I want to be satisfied with my life.
I want to feel safe and protected.
These statements represent the Stomach meridian and the Spleen meridian - the Yang and Yin partners respectively in the Earth element in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
I see the Earth element as the centre of everything, because it represents the totality of this physical vehicle – our bodies. While the other four elements also have roles to play in the functioning and well-being of our physiology, the Earth element is our physical body. Without our ability to digest and absorb nutrients via the Stomach channel, and to convert those nutrients into flesh and fat, and the white blood cells and T-cells to be able to identify and fight off foreign invaders, we would cease to exist.
What injures the Earth element is feeling dissatisfied with our lives and being unable to ‘digest’ our life experiences. It is not just food which the Stomach digests, it is also all our thoughts and feelings. When things are not digested, rebellious qi rises up and clouds the mind. We become anxious and worried and begin to overthink things. As that rebellious qi rises there is little nutrition left to nourish the Spleen, whose main function is to protect us from the external invasion of foreign substances, infections and diseases. And like the Stomach, the Spleen also protects us from ourselves – from overthinking, from worrying, from hypersensitivity, and from obsessiveness.
The keys for healthy functioning of the Earth element are:
- Balance and moderation
- Engaging in activities which make us feel good
- Eating food that nourishes us
- Interacting with fellow beings while maintaining our own centre and inner compass
- Cultivating curiosity by allowing ourselves to be seen and being willing to ‘see’ others
For me, what inspires immeasurable gratitude in relation to the Earth element is the pure unadulterated joy I feel:
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- When I smell the fragrance of the forest as we move into autumn and some dampness returns to my environment
- Or when I inhale the fragrance of the last roses of summer in the rose garden
- Or when I first hear and then see a humpback whale breaching the surface in the Strait of Juan de Fuca
- Or when I hear the song of an eagle or the wings of a hummingbird
- Or when I taste a ripe peach or blackberry or a delicious home-cooked meal
- Or when I see a beautiful child fully living in his tiny body and exploring his world with carefree abandon
- Or when I hug my cat Yogi or my pup Sparky or another human
These are all precious experiences which arise from living in our physical vehicles. We are blessed to have such a symphony of sensuality available to lift our spirits and nourish our souls.
Essences associated with the Earth element help you feel grounded and secure and help you feel good about being alive in your physical vehicle. These Essences will address anxiety, overthinking and worry. They will cultivate resilience and help you to feel safe and protected no matter what is happening in your external world.
And while these Essences are good medicine, giving yourself at least one experience in Nature every week (or preferably every day) provides invaluable healing for our Earth elements: our digestion, our protection, and our general feelings of health and well-being.
