A Moment of Yoga - 5 elements

------------------

THE FIVE ELEMENTS – Building Blocks of the Vedic Sciences
“The Self has entered this body, this dense jumble. If a man finds him, recognizes him, He’s the maker of everything-the author of all! The world is his-he’s the world itself.�
- Brhadaranyaka Upanishad

Spirit is called Purusha. When spirit takes form it is called Prakriti. Every object as Prakriti is an expression of Purusha – Matter Expressing Spirit. This world of Matter Expressing Spirit is formed by the five elements; they are the building blocks of the Vedic Sciences. Their properties provide the archetypes that underpin all aspects of Vedic thinking. First we will examine the five elements, and then explore their evolution as affected by the three Gunas (qualities of nature). 

Starting with the grossest element and moving towards the finest, the five elements are: 

Earth – Water – Fire – Air – Ether (Space).

Each of the five elements is responsible for some important aspect of the self and one of the five senses. 

Earth
Primarily responsible for the physique, though its influence does not end there. Earth, as the densest element, has also the heaviest psychological influence. Our physical body demands the most attention when its needs arise. For example, no matter how enjoyable it may be talking to your best friend on the phone, you will only suppress the urge to go to the bathroom for so long before you relent. 
Psychologically, Earth is our practical nature, literally being “down to earth.â€? 
Earth connects us to the sense of smell. Ayurveda says anything we can smell contains Earth. 
Prominent planets in Earth signs will be sensual and hands on. They want to be useful and will work hard. They are practical in expression. They will wash your car on your birthday. Too much Earth brings stagnation and clinging to form. 

Water
Primarily responsible for the senses. Water specifically shows the flow of the senses from the physical body to the outer world and the emotional connections and impressions made through the senses. It is also our receptive emotional mind. It is on this vital level that our energy must connect and receive the environment in order to satisfy our bodily needs (Earth). We see a chocolate éclair in the window of a bakery and our mouth starts to water. 
Psychologically, Water has to do with our deep emotional bonds, memories and sensory impressions.
Prominent planets in Water signs make one want to merge and bond emotionally. They can be the most psychic of signs. They will cook you dinner on your birthday. Too much Water can lead to excessive emotion/emotional dependence.
Water connects us to the sense of taste. Ayurveda says that anything we can taste contains water.

Fire
Fire is primarily responsible for the mind and mental impressions while also being responsible for digestion of all sorts, whether digesting food or digesting information. Fire is also our active emotional mind, our passionate nature and the instinctual, conditioned/reactive mind. It is the element of Fire that digests sensory impressions (Water), turning them into thoughts we can use. Otherwise, our minds would be a jumble of sensory data. 
Psychologically, Fire represents our active desire nature. We literally “burnâ€? to satisfy our desires. It is Fire that makes us “wantâ€? the chocolate éclair in the window. 
Prominent planets in Fire signs will exhibit an active, bold or perhaps aggressive nature. Strong Fire types can be the most inspirational of signs, yet also the most self-centered. They will buy you sexy underwear or wear them for you on your birthday. Too much Fire can lead to excessive anger. 
Fire connects us to the sense of sight. Ayurveda says anything we can see is touched by Fire.

Air
Air is primarily responsible for the intellect. The Air element corresponds to movement of all sorts in the body, breath, thoughts, etc. Air is our higher intellectual and social mind. It is the mind of our philosophies and opinions – our politics and rationalizations, as well as how we relate to others and society as a whole. It is through the Air element that we observe and interact socially with the world, forming conclusions about it and our self. It is the Air element that will decide whether or not we will eat the éclair in the window. 
Psychologically, Air represents our higher mental capabilities as well as our conscience and ethical principles. 
Prominent planets in Air signs will generally exhibit a social nature. They like discourse and debate. They will take you to the Opera on your birthday. Too much air and one becomes ungrounded, aloof, dry or sterile. 
Air connects us to the sense of touch. Anything we can feel is touched by Air.

Ether (Space)
Ether is primarily responsible for consciousness. The element of Ether corresponds to pure consciousness itself - our awareness. It is the layer of being beyond the four gross physical elements. Ether refers to the witnessing consciousness, that which is able to perceive the thought process and remain unidentified with it. It is our intuitive nature, connection to freedom and the closest to our true Self. 
Psychologically, Ether represents an initial freedom from the mind/body complex. It is through the element of Ether that we perceive the distance between the thinking and feeling mind substance and the oneness of creation and our connectedness to it. The behavioral archetype is that of one who is detached in a healthy way, as the observer or witness. Ether is not represented in the Astrological Signs of the Chart.
Ether connects us to the sense of sound. Ayurveda says that it is through sound that we perceive space.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS AT WORK
Each finer element contains, observes and animates the grosser ones. In this way, and for this reason, the primordial sound of Aum is the first act of creation. Even in Christian texts it is stated “in the beginning there was the word,â€? the Amen. Amen is simply another form of Aum. All creatures are produced in this way through the unique sound vibration based on their Karma, yet all creatures arise from the same source, the same primordial origin, the sound of Aum. Thus, through the element of Ether, the dance of creation begins out of the equilibrium that existed before (sound resonates through Ether). After Ether, the Air element is formed (intellect), then Fire (mind), Water (sense mind), and Earth (body). This model shows why Mantras (sacred sounds) are so powerful. They resonate through all five of our elemental bodies. As shown above, life is created from the finer elements to the grosser ones. However, our spiritual path is walked in reverse. First we must master the body, then the senses and sense mind, then the active emotions, then the intellect, and finally pure consciousness. When we see a chocolate éclair, the physical body (Earth) is animated by the senses (Water). The desire to eat it arises in the instinctual mind (Fire), but the higher mind (Air) actually decides whether or not to eat the éclair. Our consciousness (Ether) makes us aware of this process. 
In Hatha Yoga, Asana (postures) are designed to balance the five elements. 

