There are many Five Element Practices in our system. The elements that we work with are very simple and basic to understand:
- Fire is Warm and Expansive.
- Water is Contractive and Cooling.
- Air is Light and Thin.
- Earth is Solid and Heavy.
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So what about the 5th Element? This comes out of the first 4 being in balance, when Fire, Water, Air & Earth are in the right amounts. A very interesting thing occurs, called True Balance; this 5th Element is often referred to as
Akasha.
Another way to explain these elements is to say how they relate to the physical body.
- At the very top, Fire begins at the shoulders and travels up the neck into the head. It's fairly easy to understand why this is considered the Fire Region: if you have ever been really angry or mad, the head and neck feel very expansive and warm.
- In the arms, Water covers the wrists and forearms; in the body it is located in the abdominal region, extending up slightly under the ribcage. This is where the Water Organs are located.
- In the arms, the Air Region begins in the elbows and extends to the bottom of the rotator cuffs (or shoulders) in the torso. From there it goes from the diaphragm through to the base of the neck. This is where the lungs are located, and much breathing occurs.
- The legs & hands represent Earth, solid and heavy.
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By working with the elements from this most basic understanding, we can begin to see and feel how the elements relate to Martial Arts, a.k.a. Martial Movement, which in ancient times was considered to be Moving
Meditation. In order to learn how to increase or decrease the elements to find balance, one must first become more sensitive to what the elements truly are and how to access them.
At my school, all of our practices work on keeping the elements in balance. We also have many different training methods to help a person become more conscious of when they are out of balance. In daily life it's pretty easy at times to know when we are out of balance or off-center. Sometimes we recognize it in ourselves, or catch it as it occurs, although at other times someone sees it in us and points it out to us. Sometimes this helps; sometimes it doesn't. One thing is for sure: learning to work with the elements and balance them certainly helps to balance our planet's elements as well!
