Water Element

The fourth of the 5 elements found in all of nature is water. Water represents the liquid state of matter. It is responsible for cohesion and has the ability to bind substances. This cohesive nature is what builds the various structure of our bodies by binding different cells together.

Water is responsible for the fluid metabolism in the body. Blood, lymph, sweat, urine, plasma, saliva and other fluids are considered as water elements. Water is the protector of the body. It provides the body with its most basic nourishment. It also emerges in the body as growth and lubrication. The water element soothes pain and inflammation in the body.

The qualities of water are flowing, fluidity, liquid, cold, moist, and mobile. The water element cools, moistens, adheres, soothes, softens, smoothes, dulls, and spreads. Water connects to the tongue and the sense of taste.

Water allows for assimilation, permitting our food and our life experiences to become part of us. Healthy water element also insulates the body with a healthy layer of fat, and lubricatesthe joints and mucosa, producing clear, smooth skin. It gives us open and non-judgmental eyes, and smooth, fluid motion in our limbs.

In our diet, the sweet and salty tastes are the main source of water. Cooked grains, non-fermented dairy, oils, nuts, and fatty meats are foods with ample water element within them. Fruit juice, watermelon and buttermilk also predominate in the water element. Eating these foods helps to maintain fluid balance in the body, moisten the joints and internal passages, and create a sense of contentment in the mind.

An excess of water can cause our digestion to slow down, and we may become dull and insensitive to the situations around us. Excess water can leave us feeling heavy, bogged-down, overly emotional or depressed. It manifests physically in the bodyas excess fat, mucus, phlegm, swelling of glands, joint problems and edema of tissues.

A lack of the water element can leave us dried out and inflexible in body and mind. We may become constipated, undernourished and bitter. Water is the energy of our creativity. It represents our ability to adapt and go with the flow, helping to soften our hardened edges and connect us with our inner essence, beyond the physical form.

A few simple guidelines to help balance excess water:

• Eat more dry and light foods.
• Avoid foods that are sweet, sour, and/or salty.
• Spend time in the sun or in a dry climate.
• Exercise to work up a sweat.
• Minimize cold and carbonated drinks, as well as cooling foods.
• Stimulate your body and mind on a daily basis.
• Cook with herbs likeginger, clove,black pepper, cumin, coriander, and fennel.