By Jill Lebeau & Amit West, M.A.
Did you know you have your own unique rhythm, one that enhances your ability to live in the magical flow? And we aren’t talking about your rhythms on the dance floor… although those are good too!
When you live out of tune with your own rhythms, you’re out of balance… disconnected from being tuned in to your intuition, creativity, inspiration, passion, right actions, presence, inner peace, and joy. But no worries, we’ve got you covered. We’re thrilled to show you how you can live a more exciting, abundant life by receiving mother nature’s greatest teachings made easy!
Think about it. There are many different rhythms of life that you experience:
The rhythms of Mother Earth within the seasons and their corresponding elements, the rhythm of your nervous system, Divine Timing and Orchestration, and the rhythm of dancing with Spirit, to name a few. In this article, which is part one of a series on rhythms, we focus on the magic and wisdom of the 5 Elements of Feng Shui and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
We invite you to consider the perfect balance for you in terms of doing and being, work and play? What feels good to another may or may not be the sweet spot for your optimal well-being and vibrancy. Of course, it’s a complete waste of precious time and energy to compare ourselves to anyone else. Right?
So, how do we tune into those rhythms?
Let’s start with the rhythms of nature and the elements. After all, we are a part of nature, of mother earth; we are not separate. In her infinite wisdom, what is mother earth showing us about what our true nature and rhythm are all about?
Like the cycle of life, the elements flow through each year, peaking during particular seasons, during the course of each day, and even within your entire lifespan. They teach you about the way. Creation happens. Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. There are gifts within each element that we can tap into to help us to live in balance.
So let’s take a good look around and shine the Light on our earth, mama. There are such beautiful, magical ways life expresses its natural rhythms. Wakey, wakey, the sun greets us as it rises each morning, dazzling us at times with some pretty breath-giving sunsets as evening approaches. Ocean tides move in and out in response to the energetic forces of the moon and sun. The sea rises and falls, just as we experience the rise and fall of our chest and belly as we breathe in and out. Life expresses its rhythms in nature and within us… seemingly separate yet totally interconnected. The web of life has an ebb and flow, depicted in the seasonal energies throughout the year. The more aware we are, the more we can consciously tune into the dance of life, this dance we have with the Divine in form.
“When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.”
~Wayne Dyer
The 5 elements of Feng Shui are masterful dance teachers, assisting us to experience more ease, flow, and balanced energy in mind, body, and spirit. It’s so fun to take these awesome ancient wisdom practices for harmonizing and raising the vibes of our homes and apply them directly to our sacred mind-body-spirit home.
Let’s take a little mini-tour of the 5 elements. We see these elemental energies in nature, teaching us to go with the flow of life to create more ease, joy, abundance, trust, and faith. When we flow with what is, as opposed to being in resistance, we move with the current of life – not against it – as it ushers us along our unique journey of self-discovery.
Every moment, every breath, every heartbeat invites us into that flow to awaken to the truth of who we are. Pure positive unconditional love, having a human adventure called life.
So, how do the elements teach us about rhythmic cycles in our daily lives? Think about this… you’re going along merrily in your day, and out of the blue comes an “interruption” to your joyful day. A pile of kaka gets delivered to your front door. And you’re thinking, wait a minute, I didn’t order that! What just happened? You could easily think life is being so unfair to disrupt your happy day. And, if that’s where your mind goes, you’ll instantly feel powerless and crappy as a result. But… what if you recognized that life is giving you a gift? We know it’s challenging to perceive kaka as a gift. That’s where the 5 elements come in, guiding us to go with the flow no matter what. And again, we get it. It’s not unusual for us to react in resistance, thinking things should be other than how they are. Yet, when we’re reactive, we fall into a low vibrational state of entanglement and pay a huge price by feeling disconnected from our power. Totally sucks!
Any time we start to fight against the reality we’re in, rather than embrace it and go with the flow, we end up creating the stress of wanting to be somewhere other than where we are now in mind, body & Soul.
Let’s circle back to the elements, beginning with wood which peaks in spring as the first season to begin a new cycle of creation. Wood energy is all about new. We see new buds sprouting on the trees, and we feel all pumped up to spring clean away. The warmer, beautiful weather inspires us to create something new and exciting.
When we tap into this element, we get proactive. Sparked by the energy stream of proactivity, the wood element reminds us that when unwanted things show up, we are free to shift our perspective, to see this as life happening for us, not to us. In that realization, we recognize that within our true nature, we really are free sovereign beings. We can be, do or have whatever we want. It’s up to us to respond to life with the perceptions we choose. We can view life as a playground or prison. Either way, by the Law of Attraction, our perception summons more of the same stuff. If we practice viewing life as a magical, grand adventure, we’ll experience a surge of pure positive energy. New ideas flow in, and we’re aligned with the unlimited possibilities. Flowing with the rhythm of life once again, we’re eager to see where life wants to take us!
