The sacred power of water

Last week I did a freediving course. The last time I went freediving was an interesting experience to say the least. Being in the water element triggered a deep response inside of me. I started remembering what it was like in the womb of my mother. Being surrounded by water allowed me to travel back to the moment before I took my first real breath. It is the first moment that we as a soul consciously remember. The moment we are floating around waiting to make our actual presence on earth.

Water is an interesting element. I have been a surfer for over 10 years now and still some days water terrifies me and frightens me. Most surfers know this feeling well. It is the humbling power of water that sometimes shows us that it is in control and more powerful than humans can ever be. One of the moments the water showed its power was when it took away the life of five young fit men in Holland. It was a windy and wavy day and the guys decided to go out for a practice session. All of them were lifeguards and surfers and had a lot of knowledge of the ocean. But sometimes it is not enough and life gets taken.

The water is an element so soft. Being able to change form and mold into different shapes depending on what is providing the container for the water. When we touch water it is so soft and gentle, but then when we hit water from over a few meters distance we realize its brutal force. It becomes rock solid and almost feels like you are hitting the ground. Not even to speak of the difference between a lake and the ocean. Two complete opposites in terms of feeling and energy, and yet made up of the same substance, water.

When I was on mushrooms one day the element of water spoke to me. ‘Be like water’, it said. I wondered what it meant. ‘Be like water’, it said again. It took me years to understand the power of water and still I am unravelling it more every time I jump in the ocean.

I believe now that it means to flow with what life gives us. To trust that we are exactly where we need to be at every given moment and to allow ourselves to surrender to whatever we are surrounded by, just like water would. To find the balance between our power and our vulnerability, our strength and our softness. Water is one of my favourite elements on earth, maybe because it is so mystical and ever-changing. 

Did you know that water holds a memory? Masaru Emoto researched the effects of our words on water and found that water changes depending on the way that we speak to it. When we speak to it lovingly and happily, it turns into these insanely beautiful crystals, while when we give it hatred and anger it turns into a destructured mess. That shows that water has the power to change. And that its physical structure changes depending on how we have spoken to it, just like our cells change depending on how we speak to it. We are 75% made out of water after all. 

Back to my freediving experience. When I was freediving the second day something happened. I felt a remembrance, a remembrance to the safety of the water, the safety of the womb. The first time I went freediving I went back to the constricted feeling of the water, but this time I remembered its loving embrace, the feeling of being nurtured and taken care of, just like I had been floating around in the womb of my mother. 

So being in the water on the second day I went into a massive purge. I puked and puked and puked until my body could not puke anymore and puked some more. Water came out of every hole that it can possibly come out of . But afterwards I felt extremely calm and relaxed. It was like my nervous system had reset itself. Before that I was continuously alert and sharp like most of us in the Western world. Always on the move and running from one activity to another.

But that day I felt an extreme peace. Not needing to go anywhere or be anyone. Just being alone. Purity. Peace. Deep relaxation.

When we start to remember that embracing power of water, we can come back to our essence. The essence of pure being. Rather than having to prove our worth, we can feel worthy within. Rather than feeling pressure to achieve, we can create for the mere sake of creating.

That random day on the freediving course I remembered my essence. I remembered that we are love. That we are worthy. That there is nothing to do, just to be here, and enjoy the show of life that unfolds in front of our very eyes.

A friend of mine once said if I can give the world one present I would gift everyone the gift of safety. I got silent and realized that she had just said something very important. When we feel safe and at ease, we can start to relax and we can start to just allow whatever wants to flow through us.

If I can gift the world one thing it would be that people would be able to enjoy the water again. I am currently living here in Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian ocean, where still many people cannot swim. This is unbelievable for me. Being surrounded by water and yet being terrified of it.

But where to start when you have had bad experiences in the water? Or do not feel safe with the water?

Maybe a good place to start is just to get acquinted with water itself. Start enjoying showers again and feel the holy power of water on your skin. Start playing with the waves, or take swimming classes. Sit on the water’s edge and see how the water moves for hours and hours. Surround yourself with water and at one point it will start drawing you in. Ready for a loving embrace and for a huge hug. Are you ready to receive the sacred power of water and allow the the water to wash over you?