I hope by now you must have understood the profoundness & depth of yogic science for you as a piece of creation in the vast cosmos. It’s now time to have a deeper look at the very ingredients & mechanics of what makes our body, matter & this whole universe. When I say creation, I am talking about that which is physical in nature. For e.g planet earth, solar system, stars, galaxies or even your house comes under the physical. Or In a simple way, anything which has a defined boundary comes under the ambit of physicality. If we look at today’s modern science, We have yet not been able to know that how this creation happened. No doubt many scientists propounded different theories about it. The most famous being the ‘Big Bang’ theory which assumes that the universe emerged out of nothingness, this nothingness is a dark space which carries infinite energy within it. Scientists say that before the big bang there was no universe which means there was no space and time, As per theory, the dark nothingness was initially very hot, dense and small. You can imagine a dot which you can put in a sheet of paper with a ballpoint pen. Before the big bang, the size of the universe was only that much. Suddenly that point space started to expand all over the place at the same time, and it expanded so fast that it resulted in the formation of atoms, which further lead to the creation of galaxies, stars, solar system and the planet earth wherein we live today. But this is just a model of reality. Why I call this a model is because this is something which has been created by the human mind, We are not 100 percent sure whether this theory is correct or not. How can we be so sure of something, which doesn’t even existed before the big bang? As per scientists belief, there was no life before the big bang, hence whatever theory we propose can only be the best approximation of reality. Further, you would be astonished to know that our universe is still expanding. When I say expanding, it means that all the galaxies near to our milky way galaxy are moving away from each other with the speed of light. You can remotely not imagine where the universe start or ends. We can literally say that the universe is infinite & we can never know this universe in its entirety using modern science as a tool. We can only have the best approximations.

Secondly, if we look at the ingredients of this whole universe, we will find that at the very fundamental level the whole creation is just a play of five elements. And it’s not a belief, its a scientifically proven reality today. In yoga, these five elements are called as ‘Panch Bhutas’. These are earth, water, air, fire, and space. These 5 elements are the very seed of our life. It is very surprising that with just 5 elements, the kind of diversity we find in this universe is just phenomenal. We can not think of a better creation than this.

The significance of ‘Panch Bhutas’ in our life: As we just discussed that our whole body is made up of these 5 elements, hence how these elements behave within ourselves will make a significant impact on the way we will experience this life. Now when a person decides that he wants to seek a spiritual path, it’s very important that the five elements of that person should be properly cleansed within himself. Hence before anyone takes up the yoga as a way of being, it’s important that we understand the very way these 5 elements are functioning within us. Almost 72 percent of our body is water, 12 percent is earth, 6 percent is air, 4 percent is fire and rest all is space. It’s important that we cleanse these 5 elements within ourselves so that we can get rid of the limitations of our physicality. When we say cleansing of 5 elements, it means you know how to handle these in the most optimum way, which will bring well-being to you and the others around you. Let’s look at all these elements one by one in detail.

