How to Use the Five-Element Meditation Practice to Promote Healing & Wellness by Stephanie Cannoe

If you prescribe to the theory that everything is interconnected, then the five-element meditation practice may be for you. If you see each moment as an opportunity to open to something far greater than yourself, if you feel called to heal the wounds that separate us from our source and from each other, and you find greater balance in nature, then you are already using the elements to promote healing and wellness. 

No matter how difficult the situation, spiritual healing is available to us; this finely tuned perception transmutes any circumstance and relationship. Spiritual healing is our interconnection to all that is. The five elements are resources we can call upon when we need help to embrace what is, strength to go on, power to change and set clear boundaries, an ability to let go and surrender control. The possibilities are endless.  

"Healing is the return of the memory of wholeness. Healing, health, whole and holy all mean inclusiveness. Body, mind, spirit, environment, relationships, social interactions are all one wholeness, and you’re a part of that one wholeness.” –Deepak Chopra

The first step is to understand that your body is the vessel given to you as a guide and this is your source of truth. Depending on the tradition, the element practices promote a system of healing and are energies we can tap into in the form of earth, water, fire, air, metal, wood and aether (space). How we use these energies arises out of a deep intuition about how our bodies and our universe operate. 

These practices are here to help reconnect us to the universal flow of nature and the sacred and most importantly to ourselves. Healing practices can only be received from within, and the elements you need may change moment to moment, but you can start a practice unique to your situation. As with mindfulness, everyone is different. Maybe you prefer a walk in the woods, an acupuncturist or a formal qigong practice. Remember whatever works for you is key!  Here’s an example of a five-element meditation practice from Chopra.com:

• Find a place where you can relax and not be disturbed. Sit comfortably and quietly with your eyes closed. Take a deep breath in and let go of all the cares of the day.

• Take another deep breath in; as you breathe out become aware of your flesh and bones. Just by bringing your awareness to your flesh and bones you can bring the earth element in the body into balance. Feel the stability that comes when the earth element is in balance. You feel very grounded and rooted like a tree, able to withstand all the challenges life brings your way.

• Take another deep breath in; as you breathe out become aware of the blood rushing through your veins. About 80 percent of your body is made up of fluid. Just by bringing your awareness to the fluids in the body you can bring the water element into balance. Feel the flexibility that comes when the water element is in balance. That flexibility will help you to navigate all the concerns of your day.
  

• Take another deep breath in; as you breathe out become aware of the warmth in your body. By bringing your awareness to the warmth in your body you can bring the fire element in the body into balance. Feel the energy that comes when the fire element is in balance. You feel alive, creative and able to find solutions to your problems.

• Take another deep breath in; as you breathe out become aware of the air moving out of your lungs. By bringing your awareness to your breath you can bring the air element in the body into balance. Feel the harmony that comes when the air element is in balance. You feel loving, compassionate and friendly.

• Take another deep breath in; as you breathe out become aware of the space in your mind. Just by bringing your awareness to the space in your mind you can bring the space element in the body into balance. Feel the peace that comes when the space element is in balance. You feel anchored in the present moment.

• Take another deep breath in and let go. You are a part of the same five elements that exist in nature. Experience the feeling of being in harmony with nature within and around you.

• Chant, "Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti." May there be peace and harmony within you always.

We spend most of our time thinking about events in the past or planning for the future. True peace abides right here, right now, in this present moment.

Enjoy this meditation whenever you may need it to bring you a deeper connection to all that is sacred and beautiful within you and your world.

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