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5 Elements in Yoga
Prithvi (earth), Jal (water), Agni (fire), Vayu (air), and Akasha (ether or space)
Yoga is not just a physical practice; it is a holistic journey that encompasses the mind, body and spirit. One aspect of yoga that holds great significance is the exploration and integration of the five elements. In Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga and one of the oldest medical systems still practiced today, these five elements are prithvi (earth), jal (water), agni (fire), vayu (air) and akasha (ether or space). Each element carries its own energy and symbolism. These elements are believed to be the building blocks of the universe, both physically and energetically.
Also, the elements correlate with the senses and with specific body parts and functions. Each has an energetic correspondent among the chakras. According to the Ayurvedic system, each of us is born with a unique combination of the five elements. Some are more dominant than others. The combination of elements that are most...
Ida, Pingala, Sushumna, and Duality: Moving Energy into the Spine for Inner Strength
Indian tradition teaches that our Prana, or life force, is delivered through energetic pathways, or Nadis, in the body. The human body has 72,000 Nadis which converge in the 7 chakras. with the most predominant being the Ida and Pingala.
The Ida Nadi is the feminine, creative, moon, receptive energy conduit, running from the base of the spine, alongside the spinal column, up the back of the skull, and culminating in the left nostril. The Pingala nano is the more masculine Nadi, channeling action-oriented, sun, directive energy throughout the body, This Nadi also runs from the base of the spine up the spin and head, and culminates in the right nostril. Ida is the Shakti, Pingala the Shive. Ida is the right brain, Pingala is the left brain. In this visible world, the duality of Ida and Pingala, masculine-feminine, sun-moon, dark-light are woven into everything we see.
However, humans also have a central nadi, the Sushumna, or spinal column, which is empty, neutral. As Sadhguru...
