Wai (water) love.
–Camila Nieuwlands
As I write this it is 31 degrees celsius and I am daydreaming that instead of sitting on my couch with sweat slowly gliding down from my armpit to my elbow, I am beach-side, just as I was on Monday morning in the bay pictured above.
This little gem is a secret of mine and being a generous soul I shall willingly share with you its secret location—if you ask me in person. ;p
It’s a magical place that is often very sparsely populated, or unpopulated, which allows me to very freely skinny dip without fear of freaking anyone out with my searingly bright white flesh exposed to the sun’s latent rays. Seriously though, being in or near a body of water so vast as moana (the sea) is like hitting the reset button for my psyche. Everything slows down, my vision becomes clearer, and perspective is suddenly within easeful reach. When life feels overwhelming, when I can’t get out of work mode, when I start craving the crutches of escapism (yes I see you beer and chocolate waving cheerily to me), I go to the sea.
I highly recommend immersing yourself or simply anchoring yourself next to the ocean, a river or lake this summer. Allow the sound of moving water to cleanse your being inside and out. Do a big juicy chunk of absolutely nothing. Just breathe. Listen. Watch the sky as clouds pass by and birds swoop in play. Remind yourself that this too is your essence. Natural. Simple. Free.
Make sure you imbibe plenty of H2O also! Not the sea variety, that brew is a touch too salty for most of us. Hydration in these summer months is so vital to many key bodily functions, from our mental cognition, to recovery from those Xmas beverages or that afternoon spent in the sun, not to mention aiding digestion of the abundance of tasty kai you will inevitably be (mindfully) nomming this season (oh my the abundance of fresh goodies from the garden at present is so joyful!). Remember to keep your wondrous soil hydrated too, a favourite task for early morning and dusky evening meditations with hose in hand, observing the fruits of your vegetable gardens blossom and bloom as insects busily hum by and birdsong calls in and out the day.
Water, what can I say, we all need it, we all are made up of it, it’s a magical element to contemplate and experience. Embrace the life-giving wai (water) in your presence with aroha and with aroha, presence yourself to all the ways wai gives to you in your life.
