Understand the water

Special heartfelt gratitude to Divya and parents from translation team, who translated various tamil documents for research that we share in our community. This document was created 2 years back. I think now it is time to share it to public.

Bowen Falls Milford Sound NZ.

There is a famous saying in ancient tamil siddha’s _”Andathilullathe Pindam Pindathilullathe Andam Andamum Pindamum Ondre Atharinthuthan Parkkumpothe”_ it means what is in universe is same in our body. That is, our body is made of 5 elements, so does the universe.

Our earth has ⅔ water, so does our body, particularly brain. Water plays an important role in our body, there are countless benefits. At the same time, everyone is unique, so their needs are different. So drinking water with reference to certain benchmark is wrong. You drink water when you feel the need and as per your environment.

We can not say water is just H2O. Water has various nutritional elements that can be validated with scientific tools, but those scientific tools can not find the life force or spiritual energy. Our ancestors were well aware of this, in fact they were able to document various sources of water and their benefits. Though all source has water, but their function and benefits are different. We have to use as per our needs.

Pearson_Falls2

Let’s see what are the sources our ancestors have documented. As you think water comes from cloud, and it is collected and cleaned and sent to us in tap. But the story goes deeper. It will open your eyes, and also you can educate children about water in depth.   

  1. Agazhi (Moat) – A moat is a deep, broad trench, filled with water, that surrounds a castle for defence purposes. It has poisonous plants and deadly animals such as crocodile.
  2. Aruvi (WaterFalls) – a steep fall or flow of water in a watercourse from the highest part of a hill or a mountain. Each waterfalls has therapeutic benefits as per season.
  3. Aazhikinaru (Well in Sea Shore) – well dug near a sea shore. Good for stabilizing excess salt in air.
  4. Aaru (River) – Natural stream of water of fairly large size
  5. Elanji (Reservoir for drinking and other purposes) – a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for drinking and other purposes
  6. Urai kinaru (Ring well) – an excavation or structure in the form of descending rings created in the ground by digging to access groundwater. It is usually lined with fired clay.
  7. Ooruni (Drinking water tank) – Drinking water tank
  8. Ootru (spring) – water flow from an underground layer of water to the earth surface
  9. Aeri (Irrigation Tank) – water stored from rainfall, springs and rivers, used for agriculture
  10. Odai (Brook) – a small body of moving water from an underlying water body.  It always flows through a channel
  11. Kattunginaru ( Built-in -well) – an excavation or structure created in the red soil ground by digging to access groundwater. It is usually lined with stones and bricks.
  12. Kadal (Sea) – Sea
  13. Kanmai/Kammai (Irrigation Tank) – alternative name for irrigation tank used in the pandya dynasty
  14. Kalingu (Sluice with many Venturis) – Water sources like irrigation tank, built with a strong stone wall(as a precaution to prevent it from overflowing), with a gate at its end for water flow.
  15. Kaal(Channel) –  path of a narrow body of water
  16. Kaalvaai (Supply channel to a tank) – supply channel to the water resources like irrigation tank, bathing tank and drinking water tank
  17. Kuttam (Large Pond) – large pond (see the description of pond below)
  18. Kuttai( Small Pond) –  a small and shallow body of standing water, either natural or artificial,  that is usually smaller than a lake, used for bathing farm animals.
  19. Kundam (Small Pool) – a small water source for bathing.
  20. Kundu (Pool) – bathing water source, small in size
  21. Kumizhi (Rock cut Well/Artesian well) – An aquifer is a geologic layer of porous and permeable material such as sand and gravel, limestone, or sandstone, through which water flows and is stored. A well drilled into such an aquifer is called an artesian well.
  22. Kumizhi ootru (Artesian fountain) – If water reaches the ground surface under the natural pressure of the aquifer,it is called the artesian fountain.
  23. Kulam (Bathing Tank) – bathing water source near a village.
  24. Koovam (Abnormal well) – an abnormal well.
  25. Kooval (Hollow) – a shallow well like pit.
  26. Vaali (Stream) – a small drainage basin built from an overflowing natural water source like river
  27. Keni (Large Well) – a broad and deep well
  28. Sirai (Reservoir) – is an enlarged natural or artificial lake, storage pond or  impoundment created using a dam or lock to store water.
  29. Sunai (Mountain Pool) – natural water source in the mountains.
  30. Sengai (Tank with DuckWeed) – Bathing tank with abundant duckweed.
  31. Thadam (Beautifully Constructed Bathing Tank) – Beautifully Constructed Bathing Tank
  32. Thalikulam (Tank Surrounding a Temple) – water source surrounding the temple similar to a moat
  33. Thaangal ( Irrigation Tank) – In Thondai Dynasty, (dynasty which got separated from chola dynasty), irrigation tank is called so.
  34. Thirukulam (Temple Tank) – a sacred bathing tank near a temple
  35. Theppakulam (Temple tank with inside pathway along parapet wall) – a big sized temple tank with a inside pathway along the parapet wall, where theppam (a kind of boat car for the deities of the temple) is run during a temple festival.
  36. Thodu Kinaru (Dig Well) – water obtained from time to time by digging sand in the river
  37. Nadai Keni (Large well with steps on one side) – A large well which has steps on one side
  38. Neeraavi (Bigger tank with center Mantapam) – a large tank with a center stage. It is also called as aavi.
  39. Pillaikinaru (Well in the middle of a tank) – well in the middle of a bathing/ irrigation tank
  40. Pongu Kinaru ( Well with Bubbling Spring) – Well which has a never drying bubbling spring.
  41. Poigai (Lake) – a natural water source where there are abundant lotus flowers.
  42. Madu (Deep place in a river) – a deep, dangerous pit in a river.
  43. Madai (Small sluice with single venturi) – a small water source controlled by a sluice gate with single opening which controls the water flow.
  44. Madhagu (Sluice with many venturis) – a large irrigation tank controlled at its head by sluice gate with many openings. Sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway. Sluice gates commonly control water levels and flow rates
  45. Marukaal (Surplus water channel) – channel where the excess water is diverted.
  46. Valayam (Round tank) – Bathing tank which is round in shape.
  47. Vaaikaal (Small Water Course) – small water sources like irrigation tank/ channel

