As many of you would be aware - we can live some weeks without food but only days without water and in some places perhaps only a matter of hours.  It is said that we need to drink about 2 litres/day to keep our bodies well hydrated.  To me, there is nothing more truly thirst quenching than water. 

It staves off hunger, can cure a headache (particularly those caused by dehydration), it cleans wounds, cleanses our bodies, washes our clothes, is used in cooking, cools us and relaxes us.  It feeds us by way of watering our crops, our herbs, hydrating our livestock.  Isn't that truly and wonderfully amazing?

The work of Professor Emoto helps us to clearly understand that water is a living energy.  Professor Emoto has studied water by photographing it's crystalline structure in various circumstances.  Water that is polluted will appear murky and unstructured whereas water from the Lourdes is so pretty and healthy lookin.  Water that is prayed for and sent healing to is once again a beautiful crystal structure and water that has been subject to verbal abuse - guess what?  Yes it's yucko!  Incredibly, this will also occur when it is abused in different languages, written or spoken. 

When helping my students to understand the nature of energy and reiki, I show them the energy of water pre and post reiki via the use of a pendulum.  It is always more energetic post reiki - noticeably and predictably so. 

In other words, when water is treated kindly and healthfully then it's quality is enhanced.  It has received healing. We are approximately 70% water and it stands to reason that if we are treated kindly and healthfully we will also receive healing, perhaps an improved quality of life. 

For more information on Professor Emoto's fascinating work please visit www.masaru-emoto.net or read one of his books such as Messages from Water. 

Now we can be more mindful about water and it's value.  So how about enjoying a mindfulness exercise with water. 

Please have before you a glass of water and an empty glass.  Move the water glass a little and watch it move.  Now slowly tip the water into the empty glass watching the flow, listen to the trickling sound, allow some to splash onto you and feel it's wetness on your skin. 

For a moment, imagine the cycle this water has gone through before it arrived in the glass and what it will continue to go through once it leaves you.  (Please forgive me scientists for what I am going to try to explain in very very simple terms) Water evaporation from the sea rises up to the sky, forms clouds, rains.  The rain is collected in catchments and dams.  Pipelines transport the water to water filtration plants before travelling via pipes to our homes. 

Imagine all the people - past and present that have contributed to bring this water to you.  Dam builders, construction workers, water filtration plant operators, plumbers. 

How clever is man?  How clever is nature?

See if you can smell the water.  Perhaps it has an earthy smell.  Feel the glass in your hands and against your lips.  Notice the movement of your head as you tilt it back to receive the water.  Take a gulp knowing that you can take as little or as much as you like.  (Aren't we blessed?).  Close your eyes as you notice the feel of the water in your mouth, slide it down your throat then somehow at some moment it disappears.  Notice how far you can feel it.  Notice it's after affect.  Has it quenched the thirst?  Thirst is actually the last sign of dehydration so your body is already dry before you feel thirsty so take a little more.....

And there you have it - a mindfulness moment with water. 

In the tarot, there are four suits just like in cards.  The suits are commonly called Wands, Pentacles, Cups and Swords.  The suits represents four approaches to life.  In the zodiac, we have 12 signs.  Each of the 12 signs belong to one of the suits.  So relating to water, the water signs are represented by the Cups.  Their approach to life is through their feelings/emotions, their intuition. Whilst this is a fine way to live, one of their lessons is to balance emotion with logic where necessary. 

To dream of water is said to be about emotions.  So pay particular attention to how the water is portrayed in the dream as to how you are currently feeling in your life.  One particular dream I had about water was that I was staying at my sister's in Melbourne in her high rise apartment overlooking the bay when a huge tsunami hit.  In the dream my sis was living on about the 10th floor and the water level was half way up the windows.  I felt both fearful and fascinated.  At the time I recall there were alot of significant changes in my life that at times threatened to overwhelm me and yet I was rising to the challenges too. The dream reassured me that I was heading in the right direction. 

Water leaves our bodies in several ways - the main way of course is via the kidneys. When we associate emotional causes to physical diseases, the kidneys are related to fear.  It is believed that if you address the cause some healing can take place. Two Australian Bush Flower Essences that are used for kidney problems are Dog Rose (for niggling fears) and Grey Spider Flower (for panic/terror).  You don't have to have kidney problems to take these remedies. If you do tend to suffer from niggling fears/worries or panic attacks then these essences may assist.  I have a 2 clients with a history of panic attacks that improved remarkably since using these essences. 

So herein lies the last of our Sage Pages for 2010.  Christmas has crept on us again and you may notice that I haven't rabbited on about ways in which to have a "stress free" Christmas this year because despite my own good intentions, I still manage to get my knickers in a knot at this time of year.  Instead I have found that if I just accept it the way it is, make changes where I can in terms of efficiency and organisation, and mindfully notice how I am feeling moment by moment I seem to be not letting the frenetic energy of it get to me now.  Hope this works for you too. 

I wish to thank all of my wonderful clients for their love, support and enthusiasm over the year.  Many of you have had huge challenges this year and have truly inspired me with your courage, determination and loving hearts.  I continue to learn and grow by being in your lives and I am honoured that you have shared so much with me. 

May the Universal Spirit keep you and your families and friends safe, well fed and happy over the festive season.  Spare some time to connect with your spiritual self and with nature.  Wishing you a magical, mystical and miraculous 2011. 

With Love

Pam