The Way of Water
Have you ever floated on a river or lake with only the current to guide you? The water’s depth and awareness of what lies around the bend elude you, but for that moment in time you simply relinquish control and drift. Unaccustomed to weightlessness, you take a leap of faith, close your eyes and give in to the flow. The water decides where you’re going and somehow you trust that it knows the right way. And it does.
Water is a powerful element in Feng Shui Five Element theory, associated with a person’s career, wisdom and life path. When the proper amount and quality of Water is found lacking in a building, group or community, energy dries up, business falls short of expectations and people become stuck. When Water flows too quickly (think waterfalls and fast moving roads) energy is quickly carried downstream and its beneficial properties are lost. In authentic Feng Shui, the location of ponds, fountains and pathways all influence the fortunes of a place for better or worse based on their proximity, placement and directional flow.
Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that Water is linked to human emotions and is vital to kidney health, which keeps all other organs in balance. While Earth provides the stability we need to focus and stay grounded, Water keeps us moving, constantly uncovering what is hidden beneath the surface and exposing what is possible. Over time Water erodes the strongest of barriers and redirects with ease and fluidity. Essential to growth, inspiration and mobility, Water can also lap away at foundations and extinguish a flame that burns brightly. In the Fire season of summer, Water (winter’s element) helps to cool anger and soothe spirits. A day at the beach puts troubles in perspective, often washing away the worries we carried there with us.
I’m inspired by the journeys of my clients and friends whose lives have taken an unexpected turn over the last busy months. This is the realm of Water. If we are not fluid, all the plans, lists and notions that change in a moment can catch us off guard. Fear sets in and we try swimming upstream against the current for awhile, working twice as hard to go half as far. We forget that in its march to the sea, Water finds its way over, under and through obstacles, regardless of how long the journey. Water is persistent and yields only long enough to change course, gather momentum and continue.
This summer I wish you the wisdom and weightlessness of Water energy to help navigate your journey. And as always, let me know if I can help.
Wishing you good chi,
Diane Gallin, CFSC
