Our Senses are Linked Directly to the Elements

According to Ayurveda, the five main elements are directly related to the five main senses of man.

The Senses and the Elements

Our senses are a vital part of our mind and body and our senses are how we experience the world.

It is through our senses that we experience, the joy of seeing a child play, the sadness of hearing a piece of music that reminds us of a poignant time, the comfort of eating a heartwarming meal and the gentle touch of a loved one's hand.

Our senses allow us to feel and experience our emotions, if we are willing to ‘get to know’ ourselves through our senses we can enrich our lives enormously.

Ether/Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth are the five elements. According to Ayurveda, the five elements are present in all matter, in various proportions and these five elements compose everything in the universe including humans. In a healthy body, all the elements are working in harmony however in an imbalanced state any one element will disturb all others.

Sound, Touch, Sight, Taste and Smell are the five physical senses and there is a sense which is becoming more recognised – the sixth sense of spirituality, intuition, perception, psychic abilities.

Ether/Space element manifests as sound.

Relates to mouth, nostrils, abdomen, thorax, respiratory tract and cells.

Ayurveda puts great emphasis on the sense of hearing and we are able to experience sound through mantra and chanting. We can hear the sound through the preparation of our foods, the pounding and sound of grinding spices, the crisp sharp sound of cutting vegetables. We can experience the sounds of nature, running water, rustling trees, bird song and the calming balancing effects of nature. The sound of silence can be found in meditation and stillness.

Air element is manifested as touch.

Is connected to the muscles, lung action and intestines, movement.

Experience the pleasures of touch in everyday food preparation use your hands to mix ingredients and feel the shiny beans run through your fingers. Ayurveda says that we should touch our bodies and become aware of its sensitivities and bring about a sense of well-being.

Touch the textures in your home and the different textures of nature, the bark of a tree, the texture of a running stream. Notice how the different objects feel in your hand. Expand your awareness of touch.

Fire is manifested as sight.

Fire fuels enzyme functions, intelligence, digestive system and the metabolism.

Everything that we see effects us in some way, it is important to our senses to become aware of what we see. Most of the time we take for granted our sight, take the time to look at things differently. When preparing food notice the colours and textures of spices and fresh fruit and vegetables. Look around your home and see things from a different viewpoint. Do you prefer cool or hot colours? When you leave your home what do you see, how often do you stop to really view your surroundings.

Water element is manifested as smell

Water governs plasma, the blood, saliva, digestive juices and mucus membranes.

Ayurveda uses many herbs and spices during cooking and the sense of smell is heightened and awakens the memory of the universe and the gifts it offers through this sense. Smell is a powerful sense that affects the limbic system having a direct influence on our moods, Ayurveda understands this and uses food and essential oils and potions in its treatments. We can experience also the many smells of nature, flowers, leaves, walking through the woods or by the sea all evoke memories of Mother earth.

Enhance your living environment with fresh clean smelling cotton bed linen, fresh flowers and the wonderful aroma of Ayurveda cooking.

Earth element is manifested as taste

The earth element is found in the bones, nails, teeth, muscles, cartilage, tendons , skin and hair.

Taste is a crucial element in Ayurveda and the teachings explain that there are six tastes that should be included in all meals. They are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent. These six tastes provide the body with the balancing and healing benefits which are the foundation of Ayurveda nourishment.

The balancing of theses tastes in cooking not only provide enormous healing qualities but also create delicious meals not found in other cooking modes. Ayurveda promotes the attention to eating and advises that we eat food in silence and through mindfulness to reap the full benefits of the foods healing qualities.