Water is the most vitalising thing on this planet. When we are born from our mother’s womb, we are pure vitality! We strive to stay vital throughout our life, whether we know it or not! We try to stay clean by taking showers, by saying kind words, by thinking good thoughts, by taking dips in the ocean and by drinking lots of water. All this goes a long way in keeping us grounded and in sync with the universe. This is very important if we are to maintain a connected life on this planet! So, drink lots of water, think good thoughts, meditate, practise yoga and keep transforming yourself into the beautiful vital being you were born to be!
Here is a little story that profoundly influenced my relationship with water. During friendships and associations with people, sometimes it seems like there is nothing very extraordinary about it. Until one day, looking back, something impactful happens.
I felt this during my college years in Delhi when I was attending Jesus and Mary College in Chanakyapuri. I hung out with my friends a bit—not a whole lot as we spent a lot of time with our parents who were always there for us and would spend time with us each day. One Saturday, when I visited my friend in Vasant Vihar, our group was listening to someone play the guitar. I don’t remember the name of the person, but he was about twenty-seven years old and was visiting his relatives in Delhi from the US. We were listening to him play, but he suddenly put down his guitar, tore off his T-shirt, and ran out into the courtyard.
We looked outside and saw that it had started raining heavily, almost resembling a Mumbai monsoon downpour. I looked on in astonishment. In India, such a display of emotion without prior announcement was usually considered madness. He called out to all of us and said, ‘Hey, come and dance in the rain! Isn’t this water from heaven miraculous?’ ‘Don’t waste time, it will be over soon,’ he said, as though cajoling us to join him in the rain. I got up (I did not tear off my T-shirt, however!) and walked into the rain and enjoyed getting soaked. Soon, all of us were in the courtyard, laughing and talking in the rain. When the shower stopped, it was time for me to cycle home. It felt like a renewal, a joyful transformation in a way that’s not fully describable!
I started cycling home with the realisation that I have always loved the rain, but this experience had taught me how to truly enjoy it for myself, without hesitation, without judgement and with a deep understanding of the transformative power of water.
So, when you feel stressed, drink lots of water, take a shower or a bath, or if possible look at water or images of water. It has a truly transformational effect on our psyche! If nothing else, dance in the rain or taste the snowflakes on your tongue as they fall from the sky!
(Excerpts from 3 TIPS: The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success by Meera Gandhi)
