Water

This is another exert from Daverick Leggett’s book ‘Recipes for Self Healing’ – 1999.

I would write my own personal take on the energetics and emotions of such things, but I really feel that Daverick does such justice to this world as a living entity.

The below section is from the chapter on Water:

“In William Shakespeare’s play, Lady Macbeth compulsively washes her hands after the murder of the King, telling herself repeatedly how a little water washes away the deed. There is a similar blind spot in the modern psyche which believes that water will cleanse the polluting lifestyle that we lead. Consequently, our rivers and seas are a dumping ground for the extraordinary quantities of industrial pollution, and otherwise intelligent people flush toxic chemicals down their drains.

Water, furthermore, is perceived as something which can be owned rather than stewarded by a responsible community. It is a disturbing fact of western life that water is a commodity owned by multinational companies whose raison d’etre is to make a profit.
As a result, our water quality diminishes, short term policies create shortages of supply, and polluters escape public accountability.

Water is the blood of the earth. Its activity and its importance are more subtle than is commonly understood. When water’s complex irrigation of our soil is disturbed, ill-health follows in the land. Deforestation, building and road making, damming, mining – all these practices disturb the capillary network of water’s pathway through the earth. Stagnation and deficiency of the soil follow. When we add this to the enormous burden of the pollution we come face-to-face with an ecological crisis which touches every being on this planet.

Water’s needs are subtle. If water is to fully vitalise us it needs to ripen, to spend time underground at cool temperatures, to collect microscopic nutrients, to be filtered through rock, to be aerated as it moves above ground. Those who have tasted fresh water from a mountain spring will know how sweet it tastes and how refreshing it feels. The most vibrant water looks glossy and blueish. It is high in dissolved carbons and minerals and these fine deposits are part of its aliveness. This water has had the longest maturity cycle. Our domestic water in normally surface water which also contains some mineral deposits but through exposure to the sun and lack of underground filtration, this water is still relatively immature.

From an energetic point of view, the vitality of water is also linked to its movement and aeration. Water naturally moves in a spiral serpentine pattern with a centripetal motion that concentrates its energy; it is purified through filtration and movement. In nature, water carries the memory of its movement and ripening. The memory of water is an aspect of its Qi. What message does today’s drinking water carry into the body?

Water has always been recognised as a healer. The landscape of the earth is crowded with sites of holy wells and healing springs. Within energy medicine, water is seen as a message carrier…

The optimistic position is that if water is a message carrier, it can take on a new message. So how can we make tap water more potent, make it glisten with energy once again?
Some answers may lie in storing the water for a short while in clay or glass pitcher, reintroducing movement by stirring, singing to it, pouring it through a spiral funnel, exposing it to magnetic fields or even blessing ourselves in our own homemade rituals. These proposals may sound outrageous or simply comical but they are in keeping with a view of the world that focuses on the energetic dimension of reality.

The energetic weakness of tap water is not the only problem. Tap water, though far safer than water in many third and fourth world countries, is increasingly polluted by nitrates and other chemicals. In the short term, it is advisable to install domestic water filters.
… In the long term, the real answer lies in reforestation which gives our planet both its oxygen and its water; the reconversion to organic farming practices and the vigorous regulation of water-polluting industries.

It is easy to overlook the body’s simple need for water. Many health problems are actually due in part to local dehydration of the body. We mistakenly believe that we are drinking adequate fluids when a simple glass of water hardly passes our lips. Caffeinated drinks, sugared drinks and concentrated juices, though mostly water in composition, will no properly irrigate our bodies. In fact, the diuretic properties of caffeinated drinks and colas disturbs the body’s water balance and sets up patterns of dehydration. The result of overuse of these drinks at the expense of simple water is constriction of the vascular system, tiring of the heart muscle and lowered physical and mental energy. This means that nourishment will be restricted and blood pressure will increase.

As with all aspects of diet, individual water consumption will vary according to constitution and condition, to season and to climate. Thirst is generally the best indicator of how much each person should drink, although when we are out of touch with our bodies we may not be able to read its signs very clearly; sometimes water cravings are misread as the desire for sugar, stimulants or foods. So the following guideline may be helpful: more water for excessive and toxic conditions, less for deficient and cold conditions. More water when consuming rich food and meat, less for diets high in fruit and vegetable.

Western doctors commonly recommend drinking large volumes of water daily. Water helps to purify the body; given that many western health problems are caused by toxicity, this approach makes sense. However, a more effective approach is to stop the dietary habits which cause accumulation of toxins. ie: eating rich, acidic, processed or adulterated food and overeating generally. In the long term, excessive consumption of water will disrupt the harmony between the Stomach and Spleen, causing digestive weakness. The Kidney will also become exhausted.

As for when it is best to drink, it is generally good to drink something on rising in the morning to rehydrate the body before eating. Most fluid consumption is best kept away from mealtimes so as not to over dilute the digestive juices. Generally, a small glass of water is sufficient with a meal. A practice that some people find useful is to fill a bottle of water and have it with them during the day, taking sips as and when desired. This a good way to keep track of how much water is being consumed.”