| Who are you? Of course, you are Spirit - eternal, infinite, and universal. When Spirit enters a body, the energy becomes denser as it binds itself to earth plane. The Energy of Spirit appears as streams of consciousness. The ancients called them ETHER, AIR, FIRE, WATER, and EARTH. One or more of these streams (elements) dominate in us today. Think about the last time you were with a group, and see if you can recognize each element in action. Sue sat quietly, observing, above it all. Someone called her spacey. Her ETHER element was strong! Joe was quick and alert. He came up with lots of ideas. A great inspiration to others, but most of the time he was just full of AIR. Jack was a go-getter, risk taker, and liked being boss. He suggested many creative projects. Sometimes quick tempered, direct, and aggressive, Jack burned with the FIRE of inner creativity. Mary used her deep, intuitive, emotional senses to tell everyone how she, and they, felt. Her WATER element focused on the emotions of the group. Sam came up with practical ways to accomplish all the ideas of others. He was solid, dependable and down to EARTH. We need all five of these personalities blended and in balance, in order to accomplish our goals in life. Polarity Therapy, developed by Dr. Randolph Stone, D.C., D.O., (1890-1981), is a comprehensive system of balancing these body/mind/spirit energies through hands on energy balancing, nutrition, exercise, and counseling . In Part 1 we explore the 5 basic mind-body types. In Part 2 we discover ways to balance each element using diet, exercise, touch, and meditation. THE 5 ELEMENTS AND YOUR MIND-BODY TYPE ETHER is the prime element latent in all things, providing space and balance for all elements to unfold. Ether is essential to our sense of connectedness with spirit and wellbeing. In the body, ether is space, particularly in the chest and joints. Out of balance, we have problems with our breathing, joint pain, and difficulties expressing ourselves. Balanced ether promotes our sense of joy and union. Lack of ether is connected with the feeling of grief and separateness. AIR is lightness and movement. On a still day we feel listless and heavy, while on a windy day we feel refreshed and enlivened. Air is associated with the east, a new day, and new beginnings. Air signs include: Gemini (shoulders and arms, lungs and respiration); Libra (kidneys); Aquarius (legs). Imbalances are seen as nervous exhaustion, panic attacks, headaches, gas, bronchitis, heart problems, neuralgia, and leg cramps. Balanced air promotes our sense of love, devotion, and compassion. FIRE is light and heat. Fire is transformative and is associated with willpower and creative force. Fire is connected with the south, the summer, and purification. Fire signs include: Aries (head); Leo (solar plexus); Sagittarius (thighs). Fire imbalances include headaches, eye disorders, digestive disorders, liver problems, pain and weakness of the legs. Too much fire results in sympathetic dominance or the typical type A personality – stressed and burned-out! Unbalanced Fire shows as anger and resentment. Well-balanced fire is forgiveness and enthusiasm. WATER, the source of all life, formless and flowing. Water is associated with the west, the fall, the time to go deep and let our emotions flow. Water signs include: Cancer (breasts); Scorpio (genitals), and Pisces (feet). Imbalances show as breast tenderness and lumps, skin, menstrual, prostate problems and foot and back pain. Balanced water allows us to relax and let go, while unbalance reflects our attachment to worldly things. EARTH is dense, passive, the great provider. It has permanency and stability. Earth is associated with the north, winter, and material affairs. Earth signs include: Taurus (neck); Virgo (bowels); and Capricorn (knees). Balanced earth reflects in strong bones, active assimilation and elimination, and flexible necks. When unbalanced, fear takes over and we experience neck stiffness, constipation and weak bones (osteoporosis). Balanced we find courage and contentment. USE YOUR IMAGINATION to bring elements into balance. To cool a "hot head", imagine floating in water. Generate new ideas by letting them soar in the clouds and then ground them by planting idea seeds deep in the earth. USE YOUR HANDS. Your right hand is your positive or giving hand. Your left hand is your negative or receiving hand. By placing your hands on your body opposite each other (front to back, side to side, or top to bottom) you automatically establish an energy flow between the positive and negative poles. Draw out inflammation by placing your left hand over the area and your right hand opposite it. Relax tight areas by placing your right hand over them to add healing life. LINKS: Polarity books on this website: Description of a Polarity Session American Polarity Therapy Association Polarity Therapy Articles from the UK REFERENCES Beaulieu, John (1994) Polarity Therapy Workbook. BioSonic Enterprises, Ltd. New York, New York. Campbell, Morag (1995) Quinta Essentia: The Five Elements. Masterworks, Devon, England. Stone, Randolph (1986) Polarity Therapy, Volume One, Two and Health Building. CRCS Publications, Sebastopol, CA. And special thanks to my Polarity Teacher, Angela Plum, PhD, RPP, Academy of Natural Therapies, Marshall, NC  Dr. Jill Henry, EdD, PT, APP is author of the new book by Llewellyn, Energy SourceBook – The Fundamentals of Personal Energy. She is founder, with her husband Charlie, of Mountain Valley Center metastore and the Otto Labyrinth Park in Otto, NC. She is webmaster for http://www.mountainvalleycenter.com , an Associate Polarity Practitioner, a Grant Consultant for Allied Health programs in the SE USA and developer and presenter of CEU workshops for nurses, physical therapists and massage therapists http://www.mountainvalleycenter.com/flow.htm
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