The Four Elements: An Embodied Approach - Digital Course

Experience the Jewish wisdom of the elements to enliven your daily living.

Jewish wisdom teaches that four elements compose everything around us — and within us. As you learn about these elements of the natural world and their qualities, you gain new ways to cultivate these characteristics within yourself.

The Four Elements: An Embodied Approach includes instant access to all course materials:

• On-demand video introductions, grounding each element in Jewish sacred texts and teachings.
• Four heart meditations to connect you to the inner teachings of each element.
• Four guided breathwork meditations to refine your attention on each element.
• Four guided embodiment practices to bring each element’s qualities into your body.
• Four ritual spotlights to introduce a ritual practice you can use on Rosh Chodesh or throughout the month.
• A total of five and a half hours of on-demand video teachings and practices!
• Plus our signature 104-page digital guide, with supplementary teachings, sacred sources, and easy-reference access to all videos and guided practices.

What is the Jewish wisdom of the Four Elements?

“Fire, wind, earth, and water are the sources and roots of all things above and below, and on them are all things grounded.” —Zohar 11:24a

We each have all four elements inside of ourselves — both their challenging properties and their beneficial ones. As Rabbi Chaim Vital wrote circa 1500 CE, “Just as the four elements are the roots from which the 613 organs of the body were formed, so likewise the ‘soul’ of these four elements are the foundations of all the good and bad character traits” (Sha’arei Kedusha 1:2). 

Each element’s beneficial attributes include:

• Wind: flexibility and spirituality
• Water: divine wisdom and intuition
• Fire: passion and soul-strength
• Earth: groundedness and interconnection

By tapping into the physical properties of each element, you can bring its characteristics into your life more deeply. In this course, you’ll get a multitude of mindful and embodied practices that you can repeat as often as you like.

As the medieval Jewish philosopher Abraham Ibn Ezra wrote, “Everything under the sun is composed of four elements, from which all things come forth, and to which all return. These elements are fire, wind, water, and earth.” We can’t wait to introduce you to the Jewish wisdom of these elements, and help you cultivate their lessons in your own life.

This course is led by Jenna Zadaka, At The Well’s Jewish Education Director, who has creatively infused Jewish mystic teachings from the cyclical Hebrew calendar into wellness practices for over 10 years.