HEALING WITH THE ELEMENT OF WATER
Healing • Compassion • Relationships • Flow
Assigning environmental and societal action or self-care to a specific element can be a bit arbitrary. Still, the Water Quarter generally focuses on emotional wellness, compassion, women’s health, waterways, and water rights.
Healing Self
Drink Water
Staying hydrated helps increase brain function and energy levels. It helps reduce inflammation, muscle cramps, headaches, and insomnia, among other things. As long as it is safe, drinking local water can also help you connect to the land, as water carries the memory and wisdom of everything it passes through. Filtering the water does not affect this; ignore the movement of raw water. If you get bored with water, adding a splash of lemon juice, cucumber slices, or herbs like mint, lemon balm, or saffron is better than store-bought flavors.
Emotional Healing
Giving yourself the space and time to process emotions and trauma is the most loving thing you can do for yourself and the earth. When you are well emotionally, your body will also feel better, and when your body and spirit are well, you can better hear the voices of the life-web.
Bathing or Soaking
Being immersed in water, whether in a bathtub at home or in a hot spring, can be both healing and relaxing. This is especially true when it is done with intention. You can use sea salt, essential oils, or healing herbs to ritually wash away the unwanted.
Listen to your intuition
Water is deeply connected with intuition and the subconscious. To strengthen your intuition, spend time in stillness, practice dream journaling, or explore divination tools such as tarot or scrying (gazing into water or another reflective surface) to deepen your connection to your inner wisdom.
Declutter
Decluttering is a bit cliché these days. However, owning less stuff frees up energy in your life because everything you own - owns you. This means that physical clutter can become spiritual clutter, leading to feelings of overwhelm.
Unplug
Social media and messaging have become a significant focus of human consciousness. On the one hand, these tools can foster a sense of connectedness that brings joy to people’s lives. On the other hand, this external center of focus can lead to feelings of inferiority, hopelessness, and loneliness. You might feel pressure to keep up, to be part of the conversation or movement as you look through the many causes people post about. You may feel left out or overlooked as you look at photos of others’ lives. Either way, limiting your exposure to these resources helps refocus you on the present, allowing you to be fully present in our physical world once more.
Turn off the News
Our society has gotten a bit addicted to the endless churning of the daily news cycle. Much of it is fear-based drama, often divisive, compelling, and repetitive. The positive frequently gets lost in this tunnel-vision view of the world. Being informed can help you understand how you might be part of the solution. However, constantly being plugged into the news cycle is not helpful. It numbs you to the trauma as you internalize it, and your mind and body carry the weight. It is good to consider what level of news feels helpful and at what point consuming it becomes a toxin.
Practicing Gratitude
Implementing any of these steps becomes more manageable when approaching them from a place of authentic gratitude. Being in a place of authentic gratitude is less about creating lists of things to feel grateful for or things you think you should feel grateful for and more about opening to the present moment. From this place, you can listen to your deeper-self and the voices of the life-web. Within these places lives a message of love and belonging. Allowing this message into your consciousness naturally opens you to a reciprocal relationship with the universe. You feel loved, and so you give love in return.
Don’t Worry About “Keeping up with the Joneses”
Studies have shown that people get more long-term satisfaction from having a fun experience than from buying an item. Likewise, having more free time is better for your spirit than working longer hours to own a larger house, etc. In other words, you are better able to keep things simple and live in the moment when you opt out of the race to the top. This opting out is also better for Earth as it lightens our environmental footprint. The less you build or buy, the fewer natural resources are used.
Staying hydrated helps increase brain function and energy levels. It helps reduce inflammation, muscle cramps, headaches, and insomnia, among other things. As long as it is safe, drinking local water can also help you connect to the land, as water carries the memory and wisdom of everything it passes through. Filtering the water does not affect this; ignore the movement of raw water. If you get bored with water, adding a splash of lemon juice, cucumber slices, or herbs like mint, lemon balm, or saffron is better than store-bought flavors.
Emotional Healing
Giving yourself the space and time to process emotions and trauma is the most loving thing you can do for yourself and the earth. When you are well emotionally, your body will also feel better, and when your body and spirit are well, you can better hear the voices of the life-web.
Bathing or Soaking
Being immersed in water, whether in a bathtub at home or in a hot spring, can be both healing and relaxing. This is especially true when it is done with intention. You can use sea salt, essential oils, or healing herbs to ritually wash away the unwanted.
