Our Ayurvedic yogic goddess, Katie Silcox, walks us through the five basic elements of Ayurveda and how they relate to our personality. Read on to learn more about how you embody the elements, as well as the potential within you ready to be ignited at any time.
Ayurveda interprets our world through the lens of five elements – ether (space), air, fire, water and earth. You, my gorgeous human, are a unique snowflake embodiment of all of them. Each one of us has a thumbprint combination of the five. We were born this way.
Knowing our own personal combo is helpful in two ways: firstly, it shows us where our strengths and weaknesses lie, but more importantly, it shows us the innate potential that lies within us all. While our nature may mean some elements appear stronger in us than others, here’s the truth: have the capacity to embody ALL of them, when needed, to soothe our soul and fulfill our heart’s deepest desires. Read on to tap into your inner Ayurvedic Goddess.
The Ether girl
An ether girl is the type who organizes a dinner party with a crowd as polar opposite as Ozzy Osbourne to the Pope, yet somehow there is a golden thread that connects everyone. She is the woman who creates space for her own purely creative pursuits. Within the silence and space of her room, she accesses the muse who lives in the walls. Her life is about creativity and play — she never takes life too seriously — and she ensures she has the space in her life for her antics.
You may have experienced a lack of ether in your own life. Who hasn’t remarked (or screamed), “I need some space!” It’s no surprise — without enough ‘space’ we can feel suffocated. On the other hand, too much space and we can feel ‘spaced-out’ and yearning for the more Earthy and Watery elements of life (see below).
A balance in the amount of ether we have gives us the space we need to use our highest knowledge and process what is going on in our lives.
The Air girl
A woman who embodies Air is dynamic, changeable, artistic and creative. Whereas ether is defined as space, air is defined as movement. Deeply feeling, she can fall quickly and deeply into love. The opposite is also true — soon enough, a love affair is just a fling as she moves on to the next project. Air women live for movement and change. In fact, an airy girl may even forget your name once she has left your side. Don’t be offended. It’s not that she didn’t care. It’s just that her air has carried her on to the next great experience, place or person.
We need air in our lives to inspire change and spur action, as well as take us to places we never thought possible.
The Fire girl
You know a fiery woman when you see her! She lights up a room. She has a warm, bright personality that draws people to her and melts their hearts. A fire woman is an alchemist: she takes all situations and melts them into whatever will serve her. She can see people and events clearly, definitely the type of girl you want running the show.
At its highest level, fire is the force behind our own evolution, converting who we are into who we are becoming. In the body, fire creates the heat of fevers and governs digestion. In food, fire is evident in the spiciness of a pungent curry or a hot tamale. In the mind, fire illuminates truth, dispels ignorance, and governs our perception of reality.
But fire also has the ability to turn wood into ash. There needs to be some balance in this explosive nature.
The Water girl
Watery women are the juiciest creatures on the planet. A water rich goddess can meld her wet goodness into any of life’s circumstances with liquidity. Water is the principle of holding and fluidity, and it always flows along the path of least resistance. A water girl is the one putting out the fires in the office, not creating them.
Water not only represents H2O in the body, but it also includes all the liquids and oils inside you. In the mental and emotional realms, water is our ability to express gentleness, compassion and acceptance. And while Water may be passive in its ability to adapt to any container, it is also one of the most powerful forces on the planet. Think of the power of a crashing 15 foot wave, a breaking flood levy, or the healing power of a hot bath, and you’ll understand water’s immense strength and capacity.
We all need a bit of water stirring in our souls, to calm, connect and soothe.
The Earth girl
The world’s earthy women are like mountains. They embody solidity and support. An earth woman is not someone you want to mess with. She is unmoving in her integrity, firm in her beliefs and has bigger vision than a room of air girls combined.
We need earth to ground us in our communities. Without earth, we are like a rootless plant, our little green shoots desperate for a place to grow. Too much earth, on the other hand, can leave us feeling heavy and stagnant. It can also lead to a dominance of survival consciousness – where we are preoccupied only with the aspects of our physical survival. Too much earth also brings an inability to break from negative family lineage stories and other forms of delusion.
While it’s an important grounding element, she needs to tap into her other elements to balance her out — perhaps a little fire in the belly, or a little water to get lubricate the rigidity.
Want to learn more about your elements, what they mean and how you can balance out your emotions through Ayurveda? Read more on Katie Silcox’s website.