Each water was treated by the human, or by nature for specific purposes. It is astonished by our ancestors’ depth of knowledge and practice they integrated into our lives, which we forgot by globalization. It is high time we switch back to our roots to save our loved one.

HOT or COLD

Wooden Spoon in Hot Water

Now let’s decode about the drinking water that is hot, warm or room temperature or cold. The answer is this, we just need to use common sense, here, like all living creatures, we should take water in room temperature. Since humans are enabled with 6th sense, we can enhance our body function by changing the water temperature as per our needs. In case of cold weather, we can consume warm water. Our stomach needs fire energy to digest the food. So warm water does enhance its function. But never take HOT water, it will kill the sense in tongue, and affect our lining of walls from mouth to stomach. So does the cold water also affect us. Cold water does the most damage in our body. It numbs the sense, affects our thought process, and extinguishes the fire in gut. So anything cold (milk shake, ice cream) is not good. Unless it is for a specific purpose and for a season as per body and environment.

If you are not convinced, take a pot with hot (hot and cooled later), cold, warm, room temp water. Put a seed or fish. You clearly see which water has a life. So do you want to drink water that has life or what looks good?

In case if you have a skin related problem or obesity or toxin in body regular warm water can help to flush the toxins. Regular water takes 6 hours to enter various channels in the body whereas herbal water does this job in 1.5 hours.

So boiled and cooled water does kill all the things in water including the life force, so it is of no use, rather it makes our body less immune. Check with people around who drink boiled water and normal water. You will find out the answers.

Research on Holy Water

Holy waters

During post world war times. Some German and Japanese scientist were sent all over the world to do research on various holy water bodies, such as ganga, natural springs, etc. in the end of their study they found, ionized alkaline water that has high PH value, and it is the reason for providing positive health, anticancer, and refrain from psychological problem. They could not find the spiritual value, probably they know and have hidden it for public eyes.

Now, those companies make special water treatment machines, that cost us few lakhs.

Human body is at 7.4 PH value. Anything less than 7 is acidic and more than 7 is alkaline, So don’t jump into conclusion that we only take alkaline food, in fact most of the food we eat is not alkaline, our body needs acidic value too. In small number. So the intake should be balanced with higher alkaline intake.

Few months back, I did a test with various waters (who sells those Japanese technologies) I found, something shocking. Few more friend did this with other source shared the result with me for our community.

  • Normal tap water – 7 To 7.5
  • Rain water – 7 to 8
  • Mineral water – 4 to 5.5
  • Soda and packed juice – 2.5 to 3.5
  • Water from ganga and rameshwaram – 9.5 to 11.5
  • Coconut milk – 7 to 8!!
  • Milk – 4 To 5

No wonder, why temples give coconut water during visits, they were trying to increase PH value of the body. As said before, temples where holistic spiritual places never a religious ritual business centers like today. So drinking coconut milk daily does wonder in health. I have seen many parents including myself, observed sea level changes in health. Now, we know which water is safe.

