On the Elements

by Danielle Gault

A recent email came to me asking questions on the Elements discussed in my book: The Well-Tempered Life. Here is the exchange:

Renee wrote: Dear Danielle, My Mom read your book and was impressed. I am a Yoga
Therapist and wondered how your work correlates with Ayurvedic medicine. For example, In ayurveda, I am vata -pitta, which is air and fire. Blessings, Renee


Danielle wrote: Hi Renee -- Thanks for your email and your question. For sure, there is a correlation. I have worked with personality theory for 30 years and the
similarities in the models are quite regular -- yoga chakras, temperament theory, MBTI, etc.

To simplify, take a three-sided triangle with the Mental Side, The Social Side,
and the Physical Side -- each side taken together creates a whole system for
balance and balance is required on all three sides to feel whole.

However, we prefer one side over the other two and that side becomes our dominant side although we still need to develop the other aspects in our journey in life.

On the Social Side, there are two characteristics -- one part of the social side goes upward to the Mental Side and one part connects downward to the Physical so we have a social-mental (or mental-social) and a social-physical (or physical-social) as the social principle is the overall connector from the mind to the body -- the social aspect is the processor in the system.

Anyway, to get back to your question, the vata-pitta would be like the mental-social combo -- that part of us that enjoys concepts but wants to kick into action moving the concept or idea forward and it does so with a fast shoot-from-the-hip approach to problem solving not so tied to the past or to the emotions but more future and present tense driven -- it can appear to lack patience and has a challenge suffering fools (so they tell me).

The Mental side is similar to Vata, the Social to Pitta, and the Physical is similar to Kapha in nature. These four expression are linked to the four lower chakras and provide us with both our gifts and our struggles -- this is what life on planet earth provides us with in order to awaken and become enlightened - through our struggles and gifts.

Thanks for your email and I hope I answered your question. Namaste,
Danielle/Sita


Renee Wrote: Thanks Danielle that was an awfully quick response. I am impressed. Yes, I think I understand your theory better now. I will have to get a hold of your book to understand better how to implement and use the knowledge.
Blessings, Renee