The Elixir of Life – Water (Element- II)

The way you respond to the situations in life tells a lot about the state of your water element. The water element in you can take the form of a tsunami or a deep blue ocean or a stagnated pool of water, a free-flowing river or a serene, unperturbed lake. The form it might take naturally depends on the state of your water element.

Personality

If you are a deep thinker, introspective, calm, patient, silent, artistic, flexible, a seeker of sense then you may be a water element personality. You feel nourished by the people around and feel connected to them. You will be able to express yourself in a calm and composed manner. You like to do things at your own pace. Hurry is the invisible word in your dictionary. You take a slower rhythm in life and it gets conveyed in the way you speak, walk, react and do things in your own way without any interference from the world. You have a deep spiritual inclination and like to sit in peace and meditate. You have unique and inspiring ideas but implementing them is a great challenge for you. You feel energetic, confident, courageous and strong-willed.

Imbalance 

When you have an excess water element in your body, it slows down your digestion leading to dullness and depression. You tend to be inflexible, opinionated and intolerant. You may become self-centred, resentful and obstinate. Symptoms of excess water energy include High blood pressure, headaches, inadequate sweat or urine, little need for sleep, knee problems, low back pain, arthritis and stiffness in the joints, urinary infections, kidney and bladder stones, neurological disturbances, etc.

On the other hand, a deficient water element may leave you dried out. You may feel the inability to connect with others. You feel weak or tired and may feel more vulnerable to anxiety, fear and stress. The joy of performing work and spontaneity disappears. You may become cold and detached and may encounter difficulty in maintaining relationships. Symptoms of deficient Water energy include premature ageing, grey hair, wrinkled skin, weak degenerating spine and osteoporosis, weak abdominal muscles, sore lower back, aching knees, ear infections, tinnitus, fatigue, low energy and dark circles around the eyes, frequent urination, urinary infections, infertility, etc.

Tanmatra

Providing the body with the basic nourishment, Water is undoubtedly the Protector of our body. The tanmatra associated with Water is “Taste”. The sense organ associated with this tanmatra is Tongue. The taste buds of your tongue work only when there is water or saliva. This signifies that without water, there is no taste. So, if you experience any disability in your taste it is an indication of your water element imbalance.

Organs

Kidneys and bladder are the main organs associated with the water element. The taste associated with the water element is ‘Salty” and the associated colour is Black. The emotions associated with the water element is Fear. If you are fearful of everything or fearless about anything it shows that your water element has gone out of balance.

Water and Human Body

We begin our life journey on Earth as our mother’s water breaks. The Amniotic Fluid which is commonly known as Water or Waters serves as a cushion for the fetus and also facilitates the exchange of nutrients, water, etc between the fetus and mother. From the journey as a fetus to the expedition of life as an adult, the role of water in our lives is immense.

The Earth is made up of nearly 70% of water. An average human adult body comprises nearly 60% water which may vary according to the gender, age and weight. Do you know where this percentage of water is concentrated in your body? Let’s see this.

Your brain and heart comprise nearly 73% of water. 83% of water is present in your lungs. Your skin retains 64% of water. 79% of water goes to your muscles and kidney and 31% of water is present in your bones for lubrication. In addition to this, your blood plasma is made up of nearly 90% of water. Amazing isn’t it? 60% of water is distributed in such astounding proportions to different body parts.

Five Kaphas

We already saw in the Earth Element post, that the integration of Earth and Water element or the ideal equilibrium of Water and Earth element is called Kapha in Ayurveda, which is responsible not only for solidity but also for the right amount of body fluids.

Here, we will see the interesting details as to how in the human body Kapha or Water is expressed in Five different ways.

1. Bodhaka Kapha: Bodhaka means “to know” or that which helps “one to know”. Bodhaka Kapha helps you to recognise and discriminate the tastes of different food types. It lubricates your tongue, buccal cavity, gums and throat and helps in maintaining your voice. The Salivary fluid and Salivary Amylase helps in the chewing and the breaking down of carbohydrates aiding the digestion process.

2. Kledaka Kapha: Kledaka means “which causes moistness”. Kledaka Kapha is formed and located in the Stomach. On receiving the food it gets mixed with it, moistens it and brings it to an easily digestible form. It also acts as a buffer against the strong acids produced in the Stomach for digestion. Excess production of Kledaka Kapha leads to dyspepsia, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, laziness and excessive sleepiness, etc. Deficit production leads to gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux, etc.

3. Tarpaka Kapha: Tarpaka means that “which nourishes”. Tarpaka Kapha is located in the Head and nourishes the brain, the sense organs and their controlling centres in the brain. Perception of all sense organs depends on the proper balance of the Tarpaka Kapha. Excess Tarpaka Kapha would lead to excess fluid accumulation around the brain (Cerebrospinal Fluid), inside and around the eyes and ears leading to many disorders due to the pressure symptoms created by excess fluid accumulation. It can get manifested as sinusitis, cerebral edema, the heaviness of head, increased intraocular pressure, etc. Deficit production leads to deficit nourishment to the brain, sense organs and the nerves causing headache, dryness and inflammation of eyes, nose and ears, migraine, meningitis, etc.

