It's Elemental
A turbo-charger for the soul
Earth. Air. Water. Fire.
Choose your weapon. Whether you realize it or not, you have a special connection with at least one of these elements. If you’re drawn to the ocean, then being in water can increase traits such as intuition, creativity, and energy levels. Simultaneously, water will decrease feelings of stress and anxiety.
This isn’t true for everyone. I know some folks who won’t even dip their pinky toe in the deep dark ocean. That could be due to several reasons. Maybe they drown in a past lifetime. Or maybe they’ve seen Jaws too many times. Rest assured, if water is your element, simply being near it can give the same benefits as being in it.
If water is the best element for your spirit, walking around a lake or canoeing down a river can reap the same benefits. This is good news if your snorkeling certification has long since expired.
Not a water person, you say? Fear not, there are still three others to choose from. If you’re a land-lover, then perhaps Earthly elements resonate with your soul. If so, you may enjoy gardening even though you’re weighed down by all the rocks and crystals you lug around in your pockets. Earth elements include flowers, trees, rocks, plants, crystals, and the grandest of all…. mountains. If you’re a tree-hugger (literally), then you fit this category. And welcome to the club. I may lack a green thumb for keeping house plants alive, but my idea of paradise is wandering around in a quiet forest or hiking at the base of a mountain.
If air is your best element, you likely sleep with a fan on. Sure, the noise helps lull you into dreamland. But it’s the circulating air itself that restores your energy levels when you sleep. If you’re one to crack a door and open the windows on lovely days, you’re likely in this category. A lack of fresh, circulating air probably makes you feel claustrophobic… and this is why air-element people can struggle during summer and winter when extreme temperatures can make it hard to stay outside for very long.
Or, maybe you’re the resident pyromaniac in your neighborhood. If you like loud things that go BOOM, perhaps fire is your jam. Even if you don’t like pyrotechnics, you can still resonate with this element. Perhaps you always come home from the store with a sack full of candles. Or, maybe there’s nothing you love more than a bonfire on a chilly fall evening. These are tell-tale signs that fire lights up your soul (pun intended.) Like water (and the other elements), you don’t need to be in the elements to benefit from their properties. Simply being near the element is enough to draw from its powers.
This is good because I enjoy roasting s’mores a lot better than walking on hot coals. And a little breeze feels much better than riding inside a category-three hurricane. I'm just saying.
By now, I know what you must be thinking. Can my soul related to more than one element? It can! No rules or boundaries govern our spiritual connection with the natural world. My spirit feels most at peace with the Earthly elements and fire/flame. Perhaps you resonate best with air and water. The combinations are endless.
Discovering which elements are best for you is not rocket science. Simply listen to your heart and do a little soul-searching. Whatever trips your trigger, be sure to include those elements in your life daily. They are like a turbo-charger for your overall health. Being near your element can make you more creative, productive, relaxed, and balanced.
If fire is one of your elements, get a load of this: My good friends Matt and Brittney Assadi recently founded a new business called Wicks and Works Collective. They’re churning out some truly unique (and high-quality) candles that will blow your mind. I can’t recommend them enough… either for yourself or as a gift for a loved one. Matt and Brittney (along with their business partners) will be selling their candles at Mystic Fest here in Omaha in the coming weeks. They can custom-make candles with just about any design you can imagine. Here’s a picture of one they recently gifted me. I’ve been burning it on a nearby shelf while writing these very words.
I can’t help but wonder if there’s a paper-rock-scissors game that could be played with these four elements. Water obviously beats fire. Fire beats most Earthy elements. And wind beats… well, I suppose wind beats just about anything if it whips around fast enough. Last month, during the storm, the wind relocated my neighbor’s trampoline into the nearby park. And recently, it blew my hat clear off my head. I think folks at my daughter’s school were surprised to learn I do, in fact, have hair.
In the end, I suppose all elements are powerful in their own right. Use them responsibly. Use them to your benefit. And enjoy them to the fullest.
Until next time, stay safe and have a great week.
Hasta la vista, baby.
-Andy
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