The final of the elemental series is here, and in this article we will discuss the lesser known element ether.

This series has focused on the elements from an Ayurvedic perspective, and Ether is one of the elements that forms their constitutions.

To learn about elemental eating you can listen to my podcast about Elemental and Intuitive eating here.

Read about constitutional medicine here.

Read about the element of fire here, air here, the element water here and the element earth here.

Ether

Each of the elements are associated with different aspects of health and nature.

• The ether element relates to the transitions in between seasons and is associated with the colours black, white or sometimes rainbow due to its embodiment of all nature.
• This element is associated with the brain, nerves and consciousness.
• Ether in nature is pure consciousness that is formed via the harmonisation of all elements (air, fire, water, earth) and is the invisible web of life that weaves everything together.
• Ether is often referred to as “space” or “spirit”.
• When out of balance a person may feel out of touch with their intuition, feelings, thoughts and sensations.

Ether constitution characteristics:

In traditional Ayurvedic medicine an ether type is associated with the vata dosha.

If you are an ether type you may be thin and small in frame with long slender limbs with visually prominent joints and veins. Your face, skin, lips and ears may be thin and ether types are known for having very dry pale skin and course hair.

Your skin may also be naturally cold to touch. Constitutionally ether is highly active so you may find that your movements as well as your mind are quick and dynamic with an underlying tension.

Ether is a balance of both yin and yang in dual nature due to its harmonious union of all elements. If you are governed by this element, when balanced you are intuitive, creative, imaginative and highly visionary. When out of balance you may feel restless, fearful, timid, nervous, foggy and ungrounded. Do you find that it is easy to learn something but you seem to forget quickly? Then you may be an ether type!

Energetically an ether dominant tissue state is wind tension that leads to nervousness, spasm, constriction and overall tension in the body. Wind tension affects both the mental and physical body due to an imbalance of the nerves.

How does ether show up in your body?

The body expresses excess ether in the following signs and symptoms:

• Difficulty in concentration
• Memory difficulties
• Forgetfulness
• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Convulsion/epilepsy
• Muscle spasms
• Trembling movements
• Backward type symptoms of hiccough, nausea, reflux and vomiting
• Sudden bloating and/or gas
• Alternation of diarrhoea and constipation
• Alternation of chills and fever
• Cold hands and feet
• Feeling cold in the joints
• Quivering tongue
• Wiry and tense pulse

3 tips to balance excess ether:

1. To improve cognitive brain function and improve memory, try nootropic herbal medicines such as Bacopa monniera (Bacopa), Ginkgo biloba (Gingko) and Paeonia lactiflora (Peony). Nootropics generally work by directing circulation to the brain to improve function.
2. Treat yourself to a magnesium salt bath to help reduce tension and relax your body. To enhance this sense of inner calm whilst enjoying your bath sip on nervine herbal teas such as Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola), Schisandra chinensis (Schisandra), Scutellaria lateriflora (Skullcap), Bacopa monniera (Bacopa) and Verbena officinalis (Vervain).
3. To ground your energy when you are feeling restless, go outside, take your shoes off and touch your feet on the bare earth- this is known as Earthing. Studies have shown that this technique helps to settle the mind by activating your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). Try to practice earthing daily for 10 minutes in the sun if possible (for extra vitamin D exposure) to enjoy the benefits!

The post Harmonising Ether appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Each of the elements are associated with different aspects of health and nature.

Earth

• The earth element relates to the season of winter and is associated with the colours green and brown.
• This element is associated with the liver, connective tissue and bones.
• Earth in nature is strong and stable just like a tree stands tall in the forest unmoved by external forces.
• When out of balance a person may be too fixed and rigid in their body and mind, resistant to change.

Continuing the mini-series of the elements we now move onto the element earth.

To learn about elemental eating you can listen to my latest podcast about Elemental and Intuitive eating here.

Read about constitutional medicine here.

Read about the element of fire here,air here and the element water here.

