Sanctuary for Heart Magic

THE ELEMENTAL SPINE

What are the 5 elements?

The elements are all around us and within us. They make up the natural world and give rise to everything we experience with our senses, including our spine. There are chemical elements, such as those found within the periodic table. These are the building blocks of physical matter. There are also classical elements, which explain the fundamental forces and structures of the natural universe. In this article, I will be focusing on the classical elements and how nature expresses through the spine, based on these forces. As we come into the collective recognition that as humans, we are part of nature, not just living in it, we wake up to the interconnective field that runs through all of life. The seeming barriers in communication and relatability between ourselves and that of plants, trees, animals, insects and all other natural life, dissolve. This opens us into a world of energy and information that was previously unknown to our senses. It also helps us understand our spine in a completely different way.

Some philosophical systems speak of four elements, while other systems discuss a five element model. 

Let’s start with the 4 basic classical elements. In Western tradition the 4 elements are fire, air, water and earth. 

FIRE is energy, transformation and heat. It warms, produces vitality and is the source of metabolism. It is passion, spark and excitement. It gives rise to destruction so that reconstruction can occur. Fire burns down the old and enables new birth. It is dynamic and expresses the paradox of both death and aliveness. 

AIR is inspiration, breath and gaseous. While fire gives life opportunity, air allows life to live. Without air, fire can’t burn and create the energy needed for life. Air is the space between and around form. It is an expression of clarity and vast perspective. It is unconfined, has no boundary and is a transmission of limitlessness. Without air everything would be smashed together and life would suffocate itself. Air is also mind or intellect, enabling thought processes and complex reasoning. 

WATER is fluid, nourishing and mutable. It takes on and fills the shape of forms. It softens, smoothes and allows for flexibility and changing rhythms. It is wet, emollient and cushions. Water allows for feeling, communication and connectedness, as each drop of water contains the whole of the ocean. 

EARTH is substance, form and density. It is heavy, solid and has structure. It transmits stability, support and container. Water without earth floods and overflows, but water with earth enables pathways and directionality. Earth is also senses and gut instincts. It is what grounds all the other elements.

There is also a fifth element called ether that is included in some systems. 

ETHER is that which is related to pure consciousness or an invisible medium that permeates all space. It is that which is unchangeable and cannot be manipulated. Some relate this to the heavens, celestial bodies or the divine nature within nature. In the Ayurvedic system they discuss these same 5 elements, while the Chinese system uses a 5 element model, and labels the elements wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

ELEMENTAL EXPRESSION THROUGH THE SPINE

Earth, Water, Fire, Air & Ether

A coherent spine, meaning a spine that is healthy and expressing wholeness, is balanced in the elements. The air, fire, water, earth and ether are harmonized. Now that we have covered the particulars of the elements, let’s talk about how they specifically relate to the spine. 

Earth expresses as the structure of the spine itself. This includes the bones and their density, the disks, ligaments and tissues of the spinal cord. It is also the bony alignment of the spine. 

Water expresses as the fluid around the spine. The primary fluid that wraps the entire spinal cord is known as cerebral spinal fluid. There is also fluid inside of the disks and joints, and bone marrow fluid inside of the bones themselves. These are expressions of the water element. 

Air manifests as the spaces or openings between the joints and within the spinal canal. These spaces allow for the nervous system to rest within the structure of the spine. Spaces also exist inside of the vertebrae. These are called trabeculae and create “spongy bone”. This is where bone marrow is produced. 

Fire is expressed in the activity of the spine. The spine is the most metabolically active structure in the body. It is constantly creating billions of blood cells and there is immense neurological transmissions occurring throughout the spinal cord. The fire element is also responsible for postural extension or uprightness. 

Lastly, Ether is expressed as the consciousness that flows through the spinal cord. This pure essence of awareness is what enables your consciousness to permeate your body. It’s the invisible information which informs the whole structural-movement-perceptual complex that is your spine.

When the elements of the spine are not balanced, there are effects. 

Some people might call these effects conditions, problems or symptoms. We could use that terminology here as well, but if we stick to an elemental perspective of balances and imbalances, it allows for more fluidity in our thought processes. It helps us see a more dynamic and participatory viewpoint, rather than black and white thinking that concludes “this or that”, “good or bad” or “right or wrong”. 

Let’s start with some examples of imbalances and the effects they create. If we have too much fire it will start to burn away the water. Remember fire is activity and metabolism. If we are always active, never rest, or are overly passionate, the fluids in our body warm up and evaporate (ie. water element). In the spine this means the joints and spinal cord don’t have as much cushion. Overtime that lack of cushioning creates irritation, which we call inflammation. Eventually that inflammation can breakdown the bones (ie. the earth element), which we call arthritis. This means we feel stiff, lack flexibility and generally feel dry.

Let’s take another example. Say we don’t have enough air. We feel confined, limited and like we don’t get a full breath when we breathe. We might feel like we never have enough time and that there is too much stuff in our life. We’ve lost touch with the bigger picture and are just getting through each day.. Air is space. If things are full, there is no space. In the spine this means the spaces between the joints get smaller and invaded. Nerves and even the spinal cord starts to get compressed. Less space also means less room for fluid to fill spaces (ie. water element). The disks between the bones start to collapse, they herniate and impinge on the space of the spinal canal because they have lost their buoyancy. The ether (ie. consciousness) has challenge transmitting its impulses and information through the spinal cord and nerves. This means information and energy between the brain and body is compromised.

While I could go on all day with examples of elemental imbalances and how they affect the spine, I trust this is enough to help you understand the basics. 

The bigger question is, now that you can see through the elemental lens, how does that impact your work with your spine? I invite you to start with a basic self inventory of how you experience each element. Do you feel a lot of fire, or air, or water or earth? Which do you feel less of? Make a little pie chart. Then notice your experience of your spine and start to see how it all fits together based on what I shared with you here. If you notice too much water and not enough fire, which might manifest as low muscle tone or not being able to hold your posture upright, you might invite in ways to bring in more fire or reduce the water. If you notice too much earth and not enough water, which might manifest as inflexibility, tight ligaments or pain in bones, find ways to bring in more of the water element.

What I love about looking at the spine through an elemental lens is that is helps you feel more empowered. Rather than fatalistically succumbing to having “xyz” condition or label, you see that there is an interplay happening between aspects. Nothing is really fixed; it is all dynamics between parts. This is a relational way of interacting with your spine. This is also the way of nature. Nothing happens in isolation, nor do things typically have one cause. There are interdependent factors that connect the whole system together and result in its expression.

Dr. Amanda Lalita Love, DC, MSAc, L.Ac, OTR/L

Network Spinal Chiropractor & Nervous System Specialist at the Sanctuary for Heart Magic, a Mentor for Heart-Led Healers at Soul Luminaries & the Writer of The Everyday Divine.