The Elements of Good Health
Whether you were born yesterday or 5,000 years ago, the elements that make up life are the same. Granted today we have a lot more scientific knowledge about the periodic table of the elements, but before these advances traditional cultures relied on an understanding of five basic elements. It is these elements that are the building blocks of good health. In other words they are elemental, basic or the foundation of everything else. Like all humans before the advent of electricity we can also benefit from living in alignment with the flow of life. This means following the patterns of light and dark and following the seasonal patterns.
In cultures that have lived close to the earth for generations, there has been a lot attention paid to the different health care practices and routines that arise based on the time of year and the unique weather patterns, amounts of light and availability of food that is present at these times. In Egypt, China and India this was extremely common.
As we transition into the Fall it provides a good opportunity to look back over the year and see what we have harvested. As the leaves let go we can also let go of routines, habits, foods and patterns that do not serve our future self. We can consolidate the energy our bodies and minds and illuminate what is most important in our lives. Fall is subtle and it sneaks up on us like happiness, eventually as you grow inward you find yourself within yourself. Each season holds a secret and if we spend a little time each morning we can tap into what each season has to offer. We can see this secret in how squash transforms into a dense gourd and the foods that we prepare become more accommodating to the dense, dry nature of fall produce by morphing into soups and stews.
By consuming foods that are in sync with the seasons something magical happens. We begin to heal the doshic disturbances that have arisen from the natural cycles of life. Our organs, mind and joints begin to be nourished by the winter selection and we settle into the shorter days and cold nights. We stop resisting what is before us and start embracing it. So this season give yourself the opportunity to heal your body and mind by living in harmony with the seasons.