Earth constitution characteristics:

In traditional Ayurvedic medicine an earth type is associated with the Kapha dosha. If you are an earth type your body is endomorph in shape with a larger frame, broad shoulders, thick muscles and bones making you physically resilient. You may have thick hair, radiant eyes and oily skin that is damp and cold to touch. Excess earth types are prone to gaining weight easily and when out of balance you may feel sluggish, slow and heavy.

Earth is yin in dual nature and if you are governed by this element, when balanced you are grounded, gentle, even-tempered, calm and forgiving. When out of balance you may be blunt, emotionally guarded, stubborn, greedy and over possessive of materialistic objects. You are naturally skilled at being structured, organised, disciplined and consistent with routines making you highly reliable to those around you. You are a creature of habit and may struggle to let go of structured routine so it is important that you practice the art of surrendering in order to become more adaptable to change when life paves you a new path. Change is inevitable and vital as it opens the doorway of opportunity for growth and transformation.

Energetically an earth dominant tissue state is “cold depression” where the depressed activity disrupts the tissues ability to move, function and stimulate bodily duties. This lack of stimulation leads to decreased blood flow, diminished cellular activity, accumulated waste products and consequently a lack of nutrients, oxygen and hydration within the tissues.

How does earth show up in your body?

The body expresses excess earth in the following signs and symptoms:

• Cold extremities (hands and feet)
• Fatigue
• Lowered metabolism
• poor digestion
• Sluggish liver
• Constipation
• Hypothyroidism
• Weight gain or obesity
• Insulin sensitivity or resistance
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Pale skin and tongue
• Slow pulse rate
• Depression
• Lack of motivation

3 tips to balance excess earth:

1. To stimulate digestion and improve metabolism consume warming spices to generate heat in the body such as chilli, cayenne, ginger, black pepper, garlic, cinnamon, cloves and mustard. You can easily add these aromatic spices to your stir-fries, curries and stews. Another popular and easy way to warm-up your digestive fire is to brew a delicious traditional chai tea on your stove.

2. Consume bitter foods and herbs such as gentian, globe artichoke, bitter melon, ginger, rocket leaves and dandelion greens in order to stimulate the removal of excess metabolic waste that may have accumulated in your liver and large intestine. This will help to improve digestion and elimination, making you feel less sluggish!

3. To balance out your natural yin state, stimulate your body by engaging in high-energy (yang) exercise such as running, swimming, dancing, bike riding and cross fit training.

The post Grounding Your Inner Earth appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Each of the elements are associated with different aspects of health and nature. The balance of these elements in our body can help us maintain good health and a sense of wellness.

Continuing the mini-series of the elements we now move onto the element water.

To learn about elemental eating you can listen to my latest podcast about Elemental and Intuitive eating here.

Read about constitutional medicine here.

Read about the element of fire here.

Understanding Water

• The water element relates to the season of Autumn and is associated with the colour blue.
• This element is associated with the kidneys, lymph and stomach.
• Water in nature can be soothing, calming, serene and peaceful like a lake when undisturbed but just like the ocean when a storm is in action the waves can be turbulent.
• When out of balance a person may become irrational and unable to grasp the “reality” of a situation due to being overwhelmed with their feelings and emotions.

Water Constitution Characteristics

In traditional Ayurvedic medicine a water type is a fusion of a Kapha/Pitta dosha. Water is interchangeable in nature and due to this the physical attributes can differ between individuals.

If you are a water type you may have soft and moist skin, a teardrop shaped body and might find that you accumulate excess fluid in your tissues. Your face might be round in shape with large eyes and you may have thick luscious hair. On the other hand you may be thin in physical structure
and find that you are very sensitive to outside energies with your emotions
running frequently high. People may comment saying that your voice is a sweet, soft and has a gentle tone. Your personality will usually be kind and compassionate

Water is yin in nature and individuals governed by the water element are emotionally connected to their feelings and are very empathic to humans as well as animals. If you are a water type you may struggle to have relational boundaries. It is important that you protect your own emotional wellbeing by being consciously aware of not taking on other people’s energy.

