Hearing the sound of water is so important to me. From an early age, I recognized that I fell into a deep sleep with the sound of rain whispering while it fell, splashing on leaves and drumming on the roof. In this extended drought in the U.K., I treat my periodic insomnia with rain sounds from an app. Maybe you do the same.
Practitioners of natural medicine often recommend hydrotherapy to relax tight muscles. As I age, everything feels tight and sore at times, so a warm shower in the morning is where I do my stretching exercises. I once travelled to Japan and learned that their philosophers and physicians have long recognized water’s healing power. In Buddhist meditation, flowing water is cherished, a source of sound that the mind can enjoy without becoming too attached to any single tone.
In Japan, they say that if you think of cold water and surround yourself with colours, images and sounds of water, it will cool you down. Let me introduce you to my favourite Japanese waterfalls: a small, verdant fall in Niigata with a sacred basin for drinking, and the waterfall of Eikando temple in Kyoto. Hopefully, looking at water photos will help you keep cool during this summer of extreme, persistent heat.
It seems that our seasons have rushed ahead of their time, and the heat of summer is beginning earlier and lasting longer into late autumn. In our changed climate, heat and drought come together, resulting in tinder-dry trees and brush that can ignite easily. And rain (if and when it comes) can be so intense that it causes flooding.
Water sources and “water songs”
Water is essential to life on Earth, and we can’t afford to waste what we have. Water, if carefully used, should be part of our outer domicile, to be shared with wildlife who suffer as well in dry, hot times.
Local water authorities are right in telling us to cut our water usage and restrict when and how long automatic irrigation can be used. I totally respect that in my garden space. Our traditional idea of what a garden looks like must change with this global crisis—for example, lawns requiring large amounts of water to stay green aren’t really viable. The same applies to the private sports of the affluent that rely on heavily watered expanses of grass.
As I grow most of my own vegetables and fruit, my nutrition and food security require balance and consideration of my local water conditions. Essential to any productive garden is wildlife, especially pollinating insects. The substance of my garden provides plants, trees and cover for their survival. I think of it this way: The entire cycle of life and the food chain of animals is represented as a microcosm on my own patch of land. The garden-maker is their host.
My provision of water for wildlife is a shallow solar fountain/birdbath that circulates water. In the morning, a cheery, nervous wren settles on its edge. It’s important, when attracting birds to your water feature, that you have a tree or dense shrub nearby so they can dart back to it for protection.
Fascinated, I watch with wonder while the tiny creature hops ever closer to the gently flowing water and eventually dares to take a few sips. A much bigger jay follows suit and scares off the wren. The jay takes its time to bathe, removing loose feathers, dust and parasites. In the afternoon, bees alight along the fountain’s shallow edge and sip.
I need the sound of water outdoors to foster relaxation, calm and peace. I listen carefully to the individual sounds that water makes; each of us naturally prefers certain “water songs” over others. I know it has positive health benefits, primarily reducing blood pressure and stress levels. The patter of water masks nearby noise pollution while releasing a continuous flow of negative ions. Numerous researchers have found a connection between negative ions and stress reduction.
So, I have a second small fountain opposite a chair by the front door, where I drink my morning tea. It’s an ingenious British invention, a simple pump-and-spray powered by a rechargeable battery, with a remote control to turn it on and off. I commandeered a spare ceramic pot and filled it with jade-coloured stones, then set up the fountain.
A calming Japanese tanka
Sitting back with the tea, I take a deep breath and think of a wonderful Japanese tanka poem. It takes me back to Niigata every time:
a rivulet of peace
leaves a soul thirsty for more
drink living water
to the full in abundance
and become a waterfall
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image 1 Kanenori from Pixabay 2 all other images courtesy of author
