Welcome.
In this meditation,
We connect to the five great elements that make up ourselves as well as all life and matter on this planet.
These are known in yoga and Ayurveda as the Pancha Mahabhutas,
And they represent the foundational aspects of nature and matter.
They are space,
Air,
Fire,
Water,
And earth.
These elements are acknowledged and revered in traditional cultures around the world.
They're the building blocks of all material existence.
Ayurveda observes these same five elements within the human body and mind,
As well as in nature.
Everything in life is created with varying proportions of these five elements.
These elements are space,
Also known as ether.
The word in Sanskrit for this is akasha.
This is the subtlest of the elements.
Space is expansive,
Empty,
And has no resistance.
It's the source of all matter and houses the space within which it exists.
Space allows for growth and change to take place.
This includes the space between your cells,
Your breath,
And your thoughts.
The second element,
Air or vayu,
Is movable,
Changeable,
Light,
Dry,
Mobile,
And dynamic.
It represents the capacity for motion and gives flight to our ideals or goals.
Externally,
Air is seen as wind.
Internally,
It's the movement of breath,
Circulation,
As well as nerve impulses.
The third element,
Fire or tejas,
Is hot,
Light,
Intense,
Powerful,
And transformative.
Externally,
We see fire as the sun.
Internally,
It drives digestion and cognitive processes.
The fourth element,
Water or jala,
Is smooth,
Flowing,
Cool,
And movable.
And it can also be solid.
Water transports,
Connects,
And provides protection and nourishment.
Both your body and the planet are around 70% water.
The final element,
Earth or prithvi,
Is heavy,
Solid,
Stable,
Constant,
And rigid.
Earth represents all solid matter and the structure of the universe.
Earth gives form to the human body and to all of creation.
Today's meditation practice is designed to give you an experience of these five elements,
Both within you and in the world around you.
Find a place outside,
Preferably,
Where you can relax and be comfortable.
If at all possible,
Sit on the earth,
Perhaps with a blanket,
Mat,
Or cushion beneath you.
Sit down and quietly close your eyes if that feels comfortable to you.
Bring your awareness to the breath.
As you exhale,
Bring your awareness to the lower half of your body toward the earth.
Take another deep breath in.
And then as you breathe out,
Bring your awareness to your thighs,
To your pelvis,
To your legs,
To your feet.
Bring your awareness to your tailbone and to your pelvic floor.
Experience the foundation of your body pressing into the support of the earth.
As you feel your body touching the earth,
You can experience a sense of stability,
Groundedness,
And strength.
Bring your awareness to your flesh and bones,
The earthly parts of your physical being.
And now,
Make an intention to consciously connect with the energy of the earth,
Feeling the earth beneath you and silently offering gratitude for groundedness,
For gravity itself,
For the nourishment and support that the earth provides all living beings.
By bringing your awareness to your flesh and bones and to the earth beneath you,
You bring the earth element into your body and into balance.
Feel the stability that comes when the earth element is in balance.
The earth grounds us so that we may live life in a supported way and be resilient in the face of challenges that come our way.
Take a moment and just enjoy feeling the nourishment of earth element.
And now,
Take a deeper breath in and out and become aware of the fluids and liquid nature of your body.
Between 70 and 80 percent of your body is made of a fluid.
You have a veritable ocean inside you.
Bring your awareness to the pelvic region and visualize its basin-like shape,
The container of your sexual organs.
This is the seat of the water element in your body.
Now,
Extend your awareness to include not only your own watery element,
But the water element in your outer environment,
The rain,
The groundwater,
The rivers,
The lakes,
The puddles,
Dewdrops,
And the mighty ocean.
By bringing your awareness to the fluids in your body and being more aware of the water element in your landscape and on this planet,
You can bring water element into balance.
When the water element is in balance,
We feel soothed and calm and experience fluidity and flow in life so that we can be in the flow of our day.
Silently offer gratitude for the soothing quality of the water element in your body,
In the food and drinks you consume,
And for the clean and clear water that keeps you and all living things alive.
Water is life.
Take another deep breath in and as you breathe out,
Become aware of the warmth in your body,
Bringing your awareness to your belly region.
As you experience the warmth in your own body,
You connect to the fire element,
Which is your metabolism,
As well as your passion,
Your focus,
And your ability to manifest and carry out projects.
The energy that comes when the fire element is in balance is the energy of empowerment and transformation.
The fire element is represented by the sun,
By any cooking fires,
Including our stoves and burners at home,
By lights of all types that illuminate our paths and our understanding.
Take a moment to give thanks for the sun,
For your metabolism,
And for the light of awareness.
And taking another breath,
Deep breath in.
As you breathe out now,
Become aware of the air moving in and out of your lungs.
Bring your awareness to the space around your heart.
The heart and lungs are the space in the body that is the seat of the air element.
Air is mobile and represents the ability to think creatively and to embrace change.
It is also the place of the heart and represents our ability to relate to others and to feel loving,
To feel compassion,
And to connect with others in a friendly way.
In nature,
We experience the air element as the breeze and as the wind.
Bring your awareness now to your breath.
Breathing in and out,
Becoming aware of the air within you and the air in your environment so that you can harmonize this element.
Offer thanks for the life force energy or prana that is carried in the air and in your breath.
Offer thanks for clean air and its ability to refresh and clarify and sweep your body and your mind clean.
Take another deep breath in now.
And as you breathe out,
Become aware of the space in your mind and space in your body.
Space or ether is the most subtle of the elements.
Ether and space represent our ability to connect to that which is beyond the sky,
The heavens,
The cosmos.
As you exhale,
Allow yourself to feel more spacious on the inside and to connect to the big space both within you and without.
Let your awareness extend all the way out to the cosmos.
Space or ether is the element of inspiration,
Of insight,
Of mystical and transcendent connection.
Take a moment to offer thanks to big space,
To the ability to connect with that which is bigger,
Larger and beyond ourselves.
Take a moment to give thanks to be at once grounded,
Connected to earth and unbounded,
Limitless,
Connected to big space or sky at the same time.
Feel the sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself and feeling one with all things.
Take another deep breath in and exhale.
You are a part of the same five elements that exist in nature.
Earth,
Water,
Fire,
Air and space.
Experience the feeling of being in harmony with the nature within you and around you.
Om shanti shanti shanti.
May there be peace and harmony within you always.
