The Sweetest Element

I sit by the east bank of the Kaweah mulling over words. In the land that is called Three Rivers I can't help but contemplate the significance of a drought. The river sings a low earthy song that is punctuated by the melodies of waterfowl and other bright birds. The clouds have not been generous, the ice melt not plentiful. The three sacred rivers wind through my life like a soothing friend, ready to give comfort from the blistering heat, to wash away every emotional distress as a mother would. But as spring leads into summer, these winding forks of the Kaweah will course through the earth as tiny veins, ribbons of cool replenishment, beautiful and dangerous.

The river serves as a striking allegory if we choose to see it in that light. Political pundits worth their salt seem to agree that in the next hundred twenty years 'wars for oil' will give way to 'wars for water'. Just as access to water was vital to civilization hundreds and thousands of years ago, in modern times it becomes more sweet in relation to its scarcity; as vital resources become polluted, as we begin to feel the effects of destroying the atmosphere and the historic heat waves that are sweeping the globe... we regain our respect for the elements that are essential to our existence. Just as salt once carried a price as high as rubies to the desert nomads.. we begin to understand water as our true life-blood. Neither Sprite nor Coca-cola will do. Sometimes we have to learn lessons the hard way.

Ancient civilizations in India worshiped their rivers. Anthropomorphized, those rivers became goddesses in the Hindu pantheon. This was the extent to which water was seen as central to life, worthy of worship and praise.

The earth's surface is 71% water, nearly the same proportion as the water inside our bodies at birth. This correlation may serve as an oft unheeded omen: as the waters that cover this planet become more toxic and scarce, so do the waters inside our bodies become more dry and polluted (the effects of chemicals, synthetics, pharmaceuticals and other rogue particles in our environment, food and water supply).

In the language of Ayurveda we speak of water as the element Aap, one of the five fundamental building blocks of nature or Mahabhutas. Aap is the cohesive and binding force: humble, protective, and nourishing. In one Ayurvedic text it says that Aap "governs a substance's ability to change shape without separating or losing it's integrity".

In the human body this element binds nutrients and oxygen in the blood, binds nutrients to saliva and digestive fluids, surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord as Cerebrospinal fluid, protects the mucous membranes, lubricates joints, and gives us the ability to taste. Beyond just being water as H2O, Aap is a set of principles, one of the five guiding intelligences of life. And when we listen to the intelligence within us even the greatest things are possible.


Here are three exercises for increasing your water intelligence:

1. Increase the amount of pure water in our bodies by drinking it. Start out with one extra glass in the early morning and one in the late evening. Increase as you begin to feel the difference. Decrease caffeine, which dehydrates the body. Notice that more water in your body makes you feel more vibrant without the caffeine. Your mood changes as you add another glass. When you reach 8 glasses a day you might be able to fly, or at least feel like you could. It is a true refreshing experience. You may even choose to start focusing on foods that are more water dense ie. fruits and vegetables, soups, juices...

2. Observe water in nature. I spent three of the best days of my life gazing at the Ganges as she passed through Rishikesh, the ancient abode of the yogis. With each passing hour my mind became a little more clear, emotions smoothed themselves out, and a deep watery happiness began to pervade my mind. Some things we have to practice to fully understand. This is probably one of them. When you take the time to absorb yourself in the natural world, a certain wisdom unveils itself. Ask deep and eternal questions. This is no time to be caught in the drone of everyday thinking. Meditate, you never know what can happen until you try.

3. Begin massaging some oil into the body every day. Soothe your nervous system, increase circulation, balance the lymphatic system and keep the moisture in. Try the simple Ayurvedic self-massage technique of Abhyanga by using some pure sesame oil and massaging the whole body: from the soles of the feet to the top of the head for energizing; and from the head to the feet for grounding and calming. Use long strokes over the limbs, circles over joints and make sure you don't miss anything. Leave the oil on the body and rest for 10 minutes before taking a hot shower and rubbing the oil off the body with water. The steam and heat from the shower will open the pores and facilitate the removal of toxins. Try not to use soap if you can.