For those who are dominant in the water element it can also affect their physical body, especially in the way that it holds onto water causing ‘damp’. You may experience difficulty holding onto water – damp relaxation, or a stagnation of tissues – damp stagnation.

Energetically a water dominant tissue state is either damp relaxation or damp stagnation. If you are in a damp relaxation state your pores may be open with a flux of fluids pouring out (such as profuse sweating, frequent urination or discharge) or if you are more damp stagnation in state you may find that fluids build up in your body as they are not flowing and are “stuck”.

How does the element of water show up in your body?

The body expresses excess water in the following signs and symptoms:

• Sensitivity to cold temperatures
• Clammy skin
• Wet cough with mucus
• Runny nose
• Excessive sweating
• Pus accumulation
• Oedema
• Lymphatic swelling
• Puffy, swollen arthritic joints
• Excessive urination
• Lowered immunity
• Weeping eczema
• Diarrhoea

3 tips to balance excess water:

1. Avoid foods that are sweet and salty in taste. Instead consume foods that are pungent, aromatic and spicy to warm and stimulate the body into a more balanced state such as cinnamon, ginger, garlic, horse radish, rosemary and chilli. To reduce oedema from built up fluids consume diuretic foods such as carrot, celery, parsley, coriander, beans, cranberries and pomegranate.
2. Drink herbal teas that have an astringent and expectorant action to
   reduce excess fluids from your body such as Alchemilla officinalis (Lady’s Mantle), Achillea millefolium (Yarrow), Agrimonia eupatoria (Agrimony), Angelica archangelica (Angelica root), Cinnamomum cassia (Cinnamon) and Rubus idaeus (Raspberry leaf).
3. To balance out your yin nature, practice yang forms of movement such as hatha vinyasa yoga, HIIT training, boxing and running.

The post How to Calm your Inner Water appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Following on from my previous article about constitutional medicine, you have already learnt that the balance of elements within your body plays a role in maintaining equilibrium of body and mind.

Over the next few articles you can learn about how the elements express themselves in your body and some techniques on how to bring them out of balance.

If you haven’t had a listen already, please tune in to the podcast episode Elemental and Intuitive Eating with Clara Bailey to get a deeper understanding of these concepts.

The elements

The five elements fire, air, water, earth and ether represent the subtle energies of existence. The elements are the foundations upon which many traditional medicines around the world have been based from as it takes into account the observation of nature from a holistic perspective. The better we understand the elements and how they influence the state of our health, the more empowered we are to instate equilibrium in our lives.

Read more about the elements and constitutional medicine here.

Fire

Each of the elements are associated with different aspects of health and nature.

• The fire element relates to the season of Summer and is associated with the colour red.
• This element is associated with the heart, small intestine, gallbladder and adrenals.
• Fire is warming and when in balance this sparks joy, laughter and love. It reduces stagnation and cold tendencies.
• When out of balance a person may be explosive in emotions or may laugh uncontrollably, and may experience an increase in feelings of heat and inflammation.

Fire Constitution Characteristics

In traditional Ayurvedic medicine a fire type is associated with the Pitta dosha. If you have more fire element dominating your constitution you will tend to have an average build, and you may gain muscle easilly. You may have bright coloured eyes and your skin is usually red, warm and oily.

In most traditional cultures it is consider that the element of fire is responsible for digestive strength, such as is with the concept of ‘Agni’ – digestive fire. Those with a dominance of fire have a strong appetite and fast metabolism due to the digestive fire fuelling the small intestine.

Fire is yang in dual nature and individuals governed by the fire element are highly driven, motivated, energetic with intensity and tend to “burn the candle at both ends”.

The over stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) can have an impact on the adrenals and in turn lower immunity therefore it is important that a fire individual takes the time to slow down and rest. When there is an excess of heat element this can lead to excitation of body tissues causing increased circulation, aggravation, inflammation and physical/psychological irritation.

How does fire show up in your body?

