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.

Below is listed the range of infused herbal oils that can be added onto your massage.

Read more about infused herbal oils, and complete a mini quiz to select which is best most indicated oil for you here.

Lavender

Well known for it’s calming and relaxing properties, it is soothing to your mind and body.

For those who feel uptight and tense, Lavender is beneficial as it helps to soothe anxiety but also to relax tight muscles. It also contains some anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

Lavender is well suited to those with a dominance of Air and Ether elements, such as those closer to a Vata constitution.

Rose

Cooling and calming, rose oil balances excess heat in your muscles, joints and nervous system. It can lend both strength and softness to your nervous system. Think of the image of a rose with it’s delicate flowers which reminds us to embrace our softness, yet it is surrounded with sharp thorns that help to remind us to maintain our barriers.

Rose has an affinity with women’s health and the reproductive organs and has been used traditionally for menstrual concerns and period pain. It energetically assists in clearing and healing trauma that sits in this area.

If this is something that resonates with you, you may like to incorporate abdominal massage into your treatment with rose oil.

Rose is also vulnerary (wound healing), anti-inflammatory and astringent which makes is a lovely choice for skin that needs tightening and soothing.

Rose is well suited to those with a dominance of Fire and Water elements, such as those with a Pitta constitution.  

St Johns Wort

A classic nerve nourisher, St Johns Wort oil soothes all aspects of your nerves, helpful for those with tension, nerve pain and sore muscles, and is also healing to your skin.

It is well known as a herbal extract for it’s use as a mood balancer however it also offers some aspect of this as an oil infusion, providing a protective and restorative element. It can be helpful for those who experienced ‘frazzled’ nerves emotionally or have been going through high amounts of stress.

If you experience nerve pain, this can also be helpful to apply topically as an oil.

These pretty little yellow flowers will make a stunning red oil when infused.

St Johns Wort is well suited to those with a dominance of Fire and Water or Earth elements such as those with a Pitta or Kapha constitution.

Rosemary and Lemon

This blend is warming and stimulating to your nervous system, muscles and circulation. Rosemary is a popular choice for those with cold, sore muscles or who need some extra support with their blood flow such as those with cold hands and feet, fluid retention or feelings of stiffness and sluggishness.

An old wives tail says to place a sprig of rosemary under your pillow to enhance your memory, which have elements of truth as rosemary has been used as a herbal extract to support brain health and cognition. It is also commonly use to support the livers detoxification processes and to stimulate the digestion.

The blend of rosemary and lemon is well suited to those with a dominance of earth and water elements, such as those with a Kapha constitution.

Calendula

Deeply nourishing to the skin, this golden oil has anti-microbial and soothing properties and is renowned for it’s healing abilities.

Calendula is considered to be one of nature’s best healers, it has antimicrobial and vulnerary (healing) properties.

Those with skin concerns would benefit greatly from the use of this oil, such as those with eczema, dermatitis, dry skin, acne or aged skin.

Calendula is well suited to with a dominance of the elements earth and water, or air and ether, such as those with a Vata or Kapha constitution.

The post Herbal Oils appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Health & Wellbeing Podcast #29

Pelvic floor tightness, pelvic floor dysfunction, or hypertonicity of the vagina is when the muscles of the pelvic floor are too tight. This can cause pelvic pain for women that just doesn’t seem to make sense. They might experience pain during intercourse (dyspareunia or vaginismus), pain in relation to going to the toilet (1s and 2s), IBS and period pain that doesn’t get better with other treatment. These issues can be due to a tightness in one of the muscles of the pelvic floor, something which a women’s physiotherapist is able to help with.

Most women are well aware that the muscles of the pelvic floor can get weak, but tightness of these muscles is something that hardly anyone knows is even an issue. I didn’t appreciate how much this can be a problem until I attended the Endometriosis symposium and learnt about the connection between tight pelvic floor muscles and chronic inflammatory conditions of the pelvis. Since then I have been in awe about how much this issue can affect women, but moreso how little awareness of this is out there. Learning about this issue was a light-bulb moment for me and I hope that this podcast can be as eye opening for you.

In this episode I chat with women’s physio Brooke Hile about all things related to pelvic hypertonicity.

Listen on the Soundcloud website here or in the embedded player below.

Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here:

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Get in Contact with Brooke:

Instagram @thingsdownthere
https://www.herhealthphysiotherapy.com.au

The post Pelvic Floor Tightness/Hypertonicity – Podcast #29 appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.