1. Water: Water has been given very much importance and there are various reasons for it. First and foremost is that 72 percent of our body is water. Secondly, there is a huge research going on about water and the way it behaves. Scientists have now the substantial evidence that the water has memories. That means whatever activity is happening around a water body, it gets stored in water and the very molecular structure of water gets changed. Hence how you are treating the water will decide how it will behave. There is a scientific experiment which is available online as well to prove that water carries memories. In that experiment, the researchers took two glasses of normal water and put some rice in it. Then the researcher on a regular basis started doing one activity. He used to go to first glass of water and used to say good things with a sense of gratitude, and he used to abuse and say bad things to the second glass of water. He continued this process for 1 month. After 1 month what he found out was astonishing. The first glass of water was actually spilling out a very sweet fragrance whereas the second glass of water was completely black, stinky and the smell was unbearable. So this is just one of the examples, if you google online, you will find numerous such experiments and results which shows that water can actually remember events and activities which happens around it. This is something we have always been taught in our Indian culture i.e to approach a water in a particular way. So what this implies is that if you drink water with a certain sense of gratitude towards it, It can do wonders to you. In yoga, it is normally suggested that you should place water in a copper vessel and should approach water in a loving way. We need to understand the very simple fact that water is not a commodity, its the life making material. Hence if you want that water should integrate fully with your body, we need to treat it the way it should be. And it’s not a belief, It is the real science. You don’t have to believe in what I have just written, if you are really curious, you should experiment with it and then come to a conclusion. But this much is already proved by science that the molecular structure of water gets affected just by the way you handle it. The very thought, intentions, and emotions can make a significant change in the way water will behave within your self.
2. Earth: Being in touch with the earth or the soil is very very important for you. The very earth in which you walk upon carries a certain memory and intelligence. Hence if you make sure that you are in touch with it on a regular basis, it will harmonize your whole system. We all are a piece of this planet and we should be constantly aware that one day we have to pay back. When I say intelligence and memory, let’s understand it this way. If you plant an apple seed, then the earth will convert it into an apple tree, similarly, for a mango seed, you will get a mango tree. What do you think why it is happening? The very simple reason is that the seed which you sow has a certain amount of memory and the very earth where you sow it has a certain level of intelligence. If these two things are missing then the outcome will be nothing. Now, this is just one of the examples. The very body which you call as yourself has popped up from the earth itself. Today a human being can do anything with his intelligence. What do you think of where you got this intelligence? It’s the very evolutionary process wherein the earth played a significant role. Hence we can say that the way the physical touch of a mother is very very essential for a small baby, similarly physical touch of the planet earth is very essential for us as a piece of life on this planet.
3. Air: Although the air constitutes only 6 percent of the elemental composition of our body, It is the most dynamic element in terms of the transaction which happens on a moment to moment basis and have a great amount of impact on our lives. The quality of the air is definitely important for us. But more than that how consciously you breath is equally important. This is the reason why in the whole yogic science we have different methods to cleanse the air element within you. The whole pranayama and conscious breathing techniques are designed for it. It’s very important for you that on a daily basis you breath a little deeper than the normal, and you do it consciously by paying attention to the breathing process. You will see that it will do wonders for you. You can do a simple practice called as Naadi Shudhi pranayama, which is a simple inhaling and exhaling process which happens in full consciousness.
4. Fire: Fire constitutes 4 percent of your elemental composition and very much affects the way of your being. What kind of fire burns within your body, Is it the fire of greed, anger, lust or the fire of happiness, joy, and compassion, all depends on how you handle your fire element. If you want to activate the fire element in your body, you can go outside and sit in the sunlight. Apart from the physiological benefits which we clinically know, it will also impact you at emotional and deeper level of your being. This way you can reconnect the fire within you with the fire present in the universe. The other way of reconnecting with the fire element is that you can burn as simple as a thing like a wood or a candle and sit in front of its hands facing upwards with a certain sense of devotion. This will also activate the fire element within you. You can first face the lamp and sit, and after few minutes you can expose your spine towards it and sit for another few minutes. It will help to bring about a balance in your body and all systems.
5. Space: Space is the most expansive part of the elemental composition. You must have read in the very starting of this article where I mentioned that today science is saying that the universe is a limitless expansion. There are no boundaries in the universe. With all this science and technology we have not been able to measure the size of this universe because it is timelessly expanding with the speed of the light. Hence how harmonized is this element within your body will decide how you experience your day to day life. In yoga we call it the Aakashik field, It is a field which is the source of all happening in the vast cosmos. It is the ever-expanding field and is the domain of everything happening in this universe. Hence if you get an access to this aakashik field, things will happen to you which you never thought possible. If you want to get an access to aakashik dimension, then you can do this very simple thing which is mentioned in yoga. Just when the sun rises, You can bow down to the ethnic space and thank him for holding the whole universe together. Similarly, you can do it sometime during the afternoon and in the evening, within  40 minutes of sunset. You are not bowing down to some supernatural gods over there, you are simply thanking the ethnic space for holding all of us together and making our life happen. If you do it with a great sense of offering and devotion, your life experience will start to change.

Hence with all the above explanation, my only effort has been to make you understand that we are not just a composition of flesh and bones, but we really have deeper dimensions which we can have an access to. Once we have access to these deeper dimensions, our life will become blissful. Hence Bhuta Suddhi is the first step towards that. If you are able to follow these simple methods which are suggested in yoga for the cleansing of five elements, you will become the active manifestation of the divine yourself. May the universe give you an access to the reality of your existence and you unlock the hidden dimensions of your life.

I thank you all for your patient reading, hope after reading this article you must have gained a deeper insight into the very nature of your being. This is just the beginning, Stay Connected. Reach out in the comment section for more clarification on this subject!

Happy Reading 🙂