Chinese Medicine is connected to a circle of Elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. Different emotions are associated with these elements. These emotions are again connected to organs. The organs affect physical and emotional balance. You can practice Yin Yoga, Breathwork and Meditation as a tool to balance the 5 elements. In this article you can read about the earth element and how it is connected to the 5 elements in balance, organs, emotions and patterns.
During late summer season, we are flowing into the earth element season. This is a season in which Yin & Yang is active. Nature experiences the harvest season and the last flowering time. You may notice this in your energy. You are getting ready for the late summer season and autumn. At the same time, nature is also slowly getting ready for autumn. Time to slowly flow back to balance and let go.
Earth element organs
Spleen & Stomach
Earth element emotion
Worry
The earth element is connected to the physical body, the world, feeling safe, feeling at home, sensuality and a good night’s sleep. If you’re reading, this has everything to do with coming home. You can come home to yourself. But also on a location. You may have experienced it at a specific location (think of an ashram, a yoga weekend, a retreat or at a well-known home). It’s about making you feel safe. For yourself. You look deep inside and feel if this is what YOU want. Not because you have to from your environment or people in power.
‘’A sense of wellbeing.’’
Nature – the planet
The earth element is part of nature and the planet.
The full moon is also a sign of coming home to Earth. Therefore, the Earth element and the Moon cycle are connected. The Moon cycle is an apparition on the planet. Learn more about the Moon Cycle and yin yoga in the Moon Phase Yin Yoga Ebook.
You can express intentions at times like this that you want more of. What you want to focus more on. You can chant (sing) to the sea. Honoring the earth and water element at the same time.
Chanting to the earth and the sea.
Connection with rhythm
Rhythm originated from nature. Nature has its rhythms. Day and night. The seasons. When you have a hard time bringing rhythm into your life, you have an imbalance in the earth element.
Origin earth element
Everything is connected. The planet, nature, rhythms. But where you come from is also connected. Motherhood. The moon cycle. Pregnancy. The cycle of the woman is connected to the moon cycle. Water. Like the moon, we are mostly made up of water.
Celebrating the earth element by the sea is a party. The sea as a water element, the sand or pebble as earth and the moon as a symbol that connects us.
Vitality
Health is created by a safe feeling, a good night’s sleep and nice people around us. Love. Touch (sensuality) gives us a sense of coming home, feeling safe and belonging. Of course, you must be content with what you are. But the connection that is made after that, the replenishment, is the mechanism to multiply.
This is where your family and your home is created, the safe destination.
In addition, there is room for a physical home in the form of a place to stay (a house) and family connections.
Am I confident or am I worried?
Nourishment
Receive nutrition. Received nourishment. Rest is the nourishment of a new charge of energy. Doubt and overthinking takes energy from us and ultimately creates imbalance. If you notice that more energy is taken from you than is given to you, it is good to map out what those energy takers and energy givers are. Then you will do more with the energy providers to replenish your reserves. Yin Yoga is a fine form of nourishment. But it can also be actual food such as fruits and vegetables.
Furthermore, it is the question and the realization who cares about you.
Do they respect you for better or for worse?
Self-acceptance is a big part of the earth element. The first place you should feel safe with is yourself. Acceptance is stabilizing. So if you fully accept who you are and can live according to your desires you have already filled the first energy line.
How is your connection with your body? Do you like it? It has everything to do with feeling safe on a physical level.
Addictions
Addictions are related to the earth element. If you have an addiction, you can often ground badly. You have learned a certain habit that you as a person do not like. It negatively affects your life, but also that of others.
Control freaks compensate for a sense of security with things other than BEING and PRESENT.
Diets and eating habits such as bulimia and anorexia are also related to the earth element. The stomach is also very connected to this. You are not satisfied with yourself. You have no self-esteem, nor do you create security for yourself.
The message of the earth element
“Listen to your body” is an earth statement.
It’s about your needs. Not someone else’s. What do you need to grow? What do you need to build in peace? After this you can let go and flourish.
Positive or negative?
The earth element is connected to obsessions, disorders, cravings, routines and rituals. Routines and rituals can also be good.
Stomach
Physical and emotional symptoms along the stomach meridian include problems with the mouth, nose, teeth, mental problems and pain along the path of the stomach meridian.
Spleen
Physical and emotional symptoms that show an Earth Imbalance are:
Overprotection (mothering), smothering attention, worrying, obsessions, torture, humility, contradiction, clinging, lack of sympathy, eating problems, cravings for sweets, overeating, nausea, diabetes, weak muscles, stomach problems, weight gain, pain along the
In yin yoga, we often only read which complaints are connected to the meridians and the organs. That may sound negative. But you can also turn it around. If you’re reading this, and you don’t recognize yourself in it, it probably means that your earth element is just in balance.
Postures that support balancing the earth element (grounding)
The postures are for working with the meridians of the Stomach and Spleen.
- Mudra (yoga for the fingers): Prithvi Mudra
Fingers point down to the ground - Childs pose (open or closed legs)
- Sphinx / half frog (raise one leg with the inside of the leg on the floor)
- Saddle
- Seated twist
- Snail (don’t if you have neck problems, you can also do the Seated Foreward Bend Pose).
- Supported bridge (with block)
- Happy baby
- There are also all kinds of intermediate poses that you do in between. You do this to find a balance between forward bends and backbends.
Yin Yoga and the Earth Element
Do you want to learn more about yin yoga and the earth element? Then the Online Yin & Fascia Therapy Training might be something for you. Here you will learn about yin yoga, the 5 elements in balance, meridians from Chinese medicine and the fascia. How the body is linked from science to the teachings of the natural elements.
Another interesting week to join is the Back to your inner nature retreat from 4-9 October in the South of France. A grounding retreat which will bring you back home in your body. Your home. Or feel welcome to book a private back to nature retreat if you need some alone time and personal guidance.
You can also read more about the elements in ‘Keepers of the soul‘.
Breathwork and the Earth element
Breathwork is also a beautiful method to ground deeply and come home to yourself. The earth element comes back in these practices and helps you to feel safe within yourself.
The root chakra and the earth element
From the chakras, we look at the earth element at the first chakra. The root chakra. Also called the Muladhara chakra in Sanskrit. This chakra is also about being grounded. Feeling safe IN yourself. A journey through the chakras is also very healing to bring body and mind back into balance.
In need of any private support for balancing your earth, body & mind connection?
I am always happy to support you 1:1 in balancing your earth elements, body & mind connection. Write me via info@joycemol.com if you have questions about this. I also offer Private retreats at my home in the South of France where you have all the time to reconnect with nature, your body, mind & soul. I will share my knowledge about Chinese Medicine, (yin) yoga, breathwork, fascia therapy and many more rituals which support your self healing abilities.