Purifying the water

Somehow we have been brainwashed from birth that water is not safe, germs, bacteria, etc. I do agree that some germs and bacteria does deadly harm to us, but MNCs has exaggerated too high that they created a permanent fear in our mind to drink the water from normal source. What is the solution to get a good water without spending Rs.100000s of money. The answer lies in our traditional lifestyle practices.

Use herbs, Earth Pot, or Copper

Water stored in earthern pot for more than 12 hours in dark does wonders, it in fact increase PH value by 1 or 2 value more. Copper does the same in 4 hours. Pot reduce the body temperature, copper increases the body temperature. So use it as per season and your environment.

If you use, more physical work use pot, if you use more mental work then use pure copper.

To remove dust particles, harmful bacteria, use simple white organic cotton layers of clothes. This is a most simple cost-effective and efficient filter, the water that passes the cotton layers, it will capture the bacteria, I have not done research, could not find anyone doing test. But most of the naturopathy, ayurvedic and siddha dr agree to this.

Enhancing the water

We can add a small piece of wood from guava or amla or drumstick seeds or vettiveru. Once those woods or seed smells bad, change it.  No harm. Good for health.  

Read this blog by Vaijayanthi about various detox waters.

Conclusion
  • Drink room temperature water or warm water as per your need
  • Use copper and mud pot or go for an expensive machine. (nothing in between like RO, etc, it does weak our body in long run)
  • Prefer tap water or save rain water an store in in dark place and use it.

Looking forward, we should work on areas to save rain water.

Author: Velu Jayaprakash

Velu Jayaprakash is a social entrepreneur, product manager, techy, photographer, meditator, father of two angels, ancient wisdom seeker, holistic adviser and Soul coach. You can reach him at velu.jayaprakash AT gmail DOT com

Detox Waters

One of the traditional views of Naturopathy considers all diseases as nothing but a result of morbid toxin accumulation in the body. So by removing these toxins (detoxification), you can regain good health is the belief (provided one also follows the other things required for good health including cultivating a sound mind and physical exercise).

To help in this detoxification, you can prepare a few Detox Waters that can help you maintain good health every day. There are specific Detox Waters depending upon the disease you suffer from. Or, you can just alternate between each of these Detox Waters one day a week and cover all the days and stay detoxed! Don’t over do it though. Listen to your body and follow its wisdom.

Types of Detox Waters:

  1. Jeera Water
  2. Amla Water
  3. Nannari Water
  4. Rose Water
  5. Methi Water
  6. Lotus Water
  7. Dhania Water

How to prepare and use the Detox Water:

  1. If it’s Jeera/Methi/Dhania – take 1 spoon. If it is Amla, take one fruit (grate it). If it is Nannari or Rose petals, take a handful. If it is Lotus, take one full medium sized flower (along with stem, petals, etc.)
  2. Soak the base component overnight in 250 ml of water, preferably in a copper vessel.
  3. Boil the above mixture the next day morning till the water reduces to half.
  4. Take off the flame and filter out the solids.
  5. Dilute the leftover concentrated liquid to 1 or 1.5 liters.
  6. Sip throughout the day (or as long as it lasts) ensuring it mixes well with your saliva before you swallow.

Benefits of Detox Water:

  1. Jeera Water helps aid weight loss and also increases the body metabolism. Also, helps in addressing digestive issues
  2. Amla Water helps address blood-related problems.
  3. Nannari Water is good at healing urinary issues and balancing pitta in the body
  4. Rose Water (typically red desi varieties are preferred) helps in reducing acidity and is great for skin problems, balancing pitta, body/mouth adour, and Blood Pressure
  5. Methi Water is good for helping with diabetes, hair fall, and women’s problems such as white discharge
  6. Lotus/Dhania Water is very very good for balancing blood pressure (both high and low blood pressure).

If you’d like, you can also add the juice of one lemon to the diluted detox water for more flavor.

Author: Vaijayanthi

Vaijayanthi is a freelance business writer and full-time gardener. She coaches people on adopting a chemical-free lifestyle through her initiative called the Kaustubam for Sustainable Living Practices. She also conducts various physical workshops and training sessions on sustainable living and Gardening for children in Bengaluru through the initiative The Happy Child.