The body expresses excess fire in the following signs and symptoms:

• Rapid heart rate and pulse
• Sweating
• Increased body temperature or fever
• Burning sensations in the body
• Inflamed skin conditions
• Redness of skin and mucosa (such as the inside of the mouth)
• Swelling
• Nervous excitability
• Insomnia
• Red tip on the tongue

3 tips to balance excess fire:

1. Avoid foods that are hot, spicy, pungent and salty such as chillies, raw garlic, raw onion, cayenne, mustard and salty nuts/crisps. These foods stimulate circulation, digestion and sweating. Instead consume cooling and sweet foods such as berries, melons, pears, grapes, pineapple, cucumber, zucchini, asparagus and broccoli that are high in flavonoids. This will help to sedate hyper metabolism and reduce excess heat in the organs and tissues.
2. Drink herbal teas with a herbal action that is cooling such as tonics, astringents, bitters, alteratives that are sweet to taste in order to reduce excess fire. These herbs include; Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), Rosehips and Rose petals (Rosa spp.), Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and Elderberry (Sambucus spp.).
3. Practice yin styles of exercise to balance out excess yang such as Yin yoga, Tai chi and gentle mindfulness walks outside in nature.

The post Balance Your Fire appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

It always fascinates me to observe the synchronicities between many traditional healing practices. Things that cultures at opposite sides of the world from have learnt through observation, deduction and possibility intuition.

One of the concepts which intrigues me greatly is that of constitutional medicine. Put simply, this refers to the categorising of people’s health predispositions, personalities and body types. By knowing what you are more predisposed to have issues with in your health you can take preventative measures to avoid triggers for it. Knowing your personality traits helps you to understand your own reactions and feelings, and to process them more smoothly.

The constitutional types are named and explained differently in various cultures but they have a lot of similarities in their categories and the descriptions of each of these.

It is human nature to look for patterns, this trait is credited with being somewhat responsible for the survival of our species as we can learn to recognise danger, locate safe food and detect poisonous food, and to observe and learn from the world around us.

The formation of constitutional medicine is based on pattern observation and has served many physicians well over the years, helping to understand the disease patterns more easily and also being able to apply the most appropriate remedies and recommendations.

While our understanding of disease has developed vastly, many complementary medicine practitioners and some conventional medicine practitioners still incorporate the use of constitutional medicine in their healing practice.

A key theme to all constitutional medicines is the driving force of the elements. Certain constitutions are more dominant in certain elements, which was the reasoning for the way they expressed themselves.

In my latest podcast with Naturopath Clara Bailey we discussed how the we can embrace the knowledge of elemental balance and use food as medicine to encourage optimal health.
You can have a listen to that podcast here, or read on to discover more about how  the elements are found in constitutional medicine.

Key Constitutional Medicines and their Elements

The main constitutional medicines I look to are that of Ayurvedic Medicine, Traditional Indian Medicine and Humoral/Greek Medicine. They all incorporate the concept of elements, and while their constitutions have many similarities the elements do vary slightly.

Ayurvedic Medicine

This is the framework which I utilise the most. It categories people into the constitutions (Doshas) of Kapha, Pitta and Vata. These constitutions are formed by combinations of five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Ayurvedic followers believe that the universe is an interplay of the five elements, and the elements are grouped into the three Doshas.

Each person has all three Doshas within them, but often one or two will dominate. It is the predominate doshas which determine a persons physiological and personality traits.

The three doshas are:

Vata (Air and Ether)

Pitta (Fire and Water)

Kapha (Water and Earth)

You can find more information about Ayurveda and the doshas in my previous posts here:

Ayurvedic Medicine (podcast interview with Lisa Costa Bir)

Eat Right for your Shape (podcast interview with Lee Holmes)

I have also incorporated some Ayurvedic philosophies into the blending of my herbal oils for massage. You can complete a mini quiz that will give you an idea of what your dosha (constitution) is as well as which herbal oil would be best suited to you here: Herbal Oils and Quiz

Traditional Chinese Medicine

The five elements play an important role in Chinese medicine, but also in many aspects of their culture (including the way that they eat).

The five elements are metal (金), wood (木), water (水), fire (火), and earth (土).

