Elemental- related to or embodying the powers of nature (earth, water, fire, air, space)
Why the name MY ELEMENTAL WELLNESS?
Mind and Body . earth . water . fire . air . space .
My Elemental Wellness is founded on the principle that each individual has all the elements essential for growth, transformation, and healing, all the “powers of nature” necessary for their unique unfolding.
Ayurveda, a Vedic science estimated to be ~5000 years old, teaches that the elements are the creative forces of life. The two main guiding principles of Ayurveda are 1) the mind and the body are inextricably connected and 2) nothing has more power to heal and transform the body than the mind. Our inner and outer worlds are shaped by the play of elements that mix and mingle: the feeling of solidity and groundedness (earth), emotional and physical fluidity (water), our ability to radiate life through action, confidence, and strength (fire), mental motion and movement (air), and a feeling of connection, unity, and oneness (space).
Like a snowflake, each of us has a unique combination of qualities/elements that create our individual expression in life. Throughout our life, because of our relationships with self, others, and our environment, including the food we eat, the information we surround ourselves, and the environment we live, work, and learn, these elements increase or decrease in amount and influence each other, changing how we feel, think, and act. These elements form our sense of stability, ease with relationships, ability to take action, and our expression of thought and emotion.
We can map out the weather patterns of the mindthrough the lens of the elements. Is there an inner tsunami approaching, with anger and fear swirling, or is the tide calm and clear? Is there a feeling of insecurity, as if the ground is shaking the foundation, complete with concerns for being enough or having enough, or is there a feeling of steady, solid, ease? Is there a feeling of confidence, strength, and ability to take action, as if our inner fire is radiating warmth and clarity, or is it burning so low that there is little connection to our strength, warmth, and ability? Or is it burning out of control, consuming everything in its path, as in times of rage?
My approach to counseling and working with individuals and couples is based on this incredible message: We are already whole and don’t need to be fixed. We may need support to reconnect to our inner guidance that knows the way. Although we may experience times of profound disillusionment, depression, or pain, and see ourselves as wounded or damaged, the depth of our wholeness, goodness, and capacity is always there and can burn brightly when we are able to see the conditions and thoughts that make us feel wounded or damaged as what they are: experiences and thoughts- and not our true self which lies beyond experiences and thoughts.
Sometimes we can feel a little, or a lot, out of balance, and knowing that we are made of these basic elements that are interconnected to our inner and outer worlds, provides a way to gain more clarity about what is out of balance (our sense of groundedness, burning anger, inability to take action, disconnection from emotion) and where to begin our work. We can walk through painful memory, depths of depression, or swings of irritability and anger together knowing that we have all the “powers of nature” necessary to overcome and become victorious in our own story.
Angie