Elemental Balance - What is it?
Understanding your Elemental Balance, also called your constitution in some systems, not only helps your doctor gain greater insight into your individual requirements for enjoying the best possible level of health available to you, it also helps you understand yourself and your tendencies in a way that has been useful, reliable and accurate in various cultures for thousands of years. The Elemental Type draws heavily on the wisdom of Ayurveda, the natural medical system that has been in place in India for millennia, the insights of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Unani (the humoral system of ancient Greece) and the somatotyping system devised by the American psychologist William Sheldon in the 1950’s. We are utilizing ancient wisdom while employing modern language so that you don’t have to translate unfamiliar terms such as vata, pitta, kapha, yin and yang and so on in order to follow the discussion.
The primary insight offered by the above-mentioned systems is that health is a dynamic, ever-changing state of balance between the natural forces inherent in your body and those of the environment in which you live. In the system as we are describing it, we seek balance between the elements – Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The Elements stand for active principles found in all of nature. Air represents all gases, as well as the space occupied by the natural world. It is also the force that creates all movement. Fire is heat and light, and also the dynamic force that transforms. Water encompasses all liquids, and also acts as the glue that binds all phenomena together. Earth is solidity, structure, mass and volume.
Another powerful insight offered by the Elemental Type is that it guides the experienced observer in gauging the innate balance of the elements represented in your individual body. For example, an Air-dominant person will have a slight, bony frame, long, thin face with prominent cheekbones, and a tendency toward anxiety, forgetfulness and a sense of being socially awkward. The Fire type typically has a medium build, heart-shaped face, and is competitive, aggressive and irritable. Water people are round in shape, voluptuous if not over-weight, with large and expressive eyes and lips. This type tends to be easy-going, relaxed and emotional. The Earth build is stout and massive with square features, a thick neck and a big jaw. The Earth personality often reflects a steady, dependable nature with tendencies toward stubbornness, determination, and rigidity.
For a lengthy and detailed discussion of the Elemental Type and bringing balance into your life, click here.
