The Phenomena of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether

The life force expresses itself on the physical level as different qualities or patterns of energy - much as a river has different characteristics and qualities depending on whether it is a rushing mountain stream, a broader lowland river or a wide, silt-laden delta. This expression manifests as the phenomena of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether -substances ranging from the most solid to the most ethereal. These elements are present in differing degrees and combination in the human body, in plants and throughout nature.

It is significant that each of the major known traditional medical systems of the world developed independent but similar paradigms of energetic understanding to make sense of the natural world, health and disease. These may be described in slightly different terms and configurations of the patterns ~ perhaps reflecting differences of climate, geographical and cultural experience - but it is sensed that they are descriptions of the same phenomena. In this book, the paradigm of Ayurvedic medicine is chosen as the model. It is very similar to our own European-Greek humoral tradition, includes many herbs in common and has the advantage of still being actively and successfully practiced today, after 5,000 years.