Water is Life, Mni Wiconi! Foundation 4
WATER IS LIFE!
The human body is composed of 75% water and 25% solid matter. In order for the body to function and conduct the many activities it is required to do, water is essential. We have all been told to drink more water at one time or another. The amount of water one should drink is not a standard prescription, but should be considered carefully because the culprit behind numerous colds and viruses is dehydration. When we consume coffee, sodas (including kombucha), juices and other drinks more than we consume water, we risk a lower immune function and we also begin to experience dehydration. The caffeine, alcohol, sugar and other artificial sweeteners and chemicals will cause dehydration.
Water is the cleansing elemental; we are mostly made of water. Water assists us in eliminating toxins from our bodies. The less water we drink, and the more contaminated or dead our water is, the more building of accumulated toxins in the body. Check out this video on water!
Creating a positive and conscious relationship with water will inevitably mirror the effects on our own body, as we are made up of a majority of water. The reality is that a vast percentage of the people in our world today, do not have access to clear and pure water that is not distorted in some way, whether through chemicals, through overuse of plastic, to toxic contamination of our ground water or the pipes that are used to carry it, or the breakdown of the molecular structure of water due to how it is manipulated so that we can have it though city pipes and our personal faucet.
Scientific research has now demonstrated that when we speak to our water in a positive way, through prayer, chant, mantra, positive words, Reiki, energy healing, we can change the molecular structure of water and therefore change the quality of the water that we are drinking. Ideally, fresh running spring water is the best water we can drink from a glass or stainless steel container (not plastic)! For those who can’t access that water, then we get the best water we can, filtered, boiled, however we can get it and then talk to your water in a positive way.
Water is foundational to the health and wellbeing of every individual on the planet, and it is further intertwined into spiritual ritual as the substance that cleanses and heals. Water is the physical manifestation of spirit into form; we are primarily water. This fundamental understanding is so basic that it is represented in the medicine wheel along with the elementals of earth [solid]; air [etheric]; and fire [transforming]. We need no reference to validate this well known construct, as this understanding is so far reaching that western science itself fails to grasp its profound simplicity. Any Native and Indigenous medicine doctor will confirm the importance of returning to this basic understanding and balance in their promotion of being well and healthy in the world today. It would be a huge disservice to ignore the critical role that water plays in the overall health and wellness of a community. The plight of the water protectors in the social justice movement at Standing Rock North Dakota is an example of healthy, perhaps the most healthy endeavor Indigenous and non-Indigenous people today are engaging in–to protect the water for our future generations. Many issues of environmental stewardship not only become critically important in today’s world, but they may be understood as important components in the promotion of a healthy life and life-style for everyone.
Did you ever wonder why so many of us love to walk along the ocean?
Studies have shown that people who live near or next to a body of water are 10 percent happier. Researchers from the University of Exeter -- in England -- found that people who lived within a mile from the sea were 22 percent less likely to experience mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
Just being close to these "blue spaces" -- as scientists refer to them -- increases our happiness.
Marine biologist, Wallace J. Nichols, calls the "immeasurable sense of peace that we feel around water" our "blue mind."
Water gives and teaches us so much -- but the simple everyday-ness of it makes it easy to take for granted. That said, we all know there's nothing quite like that feeling of drinking cold, clear water when you're parched. Or the sheer joy of diving into a crystal clear lake on a sweltering day.
We need H20.
The truth is, without water, we can only live a matter of days -- that's how urgently our body relies on water to survive. Food on the other hand? We can get by without eating for weeks -- so long as we're drinking at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
But to truly thrive and live our best lives, some experts believe we really should be hydrating way more than that -- as much as 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of water a day for men, and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day for women.
Some essential qualities to look for in your water:
Pure, mineral-rich, clean water offers incredible benefits for your body and mind. Here's what you should be looking for in your drinking water:
It's free of contaminants like fungi, bacteria, and parasites
It's rich in essential minerals like sulfur, manganese, and calcium
It's alkaline, which means it has a pH above 7 and may offer added benefits...
Thank you Nick Polizzi, (2023) for your information here, Host of Remedy: Ancient Medicine For Modern Illness & Founder of The Sacred Science
Lisa Reflection: Not everyone can remember when purchasing water at the store was unheard of. I can remember thinking how ridiculous it is to buy water, the element that is free flowing and readily available. As a child I had no problem drinking deeply from the streams and playing in the ditches along the roads. Today, I would be concerned about the level of contaminants that are disposed of in those places. As for tap water, well you can’t be sure in today's age of chemical substances that leak into our water sources. I had a major life change in my relationship with water after serving in the medical camp at Standing Rock North Dakota during the NoDAPL pipeline protest in 2016. I began to think deeply about water. I pledged to not use plastic if I could avoid it, to fill a Water container and use my water bottle.
Ana Reflection: I’ve been a curious observer my entire life. I wonder about peoples’ behaviors and why we behave in the ways we do. I often feel like an outsider peering in. Sometimes I really wonder how long I’ve been human, because humans engage in some really silly practices that have always been confusing to me. How did we get so far from valuing our natural resources? Not for monetary gain that is…How did we get so far from knowing that every element has a spirit and that it’s alive? I have to chuckle at this because I guess I am the silly one. Big corporations have almost a permanent vendor shop in our consciousness. Spending time in Standing Rock and feeling the energy of the land and the movement on the ground, really drove things home for me. Everything is so interconnected. I saw how much we were wasting and how much we had yet to learn about how to be true stewards of the land. I saw how powerful the voice of a united people can be. If only we could unite together to demand the changes that we need to save our most precious resources.
On one of my last trips to Peru’s jungle for a dieta, I noticed the impact of capitalism & industrialization in these Indigenous communities in places that are now booming with Westerners & Tourism catering to those seeking plant medicines for healing. Children were walking from the local shop with cases of empty glass bottles. As I walked by, I noticed a small river at the bottom of a hill, watching the children, —here I saw a sea of glass bottles dumped at the edge of the water. I felt so sad, and still do thinking about that moment. How precious that beautiful river, being contaminated by our consumption of goods and products. The infiltration of pollution and addictive sugary products & the future generations using their beautiful sacred water as a dumping ground.
Reflection: How do you ensure that you are getting enough water? Do you know where your water comes from? And, what other thoughts about water do you hold as true?
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