healing with the earth element

The heat of Summer slowly starts to slip into the cooling arms of the Earth element. Cosy beds calling us to linger just a little longer, as the Kookaburra song chirps lively up at 5:45.

The reprise of cool winds and soft rainfall tend to our fiery bodies that have begun to shift into a slower rhythm. Held In the ripeness of summer, surrounded by fruitful abundance it’s a time to take a breath and settle in for the pause before we transition into the Yin of Winter.

Late Summer represents the Earth element in Chinese medicine. The central axis of our yearly cycle that contains within it all seasons. Earth is our grounding force and stability. This time of pause between seasons is a chance to stop and take note of everything we have created in our lives.

What it is we want to keep tending to? Habits and dreams that sustain us, and those parts of us no longer serving to let go of?

By observing the subtleties in nature we can attune our bodies with the correct diet and lifestyle to bring us into greater harmony with ourselves and the world around us.

ENERGY, ARCHETYPE & CONSTITUTION

The earth element is the grounding Mother energy that sustains and nourishes our entire being. The sense of grounded support, anchored deep into the earth that generates the capacity to move through times of great change with grace and ease.

The archetype of Earth is the peacemaker. A unifying force of nurturance and connection. Qualities of empathy, love, gentleness, understanding, stability and centeredness emanate from someone possessing this elemental quality predominantly in their being. The epitome of the Kapha constitution of Ayurveda. An imbalanced Earth element is someone prone to worry, anxiety and stress typical of Vata types who are often u-ngrounded, improperly nourished and flighty. This type of energy effects Earth organs, the stomach and spleen that crave routine and proper nourishment.

The stomach and spleen are in charge of all digestive and assimilation processes in the body. The spleen is the yang partner of the pair, responsible for transforming go ki from our food into ki and blood which tops up our vital force in our kidneys and fuels our capacity for vitality. An improper functioning spleen leads to feelings of lethargy and despondency, as we are unable to assimilate the miraculous nature of life and spectrum of experience and emotion we receive on a day to day basis. The spleens yin counterpart is the stomach where proper food digestion occurs. The nutritive qualities then sent onto the spleen for assimilation in various tissues and organs, with the waste products sent to the large intestine for elimination.

The best thing you can do to support the Earth element Is to EAT and REST. Sounds tough, huh?!

Improper digestion stems from insufficient digestive strength from the Agni/internal fire located and improper eating habits. Either eating too much, too little or at irregular times throughout the day. By limiting the amount of processed foods ingested, eating whole foods, grains and meats we can fortify the digestive strength of our body and heal most digestive disturbances that affect our mental and emotional health.

DIETARY AND LIFESTYLE PRACTICES

• Don’t skip breakfast! It’s the most important time to set your bodies yang up for the day and support healthy ki and blood (especially if suffering menstrual imbalances)

• Start your day with a nutritive breakfast between 8-9am when stomach ki is at its strongest

• Stick to regular eating times and have your last meal between 6-7pm

• Eat plenty of warm nutritive foods and small amounts of the sweet flavour from grains such as pumpkins, sweet potato, cinnamon, millet, carrots, chickpeas, poached pears, oats, turmeric, rice, congee etc.

• Share meal times with others. We get nourishment not only from food, but the people around us, too!

• Cold/raw foods take extra ki to digest and most people don’t have the proper digestive force to process these types of foods anyway. So smoothies, ice cream, salads are all out (sorry!)

• Cold foods undigested lead to dampness and congestion in the body which you want to avoid like the plague

• Indulge yourself in extra nourishing self-care practices. Think herbal oil Abhyanga (self massage), aroma baths, sleeping in

• Aroma therapy support: Patchouli oil enters the lungs, spleen and stomach channels to remove dampness, phlegm and harmonizes the digestive system

STATES OF EXCESS / DEFICIENCY

Someone who is Earth/Kapha deficient, such as Vata types do well to follow these lifestyle practices as It will bring moisture and tonifying yang to their system.  For those experiencing an Earth element/Kapha imbalance in the form of excess weight, constipation, mucus accumulation, lack of clarity, vision, lethargy and depression. It is advised to increase warming, pungent flavours from chili, cayenne, ginger and fennel to help clear accumulative toxins and a more rigorous yogic protocol to bring the body back to a strong set point.

NEEDING A SYSTEM REBOOT AND EXTRA SUPPORT?

Offering individualised support based on a holistic health assessment you will receive:

-       Specialised cleanse protocol including diet, lifestyle and yoga asana

-       Herbal support based on requirements

-       2 tailored yoga classes

-       Daily asana & acupressure guide

-       Macrobiotic recipes

-       1:1 support for the next 10 days

Investment: $222

Email: lucillepotts8@gmail.com