The 4 Elements
Earth • Air • Water • Fire
A guided version of the 4 Elements exercise for stress reduction developed by Elan Shapiro.
You can stop, repeat, or skip any step at any time.
Notice How You Feel
Before you begin, you can notice how much stress, tension, or disturbance you are experiencing right now.
Notice What Is Supporting You
Place both feet on the floor if that is comfortable. Notice the support beneath your feet and the surface supporting your body.
Let your eyes move gently around the space around you. Notice three things you can see.
Then notice one or two sounds.
Take a moment simply to notice that you are here, in this place, right now.
Bring Attention to Your Breath
Keeping some awareness of the support beneath you, bring your attention to your breathing.
If it feels comfortable, breathe slowly in through your nose and allow your belly to expand gently.
Exhale slowly and comfortably.
Continue for a few breaths at a pace that feels manageable.
Breathe at a comfortable pace. If you'd like a pacing guide, follow the circle.
Optional rhythm: breathe in for 4, pause for 2, and breathe out for 4. If holding your breath is uncomfortable, simply breathe slowly without the pause.
Notice Your Mouth
Bring your attention to your mouth and notice whether it feels dry or whether saliva is present.
Stress is often associated with a dry mouth. If you'd like, gently encourage a little saliva.
Notice what, if anything, changes as you do this.
Dry mouth commonly accompanies stress. This step brings attention to salivation and swallowing as part of the original 4 Elements exercise.
Bring to Mind Something Supportive
Bring to mind a place, memory, image, person, object, or quality that gives you some sense of calm, steadiness, comfort, strength, or support.
It does not have to feel perfectly peaceful.
Notice what you see or imagine... any sounds, sensations, colors, details, or feelings that come with it.
Stay with the image for as long as feels useful.
Need an idea?
Notice How You Feel Now
Notice how much stress, tension, or disturbance you are experiencing now. There's no particular result you need to achieve.
Practice Complete
Take a moment to notice how you feel before moving on.
If one part of the exercise felt particularly helpful, you can return to that element on its own next time.
The original 4 Elements materials encourage becoming familiar with the exercise and using it at different times and different stress levels.
You do not need to complete a particular number of practices each day.
If a therapist introduced the exercise to you, follow any guidance they have given you about when or how often to practice.
If a therapist or other clinician introduced this exercise to you, you may want to talk with them about what you noticed.