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78 ASCP Skin Deep Autumn 2024 A HISTORY OF AYURVEDA'S FIVE ELEMENTS The five elements exist both externally and internally, each playing a unique and significant role. Air The air element is the reason we have movement and communication. Within the body, the air element supports and governs both aspects: physical movement, movement of nutrition and blood, nerve communication and impulses, and movement of debris out of the body, to name a few. In a subtle sense, the air principle helps us wake up in the morning, have enthusiasm and excitement, and get through our to-do list. Earth Earth gives the body structure and support. Without it, we wouldn't have the physical bones and muscles to create form and structure. The earth element is responsible for stamina and endurance. It also supports grounding and connection back to the physical plane. Ether Ether, or space, is the container. It is singular in nature and is the universe and the cosmos, as well as the space in which things live and exist. Within the body, the space element holds the organs and allows a place for them to live. It manifests as the space in which our vital fluids flow through. It is the space between bones, the opening in pores, and other vital elements within the physical body. Without the ether element, everything in the body would be crammed together, causing aspects of tightness and potential disharmony. The ether element gives us the idea of imagination and creation. When we think about space, it gives us a sense of awe and wonder, helping us feel vastness and expansiveness. Fire The fire element represents brilliance and radiance. In the body, fire governs all aspects of digestion, assimilation, and transformation processes. Anything put into the body from the sense organs must get transformed into usable and comprehensible material. This transformative power is from the fire element. The most important aspect here is going to be digestion, because in Ayurveda, all disease starts from an unhealthy gut, poor digestion, or weak metabolic activity. Water Water supports all the nourishment within the body, contributing to the physical fluids and cushioning: blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, urine, and sweat. As we know, bodies are made of about 70 percent water and water is an essential element—ensuring that all parts of our body are hydrated, nourished, and taken care of. Water is also the capacity to feel and express emotion, another fundamental aspect of Ayurveda and healing. In the Ayurvedic framework, no two humans are alike, no two imbalances are alike, and no two treatment protocols are alike.