Regulation: Your Daily Routine

The key to effective hydration is consistency. Here’s a simple routine to help you optimize your water intake throughout the day:

• Upon Rising: Drink 8-16 ounces of purified water immediately upon waking. This jumpstarts your metabolism and helps flush out the toxins that accumulate overnight.

• Morning Intake: Aim to consume one-third of your daily water intake by 9:00 am.

• Midday Hydration: Finish the second third of your daily intake by noon.

• Afternoon Hydration: Complete the final third by 6:00 pm. You can sip more water after this time, but avoid drinking large amounts late in the evening to promote restful sleep (we'll explore sleep hygiene in Step 6).

​

Tip: Calculate your ideal daily water intake by taking your weight in pounds and dividing it by two. This number gives you the ounces of water you should aim for each day. Remember, water is water—not tea, juice, or coffee. These beverages do not replace the hydration your body needs.

​

Enhance Your Water: Once you've established a regular intake routine, you can explore adding natural elements like electrolytes, fresh fruit, or a pinch of sea salt to further support your body’s balance.

​

The Genius of Water: Dr. Emoto's Work

Water is not just a simple liquid—it holds memory and responds to emotion. Dr. Masaru Emoto’s groundbreaking work demonstrated that water molecules change their structure based on the words, emotions, and intentions they are exposed to. When positive words like "Gratitude" and "Love" were directed at water, it formed beautiful, harmonious crystals. Negative words or emotions, on the other hand, created chaotic and fragmented structures.

​

The Rice Experiment: In another fascinating study, Dr. Emoto placed cooked rice in two jars. One jar was exposed to positive words and loving thoughts, while the other was subjected to negative words and neglect. The rice in the positive jar stayed white and fresh longer, while the neglected jar became moldy and decayed rapidly. This experiment highlights the impact of intention on matter and energy.

​

Prayer to Water: Monks have performed prayers over water, transforming its molecular structure into more harmonious forms. If the power of emotion can change water’s expression, imagine what it can do for us, considering that our bodies are composed of over 60% water.

​

Why Hydrate?

Think of your body like a river. Without enough water, it becomes dry and sluggish. Proper hydration ensures that nutrients flow smoothly through your system, supporting digestion, detoxification, and energy levels. Without enough water, you may experience symptoms such as dry skin, dry eyes, digestive issues, kidney strain, and overall sluggishness.

Signs of Dehydration: Chronic dehydration can show up as premature wrinkles, tension headaches, cramps, and a range of seemingly unrelated symptoms. The body struggles to function optimally when it lacks this essential life force.

​

Hydration Before Movement

Staying hydrated is essential for physical movement. Whether you’re going for a simple walk or engaging in exercise, your hydration status in the days and hours beforehand will impact your energy and performance. Drink water before your movement session to help your body stay fluid and agile. After exercise, continue to sip water to aid recovery and keep your system balanced.

​

Building a Hydration Habit

When you increase your water intake, it’s normal to notice more frequent trips to the bathroom. This is simply your body adjusting and learning to process the new levels of hydration. You might also experience a range of emotions, especially if you’re practicing the breathing exercises from Step 1. This release is part of the recalibration process as your body finds its natural flow.

​

Tip: Carry a large water bottle with you everywhere you go. Treat it like a vital companion. When you have your water within reach, you’re more likely to sip throughout the day and meet your hydration goals.

​

Water Before Meals

Drinking water before meals is crucial. We'll explore the details in Step 3, but the key takeaway is that hydration before eating helps stimulate digestion. Consuming water after meals can dilute digestive juices, making it more strenuous for your body to break down food. If you enjoy warm beverages, consider having a cup of peppermint or ginger herbal tea before meals to further support digestion.

​

Water Quality and Health

While the routine of drinking water is most important to establish first, the quality of the water you consume can further enhance your health. Look for purified or spring water, and avoid excessive consumption of carbonated beverages, liquid sugars, or chemically colored drinks. Minimize juices from concentrate, as they often contain high amounts of sugar without the fiber found in whole fruits.

​

Water Fasting and Letting Go: Water fasting can offer numerous health benefits, but it’s not where we begin. First, we focus on "putting in" and creating flow within the body. When the body is stressed, it clings to what it has. By establishing a regular hydration routine and adjusting the body's internal flow, it will naturally feel safe to let go of what it no longer needs. We will dive deeper into this process in Step 5.

​

Affirmations & Wisdom

• Chakra: Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)

• Color: Orange

• Affirmation: "I flow with grace and nurture my body."

• Heavenly Virtue: Temperance (opposing the sin of Gluttony)

• Maxim of Equity: "Equity delights in equality." – Just as equity seeks balance, hydration brings equilibrium to your body, supporting its natural functions.

• Law of Energy: "Energy is always moving and vibrating." – Water conducts energy, and keeping your body hydrated ensures that energy moves freely, maintaining both physical and emotional well-being.

​​

Hydration as the Foundation

Water is the life force that prepares you for every other step in this journey. By keeping yourself hydrated, you’re nourishing your cells, supporting digestion, and enhancing your body's ability to detoxify and recover. When you honor this need for hydration, you create a strong foundation for growth and transformation.