Pañcamahābhūta Chikitsā (Elemental Therapy)

“…there is nothing in the world which does not have therapeutic utility in appropriate conditions and situations.”

-Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana, 26/12

Through the grace and wisdom of sāṃkhya philosophy, Āyurveda teaches us that it is by the cosmic dance of puruṣa (consciousness) and prakṛti (matter), and further beyond the projected lens of individualized intelligence and ego, that creation is both manifested and experienced. The seer (individual), seeing (action) and seen (objectivity) are experienced through the pañcamahābhūtas, or five great elements.

According to their clinical levels of expertise, Ayurvedic practitioners are taught to recognize these elements and their manifestation within both the patient and the medicine, and other factors such as season, climate, etc. Through therapeutic methods, they are additionally taught to manage doshic imbalances through the body and mind. This can be accomplished through the means of āhāra (diet), vihāra (lifestyle), auṣhadha (medicines) and kriyā (treatments).

In classical Āyurveda, we are taught that all dravya (matter) possess both guṇa (characteristics), and karma (actions). As a common example, water is wet and cold in characteristics, and holds the general action of moistening and cooling. While the prevailing emphasis in modern-day Āyurveda schools is on clinical application of these therapeutics, in incorporating the guṇa and karma of each element in a simpler and more creative way we can also apply these to easily come up with more subtle approaches of dealing with imbalances on an elemental level.

Diseases and health imbalances can either be simple or complex, depending on their samprāpti, or pathogenesis. Elemental therapeutics can be applied in any condition or situation to assist the overall healing process. While it is difficult to reduce these to a specific therapeutic rule, we can generally say that an elemental imbalance tends to present itself in a person where the opposing doṣhic characteristics prevail. As an example, where Vātadoṣha is decreased, air and space require an increase, and where Kapha doṣha is decreased, the earth and water elements tend to be lower and should therefore be increased. The main advantage of working on an elemental level is the simplicity and specificity of the therapies. However, it should also be noted that as always in Āyurveda there are no hard and fast rules, and definitely no “one-size-fits-all” approaches. A trained Āyurvedic physician is able to properly assess elemental balance within the patient.

What follows below is an observation of the characteristics of each element from the classical text of the Charaka Samhitā, followed by a list of suggestions of activities that can promote or increase a specific element in the individual. It is important to note that all cases these activities will predominate with a single element but include the participation of other elements as well. As example, bathing on a beach would predominantly include water and earth, while on a hot sunny day can also include fire due to sun exposure, as well as air (movement, exercise, feeling the breeze) and space element (cloud gazing, etc.).

These are generally recommended activities that can assist a person to restore elemental imbalances, or remain in harmony with seasonal, or even daily changes. This list is by no means exhaustive, but rather a starting point. I encourage you, dear reader, to add to, or modify this list as it benefits you, your loved ones, or clients (if you are a properly trained Ayurvedic counselor or practitioner).

Pṛthvῑ (Earth Element):

“Substances that are heavy, tough, hard, dull, stable, non-slimy, dense, gross, and abounding in the quality of smell are dominated by pṛthvῑ; they promote plumpness, compactness, heaviness and stability.”