These elements interact with each other, some feeding another such as wood feeding fire, and some can inhibit such as water stopping fire.

These elements are associated with different organs, feelings and tastes, for example the metal element is associated with the lungs (yin) and the large intestine (yang), the feeling of sorrow and the taste of spiciness.

Humoral Medicine

This form of medicine is not as well known in the Western world but it is where our medicine grew from. Aristotle had a large role in the development of Greek Medicine, or Humoral medicine and he like many other physicians used categorisation to assist in diagnosis.

The four qualities that were used are Hot, Cold, Wet and Dry. From this, humors (their version of a constitution) were created and these are associated with elements.

Within the next few posts I will delve deeper into how our elements express themselves in our body, and what steps we can do to support balance within them.

The post Constitutional Medicine appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

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Health & Wellbeing Podcast #5

Hooray, it’s podcast number 5! In this episode I talk with naturopath Lisa Costa Bir about Ayurvedic Medicine.

Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/health-wellbeing-podcast/id1006574743

Lisa is a Naturopath, lecturer and writer as as well as an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant and in this episode I pick her brains on all things Ayurvedic Medicine and how she incorporates her knowledge from this area into her Naturopathic practice and her own health.

Lisa has an interest in treating thyroid and adrenal health. Her practice is in Caringbah in South Sydney.

You can connect with Lisa via Facebook, Instagram or on her website http://lisacostabirnaturopath.com.au/

Ayurvedic Medicine – Podcast #5

Podcast Breakdown:

1.18 A bit about Lisa Costa-Bir, her Indian background and her first experience with Ayurveda in treating her skin condition.
3.24 What is Ayurveda/Ayurvedic medicine?
4.00 The origins of the Ayurvedic word: Life Knowledge
4.43 How does Lisa blend her Ayurvedic knowledge into her Naturopathic practice?
5.22 About the Prakruti, or the individual doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha
6.30 Want to work out your own prakruti? http://ayurvedadosha.org/doshas/ayurveda-dosha-test
8.35 Lisa discusses what dosha she is, a Vata-Kapha and talks a bit more about Vata
9.56 Pitta people often love spicy foods even though it’s not so great for them.
10.36 Kapha people usually love ice cream and other dairy, but its often too damp and mucous promoting for them.
11.04 A bit more about Kapha and Pitta
13.16 Everything that we do in our diet and our lifestyle influences our health:
“As is the atom, so is the universe
As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm
As is the human mind, so is the cosmic mind”.
13.45 What are the main Ayurvedic teaching Lisa has incorporated into her life personally? Mostly they are around digestive function.
15.30 Food should be body temperature. Spices for Vata and Kapha.
16.10 Combining foods and spices to negate the negative effects of foods.
17.35 Start the morning with a spice mix to get the digestion going.
18.00 Classic ayurvedic recipes Lisa loves: Ginger tea with herbs and spices,
19.40 Golden milk and Benefits of turmeric, plus how to get more benefits out of turmeric such as adding black pepper, fat and using heat.
21.00 Avoid heating honey as it destroys the ‘vitality’ of the honey
22.30 How to look after your spices
23.20 Chai tea
24.00 Spice milk
21.19 The benefits of dates: A rejuvenating tonic, also known as rasayana which is often consumed after giving birth or after intercourse
25.00 Some health and lifestyle techniques that have their origins from Ayurveda such as self massage with sesame oil (great for all the constitutions) or coconut oil.
27.00 Tongue scraping and tongue diagnosis
29.17 Oil pulling
30.20 Seasonal eating
32.45 Some dessert ideas for winter
33.47 Dahl for breakfast? Yes!
34.45 Other techniques to adjust to the season: oil massage for the body and hair
35.25 Pranayama: A series of breathing exercises, a great way to start and/or finish the day.
36.10 Practise the breathing exercise along with Lisa.
38.00 We discuss our favourite Ayurvedic herbs: Shatavari, Ginger and Tribulus for Lisa, Holy Basil and Withania for me.
40.35 How to get in contact with Lisa.

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