19 Oct 25 Ways You Can Harness The Five Elements to Improve Your Everyday Health

A quick scan of Google will pull up thousands of different things you can do to improve your health—whether it’s getting more sleep, eating more vegetables, or drinking more water. (And those are just the obvious ones.)

If you dig a little deeper, you can find even more information about all the toxins swirling around our everyday lives—pollutants, BPAs, cellphone radiation, etc. It’s overwhelming, and it can sometimes feel like a losing battle.

That’s why we’ve taken a different approach.

Using the wisdom of the five elements (yes, there are five—keep reading), you can create a simple, balanced wellness routine that covers all the bases. Even though there are only four bases in baseball. This metaphor is totally working!

Obviously, you can’t do all these things at once. That would be stressful, and stress is definitely not what we want here. Our recommendation is to scan the list and pick one from each element that jumps out at you, make you feel excited and hopeful.

Start there, and once you’ve gotten those down, move on to incorporate some more. 

Earth

1. Aim for 8-hours of sleep each night. Ideally you want to cycle through several 90-minute REM cycles, and wake to something gentle, like music or nature sounds. Try to sleep on your back or on your side with pillows supporting your low back, arms, and neck.
2. Avoid pollutants as much as possible. Breathing automobile exhaust and drinking chlorinated/fluoridated water can be some of the most obvious villains. Others include plastic, Teflon or aluminum drinking and eating containers, lawn chemicals, foods preserved with MSG, sulfites and nitrates, microwave and cellular radiation, alcohol, smoke, caffeine, processed sugar, saccharin, white flour, salt, margarine and corn syrup.
3. Eat cleaner. Try to find grass-fed, free-range meats and organic vegetables whenever possible. Combine your foods for proper digestion—and most of all, eat with love in your home and joy in your heart.
4. Wear natural clothing and use natural cleaners, cosmetics and perfumes. If you wouldn’t put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your skin.
5. Walk barefoot or lie on the earth when you can. Take time to smell the roses, listen to the crickets, watch the fireflies and taste the wild berries.

Air

6. Find a few minutes of silence, stillness and solitude in your daily routine. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, it’s important to let your mind unwind. At any point throughout your day you can take a second to settle down and return to your breath. Shut off the tube at night, and maybe try a two-day media fast.
7. Find a great chiropractor. A healthy chiropractic routine can support your spinal health care and maintenance.
8. Learn some tools for self-love. It’s the hardest thing of all—loving yourself unconditionally—so don’t be afraid to seek out exercises and practices that help you move through negative energy, forgive yourself and others, and start to embrace your unique gifts.
9. Re-evaluate your relationships. Tend to the ones that are loving and supportive, and consider distancing yourself from those that aren’t.
10. Take responsibility for your choices. Recognize that most of your thoughts and emotions—and all of your actions—are created by (guess who?) you. Set your intentions for what you want, not what you don’t want, and do your best to move toward that.

Fire

11. Create consistent rhythms. The human brain thrives on regular rituals and cycles. Try to build consistency in your daily, weekly, and yearly schedule.
12. Be flexible. Incorporate stretching, yoga, tai chi, dance, walking, swimming, hiking, biking, Qigong, and any other forms of balanced movement into your week.
13. Shoot for 60-minutes of direct sunshine on your skin and eyelids each day. This is a vital source of vitamin D which is necessary for cell development.
14. Take a power nap or mid-day meditation break. This does wonders to recharge your energy for round two.
15. Find and participate in meaningful activities that feed your soul and contribute to the well-being of others. Do want makes you feel alive!!

Water

16. Drink eight glasses of living water a day. For an extra boost of hydration and alkalinity, try a celery/parsley juice, tomato/cucumber gazpacho, watermelon, or spring mineral water with lemon.
17. Take a hot bath. Use epsom salt and raw apple cider vinegar to loosen hardened plastics and toxins in your tissues and increase circulation. Don’t forget the music and candles!
18. Book a massage at least once a month. In between, curl up with your partner or your pet, hold hands with your friends, or give yourself a warm sesame oil foot rub. Even the The Dalai Lama agrees—humans cannot live without nurturing healing touch.
19. Get lost in nature. Spend some time with forests and streams, oceans and mountains, meadows and fields. Watch a sunset. (Or a sunrise!)
20. Don’t just do something, sit there! Try to take a break from DOING stuff all the time. Take a deep breath and know that your contribution to this world is measured by who you are not by what you can accomplish.

Spirit

21. Be curious and open minded. Consider the possibility of a bigger picture. We are never alone.
22. Try to adopt an attitude of gratitude. This will help you build a more positive outlook overall, and remind you of all the things you have going for you.
23. Find the middle ground. When you find yourself lost in racing thoughts, painful emotions, or unhealthy habits, try not to beat yourself up. We’re all just doing the best we can, and perfection is a myth.
24. Return to the Serenity Prayer when you are confused and needing direction. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
25. Remember to H.A.L.T. Don’t let yourself get too hungry, too angry, too lonely, or too tired. Ask for help, reach out to others, and give us call if you need support.

Avyanna & Phoenix

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828-545-1899