Five Elements & Doshas
The Five Elements
According to Ayurveda, everything is composed of five elements: air, fire, water, earth, and ether. From thought to plants, to the human being, the five elements are the building blocks of all matter. These elements are represented in humans by three “Doshas”, or energies: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.What are Doshas?
The Doshas are energies that pervade the body and mind, each with different functions. Ayurveda assesses your state of being and the state of the natural world in terms of three basic principles or Doshas. The Five Elements of Existence: Understand them, and you understand life itself. They rule nature, earth, the cosmos, and our bodies: space, air, fire, water, and earth. In Sanskrit: Akasha, Vayu, Tejas, Jal, Prithvi. Known as Panch Tattva or Panchmahabhootas. They are expounded upon within the Vedas, but specifically Sankya philosophy (all about the creation of the universe and how it came to be) and Ayurveda,” The science of life”. All of these texts date back to the most ancient human civilization, known as the Vedic civilization. This enlightened civilization was rooted in India but existed globally.Meditation
During this time, many enlightened beings walked the earth. Sages, yogis, and great masters sat in meditation and received higher knowledge from the Cosmos itself. This knowledge was passed down from guru to disciple for thousands of years and was eventually written down on palm leaves (Palm-leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm leaves. Palm leaves were used as writing materials in the Indian subcontinent and in Southwest Asia reportedly dating back to the 5th century BCE) some 6,000+ years ago. The scriptures number in the hundreds of thousands, and contain immense and specific detail about every dimension of life and the universe. An essential part of this knowledge is understanding the building blocks of what makes up our universe, known as TATTVAS (units, or qualities).
Before humans existed, or animals and plants, and even before the earth itself existed, the cosmos contained these elements. First, there was only akasha, space, and pure nothingness. The most subtle element, beyond form and quality. As the material world began to come to life, the next element birthed was Vayu,(Air, Wind). Vayu is still extremely subtle and minute in quality, beyond form but containing feeling and movement. The next element that came to be was Tejas,(Agni, fire); it is powerful, heating, and visible, but cannot be contained. The more gross and cooling element of AAP,(Jal, Water) came next. Water takes many forms, has feelings, gives life, cools, and flows. And finally, the most solid element came to life: Prithvi, (earth). Earth is one taking on form, dense, heavy, and stable in nature. Together, over billions of years, these five elements came together to form our Planet Earth.
NATURE’S FIVE ELEMENTS: THEIR ROLE IN HUMAN LIFE AND WELLNESS
There is power and purpose behind each element and what it does inside of us. The ultimate health, Swasthya, comes when we balance all 5 elements within us.
Tejas functions as our digestive fire, the power behind our body’s ability to break down food.
AAP comprises over 70% of our body and lubricates our body functions. Water is the life energy of all animals and plants on earth and covers 70% of the earth’s surface.
Akasha is the space between all our cells, the space that allows us to take on a certain form in matter.
Planet earth is just one matter, one blip in the space of the cosmos; but, we were able to have individual life because of the spaces between all things.
What we put into our body matters. What elements is it carrying? How may it be balancing us or imbalancing us? What are the qualities of the foods and drinks we consume? What about the words we consume? The thoughts we think? They are all made up of the same elements. The more we break things down to their elements, the simpler our lives become Discover what makes YOUR body unique and how best to optimize and support your health.
FIVE SENSES
According to Vedic science, when the spirit (in Sanskrit called Purusha) takes the form of life (in Sanskrit called Prakruti), it is made up of five elements, viz. Earth (Prithvi), Water (Jal), Fire (Tejas, Agni), Air (Vayu), and Space (Akasha). An element is a substance (in Sanskrit Dravya) that has associated properties (qualities) termed GUNA. The relation between a substance and its properties (DRAVYA-GUNA) is very important in human perception through the five senses. Vedic schools of philosophy including Ayurveda and Yoga Sutras view the whole world and the universe as an integrated entity made up of these five senses.
Five senses are associated with these Nature’s Five Elements as in the following manner:
- Space is associated with the Ear (hearing/sound)
- Air with Skin (touch)
- Fire (sight / colour)
- Water with tongue (taste)
- Earth with the nose (smell)
The five fingers of the hand (Sanskrit names given in brackets) are also associated with Nature’s Five Elements:
- Index finger (Tarjani): Air
- Middle finger (Madhyama): Space
- Ring finger (Anamika): Earth
- Little finger (Kanishtika): Water
- Thumb (Angushtha): Fire
FIVE ELEMENTS AS STATES OF MATTER
Each of the five elements can be looked upon as a state of matter.
Earth (Prithvi) is not to be considered simply as soil, but everything in nature that is in a solid state.
Water (Jal) is to be considered as everything that is liquid or fluid matter.
Air (Vayu) refers to everything in gaseous form.
Fire (Agni) is that part of Nature that transforms one state of matter into another. Fire transforms the solid state of water (ice) into liquid state i.e. water itself and then into a gaseous state (steam). In general, a solid can be transformed into liquid and liquid into gaseous form by fire means by providing heat.
Space (Akash) is needed for everything in our body. We need space to eat food, transfer the food to the bloodstream, and so on.
All the five elements have specific relationships like assisting or resisting each other based on their nature, form, and the laws of nature.
ELEMENTS IN THE BODY AND THEIR QUALITIES AND FUNCTIONS
According to Ayurveda and Yoga Sutra, Nature’s Five Elements are responsible for the overall health of human beings. Any disorder in the human body indicates an imbalance of one or more of these elements.
Ayurveda classifies three intrinsic tendencies known as ‘Tri-dosha’ (Tri means three and DOSHA here means tendencies), viz. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha exist in every human body in some form and relate to the five elements as follows:
- Akash and Vayu together constitute what is known as Vata.
