The Five Elements or Wisdom Energies

The five wisdom energies of the Buddhist mandala are based on the natural elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space, each of which has both masculine and feminine qualities, and inner and outer aspects. These energies can be used as a path of personal transformation, guiding us to transform our stuck places and neurotic patterns into their naturally wise expressions.

But to actualize our intrinsic wholeness, we need to communicate with the parts of ourselves that may be inflexible, underdeveloped or which we have denied. By becoming increasingly sensitive to the unique qualities of each of the five elements, and attuning ourselves with their energy, we awaken these power centers within us to restore balance, wisdom, and wholeness to our life.

Join us as we uncover the masculine/yang and feminine/yin energies embedded within ourselves and learn how to tap their complementary powers to further our own psycho-spiritual development.

You will learn how:

Space: our tendency to space out can be transformed into a refreshing sense of openness.

Water: our overly conceptual mind can be transformed into mirror-like wisdom that is clear, precise, and yet fluid.

Earth: our hunger to fill our emptiness or inflate our self-worth can be transformed into a sense of equanimity and enriching presence.

Fire: our neurotic desire for comfort and pleasure can be transformed into compassion and intimacy with everyday life.

Wind: our reslessness, anxiety, and compulsive behaviors can be transformed into a celebration of our life, as we experience satisfaction wherever we find ourselves.

About the Facilitator: Ira Rechtstaffer Ph.D.  has  praacticed psycho-spiritual psychotherapy for the past 30 years and has taught Buddhist philosophy and psychology and the practice of meditation for the past 40 years.  As a practising psychotherapist he works with individuals and groups, integrating Buddhist and Western psychology.  He is the  author of Mindfulness and Madness: Money, Food, Sex, and the Sacred; What was in Buddha’s Left Hand:Tantric Teachings to Transform Neurosis into Sanity; Stealing Fire from the Gods:The Journey of Buddhist Meditation in Everyday Life, and If the Chakras had a Voice: An Intimate Conversation.