Earth: Holding the posture stabilizes and relaxes the body. 
Water: A stable, relaxed body stabilizes the emotions and the senses. 
Fire: Stable emotions allow mental peace and removes desire and motivation.
Air: Once struggling stops, perceptions clear and the mind can enter the present moment. 
Ether: Once perceptions become clear and the mind is present, consciousness and blissful awareness fills the being –one rests in their true nature.

Hatha Yoga prepares the mind and body for meditation. In meditation we connect to our deeper Self and balance the five elements in this way. We connect to the Universe (Ether) through the breath (Air). Deep breath slows, deepens and stabilizes the mind and active emotions (Fire). With the passions controlled we can observe the senses and connective emotions (Water) with detachment; upon which the body becomes stable (Earth). A stable body in meditation is one of awareness. Since we started with breath connecting to Ether, higher consciousness will be observing the thoughts and mind/body events.

KARMA AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS
According to Vedic thought everything is an expression of pure God energy, pure God consciousness. As stated above, all physical bodies arise out of this balanced God state. But as a result of past Karma and the Samsaras (mental impressions) that accompany them, the five elements arrange themselves to create the body that reflects the appropriate person, animal, or whatever. This karmic energy points to the lessons that need to be learned in that lifetime. 
For example, a person who needs to work through anger problems in this lifetime will inherit a body, mind and upbringing that will challenge them to confront their anger and hopefully transcend it. In the case of anger, the element of Fire will likely predominate. An Astrological chart reveals this. It is a portrait of the soul’s Karma and the pattern of illusion in which we may become trapped. As Karma means “actionâ€?, we may mistake ourselves to be our actions, not our essence. This is Maya, the illusion that we are merely an acting, mind/body experience. 

THE THREE GUNAS
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explains the nature of Maya, in Ch.14 v.5:
“Sattwa or goodness, Rajas or activity, and Tamas or inertia; these three Gunas of mind bind the imperishable soul to the body, O Arjuna.â€? 

The three Gunas are the three qualities of nature. The term Guna means “that which binds,� as each Guna is like a separate strand, which when placed together form the rope of Maya. They are what bind us to the illusion that we are merely a physical/mental creature. All matter and energy consists of the three Gunas in different quantities. They are the component qualities of the physical, mental and spiritual worlds. The 3 Gunas are:

Tamas: Stability, inertia, ignorance, attachment. Tamas binds through inertia and our tendency to cling to situation and form. Best expressed through the physical body as the desire for physical life, which provides the vehicle for spiritual development.

Rajas: Activity, passion, desire. Rajas binds through motivation and our desire to experience pleasure. Best expressed through the mind and emotions as the desire for happiness and intellectual stimulation.

Sattwa: Harmony, knowledge, peace. Sattwa binds us to the truly good things of the world and as such to worldly happiness, which is also a barrier to final liberation. Best expressed as the Soul qualities of peace, contentment, love, forgiveness, etc. 

Each of the Gunas has a proper and necessary function. Tamas provides the solidity and stability of the physical world; for us, that means our bodies. Solid objects have a preponderance of Tamas, especially when at rest. Rajas maintains the mind and emotions, animating the physical world through need and preference. When the body needs to eat or move, Rajas gets us moving. Sattwa looks after the higher mind and Soul and its progress, compelling us to learn about ourselves and to seek completion. 


But each of these attributes also act as obscuring factors as their expressions show our projected illusory limitations, thus forming the rope of Maya. When Tamas becomes a mental or emotional state, the intellect becomes stagnant, which brings clinging and ignorance. An excessively Rajasic body will bring exhaustion and instability. Neither Rajas nor Tamas is healthy for higher learning. Higher learning requires a Sattwic mind. If suddenly you become sleepy as you read this you would stop learning, as the heaviness of Tamas overcomes your attention. If suddenly you became hungry or sexual or angry, also you would stop learning, as Rajas would compel you to act and disturb the mental peace necessary for learning. 
All beings are under the sway of the three Gunas, even enlightened beings. The difference is that enlightened beings are not identified with the Gunas. A Saint will generally exhibit a harmonious, balanced and peaceful nature, those things associated with Sattwa. Yet the Saint will be established in the Self, not identified with the qualities of Sattwa. 

Saints have a preponderance of Sattwa.
Humans have a preponderance of Rajas 
Animals and other Subhuman creatures have a preponderance of Tamas. 

To illustrate how the Gunas typically work: This morning, as your alarm clock went off there was an excess of Tamas. Your body and mind were heavy and perhaps you had just mistaken yourself in a dream as being your real self. Sleep, inertia, and delusion are Tamasic. As you started to become motivated and got up from the bed, Rajas was dominant, as Rajas is activity. The need to go to work to earn money so you can have things that give you pleasure and that you enjoy is also Rajasic. Worldly pursuits are mainly Rajasic in nature as they are primarily self-centered. As you read this, in search of knowledge and understanding beyond pleasure seeking and accumulation, Sattwa dominates (hopefully!).
Most of the time we are Rajasic, striving towards Sattwa, trying not to be pulled down by Tamas. Our experiences take on the quality of the predominant Guna. Even though waking from sleep is generally Tamasic, Saints, for example, awaken in a Sattwic way. Our spiritual practices, or lack thereof, determine whether we are growing toward higher knowledge and harmony, descending into darkness and delusion, or simply maintaining our outward desire driven existence. 
Either way, our true Self is always there, unspoiled and causeless, silently and peacefully existing beneath all actions and beyond the qualities of the Gunas.