Healing with the Elements

Healing with the elements can be a very interesting experience.  Inviting the elements (water, fire, earth, air) into your healing process can facilitate your healing.  For example, when my nose was stuffy and I had a hard time breathing, not only did I use a nasal spray and an over the counter allergy tablet, I also went to the sauna at my gym.

The sauna relaxed the tension in my chest and my nose, acting as a bonus to the medication I was already using.  I felt much better afterwards and had a good night's sleep.  There are various saunas that are used throughout the world.  A sauna can involve a few elements:

• fire for heat

• air to circulate the heat

• water to create the steam 

Knowing which element to use, and using it properly, for whatever bothers you is also key to the healing process in addition to taking your recommended medications.  For example, you are not going to stay in a sauna for thirty minutes, continue to stay in the sauna when you are feeling woozy, or skip your medications altogether when you have a serious health issue.  Use common sense.  Take your medication and use the elements as a bonus; a tool to help you recover faster.

Below are some examples of how using the elements can help you.  Remember, these are only suggestions:

• aching muscles-sauna or whirlpool (fire/water)

• headache-take deep breaths (air)

• sore throat- drink something warm (fire/water)

• equilibrium issues-walk barefooted in nature (earth)

• long day at work-shower to wash away negativity (water)

However, if you don't have access to a sauna or a whirlpool, there are different ways to experience the elements free of charge!  The main thing is that you open your mind to want to be healed and to be healed quickly.  Below are some easy, free, and fun ways to involve the elements into your healing process:

• Take deep breaths outside

• Dance in the rain

• Walk through the park

• Create a fire pit

Based on what is stated above, below are some rituals to compliment those suggestions:

Think of a wish (an outfit for an upcoming dinner date). Picture exactly how you want this outfit to look, how it will look on you, how much you plan to pay for the outfit, etc. Take a really deep breath.  Go outside and exhale.  Imagine that deep breath you just release go up into the sky as a letter for the universe to open and to respond to soon.

We tend to get caught up in lives: our work life, our love life, our family life, our friends' lives, our favorite celebrity life, friend of a friend's life, and so forth. We need time to let go of EVERYTHING.  To release and to rejuvenate.  A way we can do this is by dancing, jumping, walking in the rain or take a shower.

Think of anything you just want to let go, to cleanse yourself from, or to just not worry so much about something.  You can say this 'Through this ritual with the water, I hereby wash away (fill in the blank).' Now, go and enjoy the wonderful feeling of water washing away things on the spiritual level that shows through on the physical level. Just imagine all of it going down the drain...or down the street if you're out in the rain!   

                                                                                                                                                                                      

We need  balance in all areas.  If we spent too much time meditating and no time is spent 'doing', then will would not accomplish anything.  A way to bring you back down to earth so to speak is to walk through a park.  Trees are symbolic of deep roots, wisdom, strong foundation, and branching out.  So, to maintain your balance and your foundation walk through a place with lots of trees.  Take your time. Think about the cycles the trees experience and your cycles in life.

The leaves on the tree bloom in the Spring and die in the Winter all the while the tree itself remains sturdy.  What do you experience or what have you experienced in life that are cyclical?  How do you stand your ground and make it through the storm so to speak?  Imagine yourself as a strong tree of knowledge who is balanced and knows that life, people, and places have a 'season' but you will remain balanced and strong. 

Fire is a great element of transformation.  For example, when we use fire to cook a fish that fish is no longer frozen and will never be frozen like it was prior to being cooked.  Even if we decide to put the fish in the fridge and save it for later, it is still not the same fish it once was prior to being cooked.  One of my favorite fire rituals to do is to create a small bonfire. Then write on paper something that has been on my mind; for example, I want to go on vacation (in need of mental break/healing from work).

Therefore, I would write on the paper:  Universe, please provide me with money, time, and willing friends to accompany me on this vacation.  May this vacation be amazing.  Doing this not only transforms my thinking from being passive (oh I would like to go on a vacation) to being active (hey I just did this ritual so now is the time to act!), but it really sends a message out to the Universe that this is something I really want to happen in my life and I want it to be done properly.  Just like cooking the fish.  We had a taste for fish, we prepared it, cooked it, and ate it ...something we want to be done in our life and to be done properly.

Remember to always be thankful for the experience and more great things will follow.  If you're not thankful, then why would those experiences happen again and at the capacity at which it happened?  Think about it would you continue to help someone at a job do their work, they take all the credit, and didn't so much as say 'thank you' to you? Probably not so much.  So, be grateful when working with the elements and doing the rituals to help you in your recoveries whatever they may be.