September is often a month of action! It’s got that back to school energy that impacts us collectively, even if our school days are long over. It’s like we get into a collective frenzy of action – new classes, new routines, new activities.
So I’ve been thinking a lot about taking action and how best to set ourselves up for success! And things fell into place this weekend as I was spending some time with the amazing Fergal O’ Connor to plan our workshop: Your Rhythm Within
This workshop is a unique fusion of life coaching and drumming to support you in creating new results you love. It goes without saying, that part of what’s involved to bring your new results to fruition is taking action.
You may be familiar with the idea of working with the five elements from experience of yoga and Ayurveda? The five elements are earth, water, fire, air and ether. Each has different qualities and energy that, I believe, we can tap into to support ourselves in taking action.
I wanted to share some information about the five elements in this week’s blog to support you in harnessing the different elements and their unique qualities as you take action on your vision and goals this autumn and winter.
🔑 Knowing what energy to bring to your actions can support you in ending your year celebrating unprecedented results.
The following descriptions of the elements and their qualities are based on the work and teachings of Capacitar International.
The Earth Element
Connected with Chakra 1, The Root and the colour red: Centre of security, nourishment, groundedness and connection to the earth.
Consider harnessing earth energy when you need to ground yourself before taking action or when you are feeling tired or overwhelmed because there has been a lot of action-taking going on.
🌱 To harness earth energy, spend some time in nature, walk on the grass in bare feet, eat more root vegetables, wear the colour red or focus on a red object as part of your meditation practice.
The Water Element
Connected with Chakra 2, the sacral chakra and the colour orange: Centre of creativity and flexibility, sensuality and joy, freedom.
Consider harnessing the energy of water when you need to be more creative or flexible in your approach. This can be especially helpful in the face of setbacks or when trying to get others on board with your ideas. Consider yourself as a river, when it meets with obstacles, it simply flows over, under or around them, always moving in the direction of its goal, which is to reach the sea. What difference would it make in the context of your goals if you could be more like water when you meet with an obstacle or set backs?
💧 To harness the energy of water try cold water therapy! This can be as simple as taking a cold shower, or can be more ambitious in terms of open water swimming. Spend time walking or reflecting near water – rivers, lakes, sea. Wear the colour orange or focus on an orange object as part of your meditation practice.
The Fire Element
Connected with Chakra 3, centre of power, the solar plexus and the colour yellow. Linked to our sense of transforming ideas into actions, food into energy as well as our willpower and perseverance.
Consider harnessing the fire element when you need to step into your own power and/or when you want to give impetus to the actions you are taking, when you want to stoke the ‘fire in your belly’ to put ideas and dreams into action.
🔥 You can connect more with fire energy by spending time near an open fire or bonfire. It could also be achieved by focusing or meditating on a lighting candle or image of same. You could also wear more yellow or focus on an orange object as part of your meditation practice.
The Air Element
Connected with the fourth heart chakra, the heart, centre of healing, love and compassion and the colours rose (compassion) and green (healing).
Harness the Air element when you need to develop more self-compassion, to transform your wounds into wisdom and/or to develop compassion for others. You are far more likely to take ambitious action when you are willing to be a soft place for yourself to land in the face of challenges and setbacks.
🌀 Breathing is probably the most direct way we can connect to the air element. It is
It is also a great idea to spend time in nature, simply observing how we can’t see wind or air but we see it’s effect! Observe how the leaves or grasses or clouds move as a result of the presence of air and wind.
You can connect more with air energy by wearing the colours rose and green or focus on those colours as part of your meditation practice.
The Ether Element
Connected to the Higher Chakras, (5, 6 & 7) the fifth chakra, the throat, centre of communication the colour sky blue; the sixth chakra, the Third Eye, centre of vision and intuition, the colour indigo blue; and the seventh chakra, the Crown chakra, the centre of spirituality and the colours lilac and white. Perhaps the hardest to describe or capture, ether is sometimes referred to as space. Ether is both nothing and everything at the same time.
The throat chakra in particular is associated with the Ether Element. Harness this energy when you feel the need to enhance your ability to speak and be heard and also when
you need to enhance your ability to truly listen. Working with the Ether element generally helps to create stillness and balance. Harness this energy when you need to bring more harmony and balance to your action taking.
🌌 To connect more with the Ether Element connect to light, try to incorporate more sunlight into your day. If working on enhanced communication and the throat chakra, wear more of the colour blue or focus on an orange object as part of your meditation practice.
What’s an action you want to take or give more impetus in the coming weeks?
Which of the elements do you think you would best support you in progressing that action?
What steps can you take to harness that energy starting today?
At Your Rhythm Within Workshop, you will have the opportunity to become more familiar with the 5 elements and how to harness and embody their respective qualities through the rhythms of drumming and movement. If you’d love to be able to better discern and activate these energies to create a life you love living sign up here today. Limited places!