Description

Yoga Synergy 5 ElementsSimon Borg Olivier & Bianca Machliss developed the Yoga Synergy sequences together, over a 20 year period. The Yoga Synergy sequences were named in honour of the pancha mahabhuta (5 Great Elements) of Hinduism and Ayurveda that are believed to make up all of creation, including the human body – which, upon death, dissolves into these five elements of nature, thereby balancing the cycle of nature set in motion by the creative force of the universe.Each of the five elements is associated with one of the five senses, and acts as the gross medium for the experience of sensations. According to Hindu thought, the basest element, Earth (prithvi, kshiti or bhūmi) was created using all the other elements and thus can be perceived by all five senses – hearing, touch, taste, smell, and sight. The next element, Water (aap or jala), has no odor but can be seen, tasted, heard, and felt. Next comes Fire (tejas or agni), which can be seen, heard and felt. Air (vaayu, marut or pavan ) can be heard and felt. Ether (akasha) is the medium of sound but is inaccessible to all other senses. Hindus believe that the universal creative force used akasha, the most “subtle” element, to create the other four traditional elements; each element created is in turn used to create the next, each less subtle than the last.EtherEther is the last of the 5 sequences and is usually practiced at the time of year when the summer is starting again, but the year is ending, so there is much general exhaustion. Ether is the space in which everything happens. It is the field that is simultaneously the source of all matter and the space in which it exists. In Ayurvedic terms, Ether (Akasha) means “space” or “emptiness” and is the empty space between atoms. As we know from quantum physics, matter is much less solid than it appears, and is mostly composed of empty space. Ether also corresponds to what many call the undifferentiated cosmic force, the unified field, or the one mind. One characteristic of Ether is sound or vibration; its main characteristic is lack of resistance. It is the lightest of the elements. The intention with which we practice this sequence is to maintain a sense of balance and calm, to unify and energize the body mind and spirit, allowing our being to smoothly transition to the end of the year.