The Pancha Maha-Bhuta // The 5 Great Elements 2) Apas / Water
The Qualities of Water
When we explore the water element, we connect with its qualities. Water is fluid, soft and yielding. But despite its softness it’s strength carves and shapes landscapes, gently yet with a powerful force. Water is in our oceans, our rivers and streams and our lakes. Water nourishes the earth when it rains, it’s in all that is fluid and yet it’s in all that is snow, ice and steam
Water Body
Water not only cleanses and nourishes us, its flow within us, carries nutrients around the body through the blood. It aids the flow of lymphatic fluid which keeps our immune system healthy. Synovial fluid lubricates the joints of the body, keeping them moving smoothly. The qualities of water can bring softness to a tense body, or plumpness to dehydrated skin, ultimately carving and shaping the landscape of the body.
Water Mind
There is a deeply reflective quality to the water mind. It enables self-reflection which leads us to better understand who we are in the world – our authenticity. Mentally, when the water element is in balance, we can trust ourselves to go with the flow of life, embracing the flow of our thoughts and emotions as well as the challenges that life presents. It requires an element of faith to trust ourselves, which is why we need to feel safe and stable first, the Earth element in balance brings that stability in order for our authentic selves to be expressed freely. There is a natural femininity to the power of water, we no longer feel we have to force or control the flow of things, instead we find we can adapt and change and when we’re focused, well-nourished and feeling strong we can gently trust that our presence and nature will influence and shape the relationships and situations around us.
Water Energy
Affirmations can be a useful way to awaken the energetic qualities of Water.
“I trust myself” or “I am working towards trusting myself more every day”
“It is safe for me to feel my feelings” – “I am working towards becoming more aware of my feelings”
“I can trust the flow of life” – “I am ready to invite more flow into my life”
“I am free to express my true self” – “Every day I am a step closer to expressing my true self”
“I am fluid” – “I am softening a little more each day”
You can work with affirmations in various ways, what’s important is that the affirmation feels true and that can take time and work. It can take some negotiation and time to find the words that feel true. Start with something small if necessary, something that is already true for you and easily accessible, rather than expecting a universal affirmation to feel comfortable immediately. Try one of these exercises:
Choose an affirmation and write it out 10 times in a diary or notebook.
Look yourself in the eye, in the mirror and say the affirmation out loud 10 times
Silently repeat the affirmation 10 times before you go to sleep, or 10 times as soon as you wake up.
Notice any objections that come up and address those separately. Address the objections with compassion, for example ‘I know you don’t always feel safe, but could you be willing to give safety a try?’ or ‘I know you feel insecure, but I’m now open to inviting a deeper sense of security into my life, will you come with me?’
Activities which Connect us with a sense of flow:
Swimming, floating and allowing our body to be moved by water.
Dancing to our favourite music
Being creative, free writing, drawing or making
Taking little leaps of faith towards our ideas and dreams, perhaps carving out space and time in order to meet the needs of the ideas we are harbouring.
In Balance – We are adaptable and resilient; we have the energy to move through life with enough zest and confidence, allowing our thoughts and emotions to ebb and flow.
Out of Balance – We may experience feelings of resistance towards our life situation, lack vitality or find that change is overwhelming.