Happiness Break: How To Tune Into Water’s Restorative Power

Indigenous scholar Dr. Yuria Celidwen guides us in a reflection on our interconnection with water, encouraging us to see it as more than just a vital resource, but as kin. 

How to Do This Practice:

Last week we explored the scientifically backed healing qualities of water, focusing on how connecting with water through sound, sight, and touch can support our well being. This week, indigenous scholar Dr. Yuria Celidwen guides us in a reflection on our interconnection with water, encouraging us to see it as more than just a vital resource, but as kin.  

1. Find a quiet space where you can engage with water— a nearby river, ocean, or even the faucet at home.
2. Focus on the sound of water. Whether it’s the gentle drip from a faucet or the sound of waves, listen deeply to how water calls to you.
3. Contemplate how water transforms between solid, liquid, and gas. Let this remind you of your own potential for transformation.
4. Imagine the water flow, guiding you to feel its presence within and around you, awakening memories, imagination, and a sense of belonging in this shared world.
5. Take a few moments to reflect on how different manifestations of water connect with you. 

Today’s Happiness Break Host:

DR. YURIA CELIDWEN is an indigenous scholar of contemplative studies, and author of the new book, Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Foundations For Collective Well-Being.

Read more on Yuria: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/#about

Follow Yuria on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriacelidwen/

Read Yuria’s work on kin relationality: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.994508/full

If You Enjoyed This Happiness Break, You Might Also Like:

• Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher
• How to Ground Yourself in Nature, With Yuria Celidwen 

Check Out These Episodes of The Science of Happiness:

•  The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife
•  How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself)
•  How to Use Your Body to Relax Your Mind (The Science of Happiness)

We’d love to hear how this practice goes for you! Let us know how you connect with water in your life.

Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu 

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