Your Power Element

How do you determine your power element? By payingattention. Go to places where you can experience each element intimately. Standin a strong wind, sit by an ocean or waterfall, watch a blazing fire, or walkinto a cave or forest. Which location makes you feel the most alive, nurtured,and content? Pay attention to your senses—do they feel more keen or activatedin one place than another?

Once you determine which element energizes you, you canfind ways to plug into that source of renewable energy any time you need aboost. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Earth: Work in thegarden. Sit on the ground while holding brown or black gemstones in your hand.Take long walks in the woods. Keep potted plants in your home and workplace.Eat lots of root vegetables: potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets.

Air: Open thewindows. Practice yogic breathing exercises. Go to a windy location and let thebreeze embrace you. Watch birds. If you work in a building where you can’t openthe windows, put an electric fan near your work station.

Fire: Get out inthe sunshine. Light candles. Build a fire. Sit next to a heater. Dance tolively music, around a ritual fire if possible. Drink hot beverages and eatspicy foods.

Water: Go swimming.Sit beside a body of water. Take long baths or showers. Play in the rain. Drinklots of spring water.

You can also connect with these elements throughmeditation. Envision yourself in a setting that corresponds to your powerelement. Or visualize yourself surrounded by the element in its mostfundamental state. As you breathe, imagine you are inhaling that nourishingforce into your body where it invigorates you on all levels.

How do you determine yourpower element?

By paying attention. Go to places where you canexperience each element intimately. Stand in a strong wind, sit by an ocean orwaterfall, watch a blazing fire, or walk into a cave or forest. Which locationmakes you feel the most alive, nurtured, and content? Pay attention to yoursenses—do they feel more keen or activated in one place than another?

Once you determine which element energizes you, you canfind ways to plug into that source of renewable energy any time you need aboost. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Earth: Work in the garden. Sit on the ground while holdingbrown or black gemstones in your hand. Take long walks in the woods. Keeppotted plants in your home and workplace. Eat lots of root vegetables:potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets.

Air: Open the windows. Practice yogic breathingexercises. Go to a windy location and let the breeze embrace you. Watch birds.If you work in a building where you can’t open the windows, put an electric fannear your work station.

Fire: Get out in the sunshine. Light candles. Build afire. Sit next to a heater. Dance to lively music, around a ritual fire ifpossible. Drink hot beverages and eat spicy foods.

Water: Go swimming. Sit beside a body of water. Take longbaths or showers. Play in the rain. Drink lots of spring water.

You can also connect with these elements through meditation.Envision yourself in a setting that corresponds to your power element. Orvisualize yourself surrounded by the element in its most fundamental state. Asyou breathe, imagine you are inhaling that nourishing force into your bodywhere it invigorates you on all levels.