The vital role of water in the evolution of life makes it highly appropriate to see it as one of the five elements reflected throughout life.  With the human body recognized as being approximately 60 to 70% water, how interesting is it that our planet is said to similarly be comprised of approximately 70% water. Both the early East Indian Ayurvedic medical system and Traditional Chinese Medicine system included water as one of the five elements by which qualities of energy and physical manifestations were defined.  Civilizations that flourished after these earlier cultures of approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, continued to interpret water as one of the influential components within everything, comprising macrocosmic and microcosmic balance in both the universe and within all life. The successful use of these definitions is apparent through today’s continued use of element interpretation within the Ayurvedic system, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Polarity Therapy. Within the Polarity perspective, water represents unconscious emotion. In looking at the state of society on a global scale, we can then see ample evidence of water imbalance moving into an extreme that demands attention.

Less than 3% of our planet’s water is accessible as drinking water with 2/3’s of this fresh water found in frozen glaciers, although that percentage is changing annually as they melt into the salty seas.  Examined within this view, as well as the context of energy and symbolic meaning, the important role of water is clear.  As a civilization at the overly-emotional stage of development struggling to fuse emotion with higher consciousness and better responses, we easily can see Water element imbalance throughout our world.  Imbalance results from either too little or too much of any element functioning within the whole.

When we have too much of the water element in our individual energy system, it may present as over-attachment, indecision, depression or overly-emotional reactions. Water imbalance is also implicated in chronic conditions of swelling, lymphatic difficulties and tumor growths, as well as reproductive problems and body fluids difficulties, such as mucus accumulation in sinus cavities or lungs. On the opposite extreme, having too little of the water element may present as detachment and inability to express our feelings, or being unable to cry for release of them. The elements work together in a synergistic blend when balanced.  Not having balanced Water element function, for instance, might result in an explosive temperament because your Fire element cannot be tempered with adequate water. In this way, categorizing the types of energy by the name and qualities of the elements provides a means to interpret and re-balance the activity of each element for improved function.

The nurturing and creative qualities of water, also associated within Polarity Therapy applications, lead us into water’s well-recognized association with “emotion’. How complimentary for salty ocean waters, renowned for healing injury or soothing a troubled soul, to be of the same salty taste as our tears. From the depths of emotion come some of the finest art, and we are not surprised then to find ‘creativity’ as another associated quality of water – similar to the creative result of the fetus supported in the salty amniotic solution to await birth into form. Water is woven through many aspects of life, supporting us through change and growth on an individual, a planetary and evolutionary scale. Its primary role within the five elements from antiquity to the present is repeated in many religious and spiritual practises as a sacred means to cleanse and purify, with the most common example being baptism. These are but a few faces of water, but all underline the need to respect and care for this precious element.

While esthetic and metaphysical qualities of water may not yet be mainstream, the subject of water has seen a welcome revival in the last decade. Clean water has suddenly become a big business and continues to grow along with education on our excesses and methods for improvement.  Water facts at drinking-water.org state that less than 3% of our planet’s water exists as freshwater with only a portion of that being accessible, and that percentage shrinking annually as the glaciers melt into salty seas. At wateraidamerica.org we read that 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This represents roughly one in eight of the world’s population (WHO/UNICEF) , and we further read that every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease (WHO), and that each $1 investment in basic water and sanitation services is estimated to return $8 in benefits (UNDP).  Canadian author and activist, Maude Barlow, is a National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians who also chairs the board of Washington-based Food and Water Watch. In this role, she actively promotes the free use of clean water as a basic human right, like the air we breathe, for everyone on a global basis. She is one of the first to work in opposition to the privatization of water by corporations aiming to sell it. And finally, a recent documentary on Africa detailed the Canadian innovation of using an Amish designed water-pump in a drought-plagued African village. This non-electric, traditional pump was an efficient and economical solution to access water without the complication or expense of modern technology. It provides one example of changes in society’s awareness of water importance and hopefully, represents a return to honouring the value of some traditions that should not be left behind as just a part of history.

