Ether: Not Just A Hip-Hop Diss Track... Are You Illmatic or Stillmatic?
If you were brought up during the 90’s, listening to Hip Hop then you’re no stranger to the diss track from Nas against Jay Z. Well Nas got a few lines right, referring to the soul, but let’s take a bit further and dive into the Akasha… the most subtle of the elements.
ILLMATIC…
Is your hearing being affected? Are you experiencing issues in your tissues? Do you suffer from nervous problems?
Do you need to move quickly on an idea or opportunity? Are you needing keen wits in a negotiation? Should you seek to improve your sensitivity to your environment? Are you looking to create a delicate and pleasing ambiance in your personal space? Do you need to avoid proverbial landmines, especially in emotional situations? Do you need to trust your instincts more? Do you seek the wisdom of interpreting subtle messages from others? Need help guarding something important including secrets?
The winter is the season of ether.
Element: Ether
Description: Often referred to as “space,” it is the essence of emptiness. It is the space the other elements fill. The origin of ether is shabda. Shabda is the tanmatra of sound, meaning that shabda is sound in its primordial, unmanifested form. Shabda is the primordial space from which vibration emerges long before it takes the form of sound in the ear. Sound and ether are inseparable.
Sensory Organs: Ear (hearing), Mouth (speaking/voice)
Qualities: Ether’s qualities are based more upon the absence of its opposing quality than on the actual quality itself. For instance, ether is cold. It is cold because it lacks warmth created by fire. Ether is light because it lacks the heaviness created by earth and water. Ether is immobile because it lacks the propulsive nature of air. Ether is subtle because it lacks the profound presence of the more obvious elements. Ether is also omnipresent. It is everywhere. It is the substratum from which all other elements are derived. Ether is a part of all other elements. Within any aspect of creation, ether may be found. Ether is the most expansive of the elements. Without form or boundaries, ether has no limits. Because of its expansive quality, ether is the cause of differentiation.
The mind is composed of ether.
STILLMATIC…
Unrestrained, ether awaits a propulsive force to assist it in moving outward from the center of oneness. As a result, its form is able to take shape and differences emerge. In the formation of the embryo, it is ether that is responsible for allowing change and growth to take place. Ether creates the space for the other elements to fill. That which is the most subtle and difficult to perceive is a function of the element ether. The mind is composed of ether. It is formless and nearly impossible to contain. While the mind becomes easily disturbed, ether represents the substratum upon which thoughts and emotions ride like waves upon the ocean. The sattvic or undisturbed mind is an expression of the essence of ether.
In the body, ether is expressed within the empty spaces. The hollow of the empty intestines, blood vessels, bladder, and the lungs are filled with ether. Vitiation of ether in the body results in an increase of space and a decrease in structure. The result is the destruction of tissue. Parkinson's disease is an example of a condition where space is created in the body where once there was cellular structure. The loss of dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra of the brain stem creates an increase in emptiness. A similar state is seen in the pancreas due to the destruction of islet cells.
Vitiation of space (ether) contributes to the symptomatic dysfunctions that follow. The vata dosha contains both ether and air. Hence, any vitiation of ether will ultimately result in a vitiation of vata. Therefore, one method of controlling vata dosha is to prevent ether from increasing. Ether is prevented from increasing by filling the emptiness in our lives. Our lives become full not by being busy, but by being nourished physically and emotionally. Proper nourishment acts as a container for ether and the vata dosha. Moist, heavy, satisfying foods pacify ether as the empty space of the digestive system becomes full. Emotionally, love is the highest form of nourishment. By taking in the other elements the natural tendencies of ether are pacified.
All of creation is made up of the five elements in different proportions. In our diet, the bitter taste contains the most ether, although ether by itself is tasteless. The bitter taste is composed of both ether and air, and it is air that provides the uniqueness of the taste. Consuming bitter foods is an excellent way to increase the influence of the ether element, calling on the digestive enzymes to help you process your foods. This is wonderful if a person is overly constricted and driven by their routines. However, an excess of ether in the diet, especially the diet of the individual with a vata constitution, can result in the dosha becoming too expansive. While this increases creativity it also leads to becoming ungrounded. You know, the thin, airy, floaty, spacey kinda person? Yeah…
The winter is the season of ether.
The season of ether begins after the leaves have fallen and earth is barren. Nature intends for everything and everyone to become lighter at this time. There is a danger of becoming too light at this time if the proper precautions are not taken. Thus, human beings have historically prepared for this season by storing up food and other supplies to see them through this period of emptiness. In the cycle of life, death is the time of ether. The body disintegrates and the elements flee their boundaries. All that remains is the subtly of our spirit.
Ways To Bring Ether Balance Into Your Life:
Focus on Your Throat Chakra
Spend More Time In Spiritual Mode (Yoga, Meditation)
Exposure to Cold & Dry
Eat More Bitter Foods
Try these Yoga Poses:
Lion Pose: This pose stretches the muscles of your face and can help ease teeth grinding and clenched jaw issues. It also brings awareness and strength to the muscles of your neck so you can discover the space for your own voice.
Star Pose: Star Pose is a building block for expansiveness, connecting you closer to the space element.
Camel Pose: This pose will bring energy to your throat, but it is a more advanced pose so be aware of your body and its limitations, particularly if you have lower back issues.
Fish Pose: Fish Pose is a vulnerable and uncomfortable pose for most, but it is also a great way to connect to the space element. Allow yourself to breathe into any sensations, letting your neck release as your throat begins to open.
Shoulder Stand: This is a great follow-up pose to Fish Pose because it reverses your circulation, allowing fresh blood to flow to your throat.
Legs Up The Wall: Similar to Shoulder Stand Pose, this is also an inversion pose, but is gentler and restorative.
Corpse Pose: This pose is a great way to end a yoga practice, letting yourself be present to all the sensations within you and the space around you. Corpse Pose will allow you to connect with the expansiveness and stillness of the space element.
Other Ways To Find Balance:
Meditation
Sound Healing
Herbal Remedies
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Ether characterizes the elemental make up of the individualized soul while it maintains its separateness from the whole of Purusha. Purusha itself is unmanifested, and thus in accordance with the principles of Sankhya philosophy precedes the manifestation of all elements. Hence, it is subtler still than ether, and because of this, it is far beyond our ability to capture it in words. Purusha is without attributes. Purusha is the primordial essence of ether.
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
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