The 5 Elements
“Man is a microcosm of nature and so the five basic elements present in all matter also exist within each individual.”
eartH
Qualities: stable, solid, heavy, centered, forming, material and manifesting
Color: yellow
Mantra: LAM
Sense: smell
Parts of the body: toes to knees, anus, perineum (male body), cervix (female body), nose
Chakra: Muladhara (Root)
WATER
Qualities: fluid, cool, nourishing, flexible, cohesive
Color: white
Mantra: VAM
Sense: taste
Parts of the body: knees to navel, reproductive organs, tongue
Chakra: Swadisthana (Sacral)
FIRE
Qualities: hot, transforming, intense, focused, luminous
Color: red
Mantra: RAM
Sense: sight
Parts of the body: navel to heart, feet, eyes
Chakra: Manipura (Solar Plexus)
AIR
Qualities: erratic, moving, mobile, dry, clear, light, cool/cold
Color: Smokey green or blue-gray
Mantra: YAM
Sense: touch
Parts of the body: heart to eyebrow center, hands, skin, thymus gland
Chakra: Anahata (Heart)
ETHER
Qualities: open, expansive, non-dual, hosting
Color: clear or black
Mantra: HAM
Sense: hearing
Parts of the body: third eye to above the head, or to the crown of the head, thyroid gland, vocal cords
Chakra: Vishuddhi (Throat)
Tattva Shuddhi
I invite you to enjoy a 26-minute meditation for purifying the five elements, drawn from the practice of Tattva Shuddhi, a practice taught by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and by my teacher, Dharma Bodhi as well as Susan Fauman, each with variations that I attempted to integrate here to the best of my ability.
