The Five Elements and Ultimate Health

by Ian Kennedy

According to various philosophical and spiritual traditions, the body and self are often viewed through the lens of the five elements: water, earth, fire, air, and space.

We, like the Earth, are composed of approximately 66% water, 18% earth, 8% fire, 5% air, and 3% space. These elements are not symbolic—they reflect how we physically and energetically relate to our surroundings.

This understanding supports a bioregulatory approach to health, where balance among the elements promotes vitality and well-being.

Water: The Element of Memory and Purity

Water is the most essential and influential element within us. It’s more than hydration—it’s information.

Science is just beginning to understand water's ability to carry and retain information. Not chemically, but molecularly.

As water travels—from its source with pressure—through pipes, turns and bends, it is transformed. These conditions leave “memories” in the water that can affect our health when consumed directly.

For example, water pushed up to the 12th floor of a building, then poured straight from a tap, may retain chaotic molecular structure. Up to 60% of it could behave like a toxin—not chemically, but in the way it interacts with the body.

Ancient practices recognized this. Water was gathered, allowed to settle in clean vessels, often with a flower placed on top. This rest period allowed the water to return to a natural, coherent state.

Infusing water with positive intent, handling it reverently, and only drinking when genuinely thirsty helps preserve our inner balance. Constant sipping, especially without thirst, can dilute sodium and flush needed minerals—leading to fatigue, foggy thinking, and imbalances.

Water is sacred. Treat it as such, and the body will respond with resilience.

Earth: Nourishment, Grounding, and Gratitude

Earth is the food we consume. It represents 18% of our elemental makeup and plays a major role in health.

Foods high in water—fruits, vegetables—are the most beneficial. They not only nourish but retain energy and information, much like water itself.

The less these foods are cooked, the more alive they remain. Raw, fresh, lovingly prepared meals are ideal.

Equally important is the energy and intention of the person preparing the food. Food prepared with care and respect offers greater nourishment.

Processed foods like bread, cheese, and meat contain less water, hold less life force, and often deliver diminished vitality.

Gratitude amplifies nutrition. Giving thanks for food, acknowledging the lives behind it—plant or animal—elevates its effect on the body.

We also reconnect with the earth through physical contact. Walking barefoot on soil, gardening, or simply touching the earth introduces beneficial microorganisms and rebalances our system.

This element grounds us and connects us—both literally and energetically.

Fire: The Spark of Emotion, Digestion, and Sunlight

Fire, which makes up 8% of our elemental nature, fuels both our digestive fire and emotional life.

Emotions act as inner flames—do yours blaze with anger, greed, and jealousy, or do they glow with joy, compassion, and love? The state of our emotions profoundly influences how we metabolize experiences, food, and thoughts, making emotional well-being every bit as essential as proper nutrition.

The sun, symbolically and philosophically intertwined with fire, represents its celestial counterpart. Its radiant energy brings warmth, illumination, and transformation, echoing earthly fire’s power to nurture or destroy. 

Just as fire regulates inner processes, sunlight helps regulate our circadian rhythms and moods. Exposure to morning and evening sunlight—especially at sunrise and sunset—grounds and heals us, supporting our body’s natural rhythms and strengthening our internal fire. 

To harness this elemental force, nurture your emotional life and seek regular connection with sunlight. Sun-gazing during these golden hours further deepens your attunement to nature’s cycles and the flame within.

Air: Breath, Movement, and Cellular Life

Air accounts for 5% of the body, yet it touches every cell. Breath is life, but air is more than oxygen.

Every cell breathes. Without proper airflow, the brain, muscles, and organs suffer.

Modern life often limits us to artificial environments—air-conditioned, filtered, and stagnant. Urban pollution, chemicals, and synthetic environments reduce the air’s vitality.

Yet air is still a healer. Even though it’s a smaller elemental percentage, quality air deeply affects cognitive function and energy.

To refresh and rebalance, seek pure air in nature—forests, oceans, open green spaces. Nature knows how to clean and circulate air. Breathe it in.

Breathing with awareness—deep, slow, and intentional—restores calm and brings clarity.

Space: The Silent Necessity

Space is only 3% of our elemental makeup, yet it is essential. Without space, the other elements have no room to exist.

Space represents silence, stillness, and expansion. It is the place where thought, presence, and being arise.

Without mental and physical space, the human spirit suffers. Confinement—emotional or environmental—leads to distress, stagnation, and disease.

Space allows for reflection, creativity, and growth. It offers freedom and restoration.

Although small in proportion, space is vast in influence. Without it, life cannot flow.

Living in Elemental Harmony

To live in a bioregulatory way is to recognize that we are composed of—and connected to—the five elements.

Each element contributes a distinct quality to our health and life. When we honor their balance, we step into harmony with nature and with ourselves.

Understanding and aligning with water, earth, fire, air, and space gives us the ability to heal, regulate, and thrive—body, mind, and spirit.

This ancient wisdom, now supported by science, reminds us that health is not something to chase. It’s something we embody.

Ian Kennedy, Head Practitioner, True Wellness

As with any healthcare newsletter, the information in the BRMI E-Journal is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice or direct care of a qualified health practitioner who oversees and provides unique and individualized diagnostics and care. The information provided here  is to broaden our different perspectives and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is important to not delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read in this BRMI E-Journal.