Force for life

A necessity of life, the power of water is unyielding. It imparts magic - from the thunder of waves crashing onto cliffs, to the steadfast flow of rivers running down from mountains to the sea, to the calm tranquillity of lakes and pools. It is matched by no other element and plays a myriad of roles in a myriad of forms, an expression of beauty at every turn.

Water is beneficial to every being on Earth. Without it, life simply would not be. It makes up 60-85 percent of our body weight and plays many essential roles including carrying nutrients, removing waste, cooling us when we are overheated, digesting food and cushioning our organs and joints.

Water quenches our thirst, keeps us clean and helps us to process and prepare our food. Not only this, water is the life force that centres and regulates our body and mind. Water represents wisdom, peace and purity. It is a reflection of the human spirit and the interconnection of all creations.

Around 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered with oceans holding about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water. This means that only 3 percent is fresh and drinkable which is why it is so precious and not to be wasted or abused.

Water exists in the air as water vapour, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in bodies of rock and/or sediment that hold groundwater known as aquifers.

The hydrogen and oxygen bonds that constitute water eagerly react with and bind almost everything on Earth. Given time, it will break down metal, dissolve rock and move mountains. As such, and in so many ways, water is an essential force for life.

Source of life

Water is the source of all life. It flows through our physical body in the same way it flows through waves in the sea, ripples in lakes and the tributaries of rivers. Leonardo Da Vinci recognised water to be the most fundamental force in the life of the planet and in our bodies. 

For indigenous peoples, water is the blue soul of life, part and parcel of the interconnected whole including land, human beings and human communities. This is why they promote inter-territorial management based on a deep-seated care for water and all water bodies.

Aboriginal communities have a spiritual and traditional living relationship with water in all its forms. This is expressed through creation stories, use of water as a resource and their knowledge about sharing and conserving water. Aboriginal people view land, water and culture holistically and see them as one, not in isolation of each other.

Beauty in motion

One of the best studies of water in motion was carried out by Leonardo Da Vinci who was fascinated by hydrodynamics which informed his artistic, scientific and engineering projects.

An entire chapter is dedicated to this topic in Walter Isaacson's biography of this famous polymath and Renaissance Man. Leonardo was interested in how shapes are transformed when in motion whereby flowing water is constantly going through perfect geometric transformations.

Leonardo learned early on that water cannot be compressed, that a given quantity always has the exact volume whatever the shape of the river of container. He was especially interested in re-creating the eddies that he found in Nature. Leonardo realised that there is beauty in the way different water currents mingle using experiments to find out what is willed by the laws of Nature.

In Leonardo's notebooks, there are dozens of references to water as the life-giving fluid that forms the vein that nourishes the Earth. He writes, Water is the vital humour of the arid Earth, flowing with unceasing vehemence through the ramifying veins, it replenishes all the parts.

In his final years, Leonardo created a series of turbulent drawings featuring the flow and swirl of water and wind which Walter believes was an outlet for his feelings and fears as he approached the end of his life.

Memory in motion

In 1994, a Japanese scientist, Dr. Masaru Emoto, took tap water from Japan, froze a few drops, examined them under an electron microscope and photographed them.

Later, he used water from nearby rivers and lakes, placed them in different bottles, labelling them with positive words and infusing them with feelings of love. Another bottle was exposed to words and emotions of hate. Another bottle was exposed to classical music and received positive messages from various people.

Dr Emoto then froze each of these samples and what he discovered was astonishing.

The photographs of water exposed to good thoughts and classical music showed beautiful hexagonal crystals, resembling snowflakes, and each photo was different, showing beautiful shapes. In contrast, those exposed to messages of hatred had asymmetrical and disharmonious forms.

With tap water samples, no crystals formed. The same happened with water taken from rivers and lakes located near large cities. However, in rivers and lakes located deep in Nature, beautiful crystals could be observed, each with its own uniqueness.

Water in healing

Cultures around the world associate water with healing and energy. Over the centuries, people have travelled great distances to drink or bathe in water from mountains, wells and springs that are imbued with its sparkling, special energy.

This is based on the premise of flexibility and the changing nature of water where to be like water, we need to be fluid. For optimum health we need to change and grow with the changing circumstances of life. Furthermore, to achieve harmony and balance, we need to imbibe the formless, calm and conscious nature of water.

Drinking water with intention and gratitude is said to enhance its healing energy for purification, spiritual wellness and inner peace.

According to Ayurveda, a system of traditional medicine native to India, there are certain ways to drink water for healing purposes as follows:

• Body position
  When you drink water standing, the fluids get drawn into your joints. However, when you drink water seated, it reaches different organs sufficiently.
• Before and after meals
  Sip water 45 minutes before and after food intake. If you drink water before food it gets diluted with gut enzymes and reduces digestion. Drinking excess water straight after food alters the digestion process and may cause obesity.
• Quantity per day
  Too little water makes you dehydrated. Excess water makes you feel groggy and dizzy due to electrolyte imbalance. Drinking eight glasses of water throughout the day is considered optimum, preferrably before you feel thirsty.
• Drinking method
  Taking small divided sips instead of big gulps strengthens the digestive system.
• Correct temperature
  Cold water disrupts the digestion process whereas warm water improves blood supply to organs and promotes metabolism.
• Time of day
  Drink warm water as soon as you wake up (ideally with fresh lemon juice). This cleanses vital organs and assists with the digestion process.
• Correct intention
  Take a deep breath in and out and bring your awareness to the sound or form of the water. Then visualise the water and its features. Form a connection with the water and your true self. This leads to a sense of clarity and peace of mind.

Clean is good

Water is the most important thing we can drink. When we are fully hydrated we feel more energised and experience hunger. It also helps to reduce pain.

In a time when sugary drinks are so prevalent, people drink less pure water and even less properly filtered water. Tap water contains harmful trace elements such as chlorine, limescale, fluoride and lead which is absorbed from old pipes.

Clean water is increasingly hard for people around the world to access and many are standing up to protect it. Amongst other things, water is the perfect medium for extracting nutrients, medicinal properties and flavours from plants, sliced fruit, vegetables and aromatic herbs, adding nutrients which are beneficial to health.

Make sure you have a good water filter to ensure you are not ingesting such harmful toxins. I use a Zero Water Jug and another good filter is the more expensive Berkley Water Filter System. These are not affiliate links.

Send a message

There is so much more to water than we have been led to believe. Most importantly, water has a memory and the way we treat it, the words we say and the intentions we partake when we are close to water for whatever reason, are carried out in ripples across the world.

Just as our thoughts send out low or high frequency vibrations, it is the same with water. Remember this the next time you drink a glass of pure energy, take a shower or dip your toes in the ocean waves. Infuse this living miracle of life with positive words of love and be a positive force for good.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Sue Cartwright

Spiral Leaf