How the Elements Relate to Wellness
In Western education, when learning about science, we often begin with the Ancient Greek philosophy of the four elements (air, fire, earth and water), introduced by Empedocles in 450 BC (sometimes attributed to Aristotle). However, indigenous, Chinese and Ayurvedic traditions referred to the elements as a way of understanding deficiencies and excesses in the human body well before they emerged in Greek thought. While there are slight differences between the element systems employed by each tradition, what matters most is that they were functional for basic health assessment by individuals (who used them) as well as physicians.
Element systems offer a way to observe homeostasis and imbalance directly within nature and ourselves. It is not difficult to notice when the mind is windy and chaotic, or the body is feeling muddy or boggy, or the digestion fiery or gassy. Nor is it difficult to notice when the diet is lacking in fluids or if it is too heavy, and that there is a relationship between the these phenomena.
When familiar with an elemental way of observing the body, one discovers that many “disorders” fall into the category of one or two elemental excesses or deficiencies. Knowing this, one can readily know how to make a few diet/lifestyle adjustments to restore order. (This is lifestyle medicine in a nutshell).
It is important to acknowledge that referencing the elements may not cure a disease, and a proper diagnosis may be useful or important. However, when 80% of common diseases in the United States are lifestyle diseases, this means, most of the time we can prevent them by making small adjustments, such as questioning whether our afternoon snack or morning routine is supporting us. (This is early detection.) Referencing the elements means that we recognize ourselves as a part of nature which is always changing in response to time of day, time of year, stage of life, and environmental factors. This being the case, our diets and routines are going to support us better if they are both dynamic (such as eating seasonal foods), as well as consistent (such as keeping regular meal times).
Natural wellbeing can be easily disturbed when we regularly impose industrialized expectations on our bodies, or when we fall into unsupportive habits as coping mechanisms rather than acknowledge that we are running on empty or out of balance. Unfortunately, noticing that we are extremely out of balance often comes as a surprise to many of us who live in an industrialized culture which does not recognize that something is wrong until it has a diagnosis.
If we have a habit of self-assessment which references the elements, we have the advantage of recognizing the nature of an imbalance and basic ways to make home adjustments and restore homeostasis and overall wellbeing. Conversely, we can recognize when our bodies are not responding to diet/lifestyle changes, so that we can consult with a trusted practitioner or physician. Worst-case scenario, we may gain the advantage of early disease detection, which can reduce intensity of treatments required, increase likelihood of recovery and reduce recovery time.
Lifestyle diseases can debilitate our capacity to respond and relate to the world around us. Quality of life requires maintenance, maintenance requires understanding, and understanding requires curiosity. Relating to the elements and observing their interplay in our bodies is an important part of a healthy daily routine. As Benjamin Franklin said, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
In the next post, I will discuss basic ways to work with the elements to cultivate awareness