Listen to your intuition
Water is deeply connected with intuition and the subconscious. To strengthen your intuition, spend time in stillness, practice dream journaling, or explore divination tools such as tarot or scrying (gazing into water or another reflective surface) to deepen your connection to your inner wisdom.
Declutter
Decluttering is a bit cliché these days. However, owning less stuff frees up energy in your life because everything you own - owns you. This means that physical clutter can become spiritual clutter, leading to feelings of overwhelm.
Unplug
Social media and messaging have become a significant focus of human consciousness. On the one hand, these tools can foster a sense of connectedness that brings joy to people’s lives. On the other hand, this external center of focus can lead to feelings of inferiority, hopelessness, and loneliness. You might feel pressure to keep up, to be part of the conversation or movement as you look through the many causes people post about. You may feel left out or overlooked as you look at photos of others’ lives. Either way, limiting your exposure to these resources helps refocus you on the present, allowing you to be fully present in our physical world once more.
Turn off the News
Our society has gotten a bit addicted to the endless churning of the daily news cycle. Much of it is fear-based drama, often divisive, compelling, and repetitive. The positive frequently gets lost in this tunnel-vision view of the world. Being informed can help you understand how you might be part of the solution. However, constantly being plugged into the news cycle is not helpful. It numbs you to the trauma as you internalize it, and your mind and body carry the weight. It is good to consider what level of news feels helpful and at what point consuming it becomes a toxin.
Practicing Gratitude
Implementing any of these steps becomes more manageable when approaching them from a place of authentic gratitude. Being in a place of authentic gratitude is less about creating lists of things to feel grateful for or things you think you should feel grateful for and more about opening to the present moment. From this place, you can listen to your deeper-self and the voices of the life-web. Within these places lives a message of love and belonging. Allowing this message into your consciousness naturally opens you to a reciprocal relationship with the universe. You feel loved, and so you give love in return.
Don’t Worry About “Keeping up with the Joneses”
Studies have shown that people get more long-term satisfaction from having a fun experience than from buying an item. Likewise, having more free time is better for your spirit than working longer hours to own a larger house, etc. In other words, you are better able to keep things simple and live in the moment when you opt out of the race to the top. This opting out is also better for Earth as it lightens our environmental footprint. The less you build or buy, the fewer natural resources are used.
Healing Society
Be Kind
How you behave is infectious. You do not have to agree with or even respect a person to be kind. Kindness does not include agreeing with or taking responsibility for the other's feelings, desires, or actions. It is simply one human recognizing the humanity of another. Finding authentic ways to be kind is an act of peace.
Support Water Rights
Access to clean drinking water helps create a healthier, more equitable society. Locally, this might mean campaigning for better water filtration in cities or affordable water rates. Globally, you can help by supporting organizations that dig wells and fight water pollution in developing countries.
Respect for the Sacredness of Water
Many Indigenous cultures honor water as sacred, just like many pre-Christian cultures around the world did. If appropriate, participate in or learn about water ceremonies and rituals that honor the spiritual importance of water. If not, look back over your ancestor's spiritual relationship with water. In what way did they offer gratitude for its life-giving properties?
Creek and River Cleanups
Most communities with waterways that pass through local parks and nature preserves also have organizations that organize cleanup days and work to implement programs to reduce trash and other pollutants from entering the waterways. You can support these organizations by donating money or time.
Support Women’s Reproductive Rights
Studies have shown that supporting women’s reproductive rights is the most effective tool to promote equality. Empowered women often lead to safer and more collaborative communities. This is true both locally and globally. There are organizations in our country trying to address these issues, as well as several global non-profit organizations whose sole mission is reproductive rights.
Compassion
Compassion can have a similar effect to a still pool of water, creating a calm and restorative energy. Practicing and teaching others to listen deeply and understand emotions cultivates compassion, which, in turn, helps create a more empathetic and supportive society. Programs that encourage conflict resolution through dialogue, empathy, and restorative justice are all great ways to help cultivate compassion.
Safe Emotional Spaces
Advocating for safe spaces where people can express their emotions without judgment reduces resentment and anger. Community groups, mental health support networks, or online platforms are all great ways to create safe spaces. Every individual who feels heard and seen contributes to the emotional wellness of the community as a whole.
How you behave is infectious. You do not have to agree with or even respect a person to be kind. Kindness does not include agreeing with or taking responsibility for the other's feelings, desires, or actions. It is simply one human recognizing the humanity of another. Finding authentic ways to be kind is an act of peace.
Support Water Rights
Access to clean drinking water helps create a healthier, more equitable society. Locally, this might mean campaigning for better water filtration in cities or affordable water rates. Globally, you can help by supporting organizations that dig wells and fight water pollution in developing countries.
