Are You Ready to Thrive?

The next element in our discussion is the element of Earth.

Earth is the element of being grounded, nurturing and compassionate.  When our earth is strong, each of these traits are exhibited.  When we're out of balance, we may worry about things, or over-think them until we're blue in the face.  You know that test you took last week? If you're still thinking about the answer to number 27, then you need to strengthen your earth element.  Weak earth may also exhibit as being meddlesome (it's not exactly compassionate or nurturing to get in on other peoples' business, is it?).

Unlike the fire element, which we discussed yesterday, the earth element doesn't appear in excess, only in deficiency.  Some physical symptoms of weak earth may be:

• Loose bowel movements
• Fatigue
• Being over weight
• "Fuzzy Thinking"
• Other digestive complaints

So what can we do to strengthen our Earth?  As with any element, we can surround ourselves with clothing, items and foods that come in the color associated with the element.  For earth - think "earth tones" - browns, oranges, yellows.

Since the earth element has to do with nourishment and digestion, consider eating easily digestible foods (fully cooked, not raw) and those coming from the ground that have earthy colors.  My favorites are carrots and sweet potatoes.  Squashes are also great earth-building foods!

My favorite way of building my earth is to go camping.  Being away from the city with all of its straight lines and hard surfaces and really enjoying the dirt under your fingernails is a great way to connect with your earth element!

What's your favorite way of grounding yourself and connecting with your earth?