Understanding the Air Element
Of the Five Elements, air and space are most alike. In Ayurveda, air is space with movement. The movement might be very slight, or it might be a big movement. We can experience this in a gentle breeze or in a gust of wind. We feel air when something large moves past us. These currents of movement carry nourishment to all living beings, whether it be in the scattering of seeds on the wind, or the carrying of oxygen to the blood.
The basic qualities of air are that it’s mobile, dry, light, cold, rough, and subtle, and associated with electrical energy. Air also carries things with it, and this can change its properties. For example, the air might mix with the elements of fire, water, and earth in varying degrees and be experienced as hot, damp, dusty. We know that in general, that unlike with water or fire, we can rely on air to dry our laundry, even indoors. This is how we know that air has a dry quality.
Easy ways to demonstrate the air element to children are by noticing wind, fans, draughts, the shape of smoke from burning a stick of incense, or the direction of smoke from a campfire. Air in the body can be experienced by yawning, sneezing, farting, burping, snoring, singing, laughing, speaking, and blowing. If we place our hands in front of our mouth or nose, we can feel the current of energy moving gently in and out. When the air is clean we cannot see or smell or taste it, but we can feel it and hear it.
Balancing With The Opposites
Like we see with the wind, air is easily influenced by the other elements around it. We know the air element is dominant inside of us when we are feeling “winded” or ungrounded from having been “swept away” by the day’s activities. To restore balance, we simply need to pause and connect with the breath, the air element inside of us, and notice its qualities. Is it fast or is it being held in a stressed manner? We can take a few deep breaths, with full inhalations and exhalations, and remember that we do not need to keep up with everything that is happening around us. We may invite or inspire others who are present to do the same. This is a gentle way to bring a more spacious quality to our lives, by simply deepening and slowing down our breath.
Conversely, sometimes we can tell we need to increase the air element when we are feeling dull and heavy inside. We might step outside and take in some fresh air, maybe even take a brisk walk. By increasing movement, we increase our need for oxygen and this increases our breath rate. This is a simple example of how movement and air are synonymous, and how air is a nourishing current of energy in nature. Air is also our go-to element when we needto “lighten up.”
There has been tremendous research done in the past few years of the benefits of breathing practices. If simply changing our breath can shift our moods and inflammation levels, this underscores how basic awareness and engagement of the air element in our bodies can influence our sense of wellbeing. Understanding this, breath work (pranayama), has been a regular component of Ayurvedic consultations (and some other traditions also) for thousands of years.