Photo by Raymond Holberg
I love a fresh, clean, simple glass of water - it provides me a refreshing break in the day as I dive into the metaphors of cleansing and nourishment. Happily I have lately been finding all kinds of ways to enjoy this healthy activity of drinking more water. Simply.
It feels good to connect with the 60+% of me that is fluid, this part I can so easily forget. The fluid parts of me that flow and bend and relax. Versus taking care of the muscular parts of me that often screech and call for vast amounts of attention. This is the silent part that does it’s best to keep me healthy.
Water feeds our skin, the largest organ of our body, and it balances our digestive fires as well as flushing daily toxins out. In fact I wonder if my recent thirst is related to the fire of emotions we have all experienced this past year and a half. An attempt to calm them down, cool the singed edges.
I first grew to appreciate the simple act of drinking water when I began gardening. Those plants needed water. Like the soil they were planted in, they equally needed water in order to thrive and grow. And they needed it consistently.
We are really not all that different from the plants. We need to feel safe rooting/grounding into the earth beneath us as well as relaxed, like the gentle flow of a stream, in order to thrive and take even the smallest steps toward growth. Grounded and Relaxed - it is probably worth asking yourself “What do you need to gift yourself these qualities?”
Many people I know immerse themselves in water regularly, swimming their laps with focused energy. Perhaps absorbed in the motion or floating with abandonment, freeing the mental habits of the mind. It is in fact probably the best thing they can do for themselves. And intentionally or not, connecting with, aligning with, the 60+% of themselves that may have been forgotten. Very healing self care in action.
Some friends of mine need their dose of the sound and smell of the ocean air regularly, to be near that ozone blast and force of wild nature. Reportedly the ozone increases your ability to absorb oxygen and balance serotonin levels. This too feeds the silent parts - physically and emotionally. Another very healing action, turning toward these elemental forces.
So they say that as humans we should drink 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water a day or alternatively just over 1/2 of your weight in ounces. Though not everyone has the same requirements due to diet, overall health, and the amount of exercise they get, humidity, etc. You get the idea. Important to note: if you’re thirsty you are already dehydrated! There are times when I wait until my lips are parched, my mouth chalky and then remember “oh yeah water” knowing it’s a little late in the game for staying in the curve of healthy, self care.
There are many benefits of increasing your daily water intake, here are just a few;
· Moisture - Lately I have been adding a daily dose of collagen in my glass of water in an effort to add extra moisture to my hair, nails, and lubricate my joints. This can help balance out the effects of the natural aging, drying process.
· Heart Health - Did you know? Water is important for the electrical impulses that regulate your heart beat. And we all want a regular heart beat! Our bodies are like an intricate machine and they need their fluids to run smoothly, efficiently, and evenly timed.
· Cognitive Health - Let’s talk mental fogginess - an adequate amount of daily water can make a big difference in this common malady. Imagine you have an important meeting coming up, along with a sense that the clarity, the focus is just not there for you. Most of us go for the caffeine, a dehydrator. Water may be your more productive choice. The brain itself is approximately 75% water and a small amount of dehydration results in 5 times the amount of decreased cognitive function. Keep up your water reserves to think faster, focus more clearly, and gain the clarity we all seek by drinking water.
· Facial Skin - The best thing we can do for the skin on our face, after sunscreen, is to drink our daily allotment of water. This keeps our face hydrated and healthy looking, providing each cell what it needs to stay plump and elastic. Because our cells, like our body composition are by nature 60%+ water.
And it’s not lost on me living in California, that this craving for enjoying a sense of an abundance of water, is happening along side our most serious drought in years. The earth too is thirsty ! Importantly we’re asked to conserve and yet there are still ways to be extravagant with a day at the beach, an hour in the pool, a refreshing moment at the kitchen tap.
So do your part. Do it for your silent parts. Take the next moment to enjoy and truly feel your body absorb a cool glass of healing water.