- Agni and Jal make Pitta.
- Water and earth create Kapha.
Each of the five elements forms different structures in the body.
Earth forms solid structures, such as bones, muscles, skin, tissues, hair, etc.
Water forms saliva, urine, semen, blood, and sweat.
Fire generates hunger, thirst, and sleep.
Air is responsible for all movement, including expansion, contraction, and suppression.
Space forms physical attraction and repulsion, as well as fear and anxiety.
When a sperm and ovum unite to form a fertilized egg, all five elements are actively involved in the formation of the embryo and its development into a fetus. EARTH gives weight and gives position to it. WATER gives moisture and nourishes it. FIRE gives energy for development and AIR helps for cell division. AKASH (space) gives space for the development of the fetus. These elements are further visualized and manifested in the human body (as well as in animals) in the following manner.
IMBALANCE OF FIVE ELEMENTS IN THE BODY: OBSERVATIONS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Water Element: It is important to take in the qualities of water when one feels too warm, ungrounded, dehydrated, rough, lacking in self-esteem, obstructed and immobile, irritable with a sharp tongue, transparent and vulnerable. Since taste depends upon the water element for its manifestation, disorders of the ability to taste are due to an imbalance of the water element. Water is excreted from the body through the urethra as urine and also in the form of sweat. The imbalance in water element can be judged by observing changes in the taste and through alterations in urine and seminal fluid.
The imbalance of Water element can lead to cold, sinusitis, asthma, swellings, blood thinning or blood clotting, the problem of urination, diseases of reproductive organs, disorders of reproductive organs, spleen, loss of appetite, urinary system, menstrual difficulties, sexual dysfunctions and lack of flexibility.
Fire Element: The fire element represents the capacity of heat and light. Fire is the generator of energy in the body. Fire and the visual sense have a special relationship. Fire provides the light for perception. Since the sensory organ associated with it is the eyes, disorders in visual perception can primarily be related to the fire element. Fire represents light, heat, luster, energy, understanding, metabolism, and the power of transformation. It is the fire element because our body has the capacity to digest.
Excess fire in the body results in a build-up of heat, while deficient fire results in a feeling of being cold. When there is excess heat, it needs to be reduced, and hence body sweats and urinates more. A lack of fire element in the body slows down the metabolism.
The imbalance of Fire element is indicated by coldness or fever, skin diseases, heat in the body, loss of vital energy, acidity, diabetes, mental disorders, eating and digestive disorders, ulcers, diabetes, muscular disorders, chronic fatigue, and hypertension.
Space Element: It is the essence of emptiness. It is space that other elements fill. The ear is considered the associated sense organ of the element and the voice (mouth) is its organ of action. Hearing loss, as well as loss of voice, can be related to an imbalance of this element in the body.
Space is omnipresent, without boundaries, and formless. One can find the Space element in the intestines, bladder, and lungs. Nullification or overriding of space in the body contributes to symptomatic dysfunctions in these areas. The imbalance of Space element can lead to thyroid disorders, throat problems, speech disorders, epilepsy, and diseases of the ear.
Earth Element: It represents solid matter and the structure of the universe. The state of the earth element in the body and the capacity to smell are deeply connected. The excess earth element can obstruct the sense of smell, while deficient earth element can weaken the structures responsible for the smell.
Imbalance of Earth element can lead to weakness, obesity, weight loss and weight gain, bones or muscular diseases, disorders of the bowel, large intestine, disorders of the solid parts of the body – bones, teeth, etc, issues with legs, feet, knees, the base of the spine, eating disorders and frequent illnesses.
Air Element: Air enables blood circulation, breathing or movement, and gliding of nerve impulses. It enables the thoughts to flow and the joints to propel our movement. In Yoga Sutras,
Air (Vayu) is in five forms according to its direction of movement: Inward (PRANA), Outward (VYANA), Upward (UDANA), Downward (APANA), and that which balances and stabilizes these movements, a force that pulls toward the Centre (SAMANA). These five types of movements are called the five Vayus and the five Pranas.
Imbalance of Air element leads to nervous disorders, blood pressure problems, lung disorders, physical pains and deformities, depression and locomotors ataxia, physical dysfunctions, disorders of the heart, lungs, thymus, breasts, arms, breathing problems, asthma, circulation problems, immune system deficiency, shoulder and neck tension, pain in chest and burn-out.
Pitta Characters
- Pitta is made up of fire and water.
- Pitta qualities are hot, sharp, acidic, intense, oily.
- Its primary location is the small intestine. Pitta is also located in the liver, spleen, eyes, skin, blood, heart, brain, etc.
- Pitta is the transformative force responsible for all biochemical reactions in the body. It produces digestion, metabolism, courage, clarity, glow, complexion, lustre, intellect, and vision.
Kapha Characters
- Kapha is made up of water and earth.
- Kapha’s qualities are stable, oily, heavy, dense, smooth, and cool.
- Its primary location is lungs. It is also located in the upper part of the body- head, nose, throat, chest, fatty tissues, ligaments, tendons, etc.
- Kapha is responsible for stability, structure, growth, protection, endurance, calmness and cohesion, memory, learning capacity, and promotes the qualities of love and calmness.
Vata Characters
- Vata is made up of air and space.
- Vata qualities are cool, dry, light, and mobile
- Its primary location is the colon. Vata is located in, and as the space in the open cavities of, the body—such as the spaces in between bones and joints, particularly in the lower back, pelvic area, and hips.
- Vata is responsible for all physical and mental movements. It is responsible for breathing, circulation of tissues, thinking, movements, elimination of wastes, etc.