Reconnect to the five senses through nature
A guide to supporting stress and lifestyle by building daily practices to support each of the elements
Yoga reminds us of the interconnectedness of everything. And when we are feeling out of connection with ourselves, we can tune into other sources of healing around us. Ayurveda is rooted in a system that recognizes DIS-ease (disease) as an imbalance of the elements. Yoga and Ayurveda work together harmoniously as they support one another to bring balance into our self for the opportunity to evolve our spirit towards enlightenment.
As someone who has personally experienced disordered eating, body dysmorphia, and food obsession, even through my healing journey, there are times it can feel like I’m stuck in this loop where I want to eat better to support my body, however, mentally and emotionally I can’t get myself out of the negative thinking and poor body image. Physically, I lack motivation or energy to stick with routines and I justify staying in the low vibrational energy I’m creating. Life gets in the way and its OKAY!
When I’m feeling this way, I turn to my yoga practices and understanding of the elements as a way to identify imbalances on a subtle level, and to incorporate each of the five senses as a way to return harmony.
We can literally use yoga practices as a way to soothe the senses, each having a corresponding element they support! I love this because it allows for my mind to have a place to go where I remove the emotions and judgments, and activating my confidence in healing my body while not having to focus solely on the food aspect to improve my relationship with food. How cool.
Food relationships are supporting by the other positive relationships we create, starting with OURSELVES!. Sometimes, we are not in a space where we have the capacity to, in a healthy way, look at non-serving food habits and approach change. This is where I work to incorporate healing practices that emphasize balancing elements as a way to work through and balance emotions by themselves, as opposed to the external behavior we experience in food as a coping mechanism.
I have some openings in my 1:1 empowerment sessions, where we do a full assessment to examine potential imbalances from the elemental lens, and during our time together, will work to bring understanding to the behaviors and emotions that arise when imbalanced, and curate a plan that works for you and your goals!
So, lets chat about different yoga practices that could help you balance when feeling out of sorts.
The five senses of the body are:
SMELL
TASTE
SIGHT
TOUcH
SOUND
The five senses are the way in which our physical being has a way to translate messages to the mind and to process experiences. On a more subtle level, these senses correspond to the five elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether, respectively. Yoga practices that ignite/utilize the senses, we are also nourishing the body on a deep level and bringing sattva to our elemental makeup.
What we feel when imbalanced and yoga practices for each
SMELL / EARTH
The Earth element is related to grounding and stability. When we are imbalanced in our earth element we may feel indecisive, unsure of what to do, and as a result get stuck in a pattern of overthinking and inaction.
Take a walk in nature and smell the flowers, the pines, the fresh air. Taking in scents around us is a great way to reconnect with nature. Short on time ? Grab your favorite essential oil (I love lavender and peppermint) and when you need a little grounding energy, take a few long full breaths to take in the scent and ground the body and mind.
2. TASTE / WATER
Water reminds us of the ebbs and flows of life. A reminder that balance is a moving target and we are always in a dance of reflecting on on past and moving into our future through present action. When you’re body is in a state of stress, you may feel that nothing you eats satisfies, and you just keep traveling from craving to craving without getting any release. Take a pause to sip on your favorite warm beverage (tea, water w/ lemon, ginger, cinnamon etc!). Use simple flavors and tune into the natural flavors brought about by the earth! The warmth of the drink will soothe internally to reduce overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system. Taking a step a way from food can also help you tune into hunger or other body cues you may have been missing.
3. SIGHT / FIRE
Our fire element is the element that rules digestion and metabolism, so keep an eye on this one if you’re feeling out of sorts with eating. Too little fire in our system shows up as poor self-esteem or confidence in making healthy choices for our body and we may revert to the common thinking of “Oh well, I’ll never be able to figure it out anyway so why bother trying” Too much and we may be in overdrive - skipping meals to push through other obligations, or overindulging.
Go for a walk and LOOK around as you do. Perhaps its a familiar place, look for things you’ve never seen before. Notice people, make eye contact, and let your eyes be in awe of common things you see everyday. This is a great way to calm the brain and balance the fire element, whether in excess or depleted.
4. TOUCH / AIR
Do you ever pause to notice the wind on your face, the breeze that cools the body after a long hike, the warmth of the sunshine on your skin ? Those are just the ways in which nature reminds us she is always walking with us. Air is a subtle element and when imbalanced shows up in our mind as scattered and confused. Taking pause to notice the subtleties relaxes the mind from past or future thinking/
5. SOUND / ETHER
The subtlest of all the elements, sound healing is so powerful for tapping deep into balance. Allow the sounds of nature, the birds, the trees blowing in the wind, lapping of the water as it crashes against the shore before a storm. Listen closely, you’ll start to hear more and more. Listen to your breath, the very sound that reminds us we are nature in and of itself. Listen for the silence and you’ll be reminded to be still. There
By developing a practice that intentionally focuses on balancing each of the properties of the five elements through the five senses , we create a regulated nervous system day in and day out. And, on those harder days where we struggle to find the positivity and food behaviors and thoughts start to take over, we return to those other rituals that can calm emotions and help you recenter yourself before coming back to food.
You got this !