Holistic Healing
Grow your wellness this coming season. Spring offers so many natural elements that heal our space – mind, body and soul – and revive us with longer days and promises of rebirth as winter melts away.
Finding health and harmony through the natural world is grounded in ancient holistic healing traditions and philosophies, like Yoga and Ayurveda, that teach us that we are each a self-healing entity who can use nature’s abundant elements to restore and renew ourselves.
Deepening our relationship with the elements – fire, water, earth and air – is a holistic and connective way to think about our bodies’ needs and their importance in replenishing natural flow mentally and physically for balanced wellness. When they are in harmony, so are we.
We are one with nature: We breathe air to survive, we are largely made up of water, we share chemical elements with the earth and walk on it, and the heat within regulates and fuels us. The elements represent the physical and energetic qualities of nature and the human body. Therefore, getting elementally aligned allows us to experience the rejuvenating bounty of every season.
Take long walks in nature and observe the changes going on all around you. Notice the elements in their natural world and tune into their power. Each brings a different energy: Air relates to inspiration, movement and growth. Fire is associated with the flame of energy, creative passion and transformation. Water relates to the flow of feelings, adaptability and fluidity. The earth represents stability, solidity and grounding.
Delight in the life-giving power of the sun. Feel the flames of energy ignite new passions, breathe in freshness and calmness, and be grounded by the earth’s solidness. Slow down, be still and let nature wash over you. Be restored by the sprouting seeds, the greening forests, the shorelines and neighbourhood parks.
Every episode outside is an opportunity to be healed by spring’s nourishment. Nature immersion is therapeutic: It enhances wellbeing, promotes physical activity, encourages social interaction and helps reduce stress and anxiety. We are affected by and affect the external world around us.
It is our nature to be in nature. Those who spend at least 120 minutes per week outside are more likely to report better mental and physical health, according to studies. Get outside with activities like gardening, hiking, dog walking or outdoor meditation. Circuit through outdoor heated hydrotherapy pools for added sensation and soothing. Bring the outdoors in: Add a plant or two to your indoor space. Start an indoor garden from seed and have the sprouts ready to plant once the frost lifts.
There is a fifth element in Ayurveda beliefs called ether, which is the vacant space where everything happens. Sound is part of this space – a trickling stream, waves crashing, birds singing and the wind softly blowing, are sounds that relax the brain and energize our health.
Along with fire, earth and water, traditional Chinese Medicine’s holistic framework includes wood and metal as healing elements, with each of the five interconnected to the changing seasons, life stages, emotions, internal organs and more. Wood is associated with new life and flexibility, developing new roots and branching outward, both in nature and in our lives, while metal focuses on inner strength, transition and preparation.
As you come out of hibernation, allow the naturally-occurring elements to nourish your mind, body and soul. Be bundled up by Mother Nature’s warmth, love and beauty. Like with the plants and animals, spring is also our innate time to foster new beginnings and shift our life rhythms. Harmonizing your health is elemental.
