The Element Air

Wisdom Teachings
The 5 Elements

When we enter into the inner and observe attentively, we first note how air enters and leaves us. We know this, of course, but normally we don’t observe it. As we breathe in we take air from outside into our lungs. As we breathe out we eject it again with our lungs. The air inside and the air outside are connected with another, yes, they are one. What the planet breathes out we breathe in. Through the air we inhale the vital force in the form of oxygen produced by the green of the planet, and we exhale again the used air as carbon dioxide; the plants transform it again into oxygen. If we take in the stale air, our vitality decreases, we become tired and lack concentration.

Without the movement of air the vital pulsation ceases. Polluted air, cigarette smoke or toxic gases cause diseases. We must be careful to maintain the vitality through good, fresh air, and that the house in which we live is open for light and air. Places in the vicinity of forests, oceans, rivers, etc. have plenty of fresh air. In crowded places, in rooms with air conditioning, in heavily polluted areas, etc. the amount of prana-air is very limited.

The air establishes our contact with the surroundings; we share it with the other living beings, so it connects us as individuals with the group existence. The transition point is the throat. In the throat centre the subjective and the objective worlds meet. Here the outer and the inner are separated. The air also conducts the bridging between the separated unit of consciousness and the pool of consciousness. That is why air is said to be the direct, perceivable presence of God, the passage to the Divine we cannot perceive. We can see the elements of air, earth, water and fire. We can feel the element of air but not see. It takes us beyond the perceptible range.

The subtle aspect of air is called Vayu in the East. Vayu is the intelligence aspect of the air, the principle by which the air moves in space. In an invocation we say, “Namaste Vayu”. Worship to you, oh intelligence of the air, you are truly the God perceivable to me, the direct perception of Brahman.

Vayu is the vehicle of life which comes to us via the air. It conducts the respiratory system in us and exists mainly in the nostrils. It works incessantly in us and builds the bridge between the separate and the oceanic consciousness. It is not we who breathe in and out, but the pulsating principle, which is conducted by it. Master EK says, “The Lord consciousness in us is breathing his own air. This air belongs to him. This property, which we think our own, belongs to him. It is hypothecated to the God-Bank.”

Air has a great purifying effect when it can move. Therefore Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, ”Among the purifying elements I am Vayu.”

The air can only purify when there is a draught in the room. The wind sets blocked energy into motion and the light burns impurities. Therefore, when building a house we should study the wind directions and arrange the windows in a way that the wind can move well through the house with a straight pass. The bed-room should be where the wind can bring in the air, and, if possible, we should not even close the windows at night but cover warmly. If the air cannot pass through, a bad smell can accrue. An ill-smelling house means that not enough prana enters into it to drive out the impurities. Locations where no air circulates and into which the light does not enter are places where there is not much awareness and life. Also, dark bathrooms or kitchens are dangerous. We cannot live in houses that suck our energy and are causing disease. A house where the air doesn’t circulate is like a body where the respiration doesn’t work. For a good spiritual practice we must ensure that we live in a house where there is sufficient air draught and sunlight. If it is not possible in the outer house, we should at least let the necessary air and light enter into the house of our body. A walk in the fresh morning air brings mental clarity, vital energy and general well-being.

In general, we do not breathe enough; we only take in a quarter of the capacity our lungs. When we inhale deeply and also exhale again completely, much vital energy enters into us and impurities get out again. It is very good to regularly inhale and exhale for some time in the morning and evening in a slow, soft, deep and uniform way. We get into the movement of the respiration pulsation by observing how at a certain point something in us ejects again the inhaled air, and then from another point on the exhalation changes to inhalation and the air from the outside flows again into us. Through this observation our thinking is directed to what is happening inside us.

If we are mentally engaged with the movement of the air, we connect the air inside with the air outside. We follow the thread of consciousness up to the space of the inner temple in the pulsation of the heart. Thus, we go inside with the air and there we can find our true identity. From the heart we reach the sky to experience the infinity of our being. We are limited neither by thought nor respiration; we are as free as a bird in the sky.

The heart or Anahata centre is associated with the element of air and the buddhic plane. The quality of the air is abundant, substantial life that gives us the touch of the subtle world. It is the “rich wind” of the Aquarian constellation of Dhanishta. This richness is not a rich possession, but it surrounds people who are inwardly rich and don’t chase after things in life.

The sense connected with the air is the touch. The tactile or touch sense has been developed during the second root race, whereas the first race had only the sense of hearing. The sense organ connected with the touch is the skin which represents the connection and dividing line towards objectivity. There are subtle planes of touch, not only the physical plane. The emotional touch draws us to other people. The touch of the heart carries a healing effect; this can be intuitively used during healing work. The ether transmits the light and touch of the soul which is also an expression of the element of air. People with a highly developed etheric sense of touch transmit inner energies through their radiating etheric body.

But there can also be problems with the transmission of energies. Touch creates subtle effects in our system which generate reverberating ripples. An excessive use of the sense of touch disturbs the vital air in the system; it causes inner unrest and tensions and can lead to diseases. The wisdom teachings say that frequent kissing, hugging and touching each other causes disturbance of the energy patterns of your body. Especially the touch of the sexual act can have a strong binding effect. If the physical body is well organised and can deal well with the energies transmitted by the etheric body, the touch harmoniously expresses the inner air through the heart quality.

The subtle energy of the air, called prana, is considered the most appropriate food in the Aquarian age. Through deep respiration of fresh air we take in much prana and don’t need to take in so much energy via food. If you regularly work morning and evening over a longer time with respiration you burn away the fat and the body becomes vibrant of energy. There are people who turned from heavy to light food, then to water and finally eat only air and sunlight. Yogananda describes how he encountered a woman who for over 50 years only lived on air and light and whose eyes were powerfully radiating, because she was full of solar energy. The proper use of light and air becomes increasingly important on the spiritual path.

Sources: K.P. Kumar: Occult Meditations / Saraswathi – The Word / notes from seminars. E. Krishnamacharya: Occult Anatomy. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India.