Earth: the element of stability
Earth is the fundamental secondary element. Its qualities are form, stability, firmness, cohesion, maintaining, grounding and doing. Its overt expression is form, or structure. Its subtle expression is stillness. It is embodied in the technique of asana.
The arena of earth is the spine, its source is the foundation, its medium the muscles, and its key the bones. It is cultivated and expressed by establishing stability (shtiram) and comfort (sukham) in the body. The essence of structural stability, and therefore comfort, is opposition.
The superficial application of earth is to ground the foundation. This establishes gravity as the stable and secure basis for all the other actions taking place in the body. Its subtle application is to establish a matrix of integrating actions that resist, balance and fertilise each other throughout the whole body. Only when each body part is in effortless and stable relationship to all the others can the bodimind come to stillness. The effortlessness of this stability depends on opposing forces: each of which must use the minimum possible muscular effort necessary.
Establishing earth requires the utilisation of effort, the sign of its presence is the opposite, emptiness. Without structural stability we will not be able to challenge and release deep tightness and weakness. Without stillness we will not be able to access and be nourished by the depths and subtleties of body, mind and spirit.
