“Water does not resist. Water flows.
When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress.
Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you.
But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it.
Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child.
Remember you are half water.
If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”
-Margaret Atwood
The practice of self-care is, perhaps, the greatest and most challenging aspect of our daily connection to yoga. In its deepest tradition, yoga is a practice of mindfulness and creating deeper awareness of what serves our body’s highest good.
As gardeners, we realize that water is essential to the nourishment and growth of our plants, yet sometimes we forget how essential it is to us as well. Dehydration is the cause of many illnesses, skin conditions, and fatigue. When we are properly hydrated, we have greater clarity of mind, our internal organs function more efficiently, and our skin is healthier and more vibrant.
Water also can provide a sense of peace and tranquility when we make time to sit beside a stream, waterfall, pond or lake. Make time to observe the flow of water. Notice the reflections when the water is still. It is so much like our own minds isn’t it? When we feel rushed, anxious, or have thoughts racing through our minds, we are much like the rushing water. Yet, when we find time to sit, to be, to find stillness in the body and mind, we see more clearly that reflection of ourselves and all around us, finding that beautiful connection that has been there all along.
