There is no escaping the upheaval and unrest occurring in the world today. Some days it truly seems as though hatred and ignorance are achieving the upper hand and my heart aches for the lack of humanity we witness on a daily basis by those in power around the world.
There is a notable absence of compassion, kindness, and basic human decency on display in so many instances across the globe right now. With the world seemingly going loco, it can all feel overwhelming and even hopeless.
This is where I turn my attention to The Four Noble Truths, which are:
- There is suffering
- There is a cause of suffering
- There is an end of suffering
- There is a cause to the end of suffering
And that ”cause to the end of suffering” my friends, is TANTRA.
Correct, effective, lineage-based Tantric practice is quite literally, the path of liberation and the end of ALL forms of suffering. And this is where The Tibetan Five Elements come into play, in a major way…
The Tibetan 5 Element Teachings tell us that all illness and dysfunction are caused by an imbalance in one or more of the 5 elements. This is true of any type of illness- physical, mental, emotional, and even societal.
These elemental imbalances are largely caused by, and a symptom of, the 5 root poisons of human emotion, which are; anger, attachment, arrogance, ignorance, and jealousy. How many of these poisons can you see operating in the midst of current global events?
The 5 root poisons give rise to over 84 thousand kinds of afflicted emotions that plague our society today.
But if imbalance is the root cause of all illness and dysfunction, then what happens when we are able to restore balance?
Balance = equanimity, peace, joy, function, ease, openness, and ultimately, bliss!
This state of internal and external harmony and balance is our true nature and the birthright of every human being on this planet.
Realized teachers throughout the ages have shared tools with society to help alleviate the root causes of suffering and restore peace of mind, health, and balance on every level of being.
As I stated earlier, Tantra was specifically developed for exactly this purpose, and here’s how…
In our tradition of practice, the Five Elements are defined as Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. Each element has an associated color, shape, and mantric sound which when chanted out loud, activates that elemental energy in your body and your environment.
Each element also governs a different “chakra” (energy center) and different functions of the physical body. For example, Fire Element is seated in the sex chakra. It rules the sexual functioning and reproductive system, the muscular structure of the body, the digestive fire, and all of the electrical impulses in the body.
ADDITIONALLY, EACH ELEMENT IS AN ANTIDOTE TO THE “ROOT CAUSE” OF MOST ILLNESSES AND DYS-FUNCTION OF BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT.
The Tibetan 5 Element Practices can be used both sexually and non-sexually to transform these emotional energies in the body and dissolve toxic thought patterns, and their subsequent physiological effects. Once these root poisons are “purified” and the energy centers of the body (chakras) are healthy and balanced, the elements begin to manifest their power or “activity” in our everyday lives.
The Tibetan Five Element Practices are an incredibly potent form of energy medicine because the elemental codes allow us to directly access our energy body, which according to many Eastern traditions is actually senior or supreme to the physical body. The theory is that if we are able to activate, enrich, and heal the energy body we subsequently activate, enrich, and heal the physical body. Therefore this form of energy medicine can be a vital tool for cultivating optimum physical, mental, and emotional health, wellness, and vitality.
The Tibetan 5 Element Teachings and Practices are the foundation of the Authentic Tantra modality and are woven into all 4 pillars of healing- meditation, movement, connection, and pleasure.
Traditionally, Tantra is and was a form of yogic practice designed to integrate and heal the body, mind, spirit, and sex. When this ancient technology is applied to our modern lifestyle, it can help correct many of the common ailments we experience in this culture such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Negative self-image
- Low self-esteem
- Developmental and relational trauma
- Sexual trauma
- Cultural conditioning
- Sexual shame and guilt
- Sexual dysfunctions for male and female bodies
Want More?
Learn to heal body, mind, and sex with the energy body yoga of Tibetan 5 Element Tantra with Devi Ward Erickson!
