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H20~listic

© T. Darlene Cheek

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that water comes first in order in the five basic elements of the universe. Our body, much like the earth itself, is largely made up of water; our body mass consisting of 55 - 68 percent of this substance. Even our bones are 1/3 water, our muscles 3/4, our blood plasma - 90 percent. We simply can't live without water.

Not only is water necessary for us to sustain life, but it also prevents disease within our bodies. It is so important to us that dehydration can cause death, while even smaller amounts of loss in our system creates a disturbance and causes improper body function and many health problems. Thirst is our mind's own signal that our water level has fallen below 1 percent of its normal level. Losing up to 6 percent can make us faint.

What does water do for our body? Keeping our cells hydrated keeps them alive and functioning. Water works like a radiator in a car to regulate our body temperature. It helps digest our food, washes away bodily wastes and even moistens our lungs and our skin. Water is even used to turn our proteins, starches and fats into nutrients for our cells.

There's not an area in our body that doesn't rely on water for proper functioning - our intestines, kidneys, skin, lungs, bladder, all depend on our intake of water for survival. Water is even more important to us than the food we eat. The human body can go for almost 2 weeks without any food at all but only 5 days without water.

The Chinese begin with a practice of drinking one cup of water as soon as they wake in the morning and one cup of water 15 minutes before breakfast, calling this "Holy Morning Water" in ancient Chinese text, to wash away the yin-qi, or deadly spirit, that builds up in the body while we are asleep. The lively spirit, yang-qi, begins production at this point until it reaches balance between yin and yang.

This is not only a spiritual practice; it also greatly improves our health. Daily use of this practice develops a trigger that boosts our appetite and begins our digestive functions, giving us much more energy. This is especially so if the practice is combined with exercise, which invigorates our body and helps the water to flow quickly throughout the body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine states that one should not drink the water too close to meals so that you don't dilute your digestive enzymes. Drinking too close to meals can cause indigestion and other stomach related illness.

mesmerizing ripples on the water of the bay

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