We are Nature

One of the foundational principles of Ayurveda is that as human beings, we are the microcosm within the macrocosm of the universe. In other words, we are composed of the very same elements that we witness in nature and within each season: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. They are the building blocks of all creation, including us. 

The Vedic Philosophy of Ayurveda, Sankhaya, teaches us that we are both human and divine. We incarnated into our human form in order to have the experience of life so that pure consciousness could fulfill the desire to know itself and become the witness to life. We are a manifestation of the divine. All at once, we are both ego and soul.

We are here to have the experience of life through direct knowledge of everything that we take in through our sensory impressions. We are composed of the same elements that we witness and absorb in our environment. Everything that we take in through our five senses can be characterized by the elements and their qualities: our visual impressions, taste, sound, touch, and smell. This is the basis for understanding what types of foods and lifestyle choices will best balance our inherit nature or constitution. 

Earth composes our dense human form, our actual physical structure—bones and muscles. In the mind, earth functions as the sense of feeling grounded, stable, and solid.

Water flows through us and protects our joints as synovial fluid, aids in digestion as saliva, transports nutrients throughout our body as plasma, and protects our nervous system as cerebral spinal fluid. In the mind, water functions as a sense of compassion, fluidity, and flow.

Fire enables us to digest food as well as all sensory impressions we take in through our five senses. In the mind, fire imparts clarity, focus, and discernment.

Air is life force; it is our breath. Air’s movement makes possible the circulation of nutrients to our cells, moves waste out of the body, and functions as our voice and expression. In the mind, air propels circulation of thought.

Ether is the space that exists throughout our body, in our bones. An etheric mind is one that is most connected to the space beyond the physical body, to the realm of the spiritual.

Being immersed in nature, we come to know ourselves better and foster a deeper connection to self and to our outer world. Walking through the woods, sitting to watching a sunrise, floating on the water, listening to the rain, we come home to ourselves.

For all of us, regardless of our Ayurvedic constitution, living a balanced life is accomplished by incorporating daily routines, engaging in appropriate exercise, managing our energy, getting quality sleep, eating with the seasons, spending time in nature, slowing down, and eating mindfully.  Balance in lifestyle, thoughts, actions, and diet are means for balancing all aspects of our health.