As I sit on the safety of my balcony watching the constant grey drizzle of rain, my heart breaks for all of the sentient beings affected by the current “rain bomb” on the east coast of Australia. The data from the Bureau of Meteorology is mind-boggling in terms of the extreme levels of rivers and the amount of water flowing through water systems.
This event points to the immense power of water in full flow. Water is usually considered the element that relates to flow, creativity and adaptability. Water’s various states of solid, liquid and gas provide even more fodder for my metaphorical mind to feast on. If you contemplate the nature and behaviour of water for a few moments, I wonder what you might find useful in the wisdom that water can reveal.
Being a Greek island descendant myself, water has always been central to my family’s existence. From fishing and bathing to travelling on and nourishing with. My family and I are drawn to beaches, sailing, mermaids and dolphins. Near water is where my nervous system feels supremely soothed, and in the ocean is where I do my deepest thinking and healing.
I had a recent epiphany about water that was triggered by the notion that water is a living being. I began to take more notice of how I use this precious resource and developed a deeper reverence. The body of water that covers the Earth’s surface and is contained in her atmosphere is constantly moving, transforming and full of life force energy.
Water as an element is a perfect metaphor for change and adaptation. There is not much that can get in its way because it moves past, around and through even the smallest of crevices.
A beautiful metaphor of water that I have used with kids in therapy sessions is drawn from the Eastern martial art of Aikido. The analogy is that our responses to situations, thoughts, feelings, relationships and ideas can be rigid like rocks or fluid like water. The imagery of a flowing river with boulders speaks to this idea. If two people come together with their rigid beliefs about how things must be, there is little chance they will be able to move past each other or compromise, thus creating a power struggle. There is no integration or negotiation, and the rocks go nowhere. Stuck going over the same old pattern. Think of a situation or a person with whom you often get into this dynamic.
Then there is the idea of being like water. Water can easily flow around the rocks and keep on seeking its destination downstream towards the vast expanse of the ocean. If you are able to take on the qualities of water and move around obstacles in a creative way, accepting that roadblocks will arise and take on new ideas, how would life feel different? How empowering does it feel to be with someone else who flows like water with you? There is likely to be less resistance, more integration, and playful splashing around ideas – a sense of effortlessness in this relationship.
Another metaphor I love is the idea of going with the current of the river of life. If you try to fight the flow of the current, you will exhaust yourself. Acceptance of change and that things are happening for you and not to you can help you conserve your energy stores for when you really need them. I love to sit and watch the tides gently ebb and flow, lapping the shore to remind myself not grip to any ”thing” and remember that what I need will come more easily with this mindset.
Water can be cleansing, and I often visualise my daily stress being washed away by the ocean or shower stream. Water is nourishing, and I love to imagine that I can draw energy in from the crashing waves at the beach. It supports life. I enjoy peacefully floating in the sea and surrendering to its uplifting forces – gravity is no match for the density of water, allowing me to float blissfully on its surface. Perhaps it takes me back to the feeling of tranquillity and safety of the womb, surrounded by protective amniotic fluid.
And finally, we return to the storm. My clients often apologise for their tears. I reassure them that tears are welcome here and are simply a release of trapped energy. Allowing them to flow is going to provide the feeling you get after the storm has passed – relief and calm. I never hand them a tissue because I don’t want to give the message that tears are not ok. Of course, I show them the tissue box if they want to reach for one themselves if things get too snotty. I hope one day it is universally acceptable for people to cry because too many stoic people hold on to years of pent-up distress, and there is not enough social acceptance for freedom to express pain.
I want to encourage a practice of honouring water as a sacred resource. The wisdom that water beholds could fill volumes of books. We would all benefit from having an attitude of gratitude for this vessel of life. May you find flow in life and all of your creative endeavours.
Love Popi xxx
