Earthbound & In Motion
The reality of living in Edinburgh means experiencing all four seasons in one day. Sometimes, even in the midst of spring, it can feel dark enough to remember winter. And on a crisp winter’s day, blue skies arrive and warm sun finds our faces, just like summer. Not quite arrival. Not quite departure. Just the in-between.
This transitional place, the liminal pause between one thing and the next, is deeply connected to the Earth element in Chinese Five Element theory. Earth is not assigned to a single season; it presides over the transitions themselves. The late days of spring moving into summer, the crossover weeks where one energy yields to another. Earth asks us to slow down, to digest what has come before, and to find our centre before moving forward.
The Earth Element: Nourishment, Digestion, and Coming Home to Centre
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Earth element governs the Stomach and Spleen meridians. These are not just about physical digestion (though they are very much about that). They are about our capacity to receive nourishment, to process and integrate experience, to find stability when life feels uncertain.
When Earth energy is balanced, we feel grounded, centred, and able to take things in stride. We can be present for others without losing ourselves. We digest food well, sleep soundly, and return to our centre after life pulls us in different directions.
When Earth energy is depleted or out of balance, we may feel scattered, overthink, worry in circles, or struggle with digestion and low energy. We crave sweetness (literally and metaphorically) and find it hard to feel settled.
The practice of Qigong and Yin Yoga offers a beautiful way back to Earth.
Qigong and Yin: Two Practices, One Intention
These two practices complement each other in a way that feels almost designed by nature. Qigong is movement as medicine. Flowing, rhythmic, intentional. It wakes up the body’s energy, circulates qi through the meridians, and roots us in the present moment through breath and gesture.
Yin Yoga works differently. It invites us into stillness. Long holds, surrender to gravity, the quiet inner work of releasing tension held deep in the connective tissues. It is the pause at the end of the exhale. The space after the note.
Together, they form a complete practice: move first to circulate and open, then rest into depth. Yang before Yin. Exactly how the Earth element operates, taking in and processing, giving and receiving, always returning to centre.
“Digestion, of all the bodily functions, is the one which exercises the greatest influence on the mental state of an individual.” Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)
Brillat-Savarin was writing about food (anyone else here a fan of the Brillat-Savarin triple cream cheese? They have it at both IJ Mells and Lannan Pantry in town). But the deeper truth here extends well beyond the dinner table. What we take in with our eyes, our ears, our relationships, our screens, all of it asks to be digested. The Earth element is the part of us that does that work.
The Space Between: Where the Real Practice Lives
My Yin practice, as both student and teacher, has given me a genuine appreciation for liminal spaces. The in-betweens. The transitions. The pauses.
- At the macro level: seasons, life phases, big decisions.
- At the micro level: the pauses between the inhale and exhale (imagine if we didn’t have these pauses – what would breathing be like?)
- In class: the juiciest transitions and the dreamiest rebounds.
When I plan a class, I give just as much attention to the transitions as to the poses themselves. Over the years, I’ve learned how deeply these in-between moments support the Yinsters who show up week after week – committed to their practice, their rhythm, their care.
Transitions can bring subtle revelations, especially when we toggle between letting the body lead and letting the mind or heart take the reins. Sometimes, in a rebound, I feel a gentle physical release – a part of my body I didn’t realise was clinging softens. Other times it happens at the emotional or spiritual level: an idea arrives, a feeling surfaces, a memory loosens.
Me-Time: Who Holds Space for the Space Holder?
You may wonder what someone like me, who constantly holds space for others, does for my own well-being, when I need to center and recalibrate. Spending time with my loved ones is top of the list. I also have dear and trusted fellow space holders, healers, practitioners who I entrust my wellbeing to, sharing a few of them below:
- The Sacred Anchor with Marina – a wonderful intuitive practice with rituals and oracle card readings that give me mini-breaks during the week.
- Cacao Ceremonies with Sarah – the combination of plant medicine, yoga nidra, journaling and shamanic drumming are a wonderful stress-remedy and help me relax into me. Sarah is launching a “Rituals of Reading & Writing Studio” this month – I love to write and journal, super excited to give this a try.
- Holistic Facials by Chandra, Soma Rituals – my absolute fave facials. I just love her technique and the quality of the skin care range that she uses (Seed to Skin), she makes the most amazing Thai poultices, and the lymphatic massage is incredible.
- Healing Breathwork with my dear friend Aman Gupta – Aman is a yogi, breathwork guide, and the founder of Veen Waters. If you’re breath-curious or in need of deep nervous system nourishment, I can’t recommend him enough. More about Aman here and his beautiful company Veen here.
I could go on and on about my favourite wellness people…it’s a topic I absolutely love and live. Will save all of this for another day and a separate post.
Ritual & Reflection
- Before class: Make a warm mug of something earthy. Ginger tea, miso broth, or golden milk. Hold it in both hands. Feel its weight. Sip slowly.
- After class: Stay connected to your gravitational centre (your lower belly) as you move through the rest of your day. Notice how your body organises itself around this space. How you rise, rest, and recalibrate. Let this awareness be your anchor.
Sound & Silence
“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between them.”
– often attributed to Miles Davis, Claude Debussy, or Mozart
My go-to sounds for the in-between:
- In a Silent Way – Miles Davis (let it play start to finish, old school)
- Late in the Evening – Paul Simon
- The Space Between – Dave Matthews
- Hope – Philip Glass & Paul Leonard-Morgan
- Ripple – Grateful Dead (Live at Radio City Music Hall, 10.31.80, yes I am a Dead Head)
- Giving Me – Jazzy (for when the stillness wants to dance)
- My Invitation to Grow 🦋 Yin Playlist
Come Practice with Me: Qigong+Yin for Healthy Digestion
I am delighted to be teaching a special Earth Element practice at Luma Pilates this May. Whether you are new to Qigong, a seasoned Yin practitioner, or simply someone who needs to slow down and breathe, this class is for you.
Qigong and Yin for Healthy Digestion A Practice for the Stomach and Spleen Meridians
- Date: TBC, Sunday – May 2026
- Time: 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm (90 minutes)
- Venue: Luma Pilates, Edinburgh
The class opens with standing Qigong movements to get energy flowing throughout the body, working specifically with the Stomach and Spleen meridians. We then transition to the mat for meditative Yin postures, held longer to release tension in the deeper tissues around the abdomen, hips, and centre.
You will leave feeling settled, spacious, and well nourished.
This season’s classes are for rooting. Digesting. Moving through the middle ground with grace.
And if you are a Yin teacher, a Qigong-curious soul, or simply someone in need of a long, slow exhale, I would love to see you on the mat.
Much love,
Mylène Mackay
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