On an individual basis, what can we do to respect water and be part of the expanding consciousness to reduce excessive use?  As simple as it sounds, we could examine our personal water containers. We have read that purchasing water in plastic bottles enforces the problems of   a) leaching plastic into the water we then drink   b) landfill accumulation of a growing plastic problem,  b) supporting privatization of water being sold as a commodity. Instead, we can now support use of personal water-bottles with filtering capabilities. As one positively-reviewed example, the ‘Aqua-Pure Traveler’ by BW Technologies, is a water bottle with a 2-micron filter that comes with an optional ‘sleeve’ for additional filtering. It cleans the water you put in it and stops providing water when the filter needs replacing. There are a number of water bottles with filtering capability appearing on the market. Some examples include Seychelle, Sport Berkey and Katadyn which has some portable bottles available with a .2-micron filtering technology for use to safely drink from untreated water sources. Water bottles with such built-in technology provide ideal containers for travelers and hikers, or when out for the day. While this may seem a small change, it will reduce the amount of plastic that is recognized as a landfill pollutant, reduce the demand for the business of selling water and provide convenience for the user on-the-go.

On a final note, the far-reaching crisis from the Gulf oil leak polluting the ocean is bringing increased awareness to all levels of society for the need to demand protection and respect of water. While we hear of improvements available for individual use of water, we now are beginning to read of new environmentally-friendly chemical or natural absorption media, as well as oil supertanks for gathering top spills that may indicate the road-to-change is expanding faster from dire necessity. Meanwhile, we can examine our individual use, our respect of water in our own life, and become a model for improvement on an individual basis that we can only hope expands into all areas of life.

Detoxification benefits could fill an entire page listing conditions that improve after an inner cleanse. Regardless of whether you are ridding your body of accumulated wastes from food preservatives, food additives and dye, air pollutants, refined sugar, unhealthy eating choices, or parasites…  regular detoxification keeps you healthier. It results in improvement in all body functions, including nervous systems that influence every part of our body and our mind.

With skin being the largest organ of our body and a secondary organ of elimination along with our lungs, better skin health is often one of the first noticeable improvements with inner cleansing. Clearer thinking and improved memory are initially more subtle, but it happens.

The first time you are doing an inner cleanse after many months or even years of not doing one, it will usually be a longer process before you have noticeable results. Reading the article entitled ‘Parasite Cleansing’ will give you a better idea of why. 

Maintaining your level of improved health after focused detoxification is made easier by incorporating cleansing foods into your regular diet.  Fresh vegetables and fruits offer the benefit of gentle systemic cleansing in addition to providing enzymes and nutrients, with some vegetables having antiparasitic properties.  Raw foods help to detoxify, support and balance our metabolism, including a stronger immune system. Organic produce provides much greater nutrient content and safety from genetically engineered genes that may impact your own genetic structure, according to emerging studies and reports worldwide. Why should society become the lab experiment for testing genetically modified foods  before  the unbiased safety of engineered food has been tested by many independent research laboratories?

Among food choices that have cleansing benefits for our body, there are a number of options in the vegetable category as well as in spices. As a maintenance food and adjunct to any cleansing program, you could consider trying a pure, aloe vera.  With 12 anti-inflammatory components, it may be helpful in any inflammatory condition.  Aloe Vera has been studied for its antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties and can be considered a natural anti-parasitic food that is an easy option to drink each day.  An alternative to aloe vera  is to juice regularly with fresh vegetables known to be anti-parasitic. If this becomes too intensive for your schedule, you can periodically buy detox packages at health food stores. Your reaction to a detox package containing a wide range of anti-parasitic herbs that target your whole system will depend on your particular body’s level of toxicity. If you have not done an inner cleanse for years, guidance from a health care practitioner experienced in this area is your safest and most effective choice in order to not become discouraged or need time off work because of adverse reactions from “too much, too fast”.  More detailed information on the importance of detoxification and parasites in particular can be read in the article entitled Parasite Cleansing.

It helps to remember we are not in a continuous state of deterioration as we age; that we can do much to retain our energy and vitality with lifestyle choices. Our tissues regenerate, forming new cells throughout each year. Skin, for example, normally regenerates with new cells around every 28 days. Keeping this in mind helps strengthen your self-image of vibrant health that can often be re-gained from food choices and improved lifestyle habits. Because inner cleansing lets our organs make the best use of nutrients we provide our body by improving function to ensure maximum uptake of nutrients,  detoxification is an important part of maintaining optimum health.