Looking at Water Differently

Are you drinking your eight glasses of water a day? I am, so if you’re looking for me, you’ll likely find me in the bathroom. Sort of just kidding.

But still, each day I fill my liter carafe, drink the water and repeat. Day after day. I try to drink three carafes, but generally it’s more like two and half. It’s roughly the equivalent of a small pond or eight - ten 8 oz glasses.

Why do I do this?

A kidney stone last August is one reason - at least that’s the one that got my attention. Which is how we human’s roll isn’t it? We wait until our body gives us the big 'aha' and then we pay attention to it.

So let me spare you the agony, and the details, and suggest that drinking at least eight 8 oz glasses of water each day is a really good idea.

The other reason why drinking water is so important is because it's a sacred act of love. It's a tender reminder that you and your body are a team - you need it and it needs you. You can think of drinking water as an act to be performed, perhaps begrudgingly OR you can think of it as an act of love allowing the water to flow through you intimately touching each and every part of your body the way nothing else can. A magical pleasure.

Depending on what or who you reference, the 64 ounces should be plain water with other liquids on top of that, or it can be a combination of plain water, tea, coffee, flavored water or broths. I read an article (forgive me for not having the reference) that said the difference between plain water and other drinks is that plain water goes into the stomach and gets directly absorbed into the body. ‘Not plain water’ continues into the intestines because the body wants to extract any nutrients first. It’s the same for food. Water in food will be extracted as the food is digested. How the body sorts all this out is beyond me!

Here are a few tips I have on drinking water based on what I’ve learned:

• Room temperature water is less of a shock to your system than cold or iced water.
• Take sips of water. When I look at my liter of water and realize I have to drink all that and then another, I’m tempted to guzzle. But that creates a fire hydrant effect. By drinking water slowly, it’s more readily absorbed by the cells, organs and the brain. Which, as you would expect, is extremely important and more loving.
• Water is important for digestion, but try to avoid washing down your food. The acids in your stomach can become diluted and not as effective in making food into chyme.
• It's best to use glass containers versus plastic (but if you absolutely have to use plastic, keep it out of the sun and don't leave it in your hot car).
• When you feel hungry or have a headache, that can often be a sign that your body needs hydration.

Because water is essential to every single bodily function, including cellular communication, the quality of your water is important. There are a variety of filters and ways to make sure the water you're ingesting is of a high quality.

In keeping with what I’ve learned from Dr. Emoto’s work, I’ve written three words on my carafe: love, compassion, gratitude. As the water sits in the carafe, it absorbs the energy of these words. What are three words could you imbue your water with?

It only takes a minute to run into the bathroom (I’ve timed it). So if you would, nourish your body with water. It can't hydrate itself - it's depending on you.