The gifts this element provides to our world
Life begins in water, as this element embraces us inside our mother's womb and nurtures us in our initial moments of life. As we approach the physical world that will sustain our existence, we are greeted by the element of air, as it nourishes us when we take our first breath of life. When our faces encounter the first rays of sunshine, warmly bringing light to our being, we connect with the element of fire, symbolized by the sunrise. Once we first put our hands in the soil, we come into contact with the element of earth, which helps us connect with Mother Earth and establish our root system. Through our earliest moments of existence, we encounter the four elements of the world, our life givers and elders, who will accompany us and teach us many things if we are willing to listen.
Throughout our lives, air has accompanied and guided us. It witnessed when we took our first steps, quietly encouraging us, and it gave us the strength we needed when we learned how to run. It watched us as we slowly found the gifts that life bestows upon us, and it has helped us in both good and difficult times, as we take a deep breath to calm our anxiety or burst out laughing. It has silently been there to sustain us, offering power and beauty without expecting anything in return. And we've felt it around us, whether in a cool breeze that freezes our nose or a warm gust that fills our lungs with vitality.
This element is magical, as it is invisible to the eye, but if we focus our attention, we can feel it softly touch our skin or witness it blowing between the leaves to disperse their seeds, making the world exist in a constant state of dancing. Our world is literally moved by the wind, and this is the first element that we cannot live without, even for a few minutes.
As we are the reflection of the earth and the universe, we carry wind inside us. When we breathe in and exhale, we generate a soft rush of wind that, depending on our intent, can be very healing to our surroundings. This is an element that provides us with so many gifts, as its breath creates our voice and laughter, both which are healing energies for us.
Gentle breezes bring peace, allowing our concerns and thoughts to dance away on our Mother Earth, where they are reborn to replenish and nurture. After this, it can return as renewed energy to our being. Elder Carlos Barrios used to say that there are winds that blow from the four directions; the east wind that nourishes the consciousness of being, the west wind that brings learning and growth, the north wind that gives strength to the power of our thinking and connects us to our creativity, and the south wind that brings with it the wisdom of nature. Let us breathe each of these winds with awareness, open to listen to them, to receive the power and wisdom they bring us.
One of the key aspects of this element is that it nourishes our mind, and fills our thoughts with good ideas. The spirals of air that we breathe through our nose can bring clarity of mind, creativity, as well as allow us to direct our thoughts to our aspirations. In the same sense, the wind that we expel through our voices can bring much healing. For the Maya, singing is medicine, and allowing our voices to speak words of wisdom and gratitude is what connects us to our creators. When breathing in we can nourish our thoughts, and breathing them out through our words, we can bring them into action. Taking a moment each day to interact with this element through our breath can be very healing.
Truly, wind interacts with all of the elements of the world. It carries water within as humidity, which provides us with our morning dew. It brings life to fire, who cannot shine its light and emit its warmth without the presence of air, and it allows for life to flourish on the earth.
Wind is a life giver, providing life not only to us but to everything around. We need wind to live, to relax, to replenish, to move freely, and to send our messages to the 4 corners of the world. In this modern age we disregard this element, and we are contaminating it by our ambition and carelessness. This element that has seen us grow and flourish is not revered or respected, which is truly saddening, as everything we have in life is because of it. Let us please show respect to this element once again, as we cannot disrespect our elders in the world. Let us bring this reciprocity back, and care for the air of our world. Let us create our own connection with this element.
- By Eline from the Mayan Wisdom Project