Water: Riding the Waves and Finding the Flow
/[This entry is part of a 5-part series in collaboration with Sah’m Acupuncture (https://www.sahmacupuncture.com/) to honor the 5 elements in Chinese medicine and philosophy. The second element we explore is water, which is associated with the kidneys and bladder.]
“Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.”
-Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, MD
This week we are exploring the element of water and how its properties can be particularly beneficial at this time. Water has always had a calming effect on me personally. When I was a teen, I lived near the ocean, and at that time in my life I remember how looking out at the sea always had an immediate calming effect on my restless soul. Now I live within walking distance of a river, and it still amazes me how the sight of it can lift my mood and make me feel instantly refreshed.
Water, of course, is essential to life, as not only are we around 60% water ourselves, but proper hydration keeps our systems functioning optimally. Water has so many healing properties that can be enjoyed by all our senses, not just for physical health but mental health as well. At this time of COVID-19 there are both practical and more symbolic ways that this element can guide us in order to “ride the waves” of this pandemic.
Practically speaking, keeping hydrated is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. For one thing, the stress response can have a dehydrating effect, especially over an extended period of time. When we’re dehydrated, circulation is affected, which means less oxygen flows to the brain, which can result in fatigue, headaches, thinking less clearly and low mood.
In Chinese medicine the water element is associated with the kidneys, which are the body’s filtration system. Ample water intake allows the kidneys to do their job well, which is to eliminate toxins from the bloodstream and maintain balance – of fluid in the system, of pH and of electrolytes. When there is plenty of fresh water flowing through us, our systems are cleansed and balanced and so better prepared to weather a virus or any other kind of infection that threatens it.
Aside from the importance of being well hydrated for physical and mental health, water can offer us so many ways to calm and nourish our souls through our senses. Gazing out at a body of water can quiet the mind. We all know how soothing the sound of a rainstorm can be, and many people listen to the sounds of waves or waterfalls to help them relax and sleep better. A small water fountain in the home can bring that sound of tranquility into your environment. A cup of warm herbal tea like chamomile can bring comfort, and soaking in a warm bath can also calm an anxious mind. Even a shower allows your lungs and skin to take in steam while also stimulating your skin and taking your mind off your troubles. Many people report getting their best ideas in the shower when their minds are more relaxed. You can also enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy. A few drops of an essential oil in a diffuser can allow us to take in calming scents through vapor.
And then there are the wondrous properties of water that make it both incredibly adaptable and a force to be reckoned with. Water can be the gentle flow of a babbling brook or the majestic power of ocean waves or a giant waterfall. As we face the challenges of COVID-19, we can follow the example of the brook in its responsiveness to its environment, choosing the path of least resistance. It is gentle but its persistence wears away stone. In this way it conserves energy by going with the flow. It doesn’t fight what is happening. It doesn’t need to. It knows that over time it will get where it needs to go. It changes as needed, but that change is effortless. It simply finds a way around obstacles or continues on until they erode. We can also know that, when called for, we can summon deep reserves of strength and will.
Like the waves of the ocean, our emotions may sometimes feel powerful, even overwhelming at this time, but it is important to ride those waves. A big wave always shifts into a smaller one, and becomes one with the sea. Let the energy come and go, ebb and flow. In Chinese medicine, water is associated with the emotion of fear. It is natural to have some fear at this time.
A healthy amount of fear keeps us safe; it ensures that we take the proper precautions when going out into the world. And if the fear starts to become too much, remember that the water invites us to relax and float. We all begin our lives floating in water, in the safety of the mother’s womb, and so it makes sense that this element can provide comfort for our minds and our senses.
Alongside the challenges, this pandemic has given us surprising gifts, as well. It has allowed our natural water sources to clear of pollutants, and it has allowed our stirred up minds to settle. In the stillness of quarantine, with less mucking up of our minds and our environment, we have returned to a state of more simplicity, and in that state there is the opening for revelation. Perhaps there is a great opportunity to, like water, find the ease of the flow without pushing so hard or forcing our agenda. Perhaps we have been given an opportunity for more harmony and balance in our world moving forward.