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Water is essential for sustaining life on our planet. Your body consists of over 50% water used to nourish the muscles, organs, and brain. But on a human level, our relationship with water goes deeper than simple hydration. Psychologically, the associated colors and hues of water relax, calm and soothe us. Biologically, the brain is hard-wired to positively react to it.
While water is vital for the continued functioning of your body, it is used in life and culture for many purposes. For example, most religions revere water as a spiritual connection with God. Still, culturally, water is almost universally viewed as a healing and purification substance. Thus, healing and purifying the body, mind, and soul – as one.
Water for Bonding
As a means of subsistence, water is essential. Still, as a method of facilitating playful connectedness vital for social inclusion, it is superior to everything else. Swimming pools alone provide means for family bonding. Learning to swim, just like riding a bike, is one of the first things a parent teaches their children. Later on, water-based activities become a part of family life, such as visiting water parks, squirting with water guns, and swimming in the ocean.
Healing with Water
But the healing properties of water extend far beyond the bonding and pleasure stages. Hydrotherapy is a recognized means of relieving many ailments. The hot tub invented by Candido Jacuzzi was created for such a purpose – his son suffered rheumatoid arthritis. While the benefits are numerous, hot tub maintenance is vital. Poorly maintained hot tubs not only function inadequately but are a breeding ground for bacteria.
The Hydration You Might be Missing
Hydration is necessary for life. While you can function for almost a month without food, you won’t last more than a few days without water. Unfortunately, although most people hydrate enough to survive, they don’t hydrate enough to adequately function at optimal performance. Such dehydration will cause short-term issues such as constipation, brain fog, and ashy skin. In the long-term, your kidneys will suffer, causing infections, kidney stones, and renal failure.
How Much You Should Drink
It is recommended that you drink 2 liters of water per day. For some, this seems like a lot, and it is, but you can break it down to essentially one standard glass per hour. Hydration like this will ensure that all your organs function correctly, but more importantly, your brain. Water is vital for brain health, and when adequately hydrated, you will notice an increase in energy, concentration, and memory.
Kissing the Rain
In addition to the fantastic physical benefits of water, the psychological benefits are just as impressive. Water has long been associated with cleansing, which is why it is used during baptism. But you don’t need to be religious to recognize the psychological benefit of purification. How this is done is a personal preference. For some, baptism is absolutely an essential ceremony on a profoundly spiritual level. But on a personal level, the simple act of taking a shower, bathing, or standing in the rain can feel like cleansing.
Recent research concludes that our relationship with water is shown to decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.