Turn To Water

Be in tune with this infinite flow.

Nyandarua, Central Kenya

Well, I’m not a long shower-soothing baths-swimming-diving kind of a person. I’m the just being near water kind. I can sit by the banks of a river, ocean shores (once in like forever) and just look/stare as I reflect on so many things.

Since ancient times, humans have assigned healing and trans-formational properties to water. The water element is crucial to balancing the body and creating physical harmony. Rivers have long been seen as sacred places, and in a number of different spiritual contexts, water has symbolized rebirth, spiritual cleansing and salvation.

Today, we still turn to water for a sense of calm and clarity.

Not until recently when I was asked to describe a picture and what that moment meant to me did it dawn on me on the many times I have just sat near water and ... some of those moments are frozen in time, and I have shared them here. And this made me dig up and read about several water meditation blogs ... Here is one that is summarized for easy reading.

Buffels Bay Beach, Cape Point

According to Wallace J. Nicholas, our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what's broken. Wallace believes that we all have a "blue mind". (Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do).

 Melchsee-Frutt, Kerns, Switzerland

1.Water gives our brains a rest.

Being around water gives our brains and our senses a rest from over stimulation. When we're near, on, in or under water, we get a cognitive break because there's simply less information coming in. When you have that simplified, quieter 'blue' space, your brain is better at a different set of processes.

2. Water can induce a meditative state.

We may not be conscious of it, the water could be inducing a mildly meditative state of calm focus and gentle awareness. When we're by the water, our brains are held in a state of mild attentiveness - "soft fascination." In this state, the brain is interested and engaged in the water, taking in sensory input but not distracted by an overload of it, as we might be with the "hard fascination" we experience while watching an action movie or playing a video game. Being in a mindful state -- lower stress levels, relief from mild anxiety, pain and depression, improved mental clarity and focus, and better sleep quality.

Vaal River, SA

3. Water can inspire us to be more compassionate and connected.

While in the restful, contemplative state associated with observing or interacting with water, it's also common to experience feelings of awe. This emotion of invokes feelings of a connection to something beyond oneself, a sense of the vastness of nature and an attempt to make sense of the experience. You feel connected to yourself, the world around you, and whoever you happen to be with. That puts you in a 'we' state of mind.

4. A blue mind is a creative mind.

Stepping into the shower, as many people know, can be a great way to trigger ideas when our brains are in a creative rut. In our always-busy, screen-saturated lives, we don't give our minds much of a chance to rest and wander freely. When our brain is in a more restful state, you are able to make those unusual connections. The ‘aha’ moment comes at last!

5. Exercise by or in water is good for our bodies and brains.

Being outside near water while you're exercising will potentially give you more of a mental boost than exercising in a crowded, hectic gym environment with TVs in front of you and people all around.