4. Shleshaka Kapha: Shleshaka means “connecting or attaching”. Shleshaka Kapha is located in the body’s bony joints as the Synovial Fluid and as an intercellular cement substance in between the cells. It helps in lubricating the joints thereby facilitating their easy movements. As an intercellular cementing substance, it plays a vital role in holding the cells together. Excess Shleshaka Kapha can cause heaviness and stiffness in joints. Deficit Shleshaka Kapha leads to dryness of joints leading to joint pains, joint cracks, sound in joints, etc. It may also cause an imbalance in the Pitta Dosha leading to excessive blood flow to the joints causing inflammation and related diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, soft tissue inflammation against joints, etc. When there is an imbalance of Shleshaka Kapha in the tissues, overall immunity goes down as the cells defensive mechanism goes down. This makes the affected person prone to a wide range of diseases and autoimmune disorders.

5. Avalambaka Kapha: Avalambaka Kapha supports the functions of the Heart and Lungs. It is located in the Chest and the Scapular region and provides a conducive environment for the proper functioning of the Lungs and Heart. Present as a Pleural Fluid, it helps in the proper expansion and relaxation of the Lungs. Present as a Pericardial Fluid around the Heart, it helps the Heart to pump and receive blood and ensures its smooth functioning throughout our life. Excess Avalambaka Kapha causes excess fluid accumulation around the chest region leading to pleural or pericardial effusion. Deficient Avalambaka Kapha causes dryness around the chest region leading to hypertension, pulmonary tuberculosis, palpitations, etc.

Water Element Foods

The Water element is found in Nuts and seeds like Almond Milk,  Coconut Milk, Coconut Water, Coconut Yogurt, Grape Seed Oil, Hazelnut, black sesame, etc. It’s found in Vegetables like Avocado, Bottle Gourd, Cucumber, Tomato, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Aloe Vera Juice, Aloe Vera Gel, Zucchini, Red Bell Pepper, etc. Fruits like Banana, Blackberry,  Blueberry, Melons, Cherry, Cranberry, Figs, Grapes, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Lemon, Lime, Mango, Mulberry, Orange, Papaya, Peaches, Pineapple, Plum, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Strawberries, Watermelon, etc contain a good amount of water. It’s found in dairy products like Milk, Butter, Cheddar/ Cottage/ Mozzarella Cheese, Condensed Milk, Goat Milk, Heavy Cream, Homemade Yogurt, Paneer, etc. Oils in the form of Cacao Butter, Coconut Oil, Corn Oil, Flax Oil, Ghee, Mustard Oil,  Olive Oil, Sesame Oil, Sunflower Oil, etc are good to balance your water element.

Care for your Kidneys and Bladder

• For a healthy kidney, keep your kidneys warm and well-hydrated. Have adequate intake of water. Don’t drink too much or too little. When you feel thirsty, don’t gulp big. Sip and drink water in small quantities until your thirst is quenched. It is always good to sit and drink water. This simple practice will help you in avoiding health complications in the future.

• 3 pm-5 pm is the time of the Bladder. During this time the metabolic wastes move into the kidney’s filtration system. You can sip herbal tea during this time to support the detoxification process. If you have to complete a brain- challenging work or have to study, this is the perfect time to do it. You may also feel irritated and apprehensive during this time.

• 5 pm-7 pm is the time of the Kidneys. During this time the blood is filtered and the kidneys work to maintain proper chemical balance. As per the organ clock, this is the perfect time to have your dinner and also to activate your circulation by walking or doing stretching exercises. Subconscious thoughts of fear or trepidation may become dominant at this time.

• The sensory organ associated with the Kidney is the ears. So symptoms like tinnitus or hearing loss can be associated with the problems in the functioning of kidneys. Besides this, a weak kidney function may get reflected as hair and tooth problems, urinary infections, kidney stones, lower back, leg and knee problems, etc. When you experience any of these symptoms the body sends out a warning signal to you indicating that it is time to take care of your Kidneys.

• Whole grains and nuts, ginger or cinnamon tea, Kidney beans, black grapes, sea salt or rock salt will help you in strengthening your kidneys. Reduce your salt intake. Replace sodium table salt with pure sea salt or rock salt.

• Rest, Relax and Replace Fear, Anxiety and Depression with positive, energetic and vibrant feel to fortify your kidney health and to enjoy the precious gift called Life.

Are you drinking Water the right way? To know, here’s an interesting video by Sadhguru.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmBFl00Ngu0

With Divine Love, 

Swarnalatha