Next up is the fire element, peaking in summer. Time to get all fired up, yes? The energy of summer is more sun, more fun, right? With your focus on having fun, you might decide to go on vacation, to have an adventure somewhere, or perhaps relax in your backyard Divine hammock. The warmer weather inspires a delightful feeling of freedom and celebration. We love wearing shorts and tee-shirts and don’t forget about that gorgeous summer hat. The fire element flows with the feeling of la joie de vivre, the joy of living. And in your choice to do the things that bring you joy, you raise your vibe. Now, you’re a powerful attractor of more love, abundance, and vibrancy, and your heart is open, ready to receive all of the blessings that flow in.
Late summer brings in the earth element. Take it from mother earth and learn the secrets of generating abundance. You see, she never worries if there’s enough, she just keeps on giving. Picture the Farmer’s Market during harvest season. Juicy heirloom tomatoes, sweet plump peaches, every green vegetable imaginable – oh, the possibilities are endless! And that’s what the earth element teaches us – that life is filled with unlimited abundance. Guess what? So are we.
Want to feel connected to the richness of life? Look up at the stars twinkling in the night sky. Take a walk along the coast and tune into the magnificence of the ocean. Open and allow yourself to perceive the beauty, the abundance that’s everywhere.
The earth element inspires us to expand our experience of giving and receiving. We naturally tune into opportunities to be an uplifter for others. Just think about it – when you’re feeling grateful for all that you have, you don’t waste time and energy worrying about whether or not you’re going to get what you need. You just trust. And trusting in yourself, as well as in the universe, is essential to feeling centered, grounded, and living in balance.
You can see how your abundance mindset creates positive expectancy that prosperity and good fortune will flow into your life. And the bonus is… you learn that your happiness is independent of external circumstances. Why? Because trust allows you to realize that you are meant to live as the creator, not the reactor, of your life. This is how the earth element primes and leads you to cultivate and live in unwavering faith.
Want to experience the lightness and power of your Being? Tune into the metal element that peaks in autumn. The energy of metal connects you with your power to live as an alchemist… one who spins straw (obstacles) – into gold (opportunities). And there is the magic associated with the metal element because magic happens when we navigate through fear and transform it into faith. We delight in all the synchronicities that awaken us to the truth.
We were never powerless, nor separate!!
Faith reminds us to see the grander perspective in all situations. We have the power to co-create our life with the Divine. With faith as our guiding Light, it’s so much easier to let go of trying to control all the things we absolutely can’t control, freeing us up to direct our energy into shining our radiant Light. Just as the trees gracefully let go of their leaves in the fall, they teach us to surrender all that no longer serves us. Instead, we harmonize with our soul, guiding us to elevated states of consciousness, even bliss!! With our alchemizing magic at play, we feel lighter in all ways. Energetically, emotionally, mentally, and even in our bodies. The load has been lightened. Literally! More than ever before, you’re aware of the synchronicities, all the magic in life. And with your focus on the magic, you draw even more magic to you, reflected in your day-to-day experience. How cool is that?!!
To complete the circle of creation, as autumn flows into winter, the water element draws us into stillness. Colder weather guides us inward to “be still and know.” To allow ourselves to rest and recharge.
This is a time of stepping into the quiet unknown. The deep waters of our unconscious, our dreams, and our intuition. There is so much richness in the mystery of life. This is the optimal time to take a deep dive into unexplored inner landscapes, the untapped realms of the consciousness that we are. Just as the winter trees draw their energy to their root system, we, too, go to the core of our Being. There we discover and revel in our Beingness.
Don’t be afraid of the dark. Much of your unclaimed power awaits you there, waiting to be met, embraced, and loved back into the Light. This is also how we honor the dark womb of the Great Mother through which the spark of Life’s Light is birthed and flows.
Think about the powerful energy of a flowing river. Just as it keeps flowing around huge boulders along the way, we, too, have the power to remain unstoppable on our journey of Self-discovery. We are magnificent beings of love. And love, dear friends, has the power to do anything.
Slowing down, relaxing into stillness, creates the space to contemplate our life. Our unique purpose, worthiness, and Divine gifts. The water element is all about going deep. In the stillness, we rest in the knowledge that everything that happens is for us to awaken to our true nature, pure limitless love, abundance, well-being, joy, and creativity. We relax, let go, and conserve our energy for a new chapter of expansion to begin in spring.
We hope you enjoyed and feel uplifted by what you read in this article. And if so, we encourage you to share it and share the love. Stay tuned! More on rhythms are coming soon!
