Yoga to Connect with the Elements

Everything in nature is made up of four elements- Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Yoga to connect with the elements will help us find our true center. We can learn and understand the laws of nature to gain greater health, power, knowledge, wisdom and and happiness. We understand the greater workings of the universe to add to our body’s intuition.

All yoga practices contain pieces of the five elements, we just may not be aware unless we are looking for the connections. Knowledge of the elements is connected to Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine. We can use yoga to balance our emotions and fix physical imbalances due to our primary personality element.

What element guides you? Take my quiz to find out.

Yoga to Connect with the Elements in the Body

Air

The Air Element is associated with the heart and the lungs. When our heart is heavy, we hunch our shoulders and round the chest to protect the heart. This constricts the breath and contributes to poor posture. By connecting with the air element, we can feel the difference as we open the chest by bringing the shoulders together and lengthening the space for the neck. When doing yoga to connect with the elements of air, think of allowing the body to move freely, open the body to allow for more air, or prana, into the body, and enjoy feeling the open heart and lungs. A breath of fresh air!

“Still, like air, I rise.”

Maya Anjelou

Water

Water is essential for the body. It nourishes, refreshes, lubricates, and keeps the body moving fluidly. It is associated with a source of creativity, healing, calming, and adaptability and flow.

“It is easy to believe that we are each waves and forget that we are also the ocean.”

Jon J Muth

Try this flowing yoga to connect with the elements of water.

Earth

Try taking your yoga practice outside so that you can literally connect to the earth. Focus on your feet, the connection to the earth. Notice when any part of the body touches the earth, especially when your hands and feet are on the earth. Visualize the connection to the earth.

Try this yoga sequence to connect to the earth while chanting the mantra, “I breathe in peace, I breath out peace, I am peace. A beautiful world begins with me.”

“All things must come to the soul from their roots, from where it is planted.”

St. Theresa of Avilla

Fire

The fire element is associated with the core and digestive fire in the belly. This could be the energy needed to change, create, focus, or get something started. When doing yoga to connect with the elements of fire, pay attention to the uddiyana bandha, pulling up and in. This focus will give stability to the back and intensity to the poses. Fire poses will generate heat in the body so make sure to take long relaxation after yoga asana to let the energy settle through the body. Allow your mind to quiet.

“Why should you practice yoga? To kindle the divine fire within yourself. Everyone has a dormant spark of divinity in him which has to be fanned into flame.”

B. K. S. Iyengar

See the book Little Book of Yoga Themes (paid link) for more Element sequences.

Connect with nature and your nature through meditation. See below!