Elements of Ayurveda

When we take an ayurvedic approach to life, we recognize that everything we experience comes down to the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Our five senses perceive these elements in different ways—we see the elements with our eyes, we smell the elements with our noses, we hear the elements with our ears, we touch the elements with our skin, and we taste the elements with our tongues.

Ayurveda describes our experience of these elements through twenty basic attributes organized in pairs of opposites: cold or hot, moist or dry, soft or hard, smooth or rough, heavy or light, gross or subtle, cloudy or clear, dull or sharp, static or mobile, and dense or flowing. Let’s define the elements using these attributes…

It’s no surprise that fire is hot. Air, earth, ether, and water are considered cold because they cannot be hot without fire. For example, dry heat saunas, molten lava flows, and boiling tea kettles all need some form of fire to get them hot.

It’s also no surprise that water is moist. Air, earth, ether, and fire are considered dry because they cannot be moist without water. Think of cloudy skies or muddy puddles. Water and air mix to create clouds. Water and earth mix to create puddles.

Soft and smooth are also attributes of water. Rain softens hard soil in an instant and rivers smooth rough rocks over time. Air, earth, and fire do not soften or smooth without the help of water. On their own, they make things hard and rough. Ether, the space element, can’t be touched, so it doesn’t qualify as any of these attributes.

Air, ether, and fire are light and subtle, while earth and water are heavy and gross. This is not gross as in, “Eww.” This is gross as in substantial or tangible. Earth and water have substance and weight. Subtle is the opposite of gross, so it means insubstantial or intangible. Air, ether, and fire lack substance and weight.

Earth and water are cloudy and dull. Air, ether, and fire are clear and sharp. This is not as simple as a dull or sharp knife. This is more like a dull or sharp mind—the former is a bit hazy and the latter is quite lucid. In this context, it’s easier to understand why dull elements are also cloudy and sharp elements are also clear.

It helps to think of the attribute pair of static or mobile as a trio instead: stable, unstable, or mobile. Air is the essence of mobility. Earth, water, ether, and fire are considered static because they cannot be mobile without air. However, ether and fire are more susceptible to air’s mobility so they are considered unstable, while earth and water are less susceptible to air’s mobility so they are considered stable.

The attribute pair of dense or flowing are not exactly opposites. In my opinion, they combine differences between heavy and light, gross and subtle, and static and mobile in one comparison. Earth is the most dense element while ether is the least dense. Makes sense. Water is less dense than earth, but more dense than fire. Fire is less dense than water, but more dense than air. Air is less dense than fire, but more dense than ether. Still makes sense. However…

The flowing scale isn’t simply the reverse of the density scale. Just because ether is least dense doesn’t mean it’s most flowing. Fire and water are considered most flowing because their density is enough to actually flow. Air and ether have some flow, but it’s not a defining attribute because their density is so low. Earth has little to no flow. It has to mix with other elements like fire (as with lava) or water (as with mud) to flow at all.

Let’s recap:

• Earth is the most dense element. It is also cold, dry, hard, rough, heavy, gross, cloudy, dull, and static (stable). It has low to no flow.

• Water is the only moist, soft, and smooth element. It is also cold, heavy, gross, cloudy, dull, and static (stable). It has high density and high flow.

• Fire is the only hot element. It is also dry, hard, rough, light, subtle, clear, sharp, and static (unstable). It has medium density and high flow.

• Air is the only mobile element. It is also cold, dry, hard, rough, light, subtle, clear, and sharp. It has low density and medium flow.

• Ether is the least dense element. It is neither hard nor soft nor rough nor smooth. It is also cold, dry, light, subtle, clear, sharp, and static (unstable). It has medium flow.

Once we understand the elements and their attributes, we can use them to balance our own physical, mental, and spiritual health. You can start to do this intuitively in your everyday life. Think of a symptom you are experiencing in your body or mind. Try to trace it back to an element or an elemental attribute. 

For a “body” example, let’s say you are getting heartburn after meals. Burn is right there in the name. This is a fiery, hot symptom. What increases fire? More heat. What decreases fire? Cold. It’s possible the foods you choose are contributing to your heartburn. You might find relief if you lay off the hot sauce or the hot coffee.*

For a “mind” example, let’s say you are having trouble concentrating. Your mind is in constant motion. This is an airy, mobile symptom. What increases air? More mobility. What decreases air? Stability. It’s possible you need more earthy, static energy. You might find relief if you do a grounding exercise, like standing barefoot in the grass.*

Next time on the ayurveda blog, we’ll take a closer look at how bodies and minds perceive and process the five elements. This will help you hone in on the right element to adjust when seeking to balance your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

*Ayurveda is not a substitute for healthcare. Consult with a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new physical or mental health activity. Read more.

Source: Marc Halpern, Principles of Ayurvedic Medicine: Textbook for the Ayurvedic Profession, Eleventh Edition (Nevada City: California College of Ayurveda, 2016), 71-76.