean. Most of the tap water these days are riddled with trace amounts of chemicals so most of us are filtering our water. While filtered water is best in most areas, it's also filtering out the minerals.
Our body is filled with minerals and electrolytes and if you are only drinking filtered water then is it stripping your body and bones of those crucial minerals. This is why the quality of water is important!!
I know where I live I have reverse osmosis water but I add back minerals in the form of high quality Icelandic salt.
We also have to consider how we are drinking our water. Are we only consuming iced water that is putting out our digestive fire which can lead to constipation, dry skin, and cold hands and feet.
Why Ayurveda Loves Fats and Oils
Ayurveda considers hydration not just in the form of water but also through high quality fats and oils.
Your body needs healthy oil and fats. Your organs, mucosa and myeline sheathe require fat to be healthy. If there is dryness, depletion, or inflammation present then your body simply cannot function optimally. Take a look at what kind of oils and fats you consume on a daily basis. What is the quality? What is the quantity?
Someone who is more dry, thin, and depleted may need more water, oil, and fat. Someone who is bigger boned, oily with sluggish digestion may need less.
We will get into the reason behind this soon!
Water is Sacred
Water is incredibly sacred. What do I mean by that?
Consider where we all came from. We all started our life in the ocean of water called the amniotic fluid in our Mothers womb. We are literally birthed through that canal of water as her water burst and we are born into the world through the portal of water.
A fetus is grown and developed in amniotic fluid (water). The water element is the first element we have major contact with.
The water element is also most predominate in a newborn. If you've ever held a newborn baby they are incredibly flexible, they curl up into a little ball on your chest, and you kind of have to mush them into their clothes. That's because the water element is the highest at birth. Think about what infants eat those first few months, they only eat breastmilk or formula - pure fluid. Water is our foundation of health.
How Can I Tell if I'm Hydrated?
When it comes to the physical body, the water element shows up in bodily fluids - our sweat, urine, and most importantly our lymphatic system. The quality and health of our lymphatic system is foundational for our overall immunity.
Did your caregiver ever tell you to drink fluids when you were sick? It's because we are trying to get the new fresh water to flush out the stagnant and inflamed lymph so we can become healthy again.
The quality of our bodily functions depend on water. Organs simply do not work in a dry, depleted, or inflamed environment. When we are hydrated and have adequate water element our skin in moisturized, our tongue doesn't show cracks, our eyes aren't dry, our bowl movements aren't dry, there is no constipated, and our joints aren't cracking.
How the Water Element Presents in Your Mind & Emotions
From a relational and emotional standpoint, water rules the health of our relationships. Do you have healthy relational dynamics, are they fluid, and do you have emotional buoyancy? Or are you more rigid in relationships.
If you've ever been on a float in a lazy river, its really relaxing. You're just laying back, being gently guided along, and you can rest easy.
Having a balanced water element in the emotional/mental state is when life flows. It doesn't mean its not hard at times but it's not a constant battle you can find ease within your day. Being stressed the majority of the time is a sign there isn't enough of the water element.
I've also found through my own reflection that during certain periods of life that my water element is more depleted such as transition, postpartum, of when there is conflict (especially in my marriage).
Start to think about your overall attitude. Do you have a go with the flow attitude or are you always at odds?
How to Increase the Water Element
Physically, you can take in hydration, fats, oils, and hydrating foods. Also oiling your skin is a great way to bring in hydration from the outside.
For the mental and emotional state, literally being in water can relax you. Take a bath or go for a swim. Take an hour a day where there is no pressure to preform. Do something you enjoy that doesn't necessarily have a goal.
We will talk more about how to balance the water element when we discuss the Vata dosha so stay tuned!
I hope you learned something new today and let me know in the comments if you did!
