If asked what light is, one could say that it is one of the most basic elements of our world and our universe, as we perceive it. It is through sight that we receive ninety percent of our information.

It is through light that the energy from the sun is transferred to us. The sun's energy supports the food chain, plants use it to turn H2O and CO2 into energy usable by other organisms.

Solar energy is also used indirectly to produce all of the fuels that we consume daily.

Light can be produced in a variety of ways. Our sun, like other stars, uses nuclear fusion to produce energy in the form of light and radiation. We can produce light artificially using several methods. If one starts a fire, it produces light and heat. (Heat, which is infrared radiation, is another type of light energy.) The light and heat are a result of a chemical reaction, the combining of oxygen with carbon in the wood.

Final Thoughts
If something or someone disturbs our calm it may be worth asking ourselves what it is that moved us. Is it because we see something in them that we have in ourselves, lurking in our darker depths? Or perhaps it is to ask ourselves why it bothers us, so that we reflect and purify ourselves. Maybe that is why we take notice of something or feel irritated by it.

In the same way that the movement of water reveals forces beneath the surface, our reactions can reveal aspects of ourselves that may remain hidden.

By observing the way of water, we can appreciate not only the many benefits it brings to our physical health, but the myriad of lessons it has to teach that can help our mental health.

Reflect
When water is calm, it can reflect a clear picture of anything it greets. It can serve to show the observer that which they might otherwise not see. But if water is turbulent or murky, then what's reflected with be hazy and unclear.

Similarly, when our minds are turbulent- when we are angry, resentful, vengeful, or moved by powerful emotion- we can't reflect on ourselves and what is happening. This makes it impossible to see a situation clearly, and our vision is distorted. When we can keep calm, we are able to reflect on things in a much clearer and more accurate way.

Self-reflection is always important, but perhaps no more so than when we are going through a difficulty. Let's all remember to calm ourselves, take a moment to reflect, and see what we can learn from the situation.

Philosophers and poets have long said that what is outside of us is merely a reflection of what is within. What lives in the heart, comes out of the mouth. And in a similar vein, the Bible says, "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart." (Proverbs 27:19)
Stay tuned for Final Thoughts, Part 7.

Be Strong Yet Gentle

"Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water, yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it."
-Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Water takes on many forms, and in those forms, it can be solid and strong or gentle and pliant. Even when it's flowing, water can wield incredible strength. At its most still and docile, it can contain tremendous depth. Water has power and endurance amid the toughest of conditions but will return to calm as an inevitable natural state.

In people, a tendency toward calm is an attribute of good character. While water can overpower its surroundings, as in a massive tidal wave, this is not water's nature, but a consequence of its environment. Water is, by nature, humble and serene.

Yet, as the Daoist sage Lao Tzu noted: "All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them."

This gentleness is not without power. Just as a calm person can better reason with others and melt away disagreement, water is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid.
Stay tuned for Part 6, Reflect

Water flows throughout nature, in oceans, lakes, streams, creeks, and rivers. It doesn't let things get in ts way or impede its path. Nor does it resist its natural cycle of change from its water cycle of evaporation to condensation to precipitation, or from changing its state from liquid to gas to solid, as the situation may require.

Just as water adapts and takes on different forms, so must we continuously let go of our current state in order to change and grow.

Confucius said, "As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, so a wise man adapts himself to circumstances."

Change is one of the few things we can count on in life, but for many of us, just the thought of change can stir stress. Yet, if things are meant to change, no amount of resistance can stop it. If we are rigid and let our minds form fixed ideas about how things should be, then we are more apt to falter in the face of difficulty. But when we are fluid, our minds open up, we are flexible, we adapt, and we grow.

When we understand that we are best served by flowing with what comes, it will be easier to let go of what was and accept what is. And when we do, we might even find that life has offered some amazing opportunities.
Tune in for upcoming, Part 5, Be Strong yet Gentle

Water's importance to Health
Water is common, innocuous, and essential. Like love and health, it's easy to take water for granted until it's missing.

Water is the foundation fo each cell, of each organ, and of the body as a whole. Two-thirds of water in the body is intracellular, while the remaining one-third is extracellular. However, water's concentration within the various parts of the body differs. For example, according to studies, the brain and heart are made up of approximately 73 percent water, the skin is 64 percent water and the lungs are 83 percent water. Even the hardest parts of the body, the bones, contain 31 percent water.

In a way, water's simplicity is part of its potency. It's the ultimate enhancer and enabler. As such, it serves many functions in the body. It insulates the spinal cord, brain, and other organs, lubricates and acts as a shock absorber for the joints, heps to regulate body temperature through respiration and perspiration, flushes waste and toxins from the body, carries oxygen to the cells, and helps to break food down into nutrients that the body can absorb.

Anyone who's been in the ocean with a scrape or cut, or gargled with salt water to ease a sore throat, can attest to water's ability to heal. Keeping our bodies well-hydrated plays an essential role in memory and focus, in boosting our energy and mood levels, and in maintaining proper blood pressure. It also helps to reduce the effects of aging, helps to keep constipation and illnesses a bay, and improves our physical performance.

As with all things in life, balance is key. Too  much water in the body can lead to issues such as congestive heart failure, nausea, diarrhea, or low sodium and other electrolytes. Conversely, too little water, dehydration, can lead to things such as acute kidney failure, joint pain, muscle cramping, and an excess of sodium and electrolytes, to name just a few examples.

Clearly, water has a tremendous impacty on our physical health. But if we slow down long enough to appreciate the wonders of water- wonders that haven't been lost on the poets, philosophers, and spiritually enlightened of the world- the life lessons water has to teach can also have a significant impact on how we view the world, which can have a profound effect on our mental health. 
Remember to drink plenty of fresh clean Spring water. 
Stay tuned for Part 4, Lessons From Water: Let Go and Flow

Absolutely, my favorite Spring meal. I am always looking for great ways to boost my intake of Protein and fiber. Chia seeds are Indeed a powerhouse. Here is a fantastic way to increase your fiber and protein. A wonderful Salad meal- steamed broccoli, shaved carrots, toasted pumpkin seeds dressed with a light fresh Green salsa dressing (onion, jalepano, avocado, zucchini, red pepper, olive oil, key lime juice, salt, coriander, fresh cilantro, and cayenne pepper.) Served with a Side dish of Chia seed pudding and Blueberries. Delicious and nutritious.

Features of Water
Water makes up more than two-thirds (71%) of the Earth's surface. It continually moves and shifts, existing in its different forms in oceans, lakes, clouds, the air, vegetation, glaciers, and snow, not mention what is underground.

Water has some unique characteristics. For example, while substances can take on the various forms of solid, liquid, or gas, water is unusual in that, unlike other substances, it doesn't require extreme temperatures to do so, rather, it changes under conditions that life can tolerate.

In addition, when solids of a substance form, the atoms typically come closer together to make the substance more dense. Water molecules, on the other hand, form rings when they freeze, making the substance less dense. Thus, while most solids sink in  water, solid water (ice) is able to stay afloat.

Water's unique features are what allow it to be everywhere and to impact everything, including out own bodies and health. These properties are also what give it deeper symbolic meaning.

For instance, water is never lost; it just changes form. It "adapts" to its environment in ways that enhance the lives of all. For instance, under heat, it elevates and gives rise to clouds that provide a divine vision that has moved people for millennia. And when water freezes into buoyant ice, it provides a kind of insulation for the fish and plant life that remain below.
Stay tuned for Part 3 Water's importance to Health.