Ayurveda believes in five great elements - earth, water, fire, air, and space, forming the universe, including the human body.
Ayurveda's Great Five Elements
Ayurveda believes that everything in this universe is made of five great elements or building blocks, and these elements are earth, water, fire, air, and ether.
Earth - Earth represents the solid state of matter, and it indicates stability, permanence, and rigidity. The body parts such as bones, teeth, and tissues are considering as earth element. Earth is considering a stable substance.
Water - Water represents the liquid state of matter, and it indicates changes or unstable. Water is vital for the survival of all living things. The blood, lymph and other fluids are considering as water element. Large part of the human body is making of water element. Water elements bring energy, carry away wastes, regulate body temperature, carry massage between body organs (hormones), and carry nutrients & oxygen.
Fire - Fire represents the form without substance, and it has the power to transfer the state of any substance, for instance, solids into liquids, to gas, and back again. Fire element is an invisible energy that binds atoms together, converts food to energy or fat (stored energy), and creates nervous reaction, feelings, and even thought processes.
Air - Air represents the gaseous form, and it indicates mobility and dynamic. Within the body, air (oxygen) is vital for all energy transfer reactions. Air is a key element needed for fire to burn.
Ether - Ether represents the space in which everything happens. This is the field, which is simultaneously the source of all matter and the space it exists. The main characteristic of ether is sound, and it represents the entire spectrum of vibration.