Respect for the Sacredness of Water
Many Indigenous cultures honor water as sacred, just like many pre-Christian cultures around the world did. If appropriate, participate in or learn about water ceremonies and rituals that honor the spiritual importance of water. If not, look back over your ancestor's spiritual relationship with water. In what way did they offer gratitude for its life-giving properties?
Creek and River Cleanups
Most communities with waterways that pass through local parks and nature preserves also have organizations that organize cleanup days and work to implement programs to reduce trash and other pollutants from entering the waterways. You can support these organizations by donating money or time.
Support Women’s Reproductive Rights
Studies have shown that supporting women’s reproductive rights is the most effective tool to promote equality. Empowered women often lead to safer and more collaborative communities. This is true both locally and globally. There are organizations in our country trying to address these issues, as well as several global non-profit organizations whose sole mission is reproductive rights.
Compassion
Compassion can have a similar effect to a still pool of water, creating a calm and restorative energy. Practicing and teaching others to listen deeply and understand emotions cultivates compassion, which, in turn, helps create a more empathetic and supportive society. Programs that encourage conflict resolution through dialogue, empathy, and restorative justice are all great ways to help cultivate compassion.
Safe Emotional Spaces
Advocating for safe spaces where people can express their emotions without judgment reduces resentment and anger. Community groups, mental health support networks, or online platforms are all great ways to create safe spaces. Every individual who feels heard and seen contributes to the emotional wellness of the community as a whole.
Healing the Environment
Water Conservation
There are many ways, big and small, to reduce water usage. Using less water when showering or doing dishes, fixing leaks, or using water-efficient appliances are all great ways to reduce water usage. And when the community as a whole reduces its water use, local waterways, such as rivers, are better able to support the plants and animals that live in the region.
Wetland Restoration
Wetlands are the Earth's natural filtration system. Wetlands like mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes prevent erosion and flooding, protect coastlines, and are home to a large variety of plants and animals. They also capture and store carbon. In the past, many wetlands were filled in to make way for buildings or agriculture. Thankfully, many communities have rediscovered the vital role these wetlands play in ecosystem health. You can help by supporting organizations and communities working toward more blue carbon conservation and wildlife habitat restoration.
Reducing Water Pollution
While many corporations and farms still pollute the world's waterways, there is also a growing effort to prevent this pollution. In many areas, there has also been increased effort to clean up plastic waste, oil spills, and chemical runoff from agriculture and industry, compared with previous eras. There may be organizations seeking volunteer hours or funding to support their efforts, but much of the work needs to happen at the government level. You can encourage the government to act first by finding out what, if anything, they are already doing and then writing your representatives to ask them to do more.
Promoting Sustainable Fishing Practices
Overfishing and destructive fishing methods have harmed marine ecosystems by leaving fish, whales, and other marine life without sufficient food. Eating less fish and other seafood is the most effective way to prevent these harmful practices. And when you do eat seafood, try to buy it from a sustainable source.
There are many ways, big and small, to reduce water usage. Using less water when showering or doing dishes, fixing leaks, or using water-efficient appliances are all great ways to reduce water usage. And when the community as a whole reduces its water use, local waterways, such as rivers, are better able to support the plants and animals that live in the region.
Wetland Restoration
Wetlands are the Earth's natural filtration system. Wetlands like mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes prevent erosion and flooding, protect coastlines, and are home to a large variety of plants and animals. They also capture and store carbon. In the past, many wetlands were filled in to make way for buildings or agriculture. Thankfully, many communities have rediscovered the vital role these wetlands play in ecosystem health. You can help by supporting organizations and communities working toward more blue carbon conservation and wildlife habitat restoration.
Reducing Water Pollution
While many corporations and farms still pollute the world's waterways, there is also a growing effort to prevent this pollution. In many areas, there has also been increased effort to clean up plastic waste, oil spills, and chemical runoff from agriculture and industry, compared with previous eras. There may be organizations seeking volunteer hours or funding to support their efforts, but much of the work needs to happen at the government level. You can encourage the government to act first by finding out what, if anything, they are already doing and then writing your representatives to ask them to do more.
Promoting Sustainable Fishing Practices
Overfishing and destructive fishing methods have harmed marine ecosystems by leaving fish, whales, and other marine life without sufficient food. Eating less fish and other seafood is the most effective way to prevent these harmful practices. And when you do eat seafood, try to buy it from a sustainable source.