Commentary: EleMental Health | “Earth, Air, Fire and Water”

• The Role of the Elements in our Mental Wellbeing •

We are all familiar with the pervasive moodiness of weather. The effect it can have on our state of mind.

The air charged with energy — static and electric.

It’s intense, it’s powerful — it’s nothing if not raw.

Just as suddenly, it all changes. The heavens intervene – the sun appears and the heavy winds withdraw their torment. We find ourselves soothed by the gentle sway of dappled light, spilling through the trees.

Human beings are very much the same. We can call it hormones, chalk it up to a good day, or a bad one — but we are as changeable as the seasons.

We are interwoven with this natural world — our mental and physical health intimately connected to our environment. When we unplug and follow the cycles of nature, we balance our inner landscape.

Essentially, we connect with our internal Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

Many natural therapies mimic the properties of the elements — harnessing their essence, for healing. 

When we seek balance through these means, we go for treatments such as Heat Therapy, from Light Sessions, or the sauna. Hydrotherapy, near the ocean or through the floatation tank. Earth emersion through textile artwork, forest-bathing, or ‘green space’ exposure. We employ essential oils in the Raindrop Technique and Massage Therapy – we set time aside to conduct breathing exercises, designed to promote diaphragmatic movement. 

A late night walk after a warm rain, allows us to drink in the rejuvenating effects of a negatively ionized atmosphere. A sunny, morning stroll exposes us to mood-boosting Vitamin D.

Many of these treatments imbue us with the elements of nature, through our senses.

Traditional, therapeutic movements found in Tai Chi and QiGong are also considered elementally thematic — as they follow the natural cycles and rotations.

A seemingly simple, eye-strengthening QiGong exercise, copies the movements our gaze when we are outside, observing our surroundings. Taking in depth — near and far — as we look from the grass at our feet to the tree tops in the distance. 

When we intentionally adjust our focus from objects close to us, to ones in the distance — moving our gaze up and down and side to side — we fortify our eye muscles, enhance our visual abilities and relax our minds.

Anyone familiar with Tradition Chinese Medicine will know our bodies in elemental terms. Such as too much, or too little, heat or cold — yang or yin. 

The ‘elements’ are based in humoral theory –- the “four humors”  — each with a distinct physiological quality.

The Earth was Melancholia; Air Sanguine; Fire was Choleric and Water was Phlegmatic.

While we have advanced beyond basic medical theory and we currently refer to these humoral elements as more of a clinical category – the concept of a progression from internal disturbance to physiological manifestation (or disease) — has great merit.

The corresponding treatment for dis-ease and disharmony was to expose the patent to proper external doses of a particular element — prescribed for their particular deficiency — an Nx, or Nature Prescription, if you will. 

This could modify their health, providing a restorative and recalibrating the imbalance.

Traditional Chinese Medicine embodies the wisdom of this elemental concept and considers the patient a multifaceted creature — something greater than a jumble of symptoms.

These forms of ‘biophilic’ therapies, draw on the benefits of our environment.

In the Clinical Study, “Harnessing the Four Elements for Mental Health” it was shown that the main psycho-sociological markers – commonly thought to impact mental health – included stressful jobs, sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition.

Of these, it was noted that a decrease in nature-connection measured quite prominently. The more disconnected we are from nature, the more our mental health can suffer.

The elements are a powerful force — a creative catalyst beyond our control. One person’s violent rainstorm may be another’s nighttime melody. 

It is a symbiotic relationship and when it comes right down to it, the charge of the external world is not that different from the nature within.

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Clinical Study Resource :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6491965/